The Calm Between the Storms

So I recently ran a marathon. It was really really hard. Training for the marathon was also really really hard. It took a ton of time away from everything else in my life. The Wife often commented that I only did 4 things: run, sleep, eat and go to work. So my blog sat vacant while I pushed myself to train and run the marathon. I plan on writing up my thoughts on the marathon in the next week or so.

Now I am at the end of my "rest time" after the marathon. My coaches from my running group, Running Fit 501, said I should take a 3 weeks off, and I did.  Then I was sick, and then it was Christmas, etc. So this time truly has been the calm between the storms. My running group picks back up on January 22nd, and we will be running outside! In Michigan! In January!

So I should be back to writing as I get back into running. I also will have a 2014 goals post up soon as well.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year 2014. 

Running for Your Life

Date: 05/16/13
Route:  Ann Arbor Rd
Distance: 2.5 miles
Pace: 10:48/mile

So I decided to go out for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood, and for fun, completely changed up my route from normal. I decided to head through a neighborhood and out to the main road by my house, Ann Arbor Rd. Then I decided to loop back. along the way, I ran out of sidewalk. Here is the map of the part of my run that is hilarious:

If nothing else, this proves how accurate GPS watches are. See that part of my run where I shift from running next to Ann Arbor Rd, to running on Ann Arbor Rd? That's because I was running on the 4" gutter next to the road, in the dark, on a 5 lane road. Yeah, that was really really really not fun. I sprinted. My time in that section of the run went from 10:11/mile down to a low of 6:58/mile as I powered through the area under the railroad bridge. I did not even look behind me, I just sprinted through. 

Nothing will quite get the adrenaline going then minivans wizzing by right next to you at 45 miles an hour. Needless to say, this route will never be run again.

Have you ever had a route that turned into a disaster?

Runner Bling

I am not a fan of  runners decking out their cars like they are some personal extension of their medal rack. This is kind of what I am talking about:

Just a Couple.....

You know what I am talking about....they inevitably start with the 13.1 in a circle. Then comes the 26.2. Apparently then comes all the odd distances plus snarky stickers about runners ability to go for a long time. Throw in some race specific stickers and you are looking at a fancy looking Honda Accord.

So I was driving home from work the other day and saw the antithesis of runner bling:

This made me literally laugh out loud. It is the cultural response to the overwhelming ability of runners to brag about how awesome they are. Whoever threw this on his Explorer...I salute you!

Speedwork

Date: 5/7/13

Route:   Quick neighborhood 2.25 Miler
Distance: 2.25 Miles
Pace: 10:19/mile

Now that I have been back running for a little while, coming up on three weeks now, it is time to start varying my workouts a little bit. I am a big proponent of throwing some "speed" work into your routine. When I say speed work, I am talking about putting half or quarter miles into your workout that are a bump up in pace. I am not talking about going to the track and running 100m sprints.

During this run, I made sure to have an increased pace during the second half of mile 1, as well as the last .25.  I know that the last .25 was run at a 9:13 pace, which is pretty fast for a guy like me. Again, these are not really meant to be sprints, more to push yourself for a short period of time in the middle of a longer run.

What is your opinion on speed work?

Do you like sprints or increased pace within a run? 

The Grand Plan

Late last year, in a smokey room full of seasoned diplomats, a grand plan was hatched. This is what it looked like:
  

OK, this is really a famous pic from the Yalta Conference in 1945.

The grand plan was for a blogger meetup at the Chicago Marathon in 2013. Myself, Roseanne and a few others were going to join together in Chicago to run a marathon, my first ever full marathon, and try not to pass out doing it. Well plans changed. Timing and money came into play (let's just say Chicago is expensive), and "The Plan" changed.

The new plan has Roseanne and I running the Detroit Marathon together. The hometown favorite comes through again. Also, realize, when I say "together" I mean Roseanne will finish waaaaaaaaaay ahead of me and then offer moral and GU support.

