I took a couple of extra days off since I am in the "taper" part of my training and I've had a few aches an pains - nothing major, just a little soreness - nothing for me to worry about. I was able to get in a 6-mile run today, which felt great. I'm beginning to watch Orlando weather, and really beginning to look forward to getting to Florida!
Mi 1 - 8:50.56
Mi 2 - 8:55.21
Mi 3 - 8:40.19
Mi 4 - 8:48.5
Mi 5 - 8:45.63
Mi 6 - 8:33.08
Total = 52:33.17
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Last "long" run
On Christmas Eve I mentioned that my long run today would "only" be 12 miles. I mentioned how it seems so strange to say it's only 12 miles, considering that just a few months ago I had only run 12 miles once, and that was for a half-marathon last year. However, during this marathon training, I have definitely gotten stronger. On Christmas Eve I mentioned that while it is "only" 12 miles, it still isn't easy for me. I'm really not trying to be arrogant, but today 12 miles was easy! I am not sure that I've had a stronger run than today's run. Though it was cool out and the wind was pretty strong, I was stronger. Which was pretty amazing, considering I had such low expectations for today's run, and I almost decided to not even run. Last night someone broke into the church (again), so I was over there for quite a while and didn't get back till close to 12:00, then I need to settle down - so it was a late night.
I ran out on some country roads, and I just really felt amazing. Part of it was definitely mental. At some point I began thinking about all of my friends who will be supporting me in the marathon in a couple of weeks, and I just kept thinking about how I didn't want to let anyone down. For whatever reason, those thoughts just seemed to push me harder and my last mile was my fastest. Interestingly enough, at the end of my run as I was walking back to my car I saw 2 friends who are going to be running in the Disney marathon in a couple of weeks also. They were running 20 miles today, which I'm not sure is a great idea this close to the marathon. All the training plans I've seen call for you to begin cutting back 3 weeks out. However, everybody needs different preparation, and I'm hoping it works well for them. They are both good guys (and ministers as well - one a Methodist pastor, and his son is a baptist pastor).
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:07.65
Mi 2 - 8:56.87
Mi 3 - 9:03.03
Mi 4 - 8:54.64
Mi 5 - 8:51.28
Mi 6 - 9:14.09
Mi 7 - 9:06.31
Mi 8 - 9:07.43
Mi 9 - 9:14.04
Mi 10 - 9:00.66
Mi 11 - 8:52.1
Mi 12 - 8:41.5
Total = 1:48:09.60
I ran out on some country roads, and I just really felt amazing. Part of it was definitely mental. At some point I began thinking about all of my friends who will be supporting me in the marathon in a couple of weeks, and I just kept thinking about how I didn't want to let anyone down. For whatever reason, those thoughts just seemed to push me harder and my last mile was my fastest. Interestingly enough, at the end of my run as I was walking back to my car I saw 2 friends who are going to be running in the Disney marathon in a couple of weeks also. They were running 20 miles today, which I'm not sure is a great idea this close to the marathon. All the training plans I've seen call for you to begin cutting back 3 weeks out. However, everybody needs different preparation, and I'm hoping it works well for them. They are both good guys (and ministers as well - one a Methodist pastor, and his son is a baptist pastor).
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:07.65
Mi 2 - 8:56.87
Mi 3 - 9:03.03
Mi 4 - 8:54.64
Mi 5 - 8:51.28
Mi 6 - 9:14.09
Mi 7 - 9:06.31
Mi 8 - 9:07.43
Mi 9 - 9:14.04
Mi 10 - 9:00.66
Mi 11 - 8:52.1
Mi 12 - 8:41.5
Total = 1:48:09.60
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve run
Merry Christmas! Today while so many people were out doing last minute shopping, I was out doing a 6 mile fartlek! Once again, if you're not familiar with that term it is a Swedish word that means "speed play." To run a fartlek, you first eat lots of beans (ok, no - I just added that in - I know, that joke stinks . . . ), and then you go run. As you are running at a nice relaxed pace, you pick out a spot up ahead of you and you pick up the pace significantly till you that spot, and then you can resume your nice relaxed pace. It's really just interval training, but without designated interval lengths, and it just breaks up the monotony of a run. I can't say that I enjoy it, because it really is tiring, but I am very glad that I got it done.
Friday I will have to go run 12 miles, which stinks because it's the day after Christmas, but at least it's only 12. I still think it's funny to refer to it as "only 12," considering before I began this marathon training I had only run over 10 miles once. Not that 12 miles is easy for me now, but after having logged some of the long runs that I have, I feel pretty confident in running 12.
I truly wish you a Merry Christmas!
Mi 1 - 9:10.4
Mi 2 - 8:22.07
Mi 3 - 8:22.5
Mi 4 - 9:00.93
Mi 5 - 9:13.83
Mi 6 - 8:33.91
Total = 52:43.64
Friday I will have to go run 12 miles, which stinks because it's the day after Christmas, but at least it's only 12. I still think it's funny to refer to it as "only 12," considering before I began this marathon training I had only run over 10 miles once. Not that 12 miles is easy for me now, but after having logged some of the long runs that I have, I feel pretty confident in running 12.
I truly wish you a Merry Christmas!
Mi 1 - 9:10.4
Mi 2 - 8:22.07
Mi 3 - 8:22.5
Mi 4 - 9:00.93
Mi 5 - 9:13.83
Mi 6 - 8:33.91
Total = 52:43.64
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Taper
Just found out the other day that you can sign up to track me at the Disney Marathon on January 10 by going to the following site and signing up: (CLICK HERE)
It's free, and you'll have to sign up, but it's really simple and easy, and apparently you'll get emails or texts (your choice) regarding my progress as I run the race.
Today was my first run of the "taper" time, and it was an easy 5 miles. Maybe it's because it was so cool out, or maybe it was because I haven't run since I ran 20 on Friday, but I felt really strong out there this evening. I was breaking in a new pair of shoes, and though they are the exact same pair as the pair they are replacing, it's nice to break in a pair of shoes with no blisters or pains!
Mi 1 - 8:53.3
Mi 2 - 8:44.42
Mi 3 - 8:41.38
Mi 4 - 8:39.18
Mi 5 - 8:24.98
Total = 43:23.26
It's free, and you'll have to sign up, but it's really simple and easy, and apparently you'll get emails or texts (your choice) regarding my progress as I run the race.
Today was my first run of the "taper" time, and it was an easy 5 miles. Maybe it's because it was so cool out, or maybe it was because I haven't run since I ran 20 on Friday, but I felt really strong out there this evening. I was breaking in a new pair of shoes, and though they are the exact same pair as the pair they are replacing, it's nice to break in a pair of shoes with no blisters or pains!
Mi 1 - 8:53.3
Mi 2 - 8:44.42
Mi 3 - 8:41.38
Mi 4 - 8:39.18
Mi 5 - 8:24.98
Total = 43:23.26
Friday, December 18, 2009
Bonk! 20 miles . . .
According to my marathon training schedule, today was my last "long" run! Yippee!!! I've got to admit I am glad to be done with it - getting yourself pumped up enough to go spend over 3 hours running alone takes a lot of will power, and I'm not sure I have the drive and determination to do this a lot. I never really doubted that I could do it, but I can't say that I felt over-confident going into today's run - it really was more of a sense of dread. I think that feeling of dread contributed to my tremendous "bonk."
Just in case you're not familiar with the term, "bonk" means to "hit the wall." One of my favorite scenes in the movie "Run Fat Boy Run" (which if you haven't seen, consider it a "must see" according to Adam Seate), is when Dennis (said fat boy) hits the wall. In his mind, it is a literal brick wall, and he stops and stares at it. Some many people have gathered to cheer him on, and they all realize that he has hit the wall, and there is this tremendous sense that he is done. Dennis begins to visualize all the things that have driven him to run this marathon, and he sees one of the bricks moving. As the brick moves out, he peers through the hole remaining and he sees himself on the other side beckoning him on. At this point, he backs up, and tries to run forward only to hit the wall once again. Now he backs up one more time, and with all his might and determination he breaks through that wall and goes on to finish the race. Today, I hit that point at the 18th mile.
In hindsight, it was still a good run. Maybe I went too fast at the beginning. Maybe I didn't eat well enough yesterday. Maybe I ran too many miles (10) on flat country roads before I went into the country club and the up and down hills. Maybe it's that I defeated myself before I even started my run. All I know is I began hitting the wall at mile 13, and by mile 15 I had to stop and walk for a bit. When I run, one of my goals is to never stop (other than bathroom breaks). But today, I walked plenty. Those last few miles were truly a struggle today, and of course that just creates more fear because I was only running 20 miles, and not the 26 for the marathon. However, deep down I still believe that I have it in me to complete the marathon, and I believe that I, just like Dennis, will break down any wall that gets in my way.
Here are my splits:
Mi 1 - 9:18.03
Mi 2 - 9:16.93
Mi 3 - 9:24.66
Mi 4 - 9:26.72
Mi 5 - 9:30.44
Mi 6 - 9:26.79
Mi 7 - 9:15.83
Mi 8 - 9:25.78
Mi 9 - 9:19.77
Mi 10 - 9:36.28
Mi 11 - 9:30.79
Mi 12 - 9:32.13
Mi 13 - 9:49.62
Mi 14 - 9:58.41
Mi 15 - 10:02.94
Mi 16 - 10:15.33
Mi 17 - 10:17.07
Mi 18 - 11:29.66
Mi 19 - 10:45
Mi 20 - 11:02.72
Total = 3:16:44.90
Just in case you're not familiar with the term, "bonk" means to "hit the wall." One of my favorite scenes in the movie "Run Fat Boy Run" (which if you haven't seen, consider it a "must see" according to Adam Seate), is when Dennis (said fat boy) hits the wall. In his mind, it is a literal brick wall, and he stops and stares at it. Some many people have gathered to cheer him on, and they all realize that he has hit the wall, and there is this tremendous sense that he is done. Dennis begins to visualize all the things that have driven him to run this marathon, and he sees one of the bricks moving. As the brick moves out, he peers through the hole remaining and he sees himself on the other side beckoning him on. At this point, he backs up, and tries to run forward only to hit the wall once again. Now he backs up one more time, and with all his might and determination he breaks through that wall and goes on to finish the race. Today, I hit that point at the 18th mile.
In hindsight, it was still a good run. Maybe I went too fast at the beginning. Maybe I didn't eat well enough yesterday. Maybe I ran too many miles (10) on flat country roads before I went into the country club and the up and down hills. Maybe it's that I defeated myself before I even started my run. All I know is I began hitting the wall at mile 13, and by mile 15 I had to stop and walk for a bit. When I run, one of my goals is to never stop (other than bathroom breaks). But today, I walked plenty. Those last few miles were truly a struggle today, and of course that just creates more fear because I was only running 20 miles, and not the 26 for the marathon. However, deep down I still believe that I have it in me to complete the marathon, and I believe that I, just like Dennis, will break down any wall that gets in my way.
