Greg Runs

2010 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Race Report

2010-10-10T19:54:00.006-05:00

I did it. I finally broke the four hour barrier and smashed my pr to smithereens. I am so happy. I trained hard this summer for this race. I lost lots of weight. I stressed in the last month about my injuries that I thought would take me out of the race. But all the stars aligned just right for an awesome Twin Cities Marathon!

The weekend was amazing from the start. We arrived at the Holiday Inn around 10:00 in evening on Friday and unwound in the room with a glass of wine. On Saturday morning I lounged in bed while Lisa went down to the capitol to watch our friends Rebecca and her son finish the 10K. Afterwards we met up in the hotel restaurant for a late breakfast. The restaurant service left a lot to be desired. It was more than an hour before we were served. I don't know why they don't plan for having cooks there on the weekend. Anyway, we finally ate. I had some oatmeal and a poached egg.

After breakfast Lisa, Spencer and I headed across the street to the Xcel center to pick up my race packet. The TCM has a pretty darn good expo and we did spend an hour or so passing by all the booths. We didn't want to stay too long because Saturday was the day we planned to go to the Mall of America. Lisa and Spencer picked up some free ride tickets for the amusement park there during the 10k race and Spencer was anxious to get going. After relaxing for a little be we headed on over to MOA. Spencer lucked out and one of his ticket coupons was good for 100 tickets which set him up for free rides the entire day. While Spencer and Lisa were having fun in the amusement park I had to spend some time doing some reading for work so I parked myself on a comfy chair across from the Apple Store. We also had a genius bar appointment to look at Spencer's ipod touch. Turns out it was broken and they replaced it on the spot.

We met up with our friends and looked for some dinner. We ended up at Bubba Gumps in the MOA. Since we waited so long for a table they actually ordered appetizers for us for free and they were delivered to the table as soon as we sat down. The service was night and day compared to breakfast at the hotel. I tried to eat light and had salmon with some pasta and vegetables. I did drink a bit of wine. Ok, a bottle of wine. But that is not unusual for me. We got back to the hotel around 9:00 and I went straight to bed.

Sunday morning at 4:45 am my ipod alarm went off. I slept really well - better than I had in a while. I felt rested and ready for the race. My back felt great and my foot had no pain at all. I had a banana and a south beach protein bar for breakfast and started to wake my body up. I checked the weather - 36 degrees with sunshine and a high in the low 60's expected. What a perfect day for a race! At about 5:45 I laced up my shoes and headed on over to the Crown Plaza to catch the bus to Minneapolis. I arrived at the Metrodome at about 6:15. Plenty of time to hit the bathrooms about 6 times before the race. I don't know what it is but my bladder tends to be overactive before every race. Since I usually end up having to use the facilities in the beginning after a race starts I tried to line up at the portapotties just prior to the start.

At 7:45 I was still looking ahead at a long line waiting. People were getting antsy and it was getting close to start time. People were cheering on the pee-ers. I finally made it into the john and out with just a few minutes to spare. I sprinted on over to the starting corral (number 2 for me). It was so crowded with thousands of people. As I was pushing my way forward I bumped into a friend from Washington, DC. Funny that I bumped into him in almost exactly the same spot at last year's race. Completely unexpected. Anyway, I was way in the back and I wanted to start closer to the beginning of the corral so I jumped over the fence onto the sidewalk and made my way forward. I jumped back into the crowded chute near the 4:30 pacer thinking I was further ahead but the gun was going off and I had no more time to find my place. And then I was off.

The start was great! I was feeling really strong and it was nice and cool out. My plan was to start out at about an 8:45 pace and see how I felt midway through the race. But with my hectic start I wanted to get up near the 4:00 pacer so I could gauge my run a little better. So I started out fast the first mile passing everyone I could. I edged my way forward and at about the 1 mile mark I saw the balloons for my target. I quickly caught up to the pacer and told him the rules - he was not allowed to pass me during the race. The adrenalin was pumping and the first mile was faster than I planned (7:50 pace). My Garmin was about 0.1 miles short of the 1 mile marker and about .25 miles short by the end of the race. Anyway, after that first mile I eased my pace down to a more comfortable one and continued ahead of the pacer. As it turns out I never saw him again.

Running through Minneapolis was gorgeous. I was feeling really good int hose first few miles through the city. There was good crowd support and I was going at a good pace (mile 2 - 8:47, mile 3 - 9:03). Once south of the city and getting into the residential and lakes areas I started to focus more on keeping a consistent pace. I did REALLY well on this race with miles betweein 8:30-8:45 all the way up through mile 18. I was feeling good on the gentle hills and enjoyed Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. And the people racing were as awesome as the crowds cheering us on. Around mile 5 I talked to a gentleman who was running his 73rd marathon. His 13 year old daughter is going to run with on when she turns 18 and he plans that to be his 100th race. How inspiring is that? And then there was the Cherry and Spoon lady. Yes, someone was running in a Cherry and Spoon costume. You know the famous cherry and spoon sculpture in Minneapolis. It turns out she wasn't even from here. She works and is going to school in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I thought it was great she was celebrating Minneapolis art this way. I ran near her for most of the race until the last 6 miles or so when she pulled ahead of me.

I have to say I felt pretty darn good during this race. I did start to feel some aches in my left hip around mile 12 but it was minor. I was going strong and did not slow down until mile 18 or so. As a matter of fact I never slowed down to a walk until somewhere in mile 18 - the longest I have ever run non-stop. When I did I thought my legs would fail. I didn't realize what different muscles you use when walking and it was clear they were going to sleep on me. I was starting to feel the fatigue but I kept going. Mile 19 my pace slowed a little bit to 8:54 and after that I could no longer maintain a pace less than 9 minutes. I was starting to feel my quads pretty bad when I passed the wall at mile 20 (9:20 pace). At this time I knew I would probably make my 4 hour goal but I didn't want to let up. But I was beginning to really tire and had to walk a bit through the water stops. I focussed on trying to maintain a 9:30 pace and used the inspiration from the Wall at 20 miles to speed up a little bit.

