Saturday, October 29, 2011
Austin Peay Homecoming 5k
COLD! It was 30 degrees when we left home at 7:15. It was 56 when we returned at about 10:45. If the temperature went up 5 degrees every hour, it was around 38 degrees when the race started and around 42 degrees when I finished. It was mostly foggy. The sun did break through afterwards. I was 3 seconds slower than last year. My time was 24:07, a pace of 7:47. I finished 3rd in my age group. I don't have all the details on that yet. My first mile was 7:09. Miles 2 and 3 were exactly the same at 8:01.96. The final 0.1 mile was 54 seconds.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Made up Monday's 5
Made up Monday's 5 by adding it to today's 8. It took me just about as long to run today's 13 than it did Monday's 15 - only about 9 minutes less. I also was only able to run 1 mile (Mile 1) faster than the 15's whole pace of 9:05. (Mile 1 was 8:40). I did have a couple of 9:06's. After 8 miles, all the miles were under 9:17. I felt pretty good with this time, because I knew the previous run would affect this one. And I was right! After Mile 8, it went downhill (or should I say I felt like I was always running "uphill"?) I was able to keep 9 and 10 under 10:00 - 9:53 and 9:46, but it was over after that. Mile 11 was 10:21. During Miles 12 and 13, I had to walk some, slowing my times to 12:30 and 11:57. Total time: 2:07:17. Pace: 9:47.
This run helped prove that I am NOT ready for a marathon. In two runs that covered 3 days, I was still forced to walk. I probably walked about the 1.8 mile difference between my 28 miles and the 26.2 of a marathon. There's no way I could run 26.2 continuously; I could barely do it with a 48 hour break.
This run helped prove that I am NOT ready for a marathon. In two runs that covered 3 days, I was still forced to walk. I probably walked about the 1.8 mile difference between my 28 miles and the 26.2 of a marathon. There's no way I could run 26.2 continuously; I could barely do it with a 48 hour break.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Long Winded About My Long Run
I had planned on running my long run (15 miles) Saturday while we were in Mississippi. I carried everything I thought I needed, but I didn't run. I just ate - at McDonald's on the way and on the way back, Pizza Hut pizza Saturday night and Sunday morning for breakfast, candy, birthday cake and ice cream, more candy, and other stuff. I wasn't really happy with myself for eating SO much and not running at all, but I had a good time. I thought maybe I would run Sunday when we got back to Clarksville. Who was I kidding? After a weekend of food and the drive back, I wasn't about to run.
I wanted to make up the 15 miles - at least some of it - during this week, but without wearing myself out for the Austin Peay 5k on Saturday. My schedule for the St. Jude Marathon calls for 5, 8, 5, and 17 this week. Because of the Austin Peay race, I had planned 5, 8, 5, and 3.1, and maybe a few miles to make up for the missed 17 miler on Sunday, but seriously doubted that would happen.
Even though I got a late start (6:00 pm) and would be running in the dark, I decided I would run 10 miles instead of 5. My lower legs hurt a little for the first couple of miles, which made me worry about finishing 10 miles. They loosened up, and I began to feel pretty good. It was a pleasant 66 degrees when I headed out. Earlier in the day, it had reached 82 degrees and was sunny. Now, it was sundown and the temp would be falling. (It had dropped to 54 by the time I finished). The weather seemed just right to run - just wish I had some sunlight. I believe the weather and the few days off from running (hadn't ran since Thursday's 5 miler) contributed to my good feeling. The feeling that I could run 15 miles!
That feeling came somewhere between Miles 3 and 4. I still had a long way to go, and, as the past 2 weekends of running half marathons have proved, I tend to lose it all before Mile 10. I told myself that I would be flexible as to the number of miles I would run. When I reached Mile 5, I was turning around anyway. About Mile 5.5, I could turn to run past Salem United Methodist Church and down Salem Ridge Road until I reached 7.5 miles or I could just run toward home. I was really conflicted as I approached Mile 5.5. Would I have enough energy to get back home? It was already past dark and getting cooler. I didn't want to be walking "miles" in a cold sweat. I made the turn! I headed down Salem Ridge Road. If I had to, I could miserably walk the remaining miles when me legs said to stop.
I never would have thought that road would have been so dark. I turned around when the watch beeped Mile 7 - half-mile short, which would be a total of 1 mile for the run since there was no return trip. So, I planned on running past my house for another half-mile, then turning around to make it up. The problem was "would I have enough discipline to keep going once I reached my driveway". I did. I was ready for the run to be over with, but I was still feeling pretty good. I never had to walk either! Just blows my mind. I didn't eat or drink anything during the run. I think all I had to eat all day before the run was some cereal, chips, cookies, and peanuts. I had a glass of orange juice, 3 cups of coffee, and 2 bottles of dreaded water to drink that morning. I had a diet Dr. Pepper from lunch on. I also drank about 16 oz of PowerAde not long before heading out to run. I guess I had stored up enough from all the "junk" this weekend.
I'm so excited about my per mile times I'm listing all 15 - 1. 8:56, 2. 9:08, 3. 9:35, 4. 9:17, 5. 9:10, 6. 9:17, 7. 9:05, 8. 8:57, 9. 9:13, 10. 8:30, 11. 9:12, 12. 9:04, 13. 9:30, 14. 8:33, and 15. 8:42. I'm dumbfounded that my usually slow Mile 3 was the slowest out of 15. I would have bet money that after 10 miles I would have been over a 10 minute pace, maybe even over 11 or 12. I guess the excitement of hitting double digits got Mile 10 down to 8:30. Mile 14 was 8:33, because I was trying to get off Salem Road as fast as I could, so I wouldn't get ran over. It wasn't easy - I was worn out and part of it was uphill. Mile 15 was a little under 9:00, because I was proud of myself for running 15 miles and wanted to finish strong.
