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Apr 30, 2011

Oops -- Training run turns into race

Short Version:  1:44:06 for my third half; a new PR by 46 seconds(oh so close to 1:43!)

  • 920 runners; 92nd place overall
  • 18th out of 86 in my Age Group(M 40-44)
  • 436 male runners; 78th place for men
  • 7:57 average pace per mile

Long Version:

Today was my third half marathon.  It was a great day.  Temps started in the low 40's and finished in the 50's.  It was also sunny with just a little bit of wind.  My running buddy and I got to the race at about 7:30am, exactly when the race said to be there.  We probably could have come a little later but we were there.  The race actually started just around the corner from where I used to work so I knew the area very well.  We walked around a little.  There were more than enough port-o-potties around the area and we didn't have to wait at all.  That's a first.

We waited in the car until a little after 8am and then went to look for the starting line.  They kind of had corrals(for each race, 5k walker, 5k runners, half under 2 hours, etc) but it was quite confusing.  It worked out in the end with everyone starting when they were supposed to.  My plan was to do this race as a training run.  I actually lined up with the 1:50 pacers and figured that would be a great pace to complete the half.  I went about two miles with the pacers and was really feeling quite good so I decided to speed things up.  By the time I got to mile 7, I figured, what the heck, I'll go for a PR since things were going so well.  Here's how my splits ended up:

Race time and Garmin time were exact!

As you can see above, I was following my plan and following the pacers and then BOOM, I had had enough of the slower pace and took off.  I was actually surprised that my splits were fairly even except for mile 12.  I don't know what it is with mile 12 but I always seem to slow down in that mile.  Also, at the last part of the race after mile 13, I slowed down a little since I was ready to puke and there was about 1,000 people at the end of the race.  That would have been quite embarrassing to puke in front of that many people so I slowed a little and caught my breath and that kept me from embarrassing myself.

One thing about this race, IT WAS FLAT!  And when I say flat, flat as a pancake.  Here is the elevation for the race.  I don't think you can get much flatter:

Flat!

Overall, it was a nice run except for two things.  First, the streets were not closed completely to traffic so you had to watch closely.  They had one lane closed and another open for cars.  There were tons of police though.  I think the entire Macomb County Police Department was out there so they certainly helped make it safe.  The other thing was I thought the run would have been more scenic - it was Ok.  Here is the map of the race from my Garmin.  As you can see, we ran through a Metro Park and that was a nice part of the run.  We also ran through part of a trail which was not really flat but sort of on an angle running which I did not like much but it was not too far:

Map of Race
Overall, a nice race and I would probably do it again considering it's only 20 minutes from my home.  It is nice having a race that close to your home.  This is my running buddy and I before the race.  This is the corral that I was talking about.  It was kind of different from other races I have ran but it ended up working out fine.


Here's a picture of the medal:



The race had water, orange slices(yum!), banana's and apples to eat at the end of the race.  They also had a band at the end of the race and a couple bands on the course including an Elvis impersonator which was nice.  While I did not use them much, it was nice that they had pacers out there for people looking to meet a certain time.  I know there are no pacers for my Full marathon next month but I wish there were to help keep me going.

Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!
















Apr 29, 2011

Race shirt....

Today was a good day --- a rest day!!!!

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Less than 30 days until my Marathon.  I'm feeling really confident right now and only a 20 miler to worry about.  I feel I recovered pretty well from last weeks 20 miler and only took off one day after running that 20 miler and have felt great running all this past week. I think my foot hurt because of my old shoes so they have been retired with about 400 miles on them.

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Here's a couple pictures of my race shirt/bib for my next half marathon on Saturday.  I am going to stick to my plan and run this as a training run.  Now, I know I will likely run it a little faster than a training run but my goal is to finish under 2 hours which should be a comfortable run for me.  No PR for this race as I want to keep my legs strong for the 20 next weekend.  I really could use some more short sleeve tech shirts but I do use all my long sleeve ones and I do like having a white one.