Mile 21 - 9:17, Mile 22 - 9:35, Mile 23 - 9:45. I was trying to tell myself that it was only a few more miles but my energy was draining fast and my muscles were screaming at me - "What more do you want from us?" I pushed onward and pulled out a 9:31 pace for mile 24 and it was then that I really hit the wall. My right quad started cramping. I slowed to a walk for a brief moment to try to stretch it out and then I sped back up. I gritted my teeth and ran through the pain and managed to push through mile 25 at a 9:55 pace. I kept telling myself - don't slip past a 10 minute mile! Keep going. You're almost done!. I should say there are a lot of hills from mile 20 to 26 and I was proud of myself for keeping it going through the pain. I was starting to feel something in my left foot around mile 21 and that was getting worse too. I was afraid to look.

The last mile was awesome. I dug down really deep and pushed all the pain out of my mind. I managed to push through mile 26 at a faster 9:27 pace and when I came up the hill and rounded the corner by the cathedral I knew I had this one in the bag. I looked downhill to the finish and started sprinting. As I was coming down to the finish chute I saw my wife and son there cheering me on. I looked up and saw the clock above the finish line - 3:59:53 . . .3:59:54 . . . 3:59:55 . . . I pushed harder and crossed the line just as it showed 4:00:00. What a finish! I did it. I made my goal. My official chip time was 3:55:35 - a new PR for me. I don't think it gets better than this.

Later in the hotel when I took my shoes off I found out why my foot was starting to hurt. I had one big blister. Fortunately it was just a sack of fluid and it really wasn't too torn up. As a matter of fact there was no pain after a couple hours. It was worth it!

I'm back!

2010-09-19T20:41:00.002-05:00

Good news - I'm back on the road and have resumed my training. I did a quick 4.4 miles yesterday and the foot felt fine. So I did my scheduled 12 miles this morning at a 9:00 pace. The foot feels great. I think I am good to go! YAY! TCM here I come!

The verdict - no stress fracture, just stress

2010-09-15T11:04:00.003-05:00

Great news - I do not have a stress fracture. There is a small spot on my foot that looks like some stress on the cuboid bones. I was literally on the verge of a stress fracture but it didn't go that far. Word to the wise - pay attention to pain and listen to your body. I will be cross training this week. My plan is to try to ramp up running next week slowly and then taper to the race. Hopefully I can still eek out a sub-4:00 marathon. I'm asking for a lot but I am hopeful.

The PR that wasn't

2010-09-11T08:20:00.003-05:00

Well, the Dick Beardsley half marathon just started a few minutes ago. It is an absolutely perfect day for a race - 53 degrees and beautiful blue skies. I have been training all summer and am in better conditioning than ever before. I was hoping to run a new PR today in Detroit Lakes. But here I am sitting at home sulking because of my damn foot. It still hurts. It hurts to walk. I know I can't run on it, though I was so tempted to go anyway. I think I will go crazy if I have to lay off the running for long. *sigh*

Dammit!

2010-09-09T10:06:00.002-05:00

After a really great 12 mile run on sunday and a 5 mile run on Monday, I was feeling great. I was looking forward to a new PR at the Dick Beardsley half marathon this Saturday and blowing away my marathon PR in the Twin Cities next month. But all that may be lost. My right foot has been aching for the last couple of days. I went to the clinic this morning and the Doc thinks a stress fracture is most likely in the cuboid bones. I have a bone scan scheduled for Tuesday and will find out the results on Wednesday. Looks like no more running for me in 2010.

Fitness and Training

2010-09-01T21:44:00.006-05:00

It's only a month until the Twin Cities marathon. I completed my 4th 20 mile run last Sunday. Training has been going really really well. You can see from my 8 mile run this morning (details below) that my pace is improving. Most importantly my heart rate is remaining lower. It used to jump up to about 175 or so when I was pushing this hard but now I can barely break 160. I think the chances of me blowing away my PR next month are very good. I have the Dick Beardsley half marathon on September 11 and I'm looking forward to a fast time.

Type	Distance	Time	Total Time	Pace	Avg HR	Max HR
Intervals (GPS Interval)
Interval				8:54	133	145
Interval	1 Mi	7:54.21	16:47.34	7:55	146	153
Interval	1 Mi	7:57.28	24:44.62	7:58	147	156
Interval	1 Mi	7:55.03	32:39.65	7:56	144	157
Interval	1 Mi	7:54.82	40:34.47	7:55	153	160
Interval	1 Mi	7:55.45	48:29.92	7:56	155	158
Interval	1 Mi	7:36.06	56:05.98	7:37	155	161
Interval	1 Mi	8:03.14	1:04:09.12	8:04	153	158
Interval	0.02 Mi	0:09.59	1:04:18.71	8:00	157	158

On the fitness front I have been working out a lot and really building my core. I feel a lot stronger and tighter though my weight loss has slowed significantly in the last month. I'm now down to about 215 pounds and I don't know if I'll hit 200 before the marathon. But that's ok. My body is still shrinking and I'm building muscle.

Effortless Running

2010-08-05T14:23:00.002-05:00

What a difference a month makes. My training has been improving so much and in the last week or so my body has just exploded with energy. A couple weeks ago I did my first 20 mile run of the year. It went great. I was able to complete the 20 miles and still had some gas in the tank. Last weekend I took time off of running and focussed more on strength and core training. This has done wonders for me this week. My times have improved and my energy levels are through the roof.

This morning I had a great run. The weather was perfect - 65 degrees, low humidity and a nice easy breeze. I planned to do a relatively easy 10 miles at a 9:00 min pace but I just couldn't slow my body down. I tried but I just settled into an 8:30 min/mile groove that carried me through all ten miles and change. It felt great. I am planning to do another 10 mile run on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday. If I feel good I'll go even further. This will be my highest mileage week for the year.

Type	Distance	Time	Total Time	Pace	Avg HR	Max HR
Intervals (GPS Interval)
Interval	1 Mi	8:43.58	8:43.58	8:44	133	145
Interval	1 Mi	8:46.42	17:30.00	8:47	141	146
Interval	1 Mi	8:40.06	26:10.06	8:41	145	151
Interval	1 Mi	8:27.81	34:37.87	8:28	150	154
Interval	1 Mi	8:25.64	43:03.51	8:26	151	157
Interval	1 Mi	8:23.14	51:26.65	8:24	154	160
Interval	1 Mi	8:30.2	59:56.85	8:31	157	160
Interval	1 Mi	8:23.13	1:08:19.98	8:24	158	161
Interval	1 Mi	8:29.36	1:16:49.34	8:30	151	159
Interval	1 Mi	8:29.78	1:25:19.12	8:30	158	162
Interval	0.25 Mi	2:06.23	1:27:25.35	8:25	163	165

MSUM 4th of July 10K

2010-07-04T10:12:00.005-05:00

I got it done. It wasn't a perfect race by any means but I am overall pretty happy with my performance.

