Running Adventures in an Extraordinary World

Oh my aching Plantar!

2012-01-29T15:52:00.003-05:00

I tried to pretend that it wasn't there, but yes, my plantar issue has returned, particularly in my right foot. I know what I need to do, and now I finally need to do it!

Since being freed from the shackles of physical therapy on my calf muscle, I have reverted to my old familiar routine of getting up in the morning and running. I have not improved my cross training, strength training OR even my stretching. My plantar is making me pay!!!

So, time to rethink and replan the training. I need to find a way to MAKE TIME to hit the gym and get that cross training in along with some strength training. I also need to get some of the exercises into my routine that I learned in my plantar and calf PT experiences. It is so much easier to run out the front door in the morning. This will be tricky - it is looking like an after work stop at the gym.

On the "kill two birds" front, I am looking for an app or tool that will read .pdf files to me so I can listen while I run. Something that doesn't sound like a robot reading. If I can listen while I am working out I can make progress on the research and regain that time back at home.

Another 8 miler this week - heel was already sore from all the standing I was doing at my daughter's robotic event yesterday. Even massaging the foot last night didn't make it feel any better post run today. Still, a good run! Pushing it up to 10 miles next weekend :-). I am targeting the Swamphouse Half with an eye on the Winter Park Road Race (10K).

Killing Two Birds....

2012-01-21T12:31:00.003-05:00

For years I have been juggling a lot of things - parenting, career, running and school. The first two items are given as the most important. I am not willing to compromise on quality of time I spend on those activities. The last two, though further down on the list, have shaped my life in many ways. I like to set bold goals and then go for them - all while maintaining some semblance of balance with the things on the top of my list.

As I was running my 8 miler today, I spent the time listening to this week's UCF class lecture. I am taking a course on Research Methods which is preparing me for embarking on my dissertation research. And it dawned on me (as it has before): How much of my school work (lectures, topic research, etc.) can I accomplish while I am out running? Even while training for half marathon distances, I am averaging around 20-25 miles of running a week. For slow me, that translates into 5-6 hours on the road. I am hunting for a decent .pdf reader so I can listen to research papers. I can use some of my devices to record thoughts that come to mind while running. I have started to implement "cloud" based tools for capturing and organizing my information (apps like Evernote, Springpad, RefWorks, and the Google suite of tools) and making them accessible from a variety of devices and connections.

And I must say, running helps me to engage the right side of my brain - which seems to help me develop some new ideas that can elude me when implementing my left brained study at my desk.

So, can I begin increasing my research activity AND increase my running activity and build my PhD while on the road? Stay tuned :-)

It's Already 2012....

2012-01-14T21:25:00.002-05:00

Hello blog, my old running adventures friend! I write more on Facebook than I do here, but I have such fond memories within the pages of this blog. And the adventures continue. So, perhaps I can come visit a little more often.

The picture above is after the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. This year I ran the Inaugural Marathon Relay with my sister Tammy. A very different race indeed! Neither of us was really trained up for this one. After 6 weeks of physical therapy for a pulled calf muscle from back in October, I had just a 10 miler under my belt going into this one. The goal was to take it easy, enjoy the race, run 2 min and walk 1 min the entire way. We also had race retreat packages which made the time there very enjoyable. We had an incredible time! My time for the first half was 2:49. Our team time was 6:30. A marathon relay PR! :-)

Next year is the 20th Disney World Marathon - an event I am sure will be a big deal. As much as I enjoyed the relay, I think I might have to run the full. We shall see how well I can train for that! :-)

In the meanwhile, lots of running planned for this year. My "target" races will likely be the Winter Park Road Race and the OUC Half Marathon in terms of working on time. Jim and I will run the Wine and Dine for the third year in a row - this year in November. I hope to run a 5K race with my 12 year old daughter AND I am not sure but I would like to find a nice race to run for my 50th birthday this year. I am not sure it will be a full marathon, but I would like it to be at least a half or a relay with family!

So here is to 2012 - 5 years since I ran my first marathon, 10 years since I ran that first 5K, and the beginning of a lifetime of running adventures.

The 100 Days Challenge

2011-01-30T12:20:00.003-05:00

It started out innocently enough. I started running on New Year's Eve - then started running with my husband, who decided he wanted to run every day to get back into shape. I wanted to join him mostly because I like running together and, as I found in those first couple of weeks, it was a great time to touch base and catch up on what was going on.

But I had never run more than 3 or 4 days in a row without a rest day. This would be a new challenge! I would start with running shorter runs and see where it goes from there.

A few days into our challenge I saw a Facebook post by John Bingham of the 100 Days Challenge. That sounded like a fun challenge to join - a goal to see just how far I could take my everyday running. After a week or so, my husband became ill and had to stop running - but I kept going. I even replaced 2 runs with 2 mile power walks on days when I was too tired or my husband's legs hurt too much - but outside of those two days - I have RUN every day in January. I have completed day 30 of the 100 Day Challenge - with my New Year's Eve run I have run 31 days in a row.

So, 1/3 into this challenge I have learned a few things:

- miles accumulate quickly when running every day. Even though my runs are shorter, and my long runs have been under 10 miles (except the Disney Half) I will break 120 miles for January. I usually never break 100 miles in a month unless I am in the height of training for a marathon with 20+ milers built in to the mix.

- it is VERY hard to miss a day. There were a few days I would have quickly bagged a run because of schedule conflicts - but I have stuck to these runs even if my run took place at 9 pm and I did it by running 3 laps around the block. I feel determined not to miss any runs until I complete the challenge.

- the best part of my run is logging it and crossing off another day in the challenge.

Next race

My next race is the Winter Park Road Race, a 10K race run toward the end of March. Last year I ran a PR, completing the race in 1:01:25. At this time last year I was running faster than I am now, but I am hoping to use February to begin to build my speed back up. Who knows, maybe I can PR again this year! :-)

The Disney World Marathon Weekend - From the Other Side

2011-01-09T12:30:00.029-05:00

Since 2004 I have participated at some level with the Disney World Marathon weekend, with the exception of 2006 when I was too late to sign up for the half (and not ready to run a full). In 2010, after running my second Goofy (my first Dopey) I decided I would only run the full marathon for 2011, but I waited to sign up. As summer passed and a busy fall season took shape, I realized I didn't have the time to train for a full marathon. I signed up for the half marathon since I couldn't bring myself to completely skip the event. Then, after running the half yesterday, I talked my daughter into getting up at 2 am and driving down to Disney to watch our friends run the full marathon. And that is how I got to see the other side. But first, my race.

Day 1: The Half Marathon

Rather than a long narrative, here is a summmary with a few pics of my half marathon day:

Never saw anyone wear a tarp to the starting area before - it just struck me as different.

Waiting in my starting corral. I was in Corral C - which was Wave 3.

As is typical Disney, there were plenty of characters to see along the course. Maddy was the first just before mile 4. Since I was just taking it easy and having fun, I stopped, got a hug and a picture before moving on. Later I saw Maddy again at mile 7 or so after exiting the Magic Kingdom. Loved the sign.... #nocandyasses.

The race itself was sufficiently hard for my level of training. Having the "I am not trying for a PR" mentality really helped me keep it reasonable and enjoy the run.

Finished the race and met back up with Maddy. Got a quick picture with my Geneva College Tornado towel and headed home.

Day 2: The Full Marathon

I had the chance to meet quite a few runners who were heading out for the full 26.2 this morning. It was about 10 deg F colder than yesterday so everyone was bundled up. As a spectator, I had plenty of layers I knew I could keep along with a small thermos of hot cocoa. Maddy brought me the infamous sign to use for the day. At 4:45 am, most of the runners headed for the starting area, with the last couple heading over at 5 am.

Now the adventure begins....here are my observations as a spectator:

Observation 1: Lots of runners wait until the last second to head to the start. I always headed over at 4:30 like a good little runner. Lots of runners were still arriving at 5:30. One came up to me to find out where the starting area was.

Observation 2: The medals for the finishers come individually wrapped in plastic. At 5:30 am, volunteers are unwrapping each medal and putting it on the hooks to be awarded after the race.

Observation 3: The finish line area is quiet but there are a few folks who stake out their spot right next to the runner's path near the finishline - at 5:30am.

We got on the monorail at Epcot and headed to the Transportation Center outside of the Magic Kingdom. We were right before the mile 9 marker. Places up on the rail were going fast so we staked our place at about 5:45 am. We expected Maddy to run by around 7:30 am - now we wait....in the cold.

Observation 4: Seeing the first runners come through is very cool! We first saw the first wheel chair, then the first man, and a bit later the first woman runners! You could tell a runner was coming when the folks up ahead of us started to cheer.

Observation 5: Pace groups make it easier to find your runner. I knew Maddy was going for a 4:45 pace / finish, so I knew that she wouldn't show until after the 4:00 or 4:15 pace groups. I was able to spot her in the crowd and get some video of her running by.

Observation 6: Waiting for 2 hours to watch a friend run by in their best marathon ever.....priceless!

After catching Maddy again after mile 12, my daughter and I headed to IHOP for breakfast.

It was odd being the spectator and not the runner - but I got to see a very different side of a race. I saw dedicated family members waiting in the cold to watch for a loved one or friend - hours before they would come - to watch their 15 sec of glory running by. I saw race volunteers helping late runners get to the start, unwrapping thousands of medals for the runners, and setting up water stops in the dark. I saw volunteer band members beating their drums to warm up in the cold before the runners arrive and Disney cast members pointing the way to a lone vendor with coffee and hot cocoa.

As a runner - I have so appreciate these folks - and today I appreciate them so much more!

Disney's Inaugural Wine and Dine Half Marathon Race Report

2010-10-12T11:46:00.031-05:00

When Disney decided to turn the Race for the Taste 10K into a half marathon with a relay, my husband and I saw this as the perfect chance to:

a) get in a race without too much training (since we were splitting the distance)
b) enjoy the Epcot Food and Wine festival
c) run a Disney race LATE at night (instead of in the wee hours of the day)
d) enjoy an Inaugural race and possibly become part of a crowd that will run it every year
e) be part of the first relay run locally (that I know of)

My husband would run the first 5.1 miles and I would run the last 8 miles. Start time was 10 pm so our projected finish was sometime around 12:30 to 12:45 (depending on how soon he got across the start line and how crowded the course was. I had a good feeling we could run the race together in 2:30.

We would party at the finish line festival in Epcot until 3 am and then crash at our hotel room at the Port Orleans French Quarter resort.

We treated this time away from the kids as a pre-20th anniversary weekend!

After ditching the kids (one was off marching elsewhere in the state, the other one off with friends to an Octoberfest event) we checked in at our hotel around 3 pm Saturday. We napped for a couple of hours since we were going to be up late, then walked over to Port Orleans Riverside for dinner before boarding a bus at 6:15 pm for the starting area at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. We were quite early, but we wanted to beat the crowds. The field where we waited to start would have been a nice place to picnic (note to self for next year).
Lots of porta potties and no lines - yet. There would be lines later.

This picture shows how empty it was around 7 pm.

We took some time to just rest up since my bus to the exchange point at Animal Kingdom didn't leave until 8:30 pm.

Arrived at the Animal Kingdom parking lot exchange area around 9 or 9:15 pm (how does it take 45 minutes for that drive - we can almost run it faster!). Again lots of sitting and relaxing before the race. As much as the DJ's tried to get everyone up and dancing around, we were resting!

I am usually not one to get character pictures but I decided to kill some wait time by getting a picture with Pluto.

The race started - there was an announcement at the exchange area that the start did happen, however I had been hoping that they would show a video of the start on the big screen (recommendation for next year) so we could see the fireworks and get excited at the race start!

Then we waited until the time we thought our relay partners would arrive and then got into the exchange corrals. My husband came in at 54:33 when I met him, took his flashlight baton, walked with him in the exchange area, then took off on my run. Our transition time was under 2 minutes.

I did stop for one other character pic because, amazingly, there was NO line next to Darth Vader!

For my portion of the race, most of the course was pretty unexciting, some places really dark, not much entertainment on the course like in the marathon, but we spent LOTS of time running around Hollywood Studios - and that was fun!

It was a bit warm and the breeze we had earlier was long gone, but I felt good and kept up a good pace. I was shooting for a team finish of 2:30. After Hollywood Studios it was like the end of the marathon, a trip down the sidewalk along the water along the Boardwalk, then into the back entrance of Disney, except that is where the race ended. My run of 8 miles (actually I ran slightly more than 8 miles and husband ran less than 5 miles - Garmin had me at 8.41 miles) took 1:33:40 giving us a total time of 2:30:09!

The finish area was a bit disappointing for a few reasons. First, they had the finisher medal picture area, but no way for a team picture to be taken since the area was cordoned off for the finishing runners only. Then we had to go through a tent to get our bag and get into Epcot and it was crowded and stiffling hot. Some folks were getting sick from standing in the heat after having run for the past 2.5 hours.

The next disappointment was the mob scene inside Epcot. Disney had sold tickets to the finish line party to anyone who wanted them. And folks took advantage of the $35 entry to the Food and Wine festival. The result was a way overcrowded Epcot with long lines to the food. Many runners left to get food at the hotel. We hung around and got food from about 6 countries with short lines in the 2 hours we were there. Late finishers got little or nothing. This will definitely have to be different.

Still, we enjoyed food, wine and even another character picture with Mulan.

The bling was great, as usual.

Finally, an update!

2010-05-16T17:11:00.013-05:00

I have definitely been running since the end of March - which is the good news! But, like many of you, things have been busy and blogging has taken a back seat.

This is a quick update on what I have been up to.

April started out with some relaxing days out at Paynes Prairie Preserve - one of our favorite camp grounds. We got a chance to see some wild horses, deer and woodpeckers among other species. A campfire is usually just what the doctor ordered for relaxation! With Easter break, we got to spend an extended weekend!

The next big event was the local Corporate 5K. For the 8th year in a row I served as team captain for TeamSAIC. We had 70 employees, associates and family members come out and support the event at Orlando's Lake Eola. We had great weather - cooler with some clouds and a breeze - which made for a comfortable event. My older daughter and I ran-walked the race together for a 38 minute finish. Except for a little fender bender before the race, we survived without too much damage!

After a week attending a local technical conference an presenting a paper, I had a chance to attend the Kids House Gala held at UCF. There my husband and I had a chance to meet Roger Hodgson, the former lead singer for Supertramp who performed for the gala.

The very next afternoon we celebrated my older daughter's 15th birthday with a bowling party at Firk and Kelger's. A fun time was had by all!

Another week at a different local technical conference and yet another presentation, then a weekend of wedding festivities with some good family friends (local, thankfully). My husband was an usher for the wedding. The mother of the groom stayed with us and I made sure she got to the wedding on time! Everything went off with a hitch!

We got a week off from major events - only a soccer game to attend and time spent preparing our house for the following weekend - my husband's graduation from UCF - Summa Cum Laude - an endeavor that has been many years in the making!

We attended the ceremony with a live webcast playing back at our house for family and friends who couldn't go because we didn't have enough tickets. Then back to our place for the festivities!!

This past weekend was the Jim Payne Blue Ribbon Run for the Kids 5K which benefited Kids House. I have been part of the planning committee and spend the afternoon working the race! The weather was quite warm and some of our runners were pretty toasty when they reached the finish line, but the event was a great success, drawing over 1100 runners in its second year.

I think that catches me up! In the middle of all of this, I still managed to log 79 miles in April and so far 50 miles in May. I just passed 400 miles for the year. I have done so much better this year than previous years keeping my base mileage at a good level (15-25 miles a week). I am not training for any particular race right now - just adjusting to running in the heat again. Today is the first time in awhile I have needed to bring my full Fuel Belt on an 8 mile run.

Tomorrow I start summer school...Engineering Statistics. That should keep me from blogging too much this summer. Hope your running is going well this spring and into summer! I will be "seeing" you out there on the roads with more running adventures to come!

Running in Monterey

2010-03-26T19:05:00.007-05:00

At the turnaround point of my Monterey Peninsula run.

Last week while on a business trip to Monterey, CA I got a chance to get a couple of runs in on the Monterey Peninsula Trail. I was staying on Wave St. along Cannery Row so the trail was a half block from the hotel - basically right across the street.

Running west, the cement trail turns to asphalt and dirt, then entirely dirt trail - following the shoreline.

On my first run, I went 2.5 miles in this direction before turning around for my return and took a few pictures and a video along the way.

My second run was in the easterly direction toward Fisherman's Wharf - less trail and more cement but interesting sights anyway!

The temperatures were quite cool (almost cold) with temps in the mid to upper 50s and breezy. It felt great in my short sleeves while running - but once I stopped running I had to quickly get inside and warm up.

After my second run, I quickly drove over to the other side of the peninsula to catch a beautiful CA sunset!

It is good to be home, but I will certainly miss running along the beach!

A New 10K PR and Pacing

2010-03-13T12:49:00.004-05:00

Shirley and I after the race - both with shiny new PRs!
The Winter Park Road Race is usually the next race I focus on after running the Disney Marathon. For the past couple of years, my training had not gone so well - so I was thrilled that I had some great training in my buildup to the race and my best chance at a PR. My tempo runs showed I had a PR in me - my stretch goal was to try to bust 1 hour. Breaching the 1 hour mark was not in the cards for me today - but I am not disappointed because I felt like I ran a good race overall.....and had a 2:32 PR!

I got to the race early (around 6:30) so I could get a good parking spot. The 2 mile run was set to start at 7 am so I was a little worried I might not be early enough - but I got a decent parking spot and headed over toward the race area. It was cool this morning, about 53 deg F - and although my long sleeve shirt felt nice, I knew I wouldn't need it for the race, so I took the marathon approach, ditched the long sleeves and stuck with my short sleeve shirt along with a thin plastic rain poncho (a little more fashionable than the standard garbage bag). Most folks braved it without a poncho or bag...I did see one person with a bag on. Still, I was warmer and happier with my poncho.

I stopped by the Orlando Running Club tent and said a quick hello to Kitzzy who was transitioning from biking mode (she rode her bike around 5 miles to the race) to running mode. She then headed for the 2 mile start area (she ran both the 2 mile run AND the 10K!). After that I wandered around a bit, ran into a running friend from work, then made one more porta potty stop before lining up.

Given my anticipated finish time of around 1 hour, I lined up just behind the 9 min/mi sign. About 5 min before the race start I ditched the rain poncho. Then we were off!

My plan: Don't go out too fast (shoot for around 10 min for first mile) and treat it like my 5 mile tempo runs. Also part of the plan - iPod shuffle with a 180 bpm Podrunner mix.

It was a good plan. I hit the first mile at about 9:45 - not too bad. Mile 2 came around 19:33. I was behind a sub 1 hour pace but I didn't have the energy to push my pace anymore. I didn't want to run out of gas at mile 3 or 4 so I focused on running comfortably hard with my 180 bpm turnover. There were 3 water stops and I took water at all of them. The second stop is right before mile 4 so I took a Clif Shot there and made sure I drank enough to wash it down. The last water stop was around mile 5 or just after. Other than the water stops, I didn't take any walking breaks. When I got tired, I shortened my stride but maintained my turnover.

Just at the mile 4 water stop a woman ran by me and was just telling someone that I was her pacer! Then she said to hurry up so I could pace some more. I was right there so I ran up and agreed to keep the pace up and went ahead. The next time I saw her was a bit after mile 5. I had started to speed up but then bonked a bit and was having trouble keeping my pace going. She ran by and said I needed to keep it going. I told her that maybe she could pace for a bit since I was a bit out of gas. She said she would try and plugged on ahead. I worked to keep up with her. It was a nice diversion during mile 5. Coming around the corner at about mile 6 I passed her again.

At mile 6, you can see the finish line up ahead for the 0.2 mile stretch. I decided to go for it and picked up the pace - I was almost done! It was tough to hold the pace though - my stomach was starting to turn, but I kept telling myself that it would be done in less than a minute! And then, it was over.

1:01:25 - a 2:32 PR over my last PR 2 years ago.

Shirley was at the finish to meet me. Then the pacing lady came up behind me and greeted me. She introduced herself (I forgot her name AND I should have gotten a picture) and thanked me for pacing her to a 4 min PR. I thanked her for getting me through the end of the race as well.

I am happy with the results - a great PR time with the 1 hour goal out there for another day (perhaps on a flatter, straighter, brickless course). I felt like I didn't go out too hard, I maintained pace but didn't kill myself in the middle, and I finished strong. I can't think of anything else I would have done differently to try to finish faster.

My next race is the Corporate 5K. I am trying to decide whether to train to run a faster 5K time or to not run it at all and spend the time cheering on the other runners and taking lots of pics (I am the team captain). Given my training I would most likely have a shot at a 5K PR, however, this is not a timed race AND there are only about 10K other folks there - I would be weaving and avoiding folks the entire time. I would like to put my time up as one of the fastest women on our team....but it would be fun to run it again with my daughter. I have a month to decide! :-)

Hope everyone had great runs out there this weekend! I am going to slack off and take tomorrow off!

Sub-1 hour 10K??

2010-03-09T10:17:00.003-05:00

Note the dead palm tree out in front of my house....when the cold is finally gone those dead leaves are coming off!!

I think I might have a sub-1 hour 10K in me....

So I am putting it out there for this weekend's Winter Park Road Race.

Unless something unusual happens, I will PR this weekend (current PR is 1:03:57).

If I have a really good day, I think I can bust 1 hour. That is a 9:39 min/mi pace which I think I can maintain. That is, as long as I don't use my usual 10K strategy, which from the comments on Shirley's blog, a number of other folks use. It's the "go out too hard and try to survive" approach to 10Ks. What I really want to do is go out easier, negative split, and finish strong. I do it on my 5 milers all the time, so this should be a no brainer.

I just need to watch the start....I think I will focus on mental training for the rest of this week! :-)

Race report Sat or Sun we shall see!

Cold Weather Running in Florida

2010-02-15T18:39:00.005-05:00

This has been a really interesting running season for me. I suppose the Disney races set the pace for me, because going out for a run in 40 deg weather doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore. In fact, I am enjoying the heck out of running in the chilly air. It is going to be tough when it warms up in a couple of months - for now I will enjoy it while I can.

During my long run this past week I crossed the 4000 mile mark for miles I have logged since I started logging back in 2006. It has been a super journey. I have met so many interesting folks, blogged and podcasted my way through some challenging times, and now - four years later - I am continuing to grow and enjoy the thrill of the journey.

