... Option Number 1!
I decided to just run and see what would happen. Based upon how I've felt at the track, I thought I could maintain an 8:00/mile pace. At least for the first half. I would start with the 3:30 pace group and hang on as long as I could.
Well, I managed to hang on. More than hang on. At one point I pulled out a couple minutes in front of the pace group. But, running out of gas with just a few miles to go, they caught me in the last .2 miles. My finish time? 3:29:47. Right where I was hoping to be.
More details to come.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Rite Aid Decisions...
Well, the Rite Aid Marathon is this weekend. And once again, after having decided to have nothing to do with it, I will be running it. Though this race is close to home, I've not been happy with it for a long time. The whole experience is hassle filled: from packet pick-up (which is even worse this year), to a very crowded race morning, to routing us through some really crappy parts of the city. Those of us who live on the south or west sides of town are really getting hosed this year as they've moved packet pick-up and the now obligatory-big-marathon-expo out to Euclid in a former Super K-Mart. Why do I keep signing up for this one? I have no (good) answer.
What I do have however, are some decisions to make as to what I will run this weekend. Here are my options:
1. Taper down the rest of the week and run the marathon as hard as I am able to, just to see where my fitness level is.
2. Run to the start of the marathon from Medina, an extra 26 miles, giving me a double road marathon for the day with the second marathon being fully supported.
3. Run on Saturday, up to marathon distance, so that I come into Sunday tired.
4. Run hard but smart during the race, then run long on Monday, giving me the chance to run tired.
The whole reason for my interest in running much more than 26.2 miles this weekend is to help simulate what I will be feeling during Burning River. If I'm not going to race Rite Aid, and I know I'm not in a position to try for a PR, then I might as well use it as a fully supported training run, which was probably my intention when I registered to run in the first place.
What I do have however, are some decisions to make as to what I will run this weekend. Here are my options:
1. Taper down the rest of the week and run the marathon as hard as I am able to, just to see where my fitness level is.
2. Run to the start of the marathon from Medina, an extra 26 miles, giving me a double road marathon for the day with the second marathon being fully supported.
3. Run on Saturday, up to marathon distance, so that I come into Sunday tired.
4. Run hard but smart during the race, then run long on Monday, giving me the chance to run tired.
The whole reason for my interest in running much more than 26.2 miles this weekend is to help simulate what I will be feeling during Burning River. If I'm not going to race Rite Aid, and I know I'm not in a position to try for a PR, then I might as well use it as a fully supported training run, which was probably my intention when I registered to run in the first place.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Cinco de Mayo 2011
Originally, I wasn't planning to run Thursday, preferring to rest instead for my 50 miler two days later. Once I learned I wouldn't make my race however, I decided to head up to Hinckley for the Thursday night trail group. A Cinco de Mayo run! Esta un trio de fiesta runners: Roy, Shannon, and myself. (Don't mind my mangled Espanol. It's been a while.) The weather was gorgeous! Possibly the nicest Thursday night to run so far this year. I shot a few photos during our nearly 13 mile run.
The greening is well underway. And with all the rain we've been getting, it's about time!
Roy and Shannon
Me and my shadow.
The water crossings weren't bad this week. The feet stayed dry until we reached the big field between Parker and the Ledges.
Up on the Ledges.
Sunset across Hinckley Lake.
The greening is well underway. And with all the rain we've been getting, it's about time!
Roy and Shannon
Me and my shadow.
The water crossings weren't bad this week. The feet stayed dry until we reached the big field between Parker and the Ledges.
Up on the Ledges.
Sunset across Hinckley Lake.
Hinckley Dam Spillway
A wonderful night to be out on the trails. We saw some horses, deer, and even quite a few blue herons. I suppose that since I'm thinking about running Rite Aid tired that I'll be back out on the trails tomorrow night. Hope the weather is just as nice!
BR100 Training - Week 18
You know, from time to time, life happens. And when it does, I've learned it's best to just roll with it. We may make plans to run certain races up to a year in advance, but when a major life event happens, that doesn't matter much. I had to cancel my plans to run the 50's For Yo Mama 50 Mile Trail Run, one of my two major training runs for Burning River, on Saturday so I could instead attend my grandmother's funeral, who passed away peacefully earlier in the week. There are always other races. Other runs. We only get a finite number of family members.
I went for a long muddy trail run on Sunday to get some miles, and felt really good. I think I'm ready for 50. Although I got tired eventually, slogging through shoe-sucking mud and puddles and carrying all that extra weight on each leg would eventually take it's toll, it was nothing a Power Bar Gel wouldn't have solved. My run took me out and back along the Buckeye Trail as well as around the Brandywine Falls trail loop. Look for photos coming in another post.
Mileage for the week was down slightly, as I began the week planning a mild taper, only changing plans once I learned what day the funeral would be on. The Rite Aid Marathon is this weekend and I'm mulling some ideas over in my head which would allow me to run double that distance this weekend. I have four more weeks until the Yankee Springs Double Trail Marathon but I don't want to wait that long to run that far. I have some thinking to do on this weekend.
Monday - Rest/Recovery
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Strength Training (PT)
Thursday - Legs and Core AM / 12.65 mile trail run PM
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 18.2 mile muddy trail run
Weekly mileage = 30.85 miles
I went for a long muddy trail run on Sunday to get some miles, and felt really good. I think I'm ready for 50. Although I got tired eventually, slogging through shoe-sucking mud and puddles and carrying all that extra weight on each leg would eventually take it's toll, it was nothing a Power Bar Gel wouldn't have solved. My run took me out and back along the Buckeye Trail as well as around the Brandywine Falls trail loop. Look for photos coming in another post.
Mileage for the week was down slightly, as I began the week planning a mild taper, only changing plans once I learned what day the funeral would be on. The Rite Aid Marathon is this weekend and I'm mulling some ideas over in my head which would allow me to run double that distance this weekend. I have four more weeks until the Yankee Springs Double Trail Marathon but I don't want to wait that long to run that far. I have some thinking to do on this weekend.
Monday - Rest/Recovery
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Strength Training (PT)
Thursday - Legs and Core AM / 12.65 mile trail run PM
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 18.2 mile muddy trail run
Weekly mileage = 30.85 miles
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
20.5 on the Towpath
While running on the Towpath Saturday, I envisioned the photographs I was capturing as black and white images rather than color. Little did I know how these simple austere images would fit my mood as I publish them today, the day I learned of the passing of my grandmother. I don't get too personal on here, and I'm not going to start now, but I regret not acting on one of our many thoughts: "You know, we should probably go visit her." I know she has been battling illness lately and I hope she is at peace.
There isn't much story to accompany the photos. I simply felt like running long on the Towpath and these are some of the things I saw. There's actually quite a bit to see down there before the jungle begins to fill in the gaps and everything turns green. There was green here and there, but mostly browns. And browns just don't make very interesting images.
I was actually very pleased with how they turned out. Some of them are keepers! All images were shot between the parking area south of W. Bath Rd to about 1 mile north of the Boston Store.
There isn't much story to accompany the photos. I simply felt like running long on the Towpath and these are some of the things I saw. There's actually quite a bit to see down there before the jungle begins to fill in the gaps and everything turns green. There was green here and there, but mostly browns. And browns just don't make very interesting images.
I was actually very pleased with how they turned out. Some of them are keepers! All images were shot between the parking area south of W. Bath Rd to about 1 mile north of the Boston Store.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
BR100 Training - Week 17
Wow. Week 17 means there are only 13 more weeks till race day. That's really not much time. I mean, how much time does it take for someone to be prepared to run 100 miles? I don't know if there is an answer to that, but 13 weeks sure isn't enough. Now is the time for me to be putting in the miles. And that's what I'm trying to do.
This was my biggest week in a long time. After taking Monday as a "lazy" day (I really didn't want to go out in the rain that evening), I hit the track on Tuesday in very nice conditions for some decent 200, 400, and 800 meter repeats. An extended cool-down found Bob P. and me ratcheting up the intensity level well beyond your typical "cool-down."
Strength training went well on Wednesday with me working my legs again. I don't remember what the numbers were, but I know I was working to get in my reps.
Thursday was a soaker of a run in Hinckley. I was slammed at work, stressing and worrying all day, leaving late, that I needed to either run or do some shots. Run it was! It was just the de-stresser I needed.
Saturday was going to be the "nice" weekend day so I went long on the Towpath. Normally I don't exactly enjoy running on it. It's just so flat and crowded. I grabbed my camera and just went out to log some miles.
And today, Sunday, I went back to Hinckley to run the Lake Trail loop a few times. I thought a decent 10 mile run the day after doing 20 would be a low impact way to really tire myself out the weekend before my 50 miler. And judging by the fact that I took a two hour nap after I got back home, I think that was a correct idea!
Monday - Lazy day off
Tuesday - 10.3 miles, track and cool-down
Wednesday - Leg strength (PT)
Thursday - 9.3 miles, trails
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 20.5 miles, Towpath
Sunday - 10.0 miles, trail
Weekly total = 50.1 miles
This was my biggest week in a long time. After taking Monday as a "lazy" day (I really didn't want to go out in the rain that evening), I hit the track on Tuesday in very nice conditions for some decent 200, 400, and 800 meter repeats. An extended cool-down found Bob P. and me ratcheting up the intensity level well beyond your typical "cool-down."
Strength training went well on Wednesday with me working my legs again. I don't remember what the numbers were, but I know I was working to get in my reps.
Thursday was a soaker of a run in Hinckley. I was slammed at work, stressing and worrying all day, leaving late, that I needed to either run or do some shots. Run it was! It was just the de-stresser I needed.
Saturday was going to be the "nice" weekend day so I went long on the Towpath. Normally I don't exactly enjoy running on it. It's just so flat and crowded. I grabbed my camera and just went out to log some miles.
And today, Sunday, I went back to Hinckley to run the Lake Trail loop a few times. I thought a decent 10 mile run the day after doing 20 would be a low impact way to really tire myself out the weekend before my 50 miler. And judging by the fact that I took a two hour nap after I got back home, I think that was a correct idea!
Monday - Lazy day off
Tuesday - 10.3 miles, track and cool-down
Wednesday - Leg strength (PT)
Thursday - 9.3 miles, trails
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 20.5 miles, Towpath
Sunday - 10.0 miles, trail
Weekly total = 50.1 miles
Two Snake Run
Two Snake Run, AKA my 20 miler from 4/23/11, wasn't anything special. This happened to be Holy Saturday and I needed a long run for the weekend. Easter would be out as we usually travel to Columbus, so Saturday was my day. Everything is so wet around here that I was beginning to tire of running muddy trails. I thought 20 miles on pavement would be a nice change of pace. So with that in mind, I headed to Buckeye Woods Park to begin my run.
My course was simple: South along the Chippewa Inlet Trail to Chippewa Road, head east to pick up the Chippewa Rail Trail, up and down that a couple times and back to Buckeye Woods. I returned to my car with 15 miles done and wanting to stop. I was tired and both hot and cold. The day was extremely windy and would be chilly running into the wind, but very warm running with it at my back. I took a gel and set out on the big field loop in the park. After 3 laps I calculated I had run far enough to hit 20 at or near my car, and I made my way back.
The reasoning for this run was that I have been training for my trail runs without doing any hard pavement training for Rite Aid, which is now only two weeks away. The following photos chronicle the terrain, conditions, and my journey around central Medina County.
Frequent visitors should recognize the abandoned piece of machinery along the Inlet Trail.
The Inlet Canal went from really moving up by Rt. 162 to just really high as I got closer to Chippewa Road.
There was much debris on the trail. As it had rained heavily overnight I could only imagine that the entire trail was under water at some point before I got there.
Some sections were still under water. So much for dry shoes!
The sun was trying to come out, but having limited success. It wouldn't be for another five miles or so that the clouds would clear completely and things would begin to warm considerably.
The water was draining from left to right and looks to be a little farther than it actually was. However, there was no getting through there without getting wet.
Looking down from the Chippewa Rail Trail. Lots of runoff.
Snake #1 of the "Two Snakes". I found this garter snake along the Rail Trail as I was making my north for the second time.
"Snake eye view" of the not-so-little guy. He was about 12"long.
Back on the Inlet Trail heading back to Buckeye Woods.
Still wet, but a little less gloomy with the sun out.
I wish I would have had my camera out when this Great Blue Heron came swooping in directly overhead to land in the marsh. These birds are much bigger than you can sense from the photo. It sounded like a glider of sorts sailing past.
Snake #2. I almost missed this tiny little guy on the field loop. He was only about 6" long and blended in perfectly with the fallen branches and twigs the wind had taken down.
My course was simple: South along the Chippewa Inlet Trail to Chippewa Road, head east to pick up the Chippewa Rail Trail, up and down that a couple times and back to Buckeye Woods. I returned to my car with 15 miles done and wanting to stop. I was tired and both hot and cold. The day was extremely windy and would be chilly running into the wind, but very warm running with it at my back. I took a gel and set out on the big field loop in the park. After 3 laps I calculated I had run far enough to hit 20 at or near my car, and I made my way back.
The reasoning for this run was that I have been training for my trail runs without doing any hard pavement training for Rite Aid, which is now only two weeks away. The following photos chronicle the terrain, conditions, and my journey around central Medina County.
Frequent visitors should recognize the abandoned piece of machinery along the Inlet Trail.
The Inlet Canal went from really moving up by Rt. 162 to just really high as I got closer to Chippewa Road.
There was much debris on the trail. As it had rained heavily overnight I could only imagine that the entire trail was under water at some point before I got there.
Some sections were still under water. So much for dry shoes!
The sun was trying to come out, but having limited success. It wouldn't be for another five miles or so that the clouds would clear completely and things would begin to warm considerably.
The water was draining from left to right and looks to be a little farther than it actually was. However, there was no getting through there without getting wet.
Looking down from the Chippewa Rail Trail. Lots of runoff.
Snake #1 of the "Two Snakes". I found this garter snake along the Rail Trail as I was making my north for the second time.
"Snake eye view" of the not-so-little guy. He was about 12"long.
Back on the Inlet Trail heading back to Buckeye Woods.
Still wet, but a little less gloomy with the sun out.
I wish I would have had my camera out when this Great Blue Heron came swooping in directly overhead to land in the marsh. These birds are much bigger than you can sense from the photo. It sounded like a glider of sorts sailing past.
Snake #2. I almost missed this tiny little guy on the field loop. He was only about 6" long and blended in perfectly with the fallen branches and twigs the wind had taken down.So, I had a good sub-3 hour 20 miler in windy conditions. I won't be going for a fast time at Rite Aid, but it was nice to run something a little different. Yesterday I hit the Towpath for another 20 miles, also with my camera. Look for that post sometime this week.
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