My total time was 2:16:08. My pace was 9:05. 9:05 boggles my mind.
This 15 miler was the 5th most miles I've ever ran at one time. The last time I ran more than 13.1 was also the most miles I've ever covered at once. It was in the Country Music Marathon about 6 months ago on April 30. I ran the first 14 or so miles before walking most of the last 12. The next 3 of the top 5 are all in March 2010. On March 6 and 13, I ran 16 milers. The next weekend I ran a 17 miler. It really took a toil on me. I had chills that night and couldn't eat. I did not run for 10 days, and that was just a 3 miler. It was another 2 weeks before I ran another 3 miler. Finally, a month after the 17 miler, I began running again. It was almost like starting over.
I wanted to make up the 15 miles - at least some of it - during this week, but without wearing myself out for the Austin Peay 5k on Saturday. My schedule for the St. Jude Marathon calls for 5, 8, 5, and 17 this week. Because of the Austin Peay race, I had planned 5, 8, 5, and 3.1, and maybe a few miles to make up for the missed 17 miler on Sunday, but seriously doubted that would happen.
Even though I got a late start (6:00 pm) and would be running in the dark, I decided I would run 10 miles instead of 5. My lower legs hurt a little for the first couple of miles, which made me worry about finishing 10 miles. They loosened up, and I began to feel pretty good. It was a pleasant 66 degrees when I headed out. Earlier in the day, it had reached 82 degrees and was sunny. Now, it was sundown and the temp would be falling. (It had dropped to 54 by the time I finished). The weather seemed just right to run - just wish I had some sunlight. I believe the weather and the few days off from running (hadn't ran since Thursday's 5 miler) contributed to my good feeling. The feeling that I could run 15 miles!
That feeling came somewhere between Miles 3 and 4. I still had a long way to go, and, as the past 2 weekends of running half marathons have proved, I tend to lose it all before Mile 10. I told myself that I would be flexible as to the number of miles I would run. When I reached Mile 5, I was turning around anyway. About Mile 5.5, I could turn to run past Salem United Methodist Church and down Salem Ridge Road until I reached 7.5 miles or I could just run toward home. I was really conflicted as I approached Mile 5.5. Would I have enough energy to get back home? It was already past dark and getting cooler. I didn't want to be walking "miles" in a cold sweat. I made the turn! I headed down Salem Ridge Road. If I had to, I could miserably walk the remaining miles when me legs said to stop.
I never would have thought that road would have been so dark. I turned around when the watch beeped Mile 7 - half-mile short, which would be a total of 1 mile for the run since there was no return trip. So, I planned on running past my house for another half-mile, then turning around to make it up. The problem was "would I have enough discipline to keep going once I reached my driveway". I did. I was ready for the run to be over with, but I was still feeling pretty good. I never had to walk either! Just blows my mind. I didn't eat or drink anything during the run. I think all I had to eat all day before the run was some cereal, chips, cookies, and peanuts. I had a glass of orange juice, 3 cups of coffee, and 2 bottles of dreaded water to drink that morning. I had a diet Dr. Pepper from lunch on. I also drank about 16 oz of PowerAde not long before heading out to run. I guess I had stored up enough from all the "junk" this weekend.
I'm so excited about my per mile times I'm listing all 15 - 1. 8:56, 2. 9:08, 3. 9:35, 4. 9:17, 5. 9:10, 6. 9:17, 7. 9:05, 8. 8:57, 9. 9:13, 10. 8:30, 11. 9:12, 12. 9:04, 13. 9:30, 14. 8:33, and 15. 8:42. I'm dumbfounded that my usually slow Mile 3 was the slowest out of 15. I would have bet money that after 10 miles I would have been over a 10 minute pace, maybe even over 11 or 12. I guess the excitement of hitting double digits got Mile 10 down to 8:30. Mile 14 was 8:33, because I was trying to get off Salem Road as fast as I could, so I wouldn't get ran over. It wasn't easy - I was worn out and part of it was uphill. Mile 15 was a little under 9:00, because I was proud of myself for running 15 miles and wanted to finish strong.
My total time was 2:16:08. My pace was 9:05. 9:05 boggles my mind.
This 15 miler was the 5th most miles I've ever ran at one time. The last time I ran more than 13.1 was also the most miles I've ever covered at once. It was in the Country Music Marathon about 6 months ago on April 30. I ran the first 14 or so miles before walking most of the last 12. The next 3 of the top 5 are all in March 2010. On March 6 and 13, I ran 16 milers. The next weekend I ran a 17 miler. It really took a toil on me. I had chills that night and couldn't eat. I did not run for 10 days, and that was just a 3 miler. It was another 2 weeks before I ran another 3 miler. Finally, a month after the 17 miler, I began running again. It was almost like starting over.
October 20, 2011
Posting about this 5 mile run 4 days after the fact, so just the time and pace. 43:58. 8:48.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Dedication or Stupidity
I kept telling myself on the way home that I WAS GOING TO RUN. I didn't care if the temperature had dropped (for Monday's run at the same time it was 74 degrees, today it was 47), and it was rainy. I got home, changed clothes, then changed my mind. I was not running in this weather. I changed my mind once again - I'm going to run. I can always cut it short. I also thought about running closer to my house, but thought that would be a bad idea. I would be too tempted to stop.
