Monday, August 13, 2007

Ran 20 miles this weekend

Saturday, 10 miles.  Sunday, 10 miles.  That’s the first time I’ve ever done back-to-back long runs, and both runs came in slightly under my target marathon pace of 10:18.  Saturday was around a 1:41 minutes, putting me at about a 10:08 pace.  Sunday was about 1:42:35, which put me around a 10:16.  Makes me curious what will happen when I try to string these two long runs together for my first-ever 20 mile run, which, by the way, is scheduled for 14. October, 2007.

This week also marks a 26 mile week (the lion’s share of which was done over the weekend).  This is, as of this writing, the longest week I’ve logged (previous record was 25 miles).  That record will be fast-replaced, however, given the fact I’m approaching the nerve center of my training.

Next up:  Philadelphia Distance Run on 16. September, 2007.  I have a feeling I’m going to PR.  The time to beat?  2:09:20 on the Chip.

Retiring my Mizuno Wave Rider 10s as well.  Ordered a new pair from Road Runner Sports today and will have plenty of time to break them in before the marathon.  In fact, might need yet-another pair given all the mileage I’m logging.  We’ll see.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Pre-Training Diet:  One Pint of Graeter’s ice cream

Well, I haven't read this anywhere, but my marathon pre-training strategy has been the following:

• Do absolutely no running the week before the training starts
• Eat too much, mostly the "wrong" stuff (don't worry, it's all part of my strategy)
• Eat one (ok, slightly more than one) pint of Graeter's Ice Cream

For those of you who haven’t tried Graeter’s, the short story is this:  I found a link to their website with a bunch of raves on somebody’s blog, went to their website, read how they make their ice cream, and ordered 6 pints to try them out (you can only order 6 pints or 12 pints because of the way they ship it).  I received the 6 pints frozen solid at my door on the scheduled delivery day and almost immediately got my hands into the Black Raspberry Chip.  The chips are more like bark, and are as big as the container itself.  To avoid having my 2 year old daughter see my scooping the ice cream right out of the container, I went into the bathroom and locked the door. 

Graeter’s is, hands-down, the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

Let the marathon training begin on Monday, 16. July, 2007.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

One week off and then the Mary training starts

This is my one week off of running until the training starts in preparation for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 17, 2007.  I’ll be doing the Hal Higdon training program, using the Intermediate 1 approach.  That put’s me out there with a few 20 milers, and an average of 25-30 miles per week.  Peaking at 40.  Diet starts along with all this, too. 

I’ll be specifically posting the results of my runs in conjunction with a new eating strategy.  I need to find what works for this thing...Onward!

Training begins on 16. July, 2007.  18 weeks of running bliss!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Broad Street Run:  What JUST HAPPENED?

Broad Street Run, 2006: 1:43:47 on the Chip.
Broad Street Run, 2007: 1:29.37 on the Chip.

I’m not sure how I did it, really.  8:49 pace for 10 miles?  I’ve never done that.  Ever.  I lined up with my father-in-law (who also PR’d that day and beat me by 30 seconds), and we strided with the 8 minute milers all the way down Broad Street.  As my Garmin 305 kept beeping at each mile, I was amazed to watch sub 9 minute miles unfurl, one after the next.  I PR’d my 5K, 10K and 10 miler in a way that I never dreamed possible.

I knocked just about 14 minutes off of last year’s race.  I must say I feel like a different runner than I was last year. 

Not to mention I did the Country Music Half Marathon the week before and PR’d there as well (2:09:33, which is about 5 minutes off my best Half Mary).

My father-in-law and I used to debate whether or not I should call myself a “runner.” I was hesitant to do so because I thought that only those who are fast have the right to call themselves runners.  I was dead-wrong.