Thanks for coming along, and be sure to enjoy your own running adventures!

Husky Trot 5K

2010-02-06T09:08:00.003-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny morning with temps around 55 deg F for today's Husky Trot 5K. This is the 5th running of this race to raise money for my daughter's HS athletic department.

Since my daughter hasn't been training at all, I set my watch to beep once a minute and we ran 2 min and walked 1 min for the 3.1 miles. The last .1 mile is on the school track where you finish by running through the inflatable Husky.

We had a great time chatting and running together! We finished in 37:31 min.

2010 Running Goals

2010-02-01T19:25:00.002-05:00

With Disney behind me and 2009 in the books, it is time to look forward to 2010 goals.

I was sharing with Maddy as we ran the Disney half marathon that I didn’t want to run Boston unless I qualified. I also told her that my best shot at a BQ was to live long enough and still be running until I can qualify.

My sub-5 hr marathon at Disney is a BQ if I was 70 years old.

For my age group of 45 – 49, I would need to hit 4 hours to qualify for Boston. That would be a 9:11 min/mi pace. Now I am not saying that it is impossible for me to run a sub 4 hour race. I probably couldn’t do it training the same way I do right now.

Let me be clear, a BQ is NOT a 2010 goal for me. This year’s achievable goal is to work on my speed and get faster. Instead, I think I will target running a 5K (or even a 10K) at a BQ pace. At 9:11 min/mi pace that would be a 28:32 5K. Now that is something I can shoot for!

My plan is to work on speed during the spring running season, and then begin to build endurance during the summer. I am hoping to consult my unofficial running coach ShirleyPerly to get advice on training for these goals. I am considering weight training and possibly some cross training (swimming during the summer months). I have already added a tempo run or intervals once a week. My target race for a PR this spring is the Winter Park Road Race in March. I think I have a good shot at breaking my 1:03:57 PR. I have about 5 weeks left to train – and I am feeling recovered from Disney. My target race for a BQ paced 5K is probably the Autumn Rock n Run 5K.

After WPRR, my training for the fall will depend on which races I decide I will run. I am currently not planning on a fall marathon. I will focus on better times for the Miracle Mile 15K in Sept and the UCF 5 Miler in October. I am also planning on running the Inaugural Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney on October 2nd . My husband and I are going to run it as a team (one runs 5.1 miles the other runs 8 miles). And unlike the Disney marathon races where I get up at 2 am for a 5:40 am start, this race starts at 10 pm - meaning we won't be finishing until after midnight! Then we join the party at Epcot and crash at a Disney hotel!

I also plan on being the co-captain for my Corporate 5K team for our April race and to volunteer for the Kids House 5K in May and one other race during the year.

Target races:

Race 1-3: Disney Dopey – Jan. 9-11 (DONE!)
Race 4: Husky Trot 5K – Feb 6 – benefits my daughter’s HS
Race 5: Winter Park Road Race (10K) – March 13 – Going for a PR
Race 6: Wounded Warrior 5K – April 10 - great cause!
Race 7: Corporate 5K – April 15 - Co-captain company team
Race 8: Run for Water (UCF) 6K – April 18 – Water for Haiti and in my backyard
Race 9: Jim Payne Blue Ribbon Run 5K – May 15 - I may just volunteer for this one
Race 10: Autumn Rock n Run 5K – Sept - May go for my 5K at BQ pace here
Race 11: Miracle Mile 15K - Sept
Race 12: Wine and Dine Half Marathon – Oct 2 – new race, running with hubby
Race 13: UCF 5 Miler & 2 Mile – Oct 9
Race 14: OUC Half Marathon – Early Dec - warm up race for Disney Marathon 2011 and possible PR

So in summary:

1. Run faster this year: A 5K at BQ pace (9:11) for my age group.
2. PR for the 10K distance.
3. Volunteer for at least 2 races and coordinate my corporate 5K team.

2010 is going to be a great year!!!

2009 Running Recap

2010-01-18T18:23:00.013-05:00

My new running year is a bit off the calendar….kind of like corporate fiscal years. My annual running ends after the Disney Marathon which is held the 2nd weekend of January. Now that Disney is behind me, I can look back on how things went in 2009.

2009 Running Goals:

Like last year, I looked back and could not find my running goals for 2009. I did find that things got insanely busy early last year and my running fell off for the first 4 months or so of the year. In general, my goal was to be out there running – focus on a single marathon (Disney) and do what I could in my other races. Later in the year, I decided I wanted to break 30 min in a timed 5K race, PR for a half marathon, and PR for the marathon at Disney. Maybe my goals are too easy since I accomplished all of them!

2009 Running Achievements:

I ran a total of 953 miles in 2009. I missed my goal to break 1000 miles but I was happy with the volume of running I maintained beginning in August.
My average weekly miles = 18.3 with my highest week = 45
My average monthly miles = 79 with my highest month = 154 (Nov)
My average long run pace in the fall was about 11:15 min/mile (last 20 miler before Disney was 11:06 pace)

I ran 10 races in 2009:
Races 1 and 2: 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend running Goofy. The Goofy Race and a Half Challenge included running the half marathon on Sat (2:39) and the full marathon on Sun (5:41). I ran these races with my husband where our goal was to finish strong. The very next day we signed up for 2010 Goofy and the 5K (Dopey).

Race 3: Winter Park Road Race (10K) – My training for this race did not go as planned so I had no illusions of running a PR. I still ran a respectable 1:05:10.

Race 4: Corporate 5K – This is not a timed race, but I recall running this one in around 31 or 32 minutes. It is difficult to run a fast time in a field of over 6000 runners! This one is more for the fun of bringing my work associates together for a evening.

Race 5: Jim Payne Blue Ribbon Run for the Kids (5K) – This was a very special race because I was part of the planning committee for this event which benefits a charity I work with. This was conceived over 2 years previous and finally came to fruition. We couldn’t have asked for better participation for an inaugural race with over 900 runners registered. I ran it with my daughter and together we finished just under 40 minutes.

Race 6: Autumn Rock n Run 5K – This race was held on my birthday and I was determined to bust 30 minutes in a timed 5K race. My good running friend Maddy came to watch me run my 5K PR!

Race 7: Miracle Mile 15K – I didn’t run a PR on this race but I ran a strong, consistent race (1:42). It was a bit warm that day (as it typically is in late Sept) but I felt good about my race results.

Race 8: UCF 5 Miler & 2 Mile Race (Distance Dare) – The local race sponsor Track Shack recently added the “Distance Dare” to certain races they sponsor with multiple distances. Runners have the option to run multiple races on the same day. I normally run the UCF 5 Miler but added the 2 Mile race as well and ran them both. Just days before the race I caught a nasty chest cold but by race time I was good for a nice and easy run. I finished the 5 miler in 56:58 and the 2 mile race in 22:05.

Race 9: Race for the Cure 5K (Bandit) – Initially I was planning on running this race as a registered attendee. After sponsoring Maddy who was running this race in memory of her mom I decided to show up on race day and see if I could “participate.” Maddy and I were going to do a 16 mile long run together which incorporated the 5K race. I thought I could register that morning but was unable to, so I ran it “bandit” with Maddy. Maddy and I went on to finish a total of 12 miles together, running a few miles before the race, running the race, then running after the race.

Race 10: OUC Half Marathon – My training during the fall had gone extremely well and my paces were faster than ever. I had a couple of choices for this race – take it easy and include the 18 mile long run the week before, or go for a PR by running 12 instead of 18 the week before. Shirley let me know that I could ease off, run the PR, then jump back in to prep for Disney. She pointed out that the momentum from a PR at OUC would be a great accomplishment to build on going into Disney. With that I ran a PR (by more than 2 min) by finishing in 2:18:21.

2009 started out slowly but was a great running year. And from my previous blog entries, 2010 started out with a bang. My 2010 running goals are already captured and I will post in my next blog entry!

2010 WDW Marathon Weekend - Part 4: The Marathon

2010-01-14T20:42:00.017-05:00

As I was sharing with someone about my run of the Disney World Marathon today, I told her that I hadn't had much sleep in the few days leading up to the race, I was a bit worn from running in the cold on Sat and I had a headache when I got up to get ready for the race. But some days you feel crappy when you go out to run and then end up having a great run - sometimes you feel great but the run doesn't go so well. All you can do is get out there and let the run be what it will be. This run, my friends, was something else!!!

Like Sat morning, the early morning started out cold - even colder than the previous day, although without the rain and sleet. I could go with the cold with out the rain! We still had the issue of the wind, which made for a bit of a wind chill, but Sat taught me more about how to dress for the race. I was actually a bit warm at times running on Sat, so for Sun I wore the same get up except I left off the tights and just wore the capris. I knew I would warm up once I got going.

My husband wisely decided to pass on attempting the marathon. Since he really hadn't trained, he was already feeling the affects after finishing the 5K and half marathon (no small feat to begin with) and thought that even walking the marathon would lead to a miserable recovery week. So I set off on my own to drive to the race. I did snag his wrist band to the runner's retreat which I offered up to Maddy. I got to the Epcot parking area about the same time as the previous day - 3:30 am and headed inside for breakfast and race prep. Maddy joined me a little after 4 am.

Maddy and I were, once again, bundled up to stay warm in the corral. This time, in addition to my running gear, I wore an old pair of sweats (shirt and pants) over my running clothes, sported my fashionable garbage bag and brought along my mylar blanket from Sat. I was just fine except for my toes, which I couldn't feel after awhile. When we got ready to start, I shed it all except the stuff I was going to wear for the entire race.

With a great training season, I knew I had a shot at a PR. However, I had not trained in the cold so I had no idea if it would have a positive or negative affect on my pace. This is part of what I love about long distance runs....you don't really know until you are in it!!

With that, just before the gun Maddy and I hugged and wished each other luck and I was off on my own. I had an interesting plan. Negative splits don't seem to work well for me. I was worried that I would start easy and slow later - losing my overall desired pace. So I did what you probably shouldn't - I started off at a more ambitious pace of 11:00 min/mi (but one I had been training with well) and tried to hold it as long as I could. A contributer to the pace was taking less walking breaks. I had trained to take a 1 min walking break each mile. For the race I was going to walk 1 min at the water stops. I also wanted to build in a little extra time in case I needed a pit stop on the way.

I felt strong early on in the race, and although I did feel the urge to make a pit stop, that urge eventually went away which worked out well for my time! I definitely could feel the effects of the run from the previous day - I could feel the tiredness in my legs. I worried a bit about how long I would last - but I kept pushing on. My choice of clothes worked out well and by mile 1 I was warm and running easy. I couldn't feel my toes, however, until around mile 3 or 4! It was definitely nice not having sleet stinging my face.

We reached the Magic Kingdom shortly after mile 10. I enjoyed my usual run down Main Street USA with the crowd on the left side and Disney cast members cheering on the right. The trumpeters were there at the castle to herald us in and soon we were out the other side headed toward Frontierland. Mile 11 comes right as we left the Magic Kingdom.

The temperature seemed to get colder again after MK but I felt okay (I did lose the feeling in my toes again). About the halfway point, I began to feel a bit sore in the legs. I was wishing I felt a bit fresher at that part of the race but I was keeping a good pace. I was running at just over 11 min/mi and hit the halfway point at 2:25 - almost 10 minutes faster than the half marathon course PR I had set the day before. An interesting phenomena as a result of the cold was the ice. With temps in the mid 20s, the water stops became hazardous areas. Water spilled on the ground turned to ice and volunteers were having to spread sand around. We had Powerade slushies and ice water at the stops with the ice that formed in the cups!

Although I could feel the tiredness of the miles, the miles went by fairly well. At about mile 18, I started to feel my calves tighten and the tendon in my right foot began to pull. I had cramped up under my ribs and in my feet after finishing the half on Sat and I was concerned about cramping late in the marathon. As I felt the twinges, I kept pointing my toes and hoping that I could make it to the end without cramping up. And when it got a little tough, I thought about the wristbands I wear. I wear a Pray for Elijah band - Elijah Talley is a spunky young man who is battling neuroblastoma. His fight has been particularly tough over the past few months but he is hanging in there. If he can fight such a tough disease, I can run another mile! I also wear a Livestrong band to remind me of my Aunt who is battling lung cancer. I also think a lot about my mom who has emphysema and heart disease. She is out of breath just walking across the room. If she can hang in there for that, I can run another mile! I wish I could run their illnesses away...

As I got to mile 20, 21, I realized that I was well on pace for a sub-5 hour race. That thought also kept me moving. I entered Epcot just ahead of mile 25, and I started to cry....I was nearly done! And though I had a couple of minutes to spare for a 5 hour race, I didn't dare walk any more. I would never be able to live with myself if I missed beating 5 hours by 2 sec!!!

I check my time as I ran by the choir at mile 26...it was going to be sub 5 hours. Around the corner and there was the FINISH line!!! Mickey and Minnie were there to greet the runners. As I crossed the finish line, I let out a loud yell!!!! After crossing, exhausted from the last mile or so, someone called my name and came up behind me just after the finish line - it was Betsy Hughes, co-owner of Track Shack and one of the race directors for the Disney Marathon. She saw me finish and wanted to greet me! She was the first to congratulate me on the race!

As I walked to gather my Mickey medal and mylar blanket, I began to cry again. I don't know about you guys, but the emotions for the entire race, for the entire training season, just seem to hit me at the finish line. I headed to the Goofy tent and got my Goofy medal before making my way to the runner's retreat where I checked my official time: 4:57:14 (later updated to 4:57:12). I had to post to Facebook my triumph with a short entry: "4:57:14 baby!!! Done!"

By the time I had changed and gotten a bite, Maddy was already finished - running in 5:25. Amazing job after she admitted to me she hadn't trained so well for the race. Yes, we will be back next year. I am not planning on Goofy - probably "just" the marathon. I have to run in 2011....it will be my 5th Disney Marathon! And I don't want to miss all my Goofy friends who will be running it next year.

2010 WDW Marathon Weekend: Part 3 - The Half Marathon

2010-01-14T20:12:00.009-05:00

Saturday's half marathon had the most amazing weather I have ever run in. Here we were in Florida and the forecast called for temps around 30 deg with chance of SNOW, sleet and rain. Add to that a wind of 10-15 mph and you have one cold, wet party.

That morning my husband and I thanked our lucky stars we bought the Runner's Retreat package. Since we wanted to get to Epcot early to get good parking, it was nice to know we had a warm, dry place to hang out until it was time to go to the corral. We arrived at the Epcot parking area at 3:30 am. As I stepped out of our parked car, I could swear I pulled a shoulder muscle shivering!

We made our way to the race retreat where we had a bagel with peanut butter and some hot tea and hot cocoa. After making our final preparations, we checked our bag at the bag check in the race retreat tent, used the porta lets for the retreat, and headed out into the cold.

My race garb for the half included a long sleeve tech shirt, my MCM running jacket / shell, tights and running capris. I also had gloves and a knit cap. For the corral I sported my fashionable garbage bag. Jim and I met Maddy near the baggage check and headed over to the corrals together. Since Jim had not trained for the past couple of months, his plan was to walk the race. Maddy and I decided to run the half together - taking it nice and easy to save ourselves for the marathon the next day.

It was a wet run through the parks. Early on I did not notice snow flurries, but I did feel the sting of sleet on my face and occasionally in my eye. I was very glad that I didn't follow my typical routine to wear contacts for the race. My eyes would have been totally exposed to the sleet. When it wasn't sleeting, it was raining - pretty much the entire race.

Maddy and I ran the entire half marathon together, chatting the entire way. It was really cool because it felt like the race just flew by. We ran, we took walking breaks, and just enjoyed the time.

We cross the finish line together at 2:35:02. Incredibly for me that was a course PR!

After the run, Maddy got her knees iced as a precaution and then we headed over to the bag check area for her to get her bags. There was quite a line and the process probably took over 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the heat that our body generated on the run had disappeared and even the mylar blankets could not keep us warm. I waited politely with Maddy until she got under the tent area, then headed back to the runner's retreat for a warm dry place, dry clothes, and a hot meal! They offered scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit and warm drinks! It was to die for!

By the time I had changed clothes and checked on Jim's time, he had already finished in 3:15! I called him and found I was sitting 2 tables away from him in the retreat tent. We finished eating and headed home. 2 days down and one left to go!

2010 WDW Marathon Weekend: Part 2 - The 5K

2010-01-14T19:57:00.006-05:00

Although I am trying to tell the Disney Marathon weekend story in order...I can't wait to get to the marathon....but first we tell the tale of the UP and Away 5K.

Temps for the 5K start were not too bad (relatively speaking and looking back). It was around 40 deg F at the start. I dressed rather warmly, donning my new Goofy 2010 hoody. It turned out to be a good rehearsal for the next two days - overdressing for a 5K is not too bad a thing!

My husband and I decided to run this one easy and walk quite a bit since we had many more miles to cover over the next couple of days. This race started in the Epcot parking lot and spent the first mile or so winding around out there before entering the world showcase near Mexico. Then we got to go on a delightful run clockwise around the world showcase, finishing near Spaceship earth and through the standard finish area for the Disney races.

Our time for the 5K: 38:58. Nice and easy like we planned!

After the race, we grabbed our snack bag and headed home - there was much more to come on this race filled weekend!

2010 WDW Marathon Weekend - Part 1: The Expo

2010-01-12T20:49:00.013-05:00

A marathon weekend always begins with the expo. Expo strategy for Disney - go Thursday and go early.....after that you get to fight lots of crowds!

We got to the expo around 5 pm on Thursday and it was already pretty crowded. Still, the lines were not long to pick up our 5K and Goofy packages. We also needed to check in for our Race Retreat - something I really cherished over the weekend!

We didn't spend a lot of time walking around the expo. We did get to meet a couple of running buddies. Maddy was there as well as Rachel. Maddy had her daughter with her who really hit it off with my two girls. In 30 sec they were goofing around and having a great time. After the weekend was over, Maddy and I decided we would try to train with the girls and do a 5K together with them sometime this spring!

The take from the expo was pretty good.

These are the commemorative pins from the three races plus the Goofy pin.

The package for the 5K was pretty nice as well. You got the really cool goody bag and a personalized bib!

Running Goofy lands you 3 shirts - one for the half, one for the full, and a Goofy shirt - all long sleeve tech. For the price of the race, it better be a nice shirt! :-)

The numbers for the Goofy challengers were in the shape of the number 5 since this was the 5th running of Goofy. Very cool looking numbers. Also here are the race retreat bands - the key to warmth and food before and after the races!

We didn't tarry, but headed home for a warm meal and preparations to get up at 4 am for the 7 am Up and Away 5K.

2010 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend - Overview

2010-01-10T18:19:00.004-05:00

What a weekend! I can hardly believe the results and the ADVENTURE! So many things - this will be a multipart blog post. I will start with the overall results, then take you back in time over how things went.

What made this weekend unique?

1 - 42.4 miles - the Disney "Dopey". A new goal to get ALL the weekend bling.
2 - The coldest weather that central Florida has experienced in over 30 years which included record low temps and sleet!
3 - An incredible training period leading up to the race.....everything seemed in place for a marathon PR, in spite of running the half marathon the day before.

It was sure to be a real adventure, and it was a mystery right up to the very end. I had NO idea how I would run in such weather - because not only had I not trained in the cold, I have NEVER run in such weather conditions. As I shared with Maddy the morning of the marathon, running is like the saying from Forrest Gump - its like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get. You may feel crappy and have your best run ever - or feel great and have one of your worst runs. Which is really cool, because basically you just show up and go and let the chips fall where they may.

By the numbers:

Disney's UP and Away 5K - 38:58 (untimed...this is Garmin time)
2010 Disney World Half Marathon - 2:35:02, a course PR
2010 Disney Marathon - 4:57:14, course and overall PR. I broke 5 hours!!! : -)

More to come in posts this week :-)

The OUC Half Marathon (updated with pics)

2009-12-05T11:52:00.007-05:00

I was pretty excited about this race. My training this fall has gone really well, perhaps because I didn't run a fall marathon but have been focused on training for Disney. My training times have been getting better and better. It appeared that I could probably maintain a 10:30 min/mi pace for the race - which would land me a PR. My previous half marathon PR was 2:20:42, set in 2007 during this same race on the heels my marathon PR - the Marine Corps Marathon.

As for most races, I watched the weather report for the week leading up to the race. This race was scheduled to be run in some of the rainiest weather we have had all year. If it has only been a week ago, it would have been 48 degs F at the start and dry - perfect running weather! Rather than be disappointed, I took this as a challenge - a chance for a real running adventure. In my 3 years of marathon training and running, I have never raced in the rain.

I polled my Facebook friends and, of course, my running advisor Shirley , to figure out what I should wear for the race. The conclusion was long sleeve tech shirt, shorts, hat or visor and garbage bag for the start. I also decided to bring my iPod Shuffle with a few Podrunner mixes on it and set it up to play the 175 bpm mix.

Last night, a local Facebook / Twitter friend Kitzzy opened up her apartment for some of her running buddies to hang out in before the race since she lived just 2 blocks from the starting line. So about 6 of us showed up at Kitzzy's place just before 6 am to get geared up for the race. It was at this point I realized that I had done something I have NEVER done before a race....I forgot my race number (and also my D-tag). Since OUC offers race day registration, I figured I could get another one from registration. Fortunately it wasn't really raining so I headed over and found Shirley there at her usual station working on the computer - only she was supposed to be running the race. She was just helping out since she was there early. At the registration desk, I shared my dilemma but it was no big deal...I guess lots of folks have forgotten their number at one time or another. After getting my new number, I had time to go back to Kitzzy's place to pin my number on and head over to the race with the others.

Unlike most races, there was no national anthem played....we simply lined up, and at the appropriate time we started. There wasn't even a noisy starting air horn. I started up my Podrunner mix and we were off and running. Here is a recap of some of the miles the race:

Mile 1 - Got here at around 10:05, a bit fast going out so I determined I needed to slow down a bit.

Mile 2 - Hit mile 2 at around 20:15. I was still going a bit too fast, so I shortened up my stride. I decided to take my walking breaks with the water stops instead of at each mile - this improved my pace since the water stops were probably 1.5 miles or so apart.

Mile 3 - Mile 3 came at 30 min and change - I took an extra walking break to catch my breath. I wasn't quite into my rhythm but was getting there. At the next water stop I took my first Clif Shot.

Mile 4 - For the first few miles there was no rain...it was cloudy, warm and humid. Just as I was thinking I would like a little rain to cool things down a bit, it started to rain lightly. And it felt good!