I forced myself onto the road and off I went. "What if it starts pouring down? I will just have to turn around and run back." Stuff like that kept running through my head. I wore a cap to help shield my eyes from the rain. The rain had slacked to more of a troublesome drizzle. It was the wind and it occasional strong gusts that really got on my nerves. I kept telling myself that 4 mores was not that far; I can do it and be back home soon. The back of my mind kept throwing out, "4 miles may not be that far, but you've got to do it again on the way back.' I tried to ignore this and keep running. Well, I ran 8 miles in 1:08:25, an 8:33 pace. I'm proud of myself for being dedicated...
I forced myself onto the road and off I went. "What if it starts pouring down? I will just have to turn around and run back." Stuff like that kept running through my head. I wore a cap to help shield my eyes from the rain. The rain had slacked to more of a troublesome drizzle. It was the wind and it occasional strong gusts that really got on my nerves. I kept telling myself that 4 mores was not that far; I can do it and be back home soon. The back of my mind kept throwing out, "4 miles may not be that far, but you've got to do it again on the way back.' I tried to ignore this and keep running. Well, I ran 8 miles in 1:08:25, an 8:33 pace. I'm proud of myself for being dedicated...
October 17, 2011
An uneventful 5 mile run in 43:18 (8:40 pace).
On Shane's previous post, he seemed a little upset about me calling him a "weekend warrior". That was a compliment. However, it is probably not a good thing to do. I wish I could do that like I used to. I would not do anything all week and then go play 5 to 10 softball games on the weekend. I would be sore until Wednesday or Thursday. Then go do it all again Saturday morning. For awhile, it seemed Shane was only running his long runs. I marveled at how he could do it. I did look back and see that he has been running (and biking) consistently lately.
On Shane's previous post, he seemed a little upset about me calling him a "weekend warrior". That was a compliment. However, it is probably not a good thing to do. I wish I could do that like I used to. I would not do anything all week and then go play 5 to 10 softball games on the weekend. I would be sore until Wednesday or Thursday. Then go do it all again Saturday morning. For awhile, it seemed Shane was only running his long runs. I marveled at how he could do it. I did look back and see that he has been running (and biking) consistently lately.
Oct. 15, 2011 - Went Commando; Feel Violated
Ran the first annual Go Commando Half Marathon in Clarksville. It was (wasn't) a great experience. The Friday night expo was decent. As I drove home on a route I've been traveling for about 10 years, I noticed something I've never noticed before - how steep some of those hills are. "I've got to run these in the morning!" The "flat, PR setting" course Go Commando advertised was not that flat for the first 7 to 8 miles. The last half of 8 was downhill, then the rest was flat, though.
The next morning was a little chilly at 55 degrees and started off badly. We were told that no more parking was available at the park. We were told this after turning in and with all the other runners driving in, it was hard to get back on the highway. The person should have been at the road not allowing people to turn into the park, because it caused a traffic jam. We were not sure if would be able to get on a shuttle in time, to stand in the port-a-johns line, and be at the starting line before the 7:30 race start for me. (Sherri's 5k was to start at 8:00). There were quite a few people at Big Lots waiting and more cars pulling in, so we walked. I had the idea of using the Shell Station restroom across the street from Big Lots to avoid the port-a-john line. I did so - no waiting! Then we walked - close to a mile - to the start/finish area. As we were walking, we saw that some cars were still be allowed into the park. This did not make me happy. I already had to pee again, so I got in line. The line wasn't too bad.
For the race: The time was based on a gun time, which I did not like. I'm usually toward the back, but today was close to the front, which helped. Before reaching the first 1/2 mile, we had to run around people just arriving off a shuttle. Then after mile 1, it was 2-way traffic on a trail that was way too narrow. (If you want to do something like that, do it at the end of the race when the runners have thinned out). Turnarounds should always be avoided if possible, unless there are officials "really" watching. Sherri said at least one person stopped to tie a shoe in the 5k, and when that runner thought enough people had gone by, jumped right back in going the other direction without having to run all the way to the turnaround. I also heard other people complained about this. It may have easily happened in the half marathon, too.
Traffic was stopped on Highway 48/13, so vehicles were trying to take two back roads - River Road and Salem Road. Runners were having to deal with moving cars on those 2 roads. For people (spectators, finished runners, etc.) coming/leaving, going to the port-a-johns, entering the tent area, they had to walk along the last few yards to the finish line. Most people just walked through the finish line. I don't know how the race officials knew who was coming or who was going. I know of at least 2 people that received awards for being in the top 3 of their age group, but, according to the list on the website, finished 4th or below. The race officials even conceded that they had problems with the timing. (We wore things pre-attached to our bib numbers, rather than shoe timing chips. The "reader" was about 8 feet in the air. I guess it couldn't handle a start time for all the runners, and that's why we had a gun start time.) At the mile 10 turnaround, the was nothing to really indicate that it was a turnaround, except that there was a police car blocking that lane of traffic. There was one paying attention to the runners. The cop was talking to people that were on the side of the road. I ran close enough that I could touch the car and headed back. There could have at least been an orange cone to run around!
I first thought my watch had lost the GPS connection at Mile 1, when I looked down and saw 7:11. I didn't remember seeing Mile Markers for 2 and 3, so when I saw 4, I looked at my watch. I thought the GPS was off, so I just looked at the time. It was seconds past 30 minutes. A quick calculation in my head told me, that after 4 miles, I was under an 8:00 pace. I then thought maybe my GPS was right and their markers were wrong, because I could not be running that fast that long. When I reached Mile Marker 7, I pushed the "lap" button on my watch. I thought I would try to keep up the the mile times that way. The markers said I had been 7 miles; my watch had 6.4 miles. I did not worry with the watch for awhile, because I knew the mileage was wrong which would calculate an incorrect pace. I just ran - feeling each mile was slower than the one before. When I reached Mile 10, I pushed the "lap" button again, hoping I would be able to get some kind of data out of the race somehow. At Mile 10, my time was just under 1:20:00. I thought to myself, "If all this mileage stuff works out and I keep pushing, I can set a PR of under 8:00 per mile." Time kept slipping away during those last 3 (?) miles...
