Success at the Crim!

Saturday August 28, 2010 featured the Crim Festival of Races in Flint MI.  We participated in the 10-mile road race which is reputed to be the largest 10-mile race in North America.  This year's registration topped out at 10,000 runners.
Leaving home at 4:30 a.m. with the expectation of heavy traffic due to road construction was a lttle early.  All delays failed to materialize!  We crossed the border with no line-up, traffic on I-75 was a non-issue and parking was effortless.  As a result, we were race-ready at 6:20 a.m. (Gun time was 8:00 a.m.)  Despite the early start and considerable wait around the starting line, I felt very good as we approached 8:00.  This race is one of the few that I have participated in that actually start on time.  Seeding at the start-line is based on an honor system which can lead to a log-jam.  Why slower runners feel the need to be near the front of the pack, when a race is chip-timed is beyond me!  A nice feature at the start was preferential starting positions for Armed Forces personnel and for those who have competed in this race since its inception- 30 years ago.

I was able to get outside quickly and avoid the crowd for a great start.  My first two miles were very quick, at about a 7:20 pace.  Realizing this pace was significantly quicker than my typical race pace of 8:20-8:30, I tried to scale back but without my GPS to track pace, I was left to estimate based on how I felt.  I felt pretty good and kept a sub 8:00 pace for the whole race.  In fact, my average pace of 7:46 gave me a finish time of 1:17:37!  This bested my PR of 1:24:04 from last year.  Needless to say, I am extremely happy with this result.  I finished in 1070th place (lol) however that was in the top 11% of all finishers.  I was in the top 20% for my age group.  I remember a couple of years ago, my goal was always to finish in the top half of my age group.

This race has some great features and perhaps one of the best is the fan support.  Residents of Flint line the streets for the entire course and cheer, bang pots, shake cowbells, and scream encouragement.  Some have garden hoses to cool you down, some set up unusual refreshment stands with anything from espresso to draft beer to Krispy Kreme donuts (ugh!) ( I missed the lady with vaseline on a stick this year!)  There are bands featuring every type of music you can imagine and a local radio station broadcasts live from the 3-mile mark.  The refreshment stations are located on both sides of the route to accomodate the large race field and are manned by enthusiastic supporters from many local churches and high schools.  Mile markers include a big blue line painted across the road so you aren't trying to pick a small sign out at the side of the course.  Finally, one of the newer features-showers in the finish area!  Although they feature cold water, it's a great way to freshen up quickly, post face, and makes the after-party a little less oderous.

This year's after-party was sponsored by Michelon Ultra and each racer was greeted with a free slice of pizza and your choice of beverage: soda, water or beer. 

What a great day!

The only issue with running this race for me was how to fit in my long run for the week.  I was scheduled for an 18 mile run on Saturday morning, which I had to reschedule for Sunday a.m..  Running 18 miles after racing 10 the previous day proved too much of a challenge...I had to stop at 17 miles.  Realistically, I don't thing this shortage will have much of an impact on my marathon.

I must admit, I am feeling very confident about achieving my goal of a sub-4:00:00 marathon.  In each race this year, I have significantly exceeded my expectations.  However, we all know that anything can happen on race day.  As long as I stay injury-free and control what I can control, I know I will do my best.

Today is rest day before our speedwork tomorrow.

Till next time...still running to feel young.

I survive my first 20 mile training run of the season!

The weather was perfect- 66 degrees and cloudy with the odd raindrop.  I was well-rested after taking Friday as a recovery day.  A change of scenery provided extra motivation.  I set out at 8:00 am on Saturday morning to face the rolling hills surrounding Chemong and Buckhorn Lakes in the Kawartha Region.  After much discussion of various routes with my father (who does not run LOL), I decided to head over the causeway that seperates Chemong and Buckhorn Lakes (pictured) and through the town of Bridgenorth, heading east towards Peterborough.  They have recently completed a new walking trail with a crushed stone base.  Since our marathon is on a similar surface, I decided to incorporate this trail into my run.  Being new, the surface was not yet hard-packed, resulting in a few stones in my shoes, but other than that, it was very enjoyable, albeit a little short.  Out and back on this trail only comprised about 3 miles of my total run. A large portion of my distance was on the shoulder of a busy road with a speed limit of 80 km/hr.  This was a a bit of a tactical error on my part but these things happen when you are in unfamiliar territory.  At least the shoulders were wide and fairly flat.  The busyness of this roadway encouraged me to complete the middle portion of my training at a decent pace.  In fact, my whole run was at a good pace.  My average for the 20 miles was 8:36.  To put this in perspective, last week on my 18 mile run, my average pace was 9:49.  So I am extremely pleased with 2 extra miles and over 1 minute pace improvement on a hilly route.  This run gave me great confidence in hitting my time goal of less than 4 hours at the Towpath Marathon. (in 47 days!)

Next weekend, we are doing one of my favourite races; the Crim Festival of Races in Flint, MI.  The 10 mile road race has approximately 5,000 runners.  This is a difficult race to PR because of the crowded field but I hope to improve on last year's time of 124:02. According to their website, 50,000 people line the streets for almost the entire route.  There are many live bands playing along the route and at the after-party.  This year the race is featured as a Michelob Ultra race series event.  This promotion could make it even more popular...and parking more difficult :(   I have encouraged a few members of our local running club to race this year. Familiar faces always make races more fun!