I finished in 51:33. I had a goal to beat my PR of 48:48 but it wasn't to be. The first half was right on target at an 8:00 pace but I had a bit of stomach distress in the second half and I was fatigued. It could have been the fact that I ate a banana and a gu gel before the race or it could have been all of the wine I drank last night. I also had a bit of a cough which didn't help the breathing at all. Anyway, here is how it shook out. Here is the breakdown according to my garmin 405. I'll update with the official stats once they publish the results.

An easy 5?

2010-07-03T10:40:00.003-05:00

I am really looking forward to the 4th of July 10K race tomorrow at MSUM. I thought I would get out for a nice easy 5 miles today. But as you can see, the oppressive heat and humidity has reared it's ugly head. I did get 5.4 miles done but it was a very very sweaty 5. My pace slowed throughout but I finished with a 9:44 average.

I snapped a photo when I got back. I ran shirtless today. I am happy that I finally feel comfortable enough to run without a shirt. I know I ain't pretty, but I'm working on my body. The slobs passing me in their pickups, chewing on their big macs, yapping on their cell phones and laughing at ME can just go to hell. I don't care any more. If you don't like what you see, don't look.

it's a HIIT

2010-06-26T14:37:00.004-05:00

Yes, I'm talking about high intensity interval training. I tried to do a little bit of HIIT on the treadmill a couple months ago. I have never really incorporated HIIT into my training routines but I know there are lots of benefits to it including greater fat burning and increased performance. I want to increase my speed for the Twin Cities marathon in October.

Well, since the last time I did any HIIT I've dropped a lot of weight and I've worked on increasing my core strength and upper body strength. A thunderstorm rolled in this morning thwarting my plans to go for a run outside so I headed to the gym. I spent about a half hour working my shoulders and back. I decided to give HIIT another try so I jumped onto the treadmill. To say I was shocked at how readily able I was to do HIIT without dying is an understatement. After a few minutes warmup I set my intervals to run at a 9.5 mph pace for the high intensity and 4 mph walk for the recovery interval. Before I could barely do this for 1 minute at high intensity (or less) followed by 3-4 minutes recovery walking. When I hit my first high intensity interval, it seemed too easy! I managed to run fast for the full minute I planned. When I dropped down to the recovery speed it was too slow so I upped it to a 6.0 mph jog. I managed to keep this up for 30 minutes alternating 1 minute high intensity followed by 2 minutes of recovery jogging. At the end I was sweaty and tired but I felt I could actually do more. Next time I'll go longer.

Weight Loss Progress

2010-06-15T16:17:00.002-05:00

It is about time I updated you on my progress. I have been increasing my miles, increasing my speed and working out at the gym a lot. I have moved up from 20 pound weights for my bicep curls to 35 pounds and from 30 pound dumbells for chest presses to 55 pounds. I generally work my upper body and back 3 times a week. I have dropped from about 265 pounds to below 227 pounds as of this morning. The progress definitely shows! Take a look.

Weight Loss Update

2010-05-25T08:05:00.002-05:00

It's been about nine weeks since I refocused my eating and exercise and it is paying off with big time results! I have dutifully tracked every calorie, good and bad, on fitday.com. I have resisted temptation and have eaten cleanly for the last two months. And I am happy with the results! over 30 pounds have melted away. My clothes fit better and I feel much stronger. My running has been improving and I am on top of the world. I have a ways to go but it is so encouraging to finally be back on track.

Ten point Two

2010-05-08T14:46:00.003-05:00

Whew! Nice run today. It was a gorgeous sunny day but still a cool 45 degrees. Perfect running weather. I was thinking I might feel good to go 10 miles today and I was right. Feels great.

Turkey Trot

2010-05-04T07:52:00.002-05:00

I had an AWESOME 4.1 mile run this morning in the cool 40 degree weather with the sun just rising on the horizon. I ran into some wild turkeys in the cemetery by the river strutting their stuff with full plumage. A great way to start the day. My weight continues to drop and I am so proud of myself for not pigging out on pizza at my meeting last night. I had only one piece and managed to keep yesterday's calories below 1500. Today I can eat more as I ran this morning and I'm heading to the gym this afternoon.

I am stoked for the marathon in October! My official 18 week training schedule starts May 31. I'm ahead of the game. I will be 4o pounds lighter before the marathon! Looking forward to an awesome PR.

Back in the marathon training saddle

2010-05-01T15:13:00.002-05:00

I signed up for the Twin Cities marathon, October 3. I know now that my commitment to my diet and activity will let me do well by October. I plan for a PR - a sub 4 marathon. I know I can do it.

Speaking of training, I input all my training runs for my 18 week Hal Higdon Intermediate II training plan into my calendar. This starts in a few short weeks. Today I did get out for a wonderful 8.6 miles in the cool drizzle.

Making Progress

2010-04-26T08:37:00.005-05:00

Well, it did take me a little while to really get started but I have been making progress. Since my post in January, I didn't really get serious until the end of March. But since then I have dutifully tracked every calorie and increased my activity. I am going to the gym about 5 days a week to do free weights and cardio on the elliptical machine. I'm also gearing up my running and have been able to manage long runs over 10 miles for each of the last 3 weekends.

The thing about losing weight is that it really is about calorie balance - what you eat vs what you burn. And it's a simple formula. You have to burn about 3500 more calories than you eat every week to lose one pound a week. I've managed to maintain about and average 1300 calorie deficit for the last four weeks and it is showing the exact results one would expect with the math. I have lost about 3 pounds a week.

Compared to my photos from January, you can definitely see the difference1 2 pounds makes.

First run of 2010

2010-01-10T13:22:00.002-06:00

Today is almost 40 degrees warmer than yesterday. Yes, it's true. Above zero feels like a heat wave after the last couple weeks. Anyway, I did it. I got my feet into my shoes and got out the door for a very nice 3.4 miles in the sunshine. It's been more than a month and the body can feel it. The joints are stiff and the muscles are complaining but it feels so good to be back in the saddle.