I stopped my watch as I crossed the finish line. Total time: 1:45:21 at 12.67 miles - just over 0.4 miles off. Of course, I thought this was the fault of my GPS. According to my watch, my pace was 8:18. That pace was not fast enough to beat my PR of 8:09 in the 2010 Clarksville Half, but I just ran 13.1 miles and I knew the 1:45:21 was my fastest ever. New Personal Record! Right? Wrong.
When the results were posted online, I had the exact time that was posted. I also decided to look on the course map to see where my GPS may have messed up. Well, it happened around mile 1.5, but it wasn't my watch's fault. We were told to run the wrong way! We were supposed to loop around close to the start/finish line inside the park, before heading out onto the highway, but were directed straight to the road. This was cutting off about 0.6 miles. To try to correct this, when we turned back into the park with less than a mile left, we were detoured to make some of the "lost" distance. It wasn't enough, but instead of being around 0.6 miles off, we were only 0.4.
What I thought was a PR, turned out not to really be a PR. If I go by my "real" pace of 8:18, that is 9 seconds per mile slower than my PR. If I add 3:19 (my 8:18 pace times 0.4 miles short), my total time would have been 1:48:40, which is slower than my 1:46:38.
I was happy with some mile paces, though - well, early on. Now that I know that they are correct. The first 4 miles were under 8:00 - 7:11, 7:26, 7:44, and 7:55. Miles 5 and 6 were close - both were 8:02. Mile 7 was back under 8:00 at 7:54. So, over the halfway point my total time was 54:15, a pace of 7:45. Of course, this is too fast for me, but I'm ecstatic it lasted for that long. It went downhill quickly from there. Miles 8 thru 12 - 8:15, 8:17, 8:40, 9:24, and 9:52. The last 0.67 was 6:38.
I was 10 of 30 40-44 year-old males, 82 of 223 males, and 115 of 433 overall.
The next morning was a little chilly at 55 degrees and started off badly. We were told that no more parking was available at the park. We were told this after turning in and with all the other runners driving in, it was hard to get back on the highway. The person should have been at the road not allowing people to turn into the park, because it caused a traffic jam. We were not sure if would be able to get on a shuttle in time, to stand in the port-a-johns line, and be at the starting line before the 7:30 race start for me. (Sherri's 5k was to start at 8:00). There were quite a few people at Big Lots waiting and more cars pulling in, so we walked. I had the idea of using the Shell Station restroom across the street from Big Lots to avoid the port-a-john line. I did so - no waiting! Then we walked - close to a mile - to the start/finish area. As we were walking, we saw that some cars were still be allowed into the park. This did not make me happy. I already had to pee again, so I got in line. The line wasn't too bad.
For the race: The time was based on a gun time, which I did not like. I'm usually toward the back, but today was close to the front, which helped. Before reaching the first 1/2 mile, we had to run around people just arriving off a shuttle. Then after mile 1, it was 2-way traffic on a trail that was way too narrow. (If you want to do something like that, do it at the end of the race when the runners have thinned out). Turnarounds should always be avoided if possible, unless there are officials "really" watching. Sherri said at least one person stopped to tie a shoe in the 5k, and when that runner thought enough people had gone by, jumped right back in going the other direction without having to run all the way to the turnaround. I also heard other people complained about this. It may have easily happened in the half marathon, too.
Traffic was stopped on Highway 48/13, so vehicles were trying to take two back roads - River Road and Salem Road. Runners were having to deal with moving cars on those 2 roads. For people (spectators, finished runners, etc.) coming/leaving, going to the port-a-johns, entering the tent area, they had to walk along the last few yards to the finish line. Most people just walked through the finish line. I don't know how the race officials knew who was coming or who was going. I know of at least 2 people that received awards for being in the top 3 of their age group, but, according to the list on the website, finished 4th or below. The race officials even conceded that they had problems with the timing. (We wore things pre-attached to our bib numbers, rather than shoe timing chips. The "reader" was about 8 feet in the air. I guess it couldn't handle a start time for all the runners, and that's why we had a gun start time.) At the mile 10 turnaround, the was nothing to really indicate that it was a turnaround, except that there was a police car blocking that lane of traffic. There was one paying attention to the runners. The cop was talking to people that were on the side of the road. I ran close enough that I could touch the car and headed back. There could have at least been an orange cone to run around!
I first thought my watch had lost the GPS connection at Mile 1, when I looked down and saw 7:11. I didn't remember seeing Mile Markers for 2 and 3, so when I saw 4, I looked at my watch. I thought the GPS was off, so I just looked at the time. It was seconds past 30 minutes. A quick calculation in my head told me, that after 4 miles, I was under an 8:00 pace. I then thought maybe my GPS was right and their markers were wrong, because I could not be running that fast that long. When I reached Mile Marker 7, I pushed the "lap" button on my watch. I thought I would try to keep up the the mile times that way. The markers said I had been 7 miles; my watch had 6.4 miles. I did not worry with the watch for awhile, because I knew the mileage was wrong which would calculate an incorrect pace. I just ran - feeling each mile was slower than the one before. When I reached Mile 10, I pushed the "lap" button again, hoping I would be able to get some kind of data out of the race somehow. At Mile 10, my time was just under 1:20:00. I thought to myself, "If all this mileage stuff works out and I keep pushing, I can set a PR of under 8:00 per mile." Time kept slipping away during those last 3 (?) miles...