As I am not a solo operation, and am part of a family consisting of CE and The Wife, it was a good idea to run this idea by The Wife. Lets just say that she was a mite bit skeptical. Honestly, I understand where she is coming from, and I might even be a little skeptical of myself. Making a logical argument against me running a marathon is really easy. It goes something like this:

1. I am too fat, as in 278lbs fat.
2. I have never run a full marathon before, and training for half marathons has been a challenge in the past.
3. It will be a challenge to carve out the time needed for training, putting a heavy burden on my wife to be a solo parent while I am out running.
4. Did I mention that I fall handily into the category of society called "obese." Obese people do not run marathons.
5. 278 lbs.... I mean lay off the Doritos already.

So, me being the bullheaded person that I am, decided to come up with a plan to run the marathon. The Wife would have to agree to this plan. It was called "Operation: Parvum Corpus." Thanks Google translate for making me sound smart.

Here are the main points of "The Plan":

1.  I am not able to register for the marathon until two criteria have been fulfilled. The first is that I get under 265lbs and hold it for two weeks. The second is that I go to a doctor and get an EKG of my heart to make sure I am in good enough cardio shape to run a marathon. 
2. I will be participating in the "Running 501" class at Running Fit in Northville. This class will meet twice a week, June through October to run and go over topics that are relevant to training for a long race.
3. I sill start tracking all my eating and exercise on www.myfooddiary.com. The idea being I will make better choices if I have better information.
3. I will not be able to run the marathon unless on race day I am under 250lbs.

So, with these criteria in front of me, I readily agreed to the plan. I am happy to report that I am already down to 273.8 lbs and hope to be under 265 by the end of May. So here is to Detroit, and to convincing my body that 26.2 miles is really just a long 10k!

A couple of observations about this post:

1. There are a lot of lists in this post
2. It was surprisingly hard to write your actual weight on the internet for all to see.
3. I am pretty confident that I will be able to meet the plan requirements and will run the marathon.  Keep checking back for updates. 

To Sweat or Not to Sweat

To sweat, or not to sweat, that is the question.....

One of the odd things about the spring is then while it it is still cooler outside outside, which is a good thing in my mind, it stays exactly the same temperature at the gym. A sweltering, 100% humidly experience is the norm anytime I hit the treadmill. This is pretty much what my experiance at the gym looks like (minus the funny hat):

When you are used to running outside in a cool 40 or 50 degrees, the abrupt reintroduction of this thing called heat can be overwhelming to the system. Usually while outside, I do not even feel loose or start to sweat until about 3/4 of a mile into a run. At the gym, I am sweating practically the second I get there. At my gym, the best treadmills are on a lofted area, so I get even more sweaty going up the stairs. By the time I step on the treadmill, I look like I already have several miles under my belt.

This of course has its pluses and minuses. On the plus side, I warm up faster, and I look like a champion before even firing up the treadmill. On the downside, I need a lot more fluids, and sweat dripping into your eyes just sucks. i refuse to be totally cool and throw on a headband, I know, my fault on the sweat in the eyes thing.

So what about you, do you enjoy sweating a little, or do you prefer to stay high and dry on your workouts?

Boston

I will never get to run the Boston Marathon. I know it is hard to believe, but alas, this linebacker of a runner never going to hit the times necessary to tackle Heartbreak Hill. Most runners will never run Boston, we are the masses of 10K and half marathon runners that plod along, excited to break 10 minutes a mile during the 4th mile of our 10k.

Still, I know Boston. All runners know Boston. Every race that I, and many others have run is Boston, the same triumphs, the same disappointments. I have run Boston, we all have run Boston. The time that I somehow managed to run my first half marathon without walking, that was Boston to me. The time that I cried while trudging up a 200ft incline over just .1 of mile 8 during a half marathon last year, that was Boston to me. The time I ran with a friend during his first half, after he recovered from a broken hip, ribs and leg, that was Boston to me. The faces, both of anguish and jubilation that you see in the paper following every Boston Marathon, are the same faces I have worn, and seen during my time running.