That's all for now.  Till next time, I am still running to feel young.

Great workout!

Do you ever have those workouts where afterwards you feel "Wow! That was a great workout!"?  Some call it a runner's high, others call it crazy!

I had one of those workouts last night.  It was the final night of hill workouts in our marathon clinic and our coach had "something a little different" planned for us.  Instead of the usual hill fartleks we started with a 1 mile run at tempo speed followed by 5 minutes of active recovery.  Then came 5 hill repeats at tempo speed.  Our hill is probably a little more than a 1/4 mile starting with a moderate incline and finishing with about 50 yards at a steep incline.  After these repeats we had another 5 minutes of active recovery followed by a final mile at a tempo pace at least equal to that of our original mile.  (In my case 7:45)

I'm not sure why this was such a great workout.  Perhaps because the temperature at training time was finally below 80 degrees; perhaps because of the variety;  perhaps it was just one of those days where I felt great.  Nevertheless, these workouts are very encouraging.

Next week another challenge awaits.  We begin 5 weeks of speedwork at the track.  I have done limited track-work in the past, primarily because I find it extremely boring!  Perhaps these workouts will be different because we are in a group setting.
Wish me luck this weekend as I tackle my first of 3 scheduled 20 mile runs.  This weekend I am travelling to visit my parents in Peterborough, ON, approximately 400 miles away.  I have an uncle visiting from Scotland that I have not seen for about 5 years.  I am planning a run on Saturday morning.  The terrain is very different that I am used to.  Our local topography is very flat (like a tabletop!)  The Kawartha Region consists of rolling hills and small lakes with almost no flat areas.  This will make my long run even more challenging!  Hopefully the weather will co-operate and provide me with a less humid day!

Till next time...I am running to feel young.

Less than 60 days till my marathon!

As you can see from my counter, the Towpath Marathon is less than 60 days away.  In all honesty, I am feeling pretty good about my chances of attaining my goal of a sub-4:00 marathon.  I'm sticking close to my training regimen...logging the miles and doing the hill workouts.  We have 1 more hill workout next week and then we switch to track/speed workouts for 5 weeks.  I have noticed my pace on mid-week runs is creeping down to the 8:30 range and on my long runs, I find it challenging to slow my pace to the 9:30 range.  I attribute this improved speed to my diligence on the hills.  I owe some of this success to my running partner too.  Having a partner of very similar ability has been a great motivator.  We challenge each other every week on the hills.  Our clinic coach usually provides a range for the duration of these workouts; 3-4 repeats for half-marathoners, 4-5 repeats for marathoners. With a partner, we encourage each other to do that 5th repeat, even when our coach says 4 is enough.  Although we only run together twice/ week, we share each training run on Runkeeper/Facebook and offer congratulations to each other with every post.  I find these posts also provide a level of accountability.

Another reason, I feel optimistic is because of the other things I am doing right this year, as opposed to last.  I have altered my diet to include more protein, including a post-run protein shake after every run.  I take glucosamine sulphate every day to keep my joints healthy. I watch my electrolyte intake more closely, especially since this is a very hot and humid summer in Southwest Ontario.  I have also, unintentionally, improved my diet over the past few months.  I thank Ted at "You Don't Have to Run Alone" for this.  In the past, I generally felt that runnning provided an excuse to NOT watch my diet and a way to purge myself of my "dietary indulgences".  Although, my diet is by no means perfect (I love chicken wings and beer), I view these types of indulgences as a treat that can only be enjoyed in moderation.  I have two daughters that are vegetarians and although they have not convinced me to adopt their food choices completely, I do try to have at least a couple of vegeterian meals each week.

This year, I am maintaining a stretching regimen and core workout schedule too.  I must admit however, that as the miles build, I feel pretty stiff when I wake up in the morning!  Hopefully, the mileage, correct pacing, improved diet and hydration, and the core work/stretching will keep me injury-free leading up to my big race.

We are approaching the mid-point in our training and I am happy that my motivation is still strong.  As you marathoners know, the time commitment to training is fierce and can drag as time goes on.  I have many different sources to motivate me (in addition to my running partner) and find that on any given day, I can find someone or something different to get me going.  I run with several running groups and, on some days, I am simply motivated by their choice of running route.  One group is called the "Social Running Group" and meet weekly at a restaurant after a 4-6 mile run. (baby-wipes and spray-on deoderant are must-haves!)  I have several customers that run, so a business meeting can end up being a discussion about running.  Sometimes a kind word from a neighbor or a toot on the horn as I run by is all I need to keep me going.