Brooks Race Shirt


Back with Sponsors

Free drink, free Pizza, and gear check

Cinch Bag - not bad.
Not that I'm complaining(ok maybe I am) but it would be nice to get something besides a shirt.  The bag is nice.  I know at least I'll use it sometimes and I do use the shirts but need something different. I'd like to see a nice big coffee mug(because I would use that daily), a key chain, socks, shorts, a hat, themed road id? ---- anything besides a shirt would be nice.  I'm going to buy myself a mug at the Detroit Half Marathon this year.  You've got to really love it though since they're like $25 bucks!!!

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Question of the day?  What have you received from a race that you actually use all the time?



Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 28, 2011

Wet Worm City.....

The theme for today's 5 mile run was wet, wet, wet.  There were also tons of worms out on the roads and sidewalks this morning.  I started out my run with a very light rain that turned into a steady downpour and finished with lots of wind too.  The first mile was not too bad, a little wet.  The next four miles were really wet with the last half mile wet and windy.  After the second mile of trying to jump around puddles and not being successful at keeping my feet dry, I just went right through them.  My shoes were absolutely soaked but I was determined to finish my run.  I won't start running in pouring rain but I also won't quite during it either unless there's a thunderstorm. It was really pouring about an hour before I started today and then the sky broke for awhile.  I was thinking I could get my run complete without rain but I was not so lucky today.


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Tomorrow's an off day so I'm ready for my third half marathon.  I'm already feeling awesome!  Feet are in good shape, legs feel awesome and excited it's only 13.1 I'm running this weekend.  As I have said in the past, this one looks really fun.  Aren't they all?  The forecast is Sunny and high of 67 so it should be in the low 50's when we are running.  Great weather for a half marathon!  This is the first year of this half and they are over 2300 runners as of Tuesday.  Wow! Huge for a first year!

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Question of the day?  Will you start your run outside if it's raining?




Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!!

Apr 27, 2011

28 times....

8 miles on the schedule today.  I was able to get it done before the rain comes in.  We were supposed to have thunderstorms all night too but must be coming in later for today and tomorrow.  I can hear the thunder as I type this.  I did see a few flashes of lightning and that helped keep my pace up at the end.  Haha!  I'm hoping for my last run(before my next half) tomorrow will be outside.

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28.  That's the amount of times I used the treadmill from November 1st through today.  I was actually surprised that I used it that much.  This winter sure sucked!  While I know it's a necessary tool, I hate using it!  Here she is - reliable but hate it!  Last run on the treadmill was March 24th.  Next run on it - hopefully never!


I've also got a TV in front of the mill so at least I can pass the time while on it.

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I read some great signs for anyone that is going to be a spectator at a marathon.  Here are some of them and some pictures too:

"Humpty Dumpty had wall issues too."
"Run faster, I just farted!"
"You can do it "name here", Don't die!"
"This marathon would be fun if not for all the running."
"In our minds, you're all Kenyans."
"Your legs will forgive you....eventually"
"Don't stop -- people are watching."
"If it was easy, I would do it."
"This is easier than labor and delivery."
"Stop reading this and keep running!"
"Beat Oprah!"
"Mortuary ahead....look alive!"
"Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit."
"Your place in history is almost secure"
"You are no longer a runner, YOU are a marathoner." - seen at mile 26
"Trust your training"
"Forget everything you've done.  It's just a Sunday 10k left to do!" - at mile 20
"If you walk, you'll still be hurting"
"On this day, you're my hero."
"Pain is temporary, pride is forever."
"Pain is just weakness leaving your body."
"It's no 26.2 miles....It's 10 water stops"
"If it was easy, everyone would do it."
"This 26.2 is for all the girls picked last in gym class."
"There is beer at the finish line."

Great card!




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Question of the day?  Do you thing runners should be required to pick up their own race  packets at the expo?  My half on Saturday thinks so.



Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 26, 2011

Bumpy Cake!!!

Ok, 5 miles today and my legs are feeling good and my foot no longer hurts!  Yeah!  Am I back on schedule?  I'm not really sure.  My plan was to take off two days before the half marathon but I may only take off one day.  We'll see how I'm feeling.  As far as today's run, I'm feeling pretty good.  It would have been nice if it was not misting the entire way but it sure beats having to use the treadmill.  Looks like I might have to use the treadmill this week since we are expecting storms.  I'm not sure if I even know how to turn the treadmill on.  The last time I used it was March 24th.

