Race, Struggle, Race

It has been a little while since the update.   Let's see if I can catch everyone up. 

I completed the first race in the RiverBound series.  It was an 8K trail and I did ok.  Not great but ok.    The weather was nice and there was no FACEPLANTing.  Remember the goals people!  After that race however I had to add a new rule that involved not passing out.   Hello hydration and a little problem with anemia.   Back on those supplements!

After the 8K trail I started to really struggle.  It seems I get off plan when I go out of town or when work life gets more intense.  I also was having a lot of allergy problems....and it was hard adjusting to the warmer weather.   This is important because I felt like I was sliding backwards.  Actually I was sliding backwards - numbers don't lie.   As these races increase in distance, the bottom line is that you either make the commitment or you don't.   According to Kelly the transition from 10K to the 15K is a huge step.  If I had stayed in my current mindset, things weren't going to look good for me.  I completed a 10K trail and wasn't happy with my time either.   There were a couple people that actually quit after the first trail section but at least I finished.

All in all I had to take a step back.   Last year at this time I was barely into physical therapy.  I could barely stand to walk a lot or sit for a long time much less run.   I have completed several 5k races, 8k races and even two 10K races.  Not bad compared to last year.  

Now is the time to commit to being serious about this RiverBound series. The next RiverBound trail race is in May- a 10K.  With Kelly and all my other runner friends (Tom, Paul, Dave, Kirk) I can find my way for improvement.  I'm armed wth a new training plan and am paying more intention to my diet.

Next up - 10K Racefest Road Race in Charlotte next Saturday.....Wish me luck.

Reedy River Race - I went, I ran, I conquered

Last Saturday I participated in my first 10K run.  I was VERY nervous about this race.  As you may remember, my little brother wanted me to join him as this was his first race.  I thought he was going to sign up for the 5K but noooooo  he wanted to do the 10K.

As the race got closer it was obvious it was going to be raining.  Ugh.  I had a bad training session on Wednesday.  Ugh.  Was I going to be ready?  Well I could not back out.  After all, little brother was counting on me.

He called me while I was driving down and told me he got his packet.  I asked him what he was planning on wearing to run in.   He said a Tshirt and gym shorts.  I stopped by the Nike outlet and got him a couple of dry wick shirts.  He was thrilled and immediately tried one on.

Race day came and so did the rain.  Lucky for us it was light but steady.  I could tell he was nervous but we when lined up he was focusing. Gone was the smack talk about how he was going to kick my ass.  I never claimed I could kick his just that I was going to run my own race and we would meet at the finish line.  Then we were off.....

I was determined not to stop at the first water station and once I went by it I got into a groove.  At 3.2 mark I was same time as my PR for a road 5K so I was on cloud nine.  The run was thru a park at that point and it was quite pretty.   I made it to the next water stop at 4.97 and walked it thru then started up again.   That last hill seemed like a mountain but when I saw the finish line for the first time I still had a little juice left and sprinted the last few seconds.  Yay me.

The next day our names were in the paper.  Little brother was so proud....even though we both were towards the back of the pack.  It didn't matter to me as I beat my target time and it didn't matter to him...cause he beat his big sister.  :-)

I leave you with a pic of little brother as he approached the finish line.

Now we train....

Last week we had a bit of a transition.  Kelly the Magnificent and I had just completed 3 miles on a trail and he turned to me and said "now we train".  Now we train? We just ran 2 miles on a trail, what the hell was that?  Apparently that was "going for a run".  Who knew?  Well now I know the difference.   After the 2 mile trail run then we moved over to 2nd trail and start the "catch the rabbit" training.   This involves Kelly running ahead of me and I run as fast as I can to catch him.   Did I mention this was on a trail?  During this process when I can't go any further I am suppose to give a shout out and then we walk....then the whole cycle starts over.   This went on for another 3 miles I think.  By the time we were done I was a little blurry.

Gone are the days of merely the 3 miles.....now the bar must be raise so I don't kill over on the long trail runs during the series I signed up for.....oh yeah...that makes sense.

Another new curveball was being introduced to spinning.    Wow.  Who knew that a weird bike apparatus could be that painful.  

This weekend is the 10K with my little brother.   I'm pretty sure walking will be involved but remember - the goal is to finish, right?

I leave you with a picture of my last trail race.  After the faceplant there was minimal dusting off - after all - I didn't want to be last.  And even with the faceplant I was determined not to look like a zombie. 

