A good week this week. I didn't quite follow my training schedule this week. Since starting up again after my surgery, I noticed that my heart rate is up a bit, which means it's harder to maintain my old pace. But I've been trying and so I wanted to run everyday this week instead of having my usual Thursday off. So here's what I did:
Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - 10 miles
I wanted to push myself a little bit today so that I can whip my leg muscles back in shape. Now, after sitting down for an hour after my run, my legs are a little stiff and sore, but not too bad. It's the kind of stiff and sore that feels good after a hard workout. So I'll take the weekend to recover and try to get back to my normal schedule next week.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Back To It
Yesterday was my first day running since surgery. It was 2 weeks since the last time I ran. I was a little worried that some of my muscles would have weakened and that I'd be in some serious pain if I ran to far (remember that first trek out in my Vibram's?) So I had planned on walking a bit and then just pounding out 1 mile and calling it a day. But I felt so good after 1 mile, I kept going for another 2. So 3 miles yesterday and it felt pretty good. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor, but I think my heart rate might have been slightly elevated for the pace that I was running, but I know that won't take long to come back down, so I'm not worried about it.
So I'll take it easy this week and next week, then try to figure out where in my training schedule to jump back in for the new year.
So I'll take it easy this week and next week, then try to figure out where in my training schedule to jump back in for the new year.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Repeat...
I'm repeating last weeks' training this week because I missed my long run last week. I'm grateful for the 8 extra weeks padded into my training schedule between now and April 9. It gives me a little bit more flexibility. Plus I'm having sinus surgery this Friday, so I'm going to be down and out for at least a week.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Yup...Still My Least Favorite Part
My least favorite part of training has been and probably will always be interval training. I don't know why, I just don't like it. That was confirmed again today. But I press on, hoping that it does some good.
On another note, I ran 14.5 miles last Friday. Not bad since I was only able to get out one other time last week for a 5 mile run. I felt pretty good afterwards. I was a little sore on Saturday and Sunday, but by the time it came to run again yesterday, I felt fine. Easy week this week before next week's 16 mile run.
On another note, I ran 14.5 miles last Friday. Not bad since I was only able to get out one other time last week for a 5 mile run. I felt pretty good afterwards. I was a little sore on Saturday and Sunday, but by the time it came to run again yesterday, I felt fine. Easy week this week before next week's 16 mile run.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Finish Line
(For those of you who have already read my post-race post, this is a more organized post with complete thoughts rather than random ramblings. This one is a bit long but much better!)
I'm not going to lie. The best part of running the Amish Half-Marathon was the finish line! Here are my official results:
But I've gotten ahead of myself. It all began at 5:00am...
At 5am I woke up and took a long, hot shower. I did that to loosen up my muscles because I'm not used to running first thing in the morning. Then I did a nice little 1 mile warm up run around my neighborhood. Nothing too strenuous, just something to get me going.
Then it's back inside to warm up. After all, it's almost 5:30am Saturday morning and 30 degrees outside. I have my typical breakfast of baked oatmeal (April's homemade...the best!) and Tazo Zen Green Tea with lemongrass and spearmint.
At 7:15am, my friend Dwayne Lapp picked me up to take me to the race. Meanwhile, April is scurrying around the house waking the kids and getting ready to head out the door herself. Apparently, the only way to Bird-In-Hand is route 340 coming from Lancaster. Traffic was backed up about 3 miles, so we took a detour and didn't run into any traffic.
When Dwayne and I arrived the parking and waiting area was in a frost laden field. Now, if you remember, all of my training had been in my Vibram's, so I certainly wasn't going to tie on a normal pair of running shoes. Well, I probably should have had something to cover my feet with while walking through the fields, because they got really cold really fast.
