I've had time to think about it now....

Wow. What an experience. Two years ago when I started walking and wandered onto a running thread on a Weight Watchers message board, I never imagined I would complete a marathon. I can still remember being out before dawn with our dog Indy and running for 20 or 30 seconds between long walk breaks. Slowly I pieced it together and got up to a mile without walking. I thought I had arrived when I finished my first 5K. Funny thing, there is always a longer distance out there!

The Marine Corps Marathon is a great event. We went into DC on Saturday afternoon to go to the expo and drop me off at my hotel. We had stayed with my sister-in-law the night before and Lee was going to stay there Saturday night as well. I opted to head to a hotel near the start to make the morning a little easier and take the travel variables out of the equation. I scarfed down a pizza for supper while watching football. Then hit the sack about 10:00.

I could not believe I was standing on the starting line... Well, I guess I was about 1/4 of a mile or so from the starting line, but the feeling was still amazing. I ran into my buddy Allan before the start and that helped calm my nerves. I got there about 40 minutes before the start and was in line for the port-o-johns when I saw everyone else heading for the trees. That seemed like a good idea and without going into more detail, I'll just say it was the first coed outdoor bathroom I have visited. The scene did repeat itself at mile 3 though...

I took a conservative approach and lined up with the 5 hour crowd. It was interesting talking to those around me. Many were multi-marathon finishers and some were first timers like me. I started getting a little concerned because I made a decision to not carry any hydration with me and everyone around me seemed to be carrying some. I hoped I hadn't made a mistake. Of course, I couldn't imagine needing any after all the water I had consumed in the previous 48 hours!

They fired a howitzer to start the race, so I could hear the starting gun even as far back as I was. I was so excited, I almost forgot to start my Garmin as I crossed the line, but seeing everyone else reach for their wrist reminded me. The first mile was surreal with the huge crowds cheering us on. I would consider the course flat, but you have to remember where I live. Most folks thought it was too hilly. The big hill was in Georgetown and it was a big hill. It was pretty early in the race though and didn't bother me. I was grabbing water and Powerade at every stop. Other than that, I plugged along at a steady, if not fast, pace. I really enjoyed the Georgetown band and cheerleaders. There were several bands on the course and all were very much appreciated!

The water stops were extremely long and well organized. It was great to be able to get water and food without having to fight a crowd or wait for it to be poured. The marines and other volunteers were tremendous. The only mistake I made on the food was taking in a mocha clif shot... My stomach cramped up for about a half mile after that. I was pretty concerned but it quickly settled down. That old rule about not trying anything new during the race came to mind.....

Mentally I held up pretty well until the halfway mark. I felt good, but mentally started questioning if I could hold up for another 13 miles. Fortunately we hit some good crowds around that point and it lifted my spirits. The crowds around the mall area were really great. It was so cool to have people truly cheering you on. I am going to make it a point to go out and cheer at some races soon.

There is a bridge at the 20 mile point that takes you back into Virgina (I think). You have to be over it by a certain time or your day is done. I wasn't close to the cutoff, but it was a relief to cross the 20 mile point. Then all the people that always told me "It's only a 10K from there" came into my mind. 10K seems a lot longer after 33K is already in the books!

We hit some cool areas in Crystal City after this, at least I think it was Crystal City. Lots of folks out and they were cheering even if they hadn't planned on seeing a marathon that day. I got a real lift from a crowd handing out pretzels and dixie cups with beer in them. That perked me up again. Then we headed out around the pentagon and onto highway for the lonely final miles. That is when the emotions really started welling up in my eyes. I had moments of smiles and moments of tears. I was really in a zone as we started onto an off ramp that circled down to the final stretch. That is when it happened. My left knee gave out with a pain on the outside... Pretty sure it was my IT band. It was tough to even walk down the ramp. When I hit the straight away, I was slowly able to stand up straight and pick up the pace. As I approached the finish I was back to my normal stride (thank goodness!). The course actually finishes on a very steep, yet short, uphill. You turn the corner and hit the hill. As I was sprinting (yeah, right) up the hill, I heard my name and turned to see Lee and her sister, Cindy, holding up a sign and cheering for me. From there, I crossed the line with emotions boiling over. I never planned on crying in front of a 2nd Lt, but I am sure I wasn't the only one.

I keep getting asked, do you want to run another one? My answer is absolutely, but I don't know if I want to train for it!

Heading to the expo....

We are getting ready to head to the expo and pick up our packets. Should be a fun day. Need to hydrate.

Countdown...

Wow, I can't believe that the marathon is less than a week away! I am supposed to run today, Wednesday, Thursday and a 'very easy' 3 miles on Saturday. I am not sure about the Saturday run at this point... I'll probably do a few miles though.

The 12 miler on Sunday was a breeze. Now I am really starting to get nervous though. The thoughts about never having run the distance and such are coming into my head. The three tips I have gleaned from some 'expert' runners for this week are to stay off my legs as much as possible, sleep all I can and hydrate. I am going to try and avoid all carbonated beverages this week and stick with coffee, tea and water.

The Spinx Runfest is the Saturday after the marathon. My son is going to run/walk the 5K I think. I am trying to decide if I am going to attempt the half... Not sure if I will do that or not. Clemson plays at home that day at 1:30, so I would want to finish by 10 and then get a quick shower and head out. That might be cutting it close.

Anyway, I hope my shoes continue to break in and the weather forecast holds for the weekend. It should be an adventure!

Rest day again...

I am almost looking forward to the 12 miler on Sunday. This is really odd having logged only 9 miles since Sunday. My legs feel good though!

Finally got my new shoes. I hope 30 miles or so will be enough to break them in. If I am not comfortable with them, I will just run in my old ones. They are both the same model, so I hope that makes for an easy transition. Note to self: Order new shoes a month before the next marathon... If there is a next marathon!

Less than two weeks to go...

Got my bib number... 29666 For those of you not from the Bible Belt, you may not instantly recognize the doom that is spelled out for me with the last three digits. 666 is the mark of the beast, the antichrist... This not good! I am way too superstitious, so I am going to have to do an exorcism over my bib when I pick it up. LOL

Seriously though, its all over but the taper and the race. I am starting to get a little nervous now. Every creak of my body sends fears of injury down my spine. Every sneeze symbolizes an attack of an unknown malady. This is worse than the 22 miler!

I did decide to get a hotel near the start of the race so I could sleep a little later on race day. We will be staying with my sister-in-law about 30 miles away, but that night I am going to get closer to the race and take transportation out of the equation for race day.

I have an easy five miler today, so that should be nice in this weather.

Taper Time!!!

Well, the hardest physical part of the training is done now that I finished my 22 miler yesterday. The fun of the taper starts now. I understand that it can be mentally challenging to reduce your miles as the race approaches, but I don't think it will bother me.

I am a little worried because I am not sure if I could have gutted out an extra 4.2 miles yesterday if I had to. Hopefully the taper will re-energize my legs some and I will survive the race. I also hope that being in a crowd and not being alone will give me some added adrenalin. Off today and an eight mile recovery run tomorrow. I'll be interested to see how that eight miles feels....

Now I am going to have to make some decisions:

1) Do I want to carry some fluids and snacks with me or rely on the course aid stations?

2) What kind of menu am I going to eat heading into the race.

OK, I'm back.....

Well, training was going pretty well. I got my first twenty miler in two weeks ago and felt great. Then I did my normal mid-week running and felt great. Then at the end of the week I started really feeling a sinus infection coming on. It hit me hard on the weekend and I bailed on my long run that Sunday. I got two midweek runs in last week while recovering and then got my scheduled 15 miler in today.

The good news is my body felt great on the long run. The bad news is that I was pretty well gassed at the end. I think that running late in the day didn't help, I normally run early. I also think that I still have a little hangover from my sinus infection. I hope to have a good week of running leading up to my 22 miler next Sunday.

I cannot believe that 28 days from now I will be a marathoner. I still question my ability to finish, but if I get through the 22 miler I will feel pretty good about making it after a nice taper in my training.

Now for my current dilemma, my shoes are creeping up on the end of their life cycle. I am sure I could run in them through the marathon, but I really think I need to get a new pair. I guess I should just get the same thing since they have done well during training. Saying that, I am a sucker for new shoes and I have only bought the same pair of shoes I previously had on one occasion.

I guess with the big day looming, I should play it safe and I probably will.

No time to run, so I guess I will blog!

It has been a while. It isn't intentional, just been very busy with school starting, marathon training and young son's football practice. Oh yeah, I have a job too!

The good news is that I got through my first 18 miler this week. I was scheduled to run it on Sunday, but we didn't get home from the Clemson game (Go Tigers!) until late Saturday night and I decided to use Monday as my long run day.

That was a good plan, I was going to take Tuesday off (short 4 mile recovery run scheduled) and jump back in today... Well, another late night last night and I didn't get up early enough to run. No time and lunch and then no time after work either. So, my new plan is 8 tomorrow and and 10 on Friday. Take Saturday off and go for the big 20 miler on Sunday. That will be a test.