Mile 6 - Maintaining pace - staying just under the 10:30 min/mi pace I was shooting for. Feeling kind of tired but pushing on and still walking just the water stops.

Mile 8 - Came at 1:24 - keeping pace. It was around this time that my heart rate strap started to bother me. It felt like I was chafing. Since I really didn't need the heart rate feedback, I decided to remove the strap and just hook it around my waist.

Mile 10 - This mile comes on Orange Avenue - a wide open area which, in past races, would be really hot and tough to run. Today, it was raining lightly and the wind was starting to blow a little. It felt really cool and nice! Just a 5K left. I don't recall where Jim was hiding, but it was great seeing a familiar face cheering everyone on!

Mile 11-12 - I was feeling pretty tired but I knew I needed to keep pushing if I was going to make that PR. Rather than walk I tried to shorten up my stride. My 175 bpm podrunner mix had ended (I played it twice) and I was now listening to a 177 bpm mix. At the mile 12 intersection there was car waiting for the runners. Smoke was coming out of it but just as I passed, runners started yelling at the guy to get out because his car was on fire. As I looked, small drips with flame were coming out underneath the engine of his car. I don't know what happened after that.

Mile 12-13 - I got a burst of speed early in this mile and started taking off and passing up a number of runners. However, about halfway through the mile, I was loosing energy. I slowed it down a bit and got one more walk break in before the final push.

Last 1/2 mile - I picked up my stride and really pushed it through the last half mile. I saw that the clock was 2:18 and change - good enough for a PR! When I finished, I was spent...and that is how it should end!

I stopped my Garmin at 2:18:26 - my unofficial time. As I walked out of the finish chute looking for food, Shirley ran up and met me. We chatted for a bit before I found a bagel and sports mix.

I stopped at the board to see what time posted for me but couldn't find my number. I just checked the online results and I don't show up. I sent the race organizers an email to see if they didn't get my number in the system. It isn't a big deal, but I like having the historical information there with the other runs I have done. And now that I think about it, I may pursue this because I may want to use this time for corral placement at Disney - so they don't place me in the 5:30 corral.

UPDATE WITH OFFICIAL RESULTS:

Officially, my time was 2:18:21

I placed 59/106 for my age group
Set a new PR by 2 min and 21 seconds. What a great race!

And now I will reward my efforts with a nap! 4:45 am came early today!

Thanksgiving Adventures

2009-11-27T20:27:00.003-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving our family decided to do our own kind of adventuring. Since it was going to be just the 4 of us at home, we decided to do some Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) adventuring through the world of Greyhawk.

Our merry band consisted of two elven Ranger/Druids, a Drow elf turned good Ranger/Thief and a Dwarven Fighter/Cleric (that would be mine). We traveled through the land of Grewhawk killing Hobgoblins, snakes, wolves, bears and Frost Giants.

As with anyone, adventurers need to eat, so for our Thanksgiving meal we had Rats on a Stick, Mini-Goblin Burgers, Bear Steak, and various veggies. The Pixie Bone snacks didn't turn out so well but we found some good Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Pie to feast on.

We had a great time....and no one died! :-)

On the running front, I wasn't able to get out on Wednesday because of late night homework on Tuesday night, however, on Thanksgiving morning I did my own kind of Turkey Trot and trotted 8 miles. Today I ran another 5 miles. This weekend I am scaling back to run 6/12 miles in preparation for next week's OUC Half Marathon where I am hoping to run a PR (current half marathon PR is 2:20). My training has been going really well and things are looking good for the half marathon. My 8 miler was completed at a 10:30 min/mi pace - which is all I need next week to run sub-2:20.

After next week's half, I ramp up one more time before tapering for the Dopey 42.1 mile weekend at Walt Disney World's Marathon Weekend (5K on Fri, half marathon Sat and full marathon on Sun). Even with the half marathon on Sat, I think I am ready to break the 5 hour barrier in the full marathon this year.

Hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the many running adventures I have experienced and that I get to share them with all of you!

My Halloween Queen and Anniversary Return to Epcot

2009-11-03T20:29:00.004-05:00

My Halloween Medieval Queen!

Halloween for our family was nearly a non-affair. Normally we decorate the yard and have a scary Halloween Knight greet the Trick-o-Treaters, but this year we were at a marching contest with our oldest daughter. So, to make sure my younger daughter didn't miss out completely, I took her to the mall where she competed in a costume contest. Although she didn't win, we had a great time!

Return to Epcot to Celebrate our 19th Anniversary at the International Food and Wine Festival

The following day, my husband and I (sans children), spent the day at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It was our first visit back to Epcot since completing the Disney World Marathon back in January (such memories!!!). We had an incredible time walking around "the World" and enjoying food and wine from France, Japan, Ireland, South Africa....2 laps around the world and, well, you are one happy individual!!!

Life is an Adventure....Bring it on!

2009-10-31T13:28:00.001-05:00

At the mall waiting for the results of a costume contest - for my little Medieval Queen!

It's Almost November Already????

2009-10-25T17:02:00.003-05:00

With my girls on my birthday!

Hard to believe that my last post was on my birthday back in September. Now here it is, just 1 week away from November. Where does the time go and and how is everyone doing out there????

I guess I will start from today and count backwards on what has been going on.

Running Bandit, Race for the Cure, and Running with Maddy

What a day it was today. After several days of low sleep (due to crazy kid schedules) and just recovering from illness over the past week, I wasn't sure how I would do meeting Maddy at 6 am to run Race for the Cure and then additional mileage to make a total of 16 miles. But I figured I would prepare for the run and see what happens.

It was a nice cool morning when Maddy pulled into my driveway at precisely 6 am. I was feeling okay for a run. Seems Maddy's schedule has been about as crazy as mine lately - and her training hasn't been as good as she likes, so she, too, was not sure about 16 miles. We headed over to UCF, got a good parking spot and headed over to the packet pick up area. It opened at 6:30 am and we were there just as they opened. There weren't many folks around yet, but the area was well organized - and ready for a really big crowd. The T-shirt table indicated that they only had shirts for the first 8000 people who picked up their registration. 8000???? Wow, what a big crowd was coming. We were glad we got there early.

Since the race didn't start until 7:45, we decided to make the 2.5 mile loop around UCF's campus as a warm up. It was a cool morning, almost chilly, and felt great for running. We did our 2.5 mile lap and by the time we were back near the packet pickup area, there was a huge crowd there. Now we were really glad we got there early.

Running bandit: The reason I was running "bandit" was I thought I could register for the race on race morning, but it turns out for the chip timed event, you had to pre-register by Wed. I could have registered for the "fun" run and not be timed, but I figured I would either run bandit with Maddy (who I sponsored for $25 so I had really contributed to the event) or watch Maddy run and then run with her afterwards. We decided to go bandit!

We didn't race it - we ran it pretty easy - and really enjoyed the race - chatting the entire way. We ran across the finish line together with our arms up in the air!

We then grabbed a snack and then headed out for the rest of our run. We had 6 miles down already, only 10 more miles to go. We took a nice slow long run pace and started running through the Central Florida Research Park. It was then (about 2-3 miles in) that we didn't think we had 16 miles in us - but 12 seemed ok, so we decided to do a tour of the Research Park where I showed Maddy everywhere I worked (I guess I have worked in 6 different buildings) and gave her the boring tour of the Modeling and Simulation industry there.

After running through Research Park we headed back around campus. By the time we got there we decided to start walking and walked the last 2 miles. Still our overall pace for the morning was under 13 min/mile. It was a enjoyable run! Thanks, Maddy.

Running the Mt Vernon Trail in Crystal City - Arlington, VA

Earlier this week (Mon - Wed) I was on a business trip to Crystal City, just across the water from Washington, DC. While there, I had a late afternoon with enough time to fit in a run. I was still recovering from my chest cold sinus thing so I wanted to take it easy. In fact, I left the Garmin home and only brought my running watch. I checked with the hotel desk for places to run and they told me how to get to the Mt. Vernon Trail, which was less than half a mile from the hotel. I headed for the trail and ran north around the airport, past Gravelly Point and just beyond the Navy and Marine Memorial before turning around to head back. After about 6 min I found a mile marker on the trail, and ran 2 miles before heading back - so I estimate my distance to be about 5.1 miles - in 56:42. Not too bad! The temperature was perfect as well - low 60s.

UCF 5 Miler and 2 Mile Races - the Distance Dare!
Last Sunday, I ran the UCF 5 miler (which I run every year) only this year
they created a "Distance Dare" where you run the 5 miler AND the 2 mile race which follows. I wasn't feeling that great, and was regretting signing up for the race - but I went with my husband and decided to take it nice and easy. The 5 miler went well and I ran it in 56:58. The 2 miler was timed but only clock time was recorded - I finished in 22:05. I had planned to run to the race, then run home - but since I wasn't feeling very well, my husband and I drove to the race (it's about 3 miles from my house).

Life in General....

School is going well...but homework ties me up for 10-20 hrs a week. My older daughter's marching season is in full swing. We were in Tarpon Springs for a marching competition yesterday and got home after midnight. She has two more the next two Saturdays. Jamie has soccer every Saturday and this week we were up at 6:30 am to get ready and get to the field by 8 am! Busy times! But I would not trade it for the world.

So that is the latest from Marathon Chris' world. I hope to catch up with everyone else's blogs this week. This week at work should be slowing down a bit so I may even have some time between homework assignments! Run strong everyone! Congrats to everyone who ran the Marine Corps Marathon today. Fond memories! Also a big congrats to Shirley who completed her first Ironman race in 15:01!

The Rock n Run 5K Race Report (updated)

2009-09-12T12:30:00.008-05:00

My first ever 5K was run right about the time of my birthday. My goal at that time was to complete a 5K for my 40th birthday. Such a long, long distance - and I was going to attempt to run the entire distance non-stop. The 2002 Autumn Run 5K (no longer held) is where I set my first 5K PR of 35:44.

My last 5K PR for a timed race was in Oct 2006 when I ran the Susan Komen Race for the Cure in memory of my mother-in-law. My time was 30:03.

My last unofficial 5K PR (timing by Garmin) was the Dec 2007 Reindeer run with a time of 29:28.

I have been looking forward to this particular 5K for a couple of months. Since the race fell on my birthday I was determined to make it extra special by going for a 5K PR. My goal was to bust 30 minutes chip time. I had a secret dream goal of beating 29 min.

My training for the past couple of months has been going pretty well - and my last 3 miler gave me hope for a good race. Still, it would have been nice to get a few more weeks of speed training in before this week's race. I feel like I am in good running form right now so I was pretty confident I could do this. The only down side leading into today is that I have not been getting the amount of sleep I should be - particularly this past week. That always has an impact.

I met up with Maddy just before 7 am in the parking lot. She wanted to surprise me by coming to watch me race...but sent me an email so we wouldn't miss each other. This was her first time as a race spectator! It is an odd feeling being at a 5K race early in the morning and not be pinning on a number - but it is pretty cool. The race event takes on an entirely different perspective.

We chatted for a while and Maddy took a few pictures until just before the race when Maddy took a spot just beyond the starting line to get pictures. After an electric guitar belted out the national anthem (it is, after all, a Rock n Run race) we were off. I felt pretty good at the start and was maneuvering my way in the crowd. It felt a little fast but not too bad. Mile 1 seemed to take a long time - and I was feeling tired enough to wonder if I could do this for 3 miles. I passed the 1 mile marker and my Garmin showed 9:05 min. I was a bit ahead, so I took a short walking break.

Shortly after the 1st mile, the leaders were already heading past us in the other direction. We pressed on and the running got harder. I was beginning to think that I may not have it in me to run a PR today. The air was warm, humid and not moving at all. It felt hot. Thank goodness it was cloudy and there was no sun beating down on us.

I only made it another half mile before taking another walking break. I then took another one before hitting mile 2. These breaks were short, 15 sec - 30 sec in length - just to catch my breath. When we came up on the water stop I decided to take a quick break for a little water. It tasted pretty good!

I don't recall the Garmin time at Mile 2, but I knew I was within pace so I took another walk after mile 2. At this point, I was beginning to think that I just didn't have a PR in me for today. I thought if I stopped much more any chance of that was gone. I tried to think about Elijah (who is battling neuroblastoma) and a co-worker's mom who just had half a lung removed with lung cancer. I tried to tell myself that I could run and they can't - that I should keep going. That trick didn't work for me this time.

I tried shortening my stride instead of walking - that worked okayish....still, I walked at least 2 more times before the end.

Finally I could see the area where we started the race and I picked up my pace. When the finish line was in sight and I was passing the 3 mile marker, I really pushed hard through the finish. The finish line clock was 30:11 but I knew I had more than 30 sec extra for crossing the start. I had done it! When I stopped the Garmin it read 29:36.

Maddy was taking pictures near the finish chute. We met up and headed over for water, banana and the posted results. My result - 29:31. Under 30 min and a new official PR. Even with all that walking and struggle I still made my birthday goal! I was quite happy!

My Garmin download told the story later. My average heart rate for the race was 173 bpm (high). My max was 189 bpm (highest I have seen it in a long time....only higher time was 190 bpm at the WPRR).

My splits:

Mile 1: 8:48 min AHR: 162 bpm (Garmin 1 mile mark vs the race mile marker)
Mile 2: 9:19 min AHR: 176 bpm (a bit slower)
Mile 3: 10:18 min AHR: 178 bpm (walking and walking stuff - HR is high)
Mile 3.17: .17 in 1:19 AHR: 184 bpm

Maddy and I chatted a bit longer as we made our way back to our cars. It was great having her there! Then I headed off to my daughter's soccer game.

Here is my 5K - the movie. Thanks to Maddy the video production queen!

Beware of Runners

2009-08-15T08:47:00.004-05:00

Today was the Celebration of Running 5K - the first race in the Trackshack Grand Prix series. I won't be running the series but my husband is - so I will be attending a few races this year that I am not running in.

I love the atmosphere at a race before it begins. We got there about an hour before the start so we didn't get caught in the traffic coming in. That gave my husband plenty of time to stretch. I left him right before the start to get a video of the start of the race. I made sure I was on the other half of the road where the runners were not lined up - and thought I had found a good place to stand...

Ah well....

He ran an easy race...30:13 was his finish time.

Next up, the Rock n Run 5K on Sept 12th! I will be running that one :-)

My Marathons - The Movie

2009-08-04T20:34:00.003-05:00

This is my experiment in capturing the essence of the 5 marathons I have run using Windows Movie Maker.

Running Adventures Mini-Adventure #3 - Let's Run

2009-07-29T21:29:00.001-05:00

This is a short, Mini-Adventure podcast which takes you with me on a run with my daughter and the "interesting" things we talk about when we run.

My mini-adventure music is Michael Mucklow’s Pipe’s Canyon Sunset.

Thanks for coming along!

Running Evolution

2009-07-12T09:01:00.003-05:00

I think that my running is evolving over time. Kind of the way that our life evolves over time. It starts out fresh and new, matures, and evolves as life changes and adjusts. It is all good!

I was noticing that I am not posting as often as I used to here on the blog - life and it's many distractions causes me to change my focus. Change is a good thing. I saw a good quote this morning. It goes something like "I am not retreating, I am advancing in a different direction." I like that quote :-)

But I am running! I am not quite up to 20+ miles a week but should hit that in the coming week. My long run of 5 miles was long and slow - 12:30-ish pace of running 1 min and walking 1 minute. But the speed will come, and the ease of the run will come. On the one hand it is disappointing to see how small the number of miles are and how slow they can be - but on the other hand, I know one key thing:

I have done this before!!!

I have started out at this point and built up to those brutal 22 mile training runs. I have started here and built up to the 10:30 min/mi pace for a 5 miler. I have conquered this hill before, and I know I can do it again.

So, I am rejoicing, because I get out there, I run-walk-move, and I get it done!

And that is good enough for me!

Running Adventures Episode 18 - A Nice Day to Run

2009-06-27T19:16:00.005-05:00

My daughter and I catching a sunset at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego

I wish I could be bringing you a podcast from our trip to San Diego - but we didn't run while we were there! We did see several beautiful sunsets and lots of animals at the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.

For this short Episode of RA, my daughter and I take you along on a 2 mile run in our neighborhood. No facts this time....but I have some for next time, so don't go away!

As always, music used on Running Adventures is from the Podsafe Music Network.

The music used during this show was by Tracy Jane Comer. The first piece was "Inside Passage" and the second one was "Rondo."

Have a great week everyone!

Things You See When Running

2009-06-06T19:58:00.004-05:00

With all the miles I have logged, I have seen a lot of interesting things. In my own neighborhood, things don't change much. But I did find this mailbox kind of interesting. Is this for short postal workers? I thought it was funny.

Running has been going much better over the past week or so. I was pretty burned out from life in general, and any attempt at running showed a starting heart rate of about 92 bpm. Tonight my heartrate was 78 bpm before my run with my daughter. That is the lowest starting heart rate I have seen in awhile. I know it may not seem like much, but I am excited.

We ran our 2 miles by running 1 min and walking 1 min. We finished in about 25 minutes and had a great talk along the way. We are training for her first 10K late this fall. I am looking forward to the miles ahead!

I hope to get a podcast out sometime this weekend - probably a mini-adventure. Next weekend my daughter is coming with me on a trip to San Diego. We will definitely have a podcast on that trip.

Congratulations to all the folks who ran San Diego last weekend!! You guys were AWESOME!!!! Makes me want to sign up for a marathon before Disney next January....but I must resist. Things are going to get busy when I start classes again in the fall. There will be plenty of training going on to prepare for the "Dopey" without introducing another marathon. Still, it is tempting... July's Runner's World features marathon training for fall races by 14 of their editorial staff. Great article.

Run Strong everyone!

Running Adventures Episode 17 - Catching Up

2009-05-23T16:19:00.005-05:00

Picture at University of Texas at Austin on a recent business trip

I wasn't exactly planning on it, but on a whim I decided to produce a podcast episode. So almost a year after Episode 16 I now bring you Episode 17 of Running Adventures. During this episode, I take you on a run in March 09 where I talk about where I have been and what my running plans are for 2009. I have a small snippet from a car pool discussion with my younger daughter.

I am hoping to publish an episode or contribute to the Extra Mile podcast with a full run with my older daughter - complete with facts!

Music this week is from the Podsafe Music Network at music.podshow.com and includes:

"Headlights" by Honeychuck

I missed running with you all....enjoy!

The Jim Payne Blue Ribbon Run for the Kids 5K

2009-05-16T22:18:00.009-05:00

Today was an event that was two years in the making - a 5K race to benefit Kids House of Seminole. Kids House is a local organization that provides services of all kinds for kids who are in abusive situations. It is sad that such an organization is needed - but the need is great - and Kids House provides a kid-friendly environment for counseling, medical exams and even county police services - all in one location. I have the privilege of serving on the board for this incredible organization.

We started talking about a 5K run back in 2007 - for a possible 2008 race. But we were unable to get things organized for a number of different reasons. Then in 2008, things came together and we were able to partner with Trackshack - the premier running store and organizer of most of the Orlando area running events, including the Walt Disney World Marathon. They were interested in having a race in downtown Sanford, FL.

We wanted this to be a different kind of race - so instead of an early morning event, we opted for an evening event down near the waterfront of Lake Monroe. A good portion of the race route would be along the waterfront area - recently rebuilt after devastating floods a few years ago.

At the finish line - pretzels and beer!

This was a great event! I ran it with my husband and daughter. My daughter and I just took it easy, running and walking - running in the last 0.1 miles hand in hand! My younger daughter ran the kids race and was the third girl to finish her race!

My husband: 32:31 (after running about the first .75 miles with my daughter and I)
My daughter and I: 39:48

Before and after the race I saw Maddy's friend and fellow Goofy runner Cheryl and also Kitzzy!

Another Go 'Round at the University of Texas at Austin

2009-05-13T20:36:00.003-05:00

Went for a morning run around campus again today. It was a much cooler 75 degrees and a bit on the breezy side - nice for a morning run.

I did the same route as Monday except this time I ran counter-clockwise.

I think it was more uphill this time....

Still, my speed has picked up. I ran the 3.08 miles in 32:12, at a 10:28 min/mi average pace (hills must be good for me). I even ran the first mile in 9:44 min.

I am toying with the idea of doing an easy 2-3 miler tomorrow morning if I don't stay up too late working tonight (sigh!).

Adventures in Austin - Take 2

2009-05-12T20:42:00.004-05:00

This week's running adventure takes me to the University of Texas in Austin where I am attending a technical workshop. I have been to Austin once before - I was here to attend the Super Computing 2008 conference right after running Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon last November. I didn't really get to enjoy Austin last time because I was so sick that week!

This time I was going to do Austin right! I arrived on Monday afternoon started the week off with a run late in the afternoon around 5:30 pm. The temperature was about 92 deg F and the humidity about 50%. It felt pretty much like it has been feeling at home - HOT! I did an easy loop around campus that the running map said was 3.1 miles. However, Garmin said it was under 3 miles so I added another small street loop to make it 3 miles even. Even though I took it easy, my heart rate got pretty high with the heat (maxed at 182 bpm) but it was a good run at an average pace of about 11:21 min/mi.

Oh, and did I mention it is HILLY here? Probably not as hilly as some of the places you all run, but way hillier than what I am used to (FL is basically flat, flat, flat). The hills didn't bother me - I embraced the hills and ran them nice and easy!

To beat the heat (and to work with my schedule) I will be running tomorrow in the morning. I am going to do the same route, but maybe in the opposite direction just for a change of pace. I will take the cell phone along and try to catch some video to include on the blog after I get home.

The Kids House 5K race is coming up on Saturday! I am actually part of the planning team for this inaugural event - so I will have a much longer report about the race and how it goes.

I hope your running is going well! Don't forget to enjoy your own running adventures! :-)

2009 Corporate 5K

2009-04-22T19:39:00.002-05:00

The finish line around the time I finished - crowded the entire race!

As busy as life has been for me lately (Lately?? Always...but especially lately), I have a couple of running commitments in addition to the races I run. The first is something I have done for the past 6 years - I am captain of my corporate 5K team. In 2003 we started with a humble 8 runners. This year we had a very respectable team of 66 people.

As team captain - I work with a small committee of volunteers to order the tent, order and bring the food and drink, order and distribute team shirts as well as the race provided shirts and numbers. We also set up and tear down before and after the race. I collect the fastest runner scores and turn them in to the race organizers to see how we did against the other companies.