Running is about improving yourself.  It’s about pushing yourself harder than you thought you could.  It’s about running behind someone who is out there for their 8 year old son who died of Leukemia and pushing harder, for them, while remembering that your life could be a lot worse.  It’s about just being alive and healthy enough to put one foot in front of the other repeatedly.  And when you make it to the finish line 14 minutes faster than you did a year ago, it’s about remembering that you are, in all respects, a work in progress.

I became an official runner the day I put on my new running shoes and had the courage to open my front door and step outside.

Looks like I’ve been a runner for longer than I thought.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Country Music Half Marathon:  Destroyed it!

I’m not sure how I did it.  Might have been the one beer/one white wine I had the day before the race.  Might have been the cigar I smoked while watching the total nutcases run laps on the hotel lawn as if it was going to actually help them one day before the race.  Might have been the salmon dinner I had the night before.  Perhaps it was that I didn’t sleep so well, which is the usual for me the night before the race.  Not sure if it had anything to do with the fact that I watched two episodes of Entourage uninterrupted.  Or was it that I tried out a new ritual:  writing the names of my children on each arm with a sharpie marker I borrowed from a guy in the Porta Potty line 5 minutes before the race began.  I wish I could pull one thing from the above that helped me, because I destroyed my half mary PR by about 5 minutes on the hilliest course you’ve ever seen…

Nashville is a great town, and “Southern Hospitality” is no joke:  I met some of the nicest folks in the world right in this great “city of music.” The food was good, and any place that takes Karaoke seriously is a force to be reckoned with, I reckon.

But back to the race.  Kudos to the folks over at Active.com for running the most perfectly orchestrated race I’ve ever run.  With over 20,000 participants, they were flawless from start to finish.  They moved the bodies from the hotels to the start line without a hitch.  There were medics all over the place on the course.  There were plenty of Porta Potties before the race (although many had difficulty locking the doors, which made going to the bathroom a spectator sport for some).  They were giving out massages on massage tables as we walked up to our corrals (I got one 5 minutes before the race began and it loosened me up quite a bit.  I settled into my PR pace right out of the gate).  The wave start was flawless.  There were bands every mile, and they were good bands, not just anyone they could find who was willing to participate.  There was triage at the finish line checking the finishers as they crossed the line to make sure we weren’t about to go down.  They moved us away from the finish line in a way that made sense.  They hydrated us all along the way and gave out fruit and other goodies mid-run.  The expo was awesome.  If you’re looking for a 1/2 mary (or a full, for that matter) this is one to put on your list.

Except for one thing you should take note of…

This course is hilly, and I mean hilly.  The first 6 miles are pretty much a series of hills, and you don’t get to come back down until you’re on your way back (it’s an out-and-back course).  Many were disgruntled as the hills unfurled one after the other, and there was quite a bit of protest from the runners who have never made hills a part of their training.  So if you’re putting this one on your list, go find some hills and start running up’em.

I ran a 2:09:33, which put me at about a 9:54 pace.  For me, that’s a 13.1 mile Tempo Run.  I’ve never been able to sustain tempo pace for an entire half, and, given the hills, I’m still not quite sure how I did it.  I think the answer lies in the fact that I had no expectation of finishing before 2:20, and therefore decided to just push early, not caring about how things turned out.  It’s a good thing I did, and it was one of those “bets” you make with yourself as a runner that pan out sometimes.  Sometimes they don’t.  On this day it did.

Broad Street this coming Sunday.  I ran it last year in 1:43.  My goal this year is 1:35. 

I’ll be back next week with the result.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Race Calendar, 2007

Ok, so here’s the outlook for 2007:

I’ve already done some small banditing at the most magical place on earth.  So here’s the rest of the year at-a-glance:

Country Music Half Marathon, April 28th, 2007
Broad Street Run, May 6, 2007
Philadelphia Distance Run, September 16th, 2007
Philadelphia Marathon (my first!), November 18th, 2007

Of course, there will be a handful of 5Ks in there, maybe even a couple of 10Ks, but the big fellas are above.  Results to follow!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Disney Half Marathon, 2007

Well, it’s the first post of 2007!  I thought I’d start it off with a great story about my trip to that most magical place on earth.  The idea started as a seedling, and then grew like a brush fire.  After all was said and done, I had, under my belt in just 2 days, a stomach virus, 9 miles of running, 4 cigars and about 2000 miles of air travel to show for it.