I stopped my watch as I crossed the finish line. Total time: 1:45:21 at 12.67 miles - just over 0.4 miles off. Of course, I thought this was the fault of my GPS. According to my watch, my pace was 8:18. That pace was not fast enough to beat my PR of 8:09 in the 2010 Clarksville Half, but I just ran 13.1 miles and I knew the 1:45:21 was my fastest ever. New Personal Record! Right? Wrong.
When the results were posted online, I had the exact time that was posted. I also decided to look on the course map to see where my GPS may have messed up. Well, it happened around mile 1.5, but it wasn't my watch's fault. We were told to run the wrong way! We were supposed to loop around close to the start/finish line inside the park, before heading out onto the highway, but were directed straight to the road. This was cutting off about 0.6 miles. To try to correct this, when we turned back into the park with less than a mile left, we were detoured to make some of the "lost" distance. It wasn't enough, but instead of being around 0.6 miles off, we were only 0.4.
What I thought was a PR, turned out not to really be a PR. If I go by my "real" pace of 8:18, that is 9 seconds per mile slower than my PR. If I add 3:19 (my 8:18 pace times 0.4 miles short), my total time would have been 1:48:40, which is slower than my 1:46:38.
I was happy with some mile paces, though - well, early on. Now that I know that they are correct. The first 4 miles were under 8:00 - 7:11, 7:26, 7:44, and 7:55. Miles 5 and 6 were close - both were 8:02. Mile 7 was back under 8:00 at 7:54. So, over the halfway point my total time was 54:15, a pace of 7:45. Of course, this is too fast for me, but I'm ecstatic it lasted for that long. It went downhill quickly from there. Miles 8 thru 12 - 8:15, 8:17, 8:40, 9:24, and 9:52. The last 0.67 was 6:38.
I was 10 of 30 40-44 year-old males, 82 of 223 males, and 115 of 433 overall.
Friday, October 14, 2011
October 13, 2011
Another walk/run. Walked Mile 1 in 16:00. I need to walk faster than this, but I like to look around. Ran Miles 2 and 3 at almost the exact same pace - 8:16.25 and 8:16.24. Walked and ran in Mile 4 at 10:18. Total time: 42:50. Pace: 10:43.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
October 12, 2011 - Went Stupid
I went to the dentist to have a couple of fillings replaced. This helped me "diet" for part of the day. I also got a haircut, mowed over some leaves, burnt some shrubbery Sherri had trimmed (that took awhile since most were thorny and I had to drag them to my burn area), and ran/walked 5 miles. Staying busy also helped me diet. It was after the run/walk that I "went stupid". We went to Shoney's to eat with some of Sherri's relatives that were in from PA and their Clarksville family. Three trips to the breakfast bar (it's open on Wednesday nights) and a hot fudge cake destroyed all the dieting I had done during the day!
The run/walk: I walked a mile in 15:55. The I ran 3 miles - 7:58, 8:23, and 8:13. My total run time was 24:34, an 8:11 pace. Not bad, considering I felt like stopping to walk. How will I make 13.1 miles Saturday? I walked most of the last mile, running a little here and there, because I need to get home to get ready to GO EAT!
The run/walk: I walked a mile in 15:55. The I ran 3 miles - 7:58, 8:23, and 8:13. My total run time was 24:34, an 8:11 pace. Not bad, considering I felt like stopping to walk. How will I make 13.1 miles Saturday? I walked most of the last mile, running a little here and there, because I need to get home to get ready to GO EAT!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
October 10, 2011
Did 3 miles of running and walking. Total time: 32:22. Pace: 10:47. I don't want to wear myself out with another half mararhon coming up this Saturday, but I don't want to go too easy either. Hopefully, I can set a new PR this weekend - especially since the course will be flatter.
10/08/11 - Clarksville Half Marathon
Did not go as I had hoped.
Let's start with the so-called "Expo" the evening before. The "Expo" was not in a hotel conference room. It was in a hotel lobby - the Red Roof Inn lobby. There was just enough room to have some info, bibs, and shirts laid out for the "organizers". No runners were in line ahead of me, but two came in right behind me. And it was crowded! I gave them my last name. My shirt, timing chip, bib number, and a few papers were put in a "garbage bag" - not even a nice, sturdy garbage bag. It was a small, cheap garbage bag that hotels use. I guess someone forgot to get bags and had to beg some from the Red Roof Inn. Also in the bag were two garbage bag ties to attach the timing chip to my shoe! No zip ties? I was almost embarrassed to use them!
The next Clarksville Half Marathon will be held in March 2012. The organizers have to be wanting a change. The race has gone down hill every year. The first year had 884 finishers. I thought year 2 would bring more people and maybe even reach 1,000 runners. No, there were 493 finishers. Even before runners knew this year's swag bag would be more like a gag bag, they opted out. Only 183 finished this year.
Race Day: I awoke about an hour before the alarm went off. Pain was shooting up both of my calves. Worried about this, I finally went back to sleep. I never had anymore problems with my legs (until I was actually running, of course). I got there in plenty of time to pee this year. However, after standing close to the start for awhile, I had to hit the bushes. Then the race was on...