This year's event attracted over 11,000 runners. As you can imagine, the course was crowded for the entire 3.1 miles. Most of a runner's energy is spent dodging around other runners.

I had not been training well lately, so I didn't expect a PR - but I tried to get to 30 min anyway. My first clue that it wasn't going to be my race was my HR monitor reading over 90 bpm while waiting for the start. I pushed and finished in 31:25 with a max HR of 190 bpm. It was fun and my team placed 2nd in our division.

My daughter also ran and completed her 5K in under 40 minutes!

Beach With a View

2009-04-10T21:12:00.002-05:00

I have been kicking back with the kids during this spring break week. I played hooky from work and went to a movie (Monsters vs Aliens in 3D) and bowling on Wednesday, a park and then another movie (Disney's Earth) on Thursday, and Cocoa Beach today. No running since Monday....running has been like that - catch as catch can. I hope to get a few miles in this weekend.

School is still a bit busy. I am behind on my final report. Just 2 more weeks of class. Although I love being in school again, I can use a break from the late night project sessions.

Happy Easter everyone!

My Friend Ken

2009-03-30T17:42:00.002-05:00

My running has been getting pretty consistent lately...but the past week has been weak in the running department. I spent much of the weekend at the hospital with a friend of mine named Ken. One week ago tonight, Ken suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke. The good news is that he survived and has been awake in the ICU. He is still on a respirator - they are slowly working to wean him off. The not so good news is that he cannot move his right side. The MRI showed a rather large area of bleeding on the left side of his brain. We are talking to him and he is nodding his head and even smirking at some of our dumb jokes...so he seems to be doing well - considering.

Ken has a long road ahead of him. He is single and 43 years old.

The doctors say it was high blood pressure that caused the stroke. Ken has had a lot of stress in his life and not a lot of time to exercise or eat right.

It gives me pause to consider the amount of activity in my life - and I am the kind of person who tries to do it ALL. Time to slow down a bit.

When I wake up in the morning, I realize how thankful I am that I can get up and move around normally. I am thankful that I have two beautiful, healthy children and a wonderful best friend and husband. I have a home, a job and the ability to run.

I am truly blessed.

Tonight I ran 4 miles in 43:25 - and when I got hot and out of breath, I thought of Ken.....and ran faster.

Peace to you, Ken. Looking forward to seeing you at the finish line at Disney again!

Winter Park Road Race 2009 - Race Report

2009-03-15T14:46:00.005-05:00

"Finishing the WPRR"

Ok, before I begin let me get this off my chest.

This finish line picture makes me look fat! Next time the Amphipod belt goes UNDER the t-shirt.

Ok, now that I got that out of the way, I can continue to the race report...

Short version:
Goal: Under 1:10 - enjoy the race
Stretch goal: 1:05 (and still enjoy the race)
Actual: 1:05:10 with a negative split, no less! And - I did enjoy the race!

Longer version:

The WPRR is a favorite local race for a few reasons. It is a 10K distance (there aren't many local races at that distance) and it is held in beautiful Winter Park, Florida - where you run through some beautiful neighborhoods around some quaint lakes, by some very expensive homes, and thankfully, under lots of shade provided by the large oak trees that dominate the route. Since the race is held in March, the weather is usually ideal.

This is also the first race I try training for after running the Disney Marathon. At least, that has been the plan for the past 2 years - but this year, like last year, things didn't work out as hoped. Last year I couldn't get the workouts in for my 10K training. This year, in addition to working full time, I started graduate school. That, combined with moving the race up 2 weeks earlier, made it impossible to properly train for a PR. I decided to run the race for "fun" since my husband was running and my older daughter was signing up for the 2 mile race.

And this year, the t-shirts ROCK. Wicking t-shirts with different men and women styles!

First up, the 2 mile race. My 13 year old running partner and I had been running on and off for a few weeks. She was ready to run 2 miles! It was still a bit dark at 7 am when her race started.

Daughter finishing the Winter Park Road Race 2 Miler

She finished her race in 23:34. What a great job!!! After she finished, we had about 5 minutes to get set for the 10K start at 7:30 am.

My husband and I lined up behind the 10 min/mile area - toward the back. Finally, the familiar air horn sounded and we were off. My husband ran with me for about a half mile before he took off ahead of me at his pace. I then settled into my own rhythm for the race.

I passed mile 1 at 10:28, AHR = 144 bpm (according to my Garmin data) - I was happy with that pace. I wanted to stay under an 11 min/mi and I hadn't gone out too fast. I decided not to take walking breaks but would try to walk either at the mile marks or during the water stops. I felt pretty good after 1 mile so I just kept going.

Mile 2 was in 10:29, AHR = 160 bpm.. I was keeping a steady pace. And there was a water stop between mile 1 and 2 where I walked through just to drink the water - then continued on the run. I was still feeling pretty comfortable.

Mile 3 was in 10:20, AHR = 166 bpm - a tad faster than the first two miles. Probably because there were no water stops between mile 2 and 3. A few observations and thoughts while running: 1) I was passing people who seemed way out of breath for so early in the race. I was feeling their pain! I was still relaxed and running comfortably but on tempo. 2) It was pretty warm...and I was extremely thankful for the trees. 3) I had a good strategy for the "hills". There are a few areas where the course goes up and down hill, although nothing like my San Diego run. For the up hills I just shortened the stride and kept the turnover up. For the down hills I relaxed and let gravity take me down.

Mile 4 was in 10:26, AHR = 170 bpm. There was 1 water stop where I also took a Clif Shot. I was still maintaining my pace from the beginning. I was really enjoying the view along the route this year and checking out the homes along the way with amazement. The houses were older but large and very nicely done - but way beyond my means :-)

Mile 5 was in 10:27, AHR = 169 bpm. Consistency! I felt like I was slowing down so I spent time focusing on keeping my pace up. It was in the 4-5 mile time period where my heart rate began to get "up there". Since my Mile 4 AHR was 170 bpm during mile 5 I shortened my stride and took it easy... I realized during this race that I wasn't being passed the entire time...but that in the last couple of miles I was keeping up or passing other folks. As I ran along and passed one runner, I heard my name from behind....it was Cheryl, a running friend I knew through Maddy who I have met at a number of races including Disney's Goofy this past year. I ran with her and we chatted a bit. She told me that she had injured her hip doing Goofy and was just getting back into racing. I asked if she was running San Diego with Maddy and she told me she was training for the Seattle Marathon in June. She told me not to worry about waiting for her - so I said goodbye and pressed for a strong finish.

Mile 6 was in 10:01, AHR = 174 bpm. I sped up a bit since I knew I was in my last mile. I recognized the area and knew that we were close. As I made the last turn before running down Park Avenue on the final stretch, there were a couple of Track Shack folks cheering the runners on. As I was running by I heard one of them yell, "Hey, I know you, I know you, you are Christina!" I looked back and waved and she waved at me, then waved me to go on and finish.

I started to pick up my pace for the final part. I spotted my husband and girls about .1 from the finish - cheering me on. I looked at my watch and realized I was close to my 1:05 stretch goal so I used what gas I had left to go for a strong finish. I focused on relaxing and turnover...AHR = 182 bpm

And then, I was finished! I had run a good race. I set a steady pace, enjoyed the race, and even hit my goal time of 1:05:10, AHR = 165 bpm, MHR = 187 bpm.

And the biggest surprise? I had run a negative split! I ran the first 3 miles in 31:07 and the second 3 miles in 30:54 (with the last bit in 3 min per Garmin). I think I ran the best race I have ever run - going out just right, pacing just right and very consistently, and finishing well. I was spent at the end - but the right amount of "spent" for a race.

How did hubby do? He ran a 10K PR time of 59:06.

Running San Diego

2009-03-08T14:06:00.005-05:00

Sunset at Del Mar Beach near Torrey Pines State Park, San Diego

Although it was just a short trip to San Diego, I fit a run in one afternoon after our meetings concluded. The hotel staff (Hilton Torrey Pines) told me I could run north and into the Torrey Pines State Park - the beach was about 2.5 miles away down hill.

Hmmmm, I would then have to run up hill to return.

The hotel people also told me that sunset was around 6:30 pm so if I got going around 5:30 or so, I could be back before it got dark.

It was a bit chilly for me to start and my Garmin seemed to take FOREVER to find satellite...but after a mile I was thankful that I was in short sleeves and shorts. It was a nice easy run down to the beach. The downward slope of the run wasn't so bad until I got to the last half mile where it got particularly steep. I could tell that it was NOT going to be a lot of fun coming back. But, I took it as a challenge for the trip back to try to run all the way up the hill without stopping.

The beach was just gorgeous and the sun set while I was starting my run back. Here is a short video clip...it is hard to hear but you can see the view I had while running near the beach.

I had 2.5 miles back to the hotel and with the sun setting, I needed to get moving so up the hill I went. I did a pretty good job running up hill - but my calves let me know that they were not going to let me forget this run for a few days! I took one short walking break on the way up shown in this next video.

I had enough light from dusk to run back to the hotel and arrive just as it was really getting dark. 5.07 miles in 59:57 - total elevation change over the 2.5 mile trek was 1120 ft. Most of the uphill run was in mile 4 which I ran in just over 14 minutes. Overall, another great San Diego run!

Running Again and Off to San Diego

2009-03-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

My new wheels!

The good news is that I am back on the road again, albeit about 3 days a week. I got a 6 mile run in last Sun after running 3 last Sat! I have decided to run the Winter Park Road Race on March 14th - not for a PR, but just to finish and have fun. My husband will be running the event and my daughter will run the 2 miler.

It feels good to be out running again.

My one remaining grad school class is going well....maintaining a high A average.

And I am enjoying my new wheels. On the last day of January, I bought a 2009 Chevy Malibu LTZ. Coolest feature: Bluetooth phone connection to my cell. Next coolest: Remote start. And finally something you don't think a Floridian would appreciate - heated seats!

Tomorrow I am off on a 2 day trip to San Diego. I hope to sneak in a run while there!

Enjoy your running adventures!

Making Adjustments (or Making up for Biting Off More Than I Could Chew)

2009-02-17T20:41:00.002-05:00

You know how when you run a marathon...and partway through things aren't working out as you planned....so you adjust your approach, expectations, etc.?

Welcome to the marathon called my life!

I had taken on too many things when I started my graduate school career. Two classes added another 20 or so hours to my week. Where were those hours going to come from? I was working full time, raising two active girls, volunteering for local charity events, and squeezing in running.

Things started to drop off.

First - blogging (podcasting ended a long time ago, unfortunately). As you can all see from my quiet blogging presence, things slowed down there.

Second - running. Since the Disney Marathon (on Jan 11th) I have logged about 18 miles - less than one run a week - with my greatest distance being 4 miles.

Third - general house upkeep. Let's just say I haven't been pulling my weight around the house.

Fourth - time for myself and with my family. I was studying every night and on weekends. I wasn't reading books, hanging out with my kids or husband except on rare occasions.

Fifth - sleep. Working all day and studying until 11 pm or 12 am didn't contribute to a good sleep situation. What sleep I did manage was chosen over running.

I couldn't go on. I was exhausted and falling behind in everything.

So I dropped one of my classes. This, after studying most of the weekend for an exam that was to take place yesterday. But this was a situation where I just needed to get a grip on reality and look forward to having a little more normalcy in my life. So Statistics will have to wait until next year. Initially I felt like a quitter...but I realized that this is one case where trying harder was not going to help me out.

I am still pretty busy....but I can focus more on one class and on life. I ran yesterday and will run tomorrow. Perhaps I WILL run the Winter Park Road Race!

So, I apologize for not visiting your blogs, or keeping up with everyone. But I need to go hug my girls and get to bed early so I can run tomorrow.

Adventuring on....

Where Has Chris Been?

2009-02-01T22:57:00.001-05:00

Since Goofy several things have kept me away from the blogosphere....

1. I started graduate school. 2 classes have turned out to be a LOT of work! I am barely keeping up.

2. My mom was in the hospital - so I went to PA to see her. She is out and doing better now - but I spent an exhausting week chasing doctors, nurses and taking care of mom. I haven't caught up around home.

3. We bought not 1, but 2 new cars this past weekend. I am happy to have a new vehicle (2009 Malibu LTZ - Red!! Hubby got a Silver one) but I lost most of my weekend to this activity.

Then there is just the normal everyday stuff like a full time job, keeping up with my girls, etc.

Running has been difficult to fit in. I ran 4 miles on Thursday evening while the girls were at karate class. I then ran another 3.2 miles today with the family at the UCF track (that was fun!). I have been staying up late...so getting up early to run, well, hasn't been happening for me.

Hope everyone is running well out there....I haven't had time to read many blogs but I think of you all the time!!

The 2009 Disney World Goofy Race and a Half Challenge

2009-01-16T18:48:00.013-05:00

The weekend of Jan 10-11, 2009 represented a double three-peat for me. I ran my third Disney Half Marathon (2004, 2005, 2009) and my third Disney Full Marathon (2007, 2008, 2009). It was my best half marathon time and my second best marathon time. And if three times wasn't enough, I signed up for next year the minute they opened up registration - the day after the marathon.

But I digress...this is the story of this year, 2009, the year of the Goofy!

Last year, the day after the 2008 Disney Marathon, my husband and I signed up to run the 2009 Goofy. In case you don't know, the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge is when you run the Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, the return on Sunday to run the Full Marathon. Two days of running through the most magical place on earth. Our primary goal was to finish both races and earn our Goofy medal. Our secondary goals were successfully met:

Half Marathon:
Goal: 2:30 - 2:45
Actual: 2:39

Full Marathon:
Goal: 5:30 - 5:45
Actual: 5:40

On marathon day, we got up (again) at 2 am to prepare for our race. Unlike the previous night, it was much easier to fall asleep early (around 7 pm) with a half marathon and little sleep behind you. I felt like I really slept well. After a good breakfast we headed out to Disney World's Epcot center, about a 45 min drive from our house.

We arrived around 3:45 am with a strange feeling of deja vu....it was much the same scene as the day before, except the crowd was a bit bigger. We set up over by the A-C bag check area and were able to hook up with Maddy and her friends Cheryl and Leana.

Missing our other blogging / Twitter friends, we all headed to the starting area. We were quite excited as we waited in our corral - this time in the same corral!

The start was classic Disney - I posted a video on RuncastTV at this link.

We decided to try to keep up with / or ahead of the 5:30 pace group and we did a great job keeping that pace. Our first park was Epcot. Around mile 3 of the race, you run around a portion of the World Showcase.

After exiting Epcot, we merged with the other starting group (the race starts on two sides of the road) and pass by the starting area again at mile 4. Then we begin the trek toward the Magic Kingdom - the same way we did just the previous morning. With 4 miles already behind us, we arrive at the Magic Kingdom between miles 10 and 11 (verse mile 5 the previous day). Just before entering the Magic Kingdom, Maddy and Cheryl come running up from behind. We run with them for a bit, but lost them on our walking break, wishing them luck. I loved Maddy's BGOR shirt.

Our run down mainstreet was magical! Check out the short video of that run down Main Street and the run up to the back side of the castle.

We then came through the castle for the all familiar castle shot:

Then proceeded on toward Animal Kingdom - encountering the usual "smells" and sights along the way. It is there we passed the halfway mark. We crossed the half marathon mat within 1 min of our finishing time for the half marathon on Sat! Just over 2:39. We were on track for a great finish time.

Somewhere between the halfway point and Animal Kingdom we passed Maddy and Cheryl, although I didn't see them. We did see them later...

Just after mile 16 we made our way through Animal Kingdom and we were still moving along at a good clip. I felt incredible! I could hardly believe we had run an entire half marathon the day before.

As we came through Animal Kingdom and started to look for a pit stop for my husband. We ended up stopping at the water stop at mile 19 where there were a number of porta potties. After our stop, we continued on. Just past mile 20, there is an out and back area - a portion of the race I never liked because I usually was pretty out of it by then, and it is pretty boring. This year, however, was different. I still felt great and the out and back seemed to go much faster this year.

As we were making our way back and about to head on down the road, we heard our names....Maddy and Cheryl were just starting to head down the out and back! It was cool to see them again.

It was shortly after this point that my husband started to struggle with his breathing. We think it was asthma - but he kept complaining that he was having trouble breathing - so we slowed our pace and finally ended up walking. We walked most of the way through Disney Hollywood Studios and into the Board Walk area. Then about 2 miles out, he was able to walk fast, which ends up being a slow jog for me.

We pressed on and headed back into Epcot for our last lap around the World Showcase. Then we both started running - with just one short walking break, we ran all the way through Epcot, toward the big ball and past the choir - and triumphantly to the finish line.

Right after crossing the finish line we stopped and gave each other a big kiss! Then headed off to get our Mickey and Goofy medals.

It was a magical day, a magical weekend. And next year we are doing it again.

Except we are also going to do the 5K on Friday....the "Dopey."

Disney Half Marathon Pics

2009-01-13T22:10:00.005-05:00

The half marathon pictures have come out so I thought I would post some of the good ones.

Just coming through Cinderella's castle. It was still early morning (probably around 7:15 am).

Somewhere along the half marathon race course - on the way back from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot.

Almost finished just inside of Epcot.

And, of course, the finish line shot!

We are Goofy!!!

2009-01-11T13:13:00.003-05:00

We completed the final 26.2 magical miles in 5:40:48! I have to say that I felt better for this entire race than I have for any of the other 4 marathons I have done!

More details later....I didn't tweet during the race or record anything on my iRiver, but I took a bunch of short video clips of different sections of the race that I will post later!

Thanks for all the well wishes and for virtually "running" along!

13.1 Down, 26.2 to go!

2009-01-10T15:37:00.005-05:00

Taken after finishing the half marathon

After rising at 2 am (usually we go to bed then) we left the house at 3 am and arrived at the Epcot parking area just before 4 am. It was a tad on the chilly side but we had those paper jackets and pants you can buy at the expo to keep us warm. I had extra trash bags just in case, but we only used them for sitting on the ground.

We headed over to the bag check area to see if anyone running the half would come for a meet up at 4:15 am - but we missed Maddy and Leslie (aka Marathon Girl) was unable to make it this morning. At 4:30 am we headed over to the porta potties for a quick stop before heading over to the corrals.

As we walked to the corrals we were very excited that we had a spot near the front in Corral B until we realized that we were not placed in the same corral! My husband's race number had him in Corral F, 2 waves away. They will allow the person up front to line up in the back but not visa versa. As we walked all the way to the back, we were grumbling about the rule when we decided to try corral hopping....

We were able to sneak from F, to E, to D just fine. But to get to corral C it was a big step over the fence. My husband hopped it, so I decided to just walk around and enter in the normal way (since my corral B number would allow me). When I tried to find him in Corral C, I couldn't! I looked all through Corral B (in case he hopped another one), through B and C. I didn't know what to do or where to go. We had no way to contact one another.

Finally, I went up to Corral B and waited off to the side. The starting fireworks went off, and Corrals A and B were released in the first wave. I stood by the right side of the road hoping to see him but didn't see him in the first wave. I was starting to feel desperate.

The second wave, Corral C & D, moved up and the 2:45 pace leader came through. Should I go with them and hope he catches up? I didn't want to cross the starting line apart. I kept scanning the crowd. About 1 min before the second wave was released, I spotted him coming up the right side. I was so relieved to see him. While I had gone around the corral to meet him, he got caught by the Corral police who promptly sent him back to Corral F. Before the start, he managed to sneak up to Corral D with the second wave - then moved up when they moved up. We were all set to start together!

The race went really well. We ran our race - 5 min run 1 min walk - right from the start. We kept our eye out for the 2:45 pace group and eventually passed them. We made one pit stop just before the Magic Kingdom. Jim was pretty anxious to run faster but I had to keep telling him to hold back...many more miles tomorrow!

We finished in 2:39:42, a PR for hubby and a Disney Half course PR for me. We collected our medal, had our orange Goofy band removed and received our blue Goofy band. When we turn the Blue one in after completing the marathon, we will get our Goofy medal.

I have a few video clips I took during today's race which I will post in my next post. Time to massage and relax for tomorrow morning!

A Disney Marathon Tour!!!

2009-01-06T20:48:00.005-05:00

I have described the Disney Marathon course to a few people over the past year. I thought I would go ahead and take everyone on a tour of the Disney Marathon course. This year will be my third time around the "World" on the most magical marathon around! If this is your first time and you would rather be surprised, than consider this your "spoiler alert."

The marathon begins as it ends - in the parking lot outside of Epcot. It is dark and sometimes cold as everyone begins to gather for the race. Runners begin arriving around 3 or 3:30 am. The start area is well lit where you can find some pre-race refreshment, live music on stage, the baggage check area and rows and rows of porta-potties.

Many find a place to sit down on the asphalt in the parking lot. Garbage bags are good for covering up the ground. You relax until 4:45 am when the crowd begins to move to the starting corrals.

It is a 1/4 - 1/2 mile walk out to the roadway where the race starts. There are two start areas - the Red and the Blue. The corrals are arranged by expected finish times. There are more porta-potties by the corrals but not as many - so the lines tend to be long there. There are also lots of bushes and grass - which some believe also make good porta-potties.

The runners wait in the corrals for about another hour to race start. More sitting on the road - with some people jogging around to warm up before the race. Me - I rest my legs all I can. I use the first 2 miles for my warm up! :-)

At the starting line, there is a large platform above the runners where Minnie and Mickey are on hand to send the runners off. There are also large screens further back in the corals so you can see what is going on up near the front. The starting "gun" turns out to be a colorful array of fire works!!! It is a very cool start with Minnie, Mickey, Donald and Goofy waving you onto the course. This will not be the last time you will see Disney characters. They are located near the parks throughout the course - and available for pictures.

The two starting areas run separately for the first 3.5 miles or so and both enter Epcot about 2.5 - 3 miles into the race. They go through different parts of Epcot so it isn't so crowded. If you didn't get a porta-potty stop before the race, there are bathrooms in Epcot you can use!!! :-) I have had to use them both times! As you run through Epcot, it is lit up around the world showcase and there is inspirational music playing. They even have some of the laser lights on in the lagoon. It is very inspiring!

As you come out of Epcot, the two starting areas merge and it DOES get a bit crowded. The group then heads toward the Magic Kingdom. To get there, you run on a series of Disney World roads, parking lots and some back streets. Just before you get to the Magic Kingdom, you cross the 10 mile mark - then enter the Magic Kingdom near the entrance just to the right of Main Street. Main Street is lined on both sides with wall to wall people!!! If you have family coming to watch you, this is a great place to see them. I cry every time I run down this part...with the castle up ahead, the crowds around - you KNOW you are running the DISNEY marathon.

