Monster Dash

Yesterday, I ran a half Marathon in Atlanta called the Monster Dash. Christian Camfield and I traveled to the race together. Our plan was to keep to our marathon paces and run this race as a training run.

It went very well for both of us! Christian is preparing for the Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon. He'll be running it on November 3. I'm preparing for the Soldier Marathon in Columbus.

Our timing was great. We both felt great at the finish and we're both feeling very prepared for our respective marathons.

Plus we each received a fleece jacket, a medal, and a belt buckle for our training run. Looking forward to a dynamic marathon experience on November 10. Soldier Marathon here I come!!

Marathoning and Education

 

I ran my longest training run for the Soldier Marathon yesterday and was surprised to find that I would run into Morgan County before I turned around. I found myself thinking about how preparing for a marathon is a lot like education.

 

When preparing for a marathon, one must spend time on his or her feet. You must run slow. You must run fast. You must be certain to incorporate a weekly long run. You must rest.You must work on hydration and nutrition, so you don't collapse before the run is over. You must be prepared to accept physical and mental challenges.

 

When preparing for life's challanges, one must be involved in educational activities. You must do your homework. You must read extensively. You must study. You must think to gain deeper understanding. You must practice daily to gain new knowledge and skills. You must be prepared to accept physical and mental challenges.

 

If you fail, you can still be successful. Just take the time to rethink your strategies and move forward. Sometimes you will progress rapidly. At other times you will move along slowly, but forward progress will bring you toward your goal.

 

I feel good about my preparations for the Soldier Marathon as I begin the taper phase of my training. I felt really strong throughout yesterday's long run. When I arrived home, I had a clear head. I don't think I hit the wall too hard, thanks to my preparations. I'm looking forward to a great Soldier Marathon!!

Soldier Marathon, Here I come!

The Soldier Marathon is a great race. It starts and ends at the Infantry Museum in Fort Benning, Georgia. Runners run down the Columbus River Walk and pass through scenic Columbus. I also like the fact that runners cross the river and run on the Phenix City, Alabama River Walk.

I ran this race two years ago on my father's birthday. It was the inagural race. I ran it in his memory.

Here's some basic info about Dad that can be found on the web:

James Garner Reser was born on 11/13/1932 and died on 12/30/2004. James Reser is buried in the cemetery: Parkhill Cemetery, which is located in Columbus, GA.

He was a brave soldier, serving in both Viet Nam and Korea. He earned commendations for bravery and always offered me great advice.

As I run this race next November, I will think of him and remember how he encouraged me to keep doing my best.

I'm in week 4 of my training and had a pretty good 8 miler today. Next week my long run will increase to 13 miles.

Looking forward to a great Soldier Marathon on November 10, 2012!!

Easy Running Week at Tybee Island

Last week, I decided to spend time at Tybee Island with Pat and Michael. In the process, we also got to get together with David and Lawson. (David is my son and Lawson is his wife.) We had a great time.

I loved running on the island! I managed to squeeze in two three mile runs and a very easy 5 miler. I also had a great time playing in the Atlantic Ocean and walking along the beach. The sky was not overcast as you see in this picture, I'm posting it because it is a pleasant reminder of the 2011 Tybee Half!

The weather was great, but it was very humid. I wanted to get in 10 more miles of running last week, but I decided not to run that far because of minor leg pains. I'm glad, because today's 4 miler felt GREAT!

Here are three of my favorite pictures from this trip:

Sea Oats!

   Morning Sun over the Atlantic. 

(I love the cloud formations.)

A view from the Jetty at South Tybee Beach

Cooler Days and Running in the Rain!

Summer running has been great so far. For several mornings in June, I have enjoyed running in the rain! I always enjoy running in the rain because of its natural cooling properties. This June the weather has been cool to go along with the cooling rains.

I can only hope that this summer the mornings will always be cool. Of course, I know better and I realize that the warm weather will eventually cause me to slow down this summer as usual. I do, however, intend to take advantage of this presently pleasant weather.

I'm currently reaping the benefits of Speed Work! My training runs are naturally faster and my speed sessions are gradually improving. These cool mornings have been great! Yesterday's speed workout was right on target. I wonder if I'll be able to keep it up as the weather warms?

Thinking About the Value of Practice for Proficiency!

Being a music teacher, I understand the value of consistent practice as one prepares for a performance. You must practice, no matter how you feel on a given day and you must strive to perform the music correctly and at the appropriate tempo. Through the years I've learned that when students walk into the classroom, they can control the atmosphere in negative and positive ways if you will let them.

The key, of course, is to enable the most positive atmosphere to prevail and to show the students the value of consistent efforts toward reaching a goal.