Here are my splits:
Mi 1 - 9:18.03
Mi 2 - 9:16.93
Mi 3 - 9:24.66
Mi 4 - 9:26.72
Mi 5 - 9:30.44
Mi 6 - 9:26.79
Mi 7 - 9:15.83
Mi 8 - 9:25.78
Mi 9 - 9:19.77
Mi 10 - 9:36.28
Mi 11 - 9:30.79
Mi 12 - 9:32.13
Mi 13 - 9:49.62
Mi 14 - 9:58.41
Mi 15 - 10:02.94
Mi 16 - 10:15.33
Mi 17 - 10:17.07
Mi 18 - 11:29.66
Mi 19 - 10:45
Mi 20 - 11:02.72
Total = 3:16:44.90
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
7 at 7
OK, so it was a little earlier than 7, but sometimes coming up with these blog titles is just a bit silly. Not a whole lot to say about my run this morning - it was 1 mile warm up, 5 mile tempo, and 1 mile cool down. I probably could say more, but I really need to get to the office.
Mi 1 - 9:29.88
Mi 2 - 8:38.92
Mi 3 - 8:25.66
Mi 4 - 8:41.21
Mi 5 - 9:00.27
Mi 6 - 8:46.87
Mi 7 - 9:15.34
Total = 1:02:18.15
Mi 1 - 9:29.88
Mi 2 - 8:38.92
Mi 3 - 8:25.66
Mi 4 - 8:41.21
Mi 5 - 9:00.27
Mi 6 - 8:46.87
Mi 7 - 9:15.34
Total = 1:02:18.15
Monday, December 14, 2009
23 days!
Starting to get even more excited about not just the marathon, but also the Disney trip! Just gotta get through Christmas and the New Year - oh drat! ;-)
Today I was able to work in my 6 "easy" miles. As I was running it I was trying to visualize where I would be on the marathon course at each mile marker. Ready to get there. I felt pretty good and strong today, and looking forward to knocking out my last 20 mile run this coming Friday. One issue that has cropped up that I'll need to pay attention to is some pain in my right arch - AKA plantar fasciitis. Been doing some good stretches and that has really helped, but it is something I'll need to be aware of over the next few days.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:02.96
Mi 2 - 8:47.55
Mi 3 - 9:06.95
Mi 4 - 9:15.78
Mi 5 - 9:06.67
Mi 6 - 8:45.24
Total = 54:05.15
Today I was able to work in my 6 "easy" miles. As I was running it I was trying to visualize where I would be on the marathon course at each mile marker. Ready to get there. I felt pretty good and strong today, and looking forward to knocking out my last 20 mile run this coming Friday. One issue that has cropped up that I'll need to pay attention to is some pain in my right arch - AKA plantar fasciitis. Been doing some good stretches and that has really helped, but it is something I'll need to be aware of over the next few days.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:02.96
Mi 2 - 8:47.55
Mi 3 - 9:06.95
Mi 4 - 9:15.78
Mi 5 - 9:06.67
Mi 6 - 8:45.24
Total = 54:05.15
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Charity question
An idea came to me on my run on Friday about raising money when I run the marathon, and I have no idea if this kind of thing is in place right now or not, so I thought I would put it out there and begin researching it. I am extremely grateful for the men and women of our nation's armed forces. The commitment and sacrifice that they make is remarkable, and most of us in the ordinary world have no idea what they go through. As I ran past the Air Force base on Friday, my thoughts turned to the airmen and other military people who are serving in locations far from home, and how many of them may not be able to travel home for the holidays due to the cost of the airfare.
What I began to wonder about is this: Is there a charity or organization out there that helps cover the cost of airfare for soldiers and their families to be able to travel for the holidays? Maybe they already get a discount, but I know they aren't paid enough for what they do. If there is something like this in place, I'd really like to try to raise funds for it by running the marathon. If I can find something I'm going to try to get people to pledge for every mile I run. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to raise much, but if it could help one soldier travel home for the holidays next year, then at least it would help that one. If anyone knows of anything, please let me know.
What I began to wonder about is this: Is there a charity or organization out there that helps cover the cost of airfare for soldiers and their families to be able to travel for the holidays? Maybe they already get a discount, but I know they aren't paid enough for what they do. If there is something like this in place, I'd really like to try to raise funds for it by running the marathon. If I can find something I'm going to try to get people to pledge for every mile I run. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to raise much, but if it could help one soldier travel home for the holidays next year, then at least it would help that one. If anyone knows of anything, please let me know.
Frozen Dozen
Well, since I wasn't able to do my 12 on Friday, I got up a little early Saturday morning and ran my it. The problem with getting up early Saturday morning was that early Saturday morning it was FREEZING cold. It was so cold that at one point an old man rolled down his window and yelled at me "You're crazy," and I just laughed - at him. Crazy is not getting out and enjoying all the complexities of life - the good and bad, the hot and cold, the joy and pain - and I was getting all of that in the span of a dozen miles on a cold Saturday morning. I wouldn't trade that for much of anything.
I could tell that I had run 6 miles the day before, but I still got it done. My legs were definitely "heavy." One of the common things I've had to deal with on my long runs lately is the dreaded "bathroom break." I just knew for sure this time I was going to be OK, because I planned out my run perfectly that at mile 6 I would be right at local park where for months they have had a couple of port-a-johns, and wouldn't you just know it, when I got to the park they were GONE! Frustrated and needing to . . . umm, find a tree where no one would see, I continued down the trail at the park into the woods, making sure to avoid any briars this time. My wife is convinced that she is going to get a call from me at some point in time having been arrested for indecent exposure and public urination, but I hope not. Hopefully I could out run the cops.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:28.15
Mi 2 - 9:22.76
Mi 3 - 9:29.32
Mi 4 - 9:28.91
Mi 5 - 9:32.29
Mi 6 - 9:25.71
Mi 7 - 9:35.5
Mi 8 - 9:08.54
Mi 9 - 9:30.97
Mi 10 - 9:36.11
Mi 11 - 9:39.25
Mi 12 - 9:34.5
Total = 1:53:52.01
I could tell that I had run 6 miles the day before, but I still got it done. My legs were definitely "heavy." One of the common things I've had to deal with on my long runs lately is the dreaded "bathroom break." I just knew for sure this time I was going to be OK, because I planned out my run perfectly that at mile 6 I would be right at local park where for months they have had a couple of port-a-johns, and wouldn't you just know it, when I got to the park they were GONE! Frustrated and needing to . . . umm, find a tree where no one would see, I continued down the trail at the park into the woods, making sure to avoid any briars this time. My wife is convinced that she is going to get a call from me at some point in time having been arrested for indecent exposure and public urination, but I hope not. Hopefully I could out run the cops.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:28.15
Mi 2 - 9:22.76
Mi 3 - 9:29.32
Mi 4 - 9:28.91
Mi 5 - 9:32.29
Mi 6 - 9:25.71
Mi 7 - 9:35.5
Mi 8 - 9:08.54
Mi 9 - 9:30.97
Mi 10 - 9:36.11
Mi 11 - 9:39.25
Mi 12 - 9:34.5
Total = 1:53:52.01
Friday 's effort
This was a bit of a busy week. As I got my run in on Tuesday morning, my plan had been to run again on Wednesday so that I would be able to at least get in 2 runs before my long run on Friday. However in life, plans often have to change. I realized lately that I have not been able to be around my family as much - meetings and other things have consumed my life so much lately I have missed out on playing with my boys, which is truly one of my greatest joys in life. So Wednesday when I came home, fully planning on going for a quick 5-mile interval run, I spoke to one of my sons who was just sitting in his room watching TV, and something just told me that he needed some "daddy-time." So I asked him, "Aaron, do you want to go out and play?" That kid's disposition changed IMMEDIATELY, and he was grabbing his shoes before I could even get out of his room. I quickly got changed (while Aaron kept yelling "Hurry up dad!"), and the boys and I went out and kicked the soccer ball around. It was fun, and it was something we all needed. I felt like in a way I got in a speed workout from running around chasing them, and I thought I would still be OK for my long run on Friday, especially since it was only 12 miles that I had to run this week.
While playing with the boys was a good thing, not running any more than I did all week was a bad thing. Friday morning I went for my run, and it was miserable. Part of it was because it was absolutely FRIGID. But a large part of it was because I just simply was not conditioned, or at least I didn't feel like I was. It really didn't take me too long to realize that I simply was not going to do 6 miles. I've read so many times about people missing their long runs during marathon training, and missing one long run won't ruin you for your race, so I just accepted that was going to be me this week. As I was struggling to just do half of what I had planned to do, I decided to really dedicate myself to BOTH my running and my family over the course of the next month. If I have to get up and run in 20 degree weather, then that is what I will do so that I can preserve the time with my family. And if I want to spend time with my family and know that I have to get a run in that day, then that is exactly what I will just have to do.
As I ran, I ran past Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and it really got me wondering about something - but I'll post that separately in another blog. It's just something I need to research, but it involves me trying to raise some money for our nation's soldiers who may need help with airfare to be able to go home for the holidays.
Back to the run, it wasn't until later in the day that I actually realized that I could still get my long run in on Saturday (which is what I was able to do), so I convinced myself I wasn't a failure this week ;-)
Mi 8:42.88
Mi 8:51.21
Mi 9:00.62
Mi 9:19.06
Mi 9:29.95
Mi 9:59.85
Total = 55:23.57
While playing with the boys was a good thing, not running any more than I did all week was a bad thing. Friday morning I went for my run, and it was miserable. Part of it was because it was absolutely FRIGID. But a large part of it was because I just simply was not conditioned, or at least I didn't feel like I was. It really didn't take me too long to realize that I simply was not going to do 6 miles. I've read so many times about people missing their long runs during marathon training, and missing one long run won't ruin you for your race, so I just accepted that was going to be me this week. As I was struggling to just do half of what I had planned to do, I decided to really dedicate myself to BOTH my running and my family over the course of the next month. If I have to get up and run in 20 degree weather, then that is what I will do so that I can preserve the time with my family. And if I want to spend time with my family and know that I have to get a run in that day, then that is exactly what I will just have to do.
As I ran, I ran past Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and it really got me wondering about something - but I'll post that separately in another blog. It's just something I need to research, but it involves me trying to raise some money for our nation's soldiers who may need help with airfare to be able to go home for the holidays.
Back to the run, it wasn't until later in the day that I actually realized that I could still get my long run in on Saturday (which is what I was able to do), so I convinced myself I wasn't a failure this week ;-)
Mi 8:42.88
Mi 8:51.21
Mi 9:00.62
Mi 9:19.06
Mi 9:29.95
Mi 9:59.85
Total = 55:23.57
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Lost and Found
I simply could not get in a run yesterday, so I decided that once the kids got off to school this morning, I would head off for an easy 5 mile run at 7:00AM. It was nice and brisk this morning - just the thing for a quick morning run! I wore my gloves and ear muffs because it was quite cold, and as I was running I decided I would actually go ahead and do 6 miles - just because it felt so good out. However, around mile 5 I got hot and took off my gloves and put them in the pocket of my jacket. Unfortunately, somehow I realized a little bit later that I had lost one of my gloves - and since I seem to be completely incapable of keeping gloves, I decided to run back and look for it. I finally did find the glove, but my easy 5 miles became 6, and then my 6 became 7.