I say this not to minimize the accomplishment of qualifying for the Boston Marathon or the tragedy today, but to say that I feel the anguish and pain of the running community tonight. I feel it because although I was not there today, I have been there many times before. To have the amazing glory that is a race finish sullied in such a way is inconceivable. This is the moment of triumph and pain, sometimes all rolled together, and it was stolen from those people today. They deserve better.

This is the Facebook post I wrote just after I heard the news: 
"So sad about Boston. What should be the crowning achievement in a running career, turned into horror. What pursuit is more noble and pure then a human being running? Why would someone want to destroy that? I hope runners all over the United States do not give into fear, I for one will not be. See you at the starting line."

So pray for Boston. Pray that we catch the people who did this, but most of all, keep running. Keep showing up to that local 5K, or make plans to run that big city marathon have always wanted to try. We, as a running community are strongest when we band together, put one foot in front of the other and all support each other. I am proud to be a runner, ever more so after today. I am sure i will be proud of the way the running community handles this tragedy. See you at the starting line.

Getting Down and Dirty

Date: 08/26/12
Route:  Merrell Down and Dirty 10K
Distance: 6.2 miles
Total Time: Don't Care
Temp: 82 and Sunny (and very very muddy)

   This was not one of my finer runs. But that was for all the right reasons. They do not lie to you, you will get muddy, very very very muddy. Here is a pic of me crossing the finish line:

   As you might notice, I am a little dirty. Not only do they put you through a mud crawl, they do it twice. One time right before the end so you really come out covered. I am pretty sure they make the mud by taking topsoil and adding water, so it is jet black and nice and sticky. 

   Everything went pretty smoothly in the packet pickup area, and they had a nice race staging area set up so you could get ready. I appreciated the bag drop, so I could have somewhat clean clothes after the race. In fine obstacle race tradition, we started right up a huge hill. The obstacles were well places and spaced out, and unlike some other runs that I have heard of, we did not have huge waits at them. My only real critique of the obstacles was that there were too many mini walls. I loved the water crossing. After running about 5.5 miles, to go out into the lake was incredibly refreshing. I thought I would be all grossed out by wet shoes, but we were close to the finish, and right after that we soon went through the first mud area. 

   It was definitely a different experience then a normal race. Everyone was very chatty on course, and no one was to concerned with their time, and seemed more interested in helping out then getting ahead. If you look close at that picture of me finishing, you will see a grimace. That is becasue I fell on the rock climbing wall and rolled my ankle. I know that climbing walls are fun, but since everyone has really muddy feet, the cleats were VERY slippery, and my foot just slipped off and down I fell.Still a great time, and I am excited to say that The Wife showed some interest in running the 5K with me next year. 

Best Part: The Human Car Wash you can go though in the wash off area
Worst Part: DO NOT wash these clothes with anything else....ever 

So, anyone out there have any mud run reviews/tips?  

  

Back In The Saddle

This is not me. 

So, I have been away. Well not really away, just not writing, or to be honest, running much. It has been a  combination of things: sickness, being busy with other things, and plain old fashioned laziness. I had a monster running month in June with three races, and I dissapointed myself in two of them. Here is a little review:

Flirt with Dirt 10K - 12:31/Mile. This is a pretty nasty trail run in Novi of all places. I ended up running the course (which was considerably harder then last year), with a pace of about 3 seconds per mile faster then last year. I felt great going into this run, but it just did not hold together on the back half of the run. I even ended up walking a few of the nastier hills.

Solstice 10K - 11:07/Mile. I was supposed to run this race with RA, over at Feels Like Flying. I had been training pretty well before the race and felt pretty confident in hitting my goal time of 10:00/mile. We started out running together and we nailed the first mile in 10 minutes. However, there are a set of three nasty hills right at mile 1, and I slowly lost RA as she kept pace and I never was able to catch up to her. She valiantly tried to slow up for me to catch up, but it was to no avail.I ended up running this race 1 second per mile faster then last year. She ended up running the second half very very fast. Here is a fun pic of us after the race

Note that RA is VERY fast.

So I should be back in the saddle, I am training now for my annual Detroit Half, and I have a lofty goal of under 11 minutes per mile. Fun times are ahead for sure.

