This Sunday was a scenic run thru the Battlefield at Gettysburg and the surrounding Apple orchards...The Battle was called the Battle for High Ground...for a good reason. I live here, and I didnt realize just how up and down the terrain was...
so to start with some good news there was almost no chafing. The Band-Aid that I put under my HR monitor, ironically to prevent chafing, folded up and actually cut me…good times.
The weather was Perfect. 50 at the start 60 at the finish…cloudy all the way.
Here is the mile by mile run down…
Miles 1-2 /Split-16:27 /Heart Rate150 -first two, no mile marker…felt good…one big hill, but HR was primarily low...wore my lucky necklace...it was the source of a lot of good conversation...I got to tell people that my son was playing T-ball today.
Mile 3 /8:08 /153 - more up and down…HR started to climb, but still acceptable
Mile 4 /8:09 /153 – calmed down, stayed within myself – ate my first Gel pack, chased it with Gatorade...tasted like a strawberry lemonade...mmmm...
Mile 5 /8:16 /156 – Hill pushed my HR a little high. More complements on the necklace.
Mile 6 /8:22 /155 – tried to calm down after pushing HR too high.
Mile 7 /8:22 /155 – relaxed into my pace but fought the hills…hooked up with a few guys that were holding my pace
Mile 8 /8:20 /156 – decided that was going to be my pace, finished the mile with a pretty big hill – ate my second Gel, again with the Gatorade...it coated my mouth like paint...not so mmm...
Mile 9 /8:05 /157 – nice downhill good solid mile felt like I was still strong...laughed about the Giant sheep and the alpaca out in the field...
Mile 10 /8:09 /157 – more down than up this mile feeling good...someone asked if I was wearing a candy necklace...and if he could have a bite...
Mile 11 /8:17 /159 – more up than down but still feeling good this was as far as I had run on course in my training...got passed by a Union Soldier...pretty sure it was a hallucination...
Mile 12 /8:45 /161 – Huge up hill…sapped my strength a good bit – the beginning of the end of my confidence – Third Gel, I would kill for a piece of pepperoni pizza...and holy crap...there goes a Confederate Soldier...
Mile 13 /8:23 /160 – another big hill and the turn around felt good but knew the second half would hurt
Mile 14 /8:41 /164 – up the other side of the big hill crested and felt strong but knew hills were taking their toll
Mile 15 /8:53 /166 – up hill at the start of this mile crested and was back on roads I had trained on, confidence returning…fourth gel, seriously, this stuff tastes like under-arm sweat...would it kill them to have a Pizza Hut out here...
Mile 16 /8:07 /166 – knew this mile well, recovered a bit, and was starting to feel better
Mile 17 /8:46 /169 – there is nothing flat on this course…still hanging on to the guys I hooked up with at mile 7...we are doing lines from Top Gun and Rambo...
Mile 18 /9:48 /165 – Walk break – the hill here was the worst on the course…probably 1/3 to ½ mile long – told the guys I was roasted…
Mile 19 /10:01 /164 – ok, that last mile hurt…quick down hill and right back up the next one…I was starting to feel wasted (it was going to be a long hour to the finish)
Mile 20 /9:41 /164 – Finally getting my legs back under me, but still suffering…ate my 5th gel, those things are starting to taste like Kindergarten paste...All I can think of is that stupid pizza!
Mile 21 /9:33 /164 – this was a rolley mile that I was pretty familiar with…tried to recover but HR was too high to come down much…
Mile 22 /10:52 /159 – officially hit the wall – had to walk (HR came down)...I have to admit this was where the mental breakdown happened - the place I need to fix if I am going to succeed at these things. I didnt hurt, I was just out of energy, and my head couldnt make my legs go.
Miles 23-24 /21:21 /157 – still walk/running never saw the 23 mile marker – ups and downs were a blur at this point…had one last gel in my pocket…but couldn’t remember how to work the zipper…(for the record, that gel ended up going thru the wash)...at this point I hurt...but couldnt pin-point any specific thing that hurt...my brain apparently couldnt process all the signals at once...does anyone else smell Pepperoni?...