I have been very happy with my training so far. I was struggling early on, but then I just decided to give up any hope of being fast during the summer. Once I let go of that (am I zen runner yet? Nahhhh) I was able to just focus on the distance. Other than my two dog rescues, the runs have been pretty uneventful. That said, I do need to admit that my new nickname might be Linus... You see, I have been carrying a security blanket of sorts with me on my long runs. On my last two long runs, 14 and 18 miles respectively, I have put my new iPod Shuffle on and headed out the door. I have never turned it on though! I don't know why really.... Well, I do like to let my mind wander some early in a run and just see where that goes. I love having it with me, because I always know that if I start focusing on pain or fatigue it is right there to be a distraction. However, I haven't turned it on. Well, I have used it on some short runs where I knew I wasn't going to run into any issues. On the long ones it is kind of like a secret weapon that I am holding onto just in case I start losing the battle. It is my last ditch, nuclear option to pull through to the end. How weird is that? I think Sunday I am going to turn it on from the beginning.... Well, I need to make sure I have four hours worth of music on it first!

Zoe and Leonard save the day....

I was out on a 14 miler yesterday and doing pretty well... I had decided that I didn't want to double my 7 mile loop, so I stopped off at the neighborhood elementary school and did three miles on their track to add some miles and prevent a double loop. As I came off the track and headed down a side street, I heard the sound of paws coming up behind me. I know most of the dogs on my path and get along with them. Even the little chihuahua that likes to scare the fool out of me by sneaking up on my heel and then barking... I wasn't used to any dogs in this area, so I looked back to see what kind of trouble I was in. Well, I saw a ferocious pekingese coming up behind me.

The first thought I had was that I must really be a sorry runner if a dog with 3 inch legs is going catch up with me. After I got over the deflation of that reality, I started laughing thinking about what would be going through people minds when they saw a 6'3" guy running with a pekingese keeping up stride for stride. After about a 1/4 of a mile I started to get worried that the dog wasn't going to go home. So, I stopped and picked it up and looked at the tag. Fortunately it had an address on it, and a name. I carried my new friend Zoe back to her house and found a crowd of kids out looking for her. All that took my mind off the run and kind of re-energized me.

Well, at about mile 12.5 I came across another runner that I had seen at the beginning of my run. He and I were now going the same direction. He was very encouraging and stayed with me for about 1/2 mile before he turned off towards his house. Leonard left me with some encouraging words and I waddled along until I hit the 14 mile mark. It ended up being a very pleasant run and I hope that next week's 18 miler will be the breakthrough I need for my confidence. Zoe sure seemed to think I was a good runner, now I just need to convince myself!

Long run tomorrow....

I have a 16 miler scheduled for tomorrow and a 5 miler today. I'm not sure I will get the 5 miler in because we were at football all morning and now we have stuff to do around the house. I haven't missed any runs so far, so we will see if I squeeze it in or not.

The 16 miler is going to be tough. I still don't have my route down yet, so I need to figure that out. I hope to get up early and run it before church tomorrow. It is hard to believe we under 10 weeks until the marathon. 10 weeks sounds like a long time, but when I realize I have runs of 16, 18, 20, 20 and 22 coming up it seems like time is flying by.

Well, I need to go charge up the iPod... I don't want to run 2.5 hours without music!

The fear sets in....

This week I top out with a 16 miler and I am already nervous about that distance. I died on an 18 miler on my last marathon training attempt in January. I hope I don't suffer the same fate as I start to extend my runs this time.

The heat and humidity are much worse now than they were the last time, so that gives me extra concern. I am going to carry plenty of fluids with me and carry some cash to buy a refill along the way.

Another issue I have is that I want to go early before it heats up too much, but I hate running at 5:00 in the morning, especially when I am likely to go on a path that takes me a long way from home. I may have to suck it up and just double up on my normal loops and add in some miles on the track at our local elementary school. I can put some gatorade out on the path if I am staying close to home too.

This week is pretty light leading up to the run, so I hope to be fully energized on Sunday. We'll see!

Moving forward... for the most part.

Running has been going well. I got my 13 miler in on Sunday, but was chaffed badly by my compression shirt and iPod strap. I wasn't expecting that since I have never had a chaffing issue with a compression shirt before.

I see a trip to the store for some Body Glide in my near future. This week brings several moderate runs to the table. I did bail out on my eight miler yesterday after only 4.5 miles. I was pressed for time and just didn't feel very comfortable. I hope to make the mileage up over the weekend.

It figures that today would be my day off and it was 69 degrees at 8:30.... Oh well, I think we have an overall cooling trend coming our way. I am not wishing away summer, but I will take a break for the heat while I run every day!

Robert the Dog Rescuer?

I was out for my 'easy' four miler today at lunch, kicking myself in the tail for not rolling out of bed and running before daylight, when I come across a pitiful looking old poodle in the middle of the road dragging her leash. She could hardly walk and her tongue was hanging out as she panted. The runner in me said 'Keep going, her owner is around.' The rest of me said 'This could be bad, there may be an old person keeled over somewhere.'

The rest of me won out and I ran over to the dog and picked her up. I read her tag, but didn't recognize the name and I didn't have my cell phone with me to call the number. I did know someone that lived near there and stopped by to find out if they knew the owner. Sure enough they did and I carried my new friend back to her home. It turns out her owner is legally blind and had not noticed the dog wandered off as they were sitting in the carport. I left the dog and went on my way.

It was only later that I realized how funny I probably looked in my running clothes bounding around with an old poodle in my arms, pink leash in tow. I'm sure people driving by thought I was the one that was lost!

Hmmm....

Ok, now I find out there was a break in going on in the neighborhood I was running through on Sunday morning about the same time I saw I guy running in jeans... Could be a coincidence, but I doubt it.

I got a nice, cool seven miles in today. Well, I was wishing it was cool. I got home and looked up the temp to put it in my log and the heat index was 102... No wonder I ran slow and sweated like a hog on the 4th of July! I've got to force myself to hydrate some on these day runs. I'm glad I have a fuel belt.

It is time for me to start thinking about fueling on long runs as I stretch out to 13 miles this week. I need to research what they provide on the course in the marathon. I also might just carry some fig newtons or jelly beans with me along with my fluids. I still need to find a nice 4 mile route. I haven't really been happy with any I have used as they all tend to really be 5 mile routes, so I end up walking a mile or running over.... Yes, I could run for 2 miles and turn around and run home. That is the logical thing to do. I don't like doing that though and I can't really give you a good reason why either!

On to another week....

Got my 10 miler in yesterday. Lee ran the first five with me and that was nice. I'm glad we went out early, but it was still plenty humid. This week I stretch my long run out to 13 miles. I can't decide whether to come up with some new route or just double up on my normal route that has 5, 6 and 7 mile versions.

I saw a couple of interesting things out yesterday morning, not the least of which was a guy running in a t-shirt and jeans. I am pretty sure he was running 'from' something, but he did say 'good morning' to us as he passed. It did creep me out a little, but I was probably just being paranoid.

I am enjoying the off day today, but I don't really feel the need for it. I think that is a good sign. It is funny how on Saturday my five miles felt like it would never end, but on Sunday I ran 10 and felt great the rest of the day....

July is almost gone....

Just seven months ago I listed these goals for 2009. Let's see where I stand:

Get my 26.2 sticker. I have crossed most of the standard distances in races in 2008. 2009 will be the year I get the big one. I am scheduled to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Valentines Day. I am not setting a time goal for this, just getting the medal will be enough.
Hopefully I will get this one done in October. I didn't make it to the starting line at Myrtle Beach.

Set a PR in the 5K and 10K distances. Once the marathon is complete, I hope to recover quickly enough to PR in these two distances before the heat of the summer is upon us.
Doubt these will happen. I am not racing while training for the marathon this fall. I think that hurt me in my February attempt. Most of the races where I could get a good time will be long past by the time I recover from the marathon. Definitely a goal for 2010.

Race every month of the year. This year I started in March and missed July and December. With my limited Clemson education, I was able to calculate that I missed 4 months.
Lost out on this one early and decided it was a pretty dumb goal anyway. Tough to find races in June and July.

Complete 5 events that are 10 miles or longer.
It looks like I will have 3 if I get the marathon in. Two half's and a full. Not sure if I will try for a late fall half after the full or not.

Run a race out of the state of South Carolina.
The marathon can knock this out too...

Complete the requirements for the Tri-Running Series T-Shirt.
Not gonna happen unless I am blessed with an age group award, which would mean that no one else in my age group showed up!

Place in my age group in a race. (I guess I need to find a real small race with no 40-44 year olds)
Umm.... Don't think so.

Run 1200 miles during the year.
Definitely on target for this.

Continue my yoga classes.
Ooops... Karen, I'll be back to class soon!

Maintain my Weight Watchers Lifetime status.
Hanging in there, but I am only a slice of pizza away from moving to the wrong side of the scale!

So, it looks like I may hit 4 out of 10. Not bad if I was a baseball player!

Doesn't it feel great to finish a run?

Finishing a run is a great feeling. Not for the reason you may think either. It isn't because it is over, but rather because of the feeling of accomplishment. I think there is certainly an endorphin high, but the mental boost of setting a goal and accomplishing it is a rush as well.

