Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Just an easy run around the neighborhood after a night at the trap range…had to be sure to get the trap in since we won’t be here next week! 1.01 miles in 8:37

Monday, June 16, 2008

Came home from visiting with my stepfather and wanted to get my run in before eating dinner. Wife already did her workout for the day so I was on my own. Did the quick loop…1.01 miles 8:52

Sunday, June 15, 2008

We are heading out to a family function this afternoon and since we are unsure how long we will be there we got our run in right after lunch. 1.00 miles in 9:23…a little slow but it felt good.

Weekly Totals

6/7 – 6/14 total miles = 17.96 miles average pace of 9:42

June total miles = 33.89 miles pace of 10:04

2008 total miles = 511.76 miles average pace of 10:12

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Out with the group this early morning and really took it easy. The first 4.5 miles was nice and slow averaging about 9:50 while walking a bit here and there. We met up with the group at 7 am and I ran the full mile plus to Case HS and then took my time and chatted with Melissa while jogging around the track. We then headed right back to the parking lot and coffee. 8.51 miles 1:25:35 or about 10:03 pace.

Friday, June 13, 2008

It’s not a late run tonight which is surprising for a Friday so I hit the neighborhood and did 1.00 miles in 9:06

Thursday, June 12, 2008 - Part II

Worked out for an hour with the trainer tonight…did more with the legs and core tonight and she promised that we would take it easy on the legs next week since we are running the lighthouse run.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Since the weather is going to be crappy this evening and we have the trainer tonight my wife reccomended that we get up this morning and run. After last nights run I really didn't want to run this morning but I did and I'm glad for it. I don't know if it was just the humidity in the air or that I ran last night but I just couldn't get into the groove. Managed to put in my 1.00 mile in 8:53 so I guess things weren't that bad!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

After a few long days in Chicago for training and then to come home and have a few events to attend this evening I was really starting to look forward to tonight's run.

The weather is perfect and I was feeling OK. I start my run (I'm figuring I'll do 2-3 miles) and I don't feel like running anymore. I try to push through the feeling but it persists for the first half mile and then the mood lightens up. I am able to get 3 miles in and feel pretty good after the fact...I averaged 9:23...not too bad!

Tomorrow I'm with the trainer again and from what my wife said we will probably run in the morning since it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I wanted to ensure that I got my run in on time so I brought my clothes with me so when I got off the train I just changed and went for a run before heading home.

I managed 1.5 miles in 13:26

Monday, June 9, 2008

I got home from Chicago at 6:30 and decided that I needed to run before I went out for my run. Sitting on a train for an hour and a half was tiring!! 1.01 miles in 8:52

Sunday, June 8, 2008

When we woke this morning they were calling for more rain…just what we really need! But I was determined to head up there and see what was going on. We got to the area at about 10:45 and the registration only went until 11:15. The news was reporting that there were more storms on the way and that there was a warning until 11:45.

My wife was sitting next to me in the truck and said “if it is going to rain…I’m not going to pay to run in it! If you want to go ahead!”

I thought about it for a while and at 10 after 11 I finally decided that I was going to do it rain or no rain.

I got a shirt but they had already run out of numbers…this meant that I would be running without a number but that is okay it was more about the beer and the run than the number anyway.

While waiting for the race to start it began to pour…not just a little either but buckets!! The road in front of us flooded…I mean flooded! The van that was taking materials to the finish line already had water up to its hubcaps. The runners (drinkers) were having fun in the rain…the beach balls came out and people were just having fun.

The rain was still coming down when the horn went off but it had lightened up a bit. Over 1,100 runners set out on this wet course. We made our way down the road playing in the water. We made the first turn and the search for the first beer stop began…we all thought was at the turn but it was another 2 blocks. We all stopped…I don’t think the volunteers were ready for us since it took a good 3-4 minutes to get my beer!