I think podcasts are an exceptional source of motivation.  Not necessarily because I learn a lot from them but more becasue these are people like you and I, sharing the running experience.  I listen to many podcasts and I can say that these 3 are consistently my favourites:

The 20 Minute Runner with Roland from North Carolina
Running from the Reaper with Nigel from the UK
You Don't Have to Run Alone with Air Force Ted who might be moving to Alaska

I encourage everyone who runs to check these out and others.  You can find a whole list at:

http://www.runningpodcasts.org/

Finally, a plug for a small marathon in Ohio.  This year, we chose the Towpath Marathon in northeast Ohio on Sunday, October 10, 2010 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This event showcases some of the most beautiful segments of the historic Towpath Trail located between Akron and Cleveland. The Towpath Marathon is one of few marathons that take place in a national park, and many consider it a unique specialty race due to the setting, fall foliage and crushed limestone surface.

The Towpath Marathon was established in 1992 to introduce the Towpath Trail as a new recreational amenity and to promote the establishment of the Ohio & Erie Canalway. Since its inception the Towpath Marathon has grown to become one of Northeast Ohio’s premier marathons, attracting an average of 1,200 participants and 3,500 spectators from more than twenty-seven states for a weekend of outdoor festivities and athletic competition. Described as “one of the most beautiful race courses in America” by Runner’s World magazine.

...gotta do 18 miles this Saturday...wish me luck!

Still running to feel young...

Training ramps up

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, primarily because of a very busy work schedule.  This week my training program increases to 6 runs/week so hopefully our hot humid weather has broken.  While humid summers are very typical in this area, we've had some very unusual weather this year and some wicked storms.  Our newspaper said this morning that no less than 5 tornadoes have touched down in Essex county so far.  Luckily most have been classed as F0 and damage has been relatively minor except for Leamington area which has several million dollars in claims from a June F1 tornado.  I have attached a picture of the storm clouds that I took from our back deck last Friday evening, moments before the funnel cloud touched down about 2 miles from our house.  My biggest inconvenience this night was missing a scheduled 6 mile run!

For the last few weeks, my training partner and I have concentrated on building base miles for our October marathon.  A couple of weeks ago, we joined an "elite" group of runners for our long runs on Saturday mornings.  The Malden Park Runners are on the podium at all the regional races but we felt confident enough to join their Saturday morning runs (foolishly of course!)  We were scheduled to do 11 miles on our first week.  The group started at a sub 8:00 minute pace.  We stayed with them for the first mile and slowed to 8:20 for the second...then 8:45 for the third...9:00 for the fourth.  Needless to say, it was humbling.  They did introduce me to some great running trails however and since our marathon is a trail marathon, the following week I joined them again but decided not to attempt to keep up.  I completed my 12 mile run at 9:12 pace.  I have also started running with another club called the Windsor Social Running Club.  This group meets every Thursday at a local restaurant and enjoys a 4-6 mile run followed by dinner and drinks.  Friday nights are out with the fledgling Amherstburg Running Club where we typically have 3 or 4 who do 6 miles and another small group of beginners who do 3 miles.

The thing I am finding about running clubs is that we are limited (or intimidated) only by our own self-consciousness.  While the Malden Park Runners look intimidating at races as they pose for group pictures in their great-looking singlets, they are, in very supportive of all runners and encourage the running lifestyle.  The Windsor Social Running Club has members of every age and ability are really focused on the social aspect of running.  I have played many different sports in my life at various levels of competitiveness, from "beer-league" hockey to elite level rugby.  I must admit that I find running to be the most inclusive and non-judgemental of all activities.

This past weekend, our long run coincided with a local half-marathon.  The "Running from Cancer" half-marathon is in its 5th year and is a great small local race.  We decided to make this our "long easy run", keeping in mind that we are in training for our goal race: the Towpath Marathon on October 10th.  There was no point in pushing hard and risking injury.  This mindset lasted until the gun went off! Once the lightning stopped it was great racing weather;  about 70 degrees and steady drizzle.  Although the drizzle was great for running, it was not likely as enjoyable for the volunteers...and there were lots of them considering it was a small race.  There were 8 refreshments stations along the way. (It was an out and back so we had 16 available stops)  Each one was manned by no less than 4 volunteers.  There were volunteers handing out towels and water as you crossed the finish line and others to take your timing chip. I made sure that I thanked them at every opportunity as we should at every race.  The race was followed by a pancake breakfast (more volunteers) and the awards presentation (where Malden Park cleaned up!).

So how did I do?...Missing my Friday night training run was my mini-taper.  I felt awesome and well-rested.  I stayed with a runner for the whole race who was keeping a pace just a little faster than I felt comfortable with.  The end result:  an new PR of 1:43:05!  This was 7 minutes below my previous PR.  

As mentioned, my training program has kicked into high gear.  Up until now, Monday has been a rest-day.  Starting last night we are scheduled to do 5 miles on Mondays, followed by a hill work-out for the next 4 Tuesdays then speed work for 4 weeks after that. Wednesdays call for 7 or 8 miles, Thursday is our only rest day, Friday is 6 miles, Saturday long runs (this week is 16 miles) and Sunday is 6 miles.  Wow!  I get tired just thinking about it.

Wish me luck as I run to feel young...