Miles 25-26 /23:23 /158 – I swear there were no 25 or 26 mile marks…one last uphill…made the decision not to walk any for the last mile – Plus there was a super steep hill to run DOWN…my legs could barely hold me up at this point…but there was only ½ mile to go…I forced myself to run it…when I turned the last corner with about ¼ mile to go, I started seeing a white flash in my left eye every time my left foot hit the ground…I was cramping a little in both sides of my groin, and my right hip…but I shuffled in to the finish…didn’t even look at my time, just stopped my watch…
I don’t think my miles could have been any more consistent for the first 17…the hills just wouldn’t let me keep tempo…the hills at 11-15 just sapped strength that I should have reserved for that big one at 17…but…the upside – I know the course, and am already planning out how I can do better next year...wonder if I can fit a piece of pizza in that pocket...
PS if you want a good drinking game…drink every time I said the word ‘hill’
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
At least its not CRACK…
Good bye February, I hardly knew ya! 184,984 heart beats…again just a little below my goal, but I will take it. So here comes March…its going to be a better month I can feel it…
February was a challenge…it was COLD and WINDY…(I don’t like either). If someone can find me a place that is 60 degrees year round, I am there! As for training, I don’t feel like I have hit my stride…the weather, and my sleeping in, have kept me from getting to the Y for morning sessions…so I have been pretty much limited to lunch runs, evening trainer rides and the weekend long run…(ok…that might sound like enough or even a lot to some, but I feel like I should be doing more…I’ll talk more about addiction later – but as my friends put it: at least its not CRACK.)
Motivation has been a tough for me this year. I think that part of it is that I haven’t signed up for a race yet…I have plans, but because the card hasn’t been charged, I can let it slide…so…here is the plan, enter the two races I have planned for this spring, and get refocused.
May 1st is the Inaugural running of the North-South Marathon in Gettysburg PA…the gimmick is that its two courses that run the first two miles together then split and come back together for the final two miles. Your course is dictated by your home states allegiance during the Civil War. Then less than a week later, is the Frederick MD ½ Marathon.
The plan isn’t to PR either of them, just have a good time.
February statistics –
Running - 97.80 miles (I know…2.2 miles…if I had known…)
Bike (Trainer time) – 7:17:04
Swim – 1500 meters
Total time logged - 22:52:28
March Goals –
Running – 100+ miles
Bike – 10 hours
Swim – 6000 meters (sad, I used to do that much in a morning practice)
Hopefully the weather will cooperate this month and I can start getting outside more.
February was a challenge…it was COLD and WINDY…(I don’t like either). If someone can find me a place that is 60 degrees year round, I am there! As for training, I don’t feel like I have hit my stride…the weather, and my sleeping in, have kept me from getting to the Y for morning sessions…so I have been pretty much limited to lunch runs, evening trainer rides and the weekend long run…(ok…that might sound like enough or even a lot to some, but I feel like I should be doing more…I’ll talk more about addiction later – but as my friends put it: at least its not CRACK.)
Motivation has been a tough for me this year. I think that part of it is that I haven’t signed up for a race yet…I have plans, but because the card hasn’t been charged, I can let it slide…so…here is the plan, enter the two races I have planned for this spring, and get refocused.
May 1st is the Inaugural running of the North-South Marathon in Gettysburg PA…the gimmick is that its two courses that run the first two miles together then split and come back together for the final two miles. Your course is dictated by your home states allegiance during the Civil War. Then less than a week later, is the Frederick MD ½ Marathon.
The plan isn’t to PR either of them, just have a good time.