The beer was okay and it was only a 4 oz cup…that they didn’t fill up. >:^(

I headed off to the second stop and found that there were people out on the street handing out medium (8 oz.) sized cups! I took one. If I’m going to drink while I run I should DRINK!!

While they were filling my large cup I noticed that the turn was flooded and that people were trudging through it. With my cup full I started to run through the thigh high water…boy was that fun!! The rain was still coming down and I still had 2 beer stops to go.

The next beer stop was quicker and I was able to move through it pretty quick.

By this point people were walking and enjoying the rain but I really wanted to run the race so I kept running. The last beer stop was managed by the HHH of Waukesha and I have to hand it to them they know how to drink and run!!

I made my way to the finish line and crossed in 22:07…not real bad for a 1.8 mile run and having to stop to drink beer. I will be back next year!!

On my way back to the car I ran an additional 0.3 miles just so that I felt like I got 2 miles in for the day.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The day was a bit of a bust in one way since I didn’t run as much as I should have but what am I training for right now? I took it easy and managed to complete 8.89 miles in 1:41:59

Weekly Totals

6/1 – 6/6 total miles = 15.93 miles average pace of 10:29

June total miles = 15.93 miles pace of 10:29

2008 total miles = 493.80 miles average pace of 10:13

Friday, June 6, 2008

Nice easy run the night before the group run. 1.01 miles in 9:30

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Got home late and still wanted to get my run in. Since the wife had not run yet either she laced up her shoes and ran the loop with me. 1.01 miles in 8:53

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 -- Part 2

I didn’t have time to run before going to work out with the trainer so after working out with her and then going to dinner I ended up running at 9 pm. Just did the loop -- 1.00 miles in 9:05

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 -- Part 1

Second time with the trainer and while it was a longer work out I’d didn’t quite feel as incompetent…well sort of. I strained my shoulder on Sunday golfing so I was only able to do so many push ups before it just gave out…I felt like such a wimp! My wife was the master on them so she kicked my tail!

We did a real good core work out and I felt great afterward!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Same old route…1.00 miles in 9:16

Monday, June 2, 2008

Doing a little more when I can…2.02 miles in 19:00

Sunday, June 1, 2008

We are golfing today so my wife recommended that we get up and run this morning…that was a really good thought. We got out of the house and just did the loop. 1.00 mile in 9:15

By the time we got home this evening I was ready to run again…but I pulled by back. (shoulders) pretty good so I’ll have to nurse that a day or two!

Weekly Totals

5/25 – 5/31 total miles = 17.56 miles average pace of 9:48

May total miles = 101.93 miles pace of 10:59

2008 total miles = 477.87 miles average pace of 10:13

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Up early so we could meet a group at Parkside by 6 am…who would have thought that there would be 10 of us!! That is a record! We headed out to do a loop in the park (better to do the road now since we are doing the trails at 7) I was only feeling ok. I ebbed and flowed with the group and once we were nearing the parking lot I decided to do a couple of trails. I got out to the parking lot and still had some time so I meandered out to Hwy E and back. By this time there were people waiting at their cars.

We had 5 people I’ve never met before show up…I was glad to meet them all. We started at 7 and headed for the trails I really wanted to do the entire 10k course so even though I walked a bit more than I liked I still managed to push my way through the whole thing. Completed the day with 10.13 miles and while not a great time I did complete it in 1:45:49

Friday, May 30, 2008

Late at night but needed to get a mile in. 1.00 mile in 9:53

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tried to keep an easy pace today but the GPS shows it all…started off slow and built to a nice pace. 1.01 miles in 8:56

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Neighborhood loop…1.01 miles in 8:38

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Wanted a little more today but the route I chose was not as far as I thought it would be. 1.38 miles in 11:47

Monday, May 26, 2008

Around the neighborhood as usual 1.00 mile in 8:36

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ran a little longer today 2.03 miles in 18:26