Happy Canada Day Weekend

It's been a few days since my last post.  I was travelling for our Canada Day weekend.  We have an annual golf tournament in Guelph, Ontario with some friends that I travel with every year to Myrtle Beach.  This year's tournament co-incided with Canada Day and a 50th birthday celebration for one of our golfers.  I took advantage of the trip to visit my grandson and you can see him enjoying the fireworks in this picture.  I was able to maintain my training regimen while golfing twice and travelling 600 km (375 mi) over 4 days.  I ran 8.5 miles on Friday, 5 miles on Saturday and 5 miles on Sunday.  All 3 were great runs but Friday's was particularly nice;  an early morning run along the river in Springbank Park in London Ontario. This is one of my favourite routes. My weekly mileage was 39 miles which is above target during my base building.

Monday brought a return to reality...to work...and to the heat and humidity.  We have forecasts in the low 90's all week with a slight chance of rain on Friday.  Humidity makes the temps feel over 100 every day.  Last night, we scheduled our run at 8:00, hoping for cooler weather.  It had cooled down to 90!  My training called for a 6 mile run and, I'm happy to report that I completed it at an 8:40 pace, burning 839 calories in the process. I drank 16 oz of water along the way and a bottle of G2 when I finished. I wonder if you burn more calories in hot weather?

Tonight, I am supposed to do 4 miles with a rest day tomorrow however I am switching these days and cross-training tonight as we start our summer hockey schedule.  For the next 7 weeks, I have 90 minutes of hockey on Wednesday evenings.  In 2 weeks my marathon training kicks in to high gear as we start hill workouts on Tuesdays for 5 weeks, followed by track workouts for the next 5.  This is in addition to ramping up mileage.  Throw in the odd round of Saturday morning golf and that makes for a very busy summer!

I am experimenting with diet to see if it has any noticable effect on training, time and weight loss.  I have noticed that through increased mileage and regular hill workouts, I have lost 5 lbs since early April.  While I am not overweight (or big-boned LOL) I was happy to see this weight loss and would like to trim another 5 lbs to get down to 162 lb.  I am trying a diet that is less dependent on red meat.  Typically, I would have red meat about 4 times per week, including the odd hamburger for lunch.  I am trying to cut that to twice per week, replacing it with chicken, turkey or tuna.  I will re-introduce fish into my diet this week, likely salmon cooked on the BBQ.  My veggie intake has been good but I am increasing fresh fruit in my diet.  Finally, the most challenging part for me is reducing certain carbs such as breads and starches.  This week I started eating quinoa as a replacement for rice and potatoes and really like it.

That's all for now, other than a "shout-out" to my youngest daughter who, at 18 finally got her first summer job. Way to go Emma! I hope she finds out that making money allows you do do a lot of things that you can't do otherwise- concerts, clothes etc.

Despite the heat, I am still running to feel youg.

Jeff60's Activities | RunKeeper

Jeff60's Activities RunKeeper

Charity Running

Charity races are a great way to get your mileage in while supporting a good cause.  I figure that if I have to do the mileage anyway...I may as well support a cause.  So far this year, I have done races for Asthma and Allergy research, We Care Children's Charities and now Breast Cancer research.  I'm scheduled to do the Running from Cancer 1/2 marathon in July and the Crim Foundation 10 mile Road Race in August.

While not overly competitive, these races offer the chance to work on your race skills such as start-line strategies, pacing, hydration stops, and your finishing kick. Sometimes you get great schwag...sometimes great food...sometimes great entertainment.  And always, great cameraderie!

This past Friday, we attended the inaugural "Joggin for Jugs" 24 hour Relay for Breast Cancer sponsored by a neighbouring running club.  Four of us travelled to Belle River to participate and ran the 8:00 pm-9:00pm relay-leg. I ran with one of my marathon training partners and we did the 3 mile course twice because our training schedule called for 6 miles that night.  I made a $30.00 donation and received a great pink t-shirt!  (which my wife will wear as a nightie)  This charity is one that she supports quite actively because not only does it affect many women, this one is close to home because her mother is a breast-cancer survivor and as a result, she (and her daughters) are in a higher-risk category.  Two years ago, she was our leading fund-raiser for our dragon boat team, raising $1,600 for local breast cancer research.

Marathon training has begun and I successfully logged my required miles this week (with 2 extra miles for good measure).  Today's long run was scheduled for 8 miles but I needed 10 because yesterday was a golf day, so I missed a run.  I was feeling really good this morning and the temperature was bearable in the mid 70's so I logged 11.5 miles at a 8:26 pace.  I was quite impressed with myself!  I try to keep my long runs at a 9:15-9:30 pace but I just felt very energetic today.  I ran the new 20k running route developed by our town (see my post from a couple of weeks ago).  Their measurement was a little generous.  When I ran on the official opening day, my RunKeeper logged it at 11.65 miles and today it measured the same distance. (20K should be 12.4 miles)

We have finally selected our fall marathon.  I will be doing the Towpath Marathon in Northeast Ohio on 10/10/2010 (which is Canadian Thanksgiving)  We are trying to get a group of local runners to attend as it is only about 3 hrs from home.  If you are doing the 10k or 1/2 marathon, it's a doable day trip.

The Towpath Marathon was established in 1992 to introduce the Towpath Trail as a new recreational amenity and to promote the establishment of the Ohio & Erie Canalway; in 1993, it was one of ten events that celebrated the completion of the Towpath Trail through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Since its inception the Towpath Marathon has grown to become one of Northeast Ohio’s premier marathons, attracting an average of 1,200 participants and 3,500 spectators from more than twenty-seven states for a weekend of outdoor festivities and athletic competition. Described as “one of the most beautiful race courses in America” by Runner’s World magazine, the Towpath Marathon showcases breathtaking segments of the historic Towpath Trail located between Akron and Cleveland. It is one of few marathons that take place in a National Park, and many consider it a unique specialty race due to the setting, fall foliage and crushed limestone surface. The course has changed many times throughout the life of the marathon and most recently drew attention to newly completed portions of the Towpath Trail as it heads into downtown Cleveland.

Now that I have selected a race, I can focus on training and ...as always...

Running to feel youg.

Social Media is a good thing.

I must admit, I was a late adopter to the use of social media.  As many of my peers, I couldn't understand the lure of sitting in front of my laptop all night chatting with whomever.  I eventually realized that social media can be much more than that. I have found that blogs, podcasts, forums and even Facebook are great tools to help me improve as a runner.

I first started reading forums on the Runners World website a couple of years ago to pick up tips on training tips and injury treatment/prevention.  Soon I was reading other running forums through retailers like the The Running Room and, more recently, app-specific forums like RunKeeper.  Contributors to these forums offer great tips and opinions on almost every question you could imagine.  And if you can't find what you're looking  for, just post a question!  Reading these posts gave me a great sense of how huge our running community really is.  I mean there are a LOT of runners out there!  And we really are a community.  It seems like every post has multiple responses...and from different runners.  It's not just a small group of respondents acting like experts.  As time went on, I realized that is important to remember that the information posted is almost never from an "expert" or a "professional" but rather, it is an opinion posted by someone just like you and I.  But I also found that I value these opinions because it is from someone who has been in my shoes.  So like with any subject from politics to football, I take these opinions with a grain of salt and accept them for what they are, which is usually a thought from someone who is trying to help.

Now, my busy schedule doesn't allow me to spend countless hours in front of the computer, combing forums for advice, motivation etc.  I am a salesman by day and a colleague introduced me to the idea of listening to podcasts as a way to fill the 3-4 hours of "windshield time" that I have every day.  Now I am hooked.  There are probably hundreds of running-specific podcasts, some better than others.  Some of my favourites are "The 20 Minute Runner", "Running from the Reaper" and "You don't have to run alone".   I find that these podcasts offer less "advice" but far more entertainment.  Listening to these guys talk while running took a little getting use to, especially because I am driving, not running with them. But now I don't notice their heavy breathing...traffic sounds etc.  Although I have been startled by the odd siren! For the most part, their podcasts are almost conversational.  The subjects are very light in nature. (except for a recent rant by Air Force Ted about our fast-food addictions :).  I  find myself looking forward to seeing a new podcast from Roland, Nigel or Ted.  Listening to these guys as I drive actually motivates me to get my run in after work.  While there are other podcasts that I listen to that offer advice, tips etc, I find the greatest value for me are the ones who motivate me to just get out there and run.

Now on to the grand-daddy of social media- Facebook.  Like most, I used to think that Facebook was a mindless exercise for teenagers to avoid doing homework...chores...practice...etc.  I have recently come to view it as a great communication tool. Earlier this year, we started a running club in the small town where I live.  The organizers decided that a Facebook page was the easiest way to communicate group runs.  I somewhat begrudgingly started to check in on a regular basis, if only to find out if anyone was running.  I soon became aware of 4 other running clubs in our area with similar pages.  Now, if I choose, there is at least one group run almost every day of the week that I could participate in.  One of our Race Series organizers has a page that sends me updates for upcoming events.  Now, several of my running mates are posting training logs through RunKeeper or other apps.  We always post a "Like" or "Comment" to each others runs.  This is a great motivator!

Last night was the first meeting for our Marathon Clinic.  They have combined the marathon/half marathon clinics and have approximately 70 members!  This is a lot bigger than clinics I have done in the past.  We received our training logs and a schedule of events over the next 18 weeks.  Every Tuesday night, we will all meet as a group for hill workouts or speed workouts but, other than that, we are pretty much on our own to schedule our other runs.  They have picked some interesting guest speakers on topics such as stretching, nutrition and injury prevention/treatment.  Our training logs have 3 mileage workouts to choose from-beginner, intermediate or advanced.  I need to decide between intermediate and advanced.  It doesn't matter for tonight though...it's 5 miles for both.

...and as I looked around the room I realized that I am one of the oldest in the clinic but that's OK because I run to feel young.

The temperature was 90 degrees at race time with our typical Southern Ontario humidity.  No records were to be broken tonight!  I knew I would be able to park close to the start/finish, so I packed a cooler with an ice pack, a couple of popsicles and a frozen water bottle for my post-race recovery.  This proved to be an excellent plan.  I arrived about 1 hour before race time to make sure I got my chip and a seat under the tent to relax and listen to some pre-race music.  As it got close to race time I made my way through the crowd in search of some running mates and was able to find 4 or 5. After the usual trash-talking and preliminary excuse-making, Dave and I settled into the starting area as close to the front as we could get, without looking over-confident.  This was a key strategy because, although chip-timed, it is a gun start.  We were across the start in about 15 seconds.

