Team Marathon Apparel Arrived!

Friday, my Team Marathon Bar Welcome Kit arrived and I was super excited and impressed by all that I received. Inside was a visor, pullover jacket, cycling jersey and cycling shorts, tri top and tech tee. The cycling shorts and tech tee were way too tight and I was afraid would cause issues so I had to send them back and am now waiting on the exchanges. The tri top, I absolutely love and will probably wear it more than anything else on training runs and races, especially with the sticky humidity we have down here in the south. All I can say, is I can't wait until my next race...Candlelight Run 5K in Greenville, SC on June 19th at 9:00 pm (it's the only night race, I'm aware of in the area). I'm also planning to go watch a few friends compete in the Caine Halter Sprint Triathlon that morning since I am hoping to do it next year.

 

Team Marathon Bar

It's official, I'm in! I'm an official member of "Team Marathon Bar". The agreement has been signed and faxed. The conference call done and my welcome kit full of free apparel and marathon bars are their way! I'm pretty excited about receiving my welcome kit and promoting the Marathon® brand and their energy bars.

If you see me running in Spartanburg or Greenville, SC with my Marathon Bar apparel on, take a picture of me and email it to running@ericamelton.com. Oh and be sure to ask me for a free marathon bar or two...I'll be happy to share while supplies last.

First 10K Run Since Reedy River

This evening I ran my first 10K run since the Reedy River 10K! It felt great to finally get a long run in! First 1/2 mile with my 2 dogs then I finished the rest on my own. First 4 miles was a bit of a struggled but finished the last 2 miles I finished strong. I stretched for a good 30 mins afterwards. Love runs like that when you feel like you're never going to finish only to realize that after you finish you felt you could do even more and that a half marathon may not be impossible after all!

Race Report: Swamp Rabbit 5K

I don't even know where to begin with the race but one word will sum it up: TERRIBLE.

This has to be by far my worst race experience ever! It was 6:30pm on a Friday night and of course, trying to leave work on Friday is already hard to do. Once I got there, I had to park what seemed to be a half mile away from packet pickup table which made me wish I took advantage of early packet pickup and already had my race number and t-shirt (oh well, live and learn).

As we lined up, I quickly realized just how crowded this race was going to be. I wanted to avoid walkers and slower runners so I decided to start in the 7-9 min pace group in hopes to avoid them. Wrong, I ran right into the back of this one women who after just a quarter of a mile was already walking. Then there was a lot of constant weaving around slower runners and trying to avoid potholes (which I missed one time and nearly twisted my ankle (it was fine).

It was hot and humid and I was in desire need of a water stop but once I came up on, there was a long line. I waited for a good minute and when I realized I wasn't going to get a sip of water anytime soon, I just kept going. Little did I know between that and the next was a killer quad burning hill!

Now I was wishing I had taken my fuel belt. By the time we hit the Swamp Rabbit Trail (a narrow paved trail), I was hoping it would thin out some...wrong! Now I was getting elbowed, triped and pushed off the path. Some areas would become so bottled neck and slow that my Garmin auto-paused a few times.


Needless to say I finished in a miserable time of 36:59. I haven't ran a 5K that slow since my first few months of running last year. Anyways, once I crossed the finish line, the misery didn't end there and I'm going through what seemed to be the longest chute ever, I'm looking around for the volunteers handing out water. To my shock, they are handing out shot cups of water and there is a long long line for it! WTF! Now I'm just pissed off. Thirsty, tired, hot and dizzy, I use what little energy I have left to stumble to my car that seems like it's now 2 miles away and head home with absolutely no desire and no way I'm doing that race ever again!

Race Report: Skirt Chaser 5K

This was a unique race where women got a 3 min head start over the guys. So I went in with a completely different strategy...well not really a strategy but more of a let's see what happens if I go as hard as I can from the start until the first guy catches up to me and then do whatever from that point on.

The women lined up but not many wanted to be in the front so I took this opportunity to see what that's like for the first time as I normally line up somewhere in the middle of the pack. The race started out with 2 laps around the track and those two laps I averaged a very fast 7:30 pace which I didn't even know I could do that and wasn't even all that winded, sure I was breathing hard but not out of breath.

Once I exited the track and hit the grass then asphalt, I had slowed down to a more reasonable 9:30 pace and as I was just about to hit the 1 mile mark when the first guy had caught up and passed me.

And that's when things started getting really difficult and was really feeling the effects of starting out way too fast but I didn't care. For the first time, I got to experience what it felt like to run in 5th place even if it was just for the first 1/2 mile.

Anyways back to mile 2...it was a real struggle as there was a long steep hill took all the energy I had left and the last mile felt like it was 5 miles long! I walked a lot that last mile and that's where I lost all my time too. The last tenth mile was on the infield of the track and going from asphalt to grass when you have nothing left is extremely difficult. The grass felt like mud and I felt like I had to use even more energy just to keep running. Still I had a blast even with the 100% humidity...yes 100% humidity, there were dark clouds above but it never did open up although I don't think I would of minded!

