Doubler and Mileage

Two weekends ago I decided to do two races a half hour apart. I headed down to Bloomington again to run the Monroe County YMCA Spring 5K and 10K. I should have guessed that both routes were going to be hilly (it's Bloomington!). Waking up, I really did not feel motivated to run. I am usually excited and ready to get out the door. Allergy season decided to come to me early and I was tired from sneezing, having watery eyes, and a scratchy throat the day before. The race started at 8 and it was cold outside. I was happy with my first mile coming in at a 7:04 pace. Then the hills decided to show up. They slowed me down, but I was able to cross the finish with a new PR. By one second! I'm thinking I would have broken into the 22s if it was a flat course. Either way, I liked the challenge and it's good training for the Mini in May. I grabbed some water and food until the 10K started. By the time the 10K started it was even colder and the wind was blowing like crazy. I also felt better using the 5K as a warm up. The 10K course was just as hilly, but I felt more comfortable running. I did not push myself too hard during this run and took in the scenery. I crossed the finish in 50:49 for my first ever 10K.

For the past two weeks, my mileage has been increasing. Last week I had my first ever 30 mile week and I am on my way to 100 miles this month. I hope that will be enough to do well at the Indy Mini (which is less than 2 weeks away). Today is a rest day and I need it.

Hilly Hilly Half and Family Fun

Three words to sum up this past weekend - Family, Fun, and Rewarding.

I'll start with the Rewarding part first. From my last post I mentioned registering for the IU Mini Marathon at the last minute. Looking at the elevation map of the course, I knew it was going to be a challenge and I actually had doubts soon afterwards. After registering, things started going downhill. I rested on Wednesday and ran 2 miles on the treadmill. Unfortunately I felt very sick stepping off of the treadmill and actually thought I was going to faint. I've never felt that way and I ran at a very slow pace. So I started to worry because I felt terrible and I had a race coming up in two days. I basically went home, ate, then went to bed. I woke up Friday feeling worse with sinus pressure in my head, aching body, and chest congestion. I took another rest day and loaded up on OTC meds. I woke up race day feeling decent. Once I arrived in Bloomington and warmed up, all doubts and feeling sick was gone. I was determined to run the half as best as I could. It was a brisk sunny morning and the atmosphere was what I needed. I became a different person as we began to run. I probably started out too fast with my first mile coming at a 7:20 pace. My pace was all over the place after that thanks to the many hills Bloomington has to offer. I used to go to Bloomington every weekend and did not know most of the hills existed. The elevation map I had reviewed days before did not put in to perspective of what it would be like running those hills. I'm not going to lie, but these hills kicked my butt. I admit, I took many walk breaks and I'm okay with that. I've been doing mostly hill training in the last few weeks and I know that helped with this race. By mile 10 my legs were definitely tired from the rolling hills. I just kept telling myself "you have a 5K left!" It was also nice hearing encouragement from other runners. I stayed with this one guy the last 3 miles, encouraging each other the rest of the way. We made it up the last hill and was a 1/2 from the finish. I looked at my watch and saw that I was going to break 2 hours. I made a turn and saw the glorious finish line. I tried to kick it as hard as I could and crossed the line at 1:54:53!! I totally shattered my previous half by 12 minutes. As I was walking over to the food tent, I kept wondering how I would have done if the course was flatter and I felt 100%. All I know is I gave 110% and that was REWARDING. The 65 miles I ran in March really paid off. I'll have my chance to PR again next month at the 500 Mini (flatter course). Another rewarding experience was going home after the race and rounding up my family to go have fun the rest of the weekend.

It was a nice weekend and I wanted to spend more time outdoors. Driving through Bloomington, I had found a very nice park and wanted Cameron to see it. This kid loves playing at parks. Once I got home and showered, we drove back to Bloomington for family fun. We stopped at Texas Roadhouse for lunch and then played at the park. As I watched Cameron run around, I was amazed at how free he looked. No worries, no bills to pay, no responsibilities, just free. I remember feeling the same way when I was a kid. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world! Ever since I started running last year, that feeling has come back! I feel FREE! Watching Cameron run around reminded me that we can all feel that way if we want to. If I am having a bad day, all it takes is being around my family to make it better. Running provides that extra kick. It was awesome seeing my Anne and Cameron smiling so much as it has been a rough 5 months.

Sunday was a continuation of family fun as we went to church, met the in-laws at the movie theater to watch HOP, ate at Stir Crazy, played at another park, and had ice cream. We were all pooped at the end of the day. While at Stir Crazy, I cracked open my fortune cookie with this fortune. I am not sure when my moment of glory will occur, but I like to think it is now - being the dad of an awesome boy and husband of a beautiful wife.



I was going to take a running break this week, but I am not sure I want to after a successful half. I will continue to do hill training and incorporating walks since that seems to be helping me quite a bit. I am not really sticking to my training plan, but I am happy with my results so far this year. Next on my plate is the YMCA Spring Running Festival 5K & 10K in Bloomington (4/16). I plan on doing both of the races and hope to at least PR in the 5K. And then my family will be doing the Run for Rylan in Springville (4/30).

