Trying to get back in the pattern of regular running is turning out to be harder than I thought. I didn't run Friday, I tried to run Saturday but I took too long to start and got shut down by the lightning in the last half of the afternoon. Sunday I went late again but managed two miles and then I let the lightning drive me inside. I think I was dehydrated because the legs felt awful.
Monday did not turn out to be a running day so now here we are at Tuesday. I had planned to go first thing in the morning but that did not happen. Actually I went out tonight and had a good run. The feet were swollen and puffy from sitting at the desk all day but after the first several hundred yards I did not think about them at all. The run for the first two miles was slow and steady with no music pacing. Just watch the distance go by. After 2 miles, I looked at the time and I thought I was going over an hour for 4 miles. I wanted to keep the sub 15 minute pace so I dropped my shoulders and arms and stretched out a little and turned the feet over just a little faster. I went to the Doors for help. They played til I got back to the neighborhood. They got to the Whiskey song and I matched their beat. I did two and a half verses and then had to drop back. I backed the IPOD to the previous song and dropped my pace accordingly. When I came around the corners and headed toward the house, I got Whiskey again. This only lasted one verse but I was not done at the house. I had to make the little loop as well. I hit the wrong button when I hit the last curve but I am pretty sure I did all 4 miles within the hour.
I guess Tuesday is going to be my long run day.
Got shower...someone is stinky!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Back in the Saddle again
Well not much has been written since January but that doesn't mean life stopped. Judy went up to visit Jenn for a weekend and before you knew it I was registered for another half Marathon. This was in Charlottesville, VA near where Jenn lives. She and I tried again and one of the people from her school also ran too. The registration was really close to the race so training was almost non-existant. Fortunately the Team in Training people did such a good job with my training, I had enough residual strength to complete another one. This time I shaved 40 minutes off my time.
This was hilly and not like Phoenix. The group started out, turned a corner, and started up a hill. Not a big hill but I thought I saw a sign that had the name Everest on it. I was pretty winded when I made the next turn and saw the road was starting to level out some but it still continued upward. Ultimately we did hit some downhill stuff as well but since this was an out and back course, I figured it might be okay to get the uphills out of the way early.
We did some more up and down and then there was a right angle turn to the left (or is that a left angle turn?). Then I saw....this was Everest. It just went up and up and up. I went up and up and oof!...This did me in and I had to walk the last part of the hill.
By now some of the half marathoners had already hit the turn and were headed back. I saw them running downhill as I was still going up. Didn't seem fair somehow.
The lead marathoner then went by with his police motorcycle escorts. Hmm...he is closing in on his 22 mile mark and I haven't hit 6.5 yet. He was moving pretty good.Lots of high 5's and atta-boys from the returning runners giving me encouragement to keep going.
Finally I saw the turn around point, (Jenn and I had driven out there before the race and I thought it might have been somewhere in Tennessee. A nice easy lope around the orange cones in the road and I was on the last half. Still lots of volunteers along the way with cheers and water and energy drinks...Let's hear it for the volunteers!!!
Now I am going up the small hill that levels out and then the big downhill that had made me walk for that short time. Now I learn the true secret that we Clydesdales share. Downhill incorporates gravity and we can haul butt if the hill is steep enough. My normal pace is about 15 minutes per mile. I checked my Garmin near the bottom of the hill and just after I passed one lady (the only one I passed until just before the finish on the back half) I saw that the pace was almost down to 9 minutes per mile. It did not last long but it felt pretty good.
More residential running now with roads meadering through neighborhoods with large houses set back from the street. This took us to the campus of U of VA. There we hit a dirt path and crossed a footbridge to get through the campus and avoid vehicle traffic.
A little further through the campus and I heard one of the roadside encouragers say " just one more hill and then it is easy from there". What I did not realize was that I only had 3/4 of a hill left in me. This made for some more walking to the crest and then running again took over.
Now I knew where I was and could almost smell the finish line. As I ran, some crazy lady ran out at me as I went by. However, it turned out she wasn't a crazy lady after all, it was Laurie from the lake who had come out with her hubby and dog to support the two from Lake Monticello. Thanks Laurie and John.
Now there were two guys ahead of me and one was limping badly. Aha thought I, perhaps I can get ahead of then and beat them in. I ignited the afterburners and edged past them. I turned the corner and headed for the finish and the arch of balloons. Suddenly I heard this racket behind me and those two guys decided to get macho and were racing each other to the finish. I didn't realize in time to get my speed up and they managed to get ahead and beat me across the line. Maybe next time.