Anyway, this year, my wife and I decided to bag the 2007 Disney Half Marathon.  You know, it’s just after Christmas vacation, it was a “money” thing, a “time” thing, a “kids” thing...all those “things” that preclude you from doing something at any given time of year.  We told my father-in-law that we’d simply go next year.  And that’s what we were prepared to do (and we are going next year...we’ve already signed up).

Ok, so on December 26th, coming home from my father-in-law’s house, my wife and I start joking in the car of how cool it would be if I flew down there and actually surprised him on the course.  He’s the kind of guy who appreciates such things, and I’ve been playing gags like this with my father-in-law (let’s just call him Paul from here on out, shall we?) for 15 years. 

I proceeded to call Disney from the cell phone while still in the car, and was told I could only get a room at the Pop Century resort for Friday night, January 5th.  My wife and I looked at each other, and she said “go for it,” and so I did.  I basically was figuring I could stay in Paul’s room on Saturday night.  I was counting on the euphoria of seeing me in Florida would far outweigh the fact that he and his wife would have to endure my snoring on Saturday night...anyway back to that later.

Ok, so we made some quickie flight reservations, I had a room for at least one night...now to start planning the surprise and simply wait to depart…

Day One: Arrival

Ok, so after a great flight on US Airways, I took Disney’s Magical Express, which turned out to be easy, free, and luckily, my hotel was the first stop.  I still needed lodging for Saturday night, and continuing with my winning streak, a young lady who worked for the hotel was passing through the line at check-in asking if anyone needed anything.  I raised my hand and told her I had a magical tale to tell.  I then proceeded to tell the story of how I was down there to surprise my father-in-law and I thought this was what Disney Magic was all about.  She agreed.  Then I sprung the trap:  “...but I have no place to stay tomorrow night.” The runners who were in line around me were regaled by my tale of woe and started chiding the employee for not getting me a hotel room.  After considerable pressure, she picked up a walkie-talkie, said something cryptic to somebody “in the back” and and just a moment later reported that I had secured a room at the Pop Century for Saturday night.  Disaster averted.  We all cheered and I took a picture of my hero with my cell phone.

I threw my bags down, changed into my running gear and ran a nice 3 miles right away.  I was reminded of that sneaky Florida humidity.  Paul was calling me and sending me text and pix messages most of Friday in order to “rub it in” that I wasn’t down there with him.  Of course, I was receiving these messages while sucking down a Heineken at the Pop Century.  I laughed at my cleverness and saddled up for dinner at Fulton’s Crab House.  As I sat smoking a cigar at Jack’s Marina in the Downtown Disney area, I was reminded of my family, and how much I wished they were there with me.  Of course, had they been, I wouldn’t have been neither smoking a cigar nor going to Fulton’s Crab House for dinner!  I went back to the Pop Century with my belly full of raw oysters, Dungeness Crab and Bass Ale and smoked yet another cigar poolside.  I crashed at 10:30 and hoped for the best in the morning.  I had a lot on my mind, as this whole trip was riding on one simple premise:  I had to make sure Paul was not only surprised, but that he didn’t run past me without me noticing him in the the throng of runners.  The anxiety mounted.  Would I get up in time?  Could I get to mile 7 before the roads closed?  What if the cab was late?  You see, I had to get to the Grand Floridian by 5:45 am, as they were closing the roads for the runners.  All this anxiety kept me up until 2:00 am, and I thought, “I’m going to have trouble running tomorrow.” Eventually, I passed out in some weird haze.  The wake-up call came as scheduled: 4:30 AM.  I jumped out of bed, dialed the front desk and ordered a cab to the hotel at once.  I then hit the shower, put on my running gear and went to wait for my ride to the hidden rendezvous point.