A little before 8am, the starting line was opened up and the crowd moved over there. I made sure I squeezed my way through to get a spot on the road to get my cold feet out of the wet grass. I never heard the official start, but around 8:20, the crowd started running, so I followed. It had begun! A hundred yards or so from the starting line were April and the kids waving and smiling and holding their signs. Lane's sign said "Go Daddy Go, Your a dragon" and had a picture of me breathing fire. Ava's said "Go Dad" and had her signature smiley sunshine drawn on it. I waved and smiled back and continued on my way, while they headed back to the car to turn the heat on, eat breakfast and watch a movie. Thanks April for making that all happen, it was great to be able to see all of you cheering me on as the race started!
It took about 2 miles until my toes and the rest of me had thawed out. I was trying to keep an easy pace to start out, but my heart rate indicated otherwise. I really don't feel that I was running too hard. I think it was just the pure adrenaline that had my heart rate slightly elevated before. I was listening to my music and on my way. The crowd slowly thinned out after the first few miles and was much easier to pass those going slower than my pace (as well as letting those faster pass me).
Overall, it was a very nice course. There were a few hills, but I don't feel that they slowed me down too much. And I didn't feel that they were anything beyond what I had experienced in training. As far as my mind games go, I only thought about looking for trash once or twice during the race. I didn't feel the need to play any mind games. Just focusing on the task at hand was enough. There was just something about the adrenaline I had from actually running in the race, and that was enough to occupy my mind. Plus the unfamiliar territory actually helped because I didn't know what to expect after the next turn.
Despite the cold, it really was a beautiful day. The sun was shinning and there wasn't any wind, something I was extremely thankful for. I personally think running into the wind is tougher than running up hills. There's just something annoying about a force pushing against me as I run that is very unpleasant.
I don't remember a lot about various mile markers along the way. I was just trying to do my best and enjoy the run. My right ear bud fell kept falling out of my ear, so I just left it out and continued running. There were some people talking, but mostly I heard the sound of footsteps all around me.
At mile 8 Dwayne Lapp joined me to pace me the rest of the way. He was originally going to run the whole thing but decided not too because of some knee problems he had been having. I was extremely thankful to have him join me for the last stretch. It was good to be able to talk to someone to take my mind off of the race and just to have him push me a bit. There was a part along the last mile that got a little windy. And there was Dwayne running in front of me to break the wind (not to be confused with breaking wind) for me.
Somewhere around mile 10 or 11 my calves started tightening up pretty bad. I'm not sure if it was the cold weather or if I wasn't hydrated enough or if I was pushing myself too hard that caused it. Whatever, I knew I still had 2-3 miles to push through to the end. My pace had slowed down to almost a 10 minute mile and I even had stopped to walk a bit near the end.
Ok, half a mile to go. My calves are still hurting but the end is so close. I can see April's white coat standing at the finish line. Still coming in slow, but as I made the final turn, I picked up the pace, smiled and waved at April and the kids, and the Miranda's (Noah & Edwin ran the 5k that day).
Yeah, crossing the finish line was a good feeling. Half-marathon...done! I'm amazed at how the training has progressed and how I actually have this God-given ability to do something like this. I remember seeing several signs along the way. The "13.1 miles = 5.5 donuts" was a good one, but I liked the one that said "If it were easy, everybody would do it". A simple statement that puts it all into perspective. It's painful and hard at times, but I challenged myself to something that I never really thought was possible before a few months ago.
Thanks to everyone who was there to cheer me on at the end, especially April, who had to wake all the kids and drag them out into the cold so early in the morning. Thanks for being my biggest fan. And thanks to Dwayne Lapp for jumping in near the end to push me through to the end. I'd love to be able to get up to your pace so we could run a few races together!
And now...the training continues. Only 141 days until the full marathon!
I'm not going to lie. The best part of running the Amish Half-Marathon was the finish line! Here are my official results:
| Overall Place: | 434 out of 995 | Division (35-39) Place: | 35 out of 55 | Gender Place: | 262 out of 440 | Time: | 1:59:54 | Pace: | 9:10 |
But I've gotten ahead of myself. It all began at 5:00am...
