Remember the old "the dog ate my homework" excuse? Well, I'm asking if Facebook ate my blog. And other blogs. While it's a great tool to keep up with friends, post random thoughts about life, get in touch with people (heck, my 4th plans were made there!)...... I don't seem to ever update this blog anymore because it seems easier to post stuff on Facebook if I feel like talking about something I did.
Well, I am taking my blog back! Or at least until the next time I get preoccupied and do not update it for a bit! Since the last time I updated my blog, I have:
Hiked Mount Washington again. Summit trip #5. Nearly got blown off of the mountain about 20 times, but 60-70 mph sustained winds goes with the territory. This was on Memorial Day but I did not see a soul on the Boott Spur Trail until I got to the Davis Path on the ridge. Lions Head was a tougher decent than I remembered it being. Pictures of the Boott Spur Trail. I'm looking for a picture of Split Rock, where I ate the first half of my lunch. It's cool. I've found one, not of me.. Making at least one more trip up the best mountain ever in August.
Travelled to Nelson County, VA (No stoplights!) Hiked near Crabtree Falls, overshot the AT junction and added an hour to a hike, and didn't make it to The Priest Mountain. Wait till next time.
Ran a 10 mile race in Baltimore for some great bling bling, even if it was actually 10.2 miles. I received this email from the Race Director after the race:
"Thank you for participating in the 2009 University of Maryland Heart Center Baltimore 10-Miler. Although the weather was not what we wanted, it was overall a good day. (Some would say we jinxed ourselves by offering waterproof jackets as the premium; we like to say we had the foresight to predict the weather far in advance of race day...)
Interruption of quote, The Bling Bling rocks!
There is some question as to whether the course was long. Although the 2009 course was certified accurately, it does appear that the mat on the up and back portion of Red Road was placed at the 2008 location, making the course 2/10 mile longer than it should have been. We take full responsibility for this error. We have had numerous conversations with the timing company to see where the miscommunication occurred and what we can do to make sure it does not happen again. Please accept our apologies."
No wonder why the last two miles felt like they were longer than two miles, and I went from just barely off my PR pace to 2 1/2 minutes off at the end. Adjusted 10 mile pace was only 1 minute 1 second off my PR, excellent for a race with the involved hills! Apology accepted, those things happen.
Cured my recurring knee problems with a magic $16 remedy ... Spenco insoles! Placed them in the 1223s, no more knee issues! Woohooo!
Completed a headstand in yoga class, albeit with some assistance. I am still making more progress than I ever thought I would, although I dropped out of the headstand prematurely in a "oh crap, I'm actually doing this, what do I do?" manner. Believe in yourself.
Celebrated a birthday with some friends in Old Town Alexandria. I'm old but can still have fun from time to time.
Had a great 4th of July weekend that encompassed a 35 mile bike ride through Prince William Forest Park, my first ever trip to Wegmans, now known as the Greatest Grocery Store on Planet Earth, losing my prescription sunglasses (the one thing that sucked), a trip to Gravelly Point to watch fireworks with friends, some Sam Adams Beer, and a great yoga class to end the weekend in style.
I've probably posted snippets of three quarters of this on Facebook already. Heck, that's why I asked if Facebook ate my blog? Has anyone else blogged less since they joined the hordes at Facebook?
Monday, July 06, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
There were two more half marathons, and nearly a trip to the DL
May 10, another Sunday, another half marathon. This time it was the Pacers Running Festival in Arlington. It was a challenging race on a lot of concrete, highlighted by a friend who brought a half dozen donuts and ate them during the race. I don't think I've ever eaten six donuts in my life but I'm not tough like my friend is. In a nutshell, the downhill at the start rocked, running up an incline towards Crystal City twice would have been okay if not for the crosswinds....and the hill to the Air Force Memorial around Mile 8 was a bitch. All things considered, a 1:43:38 time made me quite happy.
The following Sunday I paid my first ever visit to Fredericksburg for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. Nice little Old Town District, Basil's Bistro is a great little restaurant on Caroline Street with wonderful service. The race is great too. But, note to Jeff, don't pull onto I-95 for the drive in at 6:15, leave earlier so you don't get stuck in traffic and give yourself not enough time for a proper warmup.
The limited warmup and not having enough time to scope out the expected time corrals contributed to me starting in the 2:30-2:45 corral when I expected to finish around 1:45 or so. I get internally competitive so I spent the first mile or two bobbing in and out of lines to break free of the pack and into a solid, (at least at the beginning sub-8 minute miles) pace. I got under 8s around mile 4 for a bit, which made me happy even though I knew my final pace would be more than 8 per mile.