The waiting is the hardest part

The cab showed up as scheduled.  Eighteen dollars later, I was at The Grand Floridian in what was still a pitch black morning.  I saw a few traffic cops, and wandered over to reassure myself that the runners would be passing by this checkpoint as the map had stated.  I also told one young lady of my intentions, and she proceeded to cover her ears (and before everyone starts to protest on the whole “bandit” thing, I didn’t run the whole race, nor did I take any resources in the form of food or fuel from any of the runners).  Anyway, I thought it best to cut my story short, as it was clearly more information than she wanted to hear.  I decided to walk back to the Grand Floridian for some breakfast.  After all, it was not even 5:30 AM, and the race wasn’t even scheduled to go off for another 30 minutes.  It would indeed be some time before I saw Paul, who was planning 10 minute miles the entire distance.

Let the games begin!

At approximately 6:00 AM, I heard a traffic cop say “the race has started.” I was pretty pumped, and I started trying to find, in the dark, a good place to hang on the roadside so I could spring the surprise on my hapless father-in-law.  I wandered up and down the road, observing the Dasani water folks, who were sponsors of the event and were setting up the water tables at mile seven.  I was in a good spot: there were no other spectators where I was standing, just a marching band about 100 yards up the road.  They were practicing for their big moment, and I was reminded of how great it is to hear music on the course.  It helps the runners in a way that’s difficult to describe unless you’ve been out there.

About 35 minutes into the race, the first wheelchair sped by.  I yelled something along the lines of “way to go,” but it was so quiet, so serene on the still-dark road, that I felt I might be interrupting his state of mind.  Athletes don’t always want to be yelled at on the course.  I didn’t realize that until mile 12 of my first half marathon.  I really wanted everyone to just be silent while I figured out how I was going to run the remaining 1.1 miles.

About 5 minutes later, I saw the first runner, a male, go flying by.  There was nobody near him, which is pretty unusual.  I wondered just how much of a lead he had over the thousands of other runners.  It turned out that this kid is one of the top triathletes in the country, and was also down there to get married.  I can’t imagine having that kind of lead in a race.  I mean, he was totally alone.  Based on my previous interaction with the wheelchair athlete, I decided to let him pass with no comments from me.  Frankly, I wasn’t sure what to say to somebody who was destroying the competition to such a degree.  He sped off into the darkness, and it took almost 4 minutes until I saw the next runner, a female, race by my position on the course.

At about 7:00, I started dialing Paul’s cell phone.  I realized he was going to be later than I anticipated, because the pack was only starting to thicken at mile 7, and I could tell I was still watching 6 and 7 minute milers go past (I later learned that Paul’s later-than-expected arrival had to do with Disney’s newly-implemented Wave-start, which nobody seemed to like.  Paul was in Wave B).  He answered and said, “I’m dying over here!  It’s so hot down here.” Of course, being down there as well, I realized that he was right.  It was going to be a tough race.  Florida humidity is pesky, and you don’t realize it’s there until you start moving, and then it’s magnified 10-fold.

A few cell phone calls later, Paul was getting within striking distance of my checkpoint.  I felt I needed to start watching the passers-by, as it was crucial he didn’t get past me.  Then, it happened:  I spotted him.  Luckily for me, Paul was literally running up the road side, almost on the grass where I was standing.  I took a breath, giggled, and jumped out onto the course into a slow, slow jog.  You know, the kind of jog that would eventually force him to go around me (which is pretty normal for me!).  Anyway, about 5 seconds into this whole affair I hear him yell out an expletive that approximately rhymes with “grass mole.” It was then I realized he spotted me.  He apologized to the distance runners around him, as they were all staring at him wondering if they were the target of the on-course profanity.  He laughed, they laughed, and I laughed, and I spent the next 6 miles explaining how Kath and I had concocted this whole affair.  The miles just fell away, as we talked the entire time.  Later, when I asked him how he spotted me so quickly from behind, he told me that he recognized my gait, and the fact that I was wearing a shirt that said “Fortunato” on the back, which Paul has come to call himself.