At 5am I woke up and took a long, hot shower. I did that to loosen up my muscles because I'm not used to running first thing in the morning. Then I did a nice little 1 mile warm up run around my neighborhood. Nothing too strenuous, just something to get me going.
Then it's back inside to warm up. After all, it's almost 5:30am Saturday morning and 30 degrees outside. I have my typical breakfast of baked oatmeal (April's homemade...the best!) and Tazo Zen Green Tea with lemongrass and spearmint.
At 7:15am, my friend Dwayne Lapp picked me up to take me to the race. Meanwhile, April is scurrying around the house waking the kids and getting ready to head out the door herself. Apparently, the only way to Bird-In-Hand is route 340 coming from Lancaster. Traffic was backed up about 3 miles, so we took a detour and didn't run into any traffic.
When Dwayne and I arrived the parking and waiting area was in a frost laden field. Now, if you remember, all of my training had been in my Vibram's, so I certainly wasn't going to tie on a normal pair of running shoes. Well, I probably should have had something to cover my feet with while walking through the fields, because they got really cold really fast.
A little before 8am, the starting line was opened up and the crowd moved over there. I made sure I squeezed my way through to get a spot on the road to get my cold feet out of the wet grass. I never heard the official start, but around 8:20, the crowd started running, so I followed. It had begun! A hundred yards or so from the starting line were April and the kids waving and smiling and holding their signs. Lane's sign said "Go Daddy Go, Your a dragon" and had a picture of me breathing fire. Ava's said "Go Dad" and had her signature smiley sunshine drawn on it. I waved and smiled back and continued on my way, while they headed back to the car to turn the heat on, eat breakfast and watch a movie. Thanks April for making that all happen, it was great to be able to see all of you cheering me on as the race started!
It took about 2 miles until my toes and the rest of me had thawed out. I was trying to keep an easy pace to start out, but my heart rate indicated otherwise. I really don't feel that I was running too hard. I think it was just the pure adrenaline that had my heart rate slightly elevated before. I was listening to my music and on my way. The crowd slowly thinned out after the first few miles and was much easier to pass those going slower than my pace (as well as letting those faster pass me).
Overall, it was a very nice course. There were a few hills, but I don't feel that they slowed me down too much. And I didn't feel that they were anything beyond what I had experienced in training. As far as my mind games go, I only thought about looking for trash once or twice during the race. I didn't feel the need to play any mind games. Just focusing on the task at hand was enough. There was just something about the adrenaline I had from actually running in the race, and that was enough to occupy my mind. Plus the unfamiliar territory actually helped because I didn't know what to expect after the next turn.
Despite the cold, it really was a beautiful day. The sun was shinning and there wasn't any wind, something I was extremely thankful for. I personally think running into the wind is tougher than running up hills. There's just something annoying about a force pushing against me as I run that is very unpleasant.
I don't remember a lot about various mile markers along the way. I was just trying to do my best and enjoy the run. My right ear bud fell kept falling out of my ear, so I just left it out and continued running. There were some people talking, but mostly I heard the sound of footsteps all around me.
At mile 8 Dwayne Lapp joined me to pace me the rest of the way. He was originally going to run the whole thing but decided not too because of some knee problems he had been having. I was extremely thankful to have him join me for the last stretch. It was good to be able to talk to someone to take my mind off of the race and just to have him push me a bit. There was a part along the last mile that got a little windy. And there was Dwayne running in front of me to break the wind (not to be confused with breaking wind) for me.
Somewhere around mile 10 or 11 my calves started tightening up pretty bad. I'm not sure if it was the cold weather or if I wasn't hydrated enough or if I was pushing myself too hard that caused it. Whatever, I knew I still had 2-3 miles to push through to the end. My pace had slowed down to almost a 10 minute mile and I even had stopped to walk a bit near the end.
Ok, half a mile to go. My calves are still hurting but the end is so close. I can see April's white coat standing at the finish line. Still coming in slow, but as I made the final turn, I picked up the pace, smiled and waved at April and the kids, and the Miranda's (Noah & Edwin ran the 5k that day).
