Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Easy week
I actually did an easy week for a change. I only ran 30.1 miles last week and my legs are almost able to feel normal again. I am still bothered by my heal (heal spurs are no fun) but it is manageable. Knees and ankles are getting back to normal and rarely bother me except when I first warm up.
I have a race Saturday (10K) and then the big half marathon in just under 2 weeks. I am also officially 40 days away from the marathon (viva Las Vegas!).
YTD I am about at 1,600 miles and ahead of last years mileage. I will have less total runs (less 2x a day this year) but more longer miles. Next year I will have to find a way to incorporate both to get myself back in 5K shape.
There have been several runners who I know completed the Chicago and Marine Corps Marathon. Even if you didn't achieve the time you wanted (Special note to Dani here) we are all proud of you for doing it and still doing it well.
I am also working on better excuses and global warming, election mayhem, failure to visit Alaska in the winter, not enough Science Geek Tuesday from Coach Tammy along with still no new running socks from Jessi continue to rise to the top as top reasons when I need them for whatever race I do. Afterall I do believe in being prepared for the big races! (Side note to all the excuses are my nutty humor and not to be taken seriously except for the lack of new socks!).
I actually did an easy week for a change. I only ran 30.1 miles last week and my legs are almost able to feel normal again. I am still bothered by my heal (heal spurs are no fun) but it is manageable. Knees and ankles are getting back to normal and rarely bother me except when I first warm up.
I have a race Saturday (10K) and then the big half marathon in just under 2 weeks. I am also officially 40 days away from the marathon (viva Las Vegas!).
YTD I am about at 1,600 miles and ahead of last years mileage. I will have less total runs (less 2x a day this year) but more longer miles. Next year I will have to find a way to incorporate both to get myself back in 5K shape.
There have been several runners who I know completed the Chicago and Marine Corps Marathon. Even if you didn't achieve the time you wanted (Special note to Dani here) we are all proud of you for doing it and still doing it well.
I am also working on better excuses and global warming, election mayhem, failure to visit Alaska in the winter, not enough Science Geek Tuesday from Coach Tammy along with still no new running socks from Jessi continue to rise to the top as top reasons when I need them for whatever race I do. Afterall I do believe in being prepared for the big races! (Side note to all the excuses are my nutty humor and not to be taken seriously except for the lack of new socks!).
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Working on my Excuses
With 3 weeks to go to the half marathon and my goal of not achieving sub 1:30:00 I am starting to work on the excuses why I didn't make it.
Here are what I have come up with so far:
1) Weather (to hot, to cold, to windy, etc just pick one)
2) Bridges hurt my feet
3) Food didn't settle
4) Dani's fault for making me dig holes at the beach to bury all her former roommates
5) Tammy's fault for making me think of Pigs running in my head
6) Blog mate Tryathlete for reason 5 above
7) To much fun thinking of Las Vegas
and the last one so far
8) Jessi's fault for not sending me the socks to be speedy in
Yep I am good at working up excuses on not achieving my goals! Only 3 more weeks and the taper madness has begun.
With 3 weeks to go to the half marathon and my goal of not achieving sub 1:30:00 I am starting to work on the excuses why I didn't make it.
Here are what I have come up with so far:
1) Weather (to hot, to cold, to windy, etc just pick one)
2) Bridges hurt my feet
3) Food didn't settle
4) Dani's fault for making me dig holes at the beach to bury all her former roommates
5) Tammy's fault for making me think of Pigs running in my head
6) Blog mate Tryathlete for reason 5 above
7) To much fun thinking of Las Vegas
and the last one so far
8) Jessi's fault for not sending me the socks to be speedy in
Yep I am good at working up excuses on not achieving my goals! Only 3 more weeks and the taper madness has begun.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Modify my Training
I did something I rarely do, I changed my training plan. I decide to move my long run up a week so I would have a full 3 weeks to taper for the half marathon on Nov 12th. So after the long runs of 2 weeks ago, I did 10 on Saturday at marathon pace (7:30ish) and then Sunday did 21 with 2 friends at just slightly over 8 min miles. I admit I was hurting at the end of the Sunday run but still hoping for a sub 3:20:00 at Las Vegas. Mileage for the week was just 49 miles and will cute back to 30 or so miles this week and next.
I will take an easy week this week, next week have a 10K to run and then going to do the half marathon all out in 3 weeks. Goal is sub 1:30:00 or totally blow it on the race.
On a side note whoever the idiot at Chicago who put plastic down at the finish line should be taken out and horse whipped. Lets see plastic, rain and we have created a slip and slide. Lets hope the winner from Kenya remains okay.
Enjoy the day everyone.
I did something I rarely do, I changed my training plan. I decide to move my long run up a week so I would have a full 3 weeks to taper for the half marathon on Nov 12th. So after the long runs of 2 weeks ago, I did 10 on Saturday at marathon pace (7:30ish) and then Sunday did 21 with 2 friends at just slightly over 8 min miles. I admit I was hurting at the end of the Sunday run but still hoping for a sub 3:20:00 at Las Vegas. Mileage for the week was just 49 miles and will cute back to 30 or so miles this week and next.
I will take an easy week this week, next week have a 10K to run and then going to do the half marathon all out in 3 weeks. Goal is sub 1:30:00 or totally blow it on the race.
On a side note whoever the idiot at Chicago who put plastic down at the finish line should be taken out and horse whipped. Lets see plastic, rain and we have created a slip and slide. Lets hope the winner from Kenya remains okay.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
To much work and not enough running!
