A squishy trip to work

I've been ramping up the mileage just a little bit over the past week. The highlight would have to be Wednesday morning, when I braved the rain and a bike trail riddled with puddles at 6:15 a.m. and completed a run to work. I managed the 8.5-mile trip in less than 90 minutes, and I was cleaned up and at my desk before 8. Soft ground reduces the impact on your joints, but it also requires more effort to maintain the same pace. So, I went a bit more slowly than usual (often above 10:00/mile), but I made it just fine.

Perhaps, at some point in the future, I'll attempt to run both to and from work on the same day. If I can do that without any problems, then it's time to think about a run-to-work WEEK. That would be 85 miles in 5 days. Hmmmm.....

Kenosha Marathon?!?!?!

If I could buy stock in running, I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm always looking for fun places to run my next marathon. But why go somewhere when the marathon comes to you instead? This article in Chicago Athlete Magazine caught me by surprise. It sounds like some folks across the border saw an already-crowded Wisconsin marathon scene and declared, "Me too!"

The race's official web site isn't up yet -- I'll probably have more to say when that happens.

Rock N' Roll San Jose

I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I managed a new personal best for the half marathon in San Jose on Sunday.

The weather was just a tiny bit cool at the start -- almost perfect. I felt great for the first few miles, and I was able to keep the 1:45 pace team in sight. I lost track of them when I took a break to get some Cytomax (the sports drink of choice at this race), but I was optimistic that I might see them again.

I started to feel a bit tired at mile 6, but I still had plenty of energy. I began eating a pack of orange sport beans, finishing them just before the mile 7 water stop. My splits remained below 8:30, but I was slowing down a bit. I wasn't sure I could get back to the 1:45 pace group, but I hoped for 1:48 or better.

At mile 10, I took advantage of the PowerGel stop, enjoying the "plain"-flavored variety and washing it down with two cups of water. In retrospect, I should have drank even more here. Things were heating up, and I could tell that my stomach was tightening.

The last three miles were barely below 9:00 a mile, and I was in danger of not breaking 1:50. I removed my heart rate monitor in case it was causing me to cramp up more than necessary. I used most of my remaining energy to keep moving forward down the final stretch, and I finished with a time of 1:49:54. Don't worry, Mom, I didn't fall over at the finish line or anything. :)

I guess this is a decent time, considering that I haven't been training as much lately, and it was pretty warm by the time I finished. However, in Tybee Island in Feburary, I ran the second half of a marathon in 1:51:13 (after a 1:57:52 first half). So, when I pick up my training again, watch out, 1:45!

Mile splits:
8:02, 7:53, 8:02, 8:05, 8:14,
8:19, 8:12, 8:28, 8:40, 8:36,
8:44, 8:59, 8:43, 0:57

September 2008 in review

After a five-miler yesterday and a four-miler today, I finished the month with only 57 miles, which is the lowest monthly total in almost four years. However, with a half marathon coming up this Sunday and a full marathon to prepare for in November, the miles will probably be going up. It might not be as crazy as March, when my odometer reached 214, but I wouldn't be surprised if I broke 100 next month. You've got to enjoy the crisp fall weather while you can.

2nd Place

Yesterday, I finished in second place at Joe's Run, Walk, and Roll, which benefits United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin. There were not many of what I would call "serious" runners.

I made my usual jackrabbit start and actually held the lead for the first quarter mile. I soon realized that I could not keep a sub-6:30 pace, so I eased up and the eventual winner passed me. He gradually extended his lead, and he finished a minute or so ahead of me. Nobody ever challenged me for second, so I cruised in for a time of about 21:30. This would be a personal best, but the course measured about .08 miles short of 5K. In any case, I had lots of fun on a beautiful day for running.

Al's Run Recap

A lot of runners might want to know what the best way is to guarantee a personal best at an upcoming race. My advice? Run a distance you've never raced before. :)

I made it to the start area with plenty of time and went through the usual warm-up routine (jog, stretch, stride, jog, bathroom). The race started at 10:30 a.m., and it was unseasonably warm. Not uncomfortable like Twin Cities last year, but definitely warmer than ideal.

The first mile had a couple of downhill stretches. That and start-line adrenaline resulted in a much faster split (about 7:20) than was necessary. By the middle of mile two, my heart rate was already in the low 180s, so I did my best to ease up while still keeping the pace under eight minutes a mile.

Miles three and four were okay. Thanks to the heat, I was really feeling it during mile five. I didn't have much of a finishing kick, but I managed to finish with a respectable chip time of 38:51. My mom was waiting for me at the finish -- I greatly appreciated her cheers.

I could tell from my forerunner that was course measured a tiny bit long -- I had it at 5.10 miles. This was supposed to be an 8K (4.97 miles). But, it's the same course for everyone, so it's no big deal.

Approximate mile splits: 7:25, 8:02, 7:47, 8:00, 7:37

Ready for Al's Run!

I ran a personal best at the Lighthouse Run with minimal training. We'll see how it goes for me at Al's Run tomorrow. It's going to be a personal best because I've never ran this distance before, but we'll see if it is relatively fast compared to my other PRs. Good luck to everyone!

Still taking it easy

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been keeping things relaxed for the past several months. I'm running about 5 miles every other day, which works out to no more than 20 miles a week. In September, I may ramp up my training a bit in preparation for San Jose (Half Marathon - Oct. 5) and San Antonio (Marathon - Nov. 16).

I added Al's Run to my race list. I've never done an 8K before, so this is a guaranteed personal best. :)

New 4K Personal Best

I finished the Alex DeVinny Memorial 4K in about 17:50 on Saturday morning at the UW-Parkside cross-country course. Runners had to deal with some muddy spots in addition to the usual hills. You might recall that I ran this race last year after running from home to the race site, and then I ran home afterwards. This year, I drove, and my time improved by over a minute in a half. I finished 44th overall, and fourth in the 30-39 age group. There are usually tons of lightning-fast people at the event, so I'm thrilled with my finish time and position.

Age Group Awards in St. Germain

I was on vacation in northern Wisconsin this past weekend. Jenelle and I stayed with our friends, Mark & Heather, at a cottage owned by my dad and his siblings. On a cool and rainy Sunday morning, Mark and I made the 15-minute drive from the cottage to St. Germain for the Freedom 5K. We had both run five miles the day before, not knowing about the race, so we weren't sure exactly how we'd fare.

As it turns out, we both did well. Mark, who zoomed ahead of me at the start, finished with a solid 20:48, better than 7-minute pace. I came in just over a minute later at 21:58, only 19 seconds off my PR.

Mark managed to WIN his age group. The only male 20-29 year-old faster than him was the overall winner, so he wasn't eligible for the age group awards. Turning 30 three days before the race, this was my entry in the 30-39 age group, and I finished third. I'll take it!

The course was mostly on hiking trails, starting and finishing near the community center in the middle of town. A map is below.