February statistics –
Running - 97.80 miles (I know…2.2 miles…if I had known…)
Bike (Trainer time) – 7:17:04
Swim – 1500 meters
Total time logged - 22:52:28
March Goals –
Running – 100+ miles
Bike – 10 hours
Swim – 6000 meters (sad, I used to do that much in a morning practice)
Hopefully the weather will cooperate this month and I can start getting outside more.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Winter Motivation
Ok...so I took most of the month of December off...I didnt plan on it, I had an incredible Marathon, followed by a satisfying 5K...then Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin pie...it was nice to relax...too nice...The next thing I knew I had put on 10 lbs and was feeling kind of sluggish...sure, I did some maintnence runs, lifted once or twice, but I had lost the edge...I didnt "have it"...and all of a sudden it had been almost a month...
Then, on December 21st, I finally turned the corner...WHY? because the days started getting longer! I know its a little mental, but that was all I needed...Motivation comes in many forms, and once it hits you have to grab on and hold tight with both hands...
So what was the next step???
I started writing things down...Everything - Races I might like to do, goals for those races, mile splits for those races...but that wasnt enough...so I started creating Challenge workouts...a Sprint Triathlon indoors at the Y...a two hour trainer ride...an unsupported half marathon...Zipper hill repeats on the biggest hill I could find...The list went on...
The next step was to break down the preparation for those workouts...and still pull together a Marathon plan...I started thinking about what kind of distances I was going to have to put in, the intervals, even the gear I was going to need...
The next thing I knew I had mapped out the next 20 weeks...Starting January 1. Its going to be a good year!
EVERY athlete I know has battled motivation...but today we have tools at our disposal instantly...Friends are always on Facebook...recently I discovered an entire community of runners and athletes on Twitter...and then there is Itunes...do a search for Running and you get dozens of podcasts done by people of all levels...Runners qualifying for Boston, Runners that call themselves Gomers, and even runners from the middle of the pack. (let me know if you want a complete list of what I listen to...)
what I am trying to say is that motivation is out there...and if you cant find it...just ask me...
Then, on December 21st, I finally turned the corner...WHY? because the days started getting longer! I know its a little mental, but that was all I needed...Motivation comes in many forms, and once it hits you have to grab on and hold tight with both hands...
So what was the next step???
I started writing things down...Everything - Races I might like to do, goals for those races, mile splits for those races...but that wasnt enough...so I started creating Challenge workouts...a Sprint Triathlon indoors at the Y...a two hour trainer ride...an unsupported half marathon...Zipper hill repeats on the biggest hill I could find...The list went on...
The next step was to break down the preparation for those workouts...and still pull together a Marathon plan...I started thinking about what kind of distances I was going to have to put in, the intervals, even the gear I was going to need...
The next thing I knew I had mapped out the next 20 weeks...Starting January 1. Its going to be a good year!
EVERY athlete I know has battled motivation...but today we have tools at our disposal instantly...Friends are always on Facebook...recently I discovered an entire community of runners and athletes on Twitter...and then there is Itunes...do a search for Running and you get dozens of podcasts done by people of all levels...Runners qualifying for Boston, Runners that call themselves Gomers, and even runners from the middle of the pack. (let me know if you want a complete list of what I listen to...)
what I am trying to say is that motivation is out there...and if you cant find it...just ask me...
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 Harrisburg Marathon…
Well, I have to start somewhere, so lets start somewhere remarkable - My Second Marathon. Hopefully I can fill you in on a little bit about me as I go along.
Why my second marathon? Well…my first Marathon was as close to a failure as I would care to come. My second was an improvement of over an hour and 20 minutes, and serves as a much better indicator of my abilities. In other words I only made half of the mistakes I made in my first one.
