race day

well i have completed another race; the tarheel 10-miler. it was very different from being a volunteer the year before. this year i was in all the action. i was often amazed how all these runners come together and have a physical moment together. folks are breathing hard and making sounds. some of the sounds you think they make in their bedrooms during sex. then there are the fans; everyone is cheering along the roads to keep you motivated. it was a lot of fun.

i ran my best run ever. this is just my third race though. i ran about a minute faster than my training pace and averaged out less than 8.5 min per mile. this is way more than i could have hoped for. the best part i was done and working at the farmer's market the same day. how's that for an old man?

happy to be done with it with my nice shiny medal. i don't have a race in the next month but i will keep my training up to about 20 miles per week. this will be good and doable for the race in june.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/301671222

race results:

http://www.endurancemag.com/eventproduction/TH10-2013/Results/2013_TH_10_Miler_Results_PostRace_v6.pdf

peace and love

training day 14

yesterday was supposed to be my last run. but i guess i love running. i only ran for 3.4 miles or so today. i ran the 3-mile loop with all the hills. when i compare it to yesterday's run with the pub group, it is very impressive for an old man chugging up those steep hills.

i feel good going into the saturday's 10-miler. i am excited as it will be over 5000 runners. we start and finish in the great unc kenan stadium. i would never get to compete there as a football player. this makes it so much fun. i volunteered for this race last year and now i get to run it. rock on.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/299767280

peace and love

training day number 13

i ran the fullsteam pub run 4-mile instead of the usual 6.4-mile. i would have run the 6.4-mile but one of the crew i ran with only wanted to run the 4-mile. i did not mind since the race is saturday. running at our normal pace was delayed until the last mile where i had to break out and run and run faster.

the pizza and beer were very good too as usual. it was a huge crowd as this was the first really warm day in the 80 degrees range. it is a cool spot to hangout but i have to get pizza home to my sweetie. the night comes on fast.

this was to be my last run before the race on saturday. but...

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/splits/299767301

peace and love

training day number 12

today i ran at lunch for a short run. i know i should be tapering back for the race but it feels good to get the exercise in. i will run on wed for a short spell and let that be the last before saturday's race.

i feel so bad about what happened at the boston marathon. i wanted to do something. i felt that a run today would make me feel better and it really helped. my horoscope said to get some exercise.

i am not as anxious about this race as the others. this is great, right? but still, i am very excited to be in the action of 5000 runners. it should be a blast and it might rain. oh joy!

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/298939054

peace and love

training day number eleven

this is my last long training run before the race on saturday. it has been a year since i started on this journey. i feel good and stronger than i did this time last year. it is hard to believe all i have learned from running. it sounds cliche but for me it was reality to be patient and train one day at at time. it was a major success in my own way.

for the sunday run, i wanted to hit the distance and not worry about the speed. i ran with only a glass of oj for breakfast. i made the distance but i also had decent speed. to celebrate i added an extra mile at the end. for that last mile, i ran to the bull statue downtown. i rubbed the bull's balls for good luck and ran strong to the finish line.

this was the first sunday i was not greeted by my boo; so no breakfast. i hit the beer though. (smile)

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/297814940

peace and love

training day number 10

i did not run the fullsteam run this week due to helga's birthday party. i ran the next day on thursday during lunch at work. i added a loop on development drive and then the heavy hill loop to finish strong. it was a great training day.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/296459504

peace and love

training day number 9

oops. i have not been logging my training runs like a good soldier. the main thing though, i have been running on schedule. this run was a lunch time run at work. this route is hill heavy and i mean heavy hills. they are so steep in a couple of places i have to lean forward to not fall down. it feels great to finish this route. it makes me feel strong.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/295691723

peace and love

training day number 8

it's sunday. that mean it's long run day. it is also spring but still cold. i slept in hoping for a warmer run. it got down in the 30's overnight. i waited until 8:30 am and it was still 37 degrees when i headed out. i wore shorts and long sleeves. once i stepped out on the porch, the sun was out and it felt warm so i left my hat and gloves on the porch. that was a good decision because i was sweating in mile one. (smile)

if you recall, i had a crazy run last sunday on easter. on later analysis, i was under an influence of drinking. the saturday before, i put down two bottles of bubbly. not with friends but by myself. add to that i did not eat anything. i had been enjoying the warm day being artistic drawing in the street and building mobiles. i should have eaten something. i woke up sunday determined to run and a sane person would have reevaluated the situation. but me, i would have run the 8 miles naked if it was not against the law.

under the circumstances, i was barely legal being jesus and running in the rain with just a loincloth. this week, i have been trying to evaluate what happened. i only know i made a good decision not to drive on saturday but i will never do the no eat thing again. clothes are still optional.

today's run was good. shit, i need to run 10 miles for the next race. i ran 10.96 miles today. i got water and gu at 8.44 mile. i can do this. i need to stay healthy and injury free for the next two weeks.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/294589620

training day number 7

this run was the fullsteam / bull city running company / run durham run. ben texted me that we should beat the 9:10 min/mile pace to 8:55 min/mile. i was surprised but up for the challenge especially since i missed my gym workout that day.

the run for me was hard at the beginning. the first mile is up hill with a lot of intersections. it feels real competitive at that point since there are so many runners trying to get in front. after things thinned out, i got a good stride and felt better.

we over achieved and hit a 8:44 average pace for 6.4 miles. what glory that was since it was a first for us both.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/293595390

training day number 6

this run was on tuesday at work during lunch. i ran the three miles around kit creek. the hills are amazingly steep and a good challenge for my chapel hill training. every time i run it, it amazes me how beautiful the course is and i hardly run into anyone on the trail. this time i saw two other people using the trail. compared to the thousands of people who work in this area. i am not complaining. it is nice to have a bit of solitude and focus on my run.

check the stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/292412596