I started out fast. I had to if I was to be under an 8:00 (at least under an 8:08) pace for the whole race. After the first 2 miles, I was around where I wanted to be - Mile 1 8:07, 2 8:02. Then Mile 3 was 8:20. Okay, Mile 3 is usually my slow mile. I have some seconds I will have to make up. I was back on track for Mile 4 at 8:06. That was that. My dreams/hopes/plans ended there. Miles 5 thru 10 - 8:31, 8:16, 8:09, 8:56, 8:31, and 9:21. My pace had slipped to 8:25. Then it got worse. Mile 11 was 9:56! Mile 12 was 10:03!! As I approached the finish line, I tried to look like I was able to still run strong. The last 1.1 miles were in 8:32. My total time was 1:52:48, for a pace of 8:37.
This was my 4th half marathon and the first time I didn't set a new PR. I knew it had to end one day, but I did not think it would be today. It was my second best time, though. If I had achieved my goal pace, I would have finished 3rd in my age group, instead of 5th out of 12. (John Beard won our age group in 1:38:50 (7:33 pace)). Shane was 12th of 21 in his age group at 2:06:19 (9:38 pace) and 89th overall. He said that was 5 minutes faster than last year. Five minutes is a long time when you are running! I was 46th of 183 finishers.
I did not enjoy the race this year. There were no little cheering sections as in the past. A few people were here and there, but were just there for their family/friends. No music, except at the finish line. It was just a lonely race, and not just in certain stretches, but the whole race. Once I knew I wouldn't reach my goal, it seemed to get even lonelier.
Let's start with the so-called "Expo" the evening before. The "Expo" was not in a hotel conference room. It was in a hotel lobby - the Red Roof Inn lobby. There was just enough room to have some info, bibs, and shirts laid out for the "organizers". No runners were in line ahead of me, but two came in right behind me. And it was crowded! I gave them my last name. My shirt, timing chip, bib number, and a few papers were put in a "garbage bag" - not even a nice, sturdy garbage bag. It was a small, cheap garbage bag that hotels use. I guess someone forgot to get bags and had to beg some from the Red Roof Inn. Also in the bag were two garbage bag ties to attach the timing chip to my shoe! No zip ties? I was almost embarrassed to use them!
The next Clarksville Half Marathon will be held in March 2012. The organizers have to be wanting a change. The race has gone down hill every year. The first year had 884 finishers. I thought year 2 would bring more people and maybe even reach 1,000 runners. No, there were 493 finishers. Even before runners knew this year's swag bag would be more like a gag bag, they opted out. Only 183 finished this year.
Race Day: I awoke about an hour before the alarm went off. Pain was shooting up both of my calves. Worried about this, I finally went back to sleep. I never had anymore problems with my legs (until I was actually running, of course). I got there in plenty of time to pee this year. However, after standing close to the start for awhile, I had to hit the bushes. Then the race was on...
I started out fast. I had to if I was to be under an 8:00 (at least under an 8:08) pace for the whole race. After the first 2 miles, I was around where I wanted to be - Mile 1 8:07, 2 8:02. Then Mile 3 was 8:20. Okay, Mile 3 is usually my slow mile. I have some seconds I will have to make up. I was back on track for Mile 4 at 8:06. That was that. My dreams/hopes/plans ended there. Miles 5 thru 10 - 8:31, 8:16, 8:09, 8:56, 8:31, and 9:21. My pace had slipped to 8:25. Then it got worse. Mile 11 was 9:56! Mile 12 was 10:03!! As I approached the finish line, I tried to look like I was able to still run strong. The last 1.1 miles were in 8:32. My total time was 1:52:48, for a pace of 8:37.
This was my 4th half marathon and the first time I didn't set a new PR. I knew it had to end one day, but I did not think it would be today. It was my second best time, though. If I had achieved my goal pace, I would have finished 3rd in my age group, instead of 5th out of 12. (John Beard won our age group in 1:38:50 (7:33 pace)). Shane was 12th of 21 in his age group at 2:06:19 (9:38 pace) and 89th overall. He said that was 5 minutes faster than last year. Five minutes is a long time when you are running! I was 46th of 183 finishers.
I did not enjoy the race this year. There were no little cheering sections as in the past. A few people were here and there, but were just there for their family/friends. No music, except at the finish line. It was just a lonely race, and not just in certain stretches, but the whole race. Once I knew I wouldn't reach my goal, it seemed to get even lonelier.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Last run before the big day. I walked a half mile, ran two miles, and walked the last half mile for a total of 3 miles. I felt like stopping before I could get the first half mile of running in. It got better, but I was worried that if I felt like this before 1 mile, how was I to run 13 Saturday? Mile 1 - half walk/half run was at 11:52. Mile 2 - all run, was 8:16. Mile 3 - half run/half walk, was 12:08. Total time: 32:16. Pace: 10:45.
My 10 week training schedule says I should have 182 miles in before the race. For my first half marathon in November 2009, I did 142.3 miles. During that training period, I ran two 5k's close to the same time - 8:08 and 8:04. I ran a 5 miler in 8:32 and a 10 miler in 9:28. My pace for that half was 9:01. The next half was in Oxford, MS, in February 2010. I wanted to be under 9:00. I ran 156.4 of the suggested 182. I didn't really have any "fast" times preparing for it. A 3 miler in 8:23; a 10 miler in 9:27. I finished it at an 8:58 pace. My 3rd half marathon was in October 2010 in Clarksville. I ran over the suggested mileage by running 203.6 miles. I also recorded some of my fastest times. A 3 miler in 7:24, a 5k in 7:27, a 4 miler in 7:51, a 5 miler in 7:57, a 10k in 8:01, and a 10 miler in 9:20. I also did a practice 13.1 miles at an 8:57 pace. I finished the race with a pace of 8:09. Somehow, that seems too fast. For Saturday's half, I have logged 222.2 miles - 40 miles more than the schedule recommends. While my times are close to the previous half - 5k at 7:39, 4 miler at 7:56, 10 miler at 8:52, and 13 miler at 9:15, there are less of the runs under 8:00 for shorter runs and under 10:00 for longer runs. Earlier, I thought running more miles would get me in better shape and help run it faster. Now, I think I should have ran the suggested mileage faster. My legs feel tired and I think it may cost me time. My goal was to be under 8:00 and for the 4th consecutive time better my time. It is not looking too good.
