September 27, 2006
Post Race
After the race Sunday, I feel like I've recovered pretty quickly. The plan is to keep the mileage up this week and then cut back next week. My legs weren't too sore Monday morning, but I was pretty tired as I covered seven miles. Tuesday I ran ten, but my right Achilles felt a little tight. I iced it and took some drugs when I got back. This morning I was lazy and slept in, but I plan on getting out for at least a short run tonight. The last two weeks I've run workouts on Wednesday, but this week I'm giving myself an extra day and I'll run the workout Thursday.
1:28:01
I've made a bad habit out of showing up late to races lately, and the Parks Half Marathon was no exception. I'm a terrible estimator of time and it took a little longer to get there than I thought it would, plus I left late and still had to pick up my number. I arrived about a half hour before the race, picked up my number, and dropped off my bag. Then I headed over to the porta-potties and the start. By this time it was about 15 minutes before the start.
I waited in line for the porta-potties for a few minutes before it became obvious that I wasn't going to make it before the race began, so I just sucked it up and headed to the start. I had visions of PRing, but my late arrival and short warm up caused me to decide to run the race as a marathon pace effort.
The race started, and despite feeling like I went out controlled, I passed two miles in 12:38, about 20-25 seconds per mile faster than I wanted to be running. To be fair, though, the first two miles were so downhill it was like falling off a cliff. After about two miles, the race turned onto the path it would follow to the finish. I settled in as best I could given my inability to use the porta-potty before the race, and began to run 6:4X and 6:5X miles, which was more like it. About eight miles into the race, I was going to stop at a porta-potty on the course, but as I came up to it I saw it was occupied, so I pressed on. At 12 miles the course turned on to an unpaved section of the path, and I ran my slowest mile of the race, 7:00. I regained my focus and ran mile 13 in 6:44 and then the last .1 mile in 35 seconds to finish in 1:28:01.
Overall, I'm pleased with the race. Even after the fast start, I was able to settle into marathon pace and stay there for the entire race, with the slight lapse in the 12th mile. When I finished, I didn't feel too spent, and coming into the race I hadn't tapered and the week before and week of the race were two higher mileage weeks. The race bodes well for Richmond, which last week I registered for last week.
I waited in line for the porta-potties for a few minutes before it became obvious that I wasn't going to make it before the race began, so I just sucked it up and headed to the start. I had visions of PRing, but my late arrival and short warm up caused me to decide to run the race as a marathon pace effort.
The race started, and despite feeling like I went out controlled, I passed two miles in 12:38, about 20-25 seconds per mile faster than I wanted to be running. To be fair, though, the first two miles were so downhill it was like falling off a cliff. After about two miles, the race turned onto the path it would follow to the finish. I settled in as best I could given my inability to use the porta-potty before the race, and began to run 6:4X and 6:5X miles, which was more like it. About eight miles into the race, I was going to stop at a porta-potty on the course, but as I came up to it I saw it was occupied, so I pressed on. At 12 miles the course turned on to an unpaved section of the path, and I ran my slowest mile of the race, 7:00. I regained my focus and ran mile 13 in 6:44 and then the last .1 mile in 35 seconds to finish in 1:28:01.
Overall, I'm pleased with the race. Even after the fast start, I was able to settle into marathon pace and stay there for the entire race, with the slight lapse in the 12th mile. When I finished, I didn't feel too spent, and coming into the race I hadn't tapered and the week before and week of the race were two higher mileage weeks. The race bodes well for Richmond, which last week I registered for last week.
September 23, 2006
The Big Race
Tomorrow I'm running the Parks Half Marathon. I won't lie; I'm disappointed that it's going to be in the seventies and breezy when just two days prior the temperature was in the upper forties. But, there's still no reason I can't have a good race.
Training has gone well over the past few days. I ran on the track again on Wednesday night, five miles at marathon pace. I even started about 45 meters back from the starting line so I would actually run five miles. The track was a popular place to be that night. Not only were there people running and walking, there was a couple taking up the inside three lanes walking their dog. The dog was in lane one. I must have gone around them six or seven times. You'd think they might move after I passed them once or twice. Of course, as soon as I was finished and was leaving the track for my cool down home they left too. The workout ended as five (plus whatever extra distance I ran going around the dog walkers) miles in 34:46.
Thursday morning I ran an easy six miles and yesterday an easy ten. I'm not really tapering for the half. This morning I ran an easy six pushing the kids, with a quick stop at Starbucks for some coffee.
Training has gone well over the past few days. I ran on the track again on Wednesday night, five miles at marathon pace. I even started about 45 meters back from the starting line so I would actually run five miles. The track was a popular place to be that night. Not only were there people running and walking, there was a couple taking up the inside three lanes walking their dog. The dog was in lane one. I must have gone around them six or seven times. You'd think they might move after I passed them once or twice. Of course, as soon as I was finished and was leaving the track for my cool down home they left too. The workout ended as five (plus whatever extra distance I ran going around the dog walkers) miles in 34:46.
Thursday morning I ran an easy six miles and yesterday an easy ten. I'm not really tapering for the half. This morning I ran an easy six pushing the kids, with a quick stop at Starbucks for some coffee.