Race Report: Race for Missions 5K

This was designated as a "fun run" meaning I didn't really care where I finished or about sitting any sort of PR. Heck, I didn't even treat this race serious and wasn't really watching my nutrition or hydration much. It was simply a race to have fun, plus my brother was going to run it with me, which this was his first 5K.

I drove the neighborhood where the race to be held and knew it was probably going to be a very challenging run with all the steep hills and that's about all the preparation I spent going into this race.

It was a somewhat chilly morning but was sort of glad it was on the cool side as I hadn't been able to get many warm weather runs in. At 9am, we were off. The first mile was mostly flat and went up and down short gradual rolling hills. By mile 2, the hills were being felt in my legs and my lungs. Mile 3 was a tough one as was the final uphill to the finish.

However despite this being a "fun run" and not taking this race seriously, I still ended up with a new PR by 14 secs. So what can I say, overall it was a great race and hope to do it again next year!

Anniversary Run

Today begins the 2nd year of running for me. This time last year I started with week 1, day 1 of the Couch to 5K program mainly because there was a sign about a 5K run/walk just 1.5 miles from my house. I passed this sign every day and decided to go for it. Yea, I only had 3 weeks but it was a run/walk so I didn't really care where I finished or if I had to walk most of it.

Well I finished that race in 47:30 which is a 15:17 average pace. It's a hard out and back course with a very steep down and up section. The first mile is down hill which makes the last mile all up hill. Today, I decided to do the very same run, although this time it wasn't a race but merely an all out training run...max effort. The weather conditions were almost identical at high 60s and sunny with very little breeze at 10 am. I decided to take on the first mile at a pretty decent pace...not too easy but not too hard either knowing the 2nd half was going to take a lot more energy. First mile, 9:11 which is a really fast mile for me! The 2nd mile was the steep down and up and I ran downhill, walked uphill. Then the dreaded 3rd mile...steep uphill and then gradual uphill the rest of the way. OMG...it was just as hard as it was a year ago! But I finished in 36:05 (11:36 pace) which is 11 mins faster so it's a really great way to see how far I've come in just 1 year.

Next Saturday, I will be racing in a church sponsored 5K in a neighborhood that is very hilly. It should be interesting if today's efforts will help with that race and I really have just one goal in mind...beat my brother who is not a runner. (His goal is to beat me). So we'll see.

Today's Workout: 5K Simulated Race
Today's Weather: 64-68°F, Sunny, 3mph Breeze

First Year Running Stats

Today is the final day of my first year of running and thought I would share some stats with you:

• I did 155 runs totaling 430.2 miles for 84 hours,12 mins and 3 secs.
• December was my longest mileage month with 51.2 miles averaging a 11:28 pace.
• November was my fastest month averaging a 11:04 pace over 39.2 miles.
• January was my fastest 5K race, the Race for Grasshopper where I finished 3rd in my age group (30-34) with a time of 32:27. It was also the coldest run and race I have ever done at just 27°F. 

My goals for 2nd of year of running:

• Sub 30 min 5K, whether it comes in training or in a race.
• Finish a 10K. 
• Finish a half marathon.
• Add 2 days of cross-training to my week...either swimming or cycling.

First Trail Run of 2010

First trail run of 2010 and second trail run ever. The last time I ran here was back in October and I ran 4 miles in 54 mins. This time it took me 46 mins so a pretty significant improvement. I felt really great the first mile and it felt easy but half way into mile 2, I realized I was working leg muscles I don't normally use when street running. The various terrain...hard packed dirt, soft sand, mud and exposed roots made it an interesting but fun run. Plus it was a beautiful day with temps in the mid to upper 50s and sunny.

Today's Workout: 4 mile trail run at Cottonwood Trail in Spartanburg, SC
Today's Weather 54°F - 58°F Sunny, Winds 5-10 mph

Awesome 4 Mile Run

I decided to do something different besides running a different route, I ran .9 miles comfortably hard then briskly walked the last tenth of the mile for 4 miles (last tenth of the last mile I picked it up even more). It went great and negative splits! The 2nd and 3rd mile were the hardest with the hills but the last mile although it was downhill, with a 9 mph headwind, it felt more like it was uphill and really took a lot out of me.

I've been wanting to work on my speed for longer durations and haven't felt like I've really been pushing myself as hard as I should or could be but this run, I definitely went beyond my comfort level. It's the fastest 4 miles I have ever ran and the 6th fastest 3+ mile run ever.

Today's Weather: 66°F Overcast, Winds 9 mph N
Today's Workout: 4 Miles (.9 mi hard, .1 mi walk)

Dang Flat Tire, Went on a Run Instead

The weather was absolutely beautiful today, everyone was outside. It was a teacher work day and I guess a lot of Moms and Dads decided to take the day off too because it seemed like everyone was out going for bike rides or walking.

I had plans on going cycling since I just ran yesterday and didn't want to risk injury again. I got my cycling gear on (which is really running gear), went out to the garage and there it was...a flat rear tire! Thinking it just went flat because I haven't ridden in a while, I pumped it up and I could hear the air escaping. It wasn't holding air at all. I was so pissed off that I just went inside and put on my running shoes and headed out for a 3 mile run.

