As far as running goes, November is wrapped up. With only one month left in the year, I thought I would look back and see how close I have come to making my goals.
The goals set last year were pretty simple. Aim for 1,200 miles for the year, try to average an event a month, and complete a marathon. I went over the 1,200 mile mark back during October. The marathon was finally in the books a few weeks back. As far as events go, here is the list to date.
01/14/12 Little River Trail Race 7K
02/04/12 Krispy Kreme 8K
03/03/12 St. Patty's Day 8K
03/10/12 Roanoke Canal HM
03/18/12 Tobacco Road HM
04/21/12 Flying Pirate 5K
04/21/12 Storm the Beach 5K
04/22/12 Flying Pirate HM
08/11/12 Medoc Meltdown 13.5 finished
08/29/12 Salem Lakes 30K
11/12/12 OBX 8K
11/13/12 OBX Marathon
I will be running the Reindeer Fun Run in Aberbeen tomorrow, which will bring the total number of events to 13, actually 14 if you count the 2K Fun Run at the OBX.
So, all the goals were met. Even though it wasn't always pretty (the OBX Marathon could have gone better), goals were set, goals were met, and its time to move on.
In thinking ahead to next year, I am thinking of trying to plan one event each month to space things out a bit more, Then maybe I won't have three months of only training runs. It was fun to have so many events stacked up back in March and April, but a more even spacing might be easier to plan.
So, what to do for next year? Currently, the only things on the books are the Little River Trail Race in January and the Medoc Spring Trail Race in April. I'm thinking hard about the Groundhog Gallop in Gibsonville, NC for February, and then either the Tobacco Road HM or the Roanoke Canal HM in March.
There is a pattern here. I may try to do only trail races next year, one a month. Just a thought at this point in time. Goals for next year are still in the thinking stage.
Till then, see you on the road.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
OBX Marathon completed. Thank you Chris!
And here we are at the finish.
A big thank you has to go out to Chris Knodel for helping me get to the finish line with this one. I was ready to call it quits and take my first DNF around mile 22 or so. There were massive calf cramps that made me sit down just past the crest of the bridge, and it seemed a lot easier to just stay there. I contemplated taking a ride to the finish line and calling it quits for the day. But Chris hung with me, convinced me I could make it to the end, and here we are. At the finish line once again.
As usual, after a hard run, I look like I need a cold beer and a nap.
Chris looks like he's ready to do the race all over again. There's actually a bit of a pattern here.
I first met Chris a little over two years ago at the New Bern Bike MS in September of 2010. This was to be my 2nd Bike MS, and I set a goal of doing my first 100 mile ride.
This short guy with tattoos pulls up beside me at the start, introduces himself, and asks how far I'm riding. I said, well, I think I'm going to try to do the full 100. Chris asks if I mind him riding along. I said, sure, why not. And for the next 6 or 7 hours we rode side by side and chatted pretty much the entire time. I had a great time, and was able to accomplish something that I really had some doubts that I could do. The companionship I had along the ride made it almost easy.
Here we are at one of the stops along the way. I think there was laughter like this for almost the entire ride.
And here we are at the finish. As good a time that I had, I look like I'm ready for a cold beer and a nap. Chris looks like he's ready for another 100 miles. And thus the pattern was set.
We kept in touch through Facebook, but I don't think our paths crossed again face to face until the next spring at the CARA Ride for their Lives event. It was a much shorter ride then the Bike MS ride, so I think I finished looking pretty chipper myself. Chris's wife Kristine was able to make the ride, so I got to meet her for the first time.
Along the ride I mentioned that I had started running again for the first time in 20 years. That I had in fact just finished my first two half marathons, and was thinking of keeping the running going.
Chris let me know that he was doing a run near me in Cary the next month, and I should sign up to run it. So, I showed up at the Clara's Run 5K. This was the first of what was to total 20 events I ran with Chris over the next few years, finally culminating with my first full marathon last weekend. It's been quite an adventure.
There was the Cannonball Run half in Greensboro. Here we are coming up the last hill. As usual, Chris has much more energy than I do, being able to not only mug for the camera, but sprint to the line as I plod up the hill. Kristine got to be there for this one as a spectator, and provided some great cowbell sounds for the final turn.
There was the Day of the Dead. This one was a recovery run for me, coming after a nasty fall that left my hip with issues and caused me to cancel my first attempt at a full marathon.
.jpg)
After that, there was the first of the OBX challenge weekends that I ran, with an 8K on Saturday, and a half marathon on Sunday. I finished the half again looking like a beer and a nap are sorely needed.
Chris finishes looking like this, after a strong sprint to the line.
Another memorable run was the Krispy Kreme Challenge. This one was run in full Ninja costume. I wimped out a bit and ran as a participant, not a challenger. Which meant I carried my dozen donuts home with me, and didn't eat them during the race.
There were many others, such as the Roanoke Canal Half, the Tobacco Road Half, The Flying Pirate Half, the Medoc Meltdown. All memorable runs, made that much better by the companionship along the way.
It may be a while before the next one, since Chris is now relocated to San Antonio. North Carolina's loss is Texas's gain. I guess I'll have to put in some serious miles in getting to the next one.