Weekly Totals

5/18 – 5/24 total miles = 11.54 miles average pace of 9:15

May total miles = 84.37 miles pace of 11:14

2008 total miles = 460.31 miles average pace of 10:14

Saturday, May 24, 2008

It was nice to get up later…but once we got there I found out that the ladies were there early…I felt bad but at the same time I was happy! 5.50 miles 52:31

Friday, May 23, 2008

As always…I’m behind on this blog so here is the recap: today 1.01 miles in 8:52.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Got home from my meeting and there was still time to get in a run before my wife got home. Tried to take things easy but as I have pointed out before easy isn’t what it once was…1.01 miles in 8:53

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 part 2

Got home from the gym and since I made the commitment to run a mile every day I still needed to get that in. It was after 10 PM but I still had not run so off I went. Got my 1 mile in at an 8:44 so now I can go to bed!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 part 1

My wife has been raving about her personal trainer for over a year (nearly 2!!) and since I really don’t have any plans (marathons) scheduled for the next few months I agreed to start working out with them. I really need to strengthen my core and lose a few pounds so that will be the focus with them.

We did the measurements – not really pretty and calculated the %fat…@18-19%...both my wife and I think that the number is a bit low…I’m think around the mid section…then we got to a 30 min work out.

I really understand why my wife thinks this is good – because it is!!! For only 30 minutes I really worked my tail off…I can only imagine what the 60 min workouts are going to be like!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Was rushed at work today so I wasn’t able to get out and do the run before heading off to trap but since there was no one at trap this week I was home early and could get my run in. 1.01 miles in 8:54

Monday, May 19, 2008

Still recovering from Saturday and still not 100%as far as this cold is concerned. But I still hit the street and got my mile done. 1.01 miles 8:57

Sunday, May 18, 2008

It was a long day!! 9+ hours of driving…I didn’t have to stop as many times as I did the previous day but I still wasn’t feeling well and there were a few times where I got nauseous in the car…thankfully they passed. Got home and I wanted to try to run a bit. The wife came with and we managed 1 mile in 9:56

Weekly Totals

5/11 – 5/17 total miles = 34.08 miles average pace of 12:29

May total miles = 72.83 miles pace of 11:32

2008 total miles = 448.77 miles average pace of 10:15

"How Far will you Go?" Fargo Marathon

This is one of those races that I really wish I could do over…and maybe I will once all the states are completed. I woke up this morning and my throat was bad. I was in and out of the bathroom 3 times before we left for the bus. My only hope was that I would feel a bit better once I started running.

My wife and I met the other girls in the lobby of the hotel and drove over to the mall to catch the bus. It was about 47 degrees and not a cloud in the sky…a good day to run!

We got the bus and rode it to the FargoDome…in retrospect we should have just driven here ourselves but oh well. We did the customary bathroom stop (number 4 for me!) and milled around for a bit before heading out to the bag drop and the starting line.

This is my wife’s first attempt at a half marathon and I know she is going to do well. Her goal is sub 10 and she has a stretch goal of a sub 2 hour half. Both the half and the full start at the same time so we all line up together and the gun goes off…and we walk to the start line. There was about 5-7 thousand people between the two races so it was a bit of a bottleneck.

The race was very flat and I had been hoping for the last 2 weeks that I’d be able to break 5 hours…well it didn’t happen. I was going along pretty well until around mile 5-6 when I stopped for another bathroom break…and just to avoid the repetition I stopped again around 10, 14, 15, 19 and 23.

The course was great, the road not so much, the people were very nice and the neighborhoods we ran through were terrific! I saw many people outside partying and cheering on the runners…this community is really behind the race which was very nice to see. We ran through a number of parks and so many neighborhoods it was tough to count and there were people throughout the course ringing bells, offering support and some just watching. One of the local businesses even had flat Coke available to runners around mile 15!!

There were 2 Gu stops and I used them both but did not use one of my own…by that time I was walking and it seemed useless to use it then. I have to say that the Banana-strawberry Gu was rather tasty, much better than the mango Gu I had a couple of weeks ago.