I kept the pace slow and easy and decided to run the opposite direction that I normally do. Running it counter-clockwise is much harder because of the long and steep hill near the park. I normally run down it but going the other way, it's a hard climb to the top.

Overall it was still a decent run with a time of 34:27 (11:27 pace). Not bad for an easy (60-70% effort) 3 mile run.

Weather: 73°F Sunny, light breeze
Workout: cycling 6 miles 3 mile easy run

5K Personal Best!

This is the days that I absolutely love running! The days when everything just falls into place and you run the best you ever have ran.

I felt pretty much crappy the entire day and running seemed like the last thing I felt like doing. But I made myself go since my last run was on Monday and didn't have much expectations for this run except to finish 3 miles no matter how long it took me.

The weather was perfect, low 60s and mostly cloudy so warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt. The first 1/2 mile, I struggled a little bit but then everything started to feel really good. I started to feel like I had energy and was able to keep a consistent pace the first mile. The second mile was even better and faster than the first! The third mile had that steep hill which I did NOT have to walk up this time. Instead I was able to push through it and continued on running.

This is probably only the third time I have actually been able to run 3.1 miles continuously without taking a single walk break and a personal best. It did come in a training run and not an actual race but that's okay. 3.1 miles is still 3.1 miles no matter if it's in training or a race.

Weather: 64°F Mostly Cloudy, Light winds
Workout: 3 mile run - 31:41 (10:12 pace)

Race Report: Jog for a Cause 5K

This was my first GA road race and I opted to go with the 5K since I just did the Reedy River Run 10K the previous Saturday.

I also chose this race because it's close to where my parent's live. We arrived at the race location around 7:20am and it was much chiller than I had prepared for. I did my warmup jogs and stretches and at 7:55am, we all lined up at the start. They had 5Kers and 10Kers start together which I found odd because this race was not chipped time so middle of the pack runners such as myself had no idea where the starting line actually was.

This course was advertised as flat and fast so I expected it to be just that, flat. Because it was an out-of-state race, I didn't get to drive the course ahead a time. So expecting it to be fairly flat, I went out a little faster than I normally do on hilly courses. I was doing great until we hit that hill around 2 miles and factor in a strong headwind and it took a lot out of me. So much that I had to take frequent walk breaks. It's a bummer too because I was right on pace with a 5K PR until I hit that darn hill and headwind.

I finished (officially) in 34:06. But my Garmin measured it as a 3.24 course and my GPS 5K time was 33:33 so it wasn't a bad run at all. It's my 3rd fastest 5K time so I can't really complain. I will complain about the lack of explanation about what to do with the card they gave you at the finish line. It took me about 10 mins to realize I was suppose to fill it out and put it in the appropriate gender and age basket at the score table. Like I said, the race should be chipped time. Relying on runners to remember and fairly write their own time on a card seems crazy. Especially since the 10K was a peachtree qualifier.

Post-race, they had a nice selection of food but no water (at least I didn't see any), just powerade which was okay with me. But with the wind picking up and the sun hiding behind clouds, it felt like the temperature was dropping.

Weather: Mid 40s, mostly cloudy and windy.
Course Conditions: Wet

Injured...ITBS. No, wait, 100% fine. What?

If the title of this blog post confuses you, that's how the last 24 hours have felt like for me! I felt great after completing my first 10K. Tired but not that sore but did get a pretty bad blister on the ball of my right foot.

Then there was Sunday morning. Talk about being in pain. My left knee hurt so bad I thought I would be out of training for weeks if not months. I couldn't lift it, bend it or put pressure on it at all. It hurt like hell. A 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. I immediately took 2 Tylenol, iced it for 20 mins then took an espom salt bath. That was like instant relief and the pain went from a 10 to about a 6 in a matter of 2 hours. I then spent the entire day doing IT band stretches every 1-2 hours staying idle as little as possible because that just made it worse.

By Sunday evening, it was feeling pretty good and about a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale. I was walking but still with a limp and running would of been out of the question. I wrapped it up before I went to bed and this morning, woke up 100% pain free. That is the confusing part to me. Just 24 hours ago, I was in excruciating pain and now absolutely zero pain. What?

Yea, I took my dogs for a 3/4 mile walk today and felt so great, I went for 1 mile run that felt even better. No pain whatsoever and my stride and form felt fantastic plus it was 70° and sunny...how can I not go run in weather like that.

This is great news because I'm planning to run another 5K race this Saturday which I'm super excited about since 5Ks seem so easy now compared to 6 months ago.

Race Report: Reedy River Run 10K

Today was my first 10K race and only the third time I have ran over 6 miles and the ninth time I have ran over 5 miles so I definitely had butterflies in my stomach with this race.

Thursday and Friday, I made sure I was drinking at least 36oz of water each day and eliminated soft drinks and junk food from my diet and focused on eating healthier. I went to bed Friday night feeling pretty confident that I could finish the 10K in under 75 mins and that was my goal.

Pre-race, I met up with other iRUNners. Meeting a group prior to race, really helps me eliminate those pre-race butterflies and helps me relax.