Mi 1 - 9:12.54
Mi 2 - 9:09.25
Mi 3 - 9:09.69
Mi 4 - 9:20.99
Mi 5 - 9:21.98
Mi 6 - 9:11.43
Mi 7 - 9:19.82
Total = 1:04:45.70
Mi 1 - 9:12.54
Mi 2 - 9:09.25
Mi 3 - 9:09.69
Mi 4 - 9:20.99
Mi 5 - 9:21.98
Mi 6 - 9:11.43
Mi 7 - 9:19.82
Total = 1:04:45.70
Friday, December 4, 2009
I ran 20 bloody miles!!!
As you can tell by the title, I'm pretty excited today. Today I ran farther than I have ever run, and I actually felt pretty good while doing it. What makes this accomplishment special for me is that last Thursday I attempted to run 20, and I failed. As you can can from my blog, my attempt last week was on Thanksgiving morning while at Nags Head, and I was only able to run 16, which was 2 miles less than I had run the week before. I was VERY discouraged by my failure, and as much as I tried to tell myself after-the-fact that I could have gone ahead and run 4 more miles if I really wanted to, the fact is that I did not run 4 more - I simply quit.
I really did feel pretty good from the start of my run, and the weather was ABSOLUTELY perfect! I drove out to the country club where I was going to do my run, but I decided that since it was pretty cold to start, that I would run the first 3 miles or so down a country road and then come back to the car to drop off my warm up jacket once I had warmed up a bit. I could tell after mile 3 that I had hydrated properly, and unfortunately there are no port-a-potties or rest rooms out on country roads. However, there are woods. The problem with woods is that there are also briars. As I ran off the road into the woods I stepped directly into a puddle, that was camoflaged quite nicely by all the fallen leaves. As I jumped away from the puddle I found a beautiful briar patch, or maybe it found me. I could not believe how scratched up my leg got, and I considered showing a picture, but unfortunately on of the scratches goes up a little higher than I wish to show. Fortunately, I had not yet begun to answer nature's call. I did stop my watch during this woods venture, because it took me a couple of minutes just to find my way out safely. So I tried to wipe up the blood as best I could (good thing I was wearing black shorts and black gloves!), and off I went again. I ran the last 15 miles with a soaked left shoe and a bloody right thigh. Yeah, I felt like a total bad butt hardcore runner.
A couple of notes before I post my splits: I used a 5-hour energy shot this morning before I ran. I don't know if that contributed to anything, but I know I felt good for the run. I also used PowerBar energy gels at mile 6, 12, and 17. I kept waiting to hit the "wall," but it only came around mile 18, and it did not last long and I felt strong for the last mile. I am beginning to believe that I'll be able to do this marathon thing ;-)
Next week my long run is quite a bit shorter - only 12 miles! 2 weeks from today I'll do one more 20 mile run, and then begin the taper. I cannot believe I'm only a few weeks away from the DisneyWorld marathon!
Mi 1 - 9:02.61
Mi 2 - 9:30.51
Mi 3 - 9:54.96
Mi 4 - 9:59.38
Mi 5 - 9:57.18
Mi 6 - 9:30.06
Mi 7 - 9:48.2
Mi 8 - 9:43.67
Mi 9 - 9:55.3
Mi 10 - 9:55.41
Mi 11 - 9:56.12
Mi 12 - 9:26.73
Mi 13 - 9:43.48
Mi 14 - 9:38.19
Mi 15 - 9:53.86
Mi 16 - 9:44.66
Mi 17 - 9:41.44
Mi 18 - 9:51.21
Mi 19 - 9:59.52
Mi 20 - 9:50.47
Total = 3:15:02.96
For all my calorie counting friends, that is 2,778 calories!
I really did feel pretty good from the start of my run, and the weather was ABSOLUTELY perfect! I drove out to the country club where I was going to do my run, but I decided that since it was pretty cold to start, that I would run the first 3 miles or so down a country road and then come back to the car to drop off my warm up jacket once I had warmed up a bit. I could tell after mile 3 that I had hydrated properly, and unfortunately there are no port-a-potties or rest rooms out on country roads. However, there are woods. The problem with woods is that there are also briars. As I ran off the road into the woods I stepped directly into a puddle, that was camoflaged quite nicely by all the fallen leaves. As I jumped away from the puddle I found a beautiful briar patch, or maybe it found me. I could not believe how scratched up my leg got, and I considered showing a picture, but unfortunately on of the scratches goes up a little higher than I wish to show. Fortunately, I had not yet begun to answer nature's call. I did stop my watch during this woods venture, because it took me a couple of minutes just to find my way out safely. So I tried to wipe up the blood as best I could (good thing I was wearing black shorts and black gloves!), and off I went again. I ran the last 15 miles with a soaked left shoe and a bloody right thigh. Yeah, I felt like a total bad butt hardcore runner.
A couple of notes before I post my splits: I used a 5-hour energy shot this morning before I ran. I don't know if that contributed to anything, but I know I felt good for the run. I also used PowerBar energy gels at mile 6, 12, and 17. I kept waiting to hit the "wall," but it only came around mile 18, and it did not last long and I felt strong for the last mile. I am beginning to believe that I'll be able to do this marathon thing ;-)
Next week my long run is quite a bit shorter - only 12 miles! 2 weeks from today I'll do one more 20 mile run, and then begin the taper. I cannot believe I'm only a few weeks away from the DisneyWorld marathon!
Mi 1 - 9:02.61
Mi 2 - 9:30.51
Mi 3 - 9:54.96
Mi 4 - 9:59.38
Mi 5 - 9:57.18
Mi 6 - 9:30.06
Mi 7 - 9:48.2
Mi 8 - 9:43.67
Mi 9 - 9:55.3
Mi 10 - 9:55.41
Mi 11 - 9:56.12
Mi 12 - 9:26.73
Mi 13 - 9:43.48
Mi 14 - 9:38.19
Mi 15 - 9:53.86
Mi 16 - 9:44.66
Mi 17 - 9:41.44
Mi 18 - 9:51.21
Mi 19 - 9:59.52
Mi 20 - 9:50.47
Total = 3:15:02.96
For all my calorie counting friends, that is 2,778 calories!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Easy Monday
Monday afternoon I was able to squeeze in a quick 5 mile run before the rain came. I know! I was shocked that I didn't have to run in the rain again! The nice thing about this run was that it was supposed to be an "easy run" according to my training plan. The even nicer thing was how "easy" my 5 miles went by, and at a much quicker pace than what I normally would have called an "easy" pace. It really was a good confidence booster - something I needed after not doing by 20 mile run last Thursday. It showed me that my training is paying off, and my definition of "easy" is now changing. Right now, I feel very confident about my 20 miler on Friday - and for once, I'm actually looking forward to my long run!
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:49.74
Mi 2 - 8:35.5
Mi 3 - 8:37.65
Mi 4 - 8:26.63
Mi 5 - 8:05.4
Total = 42:34.92
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:49.74
Mi 2 - 8:35.5
Mi 3 - 8:37.65
Mi 4 - 8:26.63
Mi 5 - 8:05.4
Total = 42:34.92
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
We are in Nags Head, NC on the OBX for Thanksgiving this year, and I decided to get up this morning and do my long run on Thanksgiving day, and then I could eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that I want for the rest of the day! Each week for my long run I've been pushing it a couple of miles further than what my schedule actually called for, and today's run was "scheduled" to be 17 miles, but since I did 18 last week, my plan was to do 20. That didn't happen. I got out on the beach road, and my plan was to run 5 miles in one direction, run back towards the house, and then 5 more miles in the other direction, and then back to the house. I changed that up because I thought at least mentally if by the time I had gotten back to the house I had completed 16 instead of just 10, then the last 4 miles would be easy! Didn't work the way I had planned. The whole way back I kept thinking, "Now why do I want to run past the house?" I would have been so much better off to have just done 10 miles in one direction - the moment I decided to run in both directions was the moment I gave myself an easy way out. And I took it. Though I'm disappointed I didn't do the 20, my pace was a little quicker than what I had been running on my long runs. I also realized after the run that I was a bit dehydrated - you learn these things in the bathroom sometimes. I could have also guessed that I was dehydrated by noticing that I never needed a rest room break. Anyway, here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:42.66
Mi 2 - 8:50
Mi 3 - 8:55.27
Mi 4 - 9:00.4
Mi 5 - 9:14.46
Mi 6 - 9:18.63
Mi 7 - 9:13.53
Mi 8 - 9:39.01
Mi 9 - 9:39.82
Mi 10 - 9:39.58
Mi 11 - 9:39.64
Mi 12 - 9:34.64
Mi 13 - 9:31.39
Mi 14 - 9:30.12
Mi 15 - 9:55.8
Mi 16 - 10:31.25
Total = 2:30:56.20
Now, let the feast begin!
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Charlie Brown Run
I have noticed a trend in a lot of my runs over the past few weeks - there seems to be be an uncanny amount of runs that have taken place in rain, mist, or significant winds. I've been joking with my wife that I think God is trying to prepare me for something with all the rain and the wind, and I wouldn't be terribly surprised to find similar weather conditions when I am to run the marathon in January. At times it has almost seemed like I'm Charlie Brown with a dark cloud hanging over my head as I run. Today was one of those runs . . .
Let me back up just a second - I am so pleased with where I am on my training schedule. For my long runs, I've actually been exceeding the training plan that I have been following, mainly because I REALLY have some goals that I want to achieve when I run the race, and I still feel like I'm catching up from the time I spent recovering from the stress fractures. This past weekend my schedule called for 16 miles for a novice, or 17 miles for an intermediate - and I ran 18. One of the reasons I've been pushing my mileage a little bit is because I have read that it is important to have at least 2 runs of 20 miles or more (at most, 22) before your marathon, and the training plan I was using only had 1. Looking at my schedule, I am planning on doing a 20 mile long run sometime this weekend, and then I plan to push it to 22 the next weekend, followed by a recovery long run of 12, and then one more 20 mile long run before I begin my taper (a taper is where you back off on the mileage of your runs for about 3 weeks before your race so that your body is ready to rock and roll for 26.2 miles).