Once I hit mile 19 I was done. I had been in and out of bathrooms too many times…I was run down…my throat was soar…and to be honest I really didn’t want to do this any more…but I’m 19 miles in. I can do 7 miles standing on my head practically…so I decided just to walk it out. Based on my rough numbers I would still be able to make it in less than 6 hours.

I talked with a number of people along the course and was surprised to hear how many were from Canada! I finally saw my wife at around mile 22. I immediately harassed her because she was not wearing her medal. She completed her race in 2:09:03!!! WOW, I was impressed! This is the same woman that just over a year ago said she would never be a runner and thought that the whole thing was rather dumb…now here she is a half marathoner!

I explained what was going on…told her I shouldn’t have started the race but at this point was going to complete it. She walked with me for about a mile and then said she would meet me on the flip side (there is a small loop to the North). We met back up around the 24 mile mark and she walked with me all the way to the FargoDome. I ran the last 0.2 in…just to show some effort. Completed the course in 5:58:09

That makes state number 12, 4 marathons for 2008 (so far), 2 marathons in the last 13 days…I’m tired and I think I’m going to take a small break.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Up early again…marathon is tomorrow and didn’t want to run tonight!! Still not feeling right but might just be jitters!

Got up got my 1.02 miles done in 9:19…we are ready for the race…shouldn’t be real windy until late and it will be nice and cool most of the morning!!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Got up early this morning and decided that I need to get the run out of the way…this running after dinner is starting to suck! Not feeling 100%...a little run down and my throat is bothering me. Still managed to get my mile done though…1.01 miles in 9:01

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Work, dinner, run, Repeat…Out again for a nice run but the wind is still bad…I hope that it is not like this on Saturday! 1.00 miles in 8:50

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Running a little later than I had hoped but I hate running right after dinner so I waited a bit before hitting the road. 1.01 miles…just like being home…in 8:52

Monday, May 12, 2008

It was a long drive from home but I made really good time! I was able to pick up my co-worker from the airport and I’m ready to get a run in before dinner.

It is rather windy here and a bit cool but with how flat it is this should be pretty nice. I was able to run 1.53 miles in 13:08 and only encountered 1 hill and that was to go over the interstate. I’m thinking that the marathon should be pretty good.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Still have to get the run in but wanted more than the 1 mile bloop. In stead did the 2 mile bloop…2.03 miles in 18:01

Weekly Totals

5/4 – 5/10 total miles = 36.71 miles average pace of 10:47

May total miles = 38.75 miles pace of 10:42

2008 total miles = 414.69 miles average pace of 10:04

Saturday, May 10, 2008

We helped out at the Ice Age 50 today so we didn’t run with the running group this morning. We (my wife and I) knew that we needed to get a run in so we headed over and did the cemetery run in reverse…I have to say I just wasn’t feeling it today so I decided I wasn’t going to do the 6 miles but only do 4. My wife seemed okay with that so that is all that got done. 4.00 miles in 36:24

Friday, May 9, 2008

Around the neighborhood as usual…1.01 miles in 8:56

Thursday, May 8, 2008

With the wife out for the night I decided to get a lot of chores done. Running had to be one of the items but I am still recovering from the last marathon and getting ready for next weeks…therefore I keep trying to take it easy but I just can’t seem to keep the pace easy. I managed to put in 2.13 miles in 18:40 which is about an 8:48 pace!! Now if I could only keep that pace up for 26 miles!!!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

After cutting the lawn tonight I decided that I still should get in my mile before it started raining or it got too dark. 1.01 miles in 8:28

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

I got home from work and I needed to get my run in before heading out to trap. My wife had already run but she decided it was only 1 mile so she’d come with. 1.01 miles in 8:54

Monday, May 5, 2008

After a long meeting I was able to get home and get my mile run in…I had to tape my nipple just so that it can heal before the next marathon. I must not have given the race my all…1 mile in 8:45

Flying Pig!!