Time to be accountable

2010-01-08T15:54:00.003-06:00

It's a new year and here I am at a place I never thought I would see myself at again. Even with two marathons and several other half marathons in 2009 I seem to have used every excuse in the book to slack off. And look where it has gotten me! I've gained 40 pounds over the last couple of years! That is half the weight I lost in 2002/2003. I have no one to blame but myself. I realize that I gained weight during training for every one of the 5 marathons I have run in the last couple years. Running gave me an excuse to overeat. I stopped tracking my calories and keeping the carbs in check. Well, it's time to face the mirror. That's why I have my pictures below. I need to see what everyone else is seeing.

It isn't pretty and I feel terrible. Time to change things. Even though it is below zero outside I have to get my feet back into my running shoes and my fat ass back out on the streets. I haven't run in more than a month. Today starts a new day and a new attitude. I started back on fitday to track my calories and I will be out the door first thing tomorrow morning.

Wish me luck.

Running Helps your joints - even as you age

2009-03-23T10:35:00.002-05:00

A new study shows that healthy runners do not harm their joints as they age. One can keep running into their 70's and 80's.

Of course, as with anything, moderation is key. You don't want to run with pain or when injured.

From CNN:

"Moderate [running], three to five miles at a time, three times a week will actually help your joints to be more resilient and function a little bit better," says Dr. Amadeus Mason at Emory Sports Medicine Center in Atlanta, Georgia. But he stresses that keeping the joints healthy in the first place may be the key to running longevity.

That includes not running through pain, and resting if you have an injury, something Tuttle takes seriously. "I try to rest maybe if I'm having some specific pain that seems to be over a couple of days," she says.

Spring running update

2009-03-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

Hello poor neglected blog. The slacker is back. After a nice 5.4 miles yesterday I was so energized for an 8+ mile run today. It felt great! Of course spring has sprung and that helps. It was the first time I've been able to wear shorts as it was a balmy 45 degrees. I ran close to the rising Red River and was amazed at all the dike building going on. We're just waiting for the flood waters to flow. After my run I had one of my favorite post run smoothies - blueberry, peanut butter, ovaltine and protein.

Oh, I should add I just signed up for the Fargo Half Marathon on May 9. WOOHOO!

Where is spring?

2009-02-28T12:03:00.002-06:00

It's been a long cold winter and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. I can say that the cold is not the only thing hampering my running but it certainly is a good excuse. Never the less, I made it out the door this morning for a nice chilly -8 °F run. My first run in a few weeks. I hope spring comes soon.

Year End Run

2008-12-31T13:41:00.006-06:00

What better for the end of the year than record snowfall (the most snow in one month ever) along with cold temperatures. This morning it was -20F and the wind was blowing. But it was nice and sunny. I went out for an exhilarating 4.3 mile run today. Last run of the year.

That brings me to my 2008 totals. Not quite as high as I wanted, but not too bad.

1175.8 miles in 183:09:58

After Thanksgiving Run

2008-11-28T13:10:00.001-06:00

I didn't do any Turkey Trots this year. But I did get in a very nice 5.7 mile run on a gorgeous sunny Black Friday. No shopping for me.

Never too Late - My Twin Cities Marathon Report

2008-11-25T06:57:00.003-06:00

Such as it is, here is my report from the Oct 5 Twin Cities Marathon.

I was rock steady all the way through with my goal and ended with a 4:31:23. Not bad considering I was under trained, overweight and coming off of a PF injury.

It was very crowded in the beginning and my starting 5K was a little slower than expected.

The weather was cloudy at the start but was pouring buckets by mile 2. This lasted until about mile 10 or so. At some points the water was coming down so fast the streets were filling up like rivers and we had to do some diversions around flooded areas.

The last half it dried up and was perfectly cool and cloud covered.

Much different from the 85+ from last year where I saw tons of people on the sidelines getting IV's.

I was really happy that I didn't have to walk the 2 mile hill from mile 21 to 23. I was feeling sore but strong at that point and managed to keep on pace pretty well.

If you've never run the TC before, you should. The course is absolutely gorgeous and there were people cheering every inch of the way. Even in the pouring rain. The best part is the finish in St. Paul. You come around a corner by the famous cathedral there and it's a straight downhill 0.4 miles to the finish at the capitol. That section was my fastest pace of the race.

One cool thing - as I was running along around mile 23 I heard someone call out my name. Turns out someone had seen one of my posts on Runnersworld where he saw a picture of my race shirt and read my blog. Small world.

Statistics:

BIB: 5134
Overall Place: 5217 out of 7979
Division Place: 615 our of 784
Gender Place: 3468 out of 4806
Time: 4:38:48
Chip Time: 4:31:23
5K: 33:11
10K: 1:04:39
half: 2:15:20
30K: 3:12:32
20 mile: 3:26:00

Marathon Time

2008-10-04T17:46:00.001-05:00

Hello long forgotten blog. I know I've been away for a while but I'm back and the Twin Cities Marathon is tomorrow morning. Looks like rain for the race which is just fine with me. No sun please.

Training update: My PF has been resolved now for a couple of weeks. I did get in a very nice 21 mile run two weeks ago and the taper has been solid. I should have no problems finishing the race tomorrow. I have a very conservative goal of 4:30. I am still more overweight than I would like which will slow me down.

You all can track me live tomorrow at the MTRACK website.

I'll be back with my race report later.

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon

2008-09-07T07:50:00.002-05:00

Ok, I am pretty happy with my performance considering. I had several goals:

Finish the race without destroying my foot. CHECK
Finish the race in under two hours. CHECK
Have fun. CHECK

Here's the numbers according to my garmin . . . pretty consistent until the end.

06-Sep-08 at 08:37:16AM 13.27 01:56:46
Lap 1 at 08:46:05AM 1.00 8:48
Lap 2 at 08:55:05AM 1.00 9:00
Lap 3 at 09:03:54AM 1.00 8:49
Lap 4 at 09:12:33AM 1.00 8:39
Lap 5 at 09:21:11AM 1.00 8:38
Lap 6 at 09:29:45AM 1.00 8:34
Lap 7 at 09:38:23AM 1.00 8:38
Lap 8 at 09:47:06AM 1.00 8:43
Lap 9 at 09:55:42AM 1.00 8:36
Lap 10 at 10:04:38AM 1.00 8:56
Lap 11 at 10:13:38AM 1.00 9:00
Lap 12 at 10:22:57AM 1.00 9:19
Lap 13 at 10:31:54AM 1.00 8:57
Finish at 10:34:02AM 0.26 2:08

I almost missed the start of the race. Packet pickup was crowded - I think they had record participation this year. I went off in search of an out of the way bathroom before the race. I was quite a ways away from the start when I saw all the runners take off. I sprinted to the start and crossed the starting mats in the middle of spectators following behind the runners. I think I was one of the last to start. Of course that made me try to sprint at the start of the race. But after about half a mile of catching up with the pack I began to hold back a little bit.