For Thanksgiving, we are traveling to the Outer Banks to spend some time with my wife's family. It's a nice change, as we usually head up to PA for Thanksgiving, but this year they are all coming down here. The house we are renting was open all week, so Jenn took the entire week for vacation, and joined her mom for a little R and R, while I maintain the house with the boys till they get done with school on Wednesday. Anyway, I've been doing my long run on Friday or Saturday, and the thoughts of doing my long run this coming Saturday before I have to sit and drive back home was not appealing, so I was thinking I'd do it on Friday. But then my wife had a brilliant idea (one of the thousands of reasons I married her): why not run it on Thursday morning? That way I could eat all I want for Thanksgiving and not have to pay for it later! Plus, I'd have the rest of the day Thursday and plus Friday not having to do anything at all - except hang out in the hot tub. So my plan right now is to eat a good, solid meal Wednesday night in Nags Head, and then get up and run 20 miles on Thanksgiving morning. Stupid? Maybe.
So, that being said, today I knew I needed to get in a light and easy run, and my schedule called for an easy 5. The weather forecast was for rain all day, however, though it was quite cloudy, it had barely rained all day. I felt like I was actually safe going for my run late this afternoon. Yes, it was a risk of rain, but it had been all day and it hadn't really rained. Stupid? Yes. I ran an out and back course, and of course before I got to the turn-around, it started to sprinkle. With about a mile and a half to go the sprinkle became a pour. As I was running on the sidewalk of a busy street, I felt like an idiot as all the cars passed me, and I could only imagine what the people in the cars were saying because I knew what I would be saying if I was in the car. Long story short (which if I wanted to make a long story short, I simply would have edited this a bit more), I finished the run completely drenched from a downpour - and it stopped raining about the time I finished my run. Here are the splits for my 5 mile easy run:
Mi 1 - 9:12.18
Mi 2 - 8:51.84
Mi 3 - 8:43.94
Mi 4 - 8:30.04
Mi 5 - 8:40.95
Total = 43:58.95
Let me back up just a second - I am so pleased with where I am on my training schedule. For my long runs, I've actually been exceeding the training plan that I have been following, mainly because I REALLY have some goals that I want to achieve when I run the race, and I still feel like I'm catching up from the time I spent recovering from the stress fractures. This past weekend my schedule called for 16 miles for a novice, or 17 miles for an intermediate - and I ran 18. One of the reasons I've been pushing my mileage a little bit is because I have read that it is important to have at least 2 runs of 20 miles or more (at most, 22) before your marathon, and the training plan I was using only had 1. Looking at my schedule, I am planning on doing a 20 mile long run sometime this weekend, and then I plan to push it to 22 the next weekend, followed by a recovery long run of 12, and then one more 20 mile long run before I begin my taper (a taper is where you back off on the mileage of your runs for about 3 weeks before your race so that your body is ready to rock and roll for 26.2 miles).
For Thanksgiving, we are traveling to the Outer Banks to spend some time with my wife's family. It's a nice change, as we usually head up to PA for Thanksgiving, but this year they are all coming down here. The house we are renting was open all week, so Jenn took the entire week for vacation, and joined her mom for a little R and R, while I maintain the house with the boys till they get done with school on Wednesday. Anyway, I've been doing my long run on Friday or Saturday, and the thoughts of doing my long run this coming Saturday before I have to sit and drive back home was not appealing, so I was thinking I'd do it on Friday. But then my wife had a brilliant idea (one of the thousands of reasons I married her): why not run it on Thursday morning? That way I could eat all I want for Thanksgiving and not have to pay for it later! Plus, I'd have the rest of the day Thursday and plus Friday not having to do anything at all - except hang out in the hot tub. So my plan right now is to eat a good, solid meal Wednesday night in Nags Head, and then get up and run 20 miles on Thanksgiving morning. Stupid? Maybe.
So, that being said, today I knew I needed to get in a light and easy run, and my schedule called for an easy 5. The weather forecast was for rain all day, however, though it was quite cloudy, it had barely rained all day. I felt like I was actually safe going for my run late this afternoon. Yes, it was a risk of rain, but it had been all day and it hadn't really rained. Stupid? Yes. I ran an out and back course, and of course before I got to the turn-around, it started to sprinkle. With about a mile and a half to go the sprinkle became a pour. As I was running on the sidewalk of a busy street, I felt like an idiot as all the cars passed me, and I could only imagine what the people in the cars were saying because I knew what I would be saying if I was in the car. Long story short (which if I wanted to make a long story short, I simply would have edited this a bit more), I finished the run completely drenched from a downpour - and it stopped raining about the time I finished my run. Here are the splits for my 5 mile easy run:
Mi 1 - 9:12.18
Mi 2 - 8:51.84
Mi 3 - 8:43.94
Mi 4 - 8:30.04
Mi 5 - 8:40.95
Total = 43:58.95
Friday, November 20, 2009
Questions (doubt) creeping in
Today I ran farther than I have ever run before - 18 miles. I ran without having any real problems - no blisters, no cramps, no "significant" pain (of course, that is a relative term). The sun was out, but it was still nice and cool, with a decent wind at times - sometimes quite gusty, which made it difficult, but soon I would go around a bend and the wind would be at my side or even better - at my back. I did not walk once, however I did have to take 2 rest room breaks - though truthfully there was no rest or room involved (hey - 3 hours is a long time to go without going, if you know what I mean). Everything should have been perfect.
But somewhere around mile 9 or 10 I began wonder what I was doing and why. Friday is my day off - my day of rest - and there I was running with reckless abandon. It seemed that I could think of was other things that I could be doing instead of running. And I really began to wonder if I actually even WANT to run a marathon. Am I running it to simply be able to say "I ran a marathon," or so that I can put one of those "26.2" stickers on my car window? Am I running it to just prove to myself that I can do something that just a year and a half I would have thought was impossible? Do I even think it's possible to do now? How much more can I push myself? It just seemed like if there was a negative thought, doubt, or question that could have come up, it did. And I'm not sure I have all the answers. But I do know this - on Sunday, January 10 at 5:50 AM, I will be lined up with thousands of other people who have probably dealt with these exact same questions, and when the fireworks go off, we will begin our journey throughout the world of Disney. Will I ever run another after this one? One thing I learned in my run today is you have to run the mile your in before you can run the next mile - let the next mile worry about itself.
Mi 1 - 8:54.73
Mi 2 - 9:07.25
Mi 3 - 9:15.1
Mi 4 - 9:16.46
Mi 5 - 9:30.77
Mi 6 - 9:38.27
Mi 7 - 9:28.66
Mi 8 - 9:28.39
Mi 9 - 10:02.44
Mi 10 - 9:47.8
Mi 11 - 10:08.06
Mi 12 - 9:54.61
Mi 13 - 10:14.19
Mi 14 - 10:25.28
Mi 15 - 10:38.9
Mi 16 - 10:19.24
Mi 17 - 10:34.13
Mi 18 - 10:22.79
Total = 2:57:07.07
FYI - For anyone curious, my Garmin tells me that I used 2,513 calories. And yes, I made up for that with a Jersey Mike's Chicken Parm sub!
But somewhere around mile 9 or 10 I began wonder what I was doing and why. Friday is my day off - my day of rest - and there I was running with reckless abandon. It seemed that I could think of was other things that I could be doing instead of running. And I really began to wonder if I actually even WANT to run a marathon. Am I running it to simply be able to say "I ran a marathon," or so that I can put one of those "26.2" stickers on my car window? Am I running it to just prove to myself that I can do something that just a year and a half I would have thought was impossible? Do I even think it's possible to do now? How much more can I push myself? It just seemed like if there was a negative thought, doubt, or question that could have come up, it did. And I'm not sure I have all the answers. But I do know this - on Sunday, January 10 at 5:50 AM, I will be lined up with thousands of other people who have probably dealt with these exact same questions, and when the fireworks go off, we will begin our journey throughout the world of Disney. Will I ever run another after this one? One thing I learned in my run today is you have to run the mile your in before you can run the next mile - let the next mile worry about itself.
Mi 1 - 8:54.73
Mi 2 - 9:07.25
Mi 3 - 9:15.1
Mi 4 - 9:16.46
Mi 5 - 9:30.77
Mi 6 - 9:38.27
Mi 7 - 9:28.66
Mi 8 - 9:28.39
Mi 9 - 10:02.44
Mi 10 - 9:47.8
Mi 11 - 10:08.06
Mi 12 - 9:54.61
Mi 13 - 10:14.19
Mi 14 - 10:25.28
Mi 15 - 10:38.9
Mi 16 - 10:19.24
Mi 17 - 10:34.13
Mi 18 - 10:22.79
Total = 2:57:07.07
FYI - For anyone curious, my Garmin tells me that I used 2,513 calories. And yes, I made up for that with a Jersey Mike's Chicken Parm sub!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Keeping tempo
My life has been pretty hectic and crazy the past few weeks, but mostly I've been able to keep up my training, which is good considering the Disney marathon is only 49 days away. However, I've not had much time to be with the family lately, so I decided today that I was going to get my run in during lunch. I had a 3-mile tempo run on my schedule, with a 1 mile warm up, and 1 mile cool down. It ended up starting to rain on me during my run, which just adds to the number of times lately I've had to run in either rain or strong wind - I'm just REALLY hoping it's not just preparing me for similar weather during the marathon. Below are my splits:
Mi 1 - 9:02.38
Mi 2 - 8:13.61
Mi 3 - 8:05.59
Mi 4 - 7:53.67
Mi 5 - 9:18.12
Total = 42:33.37
Mi 1 - 9:02.38
Mi 2 - 8:13.61
Mi 3 - 8:05.59
Mi 4 - 7:53.67
Mi 5 - 9:18.12
Total = 42:33.37
Monday, November 16, 2009
Manic Monday
Busy day - but I did get to cram in a 5-mile run. Still feeling the effects from the 16 mile run on Friday, but I also had a busy weekend :-)
Mi 1 - 8:24.76
Mi 2 - 8:36.12
Mi 3 - 8:43.47
Mi 4 - 8:51.76
Mi 5 - 8:47.75
Total = 43:23.86
Right now I am NOT looking forward to my long run at the end of this week - it's either a 17 or 18 mile run - I've got to check my training schedule. Hopefully I'll be up for it by Friday or Saturday.
Mi 1 - 8:24.76
Mi 2 - 8:36.12
Mi 3 - 8:43.47
Mi 4 - 8:51.76
Mi 5 - 8:47.75
Total = 43:23.86
Right now I am NOT looking forward to my long run at the end of this week - it's either a 17 or 18 mile run - I've got to check my training schedule. Hopefully I'll be up for it by Friday or Saturday.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Beyond belief
This weekend I am joining together with my best friend and we will be leading worship for over 6,000 United Methodist Youth in Fayetteville, NC. Playing my guitar and singing Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, and Sunday morning, I knew my schedule this weekend is going to be quite full. Also knowing that I was unable to complete my long run last weekend (supposed to be 14, but was only 4 because of some pain I was dealing with), I knew that I REALLY needed to get in my long run this weekend. So along the way this week I decided I would do it this morning before I head out of town. Fortunately it was not raining at all - it was cloudy and overcast, so I didn't have to deal with the sun at all. I did however have to deal with the wind - winds of 15-20 mph, with gusts up to 30 - and I felt every bit of that wind.