I like running with Dave because we are as equal as you can get in terms of ability.  He has an edge on me in training however because he ran all winter, while I hid out in the hockey rink.  Tonight he told me to set the pace. With no iPhone and Runkeeper to pace me, I was worried about starting too fast.  I looked over my shoulder several times during the first few kilometers and he was right behind me.  At the midway turn, I had stretched a lead into about 100 yards and became very anxious about starting too fast.  Adding to my anxiety, I was ahead of one of my customers, a seasoned marathoner and clinic coach who always teases me about my performance.  Was tonight going to be the night that I finally beat him???

As I approached the 9km mark, the heat was getting the best of me.  I slowed to a walk for a few steps after coming up a small hill.  After only a few steps, Dave's daughter (a perennial best-in-group winner) pulled along side me and said "C'mon, you can't stop now there's only 1 km left!"  This encouragement raised my spirits enough to pick up my pace and actually have a great kick over the last 1/4 mile.  Thanks to that encouragement, I finished with a PR of 48:50 and was 7th in my age group. And I beat my customer :)

After finishing, I waited for Dave for a few moments but he was nowhere to be seen.  I went to my car to get an icepack and ended up chatting with another running mate.  After about 20 minutes he crossed the line close to the back of the pack.  Worried, I immediately went to see him.  While he was OK, a runner immediately in front of him on the course had collapsed right into his arms.  He stayed with her, gave her the last of his water before she lost consciousness and began to convulse.  He waited with her until the ambulance arrived and then finished the race.  He was quite shaken up, not knowing the condition of this poor woman.  I listened to the news all day yesterday and didn't hear anything so can only hope the outcome was not critical, or fatal.

This provided some serious reflection on my part.  Although we train hard and race hard, competing with ourselves at every race, it is important to maintain a proper perspective.  At the end of the day, we are doing this for fun.  I am not, nor will I ever be a competitive racer.  On a hot Saturday night, Dave abandoned his goal for that night without even giving it another thought. To do the right thing...to help a fellow runner in distress. 

If I am ever in that poor runner's situation, I hope there is a Dave behind me.

Still running to feel young.

...so I guess I'm doing a fall marathon

One of my running mates convinced me to sign up for a marathon clinic through one of our local retailers.  I have done clinics before for shorter races so I developed my own training program last year based these clinics and a lot of reading. Advice from several sources suggested my goal should have been simply to complete the race.  I used a beginners training program that was a free download and tried to exceed mileage targets every week.  I completed my first marathon in 4 hr 12 min!
This year, I have set a goal to break the 4 hr mark.  I am hoping this clinic will give me some new training ideas. Worst case scenario is that I find some new people to run with!  And for $70.00, the investment is low.  So next Tuesday I begin my official 18 week Running Factory Marathon Training Clinic.  This will prepare me to run the Detroit Marathon on October 17th.  (or any other marathon on that day)

Armed with this added enthusiasm, I headed out for my weekly hill workout on Tuesday and planned to conquer the Beast 5 times through 7 miles. My exhuberance got the best of me, not only did I conquer it the required 5 times, I added a slaying of it's junior cousin for good measure!  And for the first time, I did not slow to a walk at the top but kept running, albeit at a significantly slower pace, as I rounded the crown and followed the path downwards.  I completed my run with the last mile at a 8:10 pace.  Apparently this was overkill.  I have not been able to run for the past 2 days because of lower back pain which I attribute to running down the hills perhaps a little too quickly.

Tomorrow night is the annual "Moon in June" 10K.  Considering we race at 6:45 pm, I'm not sure we will be able to see the moon.  Last year it was unbearably hot, contributing to a personal worst time of 54:56.  I was hoping for some forgiving weather this year but the forecast calls for a high of 90 tomorrow with very high humidity.  We could be saved by a thunderstorm!  I am considering putting an icepack under my hat.  I have never done this but it was suggested on a message board.  I don't typically race with my fuel belt but tomorrow I may also freeze a couple of water bottles to carry.  Seems to me that last year the water on the course was not cold.  Last night one of my running mates called to say that he did not see my name on the registration list so today I went to the store to pick up my race pack and sure enough, they had no record.  Then I remembered that this happened last year.  Both times, I registered at the store as opposed to on-line. (saving $3.00 btw)  Perhaps this is a ploy to get you to used the on-line registration tool.  I was disappointed with the schwag too.  Last year we got a great running hat, that I must admit is my favourite hat.  This year; a cotton t-shirt.

Oh well...hoping for a PR and running to feel young.

Our new trail system officially opened today

Today market the official opening of our town's Gateway and trail system.  To commemorate, the town held a Run,Walk or Bike day with proceeds going to "Powered by Community" raising money and awareness of Crohns and Colitis.  There were courses set for 20K or 30K biking as well as 5K, 7K or 20K for walking or running.  After the official speech from our mayor and ribbon cutting, a small group of cyclists and smaller group of runners set off to discover the new trails. Local high school students did a great job manning water stations and providing directions and support along the way.  I was the only runner doing the 20K route which meant that when I finished, they were packing up the celebrations!   One of the organizers was kind enough to save a race bag for me, and in fact gave me two.  So I came home with a nice little present for my wife: her very own race t-shirt!  Always appreciative, she proclaimed "Well... I guess I could sleep in it."

