Yowza! Another 20!

Today my running buddy and I completed our second 20 miler before our marathon on Memorial Day weekend.  Done!  And the splits were mighty fine in my opinion.  My only question ---- can I keep up this pace for another 6.2 miles to beat my 4 hour goal?  I have confidence that I can but I'm still right on the edge.  The last three miles of today's run was brutal so I'm not sure how the last 6.2 will be(really bad I'm sure) but I'm ready to find out.  Regardless, I'm going to make this a great first marathon and be happy that I'll have a PR either way.

We met a couple people who were also doing their 20's today as well and will be running in the same marathon - Bayshore up in Traverse City.

We also had one of my running buddy's friends join us.  His plan was to do 12 with us.  We got about 3 miles out and he fell on the trails.  Wow.  I was really worried for him.  He said that he was Ok and then about another mile into it, he backed off and let us go ahead.  I think he got the wind knocked out of him.  Ouch.  I have never fallen when running, thankfully, but sure hope he was Ok.  I'll find out from my running buddy this week.  I probably would have backed off as well if I were him because he really took a tumble.

Here's our splits.  As you can see, another 6.2 is cutting it really close with my pace to break 4 hours.  I am proud of the consistency.  I'm hoping the race is as close to 26.2 as we can get so I don't have to worry about missing it by seconds.  We did start a little too slow on mile 1 though so I can make up 10-15 seconds right there.  Yikes, I'm worrying about seconds!

It's been a busy day.  Lunch out with the mother-in-law and time spent at my Mom's house.  It's only 7pm and I'm ready for bed!

Question of the day:  For those that run marathons - do you do 1 or 2 20 miler runs.  The second one did help build my confidence that I can do it!



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

Rest day.....

Rest day today!!!  Yeah!!!

I'll update you on my 20 miler sometime on Saturday.

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

5 miles on the schedule today - done.  Still cold out for May - low 40's.  I'm beginning to think summer is never coming.  Ugh!  One nice think is that I'm finally starting to see light at the end of my run so about a mile of it it light out.  One nice part about summer coming!

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I've got my second 20 miler coming up on Saturday and we are heading back to the Paint Creek Trail.  Just a slightly softer surface makes for a nicer run.  The plan is to run 2 miles and then run the full trail to Lake Orion and back to Rochester.  I actually really enjoy running on this trail.  Since we'll be starting at 7:30am, it will be quiet for at least the first hour then by the time we get back, there are lots of people on the trail.

Here's the only issue I see right now:

It could be a little wet!!!!  Please hope for no rain.  If the weather is really accurate, this will work out perfectly.  If it rains, we will have the trail to ourselves.  A 20 miler in the rain would not be fun but of course would be great preparation(I guess) in case it rains at the marathon.  We could change the run to Sunday morning but it is Mother's day so I'm not sure my wife would appreciate it so I'll be running tomorrow rain or shine!

Question of the day:  Do you run on holidays?  Mother's day, Christmas, etc.  I do for some and not for others.



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

WTF Wednesday

5 miles today on schedule ------ Done!

1)  The entire time I ran this morning's run, it smelled like left over McDonald's.  Gross!  WTF

2) Nearing the end of my run, a car, in a subdivision, was coming towards me.  Normally not a big deal but I think he decided to say, "How close can I get to this runner without running him over?"  WTF

3) Mid 30's for my run this morning....in May!  WTF

Question of the day?  Anyone ever do Tough Mudder?  I saw a show on Travel channel about it.  Looks crazy!



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

Ran....

I ran 8 miles today but did not feel like it.  It's pretty rare that I don't want to get out there and run but I just was not feeling it today.  It's probably because I hate doing 8 miles before work.  Personally, it's just too much distance before work.  I like 6 miles or less.  I guess it does not matter anyway because this is my last 8 mile run during the week before the marathon.  Everything else during the week is 6 miles or less.  I'm going to enjoy the taper time.  25 days from now I'll be standing at the start line!

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Here's  a few  pictures from my race on Saturday.  Can't say they did that nice of job.  Photos of just the start and finish?  I don't think they were a regular sports photographer because they would have had photographers spread out around the course.  Since there was not many people coming in when I did, here's what they took:

Way back in the yellow!

Getting closer

Done!

Nothing worth buying in my opinion.  Plus, the timing clock is off from my actual time.

Question of the day?  Have you ever purchased race photos?  No for me!




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

April Recap....

5 miles on the schedule today.  I got outside for 5 today.  It was supposed to rain but then didn't.  Rest of week looks clear too! Yeah!

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April Recap:

21 runs for the month:  181.29 miles including one half marathon race; a PR for me!

3 bike rides for the month:  30 miles; I missed one after my 20 miler.

7 weigh workouts; I missed one after my 20 miler.

Question of the day?  How was your month of activity?




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

Rest day?

I normally take a rest day after a race but today I did weights and 10 miles on the bike.  I did this because my plan is to run my second 20 miler on Saturday(since Sunday is Mother's day) and I really want the day before off.  So this week I will be running starting tomorrow with a 5 miler, then 8,5,5, off and my final 20 miler.  We are heading back to the Paint Creek Trail to run on crushed limestone.  It's hard enough to have great footing and soft enough on your legs as well.  I can't wait to do this because then it means taper time thereafter!  I figured it probably would not go over well if I decided to run over 3 hours on Mother's Day.  I'm sure some of you would love for that to be your present?  3 hours of solitude on your day?  But my wife does not run and would prefer to do something else, I'm sure.

I was hoping to share some more pictures of yesterday's race but they still do not have up all the pictures.  They have the starting pictures but I'm not in any of them.  I did run it, believe me!

Question of the day:  What's your next race?  Full for me in 4 weeks!




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

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!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!!!!!

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!!!!!!