The course takes a right from Main Street across the bridge into Tomorrowland, then around toward Fantasyland and the back of Cinderella's castle. You go past the carousel and through the castle! There are Disney "cast members" up on the castle - trumpets that are announcing your arrival!!

You run through the castle and out the other side, heading toward Liberty Square, down the road past the Country Bears. Before you get to Thunder Mountain, you go straight and out of the Magic Kingdom - just before hitting mile 11.

Your next park will be Animal Kingdom, which comes just after mile 16. Before then you will go by a few hotels, then run some back roads outside of Animal Kingdom. I will warn you that you will also run by Disney's sewage treatment plant, and it can be a bit smelly if the wind is just right. There are Sharpie signs on the side of the road with funny sayings to help keep you distracted. You enter Animal Kingdom at the back of the park, run past Everest, by the big yellow dinosaur and out the entrance to the park. By now, the parks are open and so the runner's path is roped off and Disney staff help them cross the path when runners are clear. As you leave the park, you will be running down the parking lot and exit road. Traffic will move in one of the lanes near you.

Your next park will be Disney Studios around mile 22. The space between Animal Kingdom and Disney Studios is the toughest part of the race. You run out toward Wide World of Sports, but there isn't really anything to see out there. Just lots of access roads, no real tree coverage and to make it worse, an out and back segment at mile 20-21. They do have some entertainment out there (a band and others) to help make it more bearable - but it has been, for me, the "no man's land" before the final stretch.

Finally around mile 22, you enter Disney Studios from the back area - you run through some back lots and then run by the big hat. After exiting the studios, you run through the Disney Board Walk area near the Swan and Dolphin hotels. This is a really pretty area and makes you feel you are back in civilization once again. Part of this run takes you down the sidewalk along the waterway used to transport guest by boat from the Swan and Dolphin to Epcot and other places.

From the board walk you will enter Epcot at the World Showcase near France where you pass the 25 mile sign. Now, hours after beginning your your journey through this same place, you take one more lap around the lagoon. Like in Animal Kingdom and also Disney Studios, Epcot is open and cast members shuttle people across the runner's roped off pathway. Some of the guests will encourage you by telling you you are almost done, just around the corner. You can really begin to feel the excitement of the finish. You leave the World Showcase and run toward the "Ball", just to the right and out to the finish area.

Just before the finish right after mile 26, there is a huge choir singing praises! It really gets you pumped up to run that last .1 mile to the finish.

You make one last turn and there is the finish line, about .1 mile away! Last year Stitch was high fiving the finishers when I finished. There are bleachers on the left of the finish area where friends and family can sit and wait for you to finish.

You cross the finish line....you have just completed the Disney World Marathon!!! :-) Time for your mylar blanket, cool medal, food and a massage!!! :-)

I am really psyched now!

Goofy Race and a Half Preparations

2009-01-05T19:43:00.003-05:00

This is the week! After all the weeks of training - even through the busy holiday season, we are in the final countdown to the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. I am SO ready!

If you are brave enough to track me, my half marathon bib number is 34576. My marathon bib number is 10763. You sign up at the links below:

Half Marathon Tracking

Full Marathon Tracking

I should warn you...Disney tracking has not been very reliable in the past. I have seen the results come in hours later....or multiple copies of a result are sent. So subscribe at your own risk :-) You can bet I will blog and twitter results as soon as I can! I am going to try to use my Twitterfone connection... will test it this week.

Goals for the Race(s):

1 - Finish both races with my husband. Through thick or thin we will cross the finish line together! What has been great this year, vs last year, is that we have trained together. It has been an incredible experience.

2 - Finish the half marathon in around 2:45. We don't want to go out too fast - we want to go easy and safe our energy for the marathon the next day. My estimate, based on our training, is a 2:30 - 2:45 time.

3 - Finish the full marathon in around 5:30. This may be a bit of a stretch goal for us - but if we can run the race just a little faster than our last few long runs, we might make it. We would like a course PR better than last year's 5:35. My estimate is 5:30 - 5:45.

4 - Have fun with the race! Meet lots of interesting people! Enjoy the journey!

Race Strategies:

a. Go out SLOW! We are using a run-walk method - running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute - right from the beginning of the race. We may use the 5:30 pace group on marathon day to keep track of how we are doing - but that is not a requirement.

b. Bring supplementary fluids. I have been using water with some CoQ10 liquid and Vit B mixed. I am going to pack that in my fuel belt and use the course water for water.

c. Bring Clif Shots.

d. Bring camera - need to get pics of my blogging / twitter buddies!

e. Bring cell phone - try to Twitterfone during the race.

More items to bring depending on the weather. Looks like a garbage bag should get us through the wait until race start (cool morning - will warm up). I am planning on short sleeves and shorts for both days.

Race Week Strategies:

i. SLEEP!! I am so guilty of not getting to bed early. I am going to try to get 7-8 hrs sleep a night all week - and TRY to get to bed early enough on race days.... we will need to rise at 2:30 am, leave the house around 3 am, to get to Disney and park around 4 am.

ii. EAT well!!! No cheating on eating this week. No "evil" foods - stick with things that digest well. I plan to eat my special veggie - protein shake each morning this week. The night before will be a light rice & fish dinner. The day of each race will snack light since we will be leaving several hours before the race.

Race Weather Forecast:

Saturday morning: Sunny - 50 - 65 deg F
Sunday morning: Sunny 45 - 65 deg F (maybe breezy)

Here we come Goofy!!

Hapy New Year!! A Look back at 2008

2009-01-01T23:13:00.010-05:00

My mom and I

It's a new year - 2009. One can't help but reflect on the past year while looking forward to the new one ahead. Today, I am looking back.

For 2008 - it has been a great year of running and life adventures. I am thankful each day for all the blessings I continue to enjoy in my life.

On the running front, it wasn't a big year for races or PRs - not as much as 2007 was. My guess is that 2007 was my second year of consistent running and I had a lot of room to grow. 2008 proved to be a little less consistent with my training, less races - but still some accomplishments over the past two years since I have started tracking my training.

2008 Running Goals:

I looked but couldn't find my running goals for 2008. As it turns out, when the New Year comes, I am still just about to run a race - I kind of consider the Disney Marathon as part of my previous year's efforts since most of the training takes place in the year leading up to the marathon. In general, I was seeking an improved 10K time with the Winter Park Road Race (I did better - but training got trumped by my work schedule) and I have sought out the 5 hour marathon (secret hope for San Antonio but it was not to be). I ran less races to focus on my training.

2008 Running Achievements:

I ran a total of 1066 miles in 2008 - more than I have in any other year.
My average weekly miles = 20.6 (highest) and highest week = 48 (highest)
My average monthly miles = 89 (highest) and highest month = 177 in Sept (highest)
My average long run pace in the fall was about 12:25 min/mile (fastest)

I ran 5 races this year:

Race 1: 2008 Disney World Marathon - I ran this race with my husband and set a course PR of 5:35. The very next day we signed up for the 2009 Goofy.

Race 2: Winter Park Road Race (10K) - I started a Higdon 10K training plan to PR at this distance, but was knocked off my training plan by a tough work schedule. I still squeaked out a PR by 3 sec at 1:03:57.

(No pictures at the 15K this year. None last year)
Race 3: Miracle Mile 15K - I used this as a marathon training run - trying to maintain my target marathon pace. I ran the race comfortably (not trying to push) and ended up missing a PR by 1 min.

(last year's picture - they missed me this year) Race 4: UCF 5 Miler - I like to run this race because it is near my house and 5 miles is a cool race distance. I was scheduled to run 15-16 miles for a long run so I ran 8 miles before the race (I ran to the race), then ran the 5 mile race at a much slower than PR pace (more a fast long run pace), then ran the 3 miles home.

Race 5: Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon - I signed up for this inaugural race to participate with a good Texas friend of mine who was running her very first marathon for TNT. I was SO ready for the distance, but 2 days before the race came down with a nasty chest cold. I still ran a respectable 5:37 - and got really sick for the rest of the week....but I accomplished a lot during my training including my biggest training month ever in Sept (177 miles) averaging 44 miles / week.

So it appears that 2008 was a great running year. Next - 2009 goals!

The Secret of the Universe (updated 1/2/2009)

2008-12-30T20:45:00.004-05:00

I was cleaning up my computer desk and came across something I had set aside. My 9 year old daughter had discovered the Secret of the Universe! (Update: apparently my 13 year old daughter had the original idea - shared it with the 9 year old, who wrote it down).

According to my daughter(s)...

The secret of the universe is life
because without life no one would not want to look
for the secret
because we don't exist
because if life doesn't exist the universe and its secret would be nothing
so there would be no secret to the universe
because if life does not exist
then nothing would know about the universe
because life doesn't exist
so we don't exist so
without life the secret would be nothing
because nothing would exist to see anything
it would be nothing and nothing would exist
the universe wouldn't exist so
there would be no secret to discover
so life is the secret of the universe.

There you have it! Enjoy LIFE!

30 Miles in One Weekend - Tapering to Goofy!

2008-12-22T22:14:00.002-05:00

How do you train to run a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday? You run Sat and Sun training runs - Saturday half the distance of Sunday. So when it was time to run our last 20 miler for the Disney Marathon, we had to do it after running 10 miles on Saturday.

I did this 10/20 combo in early October - when I was at the top of my running game. Time wise the October run went better than this weekend's run. But somehow, this weekend's run seemed like more of an accomplishment.

This weekend, I was fighting back an illness that hasn't completely let go since San Antonio, and perhaps some recovery from that same race - which was just 1 month ago. But my husband and I got out there and did it!

The 10 mile run on Saturday felt really good - a 12:15 min/mi pace with an AHR of 149 bpm.

The 20 miler was a surprise to me. I didn't feel too great the morning of the 20 miler - my head was aching so I actually went back to bed before getting up at 2:30 pm to start the run. The temperature was about 78 deg F and the sun was out. Fortunately, the air was not humid and there was a nice breeze. My husband and I suited up and off we went. I tried a new strategy for energy. My chiropractor had given me a supplement called CoQ-Quinol. It is supposed to supply some energy. I had previously taken about 2 tsp with water before a run, but this time I mixed some in some of my water bottles and took it during the run. I never once felt that "run down I want to lay down and sleep" feeling. Although my legs were beginning to ache beginning around 14 miles onward, I still felt strong in my run - focusing on relaxing my body, running even and keeping my posture correct.

We finished 20.2 miles in 4:19 hrs - 12:53 min/mi with AHR of 152 bpm.

After the run I had a date with the bathtub and 20 lbs of ice. Then out for dinner.

It was a good day to run!!!!

And now, we are tapering to Goofy!!

Anyone who is running Disney and wants to meet up with some blogging / twittering running folks, go to http://runningmates.blogspot.com and post a reply to the Disney post. We would love to meet you!

Disney Half / Full Marathon Medal Preview

2008-12-12T23:51:00.003-05:00

In the most recent Disney Marathon newsletter, a picture of the pins (which represent replicas of the medals) was provided. There was much fanfare about new medals this year. The program guide for the race does show the Mickey Medal, but this is the only place I found the new Donald Medal for the half...and the Goofy Medal.

I am looking forward to the bling! I am starting to get excited :-)

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-10T22:03:00.003-05:00

We finally got our tree up!

It is interesting how the process has evolved over the years.

Step 1: I set up the tree and put on the lights. Last year we got a new tree with lights on it! But I still add more lights.

Step 2: The kids decorate - adding all garland, ornaments and anything else they can get into the tree

Step 3: Dad puts the light on top. We are using the same lighted start we have had since our first Christmas tree together 18 years ago.

Happy Holidays! :-)

It's all Good!

2008-12-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

This picture was taken while my hubby and I were out for our 18th anniversary last month. We are preparing for when our teenagers start to feel like they are unfairly treated! :-)

Well the running continues to go well. Tonight hubby and I ran a tempo run together - 5.15 miles in 56:40 - an 11 min/mi pace. And that with a 1 min walking break every 5 minutes. It was a push to keep that pace up - but it was a great workout! I am beginning to really feel like my ol' running self again! :-)

Our plan leading up to Disney - this coming weekend run 8 miles Sat and 16 miles on Sunday. Next weekend we run 10 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday. Then the taper begins! I must confess, I am ready to be done with marathon training. I have been training non-stop since mid-July. It will be nice to have more of my Sunday's back again (vs doing 15+ mile runs). I have some running goals in mind for 2008 which I will be posting soon!

And it appears I am just 28 miles away from breaking 1000 miles in 2008. That should happen over the weekend!

Life is good!

A Good Run!

2008-12-01T22:05:00.002-05:00

Had a really great run tonight...so good to feel normal again! Ran 5.12 easy miles with my husband running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute (avg 12:03 min/mi pace). AHR was around 150 bpm.

I am happy!!

Back on the Road....sort of

2008-11-28T11:24:00.002-05:00

Went on my first run since San Antonio and my illness. Went with hubby and saw Dave and Shirley biking by!

3.09 miles in 37:45. It was a tough run. My heart rate started at 80 bpm (usually not a good sign) and quickly rose. And on the way home, the call of nature hit! I hate that feeling on a run. Now that I am back I don't feel that great.

I will take tomorrow off and see how I feel on Sunday. My heart and mind want to run again but my body is not quite ready! I am suffering from that feeling of my training getting far behind and fear of not being ready for Disney....but I think I still have time to be ready.

A Lagging Race Video

2008-11-23T23:07:00.003-05:00

I shot just one short video during the marathon last week...at mile 21. I wish I had done more...but you know how it is when you are focused on just finishing! :-)

San Antonio Part 3 - The Aftermath

2008-11-23T18:27:00.002-05:00

It is now one week since I ran the marathon. My legs feel normal again (aches finally subsided Saturday). My ankle size is normal and feels ok - only a little pain if I push on it.

The chest cold....well, that has taken a path all it's own.

I ended up spending all week sick to some degree....with a doctor visit on Tuesday. Once armed with antibiotics, the healing began. Even this weekend I have been feeling kind of crappy with headaches and swollen glands. Now, on Sunday night, I am just starting to feel pretty decent.

I think the reduced immunity with the marathon made this chest cold / sinus infection harder to fight - making me sicker than usual.

Lessons learned from this marathon:

1) Watch where walking in the dark (ankle injury alert).
2) With a cold, lots of rest and hydration important. As recommended by a few folks I think I will try Afrin nosespray next time.
3) Eating the elephant one 2 minute bite at a time worked well....don't think about how much further there is to go...just the next couple of minutes.
4) Use sunscreen (I looked like a raccoon for a couple of days).

I am not sure there was anything else I could have done differently that would have made this a better race (outside of kissing my sick family before leaving town). You just never know what you are going to have on race day. All you can do is adjust and go with it! I know many of you have had similar types of situations!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! For your supportive comments on Blogger, Twitter, email and otherwise - and for those who donated to Parkinson's.

Now to get ready for Goofy...just 49 days left. I will probably make my first post race run either tomorrow or Tuesday - a nice easy 3 miler.

San Antonio Part 2 - The Race

2008-11-19T23:00:00.009-05:00

Finishing my 4th Marathon - Priceless!

On race morning, Amy and I both woke up ahead of the alarm and made ready for the race. I managed to get some decent sleep, and although my voice was still pretty hoarse, I was feeling pretty good. As we got ready to load the bus, the temperature didn't seem as bad as we thought (forecast in upper 30's) so I changed out of my 3/4 length pants into shorts.

We boarded the TNT bus at 5:30 am for our 7:30 am race start. I had managed to pick up an Amphipod belt at the expo with a pocket big enough to carry my digital camera - so I had high fidelity picture taking capability for this race! I wouldn't be able to use my iRiver with my vocal limitations, but at least I could get some decent pictures.

As we made our way down the street toward the starting area, my right foot turned sideways on the side of a manhole cover and I felt a sharp pain radiate around the outside of my ankle. Darn it! I didn't need a twisted ankle now! We continued to walk while I tested it out to see how bad it was. I could walk, but it was pretty sore. This put a new wrinkle in the race. How well would this ankle hold out?

We arrived at the race start area and made our first porta potty stop. After that, we headed toward a small crowd that was gathering around some outdoor heaters. I have seen these at some outdoor restaurants for use when the temperatures were a little cool - but never for something like this. There was a fence around the heaters - perhaps this was part of the "premium package". Still, we strap hangers could gather around the outside and get a bit of the heat.

We checked our bags, made a second porta potty stop and headed for the starting area. Amy was in corral 29, I was in corral 20. The corrals would start 1 at a time at about 1:30 min apart. Doing the numbers, I figured it would be 30 - 40 min after the gun before I would cross the starting line.

I found the 5 hour pace group in my corral. I asked if they were going to walk the water stops and the pace leader said they would slow a bit but not walk - her plan was to run steady the entire way....wow. I figured I would see how long I could keep them in sight...but I had to account for the chest cold and now the ankle to determine what kind of time to really expect.

Finally, the starting gun sounded and the corrals started to be released. About 40 minutes into the race, Corral 20 started its journey. The sun was out, and although the temperatures were still cool, I shed the sweater I had - keeping the gloves on for extra warmth.

I ran with the 5 hour pace group for a little while. They were running about an 11:30 min/mi pace, which felt nice and slow for me. My heart rate was at a good level as well - upper 140's. I also tried to keep my water stop walks very short to stay with the group. Ahead of mile 5, the course started to go up hill. It was in this stretch that I finally let the 5 hour pace group go. My heart rate was rising too high to keep up with them - I knew I needed to conserve for later. Unlike MCM, I didn't think I was up to pushing myself with the cold and ankle issues.

Our uphill segment then turned to a nice downhill segment for a mile or so. I relaxed, opened my stride, and let gravity pull me down the hill. This worked well early in the race. Later, downhill segments began to hurt my ankle. In the days that followed, I also learned that up and down hill segments means sore quads...

As usual, I had the urge to use the bathroom shortly after the start. Since the porta potty lines were so long at the various water stops, I decided to try to wait it out and see if the urge went away (which it did in MCM).

We ran through downtown, by the Alamo, and near some other San Antonio landmarks. Running through downtown the crowd support was awesome - making it easy to run strong. There were plenty of bands along the race course as well - a trademark of the Rock n Roll marathon series - although as the race wore on, more of the bands seemed to be on break when we ran by. Still, there was enough going on where I did not feel like I missed my iPod at all. The bands were great entertainment where crowd support was low.

As we approached the 12 mile mark - we started passing by the lead runners who were coming from the other direction. They were already just 3-4 miles from finishing the race - about 10 miles ahead of us. It was hard to believe it would be another 2 - 2.5 hours before I would be coming back the other way.

It was around mile 13 or so when my body started to ache. My hips hurt, my neck hurt, my ankle was starting to ache - I generally just ached all over. And what made it even harder was the fact that there was so much of the race left to go!

Mother nature's call did not let up as I had hoped, and so after the half marathoners split off, I made my pit stop at the mile 15 water stop - there, the lines were nice and short. As I began to struggle with my running, I continued to walked the water stops but kept running the rest of the time. Later, I resorted to my method of running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute.

I remember seeing mile 18 and all I could think about was just walking. And it was only mile 18! I figured I would make it to mile 20 before I felt that bad. Still, I trudged on. By the time I actually reached mile 20, I was walking alot, and not sure how I was going to finish the remaining miles. It wasn't that I felt like quitting - I was just ready for it to be done. It was around then that I got the idea to eat this "elephant" one bite at a time. Perhaps I couldn't run 5 min without stopping, but I could probably run 2 min. I used this approach through the really hard miles in my long runs. I would run 2 min and then walk 1 min. As I ran the 2 min, I would start to feel like stopping about 1 min in. At that point I would tell myself "you can run just 1 more minute" and keep going. I would look at my watch again and see 30 sec left. "You can run another 30 sec, no problem." I would then reward the 2 min completion with a 1 minute walk.

This approach worked really well. I ran the 2 minutes pretty strongly and ended up passing people...passing lots of people, who had resorted to walking. I caught up to and passed folks I had seen on and off throughout the day.

Then, as a very cruel thing at the end - there was an uphill run until just before the finish. The course went up hill for about a half mile, then made a right turn with .1 miles to go. I walked part of the hill but as I approach the turn, I could see the 13 mile sign for the half marathoners, signalling just .1 miles left - I started to run. Upon making the turn I could see the finish line. My chest was heaving as I started sobbing upon seeing the finish line. I was there!!!

I made a strong sprint for the finish line, passing a few more folks before crossing - with a chip time of 5:37:49. My splits:

5 Km 36:07
6.1 Mi 1:11:48
10 Mile 1:58:33
Half 2:39:13
17 Mile 3:28:28
20 Mile 4:12:39
24 Mile 5:09:09

My friend Amy, who came into this race with a sore knee and fully expecting to walk the course, crossed the finish line 2 hours later - completing her first marathon and raising money for TNT! Way to go, Amy!

The Inaugural Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon - Part 1 - Pre-Race

2008-11-19T18:02:00.008-05:00

This was going to be my marathon. My training had stayed closer to schedule than for my previous races. In the 2 months leading up to the race I had averaged 44 miles / week. Everything was going according to plan!

But part of the adventure of running are the little things you don't plan for. And who a person is deep down inside is revealed by how they handle those things. Or, in my case, it is probably just stubborness.

I met up with my good friend Amy at the hotel on Friday evening. We used to work together about 20 years ago. She now lives near Houston. We ran a Disney Half Marathon together (her first, my second). This was her first marathon and she was running it for Team in Training. Staying with her meant I got to tag along with the "team" by just paying for dinner, some of the hotel room, and the bus transportation.

Friday night, we did a lot of catching up and probably went to bed a little later than we should - but it was great fun.

That is when it struck! Post nasal drip. My sinuses were pretty clear but that annoying drip was there. By Saturday morning, I was hoarse.

I was a bit concerned but I felt pretty good, so in the morning I headed down to the workout room and did 2.5 easy miles on the treadmill to "prime the pump" for the race. My heartrate was slightly high, but remained in the aerobic zone for the run, so I was optimistic. We headed to the expo after that to pick up our packets and stroll around.

Me with the Star Wars Runner

While at the expo I hooked up with the Star Wars Runner! He was running his first marathon! I didn't have much of a voice so we didn't talk for a long time, but it was fun to meet yet another running blogger!