What I didn't anticipate was jamming my left knee and hip just around the time a good sized rain shower hit while I was near mile 8. That turned evern running on flat ground a challenge. The hill on the backside of the Mary Washington Hospital Grounds later on? For a bit I didn't think I was going to make it. That hill left like a lot more than 250 feet or so that the course measured it as. By the time I reached the top, an 8 minute final pace of 1:44:48 was a pipe dream.
I did suck it up and finish strong, arriving in 1:46:03. Considering my leg was messed up for 5 plus miles, and I started in the wrong corral, this was my second most pleasing half marathon out of the six I've finished so far. It was great to see all the Marines and other military members on the course and handing out the finishing medals. A big thank you goes out to them for sure.
The jammed leg almost sent me to the DL, but luckily three nights in a row of icing it kept me off of it. Even after stretching enough and a session in the hot tub at Gold's Gym, I could barely walk when I got to the Alexandria Gold's to pick up my Diet to Go food after an hour drive. I felt like there was a 40 pound set of pliers pinching and pulling the side of my knee. The desk attendant asked me if I was okay. I was able to get home and do very little the rest of the day. Ice at night, DL trip averted. For at least 8 days until Mount Washington. That's my next entry.
The following Sunday I paid my first ever visit to Fredericksburg for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. Nice little Old Town District, Basil's Bistro is a great little restaurant on Caroline Street with wonderful service. The race is great too. But, note to Jeff, don't pull onto I-95 for the drive in at 6:15, leave earlier so you don't get stuck in traffic and give yourself not enough time for a proper warmup.
The limited warmup and not having enough time to scope out the expected time corrals contributed to me starting in the 2:30-2:45 corral when I expected to finish around 1:45 or so. I get internally competitive so I spent the first mile or two bobbing in and out of lines to break free of the pack and into a solid, (at least at the beginning sub-8 minute miles) pace. I got under 8s around mile 4 for a bit, which made me happy even though I knew my final pace would be more than 8 per mile.
What I didn't anticipate was jamming my left knee and hip just around the time a good sized rain shower hit while I was near mile 8. That turned evern running on flat ground a challenge. The hill on the backside of the Mary Washington Hospital Grounds later on? For a bit I didn't think I was going to make it. That hill left like a lot more than 250 feet or so that the course measured it as. By the time I reached the top, an 8 minute final pace of 1:44:48 was a pipe dream.
I did suck it up and finish strong, arriving in 1:46:03. Considering my leg was messed up for 5 plus miles, and I started in the wrong corral, this was my second most pleasing half marathon out of the six I've finished so far. It was great to see all the Marines and other military members on the course and handing out the finishing medals. A big thank you goes out to them for sure.
The jammed leg almost sent me to the DL, but luckily three nights in a row of icing it kept me off of it. Even after stretching enough and a session in the hot tub at Gold's Gym, I could barely walk when I got to the Alexandria Gold's to pick up my Diet to Go food after an hour drive. I felt like there was a 40 pound set of pliers pinching and pulling the side of my knee. The desk attendant asked me if I was okay. I was able to get home and do very little the rest of the day. Ice at night, DL trip averted. For at least 8 days until Mount Washington. That's my next entry.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Pittsburgh Half Marathon was a great experience
Sunday night, more to come later this week.
Okay, as I sit here with my left knee elevated, I am grateful to have a laptop as my home PC. Portability, baby! I can update my blog while elevating and icing my knee! My stretch of 6 races in 7 Sundays, with the last 4 of 5 and 3 of 3 being half marathons, is finally over. I love running but am glad to be taking a break, more on my sore leg later.
Now that I finally learned how to use the laptop keyboard (I use an USB Logitech keyboard most of the time) I can write about my latest three half marathons. On May 3, I went to a new city, or at least new to me. The long name of the race was the Philips Respironics Half Marathon (part of the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend). I call it one of the best races I’ve ever been a part of in a great city. A good-sized, great contingent of people from the Pacers Alexandria Fun Run group headed out to Pittsburgh the morning before the race. Good conversation, good coffee at Dunkin Donuts even after a unique customer service line management situation, and no issues on the PA Turnpike, we were on our way to Steel City.
Once we drove through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel after getting through the backup on the way, we were in Pittsburgh! I was immediately impressed with all the hills and bridges. While an older industrial city for sure, there’s lots of impressive architecture and engineering to be seen. And did I mention lots of hills? No shortage of courses for hill repeats that’s for sure.