Musicians and runners want to work more on the things we do best, but we will never improve unless we challenge ourselves by working on the difficult things.

Speed work is challenging, but with consistent effort, the rewards should be fantastic. When I achieve my goals, it will be like a great musical performance in which I perform the most challenging passages with ease because of my faithful practice sessions!

I felt pretty good about my speed work this morning. Running the 1200 meters in the middle was quite the challenge.It really stressed my body!

I believe that I had a pretty good workout, although I was disappointed in my final 400. I suppose that the lesson here is to accept what your body can do at the time. With that in mind, this was a very good workout.

1x400@2:20 (5 seconds too slow)
1x800@4:28 (On Pace!!)
1x1200@7:13 (28 seconds too slow)
1x800@444 (14 seconds too slow)
1x400@2:36 (22 seconds too slow)

I was only 1 minute and 3 seconds off pace for overall performance. This should pay off!! Rest tomorrow!

Getting ready to Up the Pace

For the past two days, I've run 9 miles at an easy pace. This included a 5 miler on monday and a 4 miler this morning. Prior to each run, I ran/walked a mile with Pat Schmidt, my wife! She's trying to build an aerobic base.

My 5 miler included ten minutes at a tempo run speed in the middle (that's 10:15 per mile). I felt like I could run faster, but I held to the recommendations of the McMillan Running Calculator. I felt very positive following this run, because the Temperature was rising and I easily maintained my pace!

This morning's 4 miler was run at a very easy pace of 11:44. I was once again in the parameters of the McMillan running Calculator's recommendations. I felt like I could run faster, but I deliberately held back knowing that I will be doing speed work tomorrow morning. So...tomorrow I shall see If I can build some speed on the track!!

Sunday Morning Speed Work

Woke up this morning with speed work on my mind. Using the McMillan running calculator, I had determined that I needed to run my 400 meter repeats at a pace of 2:07 to 2:15. I was determined to keep things as close to 2:07 at possible. Along with my friend Christian Camfield, I completed eight 400 meter repeats with 2 minute walk breaks between each repeat. Here are the results:

1. 2:12
2. 2:12
3. 2:10
4. 2:11
5. 2:12
6. 2:13
7. 2:12
8. 2:12

Not a bad morning's work. It is now late Sunday afternoon and I feel so good that I'm thinking about going out for an evening run. However, I think I'll just wake up early in the morning and go out for an easy 5 or 6 miles at somewhere around an 11:30 pace. Perhaps I'll even begin seriously thinking about a November Marathon!!

Still Adjusting to the Minimalist Shoes

My training pace has been consistently faster these days. I think it's because I've cut back on my mileage to adjust to my new minimalist shoes. I ran a decent 5 miler in the heat this morning. However, I slowed down as it got warmer.

The challenge is not the Nike Frees, it's the new Vibrams. I've run 9 miles in them so far. I've also been wearing them as I go about my daily business from time to time. I can really feel the difference in my calves and feet. I believe that, if I'm patient and maintain my training, I will benefit from these new shoes. 

Tomorrow morning, I'm planning to go to the track and running six 400 meter repeats at 8:30 to 9 minute pace. I'm currently running 5k distance at a 9:20 race pace. I'm going to try to get it down to 9 minute pace be September. I think the speed work will help me set a PR in the Covington Fuzz Run this fall.

Hopefully the Macon Labor Day Road race will afford me the opportunity to break an hour in the 10k thanks to my training this summer.

Silver comet 10K: Finally Kicking it in My Nike Frees This Week!!

Ran a great 10K this morning in Mableton, GA. The Silver Comet. I had a time of 1:01:39. While this wasn't a PR, It was run at the end of a good week of running!

I think I've finally adjusted to my new Nike Frees. They are a minimalist shoe which have been working my leg and feet muscles in such a way that I've had to reduce my mileage. This week, however, I was able to run 5 out of the last seven days without ill effects. Next week I will attempt to run my normal schedule and attempty a 26 mile training run on St Patrick's Day. The coming week should tell me if I can safely sign up for the Louisville Marathon. I hope so, but if not, I will just continue to train in my minimalist shoes because the benefits seem to be coming as my legs feel stronger and my ankles and feet appear to be contributing to better balance!

I've had a good start to my running this year. I've set course PRs in the Red Nose Half  2:27, the Warner Robins Half 2:24 and most recently the Covington, Run for Hope 29:30!

I ran the Berry Half in Rome in a 2:34. I think the hills and my new shoes combined to slow me down, but thankfully, this week I may have had a real breakthrough with the shoes.

I'm ready to forge ahead and make 2012 my best running year ever!!