In my first Marathon, I started too fast. This time, I tried to stay relaxed…(yea right)…the first mile was only 20 seconds too fast…the second 15…by the fourth mile I was right on my goal pace, where I would stay for the next 14 miles…That was about the time that I figured out what they mean when they say “you can split the marathon in half…the first 20 miles, and the last 6”. My first marathon had me walking for stretches shortly after the half-way point, and walking completely by the 22 mile mark. This time I was on my goal pace after 19…
That’s when the hills started…and the inner battle began. I had to walk. People began passing me. Demoralizing. Up to now, I had settled into seeing the same group of people…a few had eased out in front of me, then fell back, others had disappeared for a few miles only to reappear, but we were a group…now they started drifting past. Last year I suffered so badly that I couldn’t run, I was forced to walk. Today was different, I had the training of 1400+ miles, and I kept running. Slower than I wanted but still running. The last 4 miles HURT…but weren’t painful. I used what I knew…pick a spot and run to it, then pick another spot. Count my strides, count my breaths…persevere. Thank the volunteers, congratulate the runners passing me…get home.
Then almost as if I wasn’t ready, I finished. And I cried. It was a year of work, 1400 miles, 25 lbs lost, and it was done in one morning. I was done, goals achieved.
I hit three out of four of my goals:
Goal #1 – Finish.
Goal #2 – Faster than last year.
Goal #3 – sub 4 hours.
Goal #4 – is the goal that I would tell you if I had gotten it…
But that was it…I was done. I had spent so much time and effort and it was over so quickly…now what?
That’s where the blog comes in…I want to get faster, get better…and have fun doing it. One of the things I love about Running is that enough random people do it that everyone has a story. Sharing those stories encourages all of us, that even though we go thru most of our training alone, we are far from it. In fact its quite the opposite, every runner I have ever met wants to tell you about their last run. They talk about details…heart rate, pace, the weather, how uneven the gravel was on the shoulder because they have been spreading salt and icemelt…and Gear…I plan on a few posts about gear...what non runners don’t understand is that these details ARE what its about. Those details are what we live for.
Why my second marathon? Well…my first Marathon was as close to a failure as I would care to come. My second was an improvement of over an hour and 20 minutes, and serves as a much better indicator of my abilities. In other words I only made half of the mistakes I made in my first one.
In my first Marathon, I started too fast. This time, I tried to stay relaxed…(yea right)…the first mile was only 20 seconds too fast…the second 15…by the fourth mile I was right on my goal pace, where I would stay for the next 14 miles…That was about the time that I figured out what they mean when they say “you can split the marathon in half…the first 20 miles, and the last 6”. My first marathon had me walking for stretches shortly after the half-way point, and walking completely by the 22 mile mark. This time I was on my goal pace after 19…
That’s when the hills started…and the inner battle began. I had to walk. People began passing me. Demoralizing. Up to now, I had settled into seeing the same group of people…a few had eased out in front of me, then fell back, others had disappeared for a few miles only to reappear, but we were a group…now they started drifting past. Last year I suffered so badly that I couldn’t run, I was forced to walk. Today was different, I had the training of 1400+ miles, and I kept running. Slower than I wanted but still running. The last 4 miles HURT…but weren’t painful. I used what I knew…pick a spot and run to it, then pick another spot. Count my strides, count my breaths…persevere. Thank the volunteers, congratulate the runners passing me…get home.
Then almost as if I wasn’t ready, I finished. And I cried. It was a year of work, 1400 miles, 25 lbs lost, and it was done in one morning. I was done, goals achieved.
I hit three out of four of my goals:
Goal #1 – Finish.
Goal #2 – Faster than last year.
Goal #3 – sub 4 hours.
Goal #4 – is the goal that I would tell you if I had gotten it…
But that was it…I was done. I had spent so much time and effort and it was over so quickly…now what?
That’s where the blog comes in…I want to get faster, get better…and have fun doing it. One of the things I love about Running is that enough random people do it that everyone has a story. Sharing those stories encourages all of us, that even though we go thru most of our training alone, we are far from it. In fact its quite the opposite, every runner I have ever met wants to tell you about their last run. They talk about details…heart rate, pace, the weather, how uneven the gravel was on the shoulder because they have been spreading salt and icemelt…and Gear…I plan on a few posts about gear...what non runners don’t understand is that these details ARE what its about. Those details are what we live for.
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