After walking around the expo for a long time, we decided to head back to the room. The TNT folks were meeting for the bus to the pasta dinner at 4:30 pm. I was still feeling kind of puny so I decided to forego the dinner and rest up with some good cold medications. I also prepped all my stuff for the race the next day and got my bags ready for checkout in the morning since we couldn't get a late checkout for the afternoon. I was determined to get a better night's sleep and be ready for the race the next day.

Part 2 - The Race

Another Marathon Bites the Dust! (Preliminary race report)

2008-11-16T23:36:00.004-05:00

Not my best work, but a good race in spite of circumstances.

Details to come this week but the result:

Time: 5:37:49 (of my 4 marathons this is 3rd in time)
Pace 12:54
Place 6108/7526
Women 2581/3511
Div 303/427

Just to make it interesting, in addition to fighting a chest cold and lack of voice, I twisted my ankle while walking to the race start area. It did get sore but was ok for the race. It is pretty bruised and swollen right now.

Thanks for your thoughts and encouraging words today! A typically long race report to come later this week!

Not the Way I was Planning it

2008-11-15T18:21:00.001-05:00

Short update on my San Antonio experience.

Late Thursday / Early Friday a little post nasal drip started to bother me.

Friday night - bigger post nasal drip kept waking me up.

Saturday - cold in chest, lost my voice completely, feeling crappy.

Race is tomorrow!

I can't believe I get sick the day before the race!!! Geez....

I was going to do live updates on Twitterfone, but I have no voice. Which also prevents me from recording on my iRiver for a podcast. I guess live audio was not meant to be.

I hit the drug store and I am attacking this thing. I skipped the pasta party with the TNT folks (my friend is TNT) and stayed at the hotel for a fish and rice dinner (my usual pre race meal). I wasn't really hungry but I knew I needed to eat.

We went to the expo today and walked around for quite a while. I ended up buying an Amphipod with and extra pocket that fits my digital camera. Well, if I can't talk, I can at least take good pictures! I also got a running hat and t-shirt.

I even got a chance to meet the Star Wars Runner at the race expo. I didn't call Marathon Girl because, well, I couldn't really talk. Any talking I did was strained. Sorry MarathonGirl! Perhaps we can meet up at OUC.

I will post pictures later this week - I am feeling a bit puny and need to get ready for tomorrow. I am modifying my goals. Without knowing how ill I may be in the morning, my goal is to go easy and enjoy the race.

If you want to track me, you can check out live race results at http://www.liveraceresults.com/liveelite/ My bib number is 20097.

Less Than a Week Away

2008-11-09T19:05:00.002-05:00

One week from now I should be reporting the results of the San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon! I can't believe it is that close. I ran my final long run - 8 miles - in 1:33 today. I focused on a slower, marathon type pace. I also took the iRiver along. Although my podcasting has been non-existent, I am thinking of doing an episode, even if it is a short one, on San Antonio.

I thought about my marathon goals today. Based on how my training has gone and the weather (which is now showing race start at around 45 - 50 deg F and high temp of around 70 deg F):

Dream goal - under 5:00 hours
Highly desired goal - PR (under 5:06)
Realistic "would be happy" goal - 5:10 - 5:15

I am also happy to report that I am just $10 away from my goal to raise $500 for Team Parkinson. I have several names to pin to my shirt and run a mile for. There is still time to have me run for someone you know with PD. Just email me at marathonchris@gmail.com. A donation is not required for me to run a mile for someone with PD (or in memory of someone lost to PD).

I have been experiencing a little taper madness....that feeling that I am not running enough and that I may have lost some of the momentum I had while training 40+ mile weeks, that I am slacking! But I recognize the symptoms and will address it this week with plenty of rest, hydration, healthy eating and easy short runs.

It is also time to drag out my checklist and make sure I have everything I need before, during and after the race. The early morning temps look cold enough that I will need a toss away jacket and maybe even leggings - but I should be able to finish in a t-shirt and shorts. If the temperature starts in the 40's I may need gloves. I will have to continue to monitor the weather this week.

I normally carry a fuel belt, but I am thinking of using the water on the course. I still need to carry my Clif Shots so I may use my Camelbak fanny pak without the water to carry stuff. I am open to ideas. I want to run light.

More as the week goes on! :-)

SARnR Marathon Forecast - Sunny or Rainy?

2008-11-07T21:36:00.002-05:00

The marathon is 10 days away, which means I can start monitoring the extended forecast for weather on race day in San Antonio.

On Weather.com the forecast is for 60% chance of showers the night before with temps down to 49 deg F. On the day of the race, 30% chance of showers with high of 73 deg F.

On Accuweather.com the forecast is for clear skies the night before with a low of 51 deg F. On the day of the race, sunny with a high of 70 deg F that will feel like 68 deg.

I think I will take Accuweather's version.

It is still early to know for sure - but in general, the temps will be nice in the morning but will warm up later. With a 7:30 am start time, I won't finish until 12:30 pm at the earliest....it will probably feel pretty warm. Rain might help....

I will know later this week what to pack, but it looks like warm weather gear is going to be the choice. With 50's in the morning, I will still need a toss off jacket or garbage bag (those $1 rain ponchos work great) to stay warm before the race begins.

More marathon planning to come this week!

Running has been good this week. After Sunday's "lesson" I took it easy on Tuesday and still managed a 10:39 min/mi pace for a 4.5 miler. Wed I ran 6 miles with hubby, running 5 min and walking 1 - average pace was around 11:30 min/mi. We finished a 10K distance in about 1 hour 11 min. On Thursday I did 4.6 miles, relaxed but strong pace, in 47:50...a 10:30 min/mi pace. I ran 12 minutes and walked 30 seconds - somewhat simulating running the marathon and walking through the water stops.

Saturday I run 4 and on Sunday I run 8 miles. For my Sunday run I will shoot for marathon pace and approach - marathon pace being 11:15 min/mi. I will try the run 12 min walk 30 sec approach again - at a slower pace :-)

I am experiencing the typical taper induced "I feel like a slacker" feeling about my running and miles - but it is all good. My mid week runs are comfortable and pretty easy. I am beginning to get really excited!!

2 Weeks to San Antonio - a Mixed Bag for Training

2008-11-02T17:38:00.003-05:00

"The Gang" on Halloween Night in the Halloween Knight's Graveyard

During my first taper week I had a mixed bag of training experiences. I had planned on running 31 miles but only finished the week with 25. We have several days of very cool weather - fantastic for running.

After my 23 mile run last Sunday, I took Mon and Tues off before running on Wed. So I missed my planned 4 miler on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, the forecast was for 43 deg F - with a breeze that made it feel like 38 deg. As I tend to do in cooler weather, I over dressed for that run (long tights, MCM cotton mock turtleneck, MCM running jacket, winter hat and gloves). About 1 mile into the run I had to shed the jacket - tying it around my waist. I used the hat and gloves to regulate my warmth after that. The big lessons for that day was learning (again) about how to dress properly for those temperatures....which I could encounter in San Antonio or even at Disney in January. Unlike CA, my speed was not too dramatic - but I felt good enough to run 6.7 miles at an 11:33 min/mi pace.

On Thursday morning, I would have another try - temps were going to be just a tad warmer - 47 deg F. But this time I was ready. I wore my 3/4 length running pants, and a long sleeve wicking t-shirt with the hat and gloves again. I did, at the last minute, throw my Team Parkinson singlet UNDER the long sleeve shirt - keeping the wind from making my body cold. This was better than Wed and the hat and gloves worked well to regulate my temperature. Still, the singlet made me feel a bit warm. I felt great running in the cool weather and ran the 5.1 miles at a 10:30 min/mi pace using a 179 bpm Podrunner mix to keep my pace going for the last 2 miles.

I did have a close call with my "equipment." At one point in the run, while stripping off my gloves, I dropped one of the two yellow bracelets I wear (Pray for Elijah and a Livestrong). I stopped and picked it up, but didn't realize I had dropped them both until I got home. I had lost my Pray for Elijah band. A few thoughts went through my brain - one was that someone else may find it and they might pray for Elijah. The other was that my running friend Joan might spot it, see it was mine and pick it up. As I drove along the same route to drop my daughter off at school, I was trying to remember where I had dropped it during my run - it was dark when I lost it. As we drove past the front of the school I spied it on the sidewalk where I dropped it. So I recovered my Elijah band.

Friday was Halloween night - and we had a great time! I took the girls trick or treating while my hubby, the Halloween Knight, guarded the castle and gave away candy. Since it was a Friday night, we went out afterward for a late dinner. After getting home late, I wasn't up for running early on Saturday morning so I decided to run Saturday evening.

Around 6 pm, I took off for a 5 mile run. I felt really good so I pushed up the pace a bit and finished the first mile in 9:44 min - a 5K pace. The other miles went quickly by as well - staying very close to a 10 min/mi pace. After 2 miles, I cranked up the 179 bpm Podrunner mix again to see if I could keep it up for a 50 min 5 miler. I came pretty close. I finished 5 miles in 50:15 min - a 10:03 pace - the fastest I had run for all of 2008!! My hamstring was feeling a bit strained, but felt better today. Overall my speed was picking up leading up to my marathon. The prospect for a sub-5 hour marathon was starting to sink in a bit.

But then came today....

I had good success this year running on Sat and Sunday. Even if Sat was a tough run, Sunday was always a good one. However, today was VERY different. I went out with my husband to run an easy 12 miles - 8 with him then another 4 or 5 on my own - but by mile 2 I realized that there was no gas in the tank. My heart rate climbed rapidly to 160 bpm - even though we were going easy (which would normally have me at around 145 bpm). By mile 5, I couldn't even run the 5 min between walking breaks. I toughed it out for the last bit and ending the run at 8.1 miles at a 12:33 min/mi pace (total 1:41:58). Not my worst run, but I have felt tired and dragging ever since.

Lesson learned: No hard workouts the night before a morning long run. If I don't get the Sat run in during the morning - probably best to skip it. And if I do get it in, marathon pace is fine - none of this 10K pace stuff!

I don't feel bad - I learned a lot of important lessons to carry forward.

2 weeks and counting!

23.1 Mile Long Run - Done! Begin the Taper!

2008-10-26T17:18:00.005-05:00

Today I ran my 22 miler - which became a 23 miler! Conditions for the run couldn't have been better. At 5:30 am, when I stepped outside to begin, the temperature was in the upper 50's - low 60's with a breeze. Even after the sun came up, the temperature felt cool.

Even though the sky was clear, the Garmin seemed to take forever to lock onto satellites. Once obtained, I headed out. My plan was to do my Lockwood "loop" 3 times - stopping after the first 2 to refill my water and Clif Shots. My hope was to keep my pace as close to 11:30 min/mi as I could by running 1 mile and walking 30 seconds. This was a bit ambitions for my long run but I felt good and the weather was good. The first mile came in at about 11:30, and my heart rate was in the right zone averaging 141 bpm. I continued on in the cool darkness with mile 2 in 11:52 and mile 3 in 11:40 min. My AHR was 146 and 149. Listening to my heartrate - I couldn't afford to push the pace or I would run out of gas - so I settled into this pace just under 12 min/mi and hoped I could finish close to 12 min/mi in the end. My heart rate stayed under 150 bpm for the first 10 miles of the run.

At mile 6.4, for no apparent reason, my Garmin lost satellite - not just for a min or so, but until I passed what I thought was the 8 mile mark or so. I lost almost 2 miles - so my mileage and pace were going to be off for the rest of the run. I reverted to taking my walking breaks at every 12 min mark (run 11:30 min walk 30 sec) and would try to keep my pace moving by feel.

I completed my 2nd Lockwood loop at 3:05 - about 15.2 miles into my run. After refilling the water bottles, grabbing my sunglasses and grabbing a couple more Clif Shots, I headed back out into the bright, cool sunshine.

At about mile 17, I felt amazing for about a mile. Why does that happen and why is it so short lived? It is an odd thing. I got a brief burst of energy, my pace picked up a bit and felt comfortable. Unfortunately, it only lasted about a mile. After the burst, my feet started to ache a bit and the distance and time began to weigh on me a bit. Still, I felt ok and hit mile 20 at just over 4 hours into the run. Judging from where I was, I knew I had another 45 min or so left - so I pressed on. I was also about a half a mile away from my turnaround point which pointed me home.

For the last two miles, I changed my strategy and ran 5 minutes and walked 1 minute for the rest of the time - focusing on trying to keep my pace up. I focused hard on trying to keep my form relaxed, shoulders back and relaxed, back straight, legs relaxed - but I was pretty tired. About a quarter mile from the house, I could feel my left calf begin to cramp - thank goodness I was almost done.

I finished in front of my house with a strong push and walked for a few minutes before heading into the house. DONE!!!

Since my Garmin was thrown off for losing the satellite coverage, I used Mapmyrun to figure out how far I really ran. I ran a total of 23.1 miles! The final talley:

23.1 miles
4:42:47 / 12:15 min/mile (faster than previous 19 and 20 milers)
AHR 149, MHR 166
2400 calories burned (according to Buckeyeoutdoors)
6 Clif Shots, 58 oz of water
Ice bath afterwards
Beginning temp: 59 deg F
Ending tem: 67 deg F

I am now officially tapering for San Antonio!!

Marina Del Rey - Part Deux - Running to the Santa Monica Pier

2008-10-25T10:40:00.007-05:00

Santa Monica Pier

I have to say that California running agrees with me. After a fantastic 5 miler on Tuesday morning, I got up again on Wednesday for another 5 miler - this time running north up Venice beach instead of south (which basically led me nowhere). The temperatures were similar to Tuesday and my pace was faster....10:04 min/mi pace - and it felt very comfortable!

My favorite run of all was Wednesday evening. The workshop I was attending finished early on Wednesday - so I was actually leaving California on Thursday morning. So in place of a Thursday morning run, I did another 5 miler on Wednesday evening. This time, I drove down to Venice Beach with the goal to run north to the Santa Monica Pier and back. I was thinking 3 or so really easy miles, since it was my second run of the day....but since the run to the pier was 2.6 miles...it was a 5.2 mile run before I was done.

I made my run in the evening, about 35 minutes before sunset. At sunset, the beach areas come alive - all the shops are open, people along the board walk are selling all kinds of items. Lots of folks are out walking dogs, riding bikes or running. And there is a growing anticipation of sunset.

I ran along the busy boardwalk through Venice Beach, then into the Santa Monica beach area leading up to the pier. Unlike my morning run, it was very warm for this afternoon run - probably in the upper 70s. Still, my easy pace was under an 11 min/mi. I ran all the way to the end of the Santa Monica Pier - the time was just 20 minutes before sunset. I just had to stay for that!

A man was playing piano and singing love songs. The resolution from my phone isn't that great but you can get the gist of things.

It was beautiful - the music, the sunset, the people!

After sunset, I ran the 26 or so minutes back to my car in Venice Beach. By the time I got there, everyone was closing up shop. The sun was down and the day was done.

No running Thursday or Friday - today I am going to get out to do a few miles - but instead of 10 miles I think I will do 5 miles since I am getting a late start. Tomorrow is the big day...22 miles! Then the taper for San Antonio begins.

Running Adventures in Marina Del Rey: A Boat House Sighting

2008-10-21T23:11:00.006-05:00

Considering the fact that I am staying in Marina Del Rey - which is basically one really big marina - I have seen many house boats. What I didn't expect to see was a boat house! I took the picture above while out running near Venice Beach this morning.

I had a fantastic 5 mile run down to Venice Beach and back. The temperature was a bit chilly - 53 deg F - and all I had were shorts and my short sleeve running shirt. Fortunately, it didn't take long to warm up. I think the cold made me run faster. My pace for my run was 10:25 min/mi.

Tomorrow I plan to run a similar route - but include more Venice Beach in the run. On Thursday morning I am hoping to play hookey from the early morning part of my workshop to run down to the Santa Monica pier and back - about an 8-9 mile run or so.

Time to get to bed....and here's hoping I don't keep waking up at 3:30 am!

Phedip Half Marathon / UCF 5 Miler Race Report

2008-10-19T19:56:00.003-05:00

Today I finished my "catch up" runs from the WWFoR, which I missed last weekend with my Piraformis issue. Taking a break from the running along with two visits to my chiropractor have served me well - the pain seems to be gone.

Today's "Green" run began around 5:30 am when I headed out for the first leg of today's run - 8 easy going miles to the UCF starting line. I did a modified version of my Lockhood run combined with a short detour around UCF's campus to the starting area. I ran the 8.15 miles in 1:39:32 - a 12:13 min/mile pace with an amazing low AHR of 143 bpm. I ran 1 mile and walked 30 sec. The cooler weather really paid off today. It was a very cool 62'ish degrees with a breeze - chilly when standing still but great for a run. I also ran to the Phedip shouts of encouragement episode - a great episode providing over an hour of jokes and encouragement for the run.

At the starting area I looked around for Shirley to see if she could hold onto my fuel belt - so I could run the 5 miler unencumbered. I missed her in the start area but Betsy, one of the co-owners of the local running store, Trackshack, offered to take it to Shirley for me. I just made it to the starting area in time for the start. I looked around a little bit for Kitzy, but wasn't sure what she looked like - so I stretched a bit while lined up between the 10 min/mi and 11 min/mi pace areas.

Soon we were off and running. The field was pretty crowded in the early going but people were moving well. The walkers lined up toward the back this time, although I think most of the walkers probably signed up for the 2 mile race. I was hoping for marathon race pace, but could feel a bit of a drag as I ran - running a race with 8 miles behind you feels VERY different from starting fresh. I tried to maintain my pace with a 177 bpm Podrunner mix, and continued my approach of running 1 mile and walking 30 seconds. The first mile came in 11:27 min.

Just ahead of the 2nd mile, the first water stop came. I took a short walking break for the water and continued on. My second mile was in 11:25 min. Amazingly, I was on a 5 hr marathon pace - so I was doing ok.

As we ran down an out and back with music blaring from some speakers set up, the music played a bit of the Jaws theme (you know, the part where the shark comes...). I made the remark that we should all run faster to get away from the shark, and began to chat with a woman running beside me. I found out her name was Sam, she is a police officer who has recently gotten into running. She is running the OUC half in December (her longest distance) and the Disney Marathon in January (her first). Normally she runs with her running partner but he couldn't be here today. Since we had a good, common pace, we ran the rest of the race together - and chatted about all kinds of things. It helped to make miles 3-5 go much easier for me with times of: 11:17 min, 11:55 min and 11:21 min.

At the sight of the finished line, I bid my new running friend goodbye and picked up the pace for the finishline. My time for the 5 mile race (5.11 on Garmin) was 58:19 min - an 11:40 min/mi pace. My AHR for the race was 154 bpm - nicely in my aerobic zone. Adding this to my 8.1 mile run, my half marathon time was 2:37:51.

After eating a banana, a granola bar and some water, I met Shirley and chatted a bit while retrieving my fuel belt. She was pretty busy (and I was just distracting her) so I headed out to make my way home.

From the finish area, I took a direct route home - running 5 min and walking 30 sec - nice and easy to get home. The last bit of my run: 2.77 miles in 34:04 min - a 12:18 min/mi pace with an AHR of 150 bpm. I was getting sore by the time I headed home - but even with the sun, the air was still cool and the run home nice.

A good 15.8 mile long run day - and an interesting way to split it up. My feet are a bit achy as are my legs - but I feel good. Tomorrow is a rest day as I head to Marina Del Rey (near LA) for a workshop this week. I hope I can keep up the running out in CA. With the late sunrise and early sunsets (like just after 6 pm) I am not sure how much outdoor running I will be able to manage. We shall see.

Next week - the last big run before tapering for San Antonio. I am going for 22 miles on Sunday - with a 10 miler on Sat. But first - let's just get through the week!

Run strong everyone!

Good Running Week - Next Stop: The UCF 5 Miler

2008-10-17T16:29:00.004-05:00

When I was attending the University of Central Florida (UCF) 18 years ago, there was a common joke that UCF stood for U Can't Finish. The upcoming annual 5 mile and 2 mile event is now billed as the UCF, U Can Finish 5 Miler and 2 Mile race. This year will be my 3rd or 4th year running this race.

This has been a good running week for me. The Piriformis has not been acting up - and my latest run felt very comfortable at a 10:50 min/mi pace. My chiropractor visit on Tuesday and again today have really helped out! After Sunday's easy 3.1 miler, I ran 5 miles on Monday, 6.2 on Tuesday for my ZenRun 10K, and another 5 miler yesterday. Today is my rest day before my weekend runs.

Tomorrow I will run 8 miles and then on Sunday, the day of the UCF 5 Miler, I plan to finish 16 miles and my Phedip Half Marathon - and do so while having a more "green" footprint.

Instead of driving to the race, I am going to run there (I live about 3 miles away). I am going to run an easy 8 miles before the race - ending at the starting line. Then run the 5 mile race. Then run the 3 miles home. I have no plans to PR this race...I would like to run at my planned marathon pace (around 11 - 11:15 min/mi). I think it will be a lot of fun.

Another bonus is that the weather report is calling for temps to begin around 64 deg and stay below 70 deg for the rest of the morning - with a high of 77 deg! It should be nice and cool until I get home!

A huge congratulations for all the Chicago Marathon participants: Maddy, Petra, Charlie and Melisa - for toughing out the hot temperatures!!! We are all so proud of you all!

Back on the Road

2008-10-12T20:25:00.002-05:00

After a week off, I got out this evening for an easy 5K - figured I could use it for my WWFoR 5K race time.

Running 2 min and walking 1 min with my husband, we covered the 3.1 miles in 35:03. Not bad for all that walking!

I feel ok but a bit sore - will need to keep ice and ibuprofen handy.

Congrats to all those who ran today's Chicago Marathon! Tough race with temps getting into the low 80's. I am looking forward to reading the race reports.

Too Good to be True - I Seem to Have an Injury

2008-10-08T00:38:00.002-05:00

After two great months of training and stepping up the mileage, I was amazed I was holding out so well.

Then I noticed a pain in my buttocks (yes a pain in my butt!) last week about 2 days after my 18 mile long run. I thought it was from sitting weird but after a few days it seemed to subside. It didn't bug me when I ran with it, so I just thought it was something else.

Well after this past week's 20 miler I experienced deja vu. The pain was back and I found myself limping around the office today. Monday was a rest day but I decided to give Tuesday a rest as well while I investigated.