The race...the first 4 miles went great, actually better than expected. I did start out at a much faster pace than I wanted but it was downhill. I listened to my body and not my watch and kept a comfortable pace which was my plan from the start. My first 4 mile splits were 10:15, 10:19, 11:10 and 11:40. At the 5K mark, I was at 33 mins, my third fastest 5K time ever which was somewhat surprising given this was a 10K race and had another 5K left to go. 

About 4.5 miles, I started to feel a blister forming on the ball of my right foot and by mile 5, it started hurting so bad that every step was becoming increasing painful. I kept thinking, how in hell am I going to be able to do 13.1 miles in 7 weeks when I can barely get through 5 now. Frustrated and in pain, I just kept going, trying whatever possible to take my mind off the pain but every step was a constant reminder. When we turned onto E. Broad Street, I only had one goal in mind...just get up that darn hill! Going uphill hurt even worse since I tend to run on the balls of my feet and shorten my stride. That meant more steps on the part of my foot that hurts the worse. I finally made it to the top and tried to open it up the final 200 yards which was downhill but my legs were not having any of it. I just couldn't go any faster than a 9:00 pace at that point. I finally crossed the finish line in 1:11:48 (11:36 pace) and I don't think I have ever been so glad to see the finish line in a race before!

Afterwards, I met up with a few DailyMilers which is always great to meet fellow runners. Being an introvert, it's sometimes hard for me to meet new people but running has opened a brand new door for me.

At this point, I'm still questioning on whether to continue half marathon training or move onto an advanced 10k program instead and focus on just 5Ks, 8Ks and 10Ks for now. I just feel a half marathon is too much too soon and I guess when in doubt, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Weather: 39°F - 46°F, Sunny, Winds N 6mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 5, Day 2

On Monday, I did go for a 5 mile bike ride which felt really great. I haven't been on my bike much plus it's a commuter bike but I did pretty good. The first uphill was really hard but it seemed like the hills did get a little easier each time. Averaged 10.7 mph so I'm pretty happy about that. I hope to incorporate a lot more cycling once warmer weather finally gets here and to start swimming more this summer.

I started out with a 10 min warmup at a very easy pace which went really well. In fact, I had trouble keeping my speed down. Then I did 3 x 6 min tempo intervals at 5k race pace (10:59 - 10:00) while focusing on my breathing. The recovery jog were between 12:30 - 11:30. I felt really good for the first 2 intervals but the last interval got really tough since the wind decided then it was going to pick up. It was nearly calm or at my back the entire run until the last 10 mins. But by doing the fast/slow intervals, I am able to average my 10k goal pace.

My plan for the 10k is to run a consistent 11:30 - 11:00 pace throughout the entire race with maybe 3 or 4 short 1 minute walking breaks. I'm excited but somewhat nervous being this is my first 10K and the largest event I have done with over 1,000 runners.

Today's Workout - 10 min warmup, 3x6 min tempo, 4 min recovery
Weather: 45°F, Cloudy, Winds NNW 12 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 5, Day 1

I was hoping to get a trail run in today but I couldn't find out what the conditions of Cottonwood Trail was after all the rain washed out the majority of the trails about 3-4 weeks ago. I didn't want to do another long run on asphalt since my hip flexor was really bothering me yesterday's run. So instead of 5 miles, I did a fast 2 mile out & back run, just to get something in today. And plus my 10K race is Saturday (day 4) so I should still get in 10-12 miles this week.

I started out at a comfortable 10:40+ pace for the first 1/2 mile and then increased the pace and intensity as I ran the remaining 1.5 miles. My first mile was 10:40, about 10 secs slower than my 5K race pace at about 60-70% effort. Once I hit the 1 mile mark, I turned around and increased the pace to around 70-80% of max effort. With 1/2 mile left to go, I put it into 80-90% effort and mile 2 averaged a 9:22 pace.

Today's Workout: 5 miles - Easy
Today's Weather:  48°F Sunny, Winds N 13 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 4, Day 4

I met a group in downtown Greenville to run the last 3.5 miles of the Reedy River 10K course. Great group to run with and very friendly and welcoming! We started off at the Reedy River bridge and went through Cleveland park which to my surprise was much flatter than I expected.

We kept a comfortable 11:00 - 11:40 pace during the entire run for the exception of a few hills at the end that did slow me down to a walk. My hip flexor starting hurting big time which made the last mile and hill even tougher.

I feel pretty about the course but I think the final half mile is what is going to be the toughest part.

Today's Workout: 3.5 Miles Easy
Weather: 44°F Sunny

Half Marathon Training - Week 4, Day 3

The winds were brutal and it was downright cold. Here when I thought I could finally put away my winter running clothes, old man winter visits again. I originally had planned for 4 miles but with the winds, decided 3.5 miles was plenty. The first lap was alright but tough going into a 20 mph headwind uphill but I was able to power through it. The second lap I was hurting in my calves and ended up walking quite a bit up the hills. Third lap was pure torture, as I could already feel the fatigue sitting in and my legs just didn't want to go any further.

Overall this was probably one of the toughest training runs I've had and the cold and very windy conditions made it even tougher.