The Saturday night highlight was a trip to Buca di Beppo in the revitalized Station Square area. $8 / person for tons of family-style Italian food? Yeah! I didn’t go on the tram up the Monongahela Incline since I wanted to get back to the hotel and rest, but that’s something to do next time I go out there. I highly recommend staying downtown and splitting the cost like we did, especially when you are in an unfamiliar city and/or want to be able to walk to the starting line the next morning. If I had to drive into the downtown area and find parking that morning I would have had an ulcer. One drawback to the city of Pittsburgh is that it’s very tricky to navigate with all the two or three lane freeways and bridges. Nothing that can’t be overcome by folks who live in the clusterf__k of DC / VA / MD but a challenge nonetheless.
Race morning, same as always, ate breakfast, hydrated, drank just enough coffee to wake me up, jogged a bit to warm up, got into my corral and off I go. I was on my own since I was the only half marathoner in the group, and I think I ended up in a “faster” estimated pace corral only because with the shorter distance I could run more aggressively.
As we crossed the 16th Street Bridge and proceeded into the North Shore Section of town, I saw three runners from the group. One of them mentioned to me he was expecting to see me at any point before we saw each other. I ran with a couple of friends for a bit before I broke ahead. I normally wouldn't be able to "out-run" them but since I was running the half I could run more aggressively, having less distance to save my strength for.
Next came a couple of inclines and, yeah, bridges, we approached theLiberty Tunnel (middle picture on the right)". Here, at mile 8 or so, is when I first realized that I was on my way to a very special race, one which would see me beat my PR by quite a bit. Perfect day for it, mid 50s, cloudy, I decided to focus on maintaining a consistent pace.
Station Square was next, where we saw a ton of cheering fans. I enjoyed every minute of it and waved to as many people as I could. And made sure to thank the volunteers for handing out water and Powerade. The National Marathon in DC was an eye-opener for me. While not as hard as running the race, volunteering is hard work. I'm going to volunteer at at least one race this summer.
Just as the half marathon split from the full marathon, Joe caught up to me, which was really cool. The half marathon turned back west towards the bridge near Smithfield Street at the end of Station Square, and over the bridge that we took to get to dinner the night before. During the last mile I did my best to pick up the pace and make a final push for......1:40:00! I couldn't believe that I was close to doing this! Only 29 months after my first 5 mile organized Fun Run that I was just glad to finish, I'm doing half marathons in sub 8 mile paces? Yeah!
I pushed hard and finished strong, heard my name called as I approached the finish line, and while I didn't beat 1:40:00, my chip time was 1:40:21!!!! PR by SEVEN MINUTES!!!!!!! This was the best race for me since I started taking part in them. Not just because of my amazing time, but the whole experience spent with many friends. I was able to get towards the mile 24.5-26 areas and cheer on and run besides my friends as they finished running through the Strip District.
Pittsburgh: Very Well Done! I was interviewed by the Race Director in the food/hospitality area after the race, and I told her how great of an experience I had with everything. Course, water stops, you name it! I can't wait to go back next year! If Marine Corps goes well, I do the full marathon. If not, I try to beat my 1:40:21. Either way, I am looking forward to great things on May 2, 2010. Date's already booked. Hotel will be soon. Heck, I may be back there before then. More half marathon descriptions to come as I have time.
Okay, as I sit here with my left knee elevated, I am grateful to have a laptop as my home PC. Portability, baby! I can update my blog while elevating and icing my knee! My stretch of 6 races in 7 Sundays, with the last 4 of 5 and 3 of 3 being half marathons, is finally over. I love running but am glad to be taking a break, more on my sore leg later.
Now that I finally learned how to use the laptop keyboard (I use an USB Logitech keyboard most of the time) I can write about my latest three half marathons. On May 3, I went to a new city, or at least new to me. The long name of the race was the Philips Respironics Half Marathon (part of the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend). I call it one of the best races I’ve ever been a part of in a great city. A good-sized, great contingent of people from the Pacers Alexandria Fun Run group headed out to Pittsburgh the morning before the race. Good conversation, good coffee at Dunkin Donuts even after a unique customer service line management situation, and no issues on the PA Turnpike, we were on our way to Steel City.
Once we drove through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel after getting through the backup on the way, we were in Pittsburgh! I was immediately impressed with all the hills and bridges. While an older industrial city for sure, there’s lots of impressive architecture and engineering to be seen. And did I mention lots of hills? No shortage of courses for hill repeats that’s for sure.