I had decided to run this one early in the year since one of the members of the running group was going to run it…I made the comment “if you do it…I will too.” Well that was made far before Atlanta and the idea of Fargo came up!

My wife had decided that she was going to run the 10k on Saturday so I finally would get to see her run a race!! I was pumped at the idea. She did a great job…not her best time but she was there to help a newbie finish her first 10k race and that meant just as much to my wife as finishing.

Saturday was windy and rainy at the start so I was dreading my start the next day. I got up and the wind had died down a bit and the forecast, while cold this morning, was going to be perfect weather for running. My wife drove me to the hotel so I could meet the girls this morning and the three of us headed to the starting line.

We got there and waited for the gun…and waited…and waited…it seems that the race had been delayed due to a house fire around mile 22. Because of this they delayed the start by 15 minutes so they could reroute the course…uh oh!

The gun finally went off and we headed out. We start the race by heading over the river and into KY for a short while and about a mile later we cross back over into OH. The bridge coming back over was a bit eerie…there were so many of us on it that the bridge started to move A LOT!!! So much that I nearly lost my footing twice!

As we start to make our way through the city the sun is already high in the Eastern sky and I’m going to be going that way for the next few hours. At mile 5 I see my wife, Melissa, and Jen I told them I didn’t need anything and kept going…about 30 feet later I turn around (to the dismay of a few runners) and run back to see if my wife had my sunglasses…she didn’t but Melissa kindly offered hers…Thanks again Melissa!!
Shortly after leaving downtown we start the largest climb of the course it was hard but not too bad at about mile 7, while I’m looking out over the river from a much higher elevation than you would think, I hear my brother cheering me on. My brother lives in Cincinnati with his family and I was glad to have another face in the crowd that I knew cheering me on.

By this point I should have hit the highest point on the course and should be a relatively gentle down slope to the finish…yeah right! The hill to mile 8-10 was so big that the rolling hills for the remaining course are small and are not detailed on the elevation map. I saw the wife and friends again around mile 12 and shortly after this I notices that my right nipple was starting to hurt…didn’t think much of is since they were taped up and I’ve not had any problems since I found that clear surgical tape works great.

I got to about mile 15 and I looked down to see that the right side of my shirt was bloody…I guess I lost the tape on that nipple…I found the next first aid station and asked for clear tape…they had none…offered Band-Aids and Vaseline…tried them both and in half a mile they were gone, useless!
I saw the wife and friends again at mile 16.5 and would again at 17.5 since this part was an out and back and she had Mtn. Dew!! I took a nice big swig communicated the nipple issues and continued on. My brother was waiting at around mile 17 (near the hotel my wife and I stayed when we where here for his wedding!) When I got back to the wife I asked for band-aids…again they were gone in a matter of minutes.

I trudged on but by mile 19 my nipple was in such pain that running just wasn’t really in the cards so I did my best. Saw my brother and nephew at mile 22 where I ran with Logan for a few feet.

Between mile 22 and 23 we were diverted from the regular course. I checked my GPS to verify the mileage and watched when we got back onto the course and noted that they had moved the mileage sign to correlate with the corrected distance…mile 24 was dead on. Mile 25 was dead on…and now it looked like the course was all down hill. About 0.5 miles from the 25 mile sign was the “last mile” marker…um…that is off by about 0.3 miles!!!
I managed to run the final 0.5 miles and found that they were unable to move the finish line meaning that the course was off by a minimum of ¼ of a mile. Even with the nipple issues, the hills, and the sunny conditions I was able to put up a decent time of 5:03:03 (corrected for the marathon distance…otherwise the time was 5:05:57)

Then with all that over I met up with the other runners who did phenomenally!! Kim with a sub 4 hour finish (once corrected for course length) and Yemi with a 4:10 finish for her 1st marathon!!
Saw my brother and family before we headed back to our car and a long drive home…I see a Mexican dinner in a few hours though…mmm salsa!!