Assaulted by Mother Nature

Date: 05/10/2012

Route: Work 4 Miler
Distance: 4 Miles
Pace: 10:41/mile

Temp: 90 Degrees!

 

Due to some scheduling changes, I was able to do a run right after work a few days back. I knew it was going to be interesting because I work in Troy. MI amongst a bunch of low rise office buildings. It also turned out interesting because for some reason mother nature had it out for me on this run.

 

First lets take into account that it was hot out. I had no idea how hot it was until after my run, when I as driving home. As you can see below, it was pretty steamy outside:

Hot!

 

So there was that. I was running mostly through a subdivision that was a little lacking in shade, and it quickly got VERY warm. I don't know about you, but I run much better when it is cooler. I think this mostly has to do with being a big guy, I just don't cool off quickly while exercising.

Nature also decided to assault me with maple helicopters. There was a point in my run where I ran by this nature preserve that was all maple trees by the road. I had those helicopter things hitting my in the eye, all over my face, and really everywhere. This was a good quarter mile of running with my hands over my face.

Yeah, these things....thousands of them...in my eyes

Besides being boiled alive by the heat, needing some body armor to protect me from the helicopters (this is starting to sound a lot like the Hunger Games, not a afternoon run), I had to deal with one final obstacle from nature. Some of the things that affect me the most while running are smells. sometimes running by the Thai place smells really good, and other times it just makes you want to puke. 

 

Well for this run I all of sudden ran by a house whose owner must have had an obsession with lilacs. While normally I like the smell of a lilac, with its deep rich tones; while running it is a totally different story. Those deep rich smells infiltrated my lungs, and all I wanted was clean fresh air, which was already in short supply due to the stiffing heat. There also seemed to be an endless supply of these lilac trees. I....just....wanted....fresh...air.

Finally I emerged from the tunnel of lilacs, and shortly thereafter, my run finished. I was actually not to disappointed in the time, with the heat and unfamiliar running territory. Hopefully I will get a chance to do some more of these runs in the future. 

What about you, what are the worst conditions that mother nature has thrown at you during a run?

Nom Nom Nom

One of the highlights of the Martian 10K for me was the chocolate milk after the race. It got me thinking about the way food has evolved as part of the race event. A couple of years ago, it was not uncommon for their to be no provided food after a race. If there was anything it was a:

Now it seems that we are presented with the following at every race:

In recent races,  I have been given free GU on the run, eaten pizza and drank free beer afterwards, and also been given bagels, cookies, bananas, muffins and M & M's. It seems that there has been a food cold war between races lately, as the post-race spread gets more and more elaborate. While this is great in the moments after a run, I don;t want race prices skyrocketing just so we can have a NY strip after the race. Pretty soon races will be $100 and we will get a jacket, a gold belt buckle, a medal, steak after the run, and a 30 minute massage the next week. Sometimes you just want to go out and run.

So readers, a few food related questions:

1. What do you like to eat after a race?
2. Are you excited for the trend in post-race food, or do you like to bring your own food.

Texas, Our Texas

Date: 04/09/12

Route: Texas 4 Miler
Distance: 4 Miles
Pace: 11:15/mile

Temp: 83 Degrees

"Texas, Our Texas" is the state song of Texas. The Wife, who is originally from Texas, tends to hum and sing this whenever we are getting close to going to Texas or are actually there. It turns out that if you are from Texas, you definitely know this song, as it is drilled into your head sometime in junior high. They probably made you ride a wild bull or something until you memorize it. My Texas running adventure unfortunately consisted of just one run, as I got sick late in the week, but here is what it was like:

HOT
SUNNY
SANDY

There, that just about wraps it up.....

So apparently in Texas, it is hotter then in Michigan. Not just hotter, but HOTTER. Here is what I ran through:

Ok, so that might be the Sahara Desert, and it might not have been that hot. To my Midwestern bones though, it felt awfully toasty. The sun just beat down, not  a cloud in the sky, trees were few and far between, as I was running in cattle country. is was also very sandy, the middle portion of the run was on a "road" that was really just a 20' wide strip of sand. All of the sudden I was running on the beach! As this was an out and back, I knew it was going to be fun coming back as well. I also had to keep a watch out for copperhead snakes, as I almost stepped on one earlier in the week.