Till then, see you on the road.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
1,265 and counting. OBX next week, time to taper
Well, its finally time to pull back a bit and taper. October is coming to a close, and the bulk of my marathon training is finished. I am now at 1,265 miles for the year and I am looking forward to next week and the Outer Banks Marathon.
The last month or so of training has been fun. I went with a Lydiard based training plan this year, and the last couple of months have concentrated on strength, speed, and sharpening drills. Which translates as hill work, intervals, and pace based tempo runs.
I was worried that I would have problems with those types of runs. Having had both hamstring and calf issues in the past, I thought there might be a good chance of repeating those problems with speed and hill work. So, I eased into those drills. I shouldn't have worried. Having that type of training come after base building must have made a difference, as my hamstrings and calfs feel better now after speed work than they did a few months ago.
Another thing that worried me a little about the plan was how the long runs were structured. Most marathon plans have you gradually increasing the long run until you get to 20 miles or so. This plan didn't have any specific lengths for the long runs. They were all time based, with the majority around 2:30. But there were also semi-long runs mid week, and an out and back run each week at tempo. So, my weekly miles were actually higher that what I did last year when I concentrated mainly on just the long run. Of course, I do like to keep track of my miles, and for the record, I topped out with a 30K run as my long run. Should be enough. In fact, a lot of the long run based marathon plans top out at 30K (think about all those countries that use the metric system).
It should be a fun weekend. I have signed up for the Blackbeard Challenge, which includes an 8K on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. It's what I originally planned to do last year, until a nasty fall a few weeks prior to the event left me with a large bruised hip and no way to run for a couple of weeks. So, its time to play it safe for another week, finish my taper drills, then hit the road and see how I do.
Until then, see you on the road.
The last month or so of training has been fun. I went with a Lydiard based training plan this year, and the last couple of months have concentrated on strength, speed, and sharpening drills. Which translates as hill work, intervals, and pace based tempo runs.
I was worried that I would have problems with those types of runs. Having had both hamstring and calf issues in the past, I thought there might be a good chance of repeating those problems with speed and hill work. So, I eased into those drills. I shouldn't have worried. Having that type of training come after base building must have made a difference, as my hamstrings and calfs feel better now after speed work than they did a few months ago.
Another thing that worried me a little about the plan was how the long runs were structured. Most marathon plans have you gradually increasing the long run until you get to 20 miles or so. This plan didn't have any specific lengths for the long runs. They were all time based, with the majority around 2:30. But there were also semi-long runs mid week, and an out and back run each week at tempo. So, my weekly miles were actually higher that what I did last year when I concentrated mainly on just the long run. Of course, I do like to keep track of my miles, and for the record, I topped out with a 30K run as my long run. Should be enough. In fact, a lot of the long run based marathon plans top out at 30K (think about all those countries that use the metric system).
It should be a fun weekend. I have signed up for the Blackbeard Challenge, which includes an 8K on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. It's what I originally planned to do last year, until a nasty fall a few weeks prior to the event left me with a large bruised hip and no way to run for a couple of weeks. So, its time to play it safe for another week, finish my taper drills, then hit the road and see how I do.
Until then, see you on the road.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Salem Lake 30K, 1,121 and counting
Finished up the month of September by running the Salem Lake 30K.
This was my first 30K race. I have run 18 miles in training before, but my longest run in the last few months was just 15. So, I was a bit apprehensive about the distance. Instead of running this as a practice race in order to get a pace for next month, I decided to run it strictly as a training run, slow and steady. My plan was to target an 11:30 pace for the first 15 miles or so, then if there was any thing left, pick it up a bit at the end.
Didn't work out that way. I did keep the planned pace at the start, but then wound up slowing down towards the end, finishing at close to a 12:30 pace. I wound up with a time of 3:34. Oddly enough, that is exactly what my pace calculator gives for running a 30K at an 11:30 pace. So, either my garmin was wrong about my pace during the race, or the course was a bit short. Doesn't really matter. I finished the distance good and tired, but not too sore. Also finished with no issues. Other than being very wet from running over 3 hours in the rain.
I enjoyed the course, a nice out and back around the lake, with a section of greenway in the middle. Very well organized, lots of friendly people to run with. One of the first races in some time that I didn't know anyone at all. I'll do this one again in the future if scheduling works out.
Overall, the entire month went well for running. 158 miles for the month. A couple of 10's, a 13, a 15, and an 18 mile run. Also a little bit of hill work and some out and back pace work.
One more month of training to go, then time to taper before the OBX marathon.
Until then, see you on the road.
This was my first 30K race. I have run 18 miles in training before, but my longest run in the last few months was just 15. So, I was a bit apprehensive about the distance. Instead of running this as a practice race in order to get a pace for next month, I decided to run it strictly as a training run, slow and steady. My plan was to target an 11:30 pace for the first 15 miles or so, then if there was any thing left, pick it up a bit at the end.