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Yesterday, Kovas from Midwest Multisport Life asked what a bumpy cake(poured chocolate) was.  For those of you that don't know,  here's a picture of what we ate for desert yesterday for Easter:


Now, this is not exactly what the inside looks like below, but you get the idea.  Sorry, it went fast so no pictures of the inside.  The white frosting was lined around the entire part of the cake instead of just two bumps(get it, bumpy cake?) so there was much more of it:



I only had a very thin piece so I can't imagine I gained two pounds after all that running but who knows. Actually, I'm up another pound today(with no change in diet) so my guess is muscle growth??
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Question of the day:  What's the perfect time to start a Half Marathon?  My half on Saturday does not start until 8:55am!!!  That is pretty late.  I would prefer 7-8am. How about you?


Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 25, 2011

Recovery

Today's a rest day to recover from the long run yesterday.  That is the first long run I really feel like I needed a recovery and couldn't at least cross train.  Boy am I sore! It sure would be nice to not run tomorrow as well but I'm sure I'll be fine.  My brain tends to get in the way of my body.

Yesterday at Easter I got a chance to watch the Boston marathon finally.  Sorry to anyone that ran it, but it was not that interesting, at least on TV.  I really enjoyed watching the New York Marathon better but that is probably because they covered the normal runners too instead of just the elite runners.

Also had a great dinner yesterday too.  Smoked chicken, ham, cheesy potatoes, green beens, grilled asparagus, salad and a piece of Easter Egg shaped bumpy cake!  Great recovery meal!  I gained two pounds - why does that happen with such a hard workout - I hate looking at the scale after a really hard workout.


Question of the day:  How much do you need to recover after your 20 miler?  I'm hoping only one day rest is enough.



Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 24, 2011

20 miles...I did it!

Today was the day.  20 miles.  My first one.  Ran the entire way.  I decided to take it slow so as to not hurt myself.  Fortunately, my foot only hurt from miles 14.5 - 16 and then got better.  Very strange because it hurt after the run today as well.   So....I'm taking off tomorrow.  It's a cross training day so I'll be missing that but I feel like I need the recovery.

We(my running buddy and I) ran the 20 with an average pace of about 9:21 per mile for 3 hours and 7 minutes.  Good since my goal is 4 hours.  My longest run to date.  His longest run to date too.  The first 14 were pretty easy.  The next 6 not so much. The last two were much hard so I can only imagine how the marathon will feel for that last 6.2 miles.  I do feel I could have finished a marathon today but would not have been at my time of 4 hours.  I'm still holding my goals as follows:

1) Finish
2) Finish 4:20
3) Finish just under 4 hour

The entire trail we ran today was asphalt paved.  I really preferred the Paint Creek trail since it is much softer on the legs so in two weeks we are heading back to the Paint Creek Trail for the last 20 miler.  It was also so much easier having a partner out there to help keep each others pace and keep each other running.  I'm also going to be watching that foot and if I feel I need to take off another day during the week, I'll do so.  I have 5,8,5,5 coming up and then a half on Saturday.  I have not missed one single run since I started training for the marathon and so I hate to miss a workout but it would not be the end of the world if I missed it, you know?  It's not like I have missed a long run.

Someone said in my last post, perhaps I'm not up to so much running. I would agree with that.  I'm looking forward to running less and only training for half marathons the rest of the year.  As I said before, one per year is enough for me.  While I know the accomplishment will be great, it just goes to show me that I really do love running half marathons.


Question of the day?  So how much harder is that 6.2 miles at the end?




Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 23, 2011

Rest Day...

Rest day today.  My legs feel great.  My foot - not so good.  Not a good sign when your foot bothers you when you are only walking.  I'm hoping that when I warm up tomorrow, my foot will feel better as well.  I've got three tough weekends coming up 20, half, 20 and I really don't want to be in pain while running.  Not fun.  It's actually going to be 70 today here.  Finally.  Of course, I'm not running but still in the 50's tomorrow as well so great for a long run.