My 10 week training schedule says I should have 182 miles in before the race. For my first half marathon in November 2009, I did 142.3 miles. During that training period, I ran two 5k's close to the same time - 8:08 and 8:04. I ran a 5 miler in 8:32 and a 10 miler in 9:28. My pace for that half was 9:01. The next half was in Oxford, MS, in February 2010. I wanted to be under 9:00. I ran 156.4 of the suggested 182. I didn't really have any "fast" times preparing for it. A 3 miler in 8:23; a 10 miler in 9:27. I finished it at an 8:58 pace. My 3rd half marathon was in October 2010 in Clarksville. I ran over the suggested mileage by running 203.6 miles. I also recorded some of my fastest times. A 3 miler in 7:24, a 5k in 7:27, a 4 miler in 7:51, a 5 miler in 7:57, a 10k in 8:01, and a 10 miler in 9:20. I also did a practice 13.1 miles at an 8:57 pace. I finished the race with a pace of 8:09. Somehow, that seems too fast. For Saturday's half, I have logged 222.2 miles - 40 miles more than the schedule recommends. While my times are close to the previous half - 5k at 7:39, 4 miler at 7:56, 10 miler at 8:52, and 13 miler at 9:15, there are less of the runs under 8:00 for shorter runs and under 10:00 for longer runs. Earlier, I thought running more miles would get me in better shape and help run it faster. Now, I think I should have ran the suggested mileage faster. My legs feel tired and I think it may cost me time. My goal was to be under 8:00 and for the 4th consecutive time better my time. It is not looking too good.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
October 5, 2011
I had a headache at work and my legs felt weak. I took some Tylenol, but neither were any better by the time I got home. I had decided that I wouldn't run. Sherri was going to run, so I forced myself out the door to go with her. I ran/walked 2 miles in 25:03. Faster than I wanted to go, but at least I did a little something. My schedule called for a 3 mile run. Maybe I will do that tomorrow, since tomorrow is supposed to be a 2 mile walk. I did feel a little better afterwards.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Ran 6 easy miles. I am thinking 6,4,3, then the half on Saturday to give me 25 miles for the week. It took me 1:00:35 (10:06 pace) for this 6 miler. I may jog/walk my 4 and 3, too, because my legs are tired/weak and ache, especially at night.
*** Note: Additional information to my Age Group loss at the Bethlehem UMC 5k. The guy (Martin Nagy, who some consider the best runner in Clarksville) that beat me usually would not even be in my age category. He is 48. Most races use 5 year increments; this race used 10 year. In 2009, he ran the Clarksville Half in 1:21:33 (6:13 pace) and the Boston Marathon in 2:57:19 (6:46). In 2010, he ran Clarksville in 1:16:05 (5:48) and Boston in 2:43:36 (6:14). I was hoping to do the Clarksville Half in 7:59 - that would put me almost 30 minutes behind him. It also takes me twice as long (and more) to run a marathon. ***
The above is why I am crying today. He is getting better with age, while I struggle to remain the same...
*** Note: Additional information to my Age Group loss at the Bethlehem UMC 5k. The guy (Martin Nagy, who some consider the best runner in Clarksville) that beat me usually would not even be in my age category. He is 48. Most races use 5 year increments; this race used 10 year. In 2009, he ran the Clarksville Half in 1:21:33 (6:13 pace) and the Boston Marathon in 2:57:19 (6:46). In 2010, he ran Clarksville in 1:16:05 (5:48) and Boston in 2:43:36 (6:14). I was hoping to do the Clarksville Half in 7:59 - that would put me almost 30 minutes behind him. It also takes me twice as long (and more) to run a marathon. ***
The above is why I am crying today. He is getting better with age, while I struggle to remain the same...
Monday, October 3, 2011
October 1, 2011 - Bethlehem UMC 5k
Let me start by saying, "It was chilly!" Sherri and I got registered. Once back at the vehicle, I stripped down to shorts and a short sleeve shirt. We had to walk about a mile from the parking area at RiverView Mounds Farm to the starting line. The wind was blowing, making it feel even cooler. I had to pee, even though I just peed before we began our trek. My stomach also felt a little uneasy. This was not looking to be a good run for me. I also scoped out the competition I thought would be in my age group. Things even looked worse. I told Sherri I would run/walk with her, but she kept telling me to go ahead. I lined up with her toward the back, because I knew there was no reason to line up at the front.