Didn't work out that way. I did keep the planned pace at the start, but then wound up slowing down towards the end, finishing at close to a 12:30 pace. I wound up with a time of 3:34. Oddly enough, that is exactly what my pace calculator gives for running a 30K at an 11:30 pace. So, either my garmin was wrong about my pace during the race, or the course was a bit short. Doesn't really matter. I finished the distance good and tired, but not too sore. Also finished with no issues. Other than being very wet from running over 3 hours in the rain.
I enjoyed the course, a nice out and back around the lake, with a section of greenway in the middle. Very well organized, lots of friendly people to run with. One of the first races in some time that I didn't know anyone at all. I'll do this one again in the future if scheduling works out.
Overall, the entire month went well for running. 158 miles for the month. A couple of 10's, a 13, a 15, and an 18 mile run. Also a little bit of hill work and some out and back pace work.
One more month of training to go, then time to taper before the OBX marathon.
Until then, see you on the road.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
2 Years and counting
Two years ago this week, I made the decision to start running again.
I had been getting my physical activity from cycling, and in fact had just finished my first 100 mile ride at Bike MS in New Bern. On the way home after that weekend, I decided to start a couch to 10K running program. I had been running a couple of days a week for the previous few years, but only as a way to keep some aerobic fitness during the winter when it was too dark to ride after work. For those brief runs, I just ran what I could for around 30 to 45 minutes two or three times a week, then when it was light enough to go back to cycling, the running stopped. I thought maybe it was time to start running a little more consistently, and keep it up year round. In fact, I used to run year round in the past, and only stopped about 20 years ago when my knees started giving me issues.
So, after the Bike MS weekend in 2010, I downloaded the podrunner.com freeway to 10K podcast, used that as my guide, and targeted running a 10K by the spring. I thought it would take that long to build up to a 10K.
Week one of the podcast had a 5 minute warmup, followed by 5 intervals of 4 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, followed by a 3 minute cooldown. My logs show I did three runs that week, and averaged just short of 3 miles each run. Not a bad start. For comparison, this week I've run twice so far, a progressive one hour run of 6.4 miles, and a slow 1.5 hour run of 8 miles.
I continued with the program, and moved my target goal of doing a 10K by the spring, to running one by the first of the year. I wound up running an 8K Thanksgiving weekend, and a 10K the first weekend in December. It felt good, so I decided to sign up for my first half Marathon.
That was 2 years ago, and I'm still running. Haven't gotten back on my bike. The first 12 months after staring to run again I went on 191 runs for a total of 965 miles. The next 12 months I went on 246 runs for a total of 1,332 miles, which is a pace I am continuing.
The goal of finished my first 10K in 20 years now has me targeting my first marathon this fall.
Looking back at the past 2 years, I was able to finish 24 events. 7 5K's, 1 7K, 5 8K's, 3 10K's, and 8 Half Marathons. All in all, a total I'm happy with. I think of all my events, the Half Marathon distance has been my favorite so far. Not sure yet about the longer distance events, that's still up for discussion as the miles pile up. But, if all goes well, longer events will be in my future.
Till then, see you on the road.
I had been getting my physical activity from cycling, and in fact had just finished my first 100 mile ride at Bike MS in New Bern. On the way home after that weekend, I decided to start a couch to 10K running program. I had been running a couple of days a week for the previous few years, but only as a way to keep some aerobic fitness during the winter when it was too dark to ride after work. For those brief runs, I just ran what I could for around 30 to 45 minutes two or three times a week, then when it was light enough to go back to cycling, the running stopped. I thought maybe it was time to start running a little more consistently, and keep it up year round. In fact, I used to run year round in the past, and only stopped about 20 years ago when my knees started giving me issues.
So, after the Bike MS weekend in 2010, I downloaded the podrunner.com freeway to 10K podcast, used that as my guide, and targeted running a 10K by the spring. I thought it would take that long to build up to a 10K.
Week one of the podcast had a 5 minute warmup, followed by 5 intervals of 4 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, followed by a 3 minute cooldown. My logs show I did three runs that week, and averaged just short of 3 miles each run. Not a bad start. For comparison, this week I've run twice so far, a progressive one hour run of 6.4 miles, and a slow 1.5 hour run of 8 miles.
I continued with the program, and moved my target goal of doing a 10K by the spring, to running one by the first of the year. I wound up running an 8K Thanksgiving weekend, and a 10K the first weekend in December. It felt good, so I decided to sign up for my first half Marathon.
That was 2 years ago, and I'm still running. Haven't gotten back on my bike. The first 12 months after staring to run again I went on 191 runs for a total of 965 miles. The next 12 months I went on 246 runs for a total of 1,332 miles, which is a pace I am continuing.
The goal of finished my first 10K in 20 years now has me targeting my first marathon this fall.
Looking back at the past 2 years, I was able to finish 24 events. 7 5K's, 1 7K, 5 8K's, 3 10K's, and 8 Half Marathons. All in all, a total I'm happy with. I think of all my events, the Half Marathon distance has been my favorite so far. Not sure yet about the longer distance events, that's still up for discussion as the miles pile up. But, if all goes well, longer events will be in my future.
Till then, see you on the road.
Friday, August 31, 2012
963 and counting
Just finished running at lunch today, which will be my last run of the month.