Jenn gave me just time enough to get the people at the finish line coordinated as a cheering squad. I had 6 people joining me in cheering her through the arch.
The race was fun but the post race was easier than Phoenix. We each got into a cold tub to soak and prevent swelling and that night we went out to eat and took in a movie. Both of us did pretty well in spite of our reduced training.
Now to the THIRD race. This will be in Virginia Beach ( another Rock N Roll) and it will be Labor Day weekend. That now turns out to be about 11 weeks away. Got a call from both Jenn and Lisa yesterday reminding me that training a necessity to running half marathons.
So today I ran 2 miles to get started Time 28:23. I think under 15 minutes per mile is pretty good considering.Thanks girls, I needed that.Time for a shower and some dinner.
Go Team!
This was hilly and not like Phoenix. The group started out, turned a corner, and started up a hill. Not a big hill but I thought I saw a sign that had the name Everest on it. I was pretty winded when I made the next turn and saw the road was starting to level out some but it still continued upward. Ultimately we did hit some downhill stuff as well but since this was an out and back course, I figured it might be okay to get the uphills out of the way early.
We did some more up and down and then there was a right angle turn to the left (or is that a left angle turn?). Then I saw....this was Everest. It just went up and up and up. I went up and up and oof!...This did me in and I had to walk the last part of the hill.
By now some of the half marathoners had already hit the turn and were headed back. I saw them running downhill as I was still going up. Didn't seem fair somehow.
The lead marathoner then went by with his police motorcycle escorts. Hmm...he is closing in on his 22 mile mark and I haven't hit 6.5 yet. He was moving pretty good.Lots of high 5's and atta-boys from the returning runners giving me encouragement to keep going.
Finally I saw the turn around point, (Jenn and I had driven out there before the race and I thought it might have been somewhere in Tennessee. A nice easy lope around the orange cones in the road and I was on the last half. Still lots of volunteers along the way with cheers and water and energy drinks...Let's hear it for the volunteers!!!
Now I am going up the small hill that levels out and then the big downhill that had made me walk for that short time. Now I learn the true secret that we Clydesdales share. Downhill incorporates gravity and we can haul butt if the hill is steep enough. My normal pace is about 15 minutes per mile. I checked my Garmin near the bottom of the hill and just after I passed one lady (the only one I passed until just before the finish on the back half) I saw that the pace was almost down to 9 minutes per mile. It did not last long but it felt pretty good.
More residential running now with roads meadering through neighborhoods with large houses set back from the street. This took us to the campus of U of VA. There we hit a dirt path and crossed a footbridge to get through the campus and avoid vehicle traffic.
A little further through the campus and I heard one of the roadside encouragers say " just one more hill and then it is easy from there". What I did not realize was that I only had 3/4 of a hill left in me. This made for some more walking to the crest and then running again took over.
Now I knew where I was and could almost smell the finish line. As I ran, some crazy lady ran out at me as I went by. However, it turned out she wasn't a crazy lady after all, it was Laurie from the lake who had come out with her hubby and dog to support the two from Lake Monticello. Thanks Laurie and John.
Now there were two guys ahead of me and one was limping badly. Aha thought I, perhaps I can get ahead of then and beat them in. I ignited the afterburners and edged past them. I turned the corner and headed for the finish and the arch of balloons. Suddenly I heard this racket behind me and those two guys decided to get macho and were racing each other to the finish. I didn't realize in time to get my speed up and they managed to get ahead and beat me across the line. Maybe next time.
Jenn gave me just time enough to get the people at the finish line coordinated as a cheering squad. I had 6 people joining me in cheering her through the arch.
The race was fun but the post race was easier than Phoenix. We each got into a cold tub to soak and prevent swelling and that night we went out to eat and took in a movie. Both of us did pretty well in spite of our reduced training.
Now to the THIRD race. This will be in Virginia Beach ( another Rock N Roll) and it will be Labor Day weekend. That now turns out to be about 11 weeks away. Got a call from both Jenn and Lisa yesterday reminding me that training a necessity to running half marathons.
So today I ran 2 miles to get started Time 28:23. I think under 15 minutes per mile is pretty good considering.Thanks girls, I needed that.Time for a shower and some dinner.
Go Team!
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