I ran 3 miles longer than I have ever run in my life. My previously longest run was the half-marathon (13.1 miles) that I ran a year ago. During my present training, my longest run had been 12 miles. I really am so proud of myself that I pushed through 16 miles today. The funny thing is immediately after the run one of the first thoughts that I had was, "I can't even imagine running 10 more miles to complete the marathon!" I was SO worn out (mental note - when I run that far, I need to take more than one energy gel with me), and all I wanted to do was walk (but I never did!), that the thought of running 10 more miles is just beyond belief. The funny thing about that is I remember when I first ran 5 miles, the thought of running 10 was beyond belief. I remember running 10 miles, and the thought of running 12 was beyond belief. And when I ran 12, the thought of running 16 was beyond belief. So while right now running 26.2 miles may seem beyond belief, I now believe.
Mi 1 - 8:31.13
Mi 2 - 9:01.57
Mi 3 - 9:38.63
Mi 4 - 9:26.41
Mi 5 - 9:23.3
Mi 6 - 9:24.44
Mi 7 - 9:39.77
Mi 8 - 9:52.98
Mi 9 - 10:09.5
Mi 10 - 9:56.01
Mi 11 - 10:05.29
Mi 12 - 9:50.97
Mi 13 - 9:55.11
Mi 14 - 10:00.01
Mi 15 - 10:26.81
Mi 16 - 10:50.54
Total = 2:36:12.47
I feel pretty good about my splits. Before I even saw the times, I knew that the last 3 miles were the most difficult, however I think that those particular 3 miles would have been the most difficult even if they weren't the last. I was running along Highway 70 back towards town, and I was running directly into the wind. I had to take my hat off because it kept wanting to fly off. Tractor trailers would pass by me and almost blow me back with the wind and the wind from the truck.
My Garmin tells me that I burned 2,229 calories this morning. Hmmm, somebody deserves something fat and greasy!
I ran 3 miles longer than I have ever run in my life. My previously longest run was the half-marathon (13.1 miles) that I ran a year ago. During my present training, my longest run had been 12 miles. I really am so proud of myself that I pushed through 16 miles today. The funny thing is immediately after the run one of the first thoughts that I had was, "I can't even imagine running 10 more miles to complete the marathon!" I was SO worn out (mental note - when I run that far, I need to take more than one energy gel with me), and all I wanted to do was walk (but I never did!), that the thought of running 10 more miles is just beyond belief. The funny thing about that is I remember when I first ran 5 miles, the thought of running 10 was beyond belief. I remember running 10 miles, and the thought of running 12 was beyond belief. And when I ran 12, the thought of running 16 was beyond belief. So while right now running 26.2 miles may seem beyond belief, I now believe.
Mi 1 - 8:31.13
Mi 2 - 9:01.57
Mi 3 - 9:38.63
Mi 4 - 9:26.41
Mi 5 - 9:23.3
Mi 6 - 9:24.44
Mi 7 - 9:39.77
Mi 8 - 9:52.98
Mi 9 - 10:09.5
Mi 10 - 9:56.01
Mi 11 - 10:05.29
Mi 12 - 9:50.97
Mi 13 - 9:55.11
Mi 14 - 10:00.01
Mi 15 - 10:26.81
Mi 16 - 10:50.54
Total = 2:36:12.47
I feel pretty good about my splits. Before I even saw the times, I knew that the last 3 miles were the most difficult, however I think that those particular 3 miles would have been the most difficult even if they weren't the last. I was running along Highway 70 back towards town, and I was running directly into the wind. I had to take my hat off because it kept wanting to fly off. Tractor trailers would pass by me and almost blow me back with the wind and the wind from the truck.
My Garmin tells me that I burned 2,229 calories this morning. Hmmm, somebody deserves something fat and greasy!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
3-mile swim
Saturday afternoon after my run I had a funeral that I had to perform, and as I was waiting for the funeral to begin I realized that my throat was REALLY sore. It was strange - it had not bothered me one bit, but man when it hit, it hit. Sunday morning I was miserable at worship, and kept feeling worse as the day wore on. Monday I stayed home and in bed all day. Finally yesterday (Tuesday), I began to feel at least half-way alive. In fact, as the day wore on, I began to feel better and better and stronger. I was still dealing with some sinus congestion and pressure, but other than that, I really felt great. Knowing that Ida was to bring lots and lots of rain for Wednesday and Thursday, and that Friday I have to get in my long run, I decided that when I took Jacob to soccer practice, that I would just go out and run around the school for the duration of his practice.
About the time we were driving to the school for practice, the rain began to fall. However, I made up my mind that I would still run as long as they were practicing. So we both got out of the car, and off we went. I ended up trudging 3 miles in the midst of the downpour as his team was on the field practicing - and I loved every bit of it! After spending a day and a half (Sunday afternoon and all day Monday) basically in the bed or in the recliner, it felt AWESOME to burn some energy. The running cleared out my head, and the rain was really great for cooling me down. Unfortunately, the rain also weighed my shoes down quite a bit, but I figured that made for even more exercise to have to lug those things around. All in all - it was a fun run. And Jacob said it was an awesome practice - it was neat to go sliding around all over the soccer field. They did end practice early, so I only did the 3 miles, but they were good and productive.
Mi 1 - 7:53.9
Mi 2 - 8:21.67
Mi 3 - 8:29.96
Total = 24:45.53
I usually share these blogposts on my facebook page, but I know a lot of my friends there have known that I was sick, and I'm pretty sure they'd be giving me a lecture about how I should not have run. To that I say this: the run really made me feel better, and I feel MUCH better today. Still some congestion, but not much. The point is we all have to do what we think is best for our own bodies, and I needed that. Now I have to just wait to knock out my long run on Friday - not sure how long I'll go - either 14-16 miles. I've got to do it early Friday AM because Friday afternoon I'll have to be in Fayetteville preparing to lead 6,000 youth in worship for the weekend! Pilgrimage, here we come!
About the time we were driving to the school for practice, the rain began to fall. However, I made up my mind that I would still run as long as they were practicing. So we both got out of the car, and off we went. I ended up trudging 3 miles in the midst of the downpour as his team was on the field practicing - and I loved every bit of it! After spending a day and a half (Sunday afternoon and all day Monday) basically in the bed or in the recliner, it felt AWESOME to burn some energy. The running cleared out my head, and the rain was really great for cooling me down. Unfortunately, the rain also weighed my shoes down quite a bit, but I figured that made for even more exercise to have to lug those things around. All in all - it was a fun run. And Jacob said it was an awesome practice - it was neat to go sliding around all over the soccer field. They did end practice early, so I only did the 3 miles, but they were good and productive.
Mi 1 - 7:53.9
Mi 2 - 8:21.67
Mi 3 - 8:29.96
Total = 24:45.53
I usually share these blogposts on my facebook page, but I know a lot of my friends there have known that I was sick, and I'm pretty sure they'd be giving me a lecture about how I should not have run. To that I say this: the run really made me feel better, and I feel MUCH better today. Still some congestion, but not much. The point is we all have to do what we think is best for our own bodies, and I needed that. Now I have to just wait to knock out my long run on Friday - not sure how long I'll go - either 14-16 miles. I've got to do it early Friday AM because Friday afternoon I'll have to be in Fayetteville preparing to lead 6,000 youth in worship for the weekend! Pilgrimage, here we come!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Smart run
Today was supposed to be a 14-mile run, yet due to some pains I've been having this week, I figured I needed to adjust my plan. The pain in my foot is better, but I still have the pain in my hip, however I still decided to get out there and see if it felt better after stretching and warming up. It did feel better, but after the second mile my right achilles really seemed to tighten up and hurt. I've learned from the 2 stress fractures that I had earlier this year that I need to be smart, and sometimes pain is something you need to pay attention to, so I cut the run short and finished at 4 miles.
Mi 1 - 8:39.7
Mi 2 - 8:35.77
Mi 3 - 8:42.41
Mi 4 - 8:49.31
Total = 34:47.19
Other than the pain, I felt great. I'm really not all that concerned about the pain, or having to cut the run short. One of the things I've read is that virtually every time you are training for a marathon you will encounter some kind of road block. We'll see how things develop this week.
Mi 1 - 8:39.7
Mi 2 - 8:35.77
Mi 3 - 8:42.41
Mi 4 - 8:49.31
Total = 34:47.19
Other than the pain, I felt great. I'm really not all that concerned about the pain, or having to cut the run short. One of the things I've read is that virtually every time you are training for a marathon you will encounter some kind of road block. We'll see how things develop this week.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Depositing miles
Today was definitely one of those rough days to pack in a run. However, I knew that if I wanted to get my long run done on Friday, then I definitely needed to make a go of it today. Not much to say about it - just a run that I packed in some intervals. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:04.71
Mi 2 - 8:34.23
Mi 3 - 8:32.8
Mi 4 - 8:42.71
Mi 5 - 8:57.45
0.4 Mi 3:25.92
Total (5.4 miles) = 47:17.82
Just to note for my own personal record, I did start breaking in a pair of new shoes (ASICS Gel-Kayano 15 - exactly the same pair I've been running in, but I got them much cheaper!). I need to pay attention to a couple of pains that have sprung up - the ball of my right foot, and a pain in my left hip. If these pains are still there on Friday, I may put my long run off until Saturday, and if the pains are still there Saturday, well . . . we'll just see.
Mi 1 - 9:04.71
Mi 2 - 8:34.23
Mi 3 - 8:32.8
Mi 4 - 8:42.71
Mi 5 - 8:57.45
0.4 Mi 3:25.92
Total (5.4 miles) = 47:17.82
Just to note for my own personal record, I did start breaking in a pair of new shoes (ASICS Gel-Kayano 15 - exactly the same pair I've been running in, but I got them much cheaper!). I need to pay attention to a couple of pains that have sprung up - the ball of my right foot, and a pain in my left hip. If these pains are still there on Friday, I may put my long run off until Saturday, and if the pains are still there Saturday, well . . . we'll just see.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Inspired run
Today was truly an inspired run for a couple of reasons. First, yesterday was the New York Marathon, and though I've not even run in my first marathon yet I would LOVE to run the NY Marathon. I was such a running dork that I DVRed all 5 hours of coverage on Universal Sports HD. I got to watch a little bit of it today while I ate lunch, and just hearing the stories of some of these runners - elites and average joes - was very inspiring. Plus, it's amazing for me to think that some people can run THAT fast for THAT long!
The second reason for today being an inspiring run was the passing of a dear friend and true saint of God - Richard Williams. Richard is a significant reason that I am in the ministry today, as he was so important in my life due an early time in my ministry where I really was questioning my calling. I will always be grateful to Richard for the chats we were able to have as his office was right next door to mine at Centenary UMC, and the gentle ways he could calm me down. My prayers will be with Carolyn and the family.
