March 28, 2013 - A Training Run

I had decided I would only post about races, since the training run posts are pretty much boring (i.e. I ran 5 miles in 45 minutes).  If you are not chased by a dog or something strange doesn't happen, after awhile, the posts become mundane. Well, mine do - not everybody's.  However, this training run does hold a special place in my heart.  Not that anything extraordinary happened or it was a great run, it is just that I did ran.  This was my first training run since February 13!  I have ran two half marathons and a 5k in between, though. In an earlier post, I commented that I was trying to be a Weekend Warrior.  It was more like an Every Other Weekend Warrior - 10 days from February training run of 4 miles to the first half marathon, a week from then to the 5k, 2 weeks from the 5k to the second half marathon, and then 12 days until I ran today.  With 3 days left in March (and I hope to get a run in on Saturday to add a few more miles), I have a total of 21.2 miles for the month (and 34.3 for the last 43 days).  I should be running somewhere around 30 miles per week!  The main reason for me not running:  the weather.  I have just not been happy with it.  There have been a few nice days, but by the time I got home from work, the weather had changed.  After a mostly sunny day, the sun was behind the clouds or maybe even raining.  We've even had some snow this week.  It did stick to the ground, but just days after the first day of spring, it was snowing and cold!  If there were any nice days, I was unable to run due to some other thing I had to do.  All I know is that, "The Country Music Marathon (less than a month away) is really going to kill me."

March 16, 2013 - Clarksville 5th Annual Half Marathon

I am unofficially trying to obtain the title of "Weekend Warrior".  During the last 4 weeks, I have ran 3 races on Saturdays - a 5k and two half marathons.  No other running. In fact, those are my only runs in the last 31 days.

Well, this half marathon has gone down a lot.  This year had 105 finishers.  A long way from the 884 in 2009.  I bet it loses its USRA Half Marathon Series status before long.  It dropped to 493 in 2010. I think to 183 in 2011.  Then they moved it from October to March.  Etc.

This was my 10th half marathon.  I was well rested for it :)  But not well trained for it :( 

It started off okay.  Two weeks ago I ran a 5k with the temperature around freezing and some snow flurries.  Today, the temperature was around a great 65 degrees.  However, there was some of that dreaded WIND!  And I mean WIND!  At one point we ran directly into the wind for almost two miles.  (I meant to check the wind speeds for the day when I got home, but never did it).  I want to say 100 mph winds, but I guess it was more like 30.  And I don't mean wind gusts.  I mean solid, nonstop wind for 2 miles!  Then there were more "opportunities" to run head-on into the wind!  I was thinking that I would have to label this post with an "Explicit Language" caution, but I have calmed down since the race and refrained from such language.  According to most of the finishing times, it seems the wind affected a lot of the runners. 

The wind most certainly affected me, but lack of training also hurt my time.  Three weeks ago I ran my slowest - 2:04:21 (9:30 pace) - half marathon.  I thought that since this one would be flatter that I would be at about the same time.  I blame the wind on me setting a new personal low at 2:10:15 (9:57 pace).  However, I did receive my highest age group ranking.  I was # 2 of 8 in the 40-44, and 49 of 105 overall.  A 2:10 time finishing #2 is another reason I think the wind affected people.  The winner, however, did run it in 1:23.  There have been quite a few people to run it in under 1:20, though.

Two half marathons this year with each setting a new personal slow.

March 2, 2013 - Relove Haiti 5k

Relove Haiti 5k.  This year it was at Rossview High School instead of Beechaven.  It was cold.  The temperature stayed at about 32 degrees all day!  There was snow, but it did not stick. It had snowed some the day before (with less than a dusting even though it snowed quite awhile) and was possibly snowing through the night, so the race director was to make a decision at 6:00 am.  (Thank goodness this was a 9:00 am start race.  I don't know why so many want 7 or 8:00.) 

Received a message that the race was on and no precipitation was expected for the next 3 hours.  I looked out the window - it was snowing then.  By the time I got ready, the hood of my truck was covered.  It flurried mostly after that.  A lot of snow fell from the sky, but quickly disappeared.  Depending on the direction running, it was breezy.

I took the week off after last week's Half Marathon.  It wasn't so much that I needed the week off than I just didn't want to run.  The temperature (and wind) was not where I wanted them to be.  This was also only the second run in 17 days.  I should have ran a 14 miler today in preparation for the Country Music Marathon.  Man, is that going to be a disaster. 

Anyway, I was 4 of 12 males in the 36-45 age group and 35 of 147 overall.  My time was 24:30, a 7:54 pace.  It hurt to breathe during and for awhile afterwards, because my lungs were frozen.

Last year, the Relove Haiti became my second fastest 5k at 23:14 (7:30 pace).