So where did my mind wander today?

Our area has to be one of the best running locations that I have ever been to.  I am sure that many people find beautiful places to run every day.  However, within 30 minutes of my front door I can run along a river or along Lake Erie, I can cross countless creeks and streams.  I can run over bridges and under bridges.  I can run through a forest, by a grape vineyard or beside a corn field.  While running, I have seen deer, foxes, rabbits, racoons, snakes, turtles, ducks, geese (and even the odd human).  I have run through classic car shows, art in the park events and even parades. 
The key is, that every time I go out my door, my running options are endless.  Wherever I go, I am surrounded by beautiful countryside and I make sure to take the time to enjoy it. My run is limited only by my energy and hydration.  And my RunKeeper app lets me know how far I am going and at what pace.

I had an interesting experience with RunKeeper the other night.  I went on an easy Friday night run with a couple of guys from our running club.  One has the exact same iPhone and also uses RunKeeper.  We ran side by side and after all was said and done, according the app he had run 7.01 miles and me, only 6.56 miles.  His pace was 8:32 and mine was 8:50.  WE RAN SIDE BY SIDE!

Anyway...it's still a pretty good $10.00 app.

This week was a new high for weekly mileage...up to 36 miles and still running to feel young!

RunKeeper Shared Fitness | Running Activity

Why do we run?

Last night was another great hill workout. Four times up” the beast” over 6.25 miles. The picture on the right is the view from the top. I am overlooking a petroleum products storage facility run by a large oil company that is currently in the news. This facility stores liquid gases underground in old salt caverns. The pond in the front contains brine which is used to flush their products out of the caverns for shipment via rail or tanker. Brine doesn’t dilute or contaminate the petroleum for some chemical reason that I can’t explain. (It has to do with the saturation point of the brine) In the distance you can see the industrialized skyline of Detroit MI.

I listened to a great podcast yesterday by “Geek Girl Runner” (Episode 7) who got me thinking about why we run. We all have different reasons for running. We run to stay fit…to lose weight…to feel good about ourselves…to belong to a group…to relieve stress…to improve our energy…to feel young. Our reasons are personal and individual to each of us. Our reasons for running aren’t static; they can change with almost every run. Today I ran hills to improve my leg strength. On the weekend, I will do a long run to improve my endurance. I will do an easy run tonight to build my base. But these reasons are all focused on a goal…to race well. These reasons are training-specific. So what if we’re not racing? Is that what defines a runner versus a jogger? Which led me to muse: “Why am I a runner?”

I am a runner because it fuels my competitive spirit. As I get older it feels good to know that I can compete in age-specific categories but also compare my performance with any other age group or gender. Running is a sport where I can easily measure my improvement.

I run because it makes me feel good…physically and emotionally. Since I began running in 2007, my energy level has increased exponentially. Although non-runners find this difficult to believe, I have less aches and pains now than when I was sedentary. Running has improved my performance in my other favourite pastime; hockey. While most recreational hockey players are looking to hang up the skates as they approach 50, I am playing more often now that I ever did. Emotionally, with each PR I have a great sense of accomplishment. Completing my first marathon last year has given me a sense of confidence that I can accomplish any goal that I set my mind to.

Finally, I run because I like to say that I’m a runner. A runner is the purest athlete; there is no new equipment to improve your game, there are no teammates to help you when you’re not at your best. When you race, you succeed or fail on your own. When you’re a runner you are accountable for yourself. Running is pure.

I will be doing the “Moon in June” 10K on the 19th. I ran this race last year for the first time on a very low mileage base with almost no hills or speed work. My performance was poor. This year I have adjusted my training. I can’t wait to see the improvement!

…running an easy run tonight…to feel young.

Saturday Long Run...just in time

This weekend, due to a scheduling conflict (golf game), I had to move my long run to Saturday morning.  We had an appointment with our insurance agent in an adjascent town so I decided to have my wife drop me afterwards at a great trail called the Chrysler Greenway.  This trail follows an old rail line and its groomed gravel base is perfect for running.  I could follow this trail for about 6 miles before finding a route home through quiet country roads.  (Note to self, if you are not sure of your route, map it out before hand!)

Previous to Saturday, my longest run of this year's training was 12 miles.  Based on this, a 13 -13.5 mile run would be perfect.  As I made my way home from the trail, I realized that I wasn't as familiar with the county roads in this area as I thought. One missed turn added 2 1/2 miles to my run!  At the 14 mile mark, with no water or electrolyte drink left in my fuel belt, the humidity rising with black clouds on the horizon, I relented for the second time in as many weeks and phoned home for a pick-up.  The good news, according to RunKeeper I logged 14.14 miles and burned 1750 calories (most of which I will replenish during my golf outing the following day)

Those black clouds blew over however, later that night we were in for some fierce weather.  Two tornadoes came through the area.  This is relatively uncommon, in fact I can find no-one who remembers a tornado in these parts.  Luckily, there were no serious injuries or fatalities however property damage is extensive.  Our area is home to hundreds of thousands of acres of vegetable greenhouses, many of which were reduced to twisted metal frames. Boats were tossed out of the water, trees were uprooted and hydro lines pulled down.  I have included a picture taken near then entrance to the trail that I ran on 12 hours before the tornado hit.  At our house, we had torrential rains and high winds but, luckily, not as severe as our neighbours less than 10 miles away.