The Saturday night highlight was a trip to Buca di Beppo in the revitalized Station Square area. $8 / person for tons of family-style Italian food? Yeah! I didn’t go on the tram up the Monongahela Incline since I wanted to get back to the hotel and rest, but that’s something to do next time I go out there. I highly recommend staying downtown and splitting the cost like we did, especially when you are in an unfamiliar city and/or want to be able to walk to the starting line the next morning. If I had to drive into the downtown area and find parking that morning I would have had an ulcer. One drawback to the city of Pittsburgh is that it’s very tricky to navigate with all the two or three lane freeways and bridges. Nothing that can’t be overcome by folks who live in the clusterf__k of DC / VA / MD but a challenge nonetheless.
Race morning, same as always, ate breakfast, hydrated, drank just enough coffee to wake me up, jogged a bit to warm up, got into my corral and off I go. I was on my own since I was the only half marathoner in the group, and I think I ended up in a “faster” estimated pace corral only because with the shorter distance I could run more aggressively.
As we crossed the 16th Street Bridge and proceeded into the North Shore Section of town, I saw three runners from the group. One of them mentioned to me he was expecting to see me at any point before we saw each other. I ran with a couple of friends for a bit before I broke ahead. I normally wouldn't be able to "out-run" them but since I was running the half I could run more aggressively, having less distance to save my strength for.
Next came a couple of inclines and, yeah, bridges, we approached theLiberty Tunnel (middle picture on the right)". Here, at mile 8 or so, is when I first realized that I was on my way to a very special race, one which would see me beat my PR by quite a bit. Perfect day for it, mid 50s, cloudy, I decided to focus on maintaining a consistent pace.
Station Square was next, where we saw a ton of cheering fans. I enjoyed every minute of it and waved to as many people as I could. And made sure to thank the volunteers for handing out water and Powerade. The National Marathon in DC was an eye-opener for me. While not as hard as running the race, volunteering is hard work. I'm going to volunteer at at least one race this summer.
Just as the half marathon split from the full marathon, Joe caught up to me, which was really cool. The half marathon turned back west towards the bridge near Smithfield Street at the end of Station Square, and over the bridge that we took to get to dinner the night before. During the last mile I did my best to pick up the pace and make a final push for......1:40:00! I couldn't believe that I was close to doing this! Only 29 months after my first 5 mile organized Fun Run that I was just glad to finish, I'm doing half marathons in sub 8 mile paces? Yeah!
I pushed hard and finished strong, heard my name called as I approached the finish line, and while I didn't beat 1:40:00, my chip time was 1:40:21!!!! PR by SEVEN MINUTES!!!!!!! This was the best race for me since I started taking part in them. Not just because of my amazing time, but the whole experience spent with many friends. I was able to get towards the mile 24.5-26 areas and cheer on and run besides my friends as they finished running through the Strip District.
Pittsburgh: Very Well Done! I was interviewed by the Race Director in the food/hospitality area after the race, and I told her how great of an experience I had with everything. Course, water stops, you name it! I can't wait to go back next year! If Marine Corps goes well, I do the full marathon. If not, I try to beat my 1:40:21. Either way, I am looking forward to great things on May 2, 2010. Date's already booked. Hotel will be soon. Heck, I may be back there before then. More half marathon descriptions to come as I have time.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
5Kin, Muddin, 90 Degree Heat, 10 Mile Race, and other random musings
I had my worst time in the 5K series this past Friday, but that's relative. 21:46 is damn good compared to what I could run in previous weeks. There's one more race to go in the series. While I don't like to run 5Ks all that often, preferring 10 milers and half marathons, I'm going to miss the Crystal City Friday 5Ks. Good camaraderie with fellow runners, an opportunity to get in a great workout, on a night that I don't do very much on anyway because Saturday mornings are usually taking up by long runs? It's a plan! And Old Scratch Amber Lager by Flying Dog is as good as ever. Just thought I'd mention it.
On Friday evening, I was asked to fill in on Saturday as the fourth team member for a costume run at the Run Amuck Festival at Lake Needwood Park in Maryland. Our team was cops and robbers. Lake Needwood has some deceptively steep and gnarly hills, I now know whay the hold cross country championship races there. For Run Amuck, we had to run through an obstacle course and two mud pits. Given that people were falling over the place in the mud, the "race" turned into a walk sort of fast on the trails trip. It was very fun though, I'd love to do more mud runs. They even had a place where you could wash off your shoes and donate them for a cause. I did that. The clothes? Thrown out, I purposely wore stuff that was in such bad shape I'd have to toss out anyway.
Which leads me to Sunday, the GW Parkway Classic. In a nutshell it's a 10 mile race from the Mount Vernon Estate to Old Town Alexandria. After meeting up with many Pacers Fun Runners and various other cool runners, off to the starting line we went. There was talk about getting near the front and getting off to a very fast start because it's a crowded race, and there is a downhill drop at the first. Guess what, I did just that! A 6:20 first mile! Close to the fastest one mile ever for me.