Yesterday my run was miserably slow. My body was tight from the Sunday 12 mile run. I didn't push my speed but finished it up and still felt great afterward. Today was a 'hard' hill workout day and I pushed it pretty good. I had much more energy than yesterday and my legs had more life in them. I found a new trick for my mid-run hydration. I fill my fuel belt bottles and freeze them. They are nice and cool about 3 miles into my run. I don't mind the warm drink I normally get, but the cold fluids were a refreshing change.

Rest day tomorrow then three days straight at 5, 5 and 10.

12 Miles....

Yesterday was my longest run since the Greer Earth Day Half. I added in an extra half mile uphill to start the run. I kept me from doubling up a long stretch of East North Street. I haven't gotten a good route longer than 10 miles yet, so this was a little of an experiment. I think the extra uphill was a good workout.

I felt good through 10 miles and started having some minor pains and cramps in my feet for the last two miles. I think I suffered from no breakfast and no hydration that morning. I didn't get out until about 9:30 and it was 88 when I finished. I ran out of fluids at the 9 mile mark.

Pretty good shape today, but I am a little more sore than I expected. Tomorrow is 4 miles easy, so hopefully it will stretch me out and I can get a hard workout in on Wednesday.

I took my tunes with me. The 9 miler last week without tunes was too far. I am good for an hour or so with nothing but my own thoughts, but after that I began to bore myself.

Nice and warm today....

We had a garage sale this morning, so I didn't get out until about 1:30 or so. It was plenty warm by then!!!

I pass by our neighborhood pool at about 3.25 miles and it was hard not to jump in today. One day I am going to start my run there so that I can jump in after I finish. Maybe I will do that on a long run day.

Tomorrow I have a 12 miler scheduled and I hope to get out early and knock it out before church.

Putting the 'E' back in Easy....

E was definitely for Easy and not Effort or Exertion today! I ran five at a nice leisurely pace and enjoyed every minute of it. Now, I plan on duplicating that tomorrow and hopefully having a nice 12 miler on Sunday.

Heading for the Mellow Mushroom tonight. I guess I can claim carb loading, but that is a lie. Hopefully next week will be a better eating week...

OK, that was not fun!

Yesterday was one of the worst runs I have ever had in my life. I have a few ideas as to why it was so bad...

1) My 'easy' run on Tuesday.... I didn't exactly run it as an easy run. Silly me thought it was 'only' three miles and I might as well put a little effort into it. Maybe there is a reason that Sunday is a long run, Monday is rest and Tuesday is 'easy'....

2) I underestimated the humidity factor. Dumb move. I've lived here all my life and I should know that just because it is cloudy with a little breeze it is still going to be humid and the sun will probably come out. That is exactly what happened about one mile in. The humidity was high and when the sun started beating down on me it took a toll. I normally carry hydration for hard runs over five miles, but I didn't this time.

3) I went out at too fast of a pace. I held my own for three miles and then started a painful decline into misery.

So, I plan on trying to pay attention when the plan calls for an 'easy' run from here on out. I also hope to remember to go out at a slower pace and work on finishing strong.

No run today. I run 5, 5 & 12 the next three days.

Great morning for a run!

Wow! The weather was great this morning. I wish that today was my long run day. I hope the weather is about the same tomorrow as I have a six mile run scheduled. As I look at the training schedule, I noticed that today's three mile run is the shortest run I have on the books until September 1. It is going to be quite the test to see how my body holds up as the mileage piles up.

Wednesdays are going to be my least favorite days, at least until the really long runs start. Wednesdays are some form of speed work. The first six weeks is just running a hilly course (no problem there) at a fairly hard pace (that is where the problems come in!) Then the track workouts, hill sprints and stuff starts. Having never run track in my life, I am not looking forward to those.

I hope to work yoga into the mix on one of my off days. I will have to take an early lunch to make that happen.

Week 2 is in the books....

This week starts the real challenge as I take my long run to 12 miles, a distance I haven't come close to running since the Greer Earth Day Half Marathon. I was pleased that I kept a steady pace on the nine mile run yesterday, though I will likely need to slow down another 10-15 seconds per mile for this week. Today is the first day I really feel like I need the rest of a rest day. I could run, but I am not upset that I don't have one scheduled.

I do go to Furman for a gait study this evening. That should be interesting. I had a friend get his results a couple of weeks ago and he has made some changes to his form and seems to be benefiting from them. I hope I get the same results.

I think I have decided to avoid any races between now and the marathon, with the likely exception of the BMW 2 Miler. Races, even 5K's, take a bigger toll on me than I realized early on. I don't think I need to stick a race in the day before my long run. I am really working hard to being totally committed to my training schedule. There is an article in Running Times this month about long runs and how 'over running' your goal distance in training can help psychologically. I may see if I can fit that into my plan.

14 miles left this week and 10 pounds to shed.....

I am happy that two weeks in, well almost two weeks in, I feel good. The adjustment back to the hills hasn't bee too bad. Running Wednesday in the brutal heat was pretty dumb though.

I want to lose about 10 pounds to get down to my 'racing weight'. I think it will make a big difference over the course of the training. The only thing holding me back is me. I am toying with going back to Weight Watchers meetings for a month or so to get the weight off. I am going to give it two more weeks and then decide.

I am in that zone where my clothes fit and I feel great, so I am not as motivated as I should be. That is a dangerous place to be because pretty soon I'll end up with tight clothes and in a panic! One thing I want to do is get back to morning runs. That sets the day up for me to be more in control of my eating. Lunch time runs tend to send me into a pre-supper snack mode that can carry on through the night.

Anyway, as far as running goes I have 5 miles tomorrow and 9 slow miles on Sunday. I hope to really be able to go at a slower pace on Sunday. If I can master that now, I am sure it will benefit me when the 18-22 mile runs come.

A big attagirl to Megan for deciding to give the MB Marathon a try this winter. I can't wait to hear her race report.

Goals, goals, goals.....

Now that I am in week two of my training plan, I guess it is time to try and come up with a 'goal' time for the marathon. My real goal is to cross the finish line, go to Fleet Feet and buy my 26.2 stickers and rediscover that joy that is a half marathon. However, in order to come up with some sort of target paces for training, I think I ought to work backwards from a goal finishing time.

I have run three half marathons, all between 1:55 and 1:57. These were run on fairly hilly courses and the last one was extremely hot as well (Thanks to Flemming arranging the weather at the Greer Earth Day Half...). My natural instinct is to set a goal of four hours and move on. The one thing I learned in my failed attempt to make it to the Myrtle Beach Marathon last February is that 26.2 is more than 2 x 13.1. I think I will set a goal of 4:30. I am pretty sure that if I am healthy during my training, I can beat that. In fact, I may set a reward system up that I get a certain treat for every minute under 4:30. That could be interesting.

I got my six miles in today. Once again, I ran in the heat and it was pretty much miserable though I did manage a decent pace. Tomorrow is a 'rest' day. I may put in 30 minutes on the elliptical just for some cardio....

First run of the second week.....

Run 1, Week 2 in the books. I am finding that defining 'Easy' is difficult. I also had a hard time running as slow as the plan recommends on my long run Sunday. Tomorrow is supposed to be a hard day on a hilly course. Heck, every day is a hilly course for me so I'll try and run at a good pace for the whole distance.

My right hamstring is making itself known, but not when I am running. It feels great then. I can't decide if I will take Thursday as a total rest day or hit the gym for some light cardio and weights. I definitely will stay off the leg curls until the hamstring feels normal.

I need to get up early tomorrow and run before the heat comes out.

Marathon Training - Week 1 in the books....

I completed week one of my marathon training without any issues for the most part. I actually ran 3 miles more than I was scheduled for the week. Yesterday was a seven mile long run and I did have some trouble adjusting back to the heat and humidity and HILLS... I went out too fast for a long run and it bit me on the last two miles. I also think I was a little dehydrated.

This week I think I am scheduled to run 29 miles with a long run of nine miles on Sunday. Hopefully that will go better than yesterday. The pace picks up in week three with the long run stretching to 12 miles before a drop back in week four.

The new Asics feel great. I am still using my Nikes about 1/3 of the time and that seems to work well.

Today is a 'rest' day and I am not doing anything. Normally I try to hit the elliptical or bike on rest days, but I felt like just taking the day off today. Back at it tomorrow.

Tuesday is the day....

I've been running a lot lately, but it really starts tomorrow. Yes, marathon training officially begins.... Actually, it began today but the first day was a rest day - go figure.

For my rest day, I ran three miles. I hope I don't regret that later this week.

I'm still here and running....

I'm just running away from home... Hmmmm, that sounds bad. Let me say I have been away from home and running.... :)

New Shoes....

Asics Kayano Gel 15's.....

We will see how they do. The Nike's had 450 miles on them so I felt like it was time to break in some new shoes.

Candlelight Run

The candlelight run... how should I start. Well it was definitely hot. We ran the 1 mile fun run with the kids and it wasn't too bad because there was a breeze and it was only a mile and we took walk breaks.... For a few moments I thought that the 5K was going to be pretty nice. Then the race started.