Impromptu Half Marathon this Weekend

Well..I decided that I'm going to run a half marathon this Saturday. It is last minute, but I was able to enter before registration closed last night. I will be running the IU Mini Marathon in Bloomington, IN. It will only be my 2nd half ever, but a test for the Indy Mini in May. I am excited and nervous at the same time because there are some challenging hills. It is all good because I have been running hills like crazy. After a personal best in the 5K last week, I've gained back confidence in my running. My shin is somewhat tender from running hills last night, but I should be good. I just hope the weather holds out. It was snowing today! I will post a report after the half. Here is the course and elevation map.

New PR at the Courage and Valor 5K

I was going to post on the 7K event I ran this past Sunday, but I am excited that I have a new PR for the 5K and wanted to share. I ran in the Courage and Valor 5K yesterday at the White River State Park. It was a rather cold day and I debated on running it. I am glad I decided to go for it because I felt really good and knew I was going to do well. I've been battling shin splints and tight calves since February. Good news...my legs have felt great the last 2 weeks! I've been doing more stretching, shin/calf exercises I found here, incorporating walk breaks during runs, eliminating speed workouts, icing, compression sleeves, and rest. My legs have felt so good, I've also been doing hill training. With my legs feeling better, I am definitely more motivated. 2 weeks ago I was stressed and wanted to sell my Mini Marathon entry. Now I am determined to run the Mini and do well. Back to the 5K. I felt good going into the race. It was cold out, but the atmosphere made up for it. There were firefighters from all over the US (since the Firefighter convention is going on downtown Indy this week)and the music was blasting. The race started in the park behind the visitor center. We crossed the river bridge going west then back over the bridge towards the canal. I passed the 1st mile at 7:10. After 2 miles I kind of lost it and slowed a bit. Honestly, I was ready for the 3 mile marker. After 3 miles we were out of the canal area and I saw the finish line. From there, I bolted because I always like to end strong. I stopped my watch at 23:13! Results showed me finishing at 23:14, but I'll take it. I actually think I could have broken 23 minutes. Maybe next time. Either way, I was happy with the run and my legs felt awesome. I think my next race will be on April 16th when I plan to do a 5K and 10K the same day. Maybe I will get that 5K PR.

Book Recommendations

I have not posted lately and will be posting a "race report" from this past weekend's event. In the meantime, here are some book recommendations to stay motivated:

Ultra Marathon Man - Dean Karnazes

50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance! - Dean Karnazes

Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss - Dean Karnazes (his newest book. Have not read yet)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Christopher McDougall (ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!)

The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete - Matt Long

The Runner's Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know--And Then Some - Mark Remy (quick read and very funny!)

It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life - Lance Armstrong

Still Ready for Spring

It was a good start to the year as far as fitness goes. I logged 120 miles on the bike(mostly at the gym) and started doing more strength training in January. 120 miles is nothing compared to the 160 plus miles I will be doing in just one day. Once the weather breaks I will definitely be out on my bike. I have been looking on Craigslist for indoor bike trainers because I really need to be training on my bike. If I do not find one, I'll just have to wait. Plus I am more anxious to run. I am going to start running next week then start my half marathon training on 2/14. I am hoping I can do most of my runs outdoors. I am not much of a treadmill runner. This week, I did decide to go with Hal Higdon's intermediate training program for the Mini. I was going to do the novice plan, but I really want to beat my 2:06 time from my first ever half I ran last year. It is a strict plan, but I plan to stick to it because I know I can beat it. I also decided to go with Hal's intermediate training plan for the full marathon in November. I just want to finish and do well. Mainly to finish! The plan includes two 20 mile long runs and that is what I was looking for. Here are my two training plans for this year.



Besides the half and full marathons on my agenda, I have also laid out the races I plan to run this whole year. Most of them are 5Ks, but there is a chance I may fit in 2 more halfs by the end of the year. After the marathon in November, I may do the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in December. As far as preparation for the RAIN ride, I plan to do most of the training May-July. It is going to be a crazy year, but it is something I am looking forward to. I have been reading Dean Karnazes 50/50 book so I am staying quite motivated. Motivation is a good thing to have with the crazy weather so far this year. Even though it is cold outside, I may be doing the Polar Bear 5 mile run downtown in two weeks. I want to see if I have lost any running ability. As I mentioned, I will be easing into running next week.

My goals this week were to do more strength training and ride the bike 50 miles. I did not go to work(which is located near the gym) on Tuesday and Wednesday so that did not help. I completed the 50 miles and definitely had a good leg workout this week.

Ready for Spring

One more week and I will be back to running! Not that biking at the gym is bad. I just feel I get more out of running. Plus the gym is overcrowded right now with people trying to stick to their new years resolutions. I want to get out and enjoy the surroundings even though it is cold outside. This is going to be the best spring ever. I feel good so far this year. I've biked almost 100 miles so far this month and have been strengthening my legs. It is hard to imagine I will be biking 160 miles in one day this year. I am excited to run my first race on March 16th. I will be signing up soon as it's only $10 for the 7K race. Not bad!

Last week was a busy week and I had to squeeze in training. My goal was to bike 40 miles for the whole week. I ended up biking two 20 milers to get in the 40. It felt great though. I was unable to do two sessions of the ab ripper x. I am actually going to stop doing the ab ripper x because it is causing me back pain. Something I do not need this year. This week I plan to bike 40 plus miles and do some major strength training. I have been daydreaming quite a bit lately about what the RAIN ride and marathon will be like this year. Visualizing really keeps me motivated. I've also been motivated by the books I've been reading in the last 2 months. I haven't read this much in years! I highly recommend Hal Higdon's Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete by Matt Long and Charles Butler, and Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes.