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!!

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!

Atlanta Marathon: Head for the hills!!

Well, It was a beautiful day for the Atlanta Marathon. It began on a cold note, however, with temperatures in the mid 30's. I decided to stick with my long sleeved tech shirt, and used some socks for gloves. I ran in shorts, knowing that once we got going, I would feel about right. My hunches were correct, and I discarded the sock gloves somewhere in the first mile. It was a good run, but the hills got to me! I'll write a more complete report tomorrow evening. For now, here is a copy of my splits:

MILE         TIME      CHANGE      AVG. PACE  

MI  1            11:46        --                     11'46"/mi

MI 2             24:15       + 0:43 (6%)      12'29"/mi

MI 3            36:53        + 0:09 (1%)      12'38"/mi

MI 4            49:53        + 0:22 (2%)       13'00"/mi

MI 5         1:02:45        - 0:08 (1%)       12'52"/mi

MI 6         1:14:46       - 0:51 (6%)        12'01"/mi

MI 7         1:26:30       - 0:17 (2%)         11'44"/mi

MI 8         1:39:12      + 0:58 (8%)         12'42"/mi

MI 9        1:52:15      + 0:21 (2%)          13'03"/mi

MI 10      2:05:18       --                         13'03"/mi

MI 11      2:18:28      + 0:07 (0%)           13'10"/mi

MI 12     2:31:26      - 0:12 (1%)            12'58"/mi

MI 13     2:44:06       - 0:18 (2%)            12'40"/mi

MI  14   2:57:18       + 0:32 (4%)            13'12"/mi

MI 15   3:10:24        - 0:06 (0%)            13'06"/mi

MI 16   3:24:24        + 0:54 (6%)            14'00"/mi

MI 17   3:37:18         - 1:06 (7%)             12'54"/mi

MI 18   3:51:17         + 1:05 (8%)             13'59"/mi

MI 19    4:04:13          - 1:03 (7%)             12'56"/mi

MI 20    4:18:23        + 1:14 (9%)             14'10"/mi

MI 21    4:33:35        + 1:02 (7%)              15'12"/mi

MI 22    4:48:15        - 0:32 (3%)              14'40"/mi

MI 23    5:02:42         - 0:13 (1%)              14'27"/mi

MI 24    5:17:04         - 0:05 (0%)               14'22"/mi

MI 25    5:33:24      + 1:58 (13%)             16'20"/mi

MI 26   5:49:54       + 0:10 (1%)               16'30"/mi