:-)

Trail Race #2

Ok so today's race had some good points:

• It was not subzero temperature like it felt in January
• It was not muddy on the trail
• A buddy was experience his first race (shout out to Paul)
• My work buddy coach (shout out to Tom)
• I was defiant and brought my ipod

A few lessons were learned:

• It is not really a bad thing if you have not seen the course.  It made the run enjoyable and exciting.
• When you FACEPLANT like I did, get your butt up check and make sure you can move, then start back up again.  Don't think about it too much otherwise you will wuss out.  Fortunately I did continue on and finish the race. 

Scraped up the knee and hands but all in all pleased with the progress. Definitely better than my first trail race.

Next week I go to Greenville, SC to join my brother in his first race.  I still can't believe he signed up for a 10K.    I wonder if I will be able to drive home. 

And my knee: 

Build the strength challenge

So it is official - I do have a new PR after completing the Cupid's Cup. Yay!

So about the other goal/challenge/whatever you want to call it.   A friend of mine posted about this not so long ago as he was debating it too.

Running and core strength building are suppose to go hand in hand.  Getting better at running but my strength building has been slacking a bit lately.  Remember unless someone is standing over me - sometimes I'm a bit of a slacker.   I come home and well, quite frankly with all the channels I have, how could I not want to become a couch potato.  Hmm potatoes...I'm hungry..oh wait that's not what this is about....

So...I'm debating.....the 100 Push Up Challenge....it is a six week program.

http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

Still debating....any takers out there?

Cupid's Cup Update

Decided to sign up and run the Cupid's Cup 5K in Charlotte.  No pink t-shirts please (they were white by the way).  As far as courses go, it was pretty flat.  The results have not posted but I'm pretty sure I had a new personal record.  This is mostly because as I turned a corner I saw my buddy Tom and his lovely wife Mary.   This was timely as they both helped me focus and continued to move.  Tom was in coaching mode but I did take the opportunity to look at Mary when he was telling us to pick up and ask her if she had ever punched him at the end of a run.  She said no but I'm thinking it has crossed her mind.   Nevertheless without their help I'm pretty sure I would not have that assumed new personal record.


Let's take a minute to talk about preparation.  Now the night before a race I usually know what I'm wearing, make sure my ipod and garmin are charged and generally have a target time of when I am leaving the house.   That much I have down.  So...here's what I learned this time.   1) Make sure there is gas in the car.  My car is in the shop and when I got into the Xterra I found it to be empty.  And oh by the way - I did not notice till after I left the house which sucked more because I didn't carry credit cards with me.  2) Know exactly where you are going and when they are planning to block off the roads or you will end up driving around looking for a parking space somewhere, anywhere so you don't miss the race. I finally found a space on a side street, dumped the car and ran to the start line just as the race was beginning.  Brilliant stroke of luck I remembered where I parked it.  


This meant however no warm up and today....I'm feeling it.


Next race is in two weeks and it's a 5K trail one.  My buddy Paul is joining this one and it will be his first trail race.  So exciting!


I'm looking at another goal/challenge...maybe I will blog about it later.....

Up your Game and the Holy Grail Shoe

February has arrived.   To keep my focus I have signed up for a 5K Trail race on 2/26 in Huntersville.  I continue to try and apply peer pressure on one of my newbie running buddies to sign up for his first trail race (Yes, u Santos if you are reading this). I also signed up for the Bear at Grandfather Mountain.  While my buddies are at the Scotch tasting I will be enduring a five mile uphill climb to the top of Grandfather.   A friend of mine said she heard most people hurl at the top but that she would hold my hair for me (thanks Karla!).  Isn't that sweet?

With February comes the pressure, Kelly the Magnificent is upping the mileage.  I was finally warming up to the 5K mileage and now suddenly (or it feels like that) it's time to move it up.  I knew this was coming but my body isn't on board completely with this idea.  Thus the 4 miles starts.  Actually I'm a little behind I probably should be doing at least 4.5 now and realistically should be at the 5 mile marker but alas....I am slow and a bit of a slacker.  After the 4 mile trail race though, I no longer have any excuses.

Ok so now to most important part of this post.  I run on the road with Nike Free - they are awesome shoes.  My trail shoes however are lacking.  They are heavy and clunky at best.  Enter the Merrell trail barefoot shoes which just came out.    I ordered the Pace Glove.  Now...I can tell you I have built up in my mind these are the Holy Grail of trail shoes...so I'm REALLY hoping they are wonderful.   I have been flashing back to a scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Office where Ferris looks at the camera and says "Cameron has never been in love. At least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, 'cause you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work".   I hope my new trail shoes don't disappoint because I have surely built them up to be the end-all.  

I've never really been this excited about a pair of shoes but we shall see....should have them in a week.  Here they are....