I paid for that at the end of the race. At around mile 5 I started to slow down a lot, zigzaging to find shade, drinking as much water as possible, but generally rueing starting out too fast. On a hot day that saw temps get into the 90s later on, (forecasted "Feels Like" Index was 67 at 8 am, 78 at 10 am - I use that more than the temperature to gauge weather conditions) I had to slow down my pace if I wanted to have a bagel and water at the finish and not IV fluids. I managed to suck it up, keep my focus, and cranked it up a bit on the last mile to finish in 1:16:35, my best 10 mile race ever.
I was very happy to have finished with a PR in this heat. The clock thermometer above a animal hospital a few miles down the street from me read 101 at 3 pm this afternoon, 96 at 4:30. While it wasn't that hot, it was a sudden change from a cool spring, that's for sure. And it's still very hot at 9 pm on Sunday Night. But I fought the heat, occasional shoulder trouble (Ali you're not the only one dealing with shoulder stuff) and earned another PR.
After that I had a great omlet at Caboose Cafe in Del Ray, saw the 100 degree thermometer reading, saw some new lanes on Route 1 near my apartment, and had a good yoga class. I must have been in a good zone during the final pose because I was so relaxed that I had to open my eyes twice to make sure the whole class hadn't taken off after class was over! That might been my favorite moment ever in the 7 1/2 weeks I've been practicing yoga.
Great times. Work week beckons. And the car wash. And more running Tuesday night.
On Friday evening, I was asked to fill in on Saturday as the fourth team member for a costume run at the Run Amuck Festival at Lake Needwood Park in Maryland. Our team was cops and robbers. Lake Needwood has some deceptively steep and gnarly hills, I now know whay the hold cross country championship races there. For Run Amuck, we had to run through an obstacle course and two mud pits. Given that people were falling over the place in the mud, the "race" turned into a walk sort of fast on the trails trip. It was very fun though, I'd love to do more mud runs. They even had a place where you could wash off your shoes and donate them for a cause. I did that. The clothes? Thrown out, I purposely wore stuff that was in such bad shape I'd have to toss out anyway.
Which leads me to Sunday, the GW Parkway Classic. In a nutshell it's a 10 mile race from the Mount Vernon Estate to Old Town Alexandria. After meeting up with many Pacers Fun Runners and various other cool runners, off to the starting line we went. There was talk about getting near the front and getting off to a very fast start because it's a crowded race, and there is a downhill drop at the first. Guess what, I did just that! A 6:20 first mile! Close to the fastest one mile ever for me.
I paid for that at the end of the race. At around mile 5 I started to slow down a lot, zigzaging to find shade, drinking as much water as possible, but generally rueing starting out too fast. On a hot day that saw temps get into the 90s later on, (forecasted "Feels Like" Index was 67 at 8 am, 78 at 10 am - I use that more than the temperature to gauge weather conditions) I had to slow down my pace if I wanted to have a bagel and water at the finish and not IV fluids. I managed to suck it up, keep my focus, and cranked it up a bit on the last mile to finish in 1:16:35, my best 10 mile race ever.
I was very happy to have finished with a PR in this heat. The clock thermometer above a animal hospital a few miles down the street from me read 101 at 3 pm this afternoon, 96 at 4:30. While it wasn't that hot, it was a sudden change from a cool spring, that's for sure. And it's still very hot at 9 pm on Sunday Night. But I fought the heat, occasional shoulder trouble (Ali you're not the only one dealing with shoulder stuff) and earned another PR.
After that I had a great omlet at Caboose Cafe in Del Ray, saw the 100 degree thermometer reading, saw some new lanes on Route 1 near my apartment, and had a good yoga class. I must have been in a good zone during the final pose because I was so relaxed that I had to open my eyes twice to make sure the whole class hadn't taken off after class was over! That might been my favorite moment ever in the 7 1/2 weeks I've been practicing yoga.
Great times. Work week beckons. And the car wash. And more running Tuesday night.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
No Cumberland Blues last weekend - a great half marathon!
Last weekend I headed up to Western Maryland for the Mountain Maryland Marathon. This was a first year event in Cumberland, I ran the half marathon. Since the race organizers did not get permission to use all of The National Road (US 40 - original marathon route was from Cumberland to Frostburg and back), the course was changed a month before the race. That worked out just fine, the half marathon course went up the Great Allegheny Passage bicycle trail. I turned around after 20 or so half marathoners did before me at the Brush Tunnel.