The month did not go as well as I had hoped. I only got in two long runs. At least they timed out at 2:45 and 3:07, so I was able to get some increase in my time on my feet. I was also able to get a bit more miles in during the week, so my monthly total miles stayed the same even though I was missing a couple of long runs. So, for the last 3 months I have held steady at 132 miles per month. Not bad, but I should be increasing the miles each month, not keeping the status quo.
There was one event that I was able to get to, the Medoc Meltdown. The official event name was the Medoc Meltdown 50K and Fun FA Run, with the FA meaning it was a Fat Ass run, which to quote the event's description, "This is a Fat Ass run, meaning it is not a race, there is no entry fee, no awards, no whinning and we will not provide aid. It’s an opportunity to run with old and new friends (plus plenty of NC horse flies!) and enjoy the hot and steamy beauty of an NC state park in August."
The Meltdown featured 4 laps at Medoc Mountain State Park, each lap sort of a twisted figure 8 of around 8.5 miles. If you did all 4 laps, you would have come in around 50K. I planned on doing 2 laps, which I mistakenly thought would take a little over 3 hours.
The start was great, a very relaxed setting. I got there early enough to set up a chair and cooler. The plan was to run a lap, then sit and rest for a bit, then go back out and run the second lap. Here am I with George setting up at the shelter where the race started.
The first lap started at a slow pace. I initially ran with George, Chris, and Kevin. I kept pace with them for the first 3 miles or so, then want on ahead. They were all planning on doing all 4 laps, so were keeping a bit slower pace than I felt comfortable with. Here are Kevin and Chris prior to the start. Both looking pretty relaxed for people getting ready to run over 30 miles.
The figure 8 came back around to the shelter again at about mile 5.5. I hit that marker about an hour and 10 minutes into the run and decided to visit the rest room, have a snack, and take a cold drink sitting down. I made the decision to wait around until George, Chris, and Kevin caught up, and after they came in, headed out to finish the first lap with them. The last loop of the figure 8 was only about 3 miles, so I figured on being back at the shelter again between 30 and 45 minutes. It was close to that, but the 3 mile section was a lot more interesting than the first section. Not just some hills, but stairs. Gave the legs a good workout.
Lap two was were it got real interesting for me. I had just been thinking prior to the start how it was now over 7 months since my last fall, and how good it had been to be injury free in my runs. So, what happens about a mile down the trail? You guessed it, down I went. As far I could tell, I just tripped on a branch. I didn't hit too hard, at least it was a dirt trail, and not a concrete sidewalk like my fall back last year. That one kept me sidelined for a couple of weeks. I was able to get back up, shake off the dirt, and keep going.
Everything felt OK for the next couple of miles, then I started to have some issues. The knee, which took the brunt on the fall, felt fine. But I must have pulled a muscle in my neck because I started to have some real discomfort in my neck and upper back. It got bad enough that I took to walking a bit more than just the uphills, and then boom. While I was concentrating on my form to keep my upper back aligned, I rolled my ankle. And this one did hurt enough that I had to sit down for a minute. Luckily, after a bit of self massage, it felt better and I was able to continue. I got back to the shelter probably about 10 minutes or so later than George, Chris, and Kevin, looked at my watch, and decided that at 3:07 into the run, maybe I should call it a day. So, I got my time in, but fell short on my distance. All in all though, a fun day. No real repercussions from the fall, as everything smoothed out over the next few days.
Here I am after cleaning up some, not too bad.
And the best part of the day, a great shirt. Photos are all courtesy of Chris. Thanks for bringing your camera, I forgot mine.
So, whats up for next month? More of the same. I do need to be more consistent with my long run, get in some more 3 hour runs, and most importantly, not fall any more.
One event is planned. The Salem Lake 30K at the end of the month. That will be a good test of seeing just where I am as far as being ready for the OBX marathon in November.
Till then, see you on the road.
The month did not go as well as I had hoped. I only got in two long runs. At least they timed out at 2:45 and 3:07, so I was able to get some increase in my time on my feet. I was also able to get a bit more miles in during the week, so my monthly total miles stayed the same even though I was missing a couple of long runs. So, for the last 3 months I have held steady at 132 miles per month. Not bad, but I should be increasing the miles each month, not keeping the status quo.
There was one event that I was able to get to, the Medoc Meltdown. The official event name was the Medoc Meltdown 50K and Fun FA Run, with the FA meaning it was a Fat Ass run, which to quote the event's description, "This is a Fat Ass run, meaning it is not a race, there is no entry fee, no awards, no whinning and we will not provide aid. It’s an opportunity to run with old and new friends (plus plenty of NC horse flies!) and enjoy the hot and steamy beauty of an NC state park in August."
The Meltdown featured 4 laps at Medoc Mountain State Park, each lap sort of a twisted figure 8 of around 8.5 miles. If you did all 4 laps, you would have come in around 50K. I planned on doing 2 laps, which I mistakenly thought would take a little over 3 hours.
The start was great, a very relaxed setting. I got there early enough to set up a chair and cooler. The plan was to run a lap, then sit and rest for a bit, then go back out and run the second lap. Here am I with George setting up at the shelter where the race started.