Like many of the bloggers, I am working to many hours and had to cut back my running for both work and my training plan. Last week I hit cut back to 32 miles, this week will be a modest 40 or so miles. Next week I will be pushing 60 miles including a long run of 23 or so miles. After that it is a small taper for my half marathon in mid November, one long hard week after that and then a real taper for the Las Vegas Marathon.
We have several folks doing various marathons over the next few months. I am sure everyone will do well and have a good time. As a buddy of mine says "this is fun!" Make sure your having fun and just enjoy the day while running.
Like many of the bloggers, I am working to many hours and had to cut back my running for both work and my training plan. Last week I hit cut back to 32 miles, this week will be a modest 40 or so miles. Next week I will be pushing 60 miles including a long run of 23 or so miles. After that it is a small taper for my half marathon in mid November, one long hard week after that and then a real taper for the Las Vegas Marathon.
We have several folks doing various marathons over the next few months. I am sure everyone will do well and have a good time. As a buddy of mine says "this is fun!" Make sure your having fun and just enjoy the day while running.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Crazy and long weekend of Running and racing.
It was indeed a lot of running this weekend. For the week I ran 58.5 miles and felt good for the most part. Saturday was my long run of 21 miles and did good until last mile. Started to cramp and had to really slow down and take it easy as I waddled on in to the car! Still was pleased to get it done, spent 2:50:00 enjoying the darkness (11 miles solo) and then 10 miles with the group and watching the sunrise.
Sunday I was signed up for two races. The first race was a 8K that is challenging, hills, 3 big bridges and some cobblestone. I finished well (17 out of roughly 275) and kept a pretty steady pace with my time of 33:32 (8 seconds faster than last year). With the warm up and cool down that gave me 9 miles for the morning. The only downer was one of my arch nemisis showed up at the race and Jeff beat me by 8 seconds. Just nothing in the legs to do the final kick. Still Jeff and I did the cool down run together. First time Jeff has beat me in 3 years and it was bound to happen (Saturday run was taking its toll LOL). Finished 3rd in AG (male 45-49) but 1st for Hardware purposes (first two were masters award winners).
Sunday afternoon rolls around and this time it is a 5K with roughly 300 runners on a course I have not run officially before. Did a nice easy warm up of 1.5 miles and then the race starts. I can tell my legs are not having a lot of fun despite the will to go faster. The goal was to try to break 20 minutes on this race but alas was not destined to happen. Final time was 20:30 and I did finish a clean 1st age group. The masters winners were in the 40-44 and one in the 50-54 age group. In a straight race I think I would have finished 2nd Masters and had a nicer piece of hardware but I am still pleased with my race.
Overall I feel good, tired legs and will take it easier this week. Feel good about going sub 1:30:00 on the battleship half marathon (same nasty 3 big bridges) in November and doing a Boston qualify time at the Las Vegas Marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Kurt
It was indeed a lot of running this weekend. For the week I ran 58.5 miles and felt good for the most part. Saturday was my long run of 21 miles and did good until last mile. Started to cramp and had to really slow down and take it easy as I waddled on in to the car! Still was pleased to get it done, spent 2:50:00 enjoying the darkness (11 miles solo) and then 10 miles with the group and watching the sunrise.
Sunday I was signed up for two races. The first race was a 8K that is challenging, hills, 3 big bridges and some cobblestone. I finished well (17 out of roughly 275) and kept a pretty steady pace with my time of 33:32 (8 seconds faster than last year). With the warm up and cool down that gave me 9 miles for the morning. The only downer was one of my arch nemisis showed up at the race and Jeff beat me by 8 seconds. Just nothing in the legs to do the final kick. Still Jeff and I did the cool down run together. First time Jeff has beat me in 3 years and it was bound to happen (Saturday run was taking its toll LOL). Finished 3rd in AG (male 45-49) but 1st for Hardware purposes (first two were masters award winners).
Sunday afternoon rolls around and this time it is a 5K with roughly 300 runners on a course I have not run officially before. Did a nice easy warm up of 1.5 miles and then the race starts. I can tell my legs are not having a lot of fun despite the will to go faster. The goal was to try to break 20 minutes on this race but alas was not destined to happen. Final time was 20:30 and I did finish a clean 1st age group. The masters winners were in the 40-44 and one in the 50-54 age group. In a straight race I think I would have finished 2nd Masters and had a nicer piece of hardware but I am still pleased with my race.
Overall I feel good, tired legs and will take it easier this week. Feel good about going sub 1:30:00 on the battleship half marathon (same nasty 3 big bridges) in November and doing a Boston qualify time at the Las Vegas Marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Kurt
Monday, October 02, 2006
This was a small race with about 75-100 runners for the 5K and about half of that for the 21K in Oswego NY (about 30 miles from SyracuseNY). All I can say is compared to the Plainfield race you can see the difference between a well organized race and one that is so-so organized. Bottom line is I have no idea on my time as the last mile was very twisty and there was no one at the the turn to point me to the last 200 meters. It was down a little path that I ran right past and by time I found it I dropped from 3rd to 6th and lost a few minutes. I was so annoyed with the race director that I forgot to stop my watch and the race director's excuse was everyone knows where to turn when I conforted her on the lousy finishing. Explaining to her that I was from NC she seemed shocked that someone would show up and run her race and had not considered that someone might need to have somoene point them to the finishing turn. Nevertheless I finished top in Age Group and still beat son in law, I did run the first mile very comfortably at 6:01 (no 2 mile split) and felt very strong through out the race. Once they post the race results I should be able to figure out where I would have finished time wise (the guy who I passed in the last half mile knew the turn but didn't say anything to me as I went past the turn). I guess in the end it doesn't really matter and I just have to focus on the next set of races.
