training day number seventy-nine

cold, cold, cold. it was a cold run today. i had on long sleeves and short shorts. in fact, it was ok as long as i was moving but if i had to stop running for any reason, it was cold. the great thing is i ran and made my goal for the day. run forest

i usually do the fullsteam beer run on wednesdays but today it is halloween and the guys i run with have young kids and had plans. it gets dark early now. i headed out at 5:30 pm but still got caught in the dark. it is hard to get a run in before the sun goes down these days.

i am so excited about the up coming race in obx. seventy-nine runs so far is a lot of training and who knew i would stick with it but so far i have and still enjoy running.

running is cool.

run:

duration: 1:03:19 
distance: 6.25 mi (goal 5 miles) 
pace: 10:08 min/mi 
calories: 929

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/239001719

weight: 180 lbs

days to go until race day: 10 (i keep nudging boo to pack our bags)

training day number seventy-eight

today's run did not disappoint on the adventure side. it was shin splints, pitbull chases and crunching acorns. (smile) but i did my goal. so cheers to to the challenger, i am ready for the assignment. this is good as we are in the final weeks of training.

after finishing the run and a nice breakfast we headed to the cinema to see "cloud atlas" on imax. i truly enjoyed it and want to see it again. only thing, after running 20 miles, it was hard to sit for 3 hours so i am a stiff dude at the moment. i will go to bed early then. i am out of beer anyway. (smile)

run:

duration: 3:55:36  
distance: 20.96 mi (goal 20 miles) 
pace: 11:14 min/mi 
calories: 3080

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/238131218

weight: 178 lbs

days to go until race day: 13 (i hope sandy stays offshore)

training day number seventy-seven

it's getting so close to race day that i am rolling with emotions that go in different directions. the challenge is to maintain a positive feeling and stay healthy for 3 more weeks.

for today's run i had a great cool morning that was excellent for a run. at this point though, i could use a nap. (just kidding, sort of) i ran the fullsteam 6 mile last night and then got up at 6:00 am this morning and ran 5 miles for training. so a nap would be nice but i'm at work so it won't happen today.

today's training run was good. yesterday's beer run was real good. we ran fast and i was keeping up and at times setting the pace for a group of three. we came in last but that does not mean much when we were running the longest distance of the larger group.

i am done with running training for this week as i rest up for my long run day on sunday. the forecast is rain. eek. but i will deal with it and won't worry until i have too.

run:

duration: 51:07  
distance: 5.04 mi (goal 5 miles) 
pace: 10:09 min/mi 
calories: 757

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/236912804

weight: 176 lbs

days to go until race day: 16 (the pirates are around the corner)

garmin link for fullsteam run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/236912838

total for the week: 29.24 mi (good job)

training day number seventy-six

a new day, a new challenge. work has to be done. and last night work was a all-nighter. i did not get to bed until after 6:00 am. i got up at 10:00 am to run before heading back to work. i wondered how that would go, but i did it. and best of all, i ran fast. i was driven to make it to work on time for a meeting and it ended with a faster run than i usually do for a training run. good times.

as i was finishing the last mile, i ran by a lady who dropped her purse as i was passing. i thought i scared her so i apologized. she said, "you didn't scare me, this purse always falls off my shoulder. run boy, run!!!" so i kicked it up and finished strong. thank you lady.



run: 

duration: 1:11:41 
distance: 7.35 mi (goal 7 miles) 
pace: 9:45 min/mi 
calories: 1092

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/236543605

weight: 177 lbs

days to go until race day: 18 (i can almost see jockey's ridge)

training day number seventy-five

sunday's run after a night of party and stagger was hard but i made the goal. getting close to the race day is awesome.

run: 

duration: 1:51:16 
distance: 10.54 mi (goal 10 miles) 
pace: 10:34 min/mi 
calories: 1557

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/235892126

weight: 178 lbs

days to go until race day: 20 (i can smell the salt air)

training day number seventy-four

it's saturday and i'm running. since the farmer's market didn't happen as planned, i went for a run.

run: 

duration: 1:16:11  
distance: 7.32 mi (goal 7 miles) 
pace: 10:25 min/mi 
calories: 1076