My heel was feeling pretty good. Only a vague dull pain, not the sharp biting pain I had been feeling the last couple weeks. I was passing everyone at the back of the pack for most of the race. My goal was to beat the two hour clock and I was doing well. My pace didn't start to slip until after mile 10. I wish I could blame it all on my foot but the reality is my foot was not that bad. I was babying it a little bit but the slowdown in miles 11 and 12 was because I was feeling tired. I knew my training was not up to snuff and that was obvious in miles 11 and 12. I did drop down to walk some at the water stations. Fortunately I was ahead of my goal pace so I didn't let it worry me. Better to save my feet and my body for the upcoming marathon.

Overall I am real happy.

From onlineraceresults.com:

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon
Half Marathon

September 6, 2008 - Detroit Lakes, MN
Summary
number of finishers: 832
number of females: 385
number of males: 441
average time: 2:01:00

Gregory Cook
bib number: 117
age: 42
gender: M
location: Fargo, MN
overall place: 371 out of 832
division place: 39 out of 65
gender place: 268 out of 441
time: 1:56:45
pace: 8:55
guntime: 1:58:33
half split : 57:04

Here I go

2008-09-06T05:51:00.002-05:00

I'm about to head on over to Detroit Lakes for the Dick Beardsley Half Marathon. It's a fun race on a very pleasant course around the lake. My foot feels pretty good. I've popped a couple of ibuprofen. Should be a gorgeous day - 50 degrees and sunshine. This will probably be my slowest half marathon to date but I will enjoy it. Wish me luck.

Off the sideline and back on my feet

2008-09-04T10:26:00.003-05:00

I think the orthotics and the cortisone are working. Although my foot is still sore it is not nearly as painful as it was before. Yesterday I tested the waters on the dreadmill with an easy 3 miles. My foot felt pretty good and the pain did not worsen after the workout. So I went out for a very nice 5.5 miles this morning. A gorgeous morning - crisp and cool. My favorite weather for running. It felt great and the foot does not seem to be getting worse. It's not 100% but I'm so happy it's not worsening after running. I think I'll be able to get through my half marathon this weekend.

Confirmed - PF

2008-09-03T06:18:00.002-05:00

I got in to see a podiatrist yesterday afternoon who confirmed I have PF. He gave me a shot of cortisone and some orthotics. Let's see if it will help. So far my foot is still pretty sore. I'm going to try some cross training this week and try my half marathon this weekend. Wish me luck.

Sidelined

2008-09-02T13:38:00.003-05:00

So much for increasing my mileage. I have been almost completely sidelined by heel pain. I suspect planters fasciitis so I've been resting, icing and stretching for a while. I made a mistake of going out on Saturday for an 8 mile run. I could hardly walk for two days afterwards. I'm worried about my upcoming races and hope I will be able to participate. I'm heading to the podiatrist this afternoon so we'll see what he says. Wish me luck.

Time to get serious

2008-08-25T14:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I am behind in my training. But I did get in over 40 miles this past week. All in three long runs. Yesterday I did my longest run to date - 19 miles. I should have had a 20 under my belt a couple weeks ago. All this traveling and eating has left me bloated and not ready for the Twin Cities in October. So, I have decided that I probably will not make a PR on this upcoming race. But, if I want to finish feeling good, without injury, I've got to get more serious about my training. Time to kick it up a notch. Perhaps this blog will make me more accountable. Here's my training plan for this week:

Tuesday, 5 miles

Wednesday, 10 miles

Thursday, 5 miles

Friday, rest

Saturday, 10 miles

Sunday, 20 miles

Let the serious running begin.

Sheer Neglect

2008-08-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

Talk about a neglected blog. I really need to get committed to doing something more here.

Time - it's all about time. I have none. And I've been traveling quite a bit. This has been both good and bad for my training. Good in the sense that I have managed to run in many new places from Yellowstone to the Black Hills to Washington, DC. Bad, though, because I haven't been able to lose weight and I'm behind in my training for the Twin Cities.

I did manage to get in a long run yesterday - 15.5 miles. Not the 19-20 I should have done. I'm pretty sore today which tells me I am undertrained. I have to find time to ramp things back up. But, alas, I'm off next week to yet another big city. No long run for me probably.

MSUM 4th of July 10K

2008-07-04T10:27:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful day for a race. The air was clean and clear and the temperature was around 58 °F at the start of the race. I made my way over to the track on the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead around 7:30 to pick up my bib. After stretching a little bit and warming up I lined up at the start. This was a chip timed race but they didn't have starting mats, 0nly finishing mats. So, your time is based on the gun no matter where you start in line. Fortunately this race is rather small with about 250 people, so it wasn't a big deal. I was about 1/3 of the way back from the start - maybe 15 yards. My goal was to finish in less than 50 minutes. I made my 10K PR of 48:48 on this out and back course in 2006 but I am a little bit heavier now than I was back then, so I didn't expect to beat that this time.

The gun went off right at 8:00 taking me by surprise a little bit. I sprinted out of the starting gate west along 6th Avenue. I was feeling really good and established a consistent fast pace right from the get go. West for half a mile or so, a turn to the left for a few blocks and then back east on 9th Avenue got me to the 1 mile mark in 7:42. I felt a twinge in my knee but it quickly disappeared and it was fine for the rest of the race. We came up to 20th street and at about 1.5 miles and I was still feeling great. My pace stayed pretty much the same but my heart rate was climbing over 170.

I turned south on 20th Street and hit the 2 mile mark with a 7:49 mile. Slipping just a bit but still within my goals. The course went another mile south where we turned around to follow the bike path back north. Mile 3 was a little bit slower - 8:04. I was starting to feel the fatigue at the half way point and I was thinking - "This would be great if it were a 5K race!" But I dug down deep and pulled it out from within. Mile 4 - 7:55 YES! Mile 5 - 8:02 - Ok . . Hold ON! You're almost there. Mile 6 - I had to let up just a little bit. My slowest mile of the race was the last mile 8:12. I could see the end in sight and when I came around the corner and turned into the Nemzek field I let it all out and finished strong. My official time - 49:43. Not bad. Made my goal but not a new PR. I was happy with my race.