Today's Workout: 3.5 Miles - Hills
Weather: 37°F, Sunny. Winds NNW 22 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 4, Day 2

I was going to do my run earlier around 9am but the fog was so dense that I decided to just wait until lunch time. The humidity was still 100% so I knew it wasn't going to be a very comfortable run. I started out with a very slow 10 min warmup jog/walk to get everything loosen up.

The first 8 min tempo went pretty good, until I got to about the last 3 mins and things started to hurt. I was averaging anywhere between a 9:20 and 9:40 pace, which was way too fast since I was forced to walk a bit during the recovery jog. The second 8 min tempo, I just didn't have much left and when I hit the two steep hills, it took 100% effort just to walk up them.

Overall, it was a very tough run and I did the entire tempo intervals wrong! I guess I'm going to have to set goal zones on my Garmin 305 to prevent me from running too fast which I almost always do with tempo and speed work.

Today's Workout: 10 min warmup, 2 x 8 min tempo interval with 5 min recovery jog.
Weather: 58°F, Partly Cloudy, Winds SW 6mph, Humidity 100% (yuck)

Half Marathon Training - Week 4, Day 1

Really this is week 5 but since last week didn't go as plan, I guess it's week 4 and I'm a week behind. The first couple of miles, I really didn't think I was going to be able to go the full 5 miles, I was tired and really couldn't find a comfortable pace. Finally once I hit the 5k mark, I realized I felt stronger and was able to settle into a comfortable 11:16 pace the final two miles. In fact, I felt so good, I decided to finish my run with 6 x 30 sec sprints and to my surprise ran then in 5-6 min pace but of course I could only keep that pace for 30 secs max.

It felt great to finally complete a "long" run again and strong for that matter. The weather was absolutely gorgeous 64° and sunny so a lot of folks out walking and running. It's too bad the weather is going to turn colder and get back down in the 40s by the end of this week. I was really loving the warmer weather. 50s and 60s make for some great running weather!

Today's Workout: 5 Miles or 60 mins (whichever is longer)
Weather: 64°F Sunny, Winds SSW at 5mph

Back on Track, Sort Of

It's been 5 days since I went on my last run which was a slow and painful 3 miles. The last few days I have suffered from severe lower back pain which I think was in part of trying to walk my brother's 90 lbs German Shepherd. It wasn't her pulling but her stopping suddenly that I think did it in for me and then the tugging to get her moving again.

Tuesday, I decided to give inline skating a go for the first time in probably over 5 years. That helped worked my glutes and thighs while keeping my back from hurting as much. In fact, I think it helped loosen it up. I'm definitely going to incorporate more inline skating as a form of cross-training along with cycling once the weather warms up.

But today, I decided to try a short and easy 5k run on my normal neighborhood loop. I started the first mile at what I felt was a very easy pace only to realize I clocked a 10:39 first mile, must faster than my usual "easy pace". I felt really good and had no lower back pain so I kept going only to clock an even faster 10:07 2nd mile. At 2.3 miles, I hit the first steep uphill and decided to just walk up it and for a little while to catch my breath some. With 1/2 mile left to go, I started jogging again, this time clocking a slower 11:13 third mile. With about .2 miles left to go, I started to get a painful side stitch which prevented me from finishing strong as I normally do but to my surprise, I finished in 33:01, just 34 secs slower than my 5K personal record and I wasn't even trying to run fast! It felt good to get a great run in, especially since the last week and half hasn't gone as plan.

Then when my husband got home from work, we went on a 1.5 mile walk around the block so I got in a total of 4.6 miles today. Woohoo!

I'm planning to get back on my half marathon training on Sunday and with temps expected to be in the low 60s, I'm super excited!

Today's Workout: 5K Run - Easy Pace
Weather: 55°F, Sunny, Winds NNE 8mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 3, Day 3&4

This entire week got messed up due to the weather and I haven't been running well either since that 7 mile run. Thursday, I attempted to run with my brother's German Shepherd but she kept stopping and it was a lot of tugging on her to get her to keep moving. Today, I was suppose to run 90 mins or 8 miles, whichever is longer but after 2 miles I started getting really bad lower back pain and hip flexor pain. That caused my form to change and every step it felt like someone taking a knife in my back so I decided it was probably best to just end my run early rather than risk further injury. I'm just sick of all the winter weather and cold. It's supposed to be in the upper 50s this time of year and we've barely broke out of the 40s. There is even the threat of light snow showers tonight. I'm so ready for spring and after today's run, I just don't know how many more cold weather runs I have left in me. I was really hoping to be running in shorts again by March but we'll see.

Today's Workout: 3 mile run
Weather: 43°F Cloudy, Winds 5 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 3, Day 2

It was a very windy day so I altered my workout today. I bought my dogs a new hands-free leash that I attach around my waist. Wow, I was amazed how much simpler even walking them would be, let alone running. I took them out individually and took Kato out first since he is always the most excited about his walks. He did amazingly well and loved it. He stayed right next to me although wanted to go a bit faster than I was running which at 16 lbs, the little guy can run fast, just not very long so I just did 30 sec jogs with him with 2-3 min walking breaks.

Next it was Kelsey's turn. She was excited at the start and jogged with me the first time. She stayed beside me but slowed down. I felt tension so I had to stop and walk. Just 10 secs of jogging and she was done. She's more of a walker so we pretty much walked then on out.

Once I dropped the dogs off at the house, I then decided to do a fast 1 mile tempo run since I was pretty much already warmed up. The wind was pretty brutal. The first 1/4th mile is uphill and the wind was against me....a 25 mph gust hit me head on and going uphill, that felt like a wall and it stopped me dead in my tracks. Once it subsided, I continued on but it pretty much took everything out of me. Once I turned and went with the wind, it was much better. Still, it was a slow mile at 10:19 but on the RPE scale, it was 8-9 effort and went as fast as I could given the very windy conditions.

Workout: 3 Miles Hills (planned)
.75 walk/run with my dogs individually + 1 mile tempo run (actual)

Weather: 42° F Sunny, Winds 17 mph with gusts up to 25 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 3, Day 1

I really was not looking forward to this run at all. I mapped out a 7 mile route in my neighborhood and off I went. I did my usual run 4 min, walk 1 min intervals as I always do with runs an hour or longer. It was a bit on the chilly side and clouded up quite a bit from this morning.

I felt great the first 45 mins and then things started to get a little more difficult. At 5.5 miles as I was going down the long steep hill, I started feeling blisters forming on the balls of my feet. It's also when I noticed my legs, hips and calves start to hurt as well. I was 1.5 miles from home so I had no choice but to keep going. Every step was becoming more and more painful but I just pushed through. My breathing was great, I wasn't out of breath or even felt tired, it was all physical pain. My body just wasn't doing what the mind wanted it to do.

I did my best to slow my pace down and focus on completing all the running intervals without having to walk once, even going uphill and I succeeded with that. I finished the course with "Heart Attack Hill", a long and steep hill that you climb up and yes, it's usually where my heart rate spikes which is why I gave it that nickname.

After the run, I walked until my heart rate was below 90 bpm then went inside and probably stretched for a good 20-30 mins. It felt good to finish my first 7 mile run.

Workout: 80 mins or 7 miles (whichever is longer)
Weather: 42° F, Mostly Cloudy, Winds 8 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 2, Day 3

This week is slightly off schedule because of the weather and with rain approaching this afternoon, I went ahead and did my run before lunch. So instead of the 4 miles + speedwork, I went ahead and just did an easy 5k run, focusing on form and breathing and not worrying about pace much.

It was cold. At least compared to yesterday's mid 50s and sunny where I was in shorts and a tee shirt. Today I was back in my running tights and long sleeves today which made it feel like I was running through mud. From the first step to the last, I didn't really enjoy this run at all and just wanted it to be over with. Still it feels good to get my run in and not make the excuse to skip it because of the weather.

Workout: 3 Mile Run - Easy
Weather: 38° F, Overcast. Winds NNE 6 mph.

Half Marathon Training - Week 2, Day 2

I had to wait and run today since yesterday was very raining and never got the chance to get in my run. It was a beautiful day, mid 50s and not a cloud in the sky and virtually no wind. Warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt and be comfortable. I started out with my usual 10 min warmup jog then did three 6 min tempo intervals with a 5 min recovery walk/jog in between. During the tempo intervals, I paid special attention to my breathing and form. The first tempo interval felt great. I kept my pace consistent and breathing under control. The second interval I think I started out a bit too fast because it felt like it was never going to end and ended up slowing down a lot towards the end. Then in the last tempo interval, I did pretty good up until the last 90 secs that went up a steep hill...not fun but I made it. Overall, this tempo run felt great once I was done but it did feel tougher than I expected probably because I was a little hungry and not properly hydrated.

Workout: 10 min wamup, 3 x 6 min tempo w/ 5 min recovery in between.
Weather: 54° F, Sunny. Winds Calm.

Half Marathon Training - Week 2, Day 1

After Friday night's ice storm left the roads and sidewalks covered in snow, sleet and ice which made them impossible to run on, I had to reschedule my long run for today. For the most part, the roads were pretty much clear, dry in most places, wet in some and ice patches here and there but Wadsworth Trail (asphalt) was a different story. It still was covered completely in snow/ice/slush in areas where you couldn't even see the pavement. But I went on my run anyway.

The first mile and a half which was on Wadsworth Trail, was a bit tricky. I had to watch my step on the slushy snow and ice as well as jump over large puddles to avoid getting my feet too wet. Once I got onto the roads of Woodrigde, things became much easier since the road was pretty much clear. I did my usual run 4 min/walk 1 min intervals and at 70 mins, this would be my longest and furthest I've ever ran. I ended up going 6.21 miles...whoohoo...a 10K! Finishing under 70 mins is actually my goal finish time and I will keep it at that since race nerves and adrenaline actually make racing a lot harder than training runs.

Today's run felt great but the balls of my feet did start to hurt during the last 3 intervals so that concerns me as I will be increasing mileage for the half marathon. Other than that, I finished pretty strong. I pushed it the final 5 mins which was completely uphill and that took a lot out of me. I was quite surprised at my average pace given the wintry conditions and because I felt like I was running much slower than usual. Guess the hills on Thursday paid off.