Mile 12

One of the all-time milestones of the trip, second only to Paul calling me an expletive, was his wife’s reaction.  We knew she’d be at mile 12, as that’s where she was last year.  Paul and I decided that I’d hang back a little, so she didn’t see me right away.  Once we spotted her, Paul ran up to her and she lifted her camera for a picture.  He stepped away, and I jumped in front of the lens.  She almost threw the camera down on the ground, looked at me in utter disbelief, and yelled, “GINO!” I laughed and said, “gotta run!” And off I went, pacing Paul towards the finish.

We met up after the race, and I gave them the full rundown of when I got down there, how I stayed out of site the day before (not exactly hard to do in Disney), and how I spent the time waiting.  We spent the rest of the day in Epcot drinking beer from country to country, and Paul looked at me at least 25 times and just started laughing...occasionally reminding me once again that not only am I an *expletive-goes-here,* but that I’m his son-in-law, and that he’s proud of it.

Next year, I go all the way, baby.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The next level of fitness

I’m noticing that I’m able to run a sub-10 minute mile while still keeping my HR around 161 on average.  I know this doesn’t sound like an amazing demonstration of athletic ability, but for me, to run a sub-10 minute mile used to always mean an average HR in the high 160s.  Add to that the hilly nature of the loop in question and it shows I’ve reached the next level of cardiovascular fitness. 

I’ve also started experimenting with the breathing patterns established in the Jack Daniels Running Formula.  I’m trying 2-2 and 3-3 breathing patterns, both of which are working quite nicely.  I’m finding the 3-3 pattern to work better on the hills.  I’m also trying to make a concerted effort to stride 180 times per minute, 90 per foot. 

Am I feeling faster?  You bet.

See ya in Nashville.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The $40.00 5k?

My father-in-law and I were having some wine yesterday and one of my best buddies, my son’s godfather, stopped over for a visit with yet-another bottle.  Anyway, after much of that, we started talking about entering a 5k, which was scheduled to take place today.  For my friend, who isn’t really a runner, this would be his first race, and all runners of every ability want to share the joy of running with anyone they can, so we were pretty pumped to open up the world of running to Frank.

The plan was simply to show up in the morning, sign up and run the race.  As it was a Jingle Bell race, I was a little concerned about how I’d react to the sound of bells throughout the entire 3 miles, but I thought it would be a good first experience for Frank.  We setup a meeting time, we talked about what to wear.  We regaled Frank with our best race stories, our PRs and how we elbowed our way across the finish line (in my case, I had to run past a 9 year old on my 5k PR, and I felt bad about it, but hey, it is a race). 

Then we parted and the waiting began.

About 8:00, Frank called.  He asked me if $40.00 was the usual amount for entering a 5K.  I said “no” and asked why.  He explained that the Jingle Bell race was $40.00, but you get a pancake breakfast.  I explained that pancakes weren’t enough, and even though the race was in support of a good cause, it was simply too expensive for something that lasts less than 30 minutes.  Heck, most marathons are only slightly more in terms of dollars.

So, my first race with Frank has been postponed.  We are currently trying to talk him into Brian’s Run, so maybe we’ll see ya there.  First timers beware:  Brian’s Run is the hilliest 5k in the world as far as I’m concerned.

Maybe we won’t tell Frank that part…

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Nashville, Here I come

As I’ve been preparing for the Philadelphia Half Marathon, I’ve received a lot of literature regarding the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, TN.  I’ve never been to Nashville, but as a musician, everyone tells me I have to go there.  As a runner, everyone tells me I need to go there.  The blend of music, great weather, a nice course and the partying city of Nashville have been cited over and over as the reason to put this race on your list.  As well, signing up for such a race will keep my training sharp, as I’ll need to keep my focus if I plan to PR at this one.