I think I have figured out what I have: Piriformis syndrome This seems to match the location and type of pain I am experiencing. I also match the profile well for what would cause such an injury.

I am a bit ahead on my training so I can afford to lay off the running for a few days to give this a chance to heal up. R-I-C-E is the prescription.

On Friday I will take a short test run to see how it feels. I may have to wait on my Zenrun 10K and World Wide Half until next week.

Ah well....it's a runner's life.

September Mileage, My 20 Miler and the Parrot Predictor

2008-10-05T11:12:00.003-05:00

My running volume has definitely picked up! During September, I had my biggest month of running ever, hitting 177 miles (previously my biggest month was last Sept at 150 miles). October promises to be a big mileage month if I stick to my schedule. My target marathon is Nov 16th so my last 20+ miler is scheduled for October 26th before my taper begins. I am being cautious - watching how I feel so I don't overtrain. I had been keeping to my schedule for the past 5 weeks - but this week I skipped a 10 miler on Wed. I wasn't feeling up to it - and I think the extra rest paid off. Once again, I struggled sticking to my schedule while on travel. I have one more travel week coming before my race. We will see how I do!

Today's 20-Miler
After a great 10 miler run at marathon pace yesterday, today was the big 20 miler! I have been pretty tired lately, but was optimistic because I got a good nap in yesterday afternoon. I was in bed a bit late, but felt ok when the alarm went off at 4:40 am.

After gearing up I headed out in the darkness with 4 hours of running ahead of me. The first miles felt pretty comfortable. My plan was to run 12, stop for water, then run the final 8. I like having more than half my run completed before I stop.

When I stopped after 12 miles, I was feeling a little more worn out than I should have at that point - not so much my endurance - rather my legs were starting to ache. I figured that my 10 miler yesterday probably caused the pain to come a bit sooner today. I could tell that finishing was going to be difficult.

After mile 14, things were getting harder. I pushed it through to mile 18 before I went from my run 5 min walk 1 min routine to run 2 minutes and walk 1 minute routine. Two important but strategic points: 1) by mile 18 the only way home was to finish up the distance, 2) I was going to finish if I had to walk it - but I still had some run left in me.

I finished in 4:09:57 - a 12:28 min/mi pace. I am quite happy with this pace which is within the 60-90 sec of my target marathon pace. My time was less than one minute more than my 19 miler a month ago.

Parrot Predictor
George Parrott, known affectionately as "Coach George" on the Dead Runners Society listserve, presented this idea a few years ago. He suggests that a runner can run no faster in the Marathon than he runs his fastest 26.2 miles in a week during training.

I use a spreadsheet log that automatically does the predictions and so far it has predicted:

August 4 - 5:21:24
August 18 - 5:29:36
Sept 1 - 5:13:46
Sept 8 - 5:07:34
Sept 15 - 5:03:43
Sept 22 - 4:47:45
Sept 29 - 5:01:56

From my previous logs, the predictor did "ok" at getting a ballpark marathon time. In 2006, it was difficult to judge my times leading up to my first Disney Marathon. I didn't have many training weeks that exceeded 26.2 miles. The last data point, about a month before the race, predicted a 5:50 time. I finished in 5:47. Predictions leading up to MCM ranged from 4:50 to 5:16 (about 5 data points). I ran that one in 5:06. For the 2008 Disney, I fell into a training slump after MCM and only had one week with miles over 26.2. It predicted 5:08. My time was 5:35.

So from the numbers above, if I ran my marathon in 3 weeks, I would predict a time of about 5:05. With 3 more weeks before my taper, who knows....The important thing is to be sure that the wheels don't fall off after San Antonio leading up to Disney like they did last year.

On to another week!

Running Sign in New York City

2008-10-01T21:21:00.006-05:00

I saw this sign on the corner of 34th Street and 7th Ave. The bottom of the sign says "Keep up or shut up. RUNNYC"

This for all of you running a marathon in the next two weeks!

Adventuring in New York City

2008-09-29T21:16:00.003-05:00

I am on business travel in NYC this week and tonight went for a walk around Manhattan with a quick stop in Times Square. What a great place to visit on a cool September night!

Miracle Mile 15K and The 18 Mile Long Run

2008-09-28T10:51:00.003-05:00

Two great running adventures to tell about this weekend! :-)

Saturday began with the Miracle Mile 15K. This race is run in downtown Orlando and tends to attract the more competitive of the running community. You have to maintain a 15 min/mi pace to participate and the top female in my age group (45-49) ran it in 1:03:11, a 6:46 min/mi pace! I was 51/73 for my age group, 407/584 women, 881/1106 overall. Still, I was very pleased with my 1:41:04 finish time.

For some reason, I thought the race started at 7:30, so I naturally timed my arrival for 1 hour before the race to avoid the last minute crowds. When I arrived near the race area at 6:30 there were crowds everywhere. I finally double checked the race information and found that the 15K started at 7:00! It all worked out ok - I got my car parked and even got my porta potty stop in before lining up for the race. The race started a little late because people were still arriving.

I had decided to run my target marathon pace (11:00 - 11:30 min/mi) so I took a nice easy pace right at the start. I wasn't sure how I was going to work in my walking breaks so I did them at the mile markers initially. Later I settled into walking through the water stops. I also kept my walks to about 30 seconds. I was feeling pretty good, the weather was cool, and all conditions were ideal! My only problem was where to put the Clif Shot I had with me. I didn't want to run with my fuel belt and it didn't fit into that little pocket in my running shorts. I ended up carrying it in my hand until I took it between mile 4 and 5.

After a few miles, it appeared my pace was close to the 11 min/mi point - which I was happy with. I greeted most of the police officer's working the race - wishing them a good morning and thanking them for working the race. As I got further on in the course, I started to chat with a few runners. I ended up speeding up a bit running with them. I also skipped a walking break here and there.

Near the finish, I felt great so I picked up the pace the last 1/2 mile or so and sprinted the last .1 mile, passing at least 20 other runners who were bunched ahead of me. I finished about 1 min short of a PR - but felt great with an AHR of 159 bpm. A little high but still within my aerobic zone.

Sunday 18 Miler

So after running a strong 15K on Saturday, I wasn't sure what to expect today for my scheduled 18 mile long run. Surprisingly, my Saturday runs have not hurt my Sunday long runs but seem to help them out. According to the Higdon training plan, Saturday should be run at race pace and Sunday long and slower. I have been running Saturday's runs pretty easy so far.

I also felt pretty crummy yesterday afternoon and then in the evening. I had a headache so I popped some Advil and headed to bed - hoping to feel better in the morning.

I got up a little later than I have for recent long runs - at 5:30 am with the intent to start running about 6 am. My headache was gone and I felt ok - just the normal 5:30 am tiredness. I decided to split the run into 10 miles then 8 miles - stopping at the house in between to refill water.

I started out really easy - with the goal just to finish and a hope I could keep the pace below 13 min/mi - but that I wouldn't push my pace if I was feeling it too much. I ran 5 minutes and walked 1 minute. As it turned out, I felt REALLY GOOD through the early miles. My heart rate was nice and low - in the low 140s for the first 9 miles. Low heart rate for me means I am not working so hard, meaning I have gas for the latter part of the run. I was feeling good but I didn't want to start to push the pace until I was about 5 miles from the end. I decided if I felt good then I would step it up.

My AHR stayed below 150 until I got to mile 13 - and since I was 5 miles out, I stepped it up. My average pace until this point was about 12:12 min/mi. My last 5 miles were around 11:55 with my 18th mile in 11:30. Although it was feeling harder the last 2-3 miles, I just got it in my brain that I was now training to push through the end of that marathon :-). I also got a little help from my iPod tunes. I was around 17 miles in and feeling like I really needed a break when Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" came on. The Forrest Gump in me kicked in and I picked it up a notch.

What a great long run after racing yesterday! I think I will focus my Saturday runs on race pace for now on!

Have a great running week everyone!

Preliminary Race Report - Miracle Mile 15K

2008-09-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

Quick update on today's race!

Goal: Target marathon race pace (11:00 - 11:30 min/mi)
Actual: A bit faster, around 10:51 min/mi

Final time: 1:41:04 / only about a min off my PR!

Felt great this morning. Cooler start to the day and strong finish! More later :-)

Today is Not That Day

2008-09-25T18:45:00.003-05:00

This month’s Runner’s World magazine featured an article called “Get Motivated.” One contributor said, “I taped my mantra to the wall: ‘There will be a day when you can no longer do this. Today is not that day.’” I thought quite a bit about that mantra and made it the theme of my thinking this morning during my 5-mile run.

As I got out of bed once again in the darkness at 5:30 am, pulled on my running gear and stepped outside – I thought about how I didn’t really like running in the dark, or early in the morning when I wanted to sleep. But then I thought about how there will be a day, someday, when I wouldn’t be able to get up and run anymore. Today is not that day.

As I ran along my normal 5-mile path, I thought about the people I have been running for who can’t run like I do. Like my dad, who shuffles to get around; my mom with heart disease and emphysema who feels exhausted just walking across a room; and our little friend Elijah – who probably CAN run, but with his cancer treatments would have a hard time. There will be a day when I may be too ill to run. Today is not that day.

As I ran I met a fellow runner I see frequently on my runs. Joan is a 58 year old runner who runs with her husky. She always wants to stop and talk – and sometimes I just want to keep running and get my day going. But today I stopped and we chatted a bit. As I continued my run, I thought about how much I would miss seeing her if one day she stopped running. There may be a day when she no longer can do this – and I knew I would miss her. Today is not that day.

Michael Mucklow’s instrumental guitar music played as I mused on these thoughts and others. I enjoyed the cool air, about 65 deg F, along with a small breeze. The sky was clear and the stars and moon were bright as the eastern sky just started to change from black to a brightening blue. As I finished up my easy feeling run in my driveway, I looked at my Garmin and saw that I ran the run as fast as I did just two days ago, but with an average heart rate of 147 bpm – easy run. I looked up as the crescent moon smiled at me.

There will be a day when I can no longer do that.

Today is not that day.

Running for Team Parkinson

2008-09-21T09:25:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, shortly before going to Arizona for my brother's wedding, my 71 year old dad told me that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I had never (personally) known anyone with the disease, and didn't really know much about it - so I did some online research and learned quite a bit.

According to Wikipedia:

Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions.[1]

Parkinson's disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement (bradykinesia) and, in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement (akinesia). The primary symptoms are the results of decreased stimulation of the motor cortex by the basal ganglia, normally caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the dopaminergic neurons of the brain. Secondary symptoms may include high level cognitive dysfunction and subtle language problems. PD is both chronic and progressive.

PD is the most common cause of chronic progressive parkinsonism, a term which refers to the syndrome of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability.

My dad had been having trouble with his balance - and falling quite a bit - when he was diagnosed. He has the typical Parkinson's "shuffle" but is still getting around ok.

Last year, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon for my mom - not so much for a charity but for the fact that she suffers both from Heart Disease as well as Emphysema - and could never run, let alone walk, around the block.

This fall, I have decided to dedicate my running of the San Antonio Rock N Roll marathon to my dad and to use the occasion to help raise money for Parkinson's Disease research. I have a link here on my blog if you want to donate for this run - I have no big fund raising goals to meet (I set my own goal at $500 but no minimum limit like TNT). I would like to run in honor or memory of anyone you know who suffers from PD. Feel free to email me their name at marathonchris@gmail.com and I will pin it on my race jersey and dedicate a mile to them. No donation is necessary if you want to send me a name. I am just happy to be running for others and for my dad.

Today's Long Run:
I had a good long run today. Since I was going "only" 13 miles, I figured I would push my pace a bit and see if I could keep it under 12 min/mi. I came pretty close - but the run was more work that I thought it would be with 74 deg F and 100% humidity (the fog was so thick I could see about 100 feet in front of me). There was very little wind and I was sweating so much, my feet were squishing for all the sweat that ran down my legs into my shoes!

My Garmin has been acting flaky lately, and around 11 miles got weird and started counting backwards on me....I ended at about 9.5 miles! After downloading my run to Sport Tracks and fixing the route, it was more like 13.3 miles. I recorded it in my log as 13.2. My pace was about 12:03 min/mi. I am very happy with that.

I will be back to the longer runs next weekend (18 scheduled). On Saturday, I am actually running my first race since April - the Miracle Mile 15K. I am not going to go for a PR (I would need to maintain a 10:40 min/mi pace for that) but instead will target running it at my goal marathon race pace (around 11:15 - 11:30 min/mi). Hopefully it won't be too hot!

I Have Been Accepted!

2008-09-19T15:04:00.004-05:00

Today I got a letter I have been anticipating for a few weeks.

"We are happy to advise that you have been accepted on Regular status to pursue the Doctoral Degree in Industrial Engineering, ..."

I'm going back to school! I start classes in January. And if all goes well, I should finish in about 6 or 7 years.

This is something I have been thinking about for years - and now, 18 years after completing my Masters, 25 years after completing my Bachelors, I finally get to do it!

As part of this process, I expect that I may need to curtail my marathoning a bit. I am going to need those hours to study! I will still be out there running - but perhaps, not so much the 4-5 hour runs on the weekends.

On the running front, I am on plan this week for about 32 miles - having a step back week after my 46 mile birthday week. On Thursday I passed the 100 mile mark for the month of September. I am on track to complete over 150 miles this month - the biggest month in my 3 years of running. My plantar is beginning to remind me that it is there, but I have been more aggressively massaging and stretching the area and it seems to help. It has been a strong running month for me! I hope I don't burn out too soon before my big races are over in January.

I Have Completed My 46 Miles for 46 Years!

2008-09-14T12:06:00.002-05:00

With the completion of today's 19 mile long run, I have finished a 46 mile running week (actually ran a total of 46.5 miles) in celebration of my 46th birthday. And what a week of running it has been!!! Overall, my runs have been strong and felt really good! Even today's 19 miler.

As has been typical recently, I was up while it was still dark and outside my driveway waiting for my Garmin to find the satellites at about 5:30 am. A bright, nearly full moon was beginning to set in the west. A bit of a late start with the distance I had to do - I was not likely to finish much before 10 am. The temperature just before dawn has been around 75 degrees (today was no exception). The reprieve I got was that it was not quite as humid as it has been lately. That made a big difference!

The first portion of my run was mostly in the dark. Since I am on the sidewalk I don't usually worry about traffic except for the occasional car coming from the side streets. I have started wearing a reflective "thing" (not a vest but just straps that lay over my shoulders and around my waist) so that any car coming would light me up like a Christmas tree. I figure it is better to be really visible and safe.

I ran the first 10.5 miles in just over 2 hours before stopping at the house for refills. This part of the run went really well. I was running comfortably and my heart rate was in the mid 140's - in a good part of my aerobic zone. I felt I had plenty of gas in the tank for the other 9 miles. The difference was that the sun had risen and it was going to make things more difficult for me!

I continued to run conservatively...running 5 minutes and walking 1. I didn't really start to "feel it" until around mile 14. My walking breaks got a bit slower which made my overall pace slower. Around mile 16 is when I started to have that "I really want to finish this" feeling - which is pretty good, since my last big run was 17 miles.

I was able to maintain my run 5 walk 1 pace until the very last mile, where I snuck an extra walking break before finishing the last .2 mile strong. I stopped the Garmin at 19.14 miles and walked the remaining .1 miles to the house. The finish time was 4 hours, 9 minutes, 5 seconds - a 13:01 pace. I was happy with the result and how good I felt throughout the run.

The overall stats:

19.14 miles
4:09:05 / 13:01 min/mile (faster than my pace for the previous 17 miler)
AHR 149, MHR 173 (really good AHR)
3228 calories burned (according to Garmin)
6 Clif Shots, 64 oz of water
Ice bath afterwards
Beginning temp: 75 deg F
Ending tem: 84 deg F

46 Miles for 46 Years

2008-09-11T19:05:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow I celebrate my 46th birthday. Since I don't have the endurance to run 46 miles on my birthday, I am attempting to run:

4.6 miles on my birthday
46 km on my birthday weekend
46 miles my birthday week

My schedule:

Mon - 4 miles (done! 4.2 miles)
Tues - 5 miles (done! 5.16 miles)
Wed - 8 miles (done! 7.9 miles - was a little ahead so stopped before 8)
Thurs - Rest day (done, thank goodness! I ran Sat (6 miles) and Sun (12 miles) last weekend so after 5 days straight running I was ready for a rest day!)
Fri (B-day) - 4.6 miles (done! 4.6 continuous non-stop!)
Sat - 5.4 miles (done! 5.4 even after birthday celebration the night before)
Sun - 19 miles (maybe I will run 1 more to grow on...my first really big run leading up to San Antonio)(done! See details in next blog post. Did 0.1 extra - didn't have it in the tank to do 20...but I completed my 46 for 46!)

It was the coming of my 40th birthday that started my running. In honor of my 40th birthday, I ran my very first 5K. So I guess you could say I am celebrating 6 years of running as well as 46 revolutions around the sun.

And what an adventure it has been! Thanks for sharing it with me.

I will let you know how it ends up!

Breathing New Life Into My Ipod - Engineering my Run

2008-09-10T18:46:00.002-05:00

I own an iPod Mini which I won in a drawing about 2 years ago. At the time, the mini was no longer being sold - having been replaced by the 1G Nanos, but this one was special, with 6Gb of storage.

Recently, the battery has struggled to keep a charge. And more than once, I have gone out for my run only to find it dead within half a mile. I thought to replace it with a shiny new iPod Nano, but didn't really want to spend the $199 (okay, I did want to spend the money, but my husband didn't). I found a website online where I could replace the battery myself with their kit - and it seemed to have good reviews. And the batteries reportedly lasted longer than the original battery.

So I took the $30 plunge and ordered the battery. It arrived today and I managed to take my iPod apart and install the new battery.

I reassembled it and, lo and behold, the iPod powered up!

We shall see over time if I didn't break anything else and if the battery holds. If it lasts me awhile, it will be worth the $30.

The Miles are Picking Up!

2008-09-01T12:43:00.003-05:00

August was an incredible month of running. I ran my most miles all year - 122 miles. This was more than June and July combined - which were a bit short due to vacation and other things.

Today's long run was to be 17 or 18 miles - depending on how well I was feeling. After a pretty good night's sleep I woke up at 5 am to prepare for my run. I was out the door and running by 5:40 am.

I decided to do my run in two parts - the first a 9 mile route down my usual Lockwood Blvd but with a little extra added to get to 9 miles. I would then stop at the house for refills and then do another 8 or 9 miles. Most of the first 9 miles were done in the dark, with the daylight arriving around 1 hour into the run. After the first 9 miles, I changed shirts (I could wring out the one I had on...) and refilled water and Clif Blok supplies, grabbed my sunglasses and headed out. It was a warm morning - but there were some clouds around that helped reduce my exposure to the heat of the sun. I felt okay after 9 miles but a bit tired. I decided 18 miles might be too far.

I began to lose steam around 12 miles in and seriously considered cutting the run short, but I pushed...telling myself that I was now in mental training. My legs were feeling tired and heavy and temperature was beginning to rise. By 14 miles, I could no longer maintain my run 5 min walk 1 min routine. I walked for about 3 minutes in the middle of mile 14, then opted to run 2 minutes and walk 2 minutes. That pace did me well for the rest of the run.

I even had in my arsenal a Power Shot gel - it was some Tangerine / Orange flavor with double the caffeine. I normally don't run with caffeine, but decided to take this along for the end in case I needed the boost. I finally downed it at mile 15. And, as I expected, it was pretty nasty. However, I think it helped me through the last couple of miles.

My final time for 17 miles was 3:42:10 - a 13:03 min/mi pace - which I was surprised by given my slow finish. With all the walking, my pace never exceeded 14:31 (miles 14-15) and I finished the last mile in 12:23 min.

The stats:

17 miles
3:42:10 / 13:03 min/mile
AHR 157, MHR 174
2593 calories burned (according to Garmin)
2 packs Clif Bloks, 1 Power Gel, 64 oz of water
Ice bath afterwards

A Good Running Week!

2008-08-27T20:57:00.002-05:00

So far a good week for running!!!

Monday was a running day off. However, my husband and I restarted the one hundred pushups program. We did the test on Sunday and this time I am starting with the middle column since I managed 10 pushups.

Tuesday I was up early for a tempo run. What a great 4 miler where I ran each successive mile faster than the previous. My splits:

Mile 1 - 11:35 min
Mile 2 - 11:06 min
Mile 3 - 10:44 min
Mile 4 - 10:11 min

It was a great run!

Today I got in 7.1 miles in 1:24:19 - the fastest 7 miler in a long time. I didn't set out to go fast. I ran comfortably, in spite of the near 100% humidity and no wind this morning. My legs felt great, I think, after a nice rolling with "The Stick" last night. I took the time to massage and roll both legs and feet. And this morning, I felt like I could fly. I am definitely going to do that again tonight after I do my pushups!!

Oh, and one more change this week. I have modified my morning protein shake with some adders, compliments of my sister. In addition to the scoop of protein and banana (mixed with rice milk), I now add: baby spinach, cucumber, avocado and carrot juice! It looks terrible but it tastes rather good. Now I am getting my veggies for breakfast! :-)

Run for the Fallen Has Completed!

2008-08-24T18:40:00.003-05:00

If you have been listening to Phedip lately, you will know about this event that completed today.

Run for the Fallen is a group of folks who have been running across the country since Mid-June to run 1 mile for each fallen soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq - just over 4000 miles.

I started a Runner Plus challenge along the same lines.

And I am proud to announce that our challenge 55 runners ran 8637 miles for the fallen.

God Bless the men and women who are defending our freedom and God Bless their families. May we never forget the sacrifice they have made!

Where in the World is MarathonChris?

2008-08-23T17:50:00.006-05:00

Wow, has it been 2 weeks since I have blogged??? I think all that "tweeting" makes me think I am keeping up here. As it is, Twitter keeps me so busy, I am going to have to scale back and get back to blogging again.

So where HAVE I been? It has been a busy couple of weeks. Let's see:

Sierra Vista, AZ - Last weekend I flew out to Tuscon, AZ and drove down to Sierra Vista to attend my brother's wedding. It was a small, family affair - but I think those are the best kind. I had a great time visiting with my brother and his new wife as well as spending some time with my dad. My dad was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease - and I am just learning about the disease. If anyone has any good resources please let me know. While in AZ I did one long run on Sat morning in Sierra Vista (elevation 4600 ft). I had arrived in town on Thurs but waited until Sat to run to allow acclimation to the altitude (since I live at sea level). It was an incredible run. I ran at sun rise and felt fine while running - managing 11.23 miles. I wanted to take my iRiver but I didn't have my fuel belt and it was either bring the iRiver or a bottle of water. I opted for the water.