A week after

2008-06-21T12:56:00.003-05:00

And I'm feeling great. I just got in a very nice 9 mile run this morning. I started back up with a nice 4 miler on Thursday, upped that to 6 yesterday. The weather has been fantastic around here albeit a bit warm for running. Anything above 70 and I'm dying. But, the mornings have still been cool and comfortable. I'm really trying to cut my weight before the Twin Cities marathon in October. I have been very good about my eating over the last week and didn't drink any wine during the week. I've lost at least four pounds this week in a combination of water and fat.

Manitoba Magic

2008-06-16T21:48:00.009-05:00

WOOHOO!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect race. Everything about it was fantastic. I felt great, the weather was ideal and I ran the best I ever have. It must be that Manitoba Magic. Last year on father's day I ran the half marathon in Winnipeg and got my half PR of 1:47:31. The magic was back with me in 2008 for the full. I smashed, and I mean really smashed, my PR from Fargo last month by more than 20 minutes! I have been flying above cloud nine ever since.

Friday we spent a leisurely day driving up to Winnipeg. I actually drove slowly keeping my speed under 60 mph. As a result I got about 25% better gas mileage than if I was driving my normal 80 all the way. Over the course of the trip this would work out to an extra 100 miles worth of gas I saved. Anyway, more about my hypermiling exploits later. Let's talk about the weekend. We arrived a little after 5:00 pm and decided to just relax in the hotel. We got some take out and hung out in the room. Got to bed by 10:00 pm.

Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast in the hotel. About 10:30 we drove out to the University of Manitoba to pick up my bib. Much nicer pick up location than where it was last year out by the airport. The only lame thing about this marathon is the expo. There just wasn't much there. Very small. But it was ok. We got through every booth in about 10 minutes. The other thing on our agenda for Saturday was to tour the Royal Canadian Mint. We spent a few hours wandering around and enjoying a coin show that was going on at the mint. Lunch was a grilled smokie from the lunch cart. Pretty tasty, actually. Later in the afternoon we spent a couple hours in the hotel pool. Around 5:30 we headed over to Mona Lisa for dinner. This is an Italian restaurant in Winnipeg with a great reputation and it lived up to it. I had a pasta dish with chicken and a cream sauce that was out of this world. Early dinner and in bed by 9:00 was my plan and I stuck to it.

Sunday - Race day - 4:15 am I get out of bed. I ate my usual leftover pasta for breakfast along with some coffee and water. I checked the weather forecast and it was ideal - forecast for clouds and cool temperatures. It started at about 45 degrees at 5:00 am and rose to about 55 by the end of the race. The rain that had been looming on the horizon was going to hold off it looked like. At 5:30 we headed out the door to the University for the race start. On the way we were greeted with a double rainbow over the finish line full of promises of a great day.

Before the race started I was antsy, as usual. Lots of people were milling around and I had to go to the bathroom three times before the race started. Lines were not too long. I always get pre-race bladder shrinkage for some reason. Other than that I was feeling really good and was getting pretty excited to start the race. The sun was making a bit of an appearance through the clouds off and on. It was about 47 degrees with a very refreshing breeze.

One last drink of water before the race started and I was ready to go. At 6:45 the national anthem was sung. I kind of like Oh Canada. It sounds pretty good in French too. The wheelchair racers got off at 6:55 and then we were next. The start was on a divided street so they were able to load up two roads full of people. This actually was pretty nice as it wasn't quite as crowded as some other races I've been in.

7:00 am and the gun goes off. Remembering my dismal failure in Fargo after starting out too fast I took it conservatively at the beginning. My goal was for a 4:15 race but I still have that ultimate sub-4 bouncing around in the back of my head. So I started out with a plan to go out at about a 9:30 pace for a few miles then speed it up to around 9:00 or better, depending on how I was feeling. We started north on University Crescent Drive for one mile out to Pembina Highway. Right at the intersection there was a group of Japanese drummers that were just terrific. I hit the one mile mark at 9:23 - right on plan. Just before mile 2 we turned off of Pembina highway into a park along the river. Another 9:34 mile right on target. By this time I was looking for a porta potty for that darn small bladder. They were all taken so at about 2.5 I jumped into the woods. I still managed to eek out a 9:29 mile for mile 3 even with the pit stop. The next several miles were through some wonderful neighborhoods along the Red River. I was feeling terrific and ramped it up averaging about a 9:00 pace plus or minus 10 seconds. Back out onto Pembina Highway for a short stretch between miles 6 and 7. Just before the 7 mile mark we split off from the half marathoners and headed northwest along Harrow Street. I took my first Gu at the 7 mile aid station. Another very pretty section of the race was miles 8-12 on Wellington Crescent road along the Assiniboine river. We were going west to Assiniboine park to cross the river on the foot bridge. The street was lined with wonderful stately homes. There were some mats placed around 11.75 miles that I thought were in a strange location. The official results show the "first half" time but the mats were no where near the half way point. In any case my official "first half" was 1:48:32.

The highlight of my race (besides the finish) was meeting my son on the foot bridge. He ran across part of it with me which was absolutely fantastic. I was still feeling great and I told my wife as I passed that I was going fast and would be quicker than I anticipated. I guess she didn't hear me but more about that later.

After the foot bridge we turned east on Portage Avenue on the north side of Assiniboine river. At the half way point in the race I was thinking about how horrible I was feeling by this time in the Fargo race. I was completely out of energy and trying to figure out how I would finish the race. Night and day compared to here and now even though my half way time was just about spot on the same as it was in Fargo, about 2:01. I downed another Gu at the half although I was feeling no pain and felt stronger than ever. I didn't mention it before but I was also taking in lots of fluids and gatorade at all the aid stations. A mile or so after the half way point we turned off of Portage Toward the river. Between Miles 16 and 17 we passed in front of the government buildings downtown which was quite nice. The weather was still a mix of some sun and mostly clouds. We turned back south after crossing over to the east side of the Red river. I was managing to maintain a 9:00 pace more or less all the way through mile 18. I hadn't felt any fatigue or pain until now, but it was a good pain. I could tell my hips were taking a pounding but I was doing ok. Certainly fatigue was happening and it showed up in my time a bit but for the rest of the race I held a good 9:30 pace throughout. Somewhere around mile 20 or so a race official on a bike asked me how I was doing. I wonder if I was getting too focussed and looked out of it? I don't think so. Anyway, I told him I was doing terrific. He asked me what my goal was and I said it was 4:15 but that I was going to do better than that. He said I was way ahead of that and was on pace for a 4:08. That really pumped me up!