Only 13 days until Fargo!!

Weekly Totals

4/27 – 5/3 total miles = 7.06 miles average pace of 8:50
May total miles = 2.04 miles pace of 9:04
Apr total miles = 80.54 miles pace of 9:33

2008 total miles = 377.98 miles average pace of 10:00

Saturday, May 3, 2008

With all the running I did today…between the hotel and the finish line of my wife’s race and the running across the bridge to get to my nephew’s race…which we still ended up missing…I was able to put in my mile + but I do not have a time for today…oh well.

Friday, May 2, 2008

After a days worth of driving I was ready to get out for a run. The weather here in Cincinnati is slightly overcast and drizzly but I was able to stay relatively dry in my short 1.03 miles run in 9:03

Thursday, May 1, 2008

The usual loop around the neighborhood…1.01 miles in 9:24

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I really need to update my blog more often…1 mile in 9:05

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

This is my first week of real trap so I needed to get there early. I left work a bit early and went out running…1 mile in 8:27

Monday, April 28, 2008

Don’t remember why I’m running so late but I was. Just did the usual loop…1.01 miles in 8:33

Sunday, April 27, 2008

My wife was going out to do a long run since the weather was less than perfect the day before. She managed to put in 12 miles!! By far her longest run…she’s definitely ready for a half marathon!!

I just put in an easy 2.01 miles in 17:48

Weekly Totals

4/20 – 4/26 total miles = 19.95 miles average pace of 9:15

Apr total miles = 75.52 miles pace of 9:37

2008 total miles = 370.92 miles average pace of 10:01

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Got to running early and ran a bit extra with the ladies this morning. We met up with the rest of the group at 7 am and did about 5 more miles. The wind was really whipping and was not the best day to be outside but I ended the day with 10.37 miles in 1:40:21 or 9:40 pace.

Friday, April 25, 2008

With today being my birthday my wife mentioned that I might want to run in the morning since we were going out to dinner that night. Got up and ran 1.01 miles in 9:10

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Simply did the loop…1.01 miles in 8:45

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

With the wife working out with her trainer I thought that I had better put in a few extra miles…I was delayed when my stepfather dropped by with his Harley…I ended up running 2.03 miles in 17:26

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I was unable to run between work and trap shooting but thought that since I was coming home early…none of the guys showed up to trap…I would run my mile with my wife. We did pretty well…1.01 miles in 8:23.

Monday, April 21, 2008

I was feeling pretty good and decided that I’d run a bit farther and try to put in a little fartlek…3.51 miles in 31:37 for a 9:00 pace!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

After a long day on the road I decided that I only wanted to do the loop and let my wife go for a longer run…she put in 4.6…I only did 1 mile in 8:39

Weekly Totals

4/13 – 4/19 total miles = 18.69 miles average pace of 9:23
Apr total miles = 55.57 miles pace of 9:45
2008 total miles = 350.97 miles average pace of 10:04

Saturday, April 19, 2008

We ran in a very nice park yesterday and thought that it would be a great idea to go back to it and run today. I thought that I’d run farther today but I just couldn’t managed to do it. 1.55 miles in 13:59

Friday, April 18, 2008

Since my wife and I are in St Louis and we have a family event on Saturday we decided that it would be best to do the long run today. The weather was decent…50’s and a bit rainy but the wind was pretty bad. We did a pretty good job. I managed to put in 10.00 miles at a 9:58 pace.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Since we knew that we would be driving most of the night and the chances of us getting a run in once we get to the hotel are slim we got up early and hit the neighborhood loop. I still think my wife's gps is wrong...we did just over 1 mile at an 8:27 pace...she thinks we did it in an 8:11 pace.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

I ran around the neighborhood just to keep moving...1 mile in 8:05

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

With the nice weather my wife decided to forgo going to the gym and came home to run with me after work. 1 mile in 8:44