Tropical Storm Fay - After returning to Florida on Sun evening, I had a tropical storm to look forward to. On Mon evening I got home and my husband and I managed to squeeze in 5 miles before the weather got rainy. And did it rain!!! I kept wanting to get to the office treadmill, but I worked from home all week. No running until yesterday!

24 miles in one weekend! - This weekend called for 8 miles on Saturday and 16 miles on Sunday. Even though I didn't get much running in this week, I decided to go for it. The 8 miles on Saturday were a bit tough since I waited until 8:30 am to do them (finishing around 10:15 am). Today was the big 16 miler. I rolled out of bed at 5 am so I could get a 5:30 am start. I finished the first 8 mile loop in 1:41 - faster than Saturday's 8 miler. Then did the second 8 mile loop. At 13 miles I was really begin to wonder whether I should have gone for 16 miles. Both feet were hurting and the heat was starting to build (by now it was about 8:30 am). I pressed on for the turn around at mile 13.5. At this point, the only way to get home was to finish the run. As hot and tired as I was, I finished strong - posting my best mile (outside of the first mile) as my last mile in 12:16.

Total for today's long run:

16 miles
3:24:36 / 12:47 min/mile
AHR 152, MHR 176
2608 calories burned (according to Garmin)
4 Cliff shots, 40 oz of water and 32 oz of G2 Gatorade
10 ice bath afterwards

As much as I would like to get my long runs in the 12 min/mile range, I am giving myself a break with the heat and humidity - and the trend on my long runs is that they are getting faster each week. Check this out for August:

Aug 3 - 12.1 miles / 2:40:15 / 13:16 min/mi pace
Aug 10 - 14.0 miles / 3:03:34 / 13:07 min/mi pace
Aug 16 - 11.2 miles (elev 4600 ft) / 2:24:57 / 12:54 min/mi pace
Aug 24 - 16.0 miles / 3:24:36 / 12:47 min/mi pace

In another surprising moment of discovery - this year I am running on Saturdays as well as on Sundays in preparation for running the Goofy challenge. I was worried that the Saturday run, usually half the distance of the Sunday run, would make the Sunday run harder. In fact, no matter how bad Saturday is, the following day seems to go really well. Perhaps running the day before DOES prime the pump. Now, according to the Higdon plan, I need to be running Saturday at race pace - I haven't really been doing that. I have been taking it nice and easy. But I hope to step it up to race pace as time goes on.

Today I also signed up for the Miracle Mile 15K on September 27th. This is one of the few races I will run before my marathons.

Podcast: Not sure when I will get the next one out. I have been too busy to publish - though I have tons of files. We will see....

Run strong everyone! :-)

14 miles - Longest Run Since Disney

2008-08-10T10:13:00.002-05:00

I ran 14 miles this morning - a distance I haven't reached since running the Disney World Marathon in January. Must be marathon training time! :-)

I wasn't sure how today's run would go. For one thing, I ran 7 miles yesterday - my first go at running Sat and Sun with Saturday's run half of the long run distance. For the last two weeks I have run on Sat, but only 4 miles - and both times - very tough runs. Yesterday's run went very well and I concluded that: a) I have reacclimated to the heat and humidity and b) I run much better when I finish before 8 am.

Today my goal was to take it nice and easy - targeting a lower heart rate for most of the run. The lower I can keep my heart rate - the better my endurance. For me, I am optimal with a heart rate lower than 155 bpm. The longer I can keep it below 150 bpm, the better. When I am tired, my heart rate rises quickly - but today was yet another good day.

I knew I was looking at about 3 hours on the road. I had to balance my desire to finish before 8 am with running in the dark for too long. I don't like to run when it is really dark....people who drive through my neighborhood sometimes think that breaking bottles on the sidewalks must be cool. Darkness makes it hard to see hazards on the sidewalk. Fortunately, the city of Oviedo and/or my homeowner's association have seen fit to fix the street lights so that they were well lit. Add to that the fact that they have stopped running the sprinklers during my morning runs and running early isn't so bad.

I decided I would target getting out on the road around 5:30 am. I would run 8 miles, then stop at the house to refill my water bottles before doing another 6 miles. I should finish in about 3 hours.

The alarm went off at 5:10 am. I am NOT a morning person and had just gotten up yesterday at 5:45 am. However, I needed to get an early start - so I got up and got ready. By 5:30 am I was outside waiting for my Garmin to catch the satellites. It was quite dark but the skies were clear and there were lots of stars to decorate the sky. It was probably around 74 deg F and the humidity was high, as was usual for morning runs.

At 5:33 am I was on my way. My starting heart rate was in the 70's - a good starting rate. As I made my way through the dark through my first couple of miles I felt pretty good....heart rate was comfortably in the mid 140's. I cranked up the latest Phedip episode and plugged on.

One thing I DO like about the early runs is watching the sky begin to lighten and eventually the sun to rise. By 6:15 am, it was light outside - making me feel a little safer running through my neighborhood. By 7:15 am, as I was running by the elementary school about a mile from my house and my water stop, a bright orange ball of a sun was coming up on the horizon - the heat was about to really get going.

At 1 hour 43 min - 7.9 miles into my run I was at my house, refilling my water and Gatorade with a quick pit stop. Hard to believe I had to pee, but I guess I was hydrating well. I headed back out for the last 6 miles.

Things were warming up but I still felt pretty good. I didn't start to "feel" it until sometime after mile 10. My body was now letting me know this run thing was getting a bit long. I pressed on. This last 6 miles was an out and back, and I was due to make my turn at about mile 12.

At 11.99 miles, I turned around and started heading back. I kept wanting to speed up but held back a bit....about 2.5 miles from the house I gave myself permission to pick up the pace if I wanted...allowing my heart rate to rise out of my nice aerobic pace. I kept my AHR below 160 for the first 11 miles or so....really good!

About the time I was to hit 12 miles I looked at the Garmin....it said 10.59 miles!!!! Hey, how could I DECREASE in miles. Somewhere during mile 11 (probably right when I turned) I lost 1.5 miles on the Garmin. I knew how far I was going, so I figured I would calculate the correct pace later.

The last couple of miles were pretty hard - as they should be on the really long runs. I tried to maintain a decent pace, and actually finished my last mile just 1 second slower than my fastest mile on the run at 12:46 min. I wanted to try to finish in under 3 hours but didn't have the gas to do it. I finished the 14 miles in 3 hours 3 min and 34 sec. My final average pace was 13:07 min/mi - faster than the pace for last week's 12 miler! :-) This a good pace given the heat and humidity. The temp at my finish was 78 deg, but felt like 82 deg with the 74% humidity.

As much as I tried to prepare for chafing, I got a pretty good burn where my heart rate monitor strap runs across my chest (just in the middle). Body Glide is not working for that spot. Otherwise, I survived the run pretty unscathed and extremely hungry! Last night I didn't have much of a dinner - this morning after the run I had to have some calories: ham and egg omelet, bowl of fruit and english muffin along with a cup of hot tea. Mmmmmm...much better than Clif Shots!

A long - long run story - but a happy ending.

14 miles
3:03:34 / 13:07 min/mile
AHR 152, MHR 177 (last then of mile)
2129 calories burned (according to Garmin)
5 Cliff shots, 40 oz of water and 18 oz of G2 Gatorade
2 - 8 hour Tylenol before the run (for foot pain and possibly legs)

Off to take the kids to the pool!

Introducing Super Amy!

2008-08-09T19:30:00.003-05:00

SuperAmy is a longtime friend of mine. We worked together 16 years ago here in Florida and since both of us have moved around the country a bit. She currently is living just outside of Houston.

In 2003, Amy and a mutual friend of ours (Margaret), got the idea to run a half marathon together. We signed up to run the Disney World Half in Jan 2004. Amy was unable to run that race and I nearly dropped out but decided at the last minute, with little training, to do the race anyway (my first half marathon). Margaret trained and ran an 2:10 race!

The following year, Amy and Margaret returned for the 2005 Disney Half and we all ran it together with my husband and another friend.

This year, Amy is training for her first full marathon. She will be running the San Antonio Inaugural Rock 'n Roll Marathon (yes, that is the same one I am training for and a good part of why I signed up for the race!). She is running for Team in Training. She has been a triathlete - biking, swimming and running - but also a softball player along with her duties as full time mother of 2 and full time career woman! She is challenged by a number of aches and pains, but is pressing on to run the big one.

She has started her own blog to capture her journey to her first marathon. Check her out and say hello!! :-)

Running for a Cause: Run for the Fallen

2008-08-07T20:46:00.003-05:00

Beginning on 6/14/2008 a campaign called Run for the Fallen was started. I heard about it on an episode of the Phedippedations podcast. There is a group of runners that are running across the United States - 1 mile for every soldier fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. To join in the spirit of this run, I added a challenge to the Nike Runner+ system - a challenge to run the same number of miles as the Run for the Challenge group. The response has been incredible!

There are currently 46 runners participating, and each week a few more join in. Last week we were just under 3500 miles - but this week the team has run a total of 5015 miles. There are still 2 weeks left to go! The Run for the Fallen runners were planning on running just over 4080 miles - we have already gone beyond that.

Check out their website! You can participate by running 1 mile on August 24th - the last day of the run. You can even download a runner's bib for the event!

Feel free to join the Runner+ challenge or join on the Run for the Fallen site for the 1 mile on the 24th.

Hot, Hot Run!

2008-08-07T19:22:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a very long day of travel. I was up at 3:30 am to catch a 6 am flight to NJ where I attended a meeting out on an Army range. Much of the activity was spent standing and walking around so I was on my feet for a good part of the afternoon. Then it was back to the airport and the flight home, arriving at the house last night at 11 pm. My feet were not pleased with all the standing and walking around in work shoes, so they were pretty sore last night. Running was not in the cards for this morning.

So I figured I would get my 4 mile run in while the kids were in karate class. I dropped them off at 7 pm and headed out. The sun was still out, so it was pretty hot. About 2 miles into the run I passed a church sign that showed time and temperature...it was 91 deg F! My miles got slower as I went on and my heart rate got higher:

Mile 1: 11:01 min - AHR 154 bpm (not too bad here)
Mile 2: 11:15 min - AHR 166 bpm (keeping pace but heart rate rising)
Mile 3: 11:43 min - AHR 171 bpm (this HR is HIGH for me...max was 176 bpm)
Mile 4: 12:09 min - AHR 173 bpm (MHR 177)

Total average pace: 11:30 min/mi, AHR 166 bpm (anaerobic)

I am pretty happy with the pace in spite of the heat and humidity. As hard a run as it was, I feel I have acclimated to the heat again so I can tolerate the work.

Friday is a rest day (also pushup day). Saturday I am going for 7 miles and Sunday I plan to do 14 miles.

Pushup progress: My husband and I are doing the pushup program together. We got through the first 2 weeks ok, but I was always JUST making the minimum for the first column (easiest). Week 3 was another story. I should have done the pushup test and gone back to week 1, but instead I just pressed ahead to column 1 for week 3....and could not do it! So instead we have been doing as many as we could. Instead of 15 I could do about 10. Next week we will attempt week 3 again.

Core workout: I happened upon Runner's World videos for building core muscles and have decided that I am going to add some core work to my program. I haven't been getting in the strength training like I wanted. At least the core work I can do at home.

I think I am going to begin by doing Planks (front and side) and the Bird Dog and add stuff from then. I will probably try to do them on the non-pushup days. I am open to recommendations!

Tomorrow is a day off! My company has gone to a 9-80 program where for every 2 week period, you get your 80 hours of work in the first 9 days, taking the 10th day (every other Friday) off. Sometimes working on that Friday is unavoidable, but this is the second one I have managed to take. Hubby is with his brother this weekend so it is just me and the girls. I think we will go school clothes shopping tomorrow and try to beat some of the crowds...next weekend is the last weekend before school - and things can get a little crazy then!

TNT Runner Seeking Support

2008-08-05T20:39:00.002-05:00

I know a few of you have run for TNT before. My sister, Tammy, is training for her first half marathon and is doing it with TNT. She has raised some of her funds but is headed toward missing her milestone this week. She cannot makeup the difference herself, so she may have to drop out.

If you have a place in your heart for TNT and can spare a few $$, Tammy will run in honor or memory of anyone you tell her. She is already running in honor of Elijah.

She will run in honor and memory of folks, even if she has to drop out from the TNT program.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

iRiver Located and 12 Miles DONE!

2008-08-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

Yummy Salad Shared with Fellow Runner Rachel!

This week has been a mixed bag of training. After a full week last week I was hoping to continue, even while on business travel to McLean, VA. But travel really threw off my running.

After taking Monday off, I ran 3 miles with my hubby Jim on Tuesday. He currently trains to run 1 min and walk 1 min. I use the run as an interval session and run a bit faster in between the walk breaks. I really enjoyed running with Jim - gives us lots of time to just catch up on things.

Tuesday night I was not feeling well and wasn't able to get up early to run on Wed. I traveled to VA Wed evening and thought to run but by the time I got in it was too late. Perhaps a run in the morning?

Meanwhile I had been Twittering with fellow runner Rachel who lived in the area. She wanted to get together for a run...so Thursday I put the run off for later in the day. As the day went on, we found something better to do on Thursday night. We saw Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes story about running his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days! What an inspiration!

So not much running....but a good movie!!

Friday is supposed to be a rest day, but I thought I might try to get a short run in after my flight got in to Florida. Instead, I skipped the run in favor of dinner with Jim and a plan to run my scheduled Sat morning run.

Saturday's 4 miler was really tough! My heart rate at the start was 98...about 20 bpm higher than normal. I struggled to keep it low and did lots of walking...but got the run done. I hoped that Sunday would be like last week - tough run Sat followed by good long run on Sun.

And that is how it pretty much happened. Although my heart rate was about 90 at the start, it stayed nice and low, below 160, for the first 4 miles or so. After 8 miles I stopped at the house to see if Jim wanted to run the last 3-4 miles with me - but he was having foot issues so I headed back out for the last 4 miles. They were not easy miles since it was already after 8 am and the sun was well into the sky, but even with my heart working hard, the run went well. Finished 12 miles at a 13:15 pace - 2 hours 40 min. I also found my iRiver and took it along on the run today. Maybe I can sneak out a mini-adventure this week!

Now to get a few things around the house done. Feet are a bit sore...a sign I am getting into the longer run territory! The end of week 3 of marathon training for San Antonio as well as the end of week 2 of the 100 pushup challenge!

Running is Like a Box of Chocolates...

2008-07-27T07:42:00.004-05:00

You never know what you are going to get.

After having a rough week of training - beginning last Sunday with an incredibly hard 8 miler and ending this week with a tough, tired feeling 3 miler and 4 miler, I was not optimistic about today's long run. I wanted to do 10 but was going to settle for 9 miles since last week was so hard. I decided to take a route that would allow me to bail early if I couldn't make 9 or 10.

I had a carb loaded dinner last night - not really on purpose. We happened to go to an Italian restaurant and I chose the chicken with Angel Hair pasta. I only ate as much pasta as it took to finish the chicken. Still it felt like a brick in my stomach later...and I wondered if I had made a bad mistake for my long run.

I also went to bed later than planned...after 11 pm. And woke up on and off. So when the alarm went off at 5:15 am, I was surprised to find myself awake. I decided to just take it slow, walking 1 min for every 5 min of running. If I was feeling up to it, I would go to 1 min walks after each mile for the second half of the run.

After the first couple of miles I found my heart rate was staying under 150 bpm, so I was very encouraged. It looked like a good run day! I keep it conservative, with my walking breaks every 5 min, until I was halfway through the run. Then I walked at the mile mark. for the last 2 miles I picked up the pace a bit, particularly on the last mile. I wanted to work toward a marathon pace at the end. It all felt good.

My splits:

Mile 1: 12:57
Mile 2: 13:07
Mile 3: 13:00
Mile 4: 12:59
Mile 5: 13:04
Mile 6: 13:12 a little slower
Mile 7: 13:16 still a little slower
Mile 8: 13:09
Mile 9: 12:47 Picking up the pace
Mile 10: 12:08 Fastest mile

AHR = 154 bpm (outstanding!)
MHR = 174 bpm (hit this in the last .12 miles)

I wish I could be faster, but given where I have been lately, this is really good! I am very encouraged :-).

On to week 3 of my training for San Antonio!!

Marathoner - I Do 26.2

2008-07-26T20:28:00.003-05:00

I have one of these license plate frames on my car: Marathoner - I Do 26.2. I bought it after I finished my first marathon.

Tonight we went out to eat, and as we came out to the car, 4 people were standing around behind the car, looking down at it and shaking their heads. We were wondering, "What are they looking at?" "Did someone damage the car?"

Expecting to see some horrid damage to the car, we approached the vehicle. One couple walked off to their car. The other owned the car parked next to ours. They looked and said, "We couldn't believe how anyone could run 26.2 miles." My husband piped up and said, "We ran the Disney Marathon together in January. And this coming January we are running the Goofy - running 13.1 miles on Saturday and then 26.2 miles on Sunday."

The man in the car said, "Wow, that is quite an accomplishment, congratulations! And good luck! I could never do that."

Then my husband said, "Sure you could. I was out of shape last year and trained and ran the race. You could do it, you just need 6 months."

Tomorrow, I do 9. Let's hope I can finish that!! :-)

Last Week's Long Run

2008-07-25T16:36:00.003-05:00

I had a challenging long run last week - 8 miles with lots of walking in 1 hour 46 minutes (probably my longest 8 miles). I experimented a bit with my cell phone video camera - same one I used in Seattle. The videos are pretty low resolution but are quicker to upload (with the recorder much more portable).

I have more Seattle pics which I hope to post soon as well!

Still Kicking!!!

2008-07-23T18:25:00.004-05:00

I have some great pics/video to share from Seattle...but have been too busy to blog this week. And don't you know it, even Twitter is down tonight! But I have the picture above that I took with my good camera while on the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island.

I just finished 5 miles on the treadmill, which is usually quite boring except a co-worker of mine decided to come in and hop on the elliptical machine beside me. It was like running with someone but without worrying about how fast I was going. It made miles 3-5 go really quick!!! It was a really good run :-)

This is week two of my training for the San Antonio Marathon on November 16th. I am a bit behind because of vacation - but thankfully I had a good base before vacation so I expect to catch up quickly. My eight miler this weekend was really rough....but I am hoping for a better 9-10 miler on Sunday this week. I am following a slightly modified Hal Higdon Intermediate II which will help me adjust to running on Sat and Sun in preparation for the Goofy Race and Half in January.

In the unpacking from vacation I lost track of my iRiver. When I find it I will combine some old files for a podcast, hopefully in the next week or so. I also have more traveling adventures coming up. Next week, I will be in McLean, Va for a couple of days to teach a class and the following week I have a quick one day trip up to Ft. Monmouth, NJ to attend a presentation. On August 14th I head to Sierra Vista, AZ to my brother's wedding. Nothing planned after that for now.....at least not until October (sister's wedding) and November (the marathon!). I see more treadmill running in my future I'm afraid.

Everyone's training seems to be going really well!!!! You Chicago marathon folks are kicking butt out there :-)

Back on the Road in Seattle

2008-07-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

At the advice of a hotel employee, I headed down to the pier area to run and see if I could find the park he showed me on the Seattle map - Myrtle Edwards Park. I was not disappointed! After you run through that park you run along the water through Elliott Bay Park which has a pedestrian trail and a separate biking trail. I did 2.3 miles north to the end of the park, then back. I was going to try to run back up to Pike's Market via the stairs at Pike Street but when I began to run up the stairs I realized I didn't have the energy to keep running (I had just completed over 4.5 miles) so I stopped the Garmin there. Still, 4.7 easy miles in about 57 min and change - not too shabby.

I think I found my running place for the week! :-) As I ran, I wondered if Lizzie Lee has run down here. Too bad she is also on business travel back east!

Hopefully I will have more Seattle adventures to share before I go home.

Back Online!

2008-07-14T20:36:00.005-05:00

Out in front of the camper before my lone run during vacation

Well I am back....but now in Seattle on a business trip. The good thing is that I get to continue my break from Florida's summer heat and humidity for a few more days.

Summary of the vacation:

- 14 days of camping in 3 states (PA, NY and NC) - only 3 days were really rainy during the day (all in North Carolina)

- 1 day of hiking around Bushkill Falls in PA - beautiful place!

- "Ring of Fire" on Honeoye Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) NY - on the 3rd and 4th of July folks around the lake light of flares at 9:30 pm. Great when viewed from on a boat!

- Tweetsie Railroad and Grandfather Mountain near Boone, NC - Tweetsie is not exactly a Disney theme park but fun anyway. We nearly got blown off the top of Grandfather mountain by a thunder storm.

Locked up in the Tweetsie Jail

Blown around on the top of Grandfather Mountain

- (Scottish) Highland Games on Grandfather Mountain - we explored our Scottish roots (husband's mother was a Wallace), watch large men compete throwing heavy objects, dogs hearding sheep and ducks, "Riverdance" style dancing and lots of live Celtic music. They have two road races during the games (neither of which I ran). A 5 mile race called the "Bear" which is a 5 mile run from Linville (at the bottom of Grandfather mountain) to the top of Grandfather mountain. The Games also hosts one of the most challenging marathons around - running 26.2 miles from Boone, NC to the top of Grandfather Mountain. I will stay with my flat marathons, thank you very much!

- About 3300 miles total driven getting about 12-14 mpg in our truck which was pulling the camper. Not too bad. Gas pumps won't let us fill up all the way - they tend to shut off at $75 (when it now costs about $100 to fill from empty). One casualty - a camper tire blew on the way home on Saturday. Fortunately the truck was steady and we were clear of traffic and able to maneuver to the side of the road.

- Best part - took a break from lots of things. Didn't really run (just once) during vacation. The run I did take was really nice - 3 - 1.6 mile laps around the lake at our campground (Otter Lake) in PA. After that there was little time or place to really get in a good run - and I was happy to take a break before diving into marathon training this week! Also needed some time away from blogs, twitter and podcasts - more time hanging out with the kids!! :-)

Now to catch up with everyone's blogs!!! :-)