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/235892155

weight: 177 lbs

days to go until race day: 21 (get the map out for a road trip)

total for the week: 42.84 mi (that is awesome)

training day number seventy-three

this is for a run on wednesday. yeah, i know i'm late

this is the fullsteam run that i count but not as one of my training days. well this week instead of a 3 mile or a 4 mile, we ran the 6.2 mile. so i will count this as the training run especially since i could not run on thursday or friday due to work. so on to the results.

run: 

duration: 58:50  
distance: 6.25 mi (goal 6 miles) 
pace: 9:25 min/mi 
calories: 915

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/235892176

weight: 178 lbs

days to go until race day: 24 (wow, a tan soon)

training day number seventy-two

after sunday's run i felt great. i was excited and thrilled on the accomplishment. but on monday, my energy was tapped. as long as i kept moving i was ok but if i sat down at my desk, all i wanted to do was lay down and nap. last night i went to bed early around 7:00 pm and slept until 5:00 am when i had to get up for today's run.

today's run had some challenges. it is funny to think of them now but i was not laughing earlier. hopefully, i will do better to rest between runs. the first challenge was i forgot my gps watch. so i had to go back for it because i do not want to run without my results. the next challenge was on the first mile where i had a pain in my left knee. then i had a pain in my left foot toes. but at mile three, i got what felt like a numbness in my right leg that made me slow down and stretch it out. this feeling stayed with me the rest of the run. it made me nervous to run too fast. this led me to keep a steady, even pace for the rest of the run.

it was cold this morning and windy. this always make me want to go, especially when i think i can, such as pulling up to my house or in the woods. but i kept having to push that thought out and it was hard. so hard, i lost the battle twice. thank goodness for quick drying shorts. but i ran on as anyone should. there is no need to cry over split milk, right?

we finally put up a clothes line outdoors for drying sweaty workout gear. i would say this was just in time. the next run is thursday but is 10 miles. i can't figure out if i will do this before or after work. it will be warmer after work but i will have less energy and motivation to run i am sure. hmmm

run: 

duration: 1:31:32  
distance: 7.84 mi (goal 7 miles) 
pace: 11:40 min/mi 
calories: 1128

garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/234046813

weight: 179 lbs

days to go until race day: 25 (get the map out for a road trip)

training day number seventy-one

i feel like billy bad ass. i just ran over 20 miles bitches. (big smile)

man this is unreal.

the training has been steady and it has paid off. really. for today's run i had to pull from everything i have learned to work through pain and doubt. running over 4 hours is no joke and the mind plays games, the body plays games. i cried at one point thinking i would have to stop and not make the race. but with the knowledge of what some of the pain means got me through it and back to running. i even started to enjoy the fact i was hitting the low energy point because i was so close to the goal. i ran the last two miles without a shirt. this was after starting the run in two shirts, a hat and gloves to deal with a cold dark morning. a true moment of running through change. the dark turned into a beautiful sunrise and as the morning light woke me up from my sleepy run. i was not awake for the first 7 miles; really.

i am thankful for the support from my family and friends as this training has taken a lot of time, money and understanding that i could not have estimated at the start. this time is a wonderful moment.

there are still a few weeks before the race but it feels within my reach to finish in the "old man" category and that is fine with me.

much love!

run: 

duration: 4:09:23  
distance: 21.43 mi (goal 20 miles) 
pace: 11:38 min/mi 
calories: 2970


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/233351249

weight: 176 lbs

days to go until race day: 27 (almost time to pack)

training day number seventy

wow. 70 runs done. who da thunk it? (smile)

after all the activity this week, i guess i was a bit tired for running. yesterday's fullsteam run was ok and i was told i seemed tired. i felt it was running in the pack and having to change pace and stop for traffic that was bothering me. then today, i feel tight in my shoulders and was really glad when my run was over. please, please, please do not let me get sick. i have worked so hard. i will whine like a five year old until christmas. (smile) but seriously, i will take it easy for the next few days to get ready for sunday's 20 miles.

run: 

duration: 1:27:41  
distance: 8.02 mi (goal 8 miles) 
pace: 10:56 min/mi 
calories: 1180  


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232309122

weight: 177 lbs

days to go until race day: 30 (this is serious)

total miles for the week: 31.53 

training day number sixty-nine

this post is for october 9th.