By mile 23 I was feeling the effects of the distance but there still was no wall for me to hit. I only briefly walked at two previous aid stations but I did take a few extra seconds at mile 23 which showed up in a 9:52 mile. Never the less, I was still fighting on. I approached Bishop Grandin Blvd and mile 24 thinking how wonderful it was to be running this race. I noticed that I was beginning to pass a lot of people. Even on the uphill side of the ramp I was going strong. Back onto University Crescent toward the stadium for the finish. That mile is called Irv's mile in memory of a long time Winnipeg running supporter. It was so sweet to be running Irv's mile still full of energy. I felt invincible. I was able to push out a 9:15 mile for Irv. Mile 26 and only 2 tenths to go. I was flying in at a faster pace than I had run the whole race. Just after I crossed the identifier mats at the entrance to the stadium I heard them announce my name. I swear I heard people cheering my name in the stands, but that was probably in my head. I was completely ecstatic when I crossed the finish line at 4:06:10. What a race! I couldn't believe how much I have improved in just one month.

I grabbed some water and a banana and headed out to find my family. They were no where to be found. I walked through the stands and around the stadium to see if they were still watching for me to come in. But I didn't find them. So, I hung out near the runners exit. About a half hour later they showed up. They were expecting me at 11:15 but I had come in early. To top it off they had gotten lost on the drive down, so were late. They missed the finish, but that's ok. As long as they were there to drive me back to the hotel.

I definitely learned lessons from the Fargo marathon and it paid off big time here in Winnipeg. I ran a smart race and didn't get carried away at the beginning. The other thing I did was make sure to drink plenty of water and gatorade along the way.

Here are the splits recorded by my garmin. I noticed an ever increasing difference in my mile laps and the course miles. By the end my garmin was about a half mile ahead. Never the less it shows how consistent I was running this race. I am more motivated than ever now to finish losing the excess pounds. I can only imagine how much better I'll run the Twin Cities in October with 30 pounds gone.

1 9:23 1.00
2 9:32 1.00
3 9:29 1.00
4 9:25 1.00
5 9:09 1.00
6 8:58 1.00
7 8:50 1.00
8 9:13 1.00
9 9:17 1.00
10 9:02 1.00
11 8:53 1.00
12 8:37 1.00
13 8:59 1.00
14 8:59 1.00
15 9:07 1.00
16 8:48 1.00
17 9:18 1.00
18 9:08 1.00
19 9:29 1.00
20 9:18 1.00
21 9:23 1.00
22 9:24 1.00
23 9:52 1.00
24 9:26 1.00
25 9:36 1.00
26 9:15 1.00
27 6:08 0.69

Overall 353/773 Males 299/554 Division (40-44) 51/88
Final Time 4:06:10 Pace (km) 5:52
First Half 1:48:32 Second Half 2:17:39

Marathon Preparation

2008-06-15T05:01:00.002-05:00

It's 5 am and I've been up for about 45 minutes. It looks like the weather will be perfect for a race today. Overcast skies, cool temperatures and the rain will hold off making for a nice day. I've already eaten leftover pasta for breakfast. I'll start getting dressed here in a few minutes and head on over to the University of Manitoba around 5:30. I'll see you on the other side.

La la run

2008-06-07T11:40:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had one of those runs where you just didn't feel like you were connected to it? Like you were in another place and the run was just happening? That happened to me this morning. I went out for a nice 5.8 mile run this morning. It was a gorgeous morning with the sun streaming through the trees and a cool breeze blowing to take the edge off the humid air. Should have been perfect. But as I was running I just didn't feel like I was connected to my body. It was going through the motions just fine but it was like someone else's body. It kind of reminds me of Jill Bolte Taylor's description of her mind going to la la land while she was having a stroke. One of the strangest runs I've had in a while. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Well, I haven't posted since the marathon and I wanted to update you all on my training. It's only one more week to the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg and I've been able to quickly jump back into training after Fargo. As you can see from my training graph I did a reverse taper for two weeks hitting another 20 mile training run. I'm now tapering down until the race. Well, taper is to mild of a word. I didn't run at all during the week last week due to work and stormy weather. But this weekend is beautiful and I'm getting in my weekend runs. I'll do a little more running during the week, easy 4 milers I think, and then give it my best on Father's day.

2008 Fargo Marathon

2008-05-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

It was a bittersweet race for me. I did get a PR but it was no where near my goal. My garmin says 4:26:06 (4:26:02 official). Regardless, I'm still happy. I know what to do differently next month in Winnipeg.

Here are some highlights.

8:00 am - pretty calm winds, temp of 50 degrees. PERFECT. I started out with the 4 hour pacer. The beginning of the race was fantastic, but the pacer was going too fast. between 8:30 and 8:45 for most of the first 10K. In hindsight, this was my downfall. By around 9 miles I started to slow, he pulled ahead of me and I lost him. Winds were picking up too. I was still feeling ok and hit the half way point right on track at around 2 hours. Then I started to go downhill. I lost steam. I finally figured out that I was dehydrated. The winds were really drying me out. Even though I was drinking water at every station, I was not drinking enough. I started walking through the water stations and drinking 2 or 3 cups. I started feeling less light headed but I still just felt off. So I decided to modify my goal and shoot for 4:15. I was alternating walking and running through miles 15, 16, 17, 18. Around mile 19 I saw the 4:10 pacer go past me and that picked my spirits up a little bit. I continued my off again, on again running through miles 20 and 21. I wasn't dead but I was starting to feel the fatigue. It was then that I felt a horrible twinge in my hamstrings. Uh oh. Cramps coming. I dropped down to a walk and stretched through it until it felt better. Thankfully no full out cramps. I continued to run and walk to manage my hammys. I was feeling a little bit down that I was not making my goals. I thought I was doing really bad when the 4:20 pacer met up with me around mile 23. Again, that lifted me up because I thought I was doing worse than that. I knew I would get a PR at least. By now the winds had picked up to gusting over 30 mph. I was still slowed by fatigue and now another potential cramp in my left calf. I slugged along at about an 11:30 average pace. The finish . . well . . this race finished INSIDE a large dome. Amazing, by the way. But as I was putting it all in at the end going down the ramp into the dome there went my hamstring for good. I didn't want to finish this way. I had to drop to a walk and hobble down the tunnel. Fortunately it stretched just enough that I could pick it back up and finish strong as I entered the arena. I headed to the medical tent for an ice pack and now it's feeling pretty good.