The horn sounded and we were off - downhill, so I ran kind of fast. I passed quite a few people - some that shouldn't have been at the front of the start anyway. Once the road leveled, I tried to find a good pace for myself. My "worries" went away after awhile. Two guys passed me. Then we hit a hill that had to be 1/2 to 3/4 miles. It wasn't steep, but went on forever. I passed them back. I don't remember much for awhile, except the hills. We did got down another sorta steep hill, but there were also some steep hills to run UP. I passed a guy (looked like my age group) on one of those steep hills, because he began walking. When the course flattened back out, he passed me back. He said something to me, and I said the hills are awful. He replied that the hills were "gently rolling", because that is what the race info said - "gently rolling". Downhill wasn't even gentle. The pastor of the church was driving the opposite way of we were running. He said # 11 when he reached me. I told myself right then that I wanted to finish in the top 10, so I tried to turn it up some. This was running steady uphill just after just finishing a steep uphill climb. There were two young kids (11-13 year-olds) that I had been running behind for quite sometime at this point and the guy that I swapped positions with a couple of times just ahead of me. One kid was leading the other and did his best to stay ahead of me. He would look back, and if I was getting close, he would speed up. The other kid would keep pace. I passed them quite easily along with the "guy", because he was back to walking on the uphill homestretch and I never looked back. I finished 8th overall and somehow managed 2nd in my age group. The guy that won it all (in just under 18 minutes) was also in my age group. They did not except the overall top 3 from the age groups, so I did not get the first place prize - a medal and a gift card. He got the overall and the age group medals and prizes.
After I had finished, I thought I had about 15-20 minutes before Sherri would finish. She did a 5k last week in 44 minutes on a flat course, so with all this hills, I thought it would take her longer. I decided to walk the mile to the vehicle, pee, put on some dry, warm clothes, and drive up to the finish line. If anybody said anything about it, I would say we had to pick up a granddaughter. (Crissy was bringing Lainey to us.) Sherri was already finished by the time I got there. She had finished in 36 minutes! We drove back to the farm parking area, got some free food and drinks, then went to sit in the vehicle to wait on Lainey and for the 1 Mile Fun Run runners to finish before the awards presentation. If it wasn't for Lainey, we would probably not have stayed around for the awards. I was far enough behind that I did not see the 6 of the 7 people finish ahead of me, but I was sure 3 of them had to be in my age group. They announced that you had to be present for the door prizes, so we hung around. I got a certificate for my age group. Sherri got one for being 3rd in her age group! She ran and walked, but said she ran quite a bit. She also said she passed some younger runners, too.
After the awards, we visited the petting zoo, went on a hay ride, pony ride, and a few other things that were not really worth the admission, but Lainey would have enjoyed more if she wasn't so sleepy.
Oh, I almost forgot my time. Even though I felt better for last week's 5k on a flat track, I ran this 5k around 50 seconds faster for some reason. I finished in 23:42, for a pace of 7:39. Last week was 24:30, 7:54. This was my 3rd fastest pace of any mileage. I ran a 3 mile training run in 7:24 on October 28, 2010. My second fastest was on September 25, 2010, at the Houston County Fair 5k, at a 7:27 pace.
The horn sounded and we were off - downhill, so I ran kind of fast. I passed quite a few people - some that shouldn't have been at the front of the start anyway. Once the road leveled, I tried to find a good pace for myself. My "worries" went away after awhile. Two guys passed me. Then we hit a hill that had to be 1/2 to 3/4 miles. It wasn't steep, but went on forever. I passed them back. I don't remember much for awhile, except the hills. We did got down another sorta steep hill, but there were also some steep hills to run UP. I passed a guy (looked like my age group) on one of those steep hills, because he began walking. When the course flattened back out, he passed me back. He said something to me, and I said the hills are awful. He replied that the hills were "gently rolling", because that is what the race info said - "gently rolling". Downhill wasn't even gentle. The pastor of the church was driving the opposite way of we were running. He said # 11 when he reached me. I told myself right then that I wanted to finish in the top 10, so I tried to turn it up some. This was running steady uphill just after just finishing a steep uphill climb. There were two young kids (11-13 year-olds) that I had been running behind for quite sometime at this point and the guy that I swapped positions with a couple of times just ahead of me. One kid was leading the other and did his best to stay ahead of me. He would look back, and if I was getting close, he would speed up. The other kid would keep pace. I passed them quite easily along with the "guy", because he was back to walking on the uphill homestretch and I never looked back. I finished 8th overall and somehow managed 2nd in my age group. The guy that won it all (in just under 18 minutes) was also in my age group. They did not except the overall top 3 from the age groups, so I did not get the first place prize - a medal and a gift card. He got the overall and the age group medals and prizes.
After I had finished, I thought I had about 15-20 minutes before Sherri would finish. She did a 5k last week in 44 minutes on a flat course, so with all this hills, I thought it would take her longer. I decided to walk the mile to the vehicle, pee, put on some dry, warm clothes, and drive up to the finish line. If anybody said anything about it, I would say we had to pick up a granddaughter. (Crissy was bringing Lainey to us.) Sherri was already finished by the time I got there. She had finished in 36 minutes! We drove back to the farm parking area, got some free food and drinks, then went to sit in the vehicle to wait on Lainey and for the 1 Mile Fun Run runners to finish before the awards presentation. If it wasn't for Lainey, we would probably not have stayed around for the awards. I was far enough behind that I did not see the 6 of the 7 people finish ahead of me, but I was sure 3 of them had to be in my age group. They announced that you had to be present for the door prizes, so we hung around. I got a certificate for my age group. Sherri got one for being 3rd in her age group! She ran and walked, but said she ran quite a bit. She also said she passed some younger runners, too.
After the awards, we visited the petting zoo, went on a hay ride, pony ride, and a few other things that were not really worth the admission, but Lainey would have enjoyed more if she wasn't so sleepy.
Oh, I almost forgot my time. Even though I felt better for last week's 5k on a flat track, I ran this 5k around 50 seconds faster for some reason. I finished in 23:42, for a pace of 7:39. Last week was 24:30, 7:54. This was my 3rd fastest pace of any mileage. I ran a 3 mile training run in 7:24 on October 28, 2010. My second fastest was on September 25, 2010, at the Houston County Fair 5k, at a 7:27 pace.
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