There were several nice things about the run. The scenery was beautiful, as I was running mostly by cow pastures, so there was grass stretching out to the horizon.  It was also very cool to see so many butterflies, they would flitter past me, while I was running. Apparently the monarch butterfly comes through the area pretty heavily, so I was seeing the tail end of the migration northward. It is strangely calming to run by a herd of several hundred cattle.  They just kind of moo and shuffle along.

I have friends who live and run in Texas, and I have a ton of respect for them. I am sure they would say the same when I am out running in 13 degree January, but honestly, I think heat is more dangerous to a runner then cold.  We have the recent example of the Boston Marathon, which took the unprecedented move to grant weather deferments to anyone who wanted them, because it was going to be 83 out. Heat can do serious things to a body under prolonged stress, and especially people like me who are not the smallest and tend to warm up very quickly.

It was fun to run in a new and different place, but I was glad to put in a few miles tonight in perfect running conditions, about 53 and partly sunny.

So what is the hottest weather you have ever run in, and what was the effect on you?

Abducted by Martians....AHHHHHHHH

Date: 04/14/12
Route:  Martian 10K
Distance: 6.2 miles
Pace: 10.37/mile
Total Time: 1:06:01 - 10K PR!
Temp: 51 and rainy

They call this race an "invasion of races," and they are not kidding. With a marathon, a half-marathon, a 10K and a 5K, the organizers have a full docket for all levels of runner. I was running the 10k today, since I probably am not good enough (YET) to run half marathons three weeks apart and I just ran the Rock CF Half three weeks ago.

I was not able to do a packet pickup on Friday due to flying back from Texas (don't worry, blog post about running in Texas coming soon). I arrived early under a stone grey sky, with occasional rain drops falling. I had to park in a lot with a meter, and only had a ten, so I ended up with a zillion quarters. Lesson for next year is to bring some quarters. Packet pickup was smooth, and I think the shirts are quite funny. Jeff, over at Detroit Runner, disagrees, but I find it quite nostalgic to be running in a space invaders shirt. I stole his shirt picture, because, well....I am lazy and mine was dirty So thanks Jeff! What do you think?

Jeff's shirt, mine is somewhat larger!

I started off very strong considering I am sick with a nasty cough, and was still jet lagged.. My fist mile came in at 10:11, and I was not hyperventilating, so I decided to turn it up and run a couple of sub 10 miles. This may not seem like much, but I have a goal this year of a 10k with an average below 10 min/mile, so it was nice to get a couple of miles at that pace.

After mile three, we really entered the nicest part of the course, winding through Hines Park and the University of Michigan - Dearborn campus. The problem was I was slowing down! I could not really pinpoint the reason, everything seemed to be working. I will just chalk it up to jet lag and sickness. I cruised across the finish line at 1:06:01, or 10:37/mile. My Garmin had me at 10:33/mile, so that was pretty darn close.

I am very happy with the time, given the conditions. This was a 10K PR for me by over 3 minutes, or 35 seconds per mile. I am pretty confident that I will be able to bust though that 10 minute barrier this running season. My best 10K run last year was in June, so I am running faster, even while sick, earlier in the season then last year, so I guess I cannot complain.

At the finish, there was ample food and drink, these guys know how to organize a bunch of runners. The best part was chocolate milk! I love chocolate milk after a race, and to get a nice cold jug of it was great. I would bring my own, but I have no way to keep it cold, and it is best really cold. The medal was pretty snazzy as well.

Overall, I would give this race an excellent rating. Some, including Jeff, are not fans of the half here because it is essentially a out and back course, but the 10K course is scenic and fast. So I would highly recommend this as a 10K, and probably will be running it again next year. Next race on the schedule is the Back to the Beach Half, but it is over a month away, I am going to focus on getting well and putting in some miles.

Luckily the Martians returned me safe and sound back to the homestead in Plymouth. All is well.