The asphalt was still hot and I think the temps were still in the 80's when we started. Earlier in the day, I had hoped to PR but it didn't take long to figure out that wasn't going to happen. First, there was a pretty big crowd. For once in my life, I wasn't too shy and got in the front part of the pack. Not near the leaders, but up front where I was sure several people would pass me. I don't normally like this strategy, but I really didn't relish the thought of the mass of humanity that was going to merge into one lane on an uphill stretch of the race.

The course started out downhill and then had a short uphill stretch followed by a 180 degree turn that was as dangerous as I expected. I went wide since I knew it wasn't going affect my time in any significant way. Following the nice little downhill we started uphill for the last time. Unfortunately is was well over a mile uphill. I did well until about halfway, then I started to falter. One guy sounded like he was about to heave and sped up for a few minutes to get away from that possible disaster. The mulch smelled fresh, and that wasn't very pleasant. There was a little boy balling his eyes out while running at this point. I though he was just hurting, but he was upset because his dad had left him or lost him.... Someone started to try and comfort him, but I think he was upset for a while. As we approached what I thought was the top of the hill, I realized that I had not seen the leaders coming back down yet. That bothered me because I knew that I was nowhere near the leaders so obviously I wasn't too close to the turnaround either. When I finally saw the blue lights coming down the hill on the other side of the median I felt a small sigh of relief.

When I finally made it to the top and turned, I had to remind myself that I had over a mile back down. Even though it was downhill, it was still running. I hit a pretty good stride as I got my wind back and made it down the hill. When I saw my time (24:07 chip time) I was a little disgusted that I didn't push hard enough to come in under 24 minutes. However, given the conditions I was pretty happy.

The race was pretty well organized and since we heeded the warnings and arrived early we had no problems. The hot water at the finish line was a little disappointing, but there was plenty of cold water and gatorade further up the road. Lee said she was going to do the mile with the kids next year and then cheer me on at the 5K. I think she will run when the time comes though...

Chili today, Hot tamale....

That is one of my favorite billboards for South of the Border on I95....

It was chilly today as it was only 88 when I ran. I have no idea what the heat index was. I just did three miles at a fairly easy pace to stay loose for tomorrow nights race.

At one time, I thought I would go for a PR. However, now that I see there will be 2000 runners and a lot of them will be walking, I don't hold much hope out for a good time. We'll see how it goes....

Two mornings in the books....

Wednesday and Thursday I got out and ran early. It felt great. I didn't quite have the time I needed to get my 7 milers in, so I am seriously behind on my monthly mileage now. I wasn't going to run today because of the race tomorrow, but I may change my mind. Running early has been great though, I have really enjoyed it.

I really need to finalize a training plan for the marathon since my 16 week countdown will start on 7/6. I was considering this challenge that Runners World is doing after I read all the hype and articles in this month's issue. Then I went to the site and saw it was $135 to sign up. There are enough free plans out there that I think I will survive without it. I must admit that I sometimes wonder how 'virtual coaching' would work for me. Would it give me some extra accountability and motivation? I'm not sure.

Regardless, I need to set a goal for the marathon and pick a plan to support it. I think that has been my big issue, setting a goal. Part of me really wants to shoot for a four hour marathon and part of me wants to just finish and go buy my 26.1 sticker for the car! We'll see which part of me wins.....

Ahhh... a cool run...

Well, kind of cool. Ok, how about a 'not hot' run. I finally got my lazy tail out of bed this morning in time to run. It was nice and misty out. Fortunately it had not gotten warm enough to be muggy yet.

I enjoyed it so much, I hope to do it again tomorrow! I have gotten used to having the streets and sidewalks to myself during the heat of the day. I almost ran over a lady that was running towards me and I was zoned out. I'm sure she thought I was either a jerk or an idiot... or both.

I plan on running hills tonight and then an easy run tomorrow. Rest on Friday and race on Saturday night. I have no idea how I will do in the 5K and I am not setting any goals for the race. I know it will be pretty crowded and probably have a lot of walkers. It doesn't sound like a recipe for a PR.

Sunrise what?

Saturday morning rolled around and the alarm went off at 5:30. I promptly turned it off and rolled over. Lee and I decided to have a nice, easy downtown run later in the morning. We left the kids with her dad at his store and hit the Swamp Rabbit trail where it crosses Westfield Street near the site of the yet to be built Kroc Center.

From there to Faris Road and back, it was six miles. Six long, hot miles. It was neat to run off the road. I really enjoyed not worrying about traffic, though some cyclists seem to enjoy sneaking up on us. One had a horn that sounded like a wounded animal and scared the fool out of us. Evidently the signs that say 'No wheels on squishy stuff' (or something to that effect) don't apply to bicycles...

We will definitely do it again, though probably earlier in the day! This Saturday is the Candlelight Run, so hopefully we will be up for that.

Two extremes....

The Sunrise Run is tomorrow. One week and 13 hours later is the Candlelight Run. I'm doing both and will be interested to see which I enjoy the most....

I have run the Sunrise before and it was a fun race. I missed the Candlelight last year but did run the Midnight Flight in Anderson for a taste of nighttime racing.

I like the 8K distance in the Sunrise Run. 5 Miles is good workout but short enough to not need any hydration or gels. I would like to run faster than last year, but speed hasn't been my strength in the last month.

Look for a report tomorrow sometime!

Man it was hot today....

I went out for 7 but decided to run hard for 3.2. Running hard was a relative term.... as I barely made 9 minute miles. I will say that it felt pretty good and I enjoyed breaking a sweat. I think I would have enjoyed a long run if didn't feel pressed for time. We have been covered up the last two weeks and it won't get any better until this weekend. End of school, end of baseball, start of swim team... blah blah blah...

The bottom line is that I need to get out and run BEFORE work. When school is out, that is more likely to happen. Yeah, thats the ticket....

King of the Hill?

I ran five miles at lunch yesterday. Since I am still not acclimated to the heat and humidity, I didn't break any land speed records. When I got home last night, young son's baseball game had been cancelled and Lee was heading off on a run before dinner. I was left with an unexpected 45 minute hole in my schedule. What to do with that time?

I could have cut the grass, but it was too wet. I could have taken a nap, but my father in law was at the house waiting on dinner and watching the news and don't want to look lazy in front of him... :) I could have sat down and written a blog entry, but I didn't have much to blog about. So that left me with no choice but to run a hill workout. I have never done that, but I have made some noise about adding speed work and this seemed to be as good of a day to that as any other.

Next I needed to find a hill. Well, I looked out my front window and saw a steep hill that is about 1/10 of a mile long. That should work. As I walked to the bottom of the hill while setting my Garmin for the interval workout, I tried to decide how many intervals I should run. I didn't want to overdo my first hill workout, but I didn't want to look too much like a wimp either. I settled on 10 intervals of 1/10 mile up and 1/10 recovery down. That would be two miles added to my daily total and be a good introduction to hill workouts.

As I stood at the bottom of the hill, I began to realize that 1/10 of a mile looked a lot longer that I had imagined. Before I suffered a bout of paralysis by analysis, I pressed the start button and started sprinting (well, it seemed like a sprint to me anyway) up the hill. I started hearing some beeping as I approached the top and slowed down to look at my Garmin to make sure it wasn't about to self destruct. It was only the warning that I was approaching the end. Finally, I heard the 'end beep'. I look down and see the screen on my wrist telling me to recover for 1/10 of a mile. Buddy let me tell you, I took advantage of every step of recovery. At the bottom of the hill the beeping started again, warning me it was almost time to turn around and repeat the process.

Beeps are a funny thing. When you don't expect them, they can be alarming... Is it a fire? Is a truck about to back into me? Is someone making popcorn in the microwave? When you expect them, the reaction may be positive... I'm almost at the top of the hill... I hear the beeping. Or, the reaction can be negative.... What? I'm almost at the bottom of the hill and it is time to turn around and run back up the hill like an idiot?

10 times I went up the hill and 10 times I went down the hill. In the end, my legs were shaking as I approached the crest. My neighbors were amused and confused. Or maybe they were just amused and thinking that I was confused. Either way, when I was done I was happy. Happy to be done and happy to have finally done some sort of speed work. As bad as it was, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. As much as it hurt at times, it also felt good. Most, ok ALL, of my running experience to date has been distance running on the road. This felt different. I don't want to say it was fun, but it was different. So different, that I think I will try it again next week.

Time to get back to blogging....

Glad I ran earlier today, looks like the thunderstorms are about to kick up!

I am amazed at how fast stuff grows around here. Kudzu, I'm used to. When I was a kid, we would measure it daily and see it grow 10-12 inches each day. Lately though, I am noticing how fast weeds, trees and other vines grow as well. Today I counted 8 limbs that I either had to duck or dodge on East North Street that were not in my way last fall before the leaves fell. I kind of enjoy the distraction on those hills, but when I am not paying attention and take a limb to the face it isn't much fun.

The bugs have come out recently too. It is amazing the variety of insect life you see while looking down as you run. We've got some nice bugs around here... Some that I change my stride to avoid stepping on because they are so big. I've also seen a couple snakes (2 alive, 1 dead) so far this spring. Add in the normal loose dogs, field rats, chipmunks and squirrels and I feel like I am running out in the country.