I was going to just take off one day of running on Friday this coming week for my half marathon but I think it would be better to take off two days.  If my foot is better, then I'll only take one otherwise two it is! I'd like to think it's my mind playing games with me just trying to get past another benchmark, but I'm thinking not this time.  You know those little pains that always come up before a new long run or a race?  My biggest fear --- training all this time and then NOT running the marathon.

Since the long run is planned on a new route, I'm hoping that takes my mind off things. :)


Question of the day:  What do you think about when running?  I think about all kinds of things in life or sometimes I don't think and just veg and listen to music.



Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!!

Apr 22, 2011

20 miler!!!!

5 miles today and pretty quick as well; kept under 8 minute pace.  The last three miles of the run were in the rain too but it was not pouring rain, just a steady rain.  AND enough of this crazy cold in April.  I'm longing for days like this again:



Tomorrow is a rest day.  I love Saturday rest days.  My plan - Do nothing.  I want to be 100% rested for what I have coming up on Sunday ---- my first 20 miler ever!!!!  It's a great time to do a 20 miler because the wife and kids will sleep in while I'm out running(for 3 hours! Yikes!).  Then it's over to my parents for Easter dinner and I'm sure I'll be hungry.

My foot has been giving me problems this week but it felt better on today's run after the first mile, but the rest will do it some good. I'm hoping for a positive experience on the 20 miler.  It will go a long way in keeping my confidence high.  I have another one planned in two weeks as well and a half marathon in between them and then it's taper time from there on out.  I can't believe I'm only 35 days out!

Happy Good Friday everyone.  I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend!


Question of the day:  Do you get Good Friday off at work? Not for me :(




Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 21, 2011

Weather sucks!

Bowflex workout last night and 5 miles today.  This weather blows.  While I'm grateful it's not raining, this cold is crazy! That's all I'm saying!


And it SNOWED near my cottage up north!  ENOUGH TO SNOWMOBILE!!!!




Question of the day?  When the hell is spring coming?




Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Apr 20, 2011

Ryan Hall Garmin recording for Boston

5 miles today(I actually did 8 miles yesterday but said I did 5-oops) Today I really did only 5.  Still cold outside.

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Saw something posted in Facebook about Ryan Hall's time on his Garmin. Very interesting!  Here is his crazy ass fast splits!


Here is the elevation.  This looks easy(NOT!):


Here is the map of the route:



Very cool.  I wish it were downloaded from my Garmin(even with slow times).  By the way, I love my Garmin watch.  I HATE their software.

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Question of the day?  Anyone here ever run under a 5 minute mile(even just for one?)  That's a big fat no for me.  Best I've done is 6:58 - I know not very fast.



Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!!

Apr 19, 2011

Sub 2 hour for a marathon?

5 freakin miles today.  This weather just sucks.  It's nice it was not raining but, come on, we need some Spring temperatures now!

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Yesterday, the Detroit marathon announced what their new medal looks like.  Here it is:

Mustang for this years race

Now here is what last year's looked like:

Classic Car from last years race
See the difference?  The car.....that's it????  Ok, as you can see, I'm kind of disappointed with this.  You would think they would come up with something new?  I mean, come on.  There is so many creative people in Detroit and this is what they come up with.  The only good thing is that I'm running the half this year and I only did the relay this year.  It's still a great race but I'm just hoping laziness does not take over in other areas like it did for the medal.

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Boston marathon - WOW - world record 2:03:02!(a 4:41 pace? WOW!)  How long do you think it will be before someone breaks the 2 hour mark for the full marathon.  I bet it will be sooner than we think.  Do you think it's possible?  I guess he had a tailwind to help him but still, that time is amazing!!!  Did you know that he technically does not get to have the world record because Boston is deemed too easy?  Too easy?  Yes, I said too easy.  Right!

Way to go Americans as well.  We had a really good showing for this year.  Ryan Hall - 2:04:58 for 4th place.  Desiree Davila 2:22:38 for 2nd female and Kara Goucher 2:24:52 for 5th female.  Yeah Desiree - thanks for representing Michigan and Hanson's!
Desiree Davila

Ryan Hall

Kara Goucher

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Question of the day:  What's your marathon PR?




Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!!