Questions:

1. Do you have any strategies for running though sickness?
2. What do you think of that crazy shirt?

Recovery

With apologies to Eminem for stealing the title of his most recent release, let me preface this by saying rather then recovering from some drug additicion, I am talking about recovering from a half marathon. I know, not nearly as exciting.

When I was running my first half, back in 2009, I saw a sign along the course that said "you don't need toenails anyway." This being my first long run, I kind of chuckled and kept going. After the race, when I changed my shoes, I saw one of my toenails was black...very appetizing. Sure enough, it fell off and I was sans one toenail for a while.It took me FOREVER to recover from this race. I believe I went home and took a 3 hour nap. I did not move for a couple of days and certainly did not run for a few weeks.

After this last half, I did nothing you could call exercise till Thursday, and then it was a 30 minute bike ride in the gym followed by light weights. This time I was happy with my recovery, and I ran a good training run on Sunday. This week it is back to the normal 4 and 6 mile runs during the week with some weights mixed in. I hope to one day be able to run a half and then get that twitchy leg feeling I get if I have not run in a while the day after the race.

My good friend, RA, just ran a half and had to take a few weeks off, and she is way fast, so I do not think there is a correlation between fitness level and recovery time. Some people just keep right on trucking, and there probably is a correlation between average miles per day and recovery time. If you are used to running 12, then a day with 13 is no big deal.We are all different, and it amazes me how different people and different bodies deal with the stress of running a half or full.

So here are some questions:

1. What do you do to help your post-race recovery?

2. How long do you usually wait after a half to resume your running schedule?

I Rocked Rock CF

Date: 03/25/12
Route:  Rock CF Half Marathon
Distance: 13.1 miles
Pace: 11:48/mile
Total Time: 2:34:29
Temp: 54 and cloudy

I was a little worried going into this race, as I have had a very bad week or so with running. I tried to do a long run last week of 12 miles, and ended up doing about 3 and deciding to sit down and rest. Mostly that was due to recovering from Pinkeye (funtimes, that), and trying to run before I was really ready

The weather dawned cool and cloudy, perfect for a half. I had crashed at my Aunt's house, which was only about 15 minutes away from the start, which helped me be able to sleep a little later. I arrived about 6am, so I was able to check in with plenty of time. I am one of those annoying people who get to races with an hour or more to space because I cannot stand being rushed on race morning. 

After getting all decked out with the Garmin, Gu's etc, and hitting to porta potties, I went over to the start line. I was looknig for a friend of mine from way back in HS, Brad Thomas, who I saw was going to be there on Facebook. Brad has an amazing and inspirational story. We ran together back in HS, and he was one of those fast people. Last year Brad had a tow truck roll on top of him, breaking several bones and ribs and doing severe damage to his hip. The doctors told him that he might never walk again, and certainly would not be doing distance running. So the fact that I might be able to run with him for his first post accident (16 screws and 3 plates in the hip later) half was something I was looking forward to.

We were able to meet up just before the start and then we were off. I had set some modest goals for the run given my sickness over the past few weeks. Brad was just hoping to finish, and maybe crack a 13 min/mile pace. We agreed to run together for the first couple of mile and then reevaluate.We came out pretty well, pacing the first three at 11:28, 11:31 and 11:33, that is pretty consistent. Brad was worried about going to fast, and I had basically made the decision to stick it out with him. We dialed it back a tad, but still maintained a sub 12 pace.

The scenery on this race is amazing. Grosse Ile is a generally upper income community located on an island in the Detroit River. So we did a lot of running by VERY large houses, and almost the entire course was right on the water.  Great view for almost the entire race. The weather stayed cool and cloudy, and we kept ticking off the miles. The water stations were very well laid out, probably about every two miles, so that was nice. They even had a station giving out GU packets! You can never go wrong with some GU.