I have been running, but not as much as I would like. I should still hit my 100 miles for the month though. I am going to take it fairly easy in June so that I get acclimated to the heat without risking injury or fatigue before I start marathon training in July. The sound of that 'marathon training in July' just really doesn't get me too enthusiastic right now.

Yes, I am still here....

Baseball, field trips, work, homework, opening the neighborhood pool..... All this has kept me from blogging lately. I have gotten a few runs in, but not as many as I would have liked.

A few things I have noticed lately....

The humidity is back. What a wonderful feeling to be completely soaked before I finish my first mile....

Trash is starting to smell... A sure sign summer heat is on the way.

My appetite is gone after a run. Another sure sign summer is close.

I want to get acclimated to the heat this month and then start building up the mileage base for the marathon. So far I still enjoy it, but I am sure the heat will start to wear me down in July.

Too much time on my hands....

The title may make you think I am sitting around doing nothing all the time. That couldn't be further from the truth. In my running life, I am in a lull. We a have a couple of races coming up, most notably the Sunrise 8K in June, but nothing major is on the horizon. I still haven't picked a training plan for the marathon. I am just kind of spinning my wheels with no real direction. The only real goal I want to accomplish is to lose 10 pounds and I am not overly concerned with that since I am still at/below my weight watchers goal weight.

I have read where having some down time is good for your body and mind when it comes to running. I know that August, September and October are going to be grueling months of marathon training in some pretty good heat, so maybe taking it easy right now isn't all bad. Friday night went about like I expected.... We bailed on the GHS 5K because young son had a ball game rescheduled for Friday night. Of course, we got an email about 3:00 on Friday that the games were officially cancelled because of the rain earlier in the day. Instead of trying to get things worked out to make the race, we just ran 5 miles at home. It was nice running together and we had not done that in while. Saturday was busy with chores, baseball and a Girl Scout dinner for teenage daughter. Sunday was spent in church, lunch with my folks and an afternoon of hole digging for Lee's new plants. In other words, no running. Other than the fact I ate too much this weekend, I didn't mind the time off from running. I hope to get back on it today or tomorrow.

So much for the Friday Night 5K.....

Young son's baseball game got washed out tonight and rescheduled for Friday. So if by some chance it doesn't rain on Friday, I'll be out at Corey Burns fields watching America's Pastime. The only good thing about that is that I will run tomorrow if I get time. I missed my run today because of work and then some untimely afternoon showers.

Well, I am officially registered for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I guess that means I need to officially lay out a training plan. I guess that means I need to officially pick out a training plan..... I'm already nervous......

A Friday Night 5K?

This Friday is the GHS 5K. Last year it was at Eastside High School and I had vowed not to run it again after that experience. I don't mind cross country courses, but that one was a real stretch to get 5K in and was pretty narrow in a lot of sections. You also had to snake back and forth across a field. It is almost the same course that is used for the Taylors Turkey Trot. I like the Turkey Trot for a lot other reasons, so it doesn't bother me as much...

Anyway, this year GHS moved the 5K to TR and put it on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. I am a little concerned since it is an out and back course and there will likely be a lot of walkers, but for $5 you get a t-shirt and refreshments so what is to complain about?

I ran again yesterday and felt much better than I did Saturday, but I am no where near race-ready as I was still 30 seconds a mile off my normal training pace. What does this mean for me on Friday? Well, I assume it means no PR and likely not even a sub 25 minute time. It is a Corporate Shield event, so there will be a pretty good crowd of fast runners, so maybe I will get lucky and pace off someone. After this race, I think I am going to spend May doing speed work and then see if it pays off in the Sunrise Run on June 13. I like that course and I think that five miles might be a good distance for me.

Sweating blood... Not quite.

Friday evening was the annual Lake Forest Elementary Spring Carnival. Since young son attends the school and dear wife works there, we were 'all in' for the evening. It was fun. Being a neighborhood school there are lots of friends out and about to visit with. The kids go nuts busing confetti eggs on everyone and firing off untold cans of silly string.

While Lee went off to work her shift at one of the attractions, I did something that I don't do often enough..... Donate blood. To show you I am serious about saying I don't do it enough, this was the first time I had given blood since I started running. Sot it had been at least 18 months. The first thing I noticed was that the lady doing the paperwork gave me quite a compliment. She looked at me as she took my blood pressure and said, "You must work out a lot." Naturally I thought my athletic build was the giveaway, but my ego was quickly shot when she said "I hope you do anyway, otherwise you are in trouble. Your pulse is 50." Alas, it was my pulse and not my pecs that gave me way... :)

The rest of the bloodletting was routine and I didn't think anything about it. Then about 12 hours later I went for a run.... Hmm, I might as well have been running for the first time. At least that is how it felt for the first 3 miles. I felt a little better during mile 4 and 5, but no where near how I should have felt. My pace was so bad, I expected to get passed by a snail at any time. I didn't get out today, but I hope that by Monday I am back to close to normal. I know it takes 6-8 weeks to get all your red blood cells back, but from what I read online I should be back to normal running fairly quickly. Otherwise, it looks like a SLOW run in the GHS 5K is coming up this Friday....

All that said, I won't let it deter me from giving blood. I will definitely look at WHEN I give blood though!

Runners are cool....

I have been in lots of groups and on lots of teams in my life. I have witnessed relationships ruined over important issues like pinewood derby cars, who plays first base and talking during someone's backswing. I have played on teams where I was the worst player and where I was one of the best players (yes, that was not a winning season). I understand that in theory, golf is a sport where those with different abilities can play together because of the USGA handicap system. I also understand that people that are good at golf don't like waiting on people like me to find my ball that went in the woods.

Runners seem to be a little different. While I am sure that there are plenty of running snobs, I haven't met them. In fact, I am always amazed that the fast guys and gals talk to me like I am one of them. Even though they have showered and had a late breakfast by the time I finish, they still consider me one of their own. We all fight our own demons during the race. Some may be fighting injury, some may be fighting fatigue, some may be fighting emotional or psychological roadblocks, but all of us cross the same finish line. That finish line is not the great equalizer though. In fact, it isn't the finish line makes you a runner. Nope, it is the starting line. The starting line is where runners are made and where the fellowship starts. The starting line is where we find our common bonds. Our talents, abilities and experience determine when, and even if, we make it to the finish line. However, the courage to cross the starting line is what unites us. That is one of the greatest gifts I have received in my 18 month running career, the courage to cross the starting line and desire to see others cross it too.

Greer Earth Day Half Marathon....

Well today was the day. I walked out this morning and was not pleased with the less than springlike weather in the air. Cool was not really part of the words I would use to describe the weather.

We also were out of bananas. That was bad. I normally eat a banana before a run. I am pretty superstitious and starting out without my normal race day breakfast didn't make me feel too good. We stopped by Bi-Lo on the way to the race, but their bananas were still green. Well, we got to the race and things moved pretty well. We got in and hit the facilities and wandered around. There were a bunch of people signing up on race day. They also had a little trouble with some no-show volunteers. My only regret at this point was that I didn't make one more trip to the rest room while waiting for the start. So, after the start I felt the urge to go starting at about the one mile mark. I figured I would sweat it out, and sure enough I did. Unfortunately it wasn't until about the 11th mile....

My plan was to go out at a comfortable pace, around 9:15 for the first 2 miles and then pick up to about 8:45 for 3 or 4 miles and then ease up to about 9:00 and go as far as I could at that pace. Everything was going well until they started the race. I shot off way too fast and sped up for a couple of miles. The 4th mile is pretty much uphill and the sun and heat started hitting me pretty good here too. I still kept up a pretty good pace and skipped the port-o-john, despite my body suggesting otherwise. I cruised through the first 10 miles and was sitting on a about a 8:24 pace. I actually had a shot at a PR! That was when the heat and hills caught up with me. I also was a little low on fluids. I struggled in at what was officially a 1:57 and a 9 minute pace, but I was actually on about an 8:55 pace if you factor in that I ran 13.25 miles according to the Garmin.

Either way, I was under 2 hours and felt pretty good about it. The race was fun and the crowd was good. The GTC Singlet Sighting giveaways were great too. Lee got a nice running visor and I got a running visor and two pairs of running socks. All together we got about $56 worth of prizes. The message here is "Join the Greenville Track Club!"

There were some issues with getting the results, but I knew it didn't affect me. Later on we found out that Lee won her age group (again) in the 5K. We will go pick her trophy up tomorrow! She is getting quite a collection and I may have to build a shelf for her awards.

A half marathon tomorrow, really?

I guess it is true. My bib was mailed to me weeks ago, so the reality should have set in back then. Now I stand at the edge of the cliff and hope that some optical illusion saves me, ala Indiana Jones and the last Crusade when he had to walk across thin air to get to the Holy Grail....

I did a hard 30 minutes on the elliptical yesterday just to break a sweat. I probably won't do anything other than maybe take a walk today. Lots of hydration. It will be hot tomorrow, so I want to make sure I have plenty of fluids before the race.