So, having said that, I have, somewhat impulsively, signed up for the Country Music Half Marathon being held on April 28, 2007.  This will keep me out on the course and focused.  It will also allow me to test some theories that I’ll be reading in my 2 newest running books:  The Competitive Runners Handbook and Jack Daniels’ Running Formula.  Let’s see what kind of improvement I can make in 5 months.

If you have any experience with this course, or have heard anything of note, then please feel free to comment!

See ya in Nashville, ya’ll.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Another PR knocked over

Well, I planned the race, I raced the plan.  The Garmin said 2:12:15, but the official Chip time was 2:14:12. 

In this race, the plan was to pace 10 minute miles the entire way, and for the most part, that’s what I did.  I looked at this race as 6 miles out and 6 miles back, with a little “extra” tacked on at the end.  In terms of time, my goal was simply to be at the 12 mile mark in 2 hours, and I was largely on pace.  I had a long mile at mile 10, as there was some hilly stuff there, and I probably didn’t push hard enough to keep the pace I wanted.  So did I meet my goal?  “No” in that I missed my goal time, but “yes” in that I raced using the strategy I intended, which worked.  I also destroyed my Half Mary PR by over 8 minutes.

My observations:

• I ran the entire distance (which hasn't been the case in my other half marys), and felt more comfortable than ever, which I believe to be a sign of my overall fitness.
• The plan was to simply run at a 10 minute pace, and not try any race-day-heroics, which is the result of some actual experience running this distance. I'm proud of that newly acquired experience and it paid off.
• Somehow, I didn't have that mile 10 fatigue that makes me want to crawl off the course. I was strong the entire distance, which makes me wonder if I could've/should've pushed harder.
• I believe my diet for the entire week prior to the race was directly related to my ability to run strong. Pasta, bagels good carbs and some good proteins were a part of my weekly intake.
• I hydrated on my terms by carrying a hydration belt. After watching the bottlenecks that are created in the water stops, I'm convinced I'll never hydrate at a water stop again.
• Clif Shots seem to work for me every 3 miles.
• I run my own race when I'm running by myself. My father-in-law met up with me at mile 9, but at that point I had largely run exactly the race I had planned. Focus was the key with minimal distractions.

I also thought it was great to start the race with the marathoners. We took a right at mile 10, and they kept going straight. I watched the folks coming into mile 26, many of whom I ran with at the beginning of the course. It was truly inspirational to watch those coming into mile 26 around 12:30 PM, putting them at a 4:30 marathon. They represented the approximate time it would have taken me to run the marathon if I continued to pace as I had in the half. Many of them were folks I made small talk with at the start. They looked a lot different at mile 26. My hat goes off to them.

I'm posting my splits below. As you can see, it was, overall, pretty close to even splits throughout. I probably should have pushed for a couple more 9 1/2 minute miles. That would have sealed the deal in terms of meeting my goal. I was fearful, however, of running out of gas, which didn't happen. Next time, I'll follow my instincts.

On a sour note, my age group is the fastest in the world, and I finished 115th out of 138 in the 35-39 age bracket. The first 100 finishers ran a sub 2 hour race. I need to stop making such comparisons, however, and I curse my Capricorn blood for being aware of such things.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue to train, and yes, I think I may try the marathon next year, just to see if I can do it.

2006 is over, but 2007 fast approaches.

See you out on the road.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Half Mary, Hail Mary

Tomorrow is it.  The last half mary of the year for me, and the one that counts the most.  I’m shooting for a 2:10 overall, which I belive to be attainable.  My biggest unknown is being able to fall into a 10 minute mile and stay there.  I know I can run faster, I know I can run slower, but if I miscalculated anything in my training, it’s simply what a 10 minute mile “feels” like over the long, slow distance. 