The first lap started at a slow pace. I initially ran with George, Chris, and Kevin. I kept pace with them for the first 3 miles or so, then want on ahead. They were all planning on doing all 4 laps, so were keeping a bit slower pace than I felt comfortable with. Here are Kevin and Chris prior to the start. Both looking pretty relaxed for people getting ready to run over 30 miles.
The figure 8 came back around to the shelter again at about mile 5.5. I hit that marker about an hour and 10 minutes into the run and decided to visit the rest room, have a snack, and take a cold drink sitting down. I made the decision to wait around until George, Chris, and Kevin caught up, and after they came in, headed out to finish the first lap with them. The last loop of the figure 8 was only about 3 miles, so I figured on being back at the shelter again between 30 and 45 minutes. It was close to that, but the 3 mile section was a lot more interesting than the first section. Not just some hills, but stairs. Gave the legs a good workout.
Lap two was were it got real interesting for me. I had just been thinking prior to the start how it was now over 7 months since my last fall, and how good it had been to be injury free in my runs. So, what happens about a mile down the trail? You guessed it, down I went. As far I could tell, I just tripped on a branch. I didn't hit too hard, at least it was a dirt trail, and not a concrete sidewalk like my fall back last year. That one kept me sidelined for a couple of weeks. I was able to get back up, shake off the dirt, and keep going.
Everything felt OK for the next couple of miles, then I started to have some issues. The knee, which took the brunt on the fall, felt fine. But I must have pulled a muscle in my neck because I started to have some real discomfort in my neck and upper back. It got bad enough that I took to walking a bit more than just the uphills, and then boom. While I was concentrating on my form to keep my upper back aligned, I rolled my ankle. And this one did hurt enough that I had to sit down for a minute. Luckily, after a bit of self massage, it felt better and I was able to continue. I got back to the shelter probably about 10 minutes or so later than George, Chris, and Kevin, looked at my watch, and decided that at 3:07 into the run, maybe I should call it a day. So, I got my time in, but fell short on my distance. All in all though, a fun day. No real repercussions from the fall, as everything smoothed out over the next few days.
Here I am after cleaning up some, not too bad.
And the best part of the day, a great shirt. Photos are all courtesy of Chris. Thanks for bringing your camera, I forgot mine.
So, whats up for next month? More of the same. I do need to be more consistent with my long run, get in some more 3 hour runs, and most importantly, not fall any more.
One event is planned. The Salem Lake 30K at the end of the month. That will be a good test of seeing just where I am as far as being ready for the OBX marathon in November.
Till then, see you on the road.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
831 and counting
July is in the books. Finished up the month with 132 miles, which brings the year's total to over 800. On a good pace to finish my goal of 1,200 for the year.
My long runs were a bit better than the last few months, with runs of 10, 10.5, 11, and 12 miles. Most importantly, I slowed these runs down so that all were 2 hours or longer. I also started increasing one of my mid week runs to over an hour, which means that Tuesdays I will probably now run in the evening instead of during lunch.
I will keep adding to my weekend long run until it gets closer to 3 hours. Once there, I plan on keeping it between 2.5 and 3 hours until time to taper prior to the Outer Banks marathon. That, along with adding some hill work and intervals in a few months should have me ready to roll when the time comes.
Next month, more of the same. Till then, see you on the road.
My long runs were a bit better than the last few months, with runs of 10, 10.5, 11, and 12 miles. Most importantly, I slowed these runs down so that all were 2 hours or longer. I also started increasing one of my mid week runs to over an hour, which means that Tuesdays I will probably now run in the evening instead of during lunch.
I will keep adding to my weekend long run until it gets closer to 3 hours. Once there, I plan on keeping it between 2.5 and 3 hours until time to taper prior to the Outer Banks marathon. That, along with adding some hill work and intervals in a few months should have me ready to roll when the time comes.
Next month, more of the same. Till then, see you on the road.
Friday, June 29, 2012
699 and counting
Well, its starting to get hot out there.
This past week we had our first string of days with a heat index of over 100, and in fact on today's lunch run, the actual temp was 100 in downtown Raleigh. Limited the run to 4 miles in 40 minutes. Was planning on doing 5.3 miles to bring my yearly total up to an even 700, but by mile 3.5 I had already finished my water bottle and decided to take a short cut back to the office.
A look back over this weeks lunch runs tell the tale of how heat can change your running pace.
Monday was a normal run for early summer. Not too hot, just good and sunny. I got in 4.8 miles at a 10:16 pace. I usually try to keep Mondays fairly comfortable, and that run was as normal as could be. Tuesday was a great day to run, cooler outside, and the legs felt real good. I got in a full 10K during lunch at a 9:40 pace, pushed it a little bit, but not too much. Wednesday was an off day for running. Then yesterday the heat came out in earnest. I thought briefly about doing another 10K, but changed my mind around mile 4, and wound up stopping just short of 5.6 miles. Pace was a bit slower than Tuesday at 9:50. It still felt good,. I could tell it was starting to heat up, but it just felt good and hot, not uncomfortable. Today, it was starting to get a bit more that just good and hot. So, a bit shorter and slower than planned.
Overall, a good month. I was able to get in 3 10 miles runs, and one 12 mile run. Next month the long runs should go up a bit more.
Till then, see you on the road.
This past week we had our first string of days with a heat index of over 100, and in fact on today's lunch run, the actual temp was 100 in downtown Raleigh. Limited the run to 4 miles in 40 minutes. Was planning on doing 5.3 miles to bring my yearly total up to an even 700, but by mile 3.5 I had already finished my water bottle and decided to take a short cut back to the office.
A look back over this weeks lunch runs tell the tale of how heat can change your running pace.
Monday was a normal run for early summer. Not too hot, just good and sunny. I got in 4.8 miles at a 10:16 pace. I usually try to keep Mondays fairly comfortable, and that run was as normal as could be. Tuesday was a great day to run, cooler outside, and the legs felt real good. I got in a full 10K during lunch at a 9:40 pace, pushed it a little bit, but not too much. Wednesday was an off day for running. Then yesterday the heat came out in earnest. I thought briefly about doing another 10K, but changed my mind around mile 4, and wound up stopping just short of 5.6 miles. Pace was a bit slower than Tuesday at 9:50. It still felt good,. I could tell it was starting to heat up, but it just felt good and hot, not uncomfortable. Today, it was starting to get a bit more that just good and hot. So, a bit shorter and slower than planned.
Overall, a good month. I was able to get in 3 10 miles runs, and one 12 mile run. Next month the long runs should go up a bit more.
Till then, see you on the road.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
566 and counting
Just finished my lunch time run and have now wrapped up the Month of May.
The month went just OK. I was not able to continue running every day, fatigue set in and I went back to taking the occasional rest day. I also did not do as many long runs as I had wanted to do. I only got in 2 runs of 10 miles instead of the 4 I had planned for.
The good thing was that there were no mishaps, and the legs feel pretty good. So, I expect to be able to keep on as planned for the next month, and start building up the miles. No events run during May, and none planned for June. Just time out on the road building my base.
See you on the road.
The month went just OK. I was not able to continue running every day, fatigue set in and I went back to taking the occasional rest day. I also did not do as many long runs as I had wanted to do. I only got in 2 runs of 10 miles instead of the 4 I had planned for.
The good thing was that there were no mishaps, and the legs feel pretty good. So, I expect to be able to keep on as planned for the next month, and start building up the miles. No events run during May, and none planned for June. Just time out on the road building my base.
See you on the road.
Monday, April 30, 2012
458 and counting
Just finished my last run for the month, and I am now up to 458 miles for the year.
Decided to plan my month out a bit differently. Instead of running either 4 or 5 times each week at lunch, with a long run on the weekend, I decided to run every day. No days off. Instead of rest days, I would do a slow 2 mile recovery run. I almost made it every day for the entire month. Started my streak on the 2nd, and wound up running for 28 out of 30 days. Along the way there were a couple of doubles, so I actually did 31 runs for the month. Not sure how successful this all was, there were times I felt the fatigue, but I plan on continuing in this manner for a while longer.
I did make it out to the Outer Banks for the Flying Pirate weekend. Last year this was a mixed event for me. It was my second ever half marathon, and I had the misfortune to pull my hamstring just a few days before the race. I went ahead and ran, and was able to finish in a little over 2:30. Not what I wanted, but I felt good about being able to come up with a secondary goal and make it happen.
This year, there was more than just a half marathon. They added a 5K on Saturday morning, and a 5K beach obstacle event Saturday afternoon. I signed up for all three events. Here I am after the mornings 5K with a friend. It was a fun run starting next to the Wright Brothers memorial, and going around the monument.
The Storm the Beach 5K was later in the afternoon. This was my first event of that type, and I will admit to being a bit nervous. It also turned out to be a lot of fun. Here I am at one of the obstacles, toting a bag of sand.
The half marathon on Sunday was a bit of an anticlimax. It rained at the start, the middle, and the end. I don't think my shoes have fully dried out yet. My time was slower than expected. I was planning on somewhere between 2:10 and 2:15, but my finish time was just over 2:17. I think the beach run had left my legs more tired than I expected. Still, it was a good weekend, and the first time I ran 3 events in 2 days.
I plan on continuing to run as close to every day as I can, and I need to start being more consistent with my weekend long run. I have set a goal of doing a comfortable 2 hours each Saturday. That should start to build my base back up so that a marathon may be possible sometime this fall.
Till then, see you on the road.
Decided to plan my month out a bit differently. Instead of running either 4 or 5 times each week at lunch, with a long run on the weekend, I decided to run every day. No days off. Instead of rest days, I would do a slow 2 mile recovery run. I almost made it every day for the entire month. Started my streak on the 2nd, and wound up running for 28 out of 30 days. Along the way there were a couple of doubles, so I actually did 31 runs for the month. Not sure how successful this all was, there were times I felt the fatigue, but I plan on continuing in this manner for a while longer.
I did make it out to the Outer Banks for the Flying Pirate weekend. Last year this was a mixed event for me. It was my second ever half marathon, and I had the misfortune to pull my hamstring just a few days before the race. I went ahead and ran, and was able to finish in a little over 2:30. Not what I wanted, but I felt good about being able to come up with a secondary goal and make it happen.
This year, there was more than just a half marathon. They added a 5K on Saturday morning, and a 5K beach obstacle event Saturday afternoon. I signed up for all three events. Here I am after the mornings 5K with a friend. It was a fun run starting next to the Wright Brothers memorial, and going around the monument.
The Storm the Beach 5K was later in the afternoon. This was my first event of that type, and I will admit to being a bit nervous. It also turned out to be a lot of fun. Here I am at one of the obstacles, toting a bag of sand.
I plan on continuing to run as close to every day as I can, and I need to start being more consistent with my weekend long run. I have set a goal of doing a comfortable 2 hours each Saturday. That should start to build my base back up so that a marathon may be possible sometime this fall.
Till then, see you on the road.
Monday, April 2, 2012
320 and counting
March was a busy month for running. On the books were an 8K and two half marathons.
The 8K and one of the halfs were events that I did last year. In fact, most of what I plan on doing this year will be repeats of events of last year. Or at least the main events will be. Last year my main events were to be 2 half marathons in the spring, the Tobacco Road and Flying Pirate halfs, then another half in the fall as a pacing race for my first full marathon in November. Due to a fall, I was not able to do the full, so I am planning on repeating my schedule (or close to it) this year. Hopefully winding up with a successful full marathon this fall.
The 8K was the St. Paddy's Run Green race in Raleigh. Last year I finished this race in 51:40. My main goal last year at that distance was to bring my time down to a consistent 10 minute mile pace. That finally happened towards the middle of the year, so this year I planned on having a fun tempo run at the same pace. However, I felt good at the start, so I picked up the pace and wound up with a finish time of 43:50, a new PR by 1:20. Here I am just past the finish line.
Next on the calendar was the Roanoke Canal half. This was a new race for me, and I scheduled it mainly as a training run, with no plans for time, just planning on enjoying the day and getting in the miles. The race was supposed to be flat and fast on easy trails. I really didn't have enough long runs in to expect much for the day, but I thought I would finish somewhere around 2:15. The big surprise was just how hard the event felt. Most of the race was flat, but there were some very short steep sections near the turn around at the half way point. I did struggle at the end, and finished at 2:18, a bit slower than expected, and a lot more tired than expected. This was the first race I did without a watch. My garmin died at the start line, so I ran entirely by feel. It was a bit strange to not have any idea of my time until the end.
Last event for the month was the Tobacco Road half. This was my first half ever last year. When I ran it last year, my training was exactly where I wanted it to be. I had long runs of 10, 10, 12, 12, 14, and 14 leading up to the race, followed by two weeks of tapering. All my pacing led me to believe I would finish around 2:15. While the run went well, I did not plan well for pit stops, etc, and I finished at 2:26. I felt a bit of a let down, even though I had just finished my first half marathon. This year, I had no time expectations. I hoped that I would finish around the 2:15 I had planned on for the year before, but I wasn't sure how it would go since this was only one week after the Roanoke Canal half. And, that was really the whole point, to see how it felt to do halfs on back to back weekends. Time at the end came to 2:12. Felt very tired, but legs recovered well.
So, it was a good month over all. Total miles for the year now stand at 320, still on schedule for 1,200 for the year. I have now finished 6 half marathons, with times ranging from 2:31 at last year's Flying Pirate half, to my best time so far of 2:03 at the OBX half last fall. This month, time permitting, I hope to do the Flying Pirate half again.
Till then, see you on the road.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
217 and counting
February ends today, and my yearly running total is now up to 217 miles. So far, still on track for 1,200 this year.
I did struggle a bit in my longer runs. I had hoped to get in a couple of 12 miles runs and a couple of 14 mile runs. The reality was that I got in longer runs of 8, 11, and 12 miles. So, I'm still in the process of getting back into running long each weekend. With the 11 and 12 I'm at least back to running for 2 hours once a week, so it's just a matter of keeping it up and letting the legs get used to the distance again.
Lots to look forward to next month. I have on my schedule an 8K race and two half marathons. No real time goals for any of these events. Just planning on finishing feeling good.
Till then, see you on the road.
I did struggle a bit in my longer runs. I had hoped to get in a couple of 12 miles runs and a couple of 14 mile runs. The reality was that I got in longer runs of 8, 11, and 12 miles. So, I'm still in the process of getting back into running long each weekend. With the 11 and 12 I'm at least back to running for 2 hours once a week, so it's just a matter of keeping it up and letting the legs get used to the distance again.
Lots to look forward to next month. I have on my schedule an 8K race and two half marathons. No real time goals for any of these events. Just planning on finishing feeling good.
Till then, see you on the road.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
115 and counting
After a slow start, the new year is finally moving along.