Today's Workout: 70 min run (run 4/walk 1 intervals)
Weather: 40°F Sunny, Winds Calm

Half Marathon Training - Week 1, Day 4

I decided to do a 1.5 mile out and back route of the most hilly part of my neighborhood. The first mile felt fantastic, I made it up both the smaller steep hills and even up the long 1/2 mile gradual hill which is the first time I ever was able to do that without walking. I passed the park and then started heading up the first long steep hill. I made it up 2/3rds of the way before I had to walk. A short rest and then continued on to run another 1/2 mile to hit my 1.5 miles before turning around.

At this point, I was realizing just how tired my legs were becoming already. I was ready for the run to be over but had another mile to go. At 2.75 miles is what I nicknamed "heart attack hill", a steep hill that by the time you get to the top, you feel like you're going to have a heart attack and that's just walking up it! Jogging up it is an entire differently story and I only was able to jog up about half way. Walking up the last half on tired legs took everything out of me. I walked slowly for about 30 secs to recover and then jogged until my 3 miles were complete. Wow, was I tired! I probably couldn't of gone another mile.

Today's Workout: 3 Miles - Hills
Weather: 46° F Sunny, Wind WSW 6 mph

Half Marathon Training - Week 1, Day 3

I started out with a very slow warmup jog. I always tend to start out with a fast pace and I'm trying to keep myself from doing that. The first tempo run felt really good. I got into a nice pace and rhythm and kept it there. I focused on my form and breathing. The 2nd interval felt really close to the first but I was on the rolling hills so it was a bit tougher but still managed to keep a consistent pace. The third interval started with an uphill and into the wind and that wasn't fun. My body wanted to stop and walk but my brain said no so I pushed myself to keep going even if it was a slower pace. Once I got to the top of the hill and turned back onto Caldwell, it got much easier and was back into my 9:40 tempo pace.

The weather was beautiful. It was sunny and yes it was windy but compared to yesterday, it really wasn't that bad. And it sure didn't feel like 38° with the sun out, more like 48°. I finally didn't overdressed and had my running tights, a long/sleeve tech tee and a light jacket, gloves and headband. It was perfect and I never got too hot.

Today's Workout: 10 min warmup, 3 x 5 min tempo with 5 min recovery in between.
Weather: 38° F Sunny, Wind W 12 mph.

Half Marathon Training - Week 1, Day 2

Wow, it was windy and I was expecting it to feel cold so I wore track pants and a jacket. Bad idea, after 1/2 mile, I was already hot and wishing I wore capri tights and a long/sleeve tech tee instead. But I didn't bother going back home since it was just a 2 mile run.

From the moment I started running, I knew it was going to be a tough run into the wind and it was. I did my best to keep my heart rate in zone 3 and had my FR305 HR alert set for 160 so I would know when to slow it down or walk. It went off a several times, mostly in the very beginning since I always start out too fast and when I was near the top of a hill which is expected. I'm hoping this teaches me my "true" easy pace so I'm not going all out every single training run. Overall it was a good run...wind and all.

Today's Workout: Run 2 miles while keeping HR in Zone 3 (133 - 152 bpm).
Weather: 52° Partly Sunny. Wind WSW 16 mph, gusting up to 28 mph.

Half Marathon Training - Week 1, Day 1

I'm planning to run in the Greer Earth Day Half on April 25. It will be my very first half marathon. But on March 6, I will run the Reedy River 10K as a way to gauge my progress and make sure I really want to do the half... 13.1 miles still scares me at this point.

I'm somewhat following the 13-week training plan by iRUN Greenville but with my own modifications. For my long runs, I'm using a run 4 min, walk 1 min ratio and plan to use this same ratio for the half marathon itself. I'm doing my own tempo intervals and will be running hilly routes instead of speed or track work since there really isn't a running track near where I live. I may throw in an occasional trail run for fun once the trails dry out...it's been a wet winter.

I met iRUN Greer at Greer Memorial Campus and no surprise that I was the only one that is currently using this method so I was on my own this morning. Maybe more people will show up next week but anyone in the Greer/Spartanburg area is welcome to join us...and it's free. There is a walk-to-run group already in progress (they did week 3, day 3 today) and a few others training for the half that are up to 7-8 miles, so there is something for everyone.

But back to my training run which was for 1 hour using the 4/1 run to walk ratio. The first 4 intervals or 20 mins felt great. I never had any difficult breathing with my 10:00 - 10:30 pace or had any pain in my legs, hips or ankles as I sometimes do. Then all of a sudden, it started getting really hard and the 4 min interval started to feel longer and longer and the 1 min walk break felt shorter and shorter. Around 50 mins, my hip flexors started to hurt but I only had 10 more mins to go so I just pushed forward. Beth, the coach of iRUN Greer, joined me at that point and she pushed the pace a little faster which is never a bad thing. The last 30 secs of the last interval was uphill so I decided to give it a final push up the hill knowing the end was near. It actually felt better in my hips and legs, probably because running uphill forces me to use proper form but my breathing was quickly becoming out of control. Overall, it was a pretty good run, still a bit too cold for me with temps in the high 30s and a light breeze. I'm so ready for spring and warmer temps...but not the humidity.

