This is a great article on recovery runs. I had no idea!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Weekly Update July 18 - 24, 2011
Another good week as far as miles go. I was able to hit my 50 mile goal yesterday after a couple runs. This after taking 2 days off. Something I don't like to do!
I had 3 really intense days at the gym and that helped push the total miles to 50. Life got i the way a couple times this past week. Wednesday was date night with my wife and I decided I didn't want to get home late, get showered and then only have a short time for our date. Friday my legs were tired from the 16 total miles I did on Thursday , so I decided to rest them for the race on Saturday. I know the 'streak' was important for awhile and I know I still don't like missing days, but I also know that it's ok to miss once and a while.
The race in Dothan, Al went well and I was able to meet more of my Dailymile friends. All in all, it was a great week. My next race is the Bushwacker 5K on August 6th. This race starts out in Gulf Breeze and finishes on our beach. The finish includes going over the Bob Sikes bridge which is pretty steep. It's gonna be a hot one!
Happy running!
I had 3 really intense days at the gym and that helped push the total miles to 50. Life got i the way a couple times this past week. Wednesday was date night with my wife and I decided I didn't want to get home late, get showered and then only have a short time for our date. Friday my legs were tired from the 16 total miles I did on Thursday , so I decided to rest them for the race on Saturday. I know the 'streak' was important for awhile and I know I still don't like missing days, but I also know that it's ok to miss once and a while.
The race in Dothan, Al went well and I was able to meet more of my Dailymile friends. All in all, it was a great week. My next race is the Bushwacker 5K on August 6th. This race starts out in Gulf Breeze and finishes on our beach. The finish includes going over the Bob Sikes bridge which is pretty steep. It's gonna be a hot one!
Happy running!
Race Recap
Critter Run 5K Dothan, Al
This was an out-of-town race for me. It was suggested by one of my Dailymile friends, Carolyn Houston. It's nice to get out of the comfort zone sometimes and do a race in a different area. I was not disappointed. This was a great race. Well organized, great tank top shirt, great awards, and a great after-party.
Carolyn told me a few times that this was a tough race. To begin with, it is a 6 PM start time. So needless to say, it's hot. To make matters worse, it had been raining on and off all day, so it was humid as hell. Oh, and there are some good hills with a nice steep hill right at the finish. Carolyn was not wrong, it was a tough race.
The race started out on a slight uphill for about 200 yards. It flattened out for a bit and then went into an up and down pattern for the rest of the race. There were a few decent hills. One at the 1 mile point, one at the 1.5 mile point, and one at the 2.6 mile point that finished with a sharp uphill just before the chute.
How did I do? Well, I still don't feel like I did before my injury. I know it's summer now and hot, but it does have me worried a bit. Maybe my body just doesn't have it anymore. I don't know. I ended up stopping a couple of times after the 2 mile point. It was a pretty steady uphill for the last 1.7 miles and my legs felt heavy. I finished strong with a time of 26.51. Although that is way slower then my last 2 5Ks, considering the conditions, it wasn't too bad.
Unfortunately, Carolyn was unable to run due to personal reasons, however, Mike and their son, Michael Jr did. They both did great. Mike Jr took 3rd in his AG with an awesome time. There were a number of runners from my area here in Pace and Pensacola and many of them were winners. Way to represent guys!
I want to thank Carolyn and Mike Houston for showing us a good time. We went over to their house aferwards and the kids got to swim. I also meet a new DMer, Martha Spencer.
I will definitely do this race again next year. I'll be sure to get some hill training in before though. Til the next time runners, remember, 'real athletes run. all the others just play games!'.
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| Great Tank Top Shirt |
Carolyn told me a few times that this was a tough race. To begin with, it is a 6 PM start time. So needless to say, it's hot. To make matters worse, it had been raining on and off all day, so it was humid as hell. Oh, and there are some good hills with a nice steep hill right at the finish. Carolyn was not wrong, it was a tough race.
The race started out on a slight uphill for about 200 yards. It flattened out for a bit and then went into an up and down pattern for the rest of the race. There were a few decent hills. One at the 1 mile point, one at the 1.5 mile point, and one at the 2.6 mile point that finished with a sharp uphill just before the chute.
How did I do? Well, I still don't feel like I did before my injury. I know it's summer now and hot, but it does have me worried a bit. Maybe my body just doesn't have it anymore. I don't know. I ended up stopping a couple of times after the 2 mile point. It was a pretty steady uphill for the last 1.7 miles and my legs felt heavy. I finished strong with a time of 26.51. Although that is way slower then my last 2 5Ks, considering the conditions, it wasn't too bad.
Unfortunately, Carolyn was unable to run due to personal reasons, however, Mike and their son, Michael Jr did. They both did great. Mike Jr took 3rd in his AG with an awesome time. There were a number of runners from my area here in Pace and Pensacola and many of them were winners. Way to represent guys!