Monday, April 14, 2008

Knew the wife wasn’t going to be right home after work and with the weather in the upper 40’s I thought it would be nice to do a little longer run. The total time I was gone was much greater than my run time since I got stopped by a train and had to wait a really long time (5 minutes) and finally just turned around and ran the other direction! 3.10 miles in 27:05

Sunday, April 13, 2008

I was just lazy today…not really but after a day of running around (brunch and museum) and a really good nap I felt lazy and ended up not running until much later than I should have. But I did well none the less…1.00 mile in 8:56

Weekly Totals

4/6 – 4/12 total miles = 25.54 miles average pace of 10:11
Apr total miles = 36.88 miles pace of 9:55
2008 total miles = 332.28 miles average pace of 10:06

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Up early so that I could do 20…rainy (which I like) but only about 40 (which I am not such a big fan of!!) Met the girls and they kept me at a great pace for the first 7 miles then they all needed the restroom. I continued on and found my self stepping in more puddles than I ever intended!

The rain kept a large group from the run this week so we ended the day at Caribou Coffee.

I got in 18.08 miles in 3:13:42 not bad considering I ran a marathon 2 weeks ago and the conditions were less than ideal this morning!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Back home…so happy to be here! Ran around the neighborhood…it seems so small compared to running on a big busy highway in Calhoun! 1.00 mile in 8:38

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Always trying something new and this time I just had a funky mileage to place in my blog…1.16 miles in 10:43

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

After a really good dinner in Cartersville I still needed to run but I did not want to. Talked to my wife for a while but the reality of time started to sink in…it was getting late and I needed to run. I managed to put down 1.01 miles in 9:11.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

A good day of work and a nice leisurely run…1.02 miles in 9:12

Monday, April 7, 2008

Back in the state of Georgia and back to work…another long day but the run has to get done…the park down the road has a .35 mile loop around the pond…why didn’t I see this earlier in my stay here!! 2.25 miles in 20:48

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Another midday run…that I really did not want to do going out the door but was feeling good on the run so 1.01 miles in 7:57…now that is pretty fast for me!!

Weekly Totals

3/30 – 4/5 total miles = 16.17 miles average pace of 9:23
Mar total miles = 117.78 miles pace of 10:18
Apr total miles = 11.34 miles pace of 9:20
2008 total miles = 306.74 miles average pace of 10:06

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Up early and was going to try to do 11-12 but it just was not happening today since I had a meeting in Walworth county at 9:00 a.m. Enjoyed running this morning to work out some of the kinks and managed to put in 7.30 miles in 1:08:27…not too fast but defiantly not slow either!!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Flew back this afternoon…lots of delays but I finally got here. Nice evening run back home with less than ideal weather. 1.00 mile in 9:01

Thursday, April 3, 2008

How I managed to actually get up early and go out running is a miracle by itself but I thought that we might be having a late night tonight so I knew that it needed to be done. Easy 1.01 miles in 9:20.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

It is such a nice day here in Georgia that I decided to go for a run. I managed to get in 1.01 miles at a 9:14 pace.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Got up this morning a little early and decided that I should really put my run in since there looks to be a storm front moving in and I might get rained on this evening. 1.01 miles in 9:30 pace.

Monday, March 31, 2008

After dinner again here in Calhoun but it is also the day after the marathon meaning that I am a bit sore but after the first half mile the second came quite easy. 1 mile in 9:23…I guess I didn’t run fast enough yesterday!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Race Day!!

The story how I ended up here at the finish line begins about 4-5 weeks ago when I mentioned to Kristen (one of my running partners) that I would be traveling to Georgia in March/April for work. She queried if I had looked if there was a race when I’d be in the area…hmm hadn’t thought about that.

By the time I got home that night the question was stuck in my craw and I had to find out…marathonguide.com and sure enough…the ING Georgia Marathon March 30, 2008.