Having said that, I’m going to have to improvise a little in the first few miles, speeding up and slowing down as needed.  I’m hoping by the time I meet up with my father-in-law at mile 9, I’ll largely be on pace to hit my target.  A little pang of nervousness prevails actually, as I’ve never planned and trained for a race with such high expectation of meeting my goal.  I also know that anything can happen, just like practicing a Beethoven sonata hundreds of times doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything at the recital itself.  You practice piano for the same reason you practice running:  to mitigate the risk of disaster once you’re on the stage.

Tomorrow feels, for the first time, like the recital.

See you in the green room.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Becoming a student of running

I love running.  I’m not always sure why.  Of course, you feel good when you’re finished, and you tell yourself that you’re improving your overall health and fitness, but I can’t say that’s why I do it.  I spoke of the similar relationship between running and playing the piano, and now more than ever I understand the way I’m made.  I frankly don’t care what obstacles are presented when I want to achieve, and running has presented me with challenges that I’m all-too-willing to overcome. 

To that end, I’ve just purchased two books and I eagerly await their arrival from Amazon.com.  The first book is entitled ”The Competitive Runner’s Handbook” by Bob Glover.  A great read by all accounts, from the Amazon reviews to the Runner’s World Forums.  I have high hopes as a runner, and this book will apparently help me realize many of my goals through proper training, diet and miles.  I’ll post a full review of the book here once I get through it, but I hope the real results will be reflected in my race times.

The second book is entitled ”Daniels’ Running Formula” and has also received rave reviews.  I’m not quite sure I needed to order both books simultaneously, but I tend to do that, as I believe it provides a way to further validate one method over another. 

In the meantime, anyone who has read one or both books, please chime in and let me know how they’ve helped you.

See you on the running trail!

Just ran a fast, hilly 2 miles…bad idea?

I’m running the Philadelphia Half Marathon this Sunday.  This represents my 3rd half marathon this year, and I have a goal for this half marathon: 2 hours, 10 minutes, putting me at 10 minute miles throughout.  Regarding my training, I believe I’ve been putting in the miles and have just come off the Philly Distance Run at 2:22.  I believe my goal for this Sunday is realistic and I plan to hit the mark.

However, I’m still learning how to train, and I believe I may be overtraining for this race.  Last weekend, I did a LSD of 12 miles in 2:04, and this week I’ve run a slow 3 miles followed by a brisk 2 miles today.  I’m thinking perhaps the fast 2 miles was a mistake, but I needed it psychologically.  It reminded me that I’m limber, in good shape, and prepared.  But at a 9:22 pace on a somewhat hilly course, I may have just burned up some of the glycogen stores I’ve worked to build up.  I’m basically posting this for posterity so I can refer to it next time the half marathon training begins. 

I’ll report back to ya’ll after the race when I can better assess how my approach has affected my performance, if at all.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

12 Miler today, bring on the Half Mary!

I ran the big 12 miles today in preparation for next week’s Half Marathon in Philadelphia. Without pushing, I was out there for around 2:04, which is damn good for me.  My goal next week is to hit the 12 mile marker within 2 hours.  My father-in-law is stepping up next week and has offered to run the last 5 with me and will pace me as well as dole out the Clif Shots and Gatorade.

Speaking of Clif Shots, my run was to test my performance with energy supplements along the way, which I’ve never done. I’m not sure if I actually felt great at mile 10, but I also never stopped moving, and if the Clif Shots were even partly responsible, well, then they did their job.  I took one 15 minutes before I started, and then at miles 3, 6 and 9.  I had some trouble opening the packet on mile 3, and I clearly demonstrated that I was a novice at taking energy supplements while continuing to run.  It got better as I went.

I hope I didn’t overtrain for next week...I guess we’ll find out.

See you in Philadelphia on the 19th of November!