As for my golf game on Sunday morning...very wet

Still running to feel young...

5 mile hill workout

Tonight's run was my weekly hill workout.  It is very flat here so finding a great hill to run on is challenging.  Malden Park the best known spot among local runners for this type of workout.  The elevation change is about 80 ft over about 1/4 mile.  There are several paths you can take to incorporate hills and distance.  Tonight I climbed this monster 4 times over 3 miles, after a 2 mile warmup.  It was a great workout!  According to RunKeeper, I had a net elevation gain of 327 ft and burned 707 calories.  I know that  based on the intensity of this work out the calorie burn was likely higher but without a heart rate monitor, I have no way to measure.

Our temperature has settled down a little bit, averaging 80 degrees at run time.  I put a G2 and 2 water bottles from my fuel belt in the freezer at work this morning so I would have cold drinks during and after my run.  (Unusually good planning on my part!)  Temperatures are forecasted to fall a little more, down into the mid-70's for my Sunday long run.

I started using RunKeeper Pro for my iPhone at the end of March and find this to be a great tool!  I had been thinking about buying a Garmin 305 at Costco on sale for $169.99.  For business reasons, I was also thinking of switching to an iPhone from my Blackberry.  My cost to switch was $200.00 with my provider. A running friend told me about RunKeeper and the ability to combine 3 devices into one (Garmin, iPod & Phone).  This made my decision easy.  Some say the iPhone is too heavy to take on a long run but I don't find that at all.  I purchased a pouch for my Fuel Belt that fits perfectly.  There is no bouncing whatsoever and the iPhone goes in and out easily (during the 15 second countdown).  And now that I am blogging, the camera comes in very handy too.  The best feature for me on RunKeeper are the audible cues that that can be set within several parameters.  I have a difficult time with pacing and have set my cues to alert me to my average pace at 1 mile intervals.  Last weekend, in my race, I set these cues for 15 minute intervals.  For $9.99 this is an awesome App!

That's all for now.  Till next time, I'm still...

Running to feel young

We're having a hot & humid spring here in Southern Ontario.  Temperatures are in the mid to high 80's during the day.  I usually like to do my mid-week runs right after work, around 5:30-6:00 p.m. but the temps are still in the 80's at that time and the humidity is fierce!  So tonight I went for an easy run at dusk.  I don't usually like to run at this time because it's not particularly safe on the roads, but at least it gave me a great opportunity to snap this pic of a freighter on the Detroit River at sunset.  The river is so peaceful in the evening when the fishermen and recreational boaters have gone home.  This type of view made my 6 miles at a 9:08 pace go by in a flash.  If only I could find a way to get rid of the mosquitos and gnats!  The heat and humidity is supposed to stay with us for the next 3 days, so I expect more of these runs.  Not sure if I will be able to get my hills in this week.  It is very flat in this area, the only hill for training is 30 minutes away and not suitable for running at this time of night.  Not much wandering of the mind tonight, mostly wrestling with my choice of marquis race for this season.  Detroit Marathon or Las Vegas Marathon?  Did Detroit last year as my first marathon and I know I can improve my performance through some basic course management corrections and tweaks to my training program.  Last year's time was 4hr 12 min and I feel confident that I can do sub-4 hr this year.  However, on the other hand, a friend has recently moved to Vegas and I owe them a visit.  Plus Las Vegas is 2 weeks after my 50th birthday...what a great way to celebrate (in a new age-class; easier BQ LOL)  Must decide before the end of June for early-bird registration in Detroit.

Still running...to feel young

My first post!

OK, after listening to Zen Runner on the Runner's Round Table Podcast, I have decided to start blogging. Please bear with me as I refine my blogging skills! 

I discovered running as a lifestyle 4 years ago.  Previous to that, I viewed running as training for some of the other sports Ihave played, namely Rugby and Hockey.  Then I joined the first-ever clinic at my gym for a 10 km race in 2007 and I was hooked!  That 10 km race was followed by a half-marathon that same season.  A back injury in 2008 all but reduced me to a crawl but I came back with a vengeance in 2009, running the full gamut of distances: 5K, 10K, 10 Mile, 1/2 Marathon and finally the Detroit Marathon in Oct 2009.

This year's race season started today, with a 10K charity race to support Allergy & Asthma Research.  How'd I do?  Very well!  Finished 4th overall (who cares if it was a small race right?) and set a PR on the way (51.03) but I think the course was too long :)  My RunKeeper stated 10.47K and my pace was 8:06.  To me that means a finish time of 48.37.  Oh well, the chip doesn't lie...does it?

In future posts, I will share some of my musings from my training runs.  I find this is the best time to let my mind wander wherever it wants to go.  When I do this, I find even the longest run very relaxing.

I hope you will tune in!

Till next time...I am running to feel young