I want to thank Carolyn and Mike Houston for showing us a good time. We went over to their house aferwards and the kids got to swim. I also meet a new DMer, Martha Spencer.
I will definitely do this race again next year. I'll be sure to get some hill training in before though. Til the next time runners, remember, 'real athletes run. all the others just play games!'.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Update
It's been a few days since my last post, so I thought I'd better get something up. My runs have been going pretty good. It's been hot as hell all over the country and of course here in sunny NW Florida. It hasn't stopped me though. I still get out there and run.
This past Saturday, I intentionally waited to go out for my run until noon. Yep, the hottest part of the day. I wanted to push my body to run in the heat. While yes, it was HOT, it wasn't all that bad. I finished my run at the pace I would suspect. I took water with me and stopped at the 2 miles point to drink. After that, I finished the 4 miles without any issues.
I hear all my running friends from other parts of the country and world complaining about the heat, but I think when you live in it as long as I have, you get accustomed to it. Yes, the heat can be an issue and you do have to be careful, but it is not a deal breaker when it comes to running.
I am still going to the gym and running on the treadmill. I haven't yet conquered the early morning runs. I honestly don't know why I lost the mojo! I usually run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles on the TM at the gym and then add anywhere from 4 to 7 miles on the recumbent. Of course, I still do my usualy weight routine to try to keep up my strength.
There is one thing I learned this past couple of weeks. The 'streak' I was so excited about is not the most important thing in the world. Yes, I was proud of the streak. I was very motivated by it. But things do come up in life that are more important then some 'streak'. I found that out the hard way! I still feel a bit guilty when I miss a day of either running or working out, but I am trying to keep things in perspective. I will still set my weekly goals and try to meet them, but I won't stress about it!
I didn't have a race this past Saturday, so no race to report on. My next race is this coming Saturday in Dothan, Al. The Critter Run. It is a 6PM race. Should be fun and HOT! There will be a few Dailymile folks at the race. I'm looking forward to meeting them.
Til the next time my friends, Happy Running! And remember, HYDRATE!!!
This past Saturday, I intentionally waited to go out for my run until noon. Yep, the hottest part of the day. I wanted to push my body to run in the heat. While yes, it was HOT, it wasn't all that bad. I finished my run at the pace I would suspect. I took water with me and stopped at the 2 miles point to drink. After that, I finished the 4 miles without any issues.
I hear all my running friends from other parts of the country and world complaining about the heat, but I think when you live in it as long as I have, you get accustomed to it. Yes, the heat can be an issue and you do have to be careful, but it is not a deal breaker when it comes to running.
I am still going to the gym and running on the treadmill. I haven't yet conquered the early morning runs. I honestly don't know why I lost the mojo! I usually run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles on the TM at the gym and then add anywhere from 4 to 7 miles on the recumbent. Of course, I still do my usualy weight routine to try to keep up my strength.
There is one thing I learned this past couple of weeks. The 'streak' I was so excited about is not the most important thing in the world. Yes, I was proud of the streak. I was very motivated by it. But things do come up in life that are more important then some 'streak'. I found that out the hard way! I still feel a bit guilty when I miss a day of either running or working out, but I am trying to keep things in perspective. I will still set my weekly goals and try to meet them, but I won't stress about it!
I didn't have a race this past Saturday, so no race to report on. My next race is this coming Saturday in Dothan, Al. The Critter Run. It is a 6PM race. Should be fun and HOT! There will be a few Dailymile folks at the race. I'm looking forward to meeting them.
Til the next time my friends, Happy Running! And remember, HYDRATE!!!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Race Recap
12th Annual Celebrate Freedom 5K Run - July 4, 2011
A great small run in Jay, Fl. It was put on by one of the area's premier runners, Matt Dobson. This was my first time running the race. I thought, what a great way to start the celebration for the 4th of July. According to the newspaper, they had a record turnout this year. Just short of 100 runners.
The sky was overcast, so that keep the sun hidden. Made for some extra humidity, but less direct heat. I was drenched from head to toe after my mile warm-up. I felt pretty good at the start of the race. I had looked around and to my surprise, there seemed to be a number of runners in my age group. That just made me want to have a good run all the more. Started off at the gun a bit too fast. At the one mile point, my pace was around 7:30. I'm not there yet in my come back, so I back down a bit. I was running neck and neck with this runner for the first mile and a half. I wasn't sure exactly how old he was but suspected he was younger then me. About the 2 miles point, he started to move ahead of me. I felt good, but didn't want to burn out, so I held back. I did manage to catch another runner that I thought was probably in my age group. At the 3 mile point, I was still feeling good and was able to keep my pace up. I wasn't, however, able to catch the runner I had paced in the beginning.