September 19, 2006
Recap
Sun: 16 miles
Mon: 8 miles
Tue: 10 miles
Sunday's long run went OK. I was hoping for maybe 17 or 18 miles, but because of how I was feeling towards the end of the run I stopped at 16. I should have eaten a little more before I ran since I didn't get out until 12:30, and I should not have forgone the water and Gu I had planned on having. I thought I'd feel a lot worse than I did Monday and it was a pleasant surprise that I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be. I stayed up last night to watch most of the Steelers game, and expected to be exhausted this morning. Even though I ran a few minutes slower than I usually do, the 10 miles went by pretty quickly, and I never did feel too bad. I've got a workout scheduled for tomorrow, and then a few easy days before the half-marathon Sunday.
Mon: 8 miles
Tue: 10 miles
Sunday's long run went OK. I was hoping for maybe 17 or 18 miles, but because of how I was feeling towards the end of the run I stopped at 16. I should have eaten a little more before I ran since I didn't get out until 12:30, and I should not have forgone the water and Gu I had planned on having. I thought I'd feel a lot worse than I did Monday and it was a pleasant surprise that I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be. I stayed up last night to watch most of the Steelers game, and expected to be exhausted this morning. Even though I ran a few minutes slower than I usually do, the 10 miles went by pretty quickly, and I never did feel too bad. I've got a workout scheduled for tomorrow, and then a few easy days before the half-marathon Sunday.
September 16, 2006
Keep it Up
I did run my workout Wednesday night and managed 5 x 2k at a little faster than marathon pace. I warmed up 2.5 miles, and then ran the workout, with a lap of rest in between the repeats. I was consistent, running 8:04, 8:06, 8:06, 7:59, and 8:05. I had some stomach discomfort towards the end, which surprised me since pace-wise this is not a terribly hard workout.
After the workout Wednesday night, I didn't get to bed until midnight, so I ran Thursday evening. I ran an easy six miles. Friday morning I ran nine miles, and this morning I ran seven miles pushing the kids in the stroller. We ran a new loop, all on streets I've run before but never in this order. They're certainly heavy, especially going uphill.
After the workout Wednesday night, I didn't get to bed until midnight, so I ran Thursday evening. I ran an easy six miles. Friday morning I ran nine miles, and this morning I ran seven miles pushing the kids in the stroller. We ran a new loop, all on streets I've run before but never in this order. They're certainly heavy, especially going uphill.
September 13, 2006
Frustrated
I tend to be a little bitter when I don't run in the morning. After a late night last night, I reset my alarm when it went off. I'm going to run tonight, either when I get home or after the kids go to bed, because I promised myself that I'd be consistent in these last two months before the marathon.
Yesterday I ran 10 miles. I might have done another mile or two, but as I was getting close to home, the stomach issues intensified so I just finished with 10. The big news of yesterday was that it was Puff's (who will now be referred to as j, because we don't call him Puff anymore and really haven't for a while) first day of preschool. He had a great time and had no trouble as his mommy, daddy, and little brother left.
On the schedule tonight is some track work, 4 or 5 by 2k at marathon pace.
Yesterday I ran 10 miles. I might have done another mile or two, but as I was getting close to home, the stomach issues intensified so I just finished with 10. The big news of yesterday was that it was Puff's (who will now be referred to as j, because we don't call him Puff anymore and really haven't for a while) first day of preschool. He had a great time and had no trouble as his mommy, daddy, and little brother left.
On the schedule tonight is some track work, 4 or 5 by 2k at marathon pace.
September 11, 2006
Vacation
It's hard to be back at work. I spent the last week in Hilton Head, SC, with the wife, kids, and my parents. The week of Labor Day is a great week to go on vacation. You get the beach and the golf course almost to yourself. Everyone had a great time.
I did run while on vacation, all of it with J. It was nice to be able to leave the kids with their grandparents and go run. I didn't run Saturday or Sunday, though. We left Hilton Head after dinner Friday night and didn't get home until almost 4 am, which was the plan since it meant the kids slept almost the whole way home, but it only left me with three hours of sleep that night. I took a nap Saturday afternoon and was able to play softball Saturday night, though. J was exhausted Saturday as well as a little bitter since I took a nap and played softball Saturday night, so I decided I take Sunday off too unless I had a really good opportunity to run. Between the kids' naps and taking them to a local park for the "Touch-A-Truck" event, the opportunity never came.
This morning I ran nine miles; eight miles out and back on the Parkway and the I added a mile around the house. After a slow start the pace came down and I had a good run.
I did run while on vacation, all of it with J. It was nice to be able to leave the kids with their grandparents and go run. I didn't run Saturday or Sunday, though. We left Hilton Head after dinner Friday night and didn't get home until almost 4 am, which was the plan since it meant the kids slept almost the whole way home, but it only left me with three hours of sleep that night. I took a nap Saturday afternoon and was able to play softball Saturday night, though. J was exhausted Saturday as well as a little bitter since I took a nap and played softball Saturday night, so I decided I take Sunday off too unless I had a really good opportunity to run. Between the kids' naps and taking them to a local park for the "Touch-A-Truck" event, the opportunity never came.
This morning I ran nine miles; eight miles out and back on the Parkway and the I added a mile around the house. After a slow start the pace came down and I had a good run.
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