As we got closer to ten miles, I could feel my legs starting to revolt, and Brad was in the same situation. We slowed down a little, but still kept up a good pace. Mile ten was our slowest mile, at 13:11, and that was mostly because Brad had to do a wardrobe change to shed his long sleeve tee. We finished fairly strong, with Brad 2 seconds behind me. Our pace was 11:48/mile, which I was happy with, and Brad was ecstatic with. Here is the post race pic:

Overall, the race was extremely well run, and has definite PR potential. A couple of bloggers I follow PR'd at this race including Megan over at Watch MeGo Run and Rose at Hacker Half Marathon who PR's be an amazing 11 minutes! Did I maybe run a little slower to stay with Brad? Possibly, but also possibly not. I was worried about even being able to run this, and maybe his company helped push me to the finish line. 

So a couple of questions:

1. What is you morning of race routine?

2. How long do you take off after a half?

3. Who saw Hunger Games over the weekend? 

Here is my cool Garmin widget so everyone can spy on my entire race:

Irish Eyes are Smiling

Date: 03/11/2012
Route:  Corktown 5K
Distance: 3.1 miles
Pace: 9:14/mile
Total Time: 28:44
Temp: 62 and sunny



The first race of 2012 is in the books! The sun was shining, the temp was in the low 60's and me and about 8000 of my closest friends decided to amble up Michigan Avenue in Detroit. I had an internal goal of at least tying my best time from last year, 28:46 at the Jamesers 5k in October. I thought there might be an outside chance I could hit my year goal in the first 5k of the season, which is to run one in under a 9 minute per mile pace.

I started off strong, rocking to "Don't Let Me be Misunderstood" by Santa Esmerelda. This song was such a great motivator, I would listen to only it for the full 5k. With the warm weather (I actually had to wear sunscreen!), my legs were quickly warmed up and the first mile flew by in 8:48.This was right about where I wanted to be, maybe even a little slower. The problem was that with so many people starting, it was very hard to get in a set rhythm early. As the pack thinned a little bit I was able to catch my stride.

The first half of mile 2 went by very quickly. Once you cross into Downtown, it seems it is only a minute and you are turning around at Campus Martius. The trip back was not so kind. I felt strong all the way through the end of mile 2, but by mid mile 3 I was fading. The great part about this race is that you are running along a parade route, so there are literally thousands of people cheering you on. This was a great motivator, and one thing that seperates this race from many. No lonely finishes here.

As I came into the slight turn toward the finish shoot, I was able to kick it in pretty well, and I am glad I did, becasue I beat my PR by two seconds. The atmosphere at this race is top notch. While running I saw at least 3 runners stop to shotgun beers given to them by the crowd. While I do not in any way condone drinking while running, it does give you an idea of the atmosphere of the race. It feels like a giant party where a run broke out.

Another crazy note, someone who I ran HS cross country with was also in the race and finished 12 seconds ahead of me, out of 8K runners. I tried to find him before the race, but it was pretty much impossible. Hopefully we can do some runs together in the future.

No rest for the weary though, my first half of the season is in two weeks! I am excited to run the Rock CF Half on Grosse Isle for the first time, it has gooten rave reviews from some of my runner friends. That means that this weekend is the dreaded long run of 12+ miles. Hopefully this weather holds out.

Down and Dirty

Last night I ran a mile in 8:35. For most serious runners, this is slow, but for me it is pretty amazing. As a bonus it was outside, in the amazing 65 degree weather. So kudos on that.

Recently I received a race mailer, which I am sure all you runners out there are used to being bombarded with. This one was for the "Down and Dirty" Merrell Mud Run 10K. I have been wanting to try out one of these obstacle course races for a while, but they are always too far away. The Tough Mudder for Detroit, for expample, is acually between Toledo and Cleveland, not exacly a quick car ride away. This one however, is being held at Kensington Metro Park in Milford, so it is not far away.

Here is a pic from their website, looks fun right:

Here is the course info:

What do you think? Should I give it a go?