I was reading the race information and noticed they are having pace groups for 7, 8, 9 & 10 minute miles. I thought I might head out with the 9 minute group just to keep from going too fast out the chute. I'd love to run a 9 minute pace for the whole race, but I am not sure how realistic it is. My past pace has been in the 8:45 range for a half, but I had trained harder for those.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Races, races, races... lots of races....

This is a great time of year to find a race. It seems like there are multiple races each weekend right now. How do you pick which ones to run?

Sometimes, I have a cause I really want to support. Last November, Lee and I ran the Caine Halter Lungs For Life 5K. It was important to both of us because her mom died of Lung Cancer and her dad knows the Halters...

Sometimes a race just sounds like fun. The Midnight Flight in Anderson was one of these. Running a race at night was pretty cool. I won't eat pizza before the race if I run it again though...

Location can be a big draw. We ran in Murrells Inlet last year and that was fun. We also ran the Cooper River due to location and just for the experience of a 'big race'.

Chance to set a PR... I haven't really run a race just for this reason, but if I was picking between two I can see it being a factor. Flat doesn't always equal faster for me though...

Odd distance... Sometimes it is fun to try something other than a 5K or 10K... The BMW 2-miler comes to mind. Of course, I had no idea how much fun the after party was. I will be back there!

Guilt relief... The Taylors Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving makes it a little easier to pig out that afternoon.

The big picture... Sometimes a race can help you on your way to a bigger goal. It can help keep you motivated to train while you are looking at a bigger race down the road. I will be looking for some races to fit in with my marathon training.

Now, why am I running the Greer Earth Day 1/2? Hmmm... mostly because Flemming is the race director and I am sure it will be a great event. Plus, he wouldn't let a GTC runner get a DNF would he?

Long time, no post....

Wow, can life get in the way sometimes or what?

I have had a pretty good week as far as running goes. Allergies and sinus infections seem to be making their way around the house, so that has put a little drag on things but we are all still moving forward. I have the Greer Earth Day Half Marathon on Saturday and I am completely and totally not-ready for it! I haven't run long enough in training to expect any kind of chance at a PR, so I am going to just shoot to finish. I ran 9 on Saturday and then 7 at a my normal half marathon pace yesterday. I meant to go to the gym today, but it just didn't happen. I'll do an easy 5 miles or so tomorrow, gym on Thursday and then a light 2 or 3 miles on Friday.

The one decision I have left before Saturday is whether or not to run with my iPod. So far, I have run both my half marathons without it, but I know it would be easier with it. Well, easier might not be the right word.... It would be an extra distraction for me if I start to bonk or run into some pain along the way. The negative is that I tend to pick up my pace with the music and I could start out at a faster pace than I can maintain.

A brief note of congratulations to fellow GTC runner Marion for finishing the Boston Marathon yesterday! Great job! And, good luck to Megan who is running her first marathon this Saturday. I can't wait until October when I complete two marathons on the same day, my first and last!

The hills are alive with the sound of me gasping for air...

I got a nice seven miler in yesterday and I must say that I am always happy to be back here in the hilly upstate. I enjoy a flat run every now and then, but a few days of them is all I can take. Flat runs seem to come with steep crowns on the road and that spells ITBS for me. Fortunately, this year I was in better shape and the traffic was down enough that I could spend some time in the middle of the road. Last summer at the beach, my ITBS flared up big time. When I catch low tide and can run on the flat part of the beach it is pretty good. I usually like to run first thing in the morning when I am on vacation though, so if the tide is up I am out of luck.

I also ran on a bike trail a couple of times during this trip. It is paved and flat (no crown). However, what seems like a fairly straight path on a bike, weaves back and forth with every step on a run. That got old quick as I was never able to get settled into a consistent pace. There is a power transmission line right of way that I should have run on. It was not grown up for the summer yet and would have been a nice straight trail run. I regret not giving it a try.

One other interesting sidenote.... At the Cooper River Bridge Run, there was a group of guys running in skirts... I'm not quite there yet myself, I hope I don't get there either! You can see a few of them in this picture. I made my wife take it because I didn't want to be seen staring at them.......

Is this a line for the latest video game?

No, it is my view from the CRBR starting line...

The small yellow line you see in the center/top of the picture is the starting line. I am about halfway back. It took us almost 9 minutes to get to the starting line once the race started. The winner was almost two miles out at that point!

8 days in a row....

I ran 8 days in a row while on vacation. I had a long run of 9 and short run of 3.8 miles. In general, I felt pretty good but I did have some tired legs on the last couple of runs. I also had a couple of bike rides mixed in, so it was a pretty active vacation. I took Sunday off and then did the elliptical today. One thing I noticed in my biking and on the elliptical is that my quads are not as strong as they were last fall. I was doing some weight training then and I also was doing a little bike training while preparing for a sprint triathlon. I was much more regular on my yoga back then too. All of those work the quads pretty well, so I shouldn't be surprised they are weaker now.

I know I need to work on those quads. The hills around here eat them up and I also think my form suffers when they get weak. I am still looking around at marathon training plans and one of the keys factors I am looking for is solid cross training. I have come to the point that my goal for the marathon really is to just finish it. I am doing my best to avoid setting a goal time and just letting it play out. Fortunately, they don't inscribe your medal with your finishing time!

An ideal week for me would be:

Sun - Run (Long - 10 or more)

Mon - Run (Easy - 6 or 7)

Tue - X-Train

Wed - Run (Tempo/Speed - 5)

Thu - X-Train

Fri - Run (normal, whatever that means - 6-8)

Sat - X-Train/Yoga

Unfortunately, I don't think I would get the needed mileage on that plan. I am toying with the idea of doing an early morning X-Train session and lunchtime run on Thursdays. That would get my mileage up to 35+ per week based on my long run. If I do a 16 week marathon plan, I will start at the end of June. If I could go into that averaging 35 miles a week, I would feel pretty good about my chances of completing the program.

First beach run of 2009....

Yesterday I ran on the beach for the first time this year. It was a great experience. The combination of cool weather, wind and lack of people being down here meant that very few people were on the beach. North Litchfield borders Huntington Beach State Park, so if you run North you quickly are on an undeveloped beach. In the summertime there are pretty big crowds at the state park, but not this time of year. It is about four miles from where we stay up to the mouth of Murrells Inlet. There is a paved Jetty there that you can run about 1/4 of a mile out into the ocean on.

It was about 55 degrees with 20-30 mile an hour wind gusts on the beach when I ran. I had the wind behind me on the way up to the jetty and it was very pleasant. Once I got passed the public access areas in the state park, I had about two miles of totally deserted beach in front of me. I knew it was a great day for a run when I got to a section where dry sand was being blown on top of the hard sand to where it looked like I was running in a cloud and then the Chariots of Fire theme came on my iPod. (Yes, I have that cheesy song on my iPod and it was in shuffle mode I didn't plan it!). As I got to the jetty, the theme from Rocky came on. It was pretty cool to be sprinting towards the ocean. Once I got to the end, I ran the jetty back into the marsh and then turned around and headed back to the beach.

The trip home was not near as enjoyable as I was running into the wind, but it was still pretty surreal to be on an empty stretch of beach. I ran down by the water on the way back and had to jump the small tidal creeks that were draining into the ocean. That was a good distraction from the blowing wind in my face. When I hit the nine mile mark, I stopped and walked the last 1/4 mile back to the walkway. It was a great run and I hope to have another good one today as the weather is going to be in the 70's.

Cooper River Review....

What an eye opening experience! I have read about massive lines for port-o-johns and a mosh-pit like starting corral before, but never had I actually been a part of it until yesterday.

We were fortunate enough to have friends with a condo in Mt. Pleasant, so we stayed there the night before the race. Unfortunately, after we had dropped off the kids with my parents in Georgetown, it was about 10:30 when we got to the condo. It took us 45 minutes to find the water meter out front. Our friends don't use the condo much and turn the water off when they leave. With all the rain and such, it was completely buried and almost un-findable, but Lee came through right as we were about to give up.

After a short, but good rest we were up and getting ready for the race. I knew something was up when we couldn't turn out onto the highway because of the mass of school busses carrying runners to the start. The good part of the school bus traffic was that we could follow them, and we did. We pulled in the first lot where they were charging for parking and walked about a half mile up to where the starting corral was. Lee and I were running together and took our place in the under one hour group. This is definitely not a place for those that hate crowds or are afraid of being pinned in. The portable fencing along the road really caused the crowd to 'squeeze together'. I was glad it was before the race and not after.

As we got close to the start, I noticed several people that I though were probably in the wrong time group and that proved to be true later on. The only hitch was they asked the entire crowd to back up 9 paces so the elites could get to the starting line. Fortunately, everyone complied without incident. Once the gun sounded the crowd charged across the starting line.... Well, I guess that is what happened up front. Nine minutes after the gun sounded, we crossed the starting line. The only complaint I have is the same complaint I have about every race. Those that are walking seem to not understand the danger the present when they don't start in the back. I was shocked to be running into walkers (literally) throughout the course. I know some were runners that had given out, but they still need to move to the side. Anyway, other than that it was a fun run. We actually got to get into full stride some during the last mile. It is definitely not a race to run if you want to set a PR as I was 10 minutes off mine, but it was fun and I would do it again.