I slept on it over night but it kept coming back to me…when would I really ever get the chance for the company to pay for my airfare to a marathon again? By the end of the week I had signed up for the race and was not sure why I had done it.

I trained rather well for the next few weeks but my longest run only capped out at 18 and that one I walked for the entire last 3!! I only wanted to finish the race but I was feeling good up to today and thought that I stood a chance to get back into a good pace. I’ve told most of you that I had abandoned the standard thought about training…a minute slower than race pace…and would run the race the way I prefer to train, all out and walk when I need to.

When I got up this morning and looked out the window I saw that it had indeed rained last night as predicted and I was hoping that the weather would hold to the 40-50’s as well. The hotel I stayed at was picked because of it’s proximity to the start and finish but never dreamed that my corral would be right outside my hotel!! I had to walk all of a block this morning to get there!!

Race time was 7:00 A.M. I assume we started on time but it took me nearly 21-23 minutes to cross the starting line and boy was the wind blowing by this time!! It took me a little while to settle into a good pace but once I was there the race was pretty good!

The course was very nice…it started off near the World of Coke and took a short jaunt around the downtown area. We then headed East out of town and into the suburbs. We ran past the birth place of Dr King and saw the neighborhood he grew up in all the while winding in and out of residential areas with some gorgeous homes.

The entire course had rolling hills…nothing to big or small but as the run wore on so did this up and down motion!

I was doing great my wife was able to see me at a number of spot n the course and was surprised at how well I was doing…in fact she kept telling me that I was “way ahead of pace” but she could obviously see I was feeling good because she never warned me to slow down or to take it easy. My pace felt great. My legs felt good. And the support on the course was fantastic.
But then I hit mile 19…from this point until mile 25 it was nothing but relentless hills. I felt as though I was constantly going up and never going down. I know that is not the case but it felt like it! I struggled to keep running when I could but the up hills had become nothing but walking.

I kept my spirits high and trudged on knowing that this race was in the bag and all I needed to do was keep it up. When I hit mile 25 the course became flat as a board but I had very little left after all of the hills so I tried to run (waddle) when I could and kept a brisk 15-16 min pace on my walk.

Up until mile 23 I was sure that I would break the 5 hour mark but after mile 23 and the hills that kept coming I was finding it harder and harder to imagine that happening. At 25.7 miles the 5 hour pace group passed me…how sad.
I managed enough power in my calves (which were just burning from all the hills) to run the last .3 miles and to cross the finish line in 5:02:35.

Well that makes 10 marathons in 10 states…I can officially join the 50 state club now!
I have 2 marathons coming up in May…Cincinnati, OH and Fargo, ND…I might even try to do a 5th one this year in Las Vegas in December!!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

It was getting late and I was starting to contemplate not running since it is the night before the marathon but how could I allow my streak to end so abruptly? I went to the hotel gym with the wife and I managed to put in 1 mile in 9:53. The gym was as hot as the day before so I drank some more water and called it a night.

Weekly Totals

3/23 – 3/29 total miles = 9.11 miles average pace of 9:14
Mar total miles = 81.33 miles pace of 9:58
2008 total miles = 268.06 miles average pace of 9:59

Friday, March 28, 2008

I’m in Atlanta tonight and I still need to run but I really don’t want to run in an unfamiliar city at night when there was recent tornado damage…I might get hurt and the race is only a day away. I opted for the hotel gym and was pleasantly surprised at the layout…6 treadmills, 3 ellipticall and 2 bikes (recumbent and upright) all with plasma TV’s attached to them, a number of medicine balls and a few weight benches. The only issue I had with the room was that it was rather stuffy and warm.

I jumped on the treadmill and ran 1 mile in 9:33.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Trying to stay calm and take things easy…still late at night but the mileage counts!! 1.01 miles in 9:07

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Had a bit more energy…I think it’s because of the upcoming race! Did 2.01 miles in 18:37

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I think this is becoming a theme…work late, eat late, and run late. 1.00 mile in 9:07