I was encouraged to not see the lead half marathoner until I got quite a bit past the mile 5 marker. I generally only complete within myself to see how well I can do but it was a good feeling to know I wasn't getting totally smoked either. Headed toward the Brush Tunnel I felt like I had climbed quite a bit, albeit gradually save for the short, steep hill to get onto the bike path from Maryland Route 36. At the turnaround, I touched the orange traffic cone for good luck or whatever, then looked at the watch. 55 or 56 minutes, somewhere in between.
Cool! I'm going at a faster pace than I figured I would in this race, my first half marathon with continuous vertical gain. The downhill in theory goes a bit more quickly, but you have to consider the effort already given to get halfway through the race when guesstimating your final time. I decided to concentrate on just running a solid, steady pace. Chatted a bit with a couple of locals who were running the half, made sure I thanked the volunteers and the locals who came out to watch, and made my way back down into Cumberland. Passed the Fruit Bowl and knew I was getting close.
It really hit me that I may actually set a PR at that distance when I saw Kevin, the Race Director, directing people on one of the last turns before the train station (the finish). I didn't realize I was that close when I looked at my watch and it read 1:45:something and I had one of those, oh yeah I actually did this s*t! Crossed the finish line after waving in appreciation to the spectators at....1:47:20 from my watch time (started when I passed the same spot that the front line runners started at), 1:47:25 gun time. That's a PR by over 3 minutes. Needless to say, I was thrilled with the end result, and the whole weekend in general. I went on a nice little 7-8 mile hike in Rocky Gap State Park on Saturday, and kicked a*s in the race. I can't wait to go back next year!
I'm the guy in the white hat headed back down the path. I know that guy!. This week is the GW Parkway 10 miler on Sunday, and the 4th of 5 5Ks in Crystal City. I have canceled my experiment where I'd run from work to the race to see how running 6-7 miles beforehand would affect my 5K time. Too much going on to do that but that's cool. Till next time, peace. And I want to go back to Cumberland this summer or fall and take my bike up the bike path I just ran on.
I was encouraged to not see the lead half marathoner until I got quite a bit past the mile 5 marker. I generally only complete within myself to see how well I can do but it was a good feeling to know I wasn't getting totally smoked either. Headed toward the Brush Tunnel I felt like I had climbed quite a bit, albeit gradually save for the short, steep hill to get onto the bike path from Maryland Route 36. At the turnaround, I touched the orange traffic cone for good luck or whatever, then looked at the watch. 55 or 56 minutes, somewhere in between.
Cool! I'm going at a faster pace than I figured I would in this race, my first half marathon with continuous vertical gain. The downhill in theory goes a bit more quickly, but you have to consider the effort already given to get halfway through the race when guesstimating your final time. I decided to concentrate on just running a solid, steady pace. Chatted a bit with a couple of locals who were running the half, made sure I thanked the volunteers and the locals who came out to watch, and made my way back down into Cumberland. Passed the Fruit Bowl and knew I was getting close.
It really hit me that I may actually set a PR at that distance when I saw Kevin, the Race Director, directing people on one of the last turns before the train station (the finish). I didn't realize I was that close when I looked at my watch and it read 1:45:something and I had one of those, oh yeah I actually did this s*t! Crossed the finish line after waving in appreciation to the spectators at....1:47:20 from my watch time (started when I passed the same spot that the front line runners started at), 1:47:25 gun time. That's a PR by over 3 minutes. Needless to say, I was thrilled with the end result, and the whole weekend in general. I went on a nice little 7-8 mile hike in Rocky Gap State Park on Saturday, and kicked a*s in the race. I can't wait to go back next year!
I'm the guy in the white hat headed back down the path. I know that guy!. This week is the GW Parkway 10 miler on Sunday, and the 4th of 5 5Ks in Crystal City. I have canceled my experiment where I'd run from work to the race to see how running 6-7 miles beforehand would affect my 5K time. Too much going on to do that but that's cool. Till next time, peace. And I want to go back to Cumberland this summer or fall and take my bike up the bike path I just ran on.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
18 mile run in the rain, and unbelieveable NCAA Hockey final, and Bring It On Habs!