Wow, it's Wednesday already...

Well, my plan was to run outside Monday and Tuesday and then cross train Wednesday and run a short, hard run on Thursday. Then run Cooper River on Saturday.

Work got in the way again, but that is OK. I'm glad to have it and won't complain. Word is that the rain is out of here at lunch time, so I may try to get a run in today.

I am taking next week off and looking forward to a lot of running and biking. I need to get a couple of long runs in for the Greer Half and I hope to get two in during spring break.

This is a big week with our 16th wedding anniversary on Friday and Lee's birthday next Wednesday. She showed me a picture from when we got engaged the other day. I never thought I would be thinner 16 years later, but I am. Marriage is good for your health!

Glad to see the sun, but....

Wow, the wind sure was strong today. As bad as I wanted to run outside, I just couldn't do it. I went to the gym and got a quick three miles in on the treadmill and called it a day.

I think I'll fall short of my 100 mile goal for the month, but I will still be on schedule for my 12o0 miles for the year. In fact, I am less than a mile away from hitting 3oo miles in the first three months.

I had a horrifying thought today while I was on the treadmill. The Greer Earth Day Half Marathon is 4 weeks from yesterday! I definitely have to get some long runs in during the next few weeks. I plan on running Monday and Tuesday of this week and then probably a short easy run on Thursday. After the race on Saturday, I'll try to get some good long runs in during spring break. It looks like good running weather for that week with highs in the low 60's most of the time.

I got really ticked at the gym today. Lee went before me and when she came back she told me to take a towel because they were out. Of course, I forgot to grab one and that is one reason I quit at three miles. I got tired of the sweat running down into my eyes. I don't expect our gym to have someone there all the time, it is a 24 hour access kind of place but it is only staffed for about eight hours a day monday-friday. I do expect them to keep towels stocked and the bathrooms halfway clean. Of course, I am just as mad at my fellow members that can't seem to use common courtesy and keep the bathrooms clean too. I think that the overload of trainers that use the gym causes a lot of the towel problems as they seem to think handing their client a fresh towel about every 10 minutes is some kind sign they are a good trainer.

Enough rants, but I am glad that my membership is up for renewal. I am now fired up enough to shop around....

Running in place....

It has been an indoor week. I hit the treadmill a few times, going 5 miles today. I could have gone longer, but I just didn't have time. Earlier in the week I did a circuit with the treadmill, elliptical and tread climber.

There are a few things I like about the gym....

1) There is almost always someone there that is suffering more than me. I like that! (is that bad?)

2) I get new ideas. Seeing people do different workouts gives me ideas of new things to try.

3) I realize both how far I have come and how far I still have to go. That is a positive and inspiring thing!

Hmmm... Already off schedule...

Yesterday I was scheduled to get 7 miles in. Fortunately (because I am glad to have the work), work got in the way and my lunchtime run didn't happen. Lee got me to run 4.5 with her in the evening so that the day was not a total bust. I had hoped to have a run today as well and actually get ahead of the curve, but that didn't happen.

No chance for a run tonight, so maybe I'll catch up tomorrow.

8 days and 40 miles....

One of my goals this year was to get at least 100 miles in each month. I never thought February would be easier than March!

Obviously, if I run 5 miles a day I will be fine. I don't plan on doing that though, so I am going to try and come up with a schedule that keeps my rest/cross training days in play. I have a busy week on tap, so this may or may not be an easy thing to do.

Day	Miles
Monday	7 Miles
Wednesday	8 Miles
Friday	8 Miles
Sunday	10 Miles
Monday	7 Miles
Total	40 Miles

7 miles today...

Yoga didn't work out so Lee and I ran 7 miles together. Her longest run to date! It was a great morning for running but the weather was kind of cool. Lee went with warm clothes while went with shorts and short sleeves. I think we were both happy with our choices!

It is amazing how much faster a run goes when you are with someone else. I guess that is one reason I like races. Even though you are not running 'with' the others you are not alone. There is always someone to encourage you and always someone for you to encourage. In general, I have found runners to be some of the most supportive athletes I have ever been around. They are always there to offer you a pat on the back when you need it. I haven't ever finished a race where there weren't a bunch of the folks that already finished standing at the finish line yelling for you. That is when you realize the race is really against yourself and the goal is finish and do your best. It is a competition against yourself wrapped up in a competition against others.

Slow week....

Well, no running for me since Wednesday. I'll hit yoga tomorrow and then hopefully get a long run in on Sunday.

Good luck to anyone racing this weekend. My legs are so rested, I wish I was!

Spring has sprung?

So is it safe to pack away the cold weather gear now? The 15 day forecast shows pretty warm weather so I am hoping that the long sleeves and tights are a thing of the past. I ran 7 miles on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. As much as I wanted to run again today because of the good weather, I went to the gym and hit the elliptical due to time constraints and a desire to keep from 'over-training'. I have slowly learned that at five miles or less a day, I can run without many breaks but if I extend it beyond then I need to avoid the pavement every two or three days.

I still haven't managed to do any weight training. I read an article in Runners World about how weight training is a great way to lose weight because of the metabolism boost from having more muscle. I read where it can really help your form when running. I spent a few minutes looking at the nautilus machines and the free weights at the gym too. So far all that reading hasn't translated into action, but I still have hope that it will!

1 out of 2 ain't bad...

I got my run in, but no lifting. The run was great. Just warm enough to break a good sweat.

I forgot to wear my green shirt for the run, fortunately no one was interested or brave enough to pinch me! The chihuahua on Mimosa got closest to pinching me, but I somehow managed to intimidate him enough to prevent it.

It felt good to stretch my legs today, but I really feel behind on my training. With the potential of 60-70 degree weather for the half marathon at the end of April, I need to get on with some long runs.

Gatorade sales should begin increasing as I am now carrying 8 oz on my 7 mile runs and if we cross over to 70 degree+ temps I'll go to 16 oz. I don't always need it, but after getting dehydrated once, I don't want to take any chances.

I used to be a runner?

It feels like it has been a month since I ran. I know it has only been 5 days, but this rain makes me feel like it has been forever since I ran. I am glad that it is moving out and that it will be sunny tomorrow.

The rain has not only caused me to miss runs, it has also caused me to eat more. That is a bad combination and I want to reverse both starting today. I can't do much about the running today, but I am making a concerted effort to get my eating back on track!

The most recent Runners World had a lot of information about runners and weight loss. It is evident that I have been taking advantage of my high calorie burn to keep my weight in check without actually eating the best foods to support my running. So, I am making an effort to get back to 100% whole grain breads and to eat more fish and other lean protein. I am also going to (once again) try to incorporate more strength training, OK - you can strike the 'more' :) , into my week.

An ideal week will look like this for me:

Run: M, W, F, Sun

Weights: T, Th

X-Train: T, Th

Yoga: Saturday

Now, the odds of me having a week like that are slim, but I hope to get one in and then go from there. This week I am already off since I didn't run today. Perhaps I can get weights and a run in tomorrow. I can always dream.....

Fat and Lazy.......

That's how I feel! I haven't been able to do any cardio since Wednesday and I have eaten way too much to make up for it! I did make it to Yoga on Saturday and that was a great workout. I followed it up by eating way too much at lunch and an oyster roast last night.

I saw where one of my fellow Greenville Track Club members has a long run scheduled today. As much as I tell myself I would be fine as soon as I got moving outside, I still don't see it happening. I think I'll shoot for the dreadmill at the gym, or maybe the elliptical.

I did see that Tuesday should be nice and warm. Hopefully I can sweat off all this damage I have done on a long run on Tuesday!

Warm weather don't go away!

While I must admit that I don't like how my pace tends to slow down in the heat, at least until I am used to it again, I am really going to be sad to see the temperatures drop starting tomorrow.

Top 10 things I like about running in the heat:

10. Dogs are too hot to chase me, except for the Chihuahua on Mimosa Drive.

9. People don't think I am as much of a wimp for wearing my fuel belt.

8. Much easier to get ready for a run when tights are not involved.

7. Easier pit stops if necessary... See #8

6. The joy of sweat burning your eyes.

5. 'Stuff' doesn't freeze to your face.

4. Wind feels good when you are hot.

3. More likely to swallow a bug while gasping for air in warm weather.

2. I don't have to guess if a shirt is clean or not, I can just sniff it and tell.

1. When nobody is looking I get to relive my childhood and run through sprinklers when my neighbors are watering their yards.

A humbling experience...

I felt pretty good after the race on Saturday. I took Sunday off except for a little bike riding with my son. Yesterday I went out for an 'easy' seven miles. Well, it wasn't as easy as I had hoped!

I had some soreness creep up and my legs felt so heavy that I thought I was running through wet concrete. It didn't help that I had not hydrated very well, ie no morning coffee :)

The warm air was nice and I enjoyed breaking a sweat and the last 2 miles were a lot easier than the first two miles.