Today was supposed to be 5 easy miles. I think I picked it up a little more than I anticipated, but that's OK, because I've got to go teach/preach at a church in a little while - and I knew I needed time to shower off ;-)
Mi 1 - 8:56.84
Mi 2 - 8:45.66
Mi 3 - 8:51.12
Mi 4 - 8:26.1
Mi 5 - 8:01.73
Total = 43:01.45
The second reason for today being an inspiring run was the passing of a dear friend and true saint of God - Richard Williams. Richard is a significant reason that I am in the ministry today, as he was so important in my life due an early time in my ministry where I really was questioning my calling. I will always be grateful to Richard for the chats we were able to have as his office was right next door to mine at Centenary UMC, and the gentle ways he could calm me down. My prayers will be with Carolyn and the family.
Today was supposed to be 5 easy miles. I think I picked it up a little more than I anticipated, but that's OK, because I've got to go teach/preach at a church in a little while - and I knew I needed time to shower off ;-)
Mi 1 - 8:56.84
Mi 2 - 8:45.66
Mi 3 - 8:51.12
Mi 4 - 8:26.1
Mi 5 - 8:01.73
Total = 43:01.45
Friday, October 30, 2009
Almost a half
Today was my long run. I did it today instead of Saturday because I got several things to do tomorrow, so I just adjusted and moved it up a day, which is something I'll need to do again in a couple of weeks. I learned today that eating better the day before, PLUS hydrating myself better makes a tremendous difference. Though it was an "easy" run, meaning that I wasn't going for speed, I still was faster by over 4 minutes for the first 10 miles that I ran over what I ran last Saturday. Sure, temps made a difference, as today it was cooler, but still I know that eating better and being hydrated really helped. I set out knowing that my training schedule called for 11, but I really wanted to do 12, and that's what I did - I truly could have gone a few more miles. That's not intended to be bragging - it's just intended to remind me of the necessity of preparation. Today was the second longest run I've ever gone on, topped only by the half-marathon I ran last November. From here on out for the next few weeks, my long run will set new personal records for distance. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:06.22
Mi 2 - 9:01.75
Mi 3 - 9:02.83
Mi 4 - 9:19.26
Mi 5 - 9:41.24
Mi 6 - 9:23.93 (55:35.23)
Mi 7 - 9:22.08
Mi 8 - 9:26.62
Mi 9 - 9:38.18
Mi 10 - 9:34.38 (1:33:36.49)
Mi 11 - 9:35.99
Mi 12 - 9:16.03
Total = 1:52:28.51
I'm excited my last mile was almost as fast as my first! I also learned that almost 2 hours alone with me is a long time. I felt like I ran all over Goldsboro. Thank goodness for the ipod!
Mi 1 - 9:06.22
Mi 2 - 9:01.75
Mi 3 - 9:02.83
Mi 4 - 9:19.26
Mi 5 - 9:41.24
Mi 6 - 9:23.93 (55:35.23)
Mi 7 - 9:22.08
Mi 8 - 9:26.62
Mi 9 - 9:38.18
Mi 10 - 9:34.38 (1:33:36.49)
Mi 11 - 9:35.99
Mi 12 - 9:16.03
Total = 1:52:28.51
I'm excited my last mile was almost as fast as my first! I also learned that almost 2 hours alone with me is a long time. I felt like I ran all over Goldsboro. Thank goodness for the ipod!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Adaptability
I really was hurting from the run this past Saturday. I truly believe I was pretty dehydrated, and I was actually still not feeling well all the way till Tuesday morning. So while my schedule called for 5 easy miles on Monday, I decided I needed to rest my body. Wednesday I was scheduled to run a 4-mile fartlek (who fartleked?), so I decided I would do a 5-mile fartlek instead. My youngest son wanted to run 2 miles with me because he was going to miss soccer practice that night for "Trunk or Treat" at the church, and we were talking about the run as we were on the way home from school. Next thing you know, his friend that rides home with us decided he wanted to run 2 miles with us. I knew this was a bad idea - Aaron runs a lot with soccer, and he's one of the better runners on his team - so he's a pretty strong runner. I was pretty confident this kid wouldn't be able to hang with us, and that we'd definitely have to slow things down for him to keep up. I was right - he couldn't finish 1 mile with us, and he walked back home. Anyway, I was glad when the 2 miles were done with Aaron because though he is 10, he still doesn't seem to have the sense to really pay attention as he's crossing the roads while we run. I was getting so stressed watching him ahead of me (of course) and seeing him not look both ways, it was such a relief to get back home. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:53.76
Mi 2 - 8:34.07
Mi 3 - 8:57.42
Mi 4 - 9:11.09
Mi 5 - 8:36.76
0.31 Mi - 2:35.27
Total = 46:48.37
Tomorrow I've got 11 scheduled, but I really feel like I may push it to 12 - at least that's the hope. I've already prepared much better than for my last long run - I've eaten better today, and I've been drinking plenty of water. I'll get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast, and off I go in the AM!
Mi 1 - 8:53.76
Mi 2 - 8:34.07
Mi 3 - 8:57.42
Mi 4 - 9:11.09
Mi 5 - 8:36.76
0.31 Mi - 2:35.27
Total = 46:48.37
Tomorrow I've got 11 scheduled, but I really feel like I may push it to 12 - at least that's the hope. I've already prepared much better than for my last long run - I've eaten better today, and I've been drinking plenty of water. I'll get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast, and off I go in the AM!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Respect the miles
I learned an incredibly important and valuable lesson today! All week I have known that I was scheduled to run 10 miles today, and it hasn't concerned me one single bit. So I flippantly stayed up much too late Thursday night, got up much too early Friday, and then stayed up much too late again on Friday night. On top of that, I barely ate yesterday (Friday), eating only an egg and a piece of toast for breakfast, a McD's regular double cheeseburger for lunch, and 4 pancakes and a piece of sausage at the church Pancake Supper last night. So after staying up too late last night, I tried to sleep in a bit, but I still knew I had 10 miles to run, so I finally got up and ate 2 pieces of toast and a cup of milk, and then went for my run about 40 minutes later.
I knew I was in trouble when I was already feeling it in my legs at mile 3. Yes, it was quite a bit warm and humid today, but I really should not be bothered at mile 3. I'm glad I took all four water bottles for my fuel belt, and I made sure to take a gel for mid-run, but it was not a fun run. I just couldn't believe how bad I felt, especially considering how good I felt last week for the 10K. But the difference was that last week I was prepared - I ate well the day before, fully hydrated, and I also had plenty of rest. So, lesson learned. I will do much better next time.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:55.57
Mi 2 - 8:55.05
Mi 3 - 9:09.56
Mi 4 - 9:28.37
Mi 5 - 9:46.51
Mi 6 - 9:56.71
Mi 7 - 10:03.19
Mi 8 - 10:12.56
Mi 9 - 10:28.92
Mi 10 - 10:26.37
Total = 1:37:22.81
You can see how bad I was lagging as the run went on. I promise it will be different next week when I have 12 miles scheduled for the long run.
As an end note, I really think I was dehydrated today. I was miserable during and after the run. When I got home I decided to try something I've read quite a bit about for after a long run: the dreaded ice bath. I got Jacob to go across the street to the church with me with a large cooler so we could grab some ice, and then I came back filled the tub with the cooler of ice, and I tried to get in. YIKES! Holy freaking cow, it was cold! If I do that again, I may get in the tub of water first, and then S-L-O-W-L-Y add the ice. I couldn't make it all the way in - too much. We went and ate at the Chili Cookoff here in town, and then had to go to Walmart, and I swear, by the time we got home I was barely coherent. I was just numb all over. I've never felt like that after a long run - granted, it's been almost a year since I've run at least 10 miles. As soon as we got home I laid down and rested for a little over an hour, and I have been a different person since. All of this contributes to my lesson of the day: Respect the miles.
I knew I was in trouble when I was already feeling it in my legs at mile 3. Yes, it was quite a bit warm and humid today, but I really should not be bothered at mile 3. I'm glad I took all four water bottles for my fuel belt, and I made sure to take a gel for mid-run, but it was not a fun run. I just couldn't believe how bad I felt, especially considering how good I felt last week for the 10K. But the difference was that last week I was prepared - I ate well the day before, fully hydrated, and I also had plenty of rest. So, lesson learned. I will do much better next time.
Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:55.57
Mi 2 - 8:55.05
Mi 3 - 9:09.56
Mi 4 - 9:28.37
Mi 5 - 9:46.51
Mi 6 - 9:56.71
Mi 7 - 10:03.19
Mi 8 - 10:12.56
Mi 9 - 10:28.92
Mi 10 - 10:26.37
Total = 1:37:22.81
You can see how bad I was lagging as the run went on. I promise it will be different next week when I have 12 miles scheduled for the long run.
As an end note, I really think I was dehydrated today. I was miserable during and after the run. When I got home I decided to try something I've read quite a bit about for after a long run: the dreaded ice bath. I got Jacob to go across the street to the church with me with a large cooler so we could grab some ice, and then I came back filled the tub with the cooler of ice, and I tried to get in. YIKES! Holy freaking cow, it was cold! If I do that again, I may get in the tub of water first, and then S-L-O-W-L-Y add the ice. I couldn't make it all the way in - too much. We went and ate at the Chili Cookoff here in town, and then had to go to Walmart, and I swear, by the time we got home I was barely coherent. I was just numb all over. I've never felt like that after a long run - granted, it's been almost a year since I've run at least 10 miles. As soon as we got home I laid down and rested for a little over an hour, and I have been a different person since. All of this contributes to my lesson of the day: Respect the miles.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
2 days - hitting my stride
Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest for me, but instead I took the day of rest on Tuesday and I ran an easy 3 miles. I am following a marathon training plan, and I'm pretty proud of how strictly I have been following the plan, but every now and then you've got to change the plans. Yesterday (Wednesday) I was just burning with nervous energy, and I could tell my stress level was high, so I really wanted to run. Again, since it was supposed to be a rest day, I was very proud of myself that I did just an easy 3 mile run. In fact, for once, I left the ipod at home and just soaked it all in. My son Aaron ran the first mile with me, and it was awesome just to run with him for that mile (yes, he went slow so that I could stick with him and still have an easy run). Here are my splits for that run:
Mi 1 - 9:10.67
Mi 2 - 9:15.23
Mi 3 - 9:12.34
Total = 27:38.24
Thursdays are always crazy days in my life. Jenn usually has to be in Raleigh on Thursday for her law firm, so I'm fully responsible for the boys - which is cool, but sometimes stressful. Anyway, today I had 5 miles on my training schedule - 1 easy warm up, 3 tempo, 1 easy cool down. I've not had to do a run like this, so it was kind of neat that when I heard my Garmin chirp that I had finished the first mile, I was able to kick it up a notch. I was pleasantly surprised how strong I felt for the 3 miles, yet it was also quite pleasant to hit the final cool down mile.