i'm at the beach. wrightsville beach. it was a cool run because i ran from one end of this island to the other. i started midway, ran to the north end, ran to the south end, then back to the middle. it is a flat course similar to the big race. it helped me feel ready for the big day.

it was a cold start. it was misty and windy and still dark. i did not know what i would find along the way. i should have warmed up a bit more as i found out later. as i reached the main drag intersection, there were a number of other runners there starting or ending a run on a trail that goes off the island into wilmington. it is an ego thing when another runner passes you. i guess i was expecting a solo run at this early hour. i had to make myself stay at my pace and watch my step for injury prevention.

around the end of mile one, i got shin splints. the painful tightness is no joke but i kept running until i wondered if i should turn back. a block or so ahead of me an oil truck was backing out and blocked my way forcing me to stop. this allowed me to catch my breath and massage my shins. the deep breathing gets oxygen to the muscles and it helped big time. who knew that an oil truck was just what i needed. so i headed on down the road with the pain passing.

the sunrise was mystical with low clouds and fog. all the runners in town had filtered out by this time. it seemed i was there in this special place all on my own. it was beautiful and helped to keep me rolling on to the end. once i got to the end i needed a bio break and there was perfect cover in the back of shell island resort. this gave me a chance to see the ocean with the fog over the waves with the filtered sunlight. it was only a quick look because i had to run to other end of the island.

this island has a lot of homes built and has no more room for additional ones. i could sense the entitlement as i ran by the political signs posted. i could see i was the only chocolate chip in this cookie. even with that, the other runners i encountered were very nice and said "good morning" or "good job" the official runner greeting.

once i was done, i jumped in the cool rain shower at our hotel. but then got back in bed as this was check out day and i needed to warm up from my cold run before checking out.

run: 

duration: 1:29:46  
distance: 8.26 mi (goal 7 miles) 
pace: 10:52 min/mi 
calories: 1222  


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232309136

weight: 177 lbs

days to go until race day: 34

training day number sixty-eight

this post is for sunday, october 7th. i set a goal to do better on same day blogging but i didn't make it this week.

this week included two days vacation to wrightsville, beach. we left sunday after my run. it was cloudy and rainy on sunday that put a gloom on things. who wants to go to the beach in the rain? we headed down the highway anyway. plus, there was a good chance the weather was different there too.

the run on sunday was one of the best. there was no pain and the route was perfect. i reached my goal and even though, i ran longer than my goal, i felt good. the last two miles of my run was in the cold, cold rain. even running in the rain was not bad because i was warmed up from running 8 miles by the time the rain started. as long as i was running, i was warm. but it was quite chilly once i was done all soaked and all. i also had chills due to the thunder and lighting with this storm. in october, what was that about? i found out my boo was very worried until i came walking through the door.

anyway this was a good run to start the week and a special mini vacation.

run: 

duration: 2:01:38  
distance: 11.21 mi (goal 10 miles) 
pace: 10:51 min/mi 
calories: 1683


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232309162

weight: 177 lbs

days to go until race day: 34

training day number sixty-seven

this is for yesterday. i am starting a trend of day late posts. i don't have a good excuse other than elation or as some call it, "the runner's high". i will try to do better same day posting but it's not the end of the world.

thursday's run was supposed to be following a course i had run before. it was such a nice day so while running, i decided to do something different. i could not make up my mind what that was for a while but i knew i would do something different.

i started out on my normal route but skipped east campus and hit maxwell street to campus drive toward duke chapel. when i got to the nasher museum, i decided to skip duke chapel and head down duke university drive. i figured if i get to the end of that road, it would be four miles. then i would just roll back the way i came and i would be done. well, it was only just over two miles by that point so i headed through west campus on towerview drive. this is when i had the crazy idea to run up erwin road to hillandale road, take a right on club boulevard to run by all the stately homes on that street. the plan was to run all the way down club to the northgate park trail and take it to the fullsteam brewery. i had no idea how far that would be.

after i settled on the route, i made a crazy bet with myself. if i got to the fullsteam brewery and i was under 8 miles, then i would keep running until i got 8 miles in. but if i got there and i was over 8 miles, then (you guessed it) i would get to have some of their great beer.