The slow start was due to a mishap with a ladder the last week of December. While stripping wallpaper and doing some painting in the kitchen, my step ladder decided to exit this worldly plane. One of the legs snapped. At least it was the ladder's leg that snapped, and not mine. All I was left with was a broken finger, very sore back, neck, and shoulder muscles, some cuts down one leg from the end of the broken ladder leg, and lots of time spent the next few days with ice packs and ibuprofen. Even though it hurt, I was able to get out the last day of the year for a 2.5 mile run. I was sitting on 997.5 miles for the year, and really wanted to get to the 1,000 mile mark.
So, after my short New Years Eve run, the new year started with no running for most of the first week. I finally did get back out on the road after some recovery time, and was able to finish the month with a total of 115 miles. Not as many long runs as I had hoped for, but still a good start under the circumstances.
January also included the first race of the year, which was my first trail race, the Little River Trail Run. There was both a 10 mile and 7K race in that event. I was scheduled to run the 10 mile race, but with lots of aches and bruises from the ladder mishap, I dropped down to the 7K. It was a fun, if cold, event. Here I am moving towards the finish.
Looking ahead, I plan on running the Krispy Kreme Challenge this weekend. Very unusual event. Start at the NC State campus, run 2.5 miles to the Krispy Kreme store, pick up a dozen glazed, then run back to the start. Oh, and if you want to compete, you have to eat the entire dozen before running back. And all under an hour. For myself, I plan on being a casual runner, not a competitor. Which means I will carry my dozen back to the start and eat them later.
March has a full event calendar planned, with an 8K race for Saint Patrick's day, and 2, yes 2, half marathons. So, time to start increasing the long runs.
Till then, see you on the road.
The slow start was due to a mishap with a ladder the last week of December. While stripping wallpaper and doing some painting in the kitchen, my step ladder decided to exit this worldly plane. One of the legs snapped. At least it was the ladder's leg that snapped, and not mine. All I was left with was a broken finger, very sore back, neck, and shoulder muscles, some cuts down one leg from the end of the broken ladder leg, and lots of time spent the next few days with ice packs and ibuprofen. Even though it hurt, I was able to get out the last day of the year for a 2.5 mile run. I was sitting on 997.5 miles for the year, and really wanted to get to the 1,000 mile mark.
So, after my short New Years Eve run, the new year started with no running for most of the first week. I finally did get back out on the road after some recovery time, and was able to finish the month with a total of 115 miles. Not as many long runs as I had hoped for, but still a good start under the circumstances.
January also included the first race of the year, which was my first trail race, the Little River Trail Run. There was both a 10 mile and 7K race in that event. I was scheduled to run the 10 mile race, but with lots of aches and bruises from the ladder mishap, I dropped down to the 7K. It was a fun, if cold, event. Here I am moving towards the finish.
Looking ahead, I plan on running the Krispy Kreme Challenge this weekend. Very unusual event. Start at the NC State campus, run 2.5 miles to the Krispy Kreme store, pick up a dozen glazed, then run back to the start. Oh, and if you want to compete, you have to eat the entire dozen before running back. And all under an hour. For myself, I plan on being a casual runner, not a competitor. Which means I will carry my dozen back to the start and eat them later.
March has a full event calendar planned, with an 8K race for Saint Patrick's day, and 2, yes 2, half marathons. So, time to start increasing the long runs.
Till then, see you on the road.
Monday, January 2, 2012
2011 Wrap Up
2011 is in the history books, and its time to look back and see how it all added up.
In looking back, I started the year with no specific goals for miles cycled or run, just event goals. The plan was to target half a dozen cycling events and commit to running both a half and full marathon. That changed. My cycling went to zero after a few months, and I concentrated more on my running. I kept the goal of running a marathon, and came up with an additional goal of running 1,000 miles during the year. I did not make the marathon, but I did make it to 1,000 miles in total.
While I didn't make my targeted cycling events, I did get to a number of running events, averaging just over one a month. The totals came out as follows.
Events Ran
5K events - 5
8K events - 2
10K events - 2
Half Marathons - 4
There were a total of 192 runs covering 1,000 miles. I also did get in 12 days of cycling for an additional 240 miles before converting to all running.
All in all, not a bad year.
In looking ahead, I plan to keep on concentrating on my running. I still plan on doing a full marathon sometime during the year. I would also like to keep on averaging an event per month. And I plan to aim for 1,200 miles run during the year.
Until then, see you on the road.
In looking back, I started the year with no specific goals for miles cycled or run, just event goals. The plan was to target half a dozen cycling events and commit to running both a half and full marathon. That changed. My cycling went to zero after a few months, and I concentrated more on my running. I kept the goal of running a marathon, and came up with an additional goal of running 1,000 miles during the year. I did not make the marathon, but I did make it to 1,000 miles in total.
While I didn't make my targeted cycling events, I did get to a number of running events, averaging just over one a month. The totals came out as follows.
Events Ran
5K events - 5
8K events - 2
10K events - 2
Half Marathons - 4
There were a total of 192 runs covering 1,000 miles. I also did get in 12 days of cycling for an additional 240 miles before converting to all running.
All in all, not a bad year.
In looking ahead, I plan to keep on concentrating on my running. I still plan on doing a full marathon sometime during the year. I would also like to keep on averaging an event per month. And I plan to aim for 1,200 miles run during the year.
Until then, see you on the road.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)