I crossed the finish line at 25.33. Not a bad time, but not my best. It's hard to get back to your old pace when the heat is so bad. Note to self, no injuries in the winter or spring. That means summer for the recovery. NOT GOOD! LOL
The awards were pretty decent for a small race. Trophies for the bigs guys and medals for all AG winners. Congrats to a my runner friends that took home awards! I ended up taking 2nd in my AG. Which btw, was the largest AG. You know what's funny though? The guy I thought was younger then me? Well, he just turned 50 a few days before the race and he took 1st in my AG. The other guy? The one I did catch and pass? Well, he ended up being younger then me! Go figure!
I really enjoyed this race and will definitely be back again next year. Next time, I'll try not to pay any attention to the other 'old' runners and just run my race! LOL
A great small run in Jay, Fl. It was put on by one of the area's premier runners, Matt Dobson. This was my first time running the race. I thought, what a great way to start the celebration for the 4th of July. According to the newspaper, they had a record turnout this year. Just short of 100 runners.
The sky was overcast, so that keep the sun hidden. Made for some extra humidity, but less direct heat. I was drenched from head to toe after my mile warm-up. I felt pretty good at the start of the race. I had looked around and to my surprise, there seemed to be a number of runners in my age group. That just made me want to have a good run all the more. Started off at the gun a bit too fast. At the one mile point, my pace was around 7:30. I'm not there yet in my come back, so I back down a bit. I was running neck and neck with this runner for the first mile and a half. I wasn't sure exactly how old he was but suspected he was younger then me. About the 2 miles point, he started to move ahead of me. I felt good, but didn't want to burn out, so I held back. I did manage to catch another runner that I thought was probably in my age group. At the 3 mile point, I was still feeling good and was able to keep my pace up. I wasn't, however, able to catch the runner I had paced in the beginning.
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| The Finish! |
The awards were pretty decent for a small race. Trophies for the bigs guys and medals for all AG winners. Congrats to a my runner friends that took home awards! I ended up taking 2nd in my AG. Which btw, was the largest AG. You know what's funny though? The guy I thought was younger then me? Well, he just turned 50 a few days before the race and he took 1st in my AG. The other guy? The one I did catch and pass? Well, he ended up being younger then me! Go figure!
I really enjoyed this race and will definitely be back again next year. Next time, I'll try not to pay any attention to the other 'old' runners and just run my race! LOL
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Ronald McDonald Firecracker 5K
Race Recap
This is one of the most popular races in the area. The name says it all. Great cause! There were over 1100 runners at this years event. Unfortunately, this year there was some construction on the route, so the organizers had tochange the route. The bad news is that this ended up with a short course. Right at .25 miles short. Not good when the race is only a 3.1 mile race.
Race time was 7:30 AM and it was might hot by then. They temps were probably around 85 or higher by the start. Humidity was off the charts!
I tried a new warm-up routine for this race. I did some good stretches and a 1 mile warm-up run. I think it helped and I will continue this routine from now on. I felt good throughout this run. Had one spot where I was feeling tired, but thought about a comment a friend of mine said just before the start. The friend's name is Rueben and he is 67 years old. He has been running all his life and was a pretty damn awesome runner in his prime. For that matter, he still! He consistently wins the Senior Grand Master award. He told me just before the race that when I hit that point where I was tired and the mind was saying either stop or slow down, to bear down and push through it. That is exactly what I did at the 2 mile mark. I put my head down, my mind in gear, and pushed through it. Finished strong!
My time was 23:46, but remember, it was a short route. I ended up finishing 11 our of 47 runners in my age group. Not bad. Would have like to get in the top 10, but I'm ok with 11th.
This is one of the most popular races in the area. The name says it all. Great cause! There were over 1100 runners at this years event. Unfortunately, this year there was some construction on the route, so the organizers had tochange the route. The bad news is that this ended up with a short course. Right at .25 miles short. Not good when the race is only a 3.1 mile race.
Race time was 7:30 AM and it was might hot by then. They temps were probably around 85 or higher by the start. Humidity was off the charts!
I tried a new warm-up routine for this race. I did some good stretches and a 1 mile warm-up run. I think it helped and I will continue this routine from now on. I felt good throughout this run. Had one spot where I was feeling tired, but thought about a comment a friend of mine said just before the start. The friend's name is Rueben and he is 67 years old. He has been running all his life and was a pretty damn awesome runner in his prime. For that matter, he still! He consistently wins the Senior Grand Master award. He told me just before the race that when I hit that point where I was tired and the mind was saying either stop or slow down, to bear down and push through it. That is exactly what I did at the 2 mile mark. I put my head down, my mind in gear, and pushed through it. Finished strong!
My time was 23:46, but remember, it was a short route. I ended up finishing 11 our of 47 runners in my age group. Not bad. Would have like to get in the top 10, but I'm ok with 11th.
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