Now for my daily pet peeve... My normal route has me on two fairly busy roads: E. North Street and Edwards Road. It amazes me how many cigarette butts and how much fast food trash is on the shoulder of the road. I'm not going to preach about how bad smoking is for your health, but I am going to slam you if you throw your butts out onto the street. If you are mature enough to make the decision to smoke, then you dang sure are mature enough to clean up after yourself. On that note, keep your Big Mac trash in your car until you get to a trash can. And runners are not immune to this either. I see GU packets on the side of the road frequently, usually within site of a dumpster. The solution to overflowing landfills is not to throw your trash on the side of the road....

There. I feel better now.

The 'M' Word....

The 'M' word crept back up into my vocabulary on Saturday. With Lee standing next to me, my coach asked me to run the Marine Corps Marathon with a group he has put together. Well, Lee's sister lives up near D.C. and that would mean a trip to see her. Training would be mostly during the summer when our activity level is at its lowest, so it would be a good time as far as the family schedule goes. I am far enough removed from my crash and burn on the 18 mile run I last tried that I actually think I could possibly get through it now.

So, with great trepidation, I am going to say that I am going to tentatively accept his invitation and start working on a marathon training plan.

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Further thoughts on the Reedy River Run......

1) Just a heads up to those of you that this may apply to: When you finish drinking, taking in a GU or whatever you are doing that generates trash, please look behind you before you throw your stuff down. I got nailed with an almost full cup of gatorade running through one of the water stops on Saturday.

2) If you are a Jeff Galloway disciple and have your watch set to beep when it is time to walk, stay to the edge of the crowd, check behind you and then slow down. It is really annoying to be in a crowd and have someone stop and walk right in front of you. Remember, not all runners are petite, a big guy like me may have a linebacker flashback and take you out!

3) Thanks to all those out on the course with cowbells, posters and cheers. It is always great to have folks cheering you on.

4) Thanks to all the GTC members that gave me a thumbs up or shout out when they saw my singlet. I think we were well represented.

This race is really turning into a great event for Greenville. I could see it growing to 7,500-10,000 runners and multiple heats of the 10K and 5K.

Happy Anniversary!

Today was the one year anniversary of my racing career. Not to the date, but to the race. Last year I ran the Reedy River Run 5K as my first ever race. Today, I ran the 10K. It was a great day on a lot of levels...

First, it was great to feel improvement and consistency. I have managed to keep my running up for a full year and I have consistently improved my times. The race was almost twice as large as last year, so I didn't know what to expect as far as speed. I knew the 10K had a lot of time on trails and that the narrow paths would slow the crowd. Even with that, I managed to beat my 10K personal best by about 8 seconds. I was hoping for more, but the slow start and the crowded trails caused me to miss a few seconds I could have taken off the time.

Lee had an outstanding race considering the 5K had over 2000 entries and has a notoriously slow start due to the crowd and early hills. She took third place in her age group. And her age group had 134 finishers! My neighbor's granddaughter won her age group and another neighbor had a son win his age group. Our street was well represented except for my 'slacker' performance!

This is a perfect race from a social standpoint as the West End area is great for the post race party and awards. The Greenville Track Club did a tremendous job putting on the race and we really had no complaints this year. The finish was improved to allow a little more room and having a disposable chip was great.

Other than the fact that I am getting jealous of Lee's growing trophy collection, I must say I am really enjoying racing and hope to see my times continue to drop over the next few years.

RIP Socks

No, not Bill and Hillary's cat. Though Socks the cat did die and I am sorry about that. That cat was 20 years old I think! No, this is about my first pair of 'running' socks. They finally bit the dust this week and I need to bite the bullet and toss them. I actually could bury them since they are wool and not synthetic, but I think the trash is where they are headed.

I never realized how awful it was to run in the old school cotton tube socks until I got my first pair of real running socks. They were a pair of SmartWool running socks and I love them. At first, I was not to sure that the idea of running in wool socks in South Carolina made a lot of sense. One run into the trial and I was sold. I will admit that I also own several pairs of synthetic running socks too. I still prefer the SmartWool, but both are a huge improvement over the old athletic socks I used to run in. I do kind of wish the smartwool socks were white as I still have a hard time thinking about the fact that I have on dark socks and shorts. Sometimes I think I might as well head to Florida, buy a condo and get in line for the 'Early Bird' at the local buffet since I am wearing dark socks and shorts.

These running socks are so smooth that your feet feel great and they wick away the moisture to help keep hot spots and blisters from forming. We runners tend to get a little high and mighty at times talking about the 'pure' sport that running is and how it doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment. While I still contend that is true over the long haul, paying $8-$15 for a pair of socks keeps me pretty humble when it comes to bragging about my minimalist sport!

The iPod experiment...

When I first started running, I carried an MP3 player and eventually upgraded to an iPod. I really was concerned that there was no way I could run without the music. At the time there was (and continues to be) a great debate over wearing headphones while running. Many of the elite runners and purists are adamantly opposed to the idea. Some claim an unfair performance boost while the purists just resist it because it takes away from the 'experience' of running. I thought they were nuts.

Last August we entered the 'Midnight Flight' race in Anderson and its literature was adamant that headphones would not be allowed. I was still a relatively new runner and obeyed the rule, even though I had my doubts about running 6 miles with no company except for my own warped mind. Guess what? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that I started running without my iPod and haven't used it on a run since August. Until Tuesday.

We had a little iTunes marathon the other day during all the snow and downloaded a bunch of new music. Well, most of it was old music but new to us. Anyway, I decided to dust off the iPod and wear it on Tuesday. I was amazed at how fast I ran. I did it again yesterday and got the same results. Maybe the folks claiming a performance boost are right. I also noticed that it appears at first glance that my heart rate was a little lower than it normally is at the pace I was running. I don't know what that means, but I hope it means that I still have an extra gear I can kick into at my race on Saturday.

I think I will still run in silent mode some, especially on long, slow runs since the music seems to pick my pace up. I am definitely going to go forward with the experiment and see if I can use it to get some tougher runs in, especially as the temps rise (hopefully soon!).

The great blizzard of '09....

Well, the blizzard has come and mostly gone and it is time to get my last few miles of training in before the Reedy River Run...

I didn't mind the break yesterday because of the blizzard, but I had already been running on a treadmill for three days so I am dying to get back outside. I'm not sure if I will make it today or not. My thought was to run 7-8 miles today and then get in a 5 mile tempo run tomorrow. I may have to reverse those and do the tempo run on the treadmill today. I'll probably do the elliptical on Thursday and an easy 3 miles on Friday.

I had originally hoped to PR in this race, but when I bailed on the marathon my training hasn't been as tough as it should have been and I don't see a PR in the cards for Saturday. I doubt I will get a PR at the Cooper River Bridge Run either because it is so crowded. Maybe I can find a 10K later in the spring or I may have to shoot for a PR at the Midnight Flight in August.

I have discovered that the treadmill can become a little more enjoyable if you can find a movie or basketball game to watch. Sitcoms have too many commercials and I don't like flipping channels too much while I am running. This past weekend, I was able to find some movies to watch and it made a big difference. It seems like most of the movies on during the day are chick flicks or real old movies. I don't mind old movies, but I like to get in at the beginning if I haven't seen it before. I had a real flash back to the 80's watching 'The Karate Kid" on Saturday while I was running. Seeing scenes of a high school where not every kid had a car, nobody had cell phones and the kids had a big boom box on the beach brought back memories. I rented it that night so my kids could see how people really survived without all that stuff. Of course, don't try to take away my Garmin.... Oh yeah, I am pretty sure I saw a pair of first generation Nike Pegasus shoes in the flick too...

Finally back on the road....

I got in a nice 7 miles at lunch today. I kept up a respectable 7.47 pace and was happy with that. I was really happy when I found out that runningahead.com (the website I use to log my miles) now offers a direct upload from my Garmin.

The weather was really nice today. It was a little breezy, but not too bad. I considered stretching it out to a 10 miler, but I need to get back to work. I hope to get a long run in sometime this weekend. I want to make sure I stay on track for the Greer 1/2 marathon.

I did have a scary moment where someone was pulling out of their driveway and almost clipped me. They stared right at me and then turned their head to look the other direction. I went out toward the middle of the street just as a precaution and I am glad I did.... This guy just plowed right out of his driveway and only missed me by about a foot. I need to do some speedwork!

Where are the miles?

I haven't hit the road or the gym since Monday.....

Yikes!

Closing in on 100....

I had a short, but relatively hard 3 mile run today. I pushed mile 2 as hard as I could and get about a 7:38 pace in for an uphill mile. It felt good to run hard like that and I hope to get real tempo run in later in the week.

While looking at my stats for the month, I realized I am about to close in on 100 miles for the third straight month and 5 out of the last 6. I probably was higher than that in August and July, but I didn't keep a log for those two months. I need to drag my tail out of bed tomorrow to get a workout in early because it is going to be a busy day. I hope to cross train tomorrow and then get in two good runs on Wednesday and Friday. I may do a short run on Thursday or just cross train.

Lots of good races coming up... I just saw where the GHS 5K is moving to the Swamp Rabbit Trail this year. That should be a good race and it is definitely cheap with a $5 entry fee if you sign up early. Also coming up is the Furman 5K, the Greer Earth Day (half and 5K), Sunrise Run 8K and the Candlelight Run. That's lots of racing between now and the end of June.