Mi 1 - 8:36.75
Mi 2 - 8:09.92
Mi 3 - 8:08.95
Mi 4 - 8:13.75
Mi 5 - 9:06.48
Total = 42:15.85
Saturday I'm still undecided about what to do. I have a scheduled 10 mile run, but there is a local 5k that I really would like to run. I ran this race last year, and it was the first race that I had run since I was in high school, and I finished 3rd in my age group! The think that sucks/stinks about the race is that it doesn't begin until 11:00 AM. AND Duke has a home game at 1:30, that we are seriously considering experiencing (pending the rain). But right now I am definitely leaning towards not running the 5k, if for no other reason than I want to run an uninterrupted 10 miles (I'll probably push it to 11).
Mi 1 - 9:10.67
Mi 2 - 9:15.23
Mi 3 - 9:12.34
Total = 27:38.24
Thursdays are always crazy days in my life. Jenn usually has to be in Raleigh on Thursday for her law firm, so I'm fully responsible for the boys - which is cool, but sometimes stressful. Anyway, today I had 5 miles on my training schedule - 1 easy warm up, 3 tempo, 1 easy cool down. I've not had to do a run like this, so it was kind of neat that when I heard my Garmin chirp that I had finished the first mile, I was able to kick it up a notch. I was pleasantly surprised how strong I felt for the 3 miles, yet it was also quite pleasant to hit the final cool down mile.
Mi 1 - 8:36.75
Mi 2 - 8:09.92
Mi 3 - 8:08.95
Mi 4 - 8:13.75
Mi 5 - 9:06.48
Total = 42:15.85
Saturday I'm still undecided about what to do. I have a scheduled 10 mile run, but there is a local 5k that I really would like to run. I ran this race last year, and it was the first race that I had run since I was in high school, and I finished 3rd in my age group! The think that sucks/stinks about the race is that it doesn't begin until 11:00 AM. AND Duke has a home game at 1:30, that we are seriously considering experiencing (pending the rain). But right now I am definitely leaning towards not running the 5k, if for no other reason than I want to run an uninterrupted 10 miles (I'll probably push it to 11).
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Reasons of Run
For Monday, my training schedule called for an "easy" 5 miles. Yesterday was just one of those days that seemed to start off good, but the start of the day was the high point - it all went down from there. So I was actually looking forward to getting in my run to blow off some steam. One of my sons had "homework" from his soccer coach, and he was supposed to run 1-1.5 miles and then report the time to the coach, so Aaron decided he would go out for a run with Dad. It was nice to run with him, but he and his brother are fast, and even though he was taking it easy, we still ran at an 8:20 per mile mace for 2 miles, and that was a bit quicker than what I was wanting to run for my easy run! We finished up his 2 miles right at our house, and I was able to keep on running to finish my 5, though I did slow down just a bit.
Yesterday was just one of those runs that I needed. Everyone that runs has a different reason that they run. Some may run so that they can still eat the things that they want to eat. Some may run because they enjoy being outdoors. Some may run just because they are idiots. I run for a lot of reasons. Sometimes I run to be able to push myself to things I wasn't sure I could do. Sometimes I run because I have a fierce competitive streak in me. Sometimes I run to escape from the stress of the world, and that's what I did yesterday. Once I dropped Aaron off at the house I listened to a podcast of one of my favorite preachers, and it seemed like he was talking just to me. I felt so much better after my run, it was as if the day had started over.
I'm still trying to be careful with regards to my shins. I'm just paranoid that I'm going to develop another stress fracture. So I am trying to be very diligent in following the training schedule, and not over do it - again. My training schedule calls for me to do cross training today (Tuesday), and then take Wednesday as a day off, and my next run coming Thursday. If I feel really good tomorrow, I'm going to go for a short run. Gotta love it.
Here are the splits from the run today:
Mi 1 - 8:20.07
Mi 2 - 8:20.54
Mi 3 - 8:57.14
Mi 4 - 9:12.81
Mi 5 - 9:11.59
Total = 44:02.15
Yesterday was just one of those runs that I needed. Everyone that runs has a different reason that they run. Some may run so that they can still eat the things that they want to eat. Some may run because they enjoy being outdoors. Some may run just because they are idiots. I run for a lot of reasons. Sometimes I run to be able to push myself to things I wasn't sure I could do. Sometimes I run because I have a fierce competitive streak in me. Sometimes I run to escape from the stress of the world, and that's what I did yesterday. Once I dropped Aaron off at the house I listened to a podcast of one of my favorite preachers, and it seemed like he was talking just to me. I felt so much better after my run, it was as if the day had started over.
I'm still trying to be careful with regards to my shins. I'm just paranoid that I'm going to develop another stress fracture. So I am trying to be very diligent in following the training schedule, and not over do it - again. My training schedule calls for me to do cross training today (Tuesday), and then take Wednesday as a day off, and my next run coming Thursday. If I feel really good tomorrow, I'm going to go for a short run. Gotta love it.
Here are the splits from the run today:
Mi 1 - 8:20.07
Mi 2 - 8:20.54
Mi 3 - 8:57.14
Mi 4 - 9:12.81
Mi 5 - 9:11.59
Total = 44:02.15
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Crossing the Bridge
I had to get up at 5:10 this morning just so that I could get up, get dressed, and get to New Bern for the Neuse River Bridge Run 10K. As I was trying to get myself started this morning, I kept asking myself the question "Why do I do this again?" I couldn't come up with a good answer, but I could come up with an answer of why I had to get up and do this one today: I had already paid for it! Yes, money can be a motivator.
As I drove, I began to get a little concerned about the weather as it began to mist a bit. Outside, it was 46 degrees and winds around 10 mph, and I knew that a misty rain would make it feel even colder as we crossed the bridges over the Neuse and Trent River. I had to be there and registered by 7:30, because there were buses that transported you from the registration area (which was the finish area) to the start, and the last bus was to leave at 7:30. Got there on time, in spite of a road being closed and having to trust my natural manly "hunter" instincts ;-). I was relieved to know that they were providing a "sweat shuttle," so I could wear my warm-ups all the way up till the start of the race, and they would shuttle them back to the finish for me. As I rode the crowded bus over to the start, it was intimidating to see and hear the wind blow as we crossed the rivers. They dropped up off in a Food Lion parking lot, which is where the start was, and we had an hour before the race started. So I sat. There were probably 200-300 people that went inside the Food Lion, but I just sat outside. But I sat outside - getting my "game face" on - and taking a nap.
After running a warm-up mile, I ditched the sweats and got ready. I was determined that I was not going to go out on the first mile and run crazy - I wanted to run a nice, even pace. As we started, crowds were rushing past me, but that was ok - I was looking at them and thinking to myself, "Don't worry - you'll see them again." At the first mile marker there was a water table, which is unusual - I can't say I ever seen a water table that early in a race. I was wondering why in the world they would have one at mile 1, and only later did I realize it was because it wasn't until mile 4 that we were running on solid ground again (remember, this was a bridge run). As I look at the stats from my Garmin, it is funny how you can almost trace the bridge as it show the elevation increase and decrease. On the increase, I began to see those people that had passed me early. I just felt strong this morning, and I wish in hindsight that I had pushed myself harder, because I had a lot left in the tank at the end.
One neat thing they did at the end of the race: with about a quarter mile left, there were people on the side with walkie-talkies, and they were calling out the numbers of the racers as we went by. As I got closer to the finish, I was then able to hear on the PA, "And here comes Adam Seate, bringing it home! Come on Adam!" That was a neat touch, and it definitely inspired me to bring it home. Lame, I know - but still, I thought it was a cool touch.
Here are my splits and final time for the race:
Mi 1 - 8:34.34
Mi 2 - 8:27.89
Mi 3 - 8:37.59
Mi 4 - 8:22.98
Mi 5 - 8:05.06
Mi 6 - 7:55.62
.2 - 1:49
Total = 51:52
I was pleased with the race, mainly because I really felt I was good for several more miles. For me, these times represent progress, considering I've only been back running from my stress fracture for just a little over a month. Symbolic that I ran across some bridges, while I feel like I also crossed some bridges from where I was to where I'm going.
End note: One of the strangest things happened in the race today. There was a cop who was riding a motorcycle, and this particular cop kept ticking me off because of the way he would recklessly ride around the runners. This guy, who could barely fit on his bike due to his weight, just seemed to want to ride back and forth from front to back showing everyone he could ride. He kept annoying me the way he almost ran into several runners, and he just didn't seem to have any sense at all on that bike. The dude went buzzing past me not too far from the finish - maybe a mile away - and I swear I was close to flipping him off - he had no business coming up that close to me and he passed me from behind! As he kept going and made the next turn, I just kept running. After I made the same turn, I came upon people hollering and jumping out into the road to stop traffic. I couldn't see what was going on - all I saw was there was a car on my right that was stopped as it was pulling into a driveway. As I ran past the car, there was the cop on the group - dude got hit by the car, and you could tell he was hurt. Fortunately I didn't see blood, but by the look on his face, he was hurting. I do not know what happened to him, but truly the guy was an idiot on that bike. I feel sorry for him, but I also feel sorry for the driver who hit the cop. That's gotta suck.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Excuse me, did you fartlek?
Back when I was in high school and college (yes, back in the dark ages of the late 80s and early 90s), when I ran, I simply ran. My XC coach would have a training schedule for us - some days long runs, other days interval training. I thought I knew a little bit about running, but when I saw on my training schedule for today that I was to do "fartlek training," I thought I was a natural! OK - I lie - I had no clue what fartlek training was, so I had to google it. In case you don't know, "fartlek" means "speed play" in Swedish (Ya, dis true!). Fartlek training is where you go out for a run and pick a distance on the horizon, and then sprint to that designated location. It's supposed to be like making running a game, and since you aren't running exact differences, you can't lose!
Today I had to do 4 miles of fartlek training, so I ate an extra helping of beans for lunch, and then I was ready to go this afternoon. ;-) The temp was a wonderful 55, and I think I over dressed - long sleaves are not necessary at 55 degrees. I decided that for my fartleks, I would actually do them on hills in my neighborhood - I would sprint up the hill, and then jog back down it and over a block to the next hill. I ran my guts out - not a mental picture you really want me to develop here. However, I felt OK at the end of the run. Even though each mile was broken up quite a bit, I still had fairly level splits, even after getting tired from running the hills. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:37.11
Mi 2 - 8:10.35
Mi 3 - 8:49.24
Mi 4 - 8:42.36
Mi 0.15 - 1:16.24
Total = 35:35.30
Still no problems where I had the stress fractures earlier this year. I think I'm safe to add another day of running next week - I hated taking 2 days in a row off from running. I am excited about running the Bridge Run in New Bern on Saturday. Not looking forward getting up early on Saturday to drive to New Bern to pick up my registration, take the bus ride to the starting point, and then waiting for the race to start.