what i had not counted on was a rough course on club boulevard. there are some big stately homes and large bungalows set back from the road but the sidewalk is treacherous. i could not believe how bad. i saw very little of the houses because i was watching every step to avoid injury. so although it turned out to be a good course for the miles, i won't do it again because of the sidewalk situation. when i got to walltown, it was somewhat better but it is not a good running location either. the sidewalks on erwin road are very nice so that spoiled the rest of the route except for the park trail. the park trail is shaded and curves nicely with a couple of bridges over ellerbee creek. it is part of the fullsteam fun run course. i had just run that course on wednesday.

the fullsteam fun run was fast. probably the fastest i have ever run. we only ran three miles but doing that at a 9 minute pace was a great workout. the beer afterwards was really good too.

for yesterday's training run of 8 miles, i ran faster than my 7-mile run on tuesday. for my bet, when i got to fullsteam brewery, it was 8.5 miles so i got to have that beer. The beer (called a fullsteam) was great as the elation of getting in a great week of training. it was a good week!

run: 

duration: 1:30:42  
distance: 8.56 mi (goal 8 miles) 
pace: 10:32 min/mi 
calories: 1278  


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/230140674

weight: 176 lbs

days to go until race day: 36

total miles for the week: 38.12 (gone boy)

update: when i went to the gym today, i decided to go for a run instead of the bike for cardio. i ran 4.5 miles so that makes my week total 42.62 miles. rock it baby!

training day number sixty-six

this was for yesterday's run. it was one of my hardest runs yet. this was due to just feeling sluggish. i had to self motivate almost the entire time. i said "run forest run". i sang songs. i thought about all the people i have known that have died. i was reaching for strength from anywhere i could. but i finished it.

this was a run with no breakfast or energy bars because i forgot. i had to get to work and i rushed out the door for my run. then two or three miles in, i realized i missed eating something for breakfast. oops.

no breakfast, my feeling sluggish and running slow bugged the hell out of me. i kept trying to run a little bit faster over and over but it was hard. i kept trying though and after i got back from east campus, my speed and motivation improved.

that morning when i woke up, it was raining. i was not thrilled thinking it would be a cold morning. by the time i started the run though, it was only misty and it was warm. on the last mile it started to rain more but by then i was in my run zone and feeling better. the lesson on this run was that even if i feel crappy, i can run. i guess we all have to feel crappy some days. so here's to a crappy run. i celebrate it.

on the celebration tip, it is almost race day. there was so much i thought i would do before the race but training has taken all of my time. i don't see how people do 20 or more marathons. it would seem their whole life is about running. at this point i just have 5 long run days left and only 2 that are 20 miles. am i nervous? hell yeah but i have trained for that. :) 


run: 

duration: 1:28:51 
distance: 7.67 mi (goal 7 miles) 
pace: 11:35 min/mi 
calories: 1121 


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/229543502

weight: 178 lbs

days to go until race day: 38

training day number sixty-five

this is for yesterday. i should have posted but it was a beautiful day after a rain-all-day saturday. i wanted to stay outside as much as possible to enjoy it.

but to the point, i ran a freaking 18 miles on sunday. it was daunting but i was determined. i was successful because i took it one step, one phase and one breath at a time. i was so excited once running was done. i popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

i planned the route ahead of time and it worked out great. i thought i was making it easy. i had one half of the run focused on a straight road with no turns. it was a good idea. what i didn't realize is this road is a long, straight uphill road. it is a gradual uphill but still harder than a flat road. after i ran the loop once and knew what was coming, i got my head around it and ran through it four more times.  breaking 10 miles down to five 2-mile loops with water pit stops worked for me.

the weather was great. it was cool enough that i was vaporizing when i slowed down for water. i wonder if i was leaving a trail of vapor as i was running. that would have been superhero action.

i ran alone but there were many runners out training and everyone was nice saying "good morning" or "hey". even motorists were putting the brakes on and letting folks run. there was one guy who flashed his lights and blew his horn like a jerk but i waved him on out of my life.

so this week i get to heal from my 18 miles with the next long run at just 10 miles. once that is done, there is a treat on the schedule to visit the beach for two days. the fun part, is i will get to do my tuesday training run there. so let the route planning begin!  still having fun...

run: 

duration: 3:47:17 
distance: 18.82 mi (goal 18 miles) 
pace: 12:05 min/mi 
calories: 2538 


garmin link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/228895765

weight: 179 lbs

days to go until race day: 40