Hot and Cold

Date: 02/26/2012

Route: Hines Park 9 Miler
Distance: 9 Miles
Pace: 10:22/mile

Temp: 36 Degrees

Wind Chill of 24 degrees

One month to go. The official half marathon countdown has begun! With the Rock CF Half Marathon exactly 1 month away, training has gotten hot and heavy as of late. 9 miles was planned today, and 9 miles were completed with no problems, even a little faster then I thought I would. Next weekend will probably be the same and then I have the Corktown Races 5K, always my first race of the year and always a blast. My semi-official goal is to match my best 5k time from last year at my first 5k this year. Then it is the long run and the race.

This is by far the most aggressive running schedule I have ever had. I have never run more then 1 half in a year, and this year I have three scheduled. Usually I have a nice long slow ramp up to the Detroit Half in October; instead this year my second race is a half. Needless to say I am excited and a little anxious.

My real problem running lately has been temperature. It seems to be too warm for my snazzy NbX Windblocker, but too cold to run in my standard pullover. This results in a true paradox. If I run with the NbX jacket, I start off fine, but get too warm in about 2 miles, however if I run in the pullover I never quite get warm enough. I will be excited when the temp starts hanging out in the low to mid 40’s because that is perfect pullover weather. My luck we will jump right to the 60’s, which I guess is not something to realy complain about. Here is a nice snazzy pic from this 9 mile run:

Valentines, Waffles and 4 Miles

Date: 02/14/12

Route: Treadmill
Distance: 4 Miles
Pace: 9:37 mile

Song That Started Me Off: “Hello” by Martin Solveig

Song That Brought Me Home: “What is Love?” By Haddaway

So for my amazingly romantic Valentines Day evening, I went to the gym. I would call that lame, but The Wife and I are celebrating our V-Day on Friday night. Life with a toddler works off of childcare availability, not strictly off the calendar.  

The gym was surprisingly full, but I was there earlier then normal, at about 7:45pm. Usually I am one of those people that show up when everyone else is leaving, around 9:30-10pm. There were even some couples there together…nothing like sweating together to make a relationship grow. I suppose it is better then Waffle House!

One of my goals for 21012, and honestly the one I think will be the toughest, is to run a 5K in under 9 minutes a mile. My PR was last year at the Jamesers 5K, where I ran 9:15 per mile. So some of my treadmill running has been focused on 4 mile runs, as I figure that will make the 5K's more tolerable. I also have been trying to run negative splits, and I was able to accomplish that tonight as well. 

The run was proceeding very well until that last half mile. I suppose that this is how you know you are pushing your body a bit, buy the fact that it protests that last little bit. I really had to focus on my breathing the last half mile. Personally, if my breathing rhythm falls apart my body quickly follows. So I was able to hold it together, and finished with a 4 mile pace of 9:37 per mile. See empirical proof below.

With the Corktown Races here in about a moth, I am feeling pretty good about matching my PR from last year, which is my goal for this race.  Hopefully as I keep training, I can start running some practice runs under 9 a mile. How is your spring race training going?

9 Miles of Taylor Swift

Date: 02/05/12

Route:   Hines Park 6 Miler + Bonus 3 Miles
Distance: 9 Miles
Pace: 10:46mile
Temp: 40 (felt more like 50)

Annoying Song Stuck In My Head: Some mashup of all of Taylor Swift’s abhorrent pop songs.

I had planned a nice 8 mile run as I am slowly ramping up distance to my half marathon on the 25^th of March. It was a beautiful day outside though and I found myself challenging my body to run farther. Usually at about the 4 mile mark, I start the turn around and head back to my house. Today I decided to just keep on running.

It was very rejuvenating to add some unseen terrain to my run. I think it is easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to your running courses. I was to the point that I knew within about 20 feet where the mile marks were on my standard 6 mile course. It was definitely time to change things up a bit. Adding the distance was just a mechanism.

I was having a great time running in new territory, the only problem was every step forward would have to be duplicated on the way back. After running though a nice picnic area, I circled back and started to head home. While the last mile was kind of tough, and I needed a bit of downtime after the run to recover, it felt really good to cover this distance with a month and half to go before my first half of the year. I know for sure I was not running 9 miles in February last year, so hopefully this is a good sign of things to come. The only bad thing: Taylor Swift stuck in my head…..I mean really?