Race Report: Race for the Grasshopper 5K

I woke up to extremely cold temperatures...well for upstate South Carolina. It was about 19° but felt like 9° according to the local news channel. Brr..I was prepared for this race to suck. I told myself, no sense on trying for a PR, it's too cold and with so many layers on, highly unlikely. I arrived at the Battlefield around 9:00am, an hour before race time, picked up my packet and sit in my car for about 30 mins trying to stay warm. At 9:30 I started my pre-race ritual and at 9:50am, jogged my way to the starting line. It was cold standing their waiting for the gun to go off even though it was only for about 5 mins.

Runners, ready set...bang! And we were off! At a very fast pace too. At the 1/2 mile mark, I glanced down at my watch and saw I was going an 8:30 pace...wow! I never run that fast unless I'm doing speed work, so I decided I better slow my pace down to 9:30 if I want to finish this race strong. I also noticed how quickly I warmed up and was so glad I shed those top layers I had on during my warm up jog. I would of been way too hot if I kept them on. At 22° with a real feel at 17° at the start, it's hard not to overdress but glad I resisted the temptation to layer more than I did.

At mile 1, I was feeling pretty good but my legs were a starting to get tired from going out too fast. I wanted to maintain a 10:00 pace but I was slowing down to more like a 10:30 pace but still managed to do a 9:30 first mile.

At mile 2, my split was 20:21. About 90 secs faster than I expected to be at this point so I just continued on with a 10:30 pace, taking 30 sec walk breaks when needed which was only two. Around 2.8 miles, I decided to give it that final push, knowing the end was near. It was a downhill then an uphill the final tenth of a mile. Once I could see the clock and watched as it went from 31:59 to 32:00, I knew I had a PR and was really able to savor those final yards and finished in 32:25...about 90 secs faster than my previous PR of 33:57.

At the finish, they had apple slices, bananas and coffee although I really wish they had hot chocolate as I'm not a coffee drinker.

It felt great to finish this race. In the cold and with two layers on and still able to PR! Although I wasn't sure if I would win a "grasshopper" (a cannon), I thought I may have a slim chance but wasn't sure so I stuck around to find out.

At 11:30, they finally tallied up the results. It felt like forever standing out in the cold for so long and not really moving much. I was tempted to just forget it and leave but I didn't. To my surprise, I came in 3rd in my age group. This is my first age group award and a new personal record so I was ecstatic! So despite it being so dang on cold, it was a great race! I can't wait for next year...I just hope it's a bit warmer.

Winter Running

It's cold! It's not suppose to get this cold in South Carolina. The thermometer read 32° yesterday but it felt like of 26°. To make matters worse the wind was around 10 mph with 15-25 mph gusts. I braved the cold temperatures and wind and went on my first real cold run of the season. Yes, it sucked. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. It was brutal, lung burning, butt freezing, face numbing cold. I seriously regretted my decision after just 1 mile when I went from being comfortable chilly (as the "experts" always claim you should feel at the start to avoid overdressing) to downright cold (apparently I don't produce that much heat when I run so if I'm chilly at the start, I'll be cold at the end). I had on tights, fleece pants, long sleve tech tee, fleece jacket, two pairs of gloves, two pairs of socks, a headband and scarf and still got cold. And yes, they were all moisture wicking.

After about 2 miles, I finally started to feel my fingers again and shed one pair of gloves but my legs kept getting colder as they always tend to do during sub 40° runs and my pace slowed to a crawl. Jogging uphill became impossible as breathing heavily in the cold wind became painful. After mile 3, I had no energy left and was pretty much jogging slower than my walking pace. That was it. I had enough and cut my 5 mile run short. I headed back inside the warmth of my 70° house. Took a hot shower to thaw out my legs and face so I could feel them again.

I'm still not sure about this winter running, it's going to take some time to get used to. I don't find it fun while I'm out there and only can come to appreciate it after I'm back inside and warm again and say "Yea, I ran today. The cold weather didn't stop me".

Oh and now my Saturday 5K. The forecast is a high of 31°, low of 16° and windy. Great! I can't wait! (saying with sarcasm). If I set a new PR, it's only because I'm racing to get back in my car and turn the heater on!

2010 Running Goals

Well 2009 was my first year of running, well 8 months considering I started in April. I stuck with it and didn't give up even though at times I wanted to. So it's a new year and with that comes new goals.

1. Sub 30 min 5K - Right now my PR is 33:57 for a race and 32:37 in training. 
   
2. Reedy River Run 10K - This will be my first 10K road race. I did an 8K on November 21st and finished in 53:56 so I hope to finish a 10K under 70 mins.
3. Greer Half Marathon - I'm still scared about this one as my longest run so far is 1 hour or 5.5 miles. I feel confident I can finish as long as I go with the run/walk approach on all my long runs. Time is not important.
   
4. To run 700 miles this year.