Okay, yesterday was quite a filled up day for me. After setting another PR in the 5K Fridays series in Crystal City I barely made it out of bed and to my Saturday morning long run. I had decided the night before that I was going to run the 17.75 mile option, which was farther than all but the Pittsburgh Marathon runners were going. Turned out I ran 18 when you count the extra running to/from facility breaks. 18 miles, close to as far as I've ever run in my life, in a not downpour but still driving rain. I was one hurting dude after that. Stretched a bit but waited until I could get home via a warm car to do most of that since I was a cold as I've been in a while after I stopped running. I've made great progress as a runner in the past year, but I know my limitations. Yesterday showed me that I am not ready for a marathon just yet. I've got 6 plus months to get ready, but it's a good thing that I'm only running the half in Pittsburgh. It'll give me time to cheer on my friends who are running the full marathon while I'm out there.
Last night I went to the NCAA Hockey Championship game at Verizon Center. Bill wrapped it up better than I ever could, and got some great shots to boot. Let me say this, I am not a Boston University fan by any means. But what they accomplished all season and especially last night was nothing short of unreal. Two goals in the last minute to tie it up, the game winner was a bit of a fluky bounce but that's very unfortunate for Miami. I'm not sure I can really describe how great this game was and do it justice. A great game from the get go, not one of those games that doesn't get good until the third period.
Finally, before I go take the bike out for a spin, Bring it on Habs! The Black and Gold are waiting for payback from last year, 02, and 04. And as a DC area resident, please Caps, smoke the Rangers right out of the playoffs.
Last night I went to the NCAA Hockey Championship game at Verizon Center. Bill wrapped it up better than I ever could, and got some great shots to boot. Let me say this, I am not a Boston University fan by any means. But what they accomplished all season and especially last night was nothing short of unreal. Two goals in the last minute to tie it up, the game winner was a bit of a fluky bounce but that's very unfortunate for Miami. I'm not sure I can really describe how great this game was and do it justice. A great game from the get go, not one of those games that doesn't get good until the third period.
Finally, before I go take the bike out for a spin, Bring it on Habs! The Black and Gold are waiting for payback from last year, 02, and 04. And as a DC area resident, please Caps, smoke the Rangers right out of the playoffs.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Jeff 1:17:06, Cherry Blossom 0
I went into Cherry Blossom thinking I'd run it as a "social race" with some friends and check out the Cherry Blossom Trees down by Potomac Park. However, not only were my friends in other waves at the start (or I didn't know they were running it), but something happens to me once I cross the timing mat in any race I run. I become quite competitive and possibly unable to run at a more relaxed, social pace. I'm not one of those people who has to beat as many people as possible, I won't complain about not getting an ideal starting spot, but I always want to see if I can improve as a runner.
Yeah, at least today, I improved by a lot. I knew I was a stronger runner than during my last 10 miler 6 months ago, so I had that in my favor. The temps were around 50, perfect for running a fast race. Somehow I managed to be placed in the second of five or six waves even though I felt the same way a female runner near me did when she said "I don't count myself in that group." (the announcer called our wave to the start line then called us the "still pretty fast" runners).
I was concerned all week about the course being very crowded, friends of mine have been knocked down and cut during this race on a rather narrow course. But that concern didn't materialize, as I was able to break to the outside and settle in at a solid race pace very quickly. Mile One, 8:20 or so. Mile Two, 16:05 or so. Each other mile, under 8 minute overall pace. Thank you trusty Armitron watch for helping with that, you didn't break after six weeks like my other one did!
The course itself is a bit uneventful but I was running at a fantastic pace so I didn't slow down for the trees, only for water and Gatorade, which I spilled over myself on more than one occasion as usual. So what, it isn't fine dining! I got to mile nine at just over 1 hour 10 minutes, so I decided to end with a flourish and pick it up for the last mile. Not a sprint mind you, but I stepped out of my groove nonetheless and hauled towards the finish. Someday I may be able to keep my just under seven minute a mile pace for 10 milers and half marathons, but for now I'm big time stoked about 1:17:06! A new PR by 11:31 officially, 9:31 after removing facility break from the net time. Okay, my limited racing career helps with this obliteration (smaller sample size than many runners). But I set the bar very high for the GW Parkway Classic in 3 weeks.
After finishing with a few miles of running to the gym to cool down and work some abs and bike a bit to flush out the legs, no Open to All Yoga for me. Didn't want to do too much.
Yeah, at least today, I improved by a lot. I knew I was a stronger runner than during my last 10 miler 6 months ago, so I had that in my favor. The temps were around 50, perfect for running a fast race. Somehow I managed to be placed in the second of five or six waves even though I felt the same way a female runner near me did when she said "I don't count myself in that group." (the announcer called our wave to the start line then called us the "still pretty fast" runners).