So, overall I wish I was feeling better and could enjoy the race more. The last half I was just so focussed on trying to get down the road that I didn't really appreciate all the crowds around me. But definitely another one under the belt and I've learned some good lessons. The weather was fantastic - - about 65=70 at the end of the race. Even the wind felt pretty nice in spots.

Here I am just after mile 4 on 8th Street. I'm still looking pretty fresh.

That's my boy, cheering me on.

Coming into the finish. Look what 4.5 hours of sweating will do to you!

This is me on the Jumbotron in the dome. I was just entering the tunnel and this is where my hamstring started pounding and quivering.

Carb Loading

2008-05-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

Carbs are the fuel of choice for any long distance runner and tonight was no exception for me. It's time to carb load. Of course it really takes much more than one meal the night before a race. It takes months of slow long runs to get your muscles trained to store more glycogen. Glycogen is what your muscles burn and when they run out of glycogen and stop moving that is what we call 'hitting the wall'. I don't plan to hit any walls tomorrow. I plan to finish my marathon in about four hours. This linguini with a mushroom tomato sauce will certainly help me along the way.

I am READY

2008-05-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

Only a few more days before the marathon and I feel ready. I was just lamenting over on the runningahead forums that I both love and hate tapering for these races. I love the taper time as I feel so strong when my legs are well rested. Like this morning when I went out for a very strong and invigorating 4 miles. But I hate the feeling that I am slacking off. After these months of training and long runs I just want to get out there and run some more. I also start to feel bloated and heavy. Oh, speaking of that, I did not meet my weight loss goal for the race. I was hoping to be about 30 pounds lighter. But that's the way it goes. I can never seem to lose weight near the end of my training. As a matter of fact I tend to gain weight. So there it is. I'll make the best of it this Saturday. I am really looking forward to a good strong race in my hometown.

A run and a rant

2008-05-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

First the run. Today was AWESOME. The temperature was in the mid 30's and it was sunny, sunny, sunny. Perfect for me. I headed out hoping to do 10 miles but I was just feeling great so I did 12 miles in all. I was even able to maintain a good 8:40 pace even at the end of my run, so I was happy. There were a lot of runners out and about this morning. I think there was some kind of organized marathon training run as I saw lots of people on the marathon route and an aid station set up.

Now the rant. Garmin and motionbased are beginning to really piss me off. I have used motionbased.com for a couple of years to log my runs from my Garmin forerunner 305. It's taken a long time for Macintosh compatibility to come from Garmin. Toward the end of this month motionbased will cease and everything will be migrated over to Garmin Connect. GC is a brand new logging system built from the ground up by Garmin. Although they should support all Garmin devices, none of their information pages, nor the garmin connect web site says anything about Garmin devices other than the Edge 605/705 and Forerunner 405. I'm not sure yet what will happen when I try to upload from my 305. As of today it is not possible to use Garmin Connect with the 305.

Ramping up before ramping down

2008-04-30T13:28:00.000-05:00

Just two and a half weeks until the marathon and I'm ramping up for a big mileage week. Since I was set back last week my final long 20 mile run will be this coming weekend. Then I'll taper down to the marathon. So far my hip is feeling fine. I had a really great 10.76 mile run this morning at a 8:49 pace. Pretty good clip for me. It was chilly, about 42 °F, and windy (20 mph). But I felt pretty comfortable after a mile or two. I'm excited to finally run my home town marathon to its fullest. I've also signed up for the Manitoba marathon in June and the Twin Cities marathon in October.

Iliacus or Psoas?

2008-04-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

These two muscles are located in the front of the hip joint and I think I have strained one of them. Unfortunately it is at the wrong time with just four weeks left until the Fargo Marathon. I think I was a bit overzealous on Thursday running 10.5 miles at an 8:14 pace. That evening my hip was really annoying me and on Friday I could not even walk without extreme pain. Well the muscle is healing and I managed to get out for a very easy 2 miles today. I could tell I'm not 100% but it has improved a lot. I'll take it easy this week and will probably have to push next weekend's 20 mile run back a week. That should still give me two weeks to taper before the marathon.

21 miles under the belt

2008-04-01T15:26:00.000-05:00

As my marathon training is ramping up I've had some great weeks, mileage wise. On Sunday I ran my first 20+ miler of the year. It was a nice slow 21.4 miles at a 10:28 pace. This on the heels of a rather fast 11.3 miles at an 8:41 pace on Saturday. I'm a little concerned about my heart rate though. During my Sunday run I experienced some tachycardia. My heart rate shot up to about 180 bpm and stayed there for about 15 minutes or so. This has happened before but never in the middle of a run. A few times over the last couple years when I started my runs on a cold morning I'd have a rapid heart beat. Last year I wore a 24 hour monitor and my doctor could find nothing wrong. I may have to have it checked out more thoroughly. Last thing I need is to drop dead on the course.

I know I'm a slacker

2008-02-19T09:44:00.000-06:00

Ok, first of all I know I have slacked off about writing on this new blog. I promise as I get closer to the Fargo Marathon on May 17, I'll be updating much more frequently. The other thing I have been slacking off on is getting up in the morning to run. I've been doing pretty well on the weekends, but I am officially SICK and TIRED of the cold weather. This weekend it will be 60 degrees warmer than it will be tomorrow morning and that only reaches the freezing point. I think I'll try to run in the evening tonight when it's warmer (close to zero).

That being said I have been traveling for a couple of weeks and had some good runs on the road. A couple weeks ago I was in Albuquerque and had a couple of very nice runs in the high desert. I actually saw coyotes running along the trail. And last week I got in a good workout while in Pittsburgh. The hills there were quite steep and I definitely used some muscles I'm not used to.

I will get this blog in shape soon. Just be patient with me.

Stinging Cold Saturday Run

2008-01-19T10:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my running blog. This is my first post and certainly one worth talking about. I had an absolutely fantastic 8 mile run this morning. It was crystal clear and the sun was shining brightly. Around here that usually means an arctic blast has settled down from the north. Today is the coldest day of the year. Most people would shy away from running in such extreme conditions but I find it very refreshing. The key is to cover your skin and wear lots of thin layers to trap as much insulating air as possible. By the end the steam was just pouring off of me and you can see the ice was forming three layers in. What a blast!