Today I had to do 4 miles of fartlek training, so I ate an extra helping of beans for lunch, and then I was ready to go this afternoon. ;-) The temp was a wonderful 55, and I think I over dressed - long sleaves are not necessary at 55 degrees. I decided that for my fartleks, I would actually do them on hills in my neighborhood - I would sprint up the hill, and then jog back down it and over a block to the next hill. I ran my guts out - not a mental picture you really want me to develop here. However, I felt OK at the end of the run. Even though each mile was broken up quite a bit, I still had fairly level splits, even after getting tired from running the hills. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 8:37.11
Mi 2 - 8:10.35
Mi 3 - 8:49.24
Mi 4 - 8:42.36
Mi 0.15 - 1:16.24
Total = 35:35.30
Still no problems where I had the stress fractures earlier this year. I think I'm safe to add another day of running next week - I hated taking 2 days in a row off from running. I am excited about running the Bridge Run in New Bern on Saturday. Not looking forward getting up early on Saturday to drive to New Bern to pick up my registration, take the bus ride to the starting point, and then waiting for the race to start.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Dial it back
One of the most difficult things for me to do is to completely understand that I am not a teenager anymore. In my mind, I am still capable of running 5 minute miles; in reality, I'm not. I have learned that I am in fact 38 (!!!), and I feel it. That being said, one of the reasons that I have suffered from not one but two stress fractures this year is because I still think I am a teenager - at least physically. I would go out and run just as hard as I could, and I would do it again the next day. The consistant pounding and over-training is what led to the stress fractures, and so I have learned that I have got to dial back my running. I'm now not running every single day, but usually giving at least one day in between runs. I have also learned (from reading and my ortho doc) that I've got to mix up my runs - one day run long, another day run short and fast, another day just go slow and easy. The most difficult runs for me are the "slow and easy," because I want to do more. I guess I'm an adrenaline junkie, and I want to feel like I've done something. I may start out planning on just doing "slow and easy," but I usually end up pushing it far more than I had hoped to do.
Today was supposed to be a "slow and easy" 4 miles, and looking at my schedule this afternoon and evening, I decided to go for my run at lunch. What a great way to break up the day! I ran a trail in a nearby park, had a little light rain hitting me, and I just enjoyed myself. I also was pleased that I was able to maintain a nice and easy slow pace - and I felt like I could have kept running for several more miles - which is a good sign that it was a "slow and easy" run. Below are my splits for today:
Mi 1 - 9:03.73
Mi 2 - 9:14.66
Mi 3 - 9:23.39
Mi 4 - 9:17.38
Total = 36:59.16
I'm now supposed to cross train tomorrow and have a day of rest on Wednesday. I'm excited about the 10K on Saturday - I think it's going to be a beautiful run!
www.bridgerun.org
Today was supposed to be a "slow and easy" 4 miles, and looking at my schedule this afternoon and evening, I decided to go for my run at lunch. What a great way to break up the day! I ran a trail in a nearby park, had a little light rain hitting me, and I just enjoyed myself. I also was pleased that I was able to maintain a nice and easy slow pace - and I felt like I could have kept running for several more miles - which is a good sign that it was a "slow and easy" run. Below are my splits for today:
Mi 1 - 9:03.73
Mi 2 - 9:14.66
Mi 3 - 9:23.39
Mi 4 - 9:17.38
Total = 36:59.16
I'm now supposed to cross train tomorrow and have a day of rest on Wednesday. I'm excited about the 10K on Saturday - I think it's going to be a beautiful run!
www.bridgerun.org
Saturday, October 10, 2009
5K + 7M = UGH!
Today I did decide to go out and support my friend who's church was sponsoring a 5K, so I got up early this morning and headed out there to get registered and warmed up. Though I have run in hotter weather, I swear at the time of the race there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun felt fierce. Though the course was relatively flat, around mile 2 there was a real nice decline - and that caused me worry, because as you know, if you go downhill it is very likely you will also go uphill. Long story short, I finished the race, though I was really disappointed with my time - 25:35. Here are my splits:
Mi 1 - 7:47.35
Mi 2 - 8:19.57
Mi 3 - 8:21.6
Final 0.13 Mi 1:06.87
Total = 25:35:39
Of course, I just missed a medal for my age group by 10 seconds. :-(
As I mentioned earlier, my marathon training schedule today called for a 7 mile run. After the race, I had to go to the soccer field and line the field for games this weekend, and when I got home I decided I would go ahead and finish my miles. The thing is I had been debating with myself if I just wanted to run the 4 more miles for my total of 7, or if I wanted to go for a 7 mile run. I left the house and I told the family I wasn't sure what I would do, but deep down I knew I wouldn't be satisfied unless I did the 7. Afterall, I'm running a 10K next Saturday, so I thought running the full 7 would restore my confidence. I guess all I can say is that I finished it. I really wasn't concerned with time in this run - I really just wanted to see if I had it in me to do the 7 after already running a race. And yes, I did the 7. I did take my water belt and a gel for midrun, and all of that did help. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:17.41
Mi 2 - 9:08.24
Mi 3 - 9:27.74
Mi 4 - 9:44.62
Mi 5 - 9:54.83
Mi 6 - 10:17.73
Mi 7 - 10:18.35
Total = 1:08:08.92
Tomorrow = Rest day!
Mi 1 - 7:47.35
Mi 2 - 8:19.57
Mi 3 - 8:21.6
Final 0.13 Mi 1:06.87
Total = 25:35:39
Of course, I just missed a medal for my age group by 10 seconds. :-(
As I mentioned earlier, my marathon training schedule today called for a 7 mile run. After the race, I had to go to the soccer field and line the field for games this weekend, and when I got home I decided I would go ahead and finish my miles. The thing is I had been debating with myself if I just wanted to run the 4 more miles for my total of 7, or if I wanted to go for a 7 mile run. I left the house and I told the family I wasn't sure what I would do, but deep down I knew I wouldn't be satisfied unless I did the 7. Afterall, I'm running a 10K next Saturday, so I thought running the full 7 would restore my confidence. I guess all I can say is that I finished it. I really wasn't concerned with time in this run - I really just wanted to see if I had it in me to do the 7 after already running a race. And yes, I did the 7. I did take my water belt and a gel for midrun, and all of that did help. Here are the splits:
Mi 1 - 9:17.41
Mi 2 - 9:08.24
Mi 3 - 9:27.74
Mi 4 - 9:44.62
Mi 5 - 9:54.83
Mi 6 - 10:17.73
Mi 7 - 10:18.35
Total = 1:08:08.92
Tomorrow = Rest day!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thirsty Thursday
Four miles in beautiful 73 degree weather! Thanks to my allergies, I was quite thirsty (and I'm "snot" kidding). Here are my split times:
1 Mi 8:21.04
2 Mi 8:26.75
3 Mi 8:43.26
4 Mi 8:40.86
Total: 34:11:91
Though this is very slow for many, this is still a little faster than what I wanted to run today. I have got to start doing a better job of pacing myself, though the pace felt comfortable today. I take tomorrow as a rest day, and there is a 5k that I'm not sure if I'm going to run on Saturday or not - mainly because I've got 7 miles on the schedule, and I really don't want to break that 7 miles up between the race and then 4 later, or do the race, and then 7 later. Oh well, all in all it was a nice run while listening to a blog by Erwin McManus.
1 Mi 8:21.04
2 Mi 8:26.75
3 Mi 8:43.26
4 Mi 8:40.86
Total: 34:11:91
Though this is very slow for many, this is still a little faster than what I wanted to run today. I have got to start doing a better job of pacing myself, though the pace felt comfortable today. I take tomorrow as a rest day, and there is a 5k that I'm not sure if I'm going to run on Saturday or not - mainly because I've got 7 miles on the schedule, and I really don't want to break that 7 miles up between the race and then 4 later, or do the race, and then 7 later. Oh well, all in all it was a nice run while listening to a blog by Erwin McManus.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
And so it begins . . .
I decided to begin this blog because I have read and heard in so many places that you should blog about your runs as a way of keeping track of things, and getting feedback from others. I've been putting it off for quite a while, and as I'm now approaching the last few months before I finally fulfill something I've been striving for, I figured I might as well start now.
This year has been a crazy year. My new years resolution was to run a marathon in 2009. As I had been running again since the summer of '08 and had run a half-marathon in '08, I figured that was an attainable goal. My problem is that when I set out to do something, I go all out - as in "over-training." Early in January I could not ignore the pain in my shin anymore, and soon was diagnosed with a stress fracture. With that, my plans for a November marathon on the Outer Banks came to a halt. After 7 weeks I was able to begin again, only to have to back off again due to pain. Finally I was pain free, and set my goal for the 2010 Disney World Marathon. I went ahead and registered, started running all out again, only to be hit with another stress fracture - same location, different leg.
So now I've changed up my stride (shorter more efficient strides), and changed up my training (only 3-4 runs a week). This has all seemed to work much better, and I am running pain free! I'll fill in more details as I go, but I don't have much time today. Typically my training plan has me running on Monday and Thursday, with the long run on Saturday. Lately I've taken to running a quick mile on Wednesday with my sons, who I am finding are very quick. Today I ran with them and finished my mile in 7:18, which is without a doubt the quickest I've run in some time. Tomorrow I've got 4 miles on the plan.
Looking forward to possibly running a 5K on Saturday (it's a small, local race being sponsored by a nearby church - I may run only to be able to beat the other pastor!). However, I am supposed to run 7 miles on Saturday, so I've got to decide this: Do I run the 5K and then run 4 more miles later to complete my 7, or do I run the 5K early in the day, and then later set out and run my 7? Hmmm . . .
This year has been a crazy year. My new years resolution was to run a marathon in 2009. As I had been running again since the summer of '08 and had run a half-marathon in '08, I figured that was an attainable goal. My problem is that when I set out to do something, I go all out - as in "over-training." Early in January I could not ignore the pain in my shin anymore, and soon was diagnosed with a stress fracture. With that, my plans for a November marathon on the Outer Banks came to a halt. After 7 weeks I was able to begin again, only to have to back off again due to pain. Finally I was pain free, and set my goal for the 2010 Disney World Marathon. I went ahead and registered, started running all out again, only to be hit with another stress fracture - same location, different leg.
So now I've changed up my stride (shorter more efficient strides), and changed up my training (only 3-4 runs a week). This has all seemed to work much better, and I am running pain free! I'll fill in more details as I go, but I don't have much time today. Typically my training plan has me running on Monday and Thursday, with the long run on Saturday. Lately I've taken to running a quick mile on Wednesday with my sons, who I am finding are very quick. Today I ran with them and finished my mile in 7:18, which is without a doubt the quickest I've run in some time. Tomorrow I've got 4 miles on the plan.
Looking forward to possibly running a 5K on Saturday (it's a small, local race being sponsored by a nearby church - I may run only to be able to beat the other pastor!). However, I am supposed to run 7 miles on Saturday, so I've got to decide this: Do I run the 5K and then run 4 more miles later to complete my 7, or do I run the 5K early in the day, and then later set out and run my 7? Hmmm . . .
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