I was concerned all week about the course being very crowded, friends of mine have been knocked down and cut during this race on a rather narrow course. But that concern didn't materialize, as I was able to break to the outside and settle in at a solid race pace very quickly. Mile One, 8:20 or so. Mile Two, 16:05 or so. Each other mile, under 8 minute overall pace. Thank you trusty Armitron watch for helping with that, you didn't break after six weeks like my other one did!
The course itself is a bit uneventful but I was running at a fantastic pace so I didn't slow down for the trees, only for water and Gatorade, which I spilled over myself on more than one occasion as usual. So what, it isn't fine dining! I got to mile nine at just over 1 hour 10 minutes, so I decided to end with a flourish and pick it up for the last mile. Not a sprint mind you, but I stepped out of my groove nonetheless and hauled towards the finish. Someday I may be able to keep my just under seven minute a mile pace for 10 milers and half marathons, but for now I'm big time stoked about 1:17:06! A new PR by 11:31 officially, 9:31 after removing facility break from the net time. Okay, my limited racing career helps with this obliteration (smaller sample size than many runners). But I set the bar very high for the GW Parkway Classic in 3 weeks.
After finishing with a few miles of running to the gym to cool down and work some abs and bike a bit to flush out the legs, no Open to All Yoga for me. Didn't want to do too much.
My Cannondale bike rules!
Last month I bought a new Cannondale bike and love it! I just wish I got to ride it more often but last Sunday I got to take nice long circuit loop. I started at my apartment and rode the little more than mile and a half to the Mount Vernon Trail, which I picked up around mile 7.5. Just before mile 13, you will see a marking for Four Mile Run. That creek is nothing to write home about, but there is a nice little trail aside it called, well, the Four Mile Run Trail. I'm not sure how long it is, but while wind-prone along Glebe Road in Arlington, is a pleasant trail.
A really cool thing, the trail goes right under I-395 now and bypasses most of the condos and restaurants in Shirlington! I know because I beat the ribbon cutting too!. Now I'd love to be a condo owner, and restaurants are good, but the new path is more direct to the W&OD Trail (click for access points). Not to mention that you don't have to ride on a bunch of side streets and up and down a Z shaped ramp to cross the I-395 overpass. No more!!! I rode the W&OD, which parallels the Four Mile Run, until the Falls Church / Arlington Border at Mile 5.5 or so.
The Custis Trail was next, I picked that up at Mile 4.0. This trail is quite challenging for an "urban/suburban" trail, lots of short, rolling hills but hills nevertheless. It's really challenging to run on in the summer humidity. But I survived and was doing okay. Then the wind picked up after I left the Custis Trail. I ended up stopping my ride at the airport since I was tired but satisfied with my ride. Had I not made a dumb turn on to the Roosevelt Bridge thinking I was going to ride to L'Enfant and call it a day, it would have been about a, let's see, 8.5 miles or so until the W&OD plus 7 miles on W&OD plus 4 miles on Custis plus 4 on Mount Vernon = 23.5 mile loop. But my collection of wrong turns added 3-5 miles to that plus a crossing on the Memorial Bridge.
As I continue with my fitness travels, I may become brave enough to try the W&OD Trail all the way to Purcellville and back, 89 miles. There's a ways to go before I get there, but I finally have a bike to take on a ride that long.
A really cool thing, the trail goes right under I-395 now and bypasses most of the condos and restaurants in Shirlington! I know because I beat the ribbon cutting too!. Now I'd love to be a condo owner, and restaurants are good, but the new path is more direct to the W&OD Trail (click for access points). Not to mention that you don't have to ride on a bunch of side streets and up and down a Z shaped ramp to cross the I-395 overpass. No more!!! I rode the W&OD, which parallels the Four Mile Run, until the Falls Church / Arlington Border at Mile 5.5 or so.
The Custis Trail was next, I picked that up at Mile 4.0. This trail is quite challenging for an "urban/suburban" trail, lots of short, rolling hills but hills nevertheless. It's really challenging to run on in the summer humidity. But I survived and was doing okay. Then the wind picked up after I left the Custis Trail. I ended up stopping my ride at the airport since I was tired but satisfied with my ride. Had I not made a dumb turn on to the Roosevelt Bridge thinking I was going to ride to L'Enfant and call it a day, it would have been about a, let's see, 8.5 miles or so until the W&OD plus 7 miles on W&OD plus 4 miles on Custis plus 4 on Mount Vernon = 23.5 mile loop. But my collection of wrong turns added 3-5 miles to that plus a crossing on the Memorial Bridge.
As I continue with my fitness travels, I may become brave enough to try the W&OD Trail all the way to Purcellville and back, 89 miles. There's a ways to go before I get there, but I finally have a bike to take on a ride that long.
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