Yeah, crossing the finish line was a good feeling. Half-marathon...done! I'm amazed at how the training has progressed and how I actually have this God-given ability to do something like this. I remember seeing several signs along the way. The "13.1 miles = 5.5 donuts" was a good one, but I liked the one that said "If it were easy, everybody would do it". A simple statement that puts it all into perspective. It's painful and hard at times, but I challenged myself to something that I never really thought was possible before a few months ago.
Thanks to everyone who was there to cheer me on at the end, especially April, who had to wake all the kids and drag them out into the cold so early in the morning. Thanks for being my biggest fan. And thanks to Dwayne Lapp for jumping in near the end to push me through to the end. I'd love to be able to get up to your pace so we could run a few races together!
And now...the training continues. Only 141 days until the full marathon!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Half-Marathon? Check.
I did it! I completed the half-marathon. Official results:
I came in (just barely) under my goal of 2 hours which made me happy. I was a little bummed because my calves tightened up somewhere between 10 and 11 miles which made the last stretch pretty painful and slowed me down a good bit. I probably lost about 3 or 4 minutes because of it, but I was still happy that I made my goal. Plus, it was my first race ever, so there was a lot to learn by actually competing in a race as opposed to just doing a training run on my own.
In addition to meeting my goal, I did better than the average time which makes me feel good since I've only been seriously training for a few months. And I finished in the top 43rd percentile. Obviously, there is a competitive side to official races. But as long as I keep it in perspective and just try to improve on myself, I won't be disappointed. It's so easy to get caught up in the competitive nature of the event. One of the signs I saw along the race said "If it were easy, everybody would do it". A simple statement, but it really does put everything into perspective. I'm challenging myself to something I never before thought was possible and to something that not a lot of people even attempt. And it's a good feeling to know that I did actually run the face and finish.
As far as my mind games go, I only thought about looking for trash once or twice during the race. I didn't feel the need to play any mind games on Saturday. Just focusing on the task at hand was enough. There is just something about the adrenaline I had from actually running in the race, and that was enough to occupy my mind. Plus the unfamiliar territory actually helped because I didn't know what to expect after the next turn.
Overall, it was a very nice course. There were a few hills, but I don't feel that they slowed me down. The weather was a bit cold to start, but I was thawed out by the end of mile 2. My feet probably felt it the most while walking through the frost in my Vibrams. My toes were pretty cold at the start of the race, but I figured they would warm up once my blood started pumping. After those first couple of miles, I was warmed up and felt good. I am extremely thankful that it wasn't windy on Saturday.
I definitely enjoyed it and will keep going with my training for the full marathon. I'm taking a break today but tomorrow it's back to training...only 151 days until the marathon!
| Overall Place: | 434 out of 995 | Division (35-39) Place: | 35 out of 55 | Gender Place: | 262 out of 440 | Time: | 1:59:54 | Pace: | 9:10 |
I came in (just barely) under my goal of 2 hours which made me happy. I was a little bummed because my calves tightened up somewhere between 10 and 11 miles which made the last stretch pretty painful and slowed me down a good bit. I probably lost about 3 or 4 minutes because of it, but I was still happy that I made my goal. Plus, it was my first race ever, so there was a lot to learn by actually competing in a race as opposed to just doing a training run on my own.
In addition to meeting my goal, I did better than the average time which makes me feel good since I've only been seriously training for a few months. And I finished in the top 43rd percentile. Obviously, there is a competitive side to official races. But as long as I keep it in perspective and just try to improve on myself, I won't be disappointed. It's so easy to get caught up in the competitive nature of the event. One of the signs I saw along the race said "If it were easy, everybody would do it". A simple statement, but it really does put everything into perspective. I'm challenging myself to something I never before thought was possible and to something that not a lot of people even attempt. And it's a good feeling to know that I did actually run the face and finish.
As far as my mind games go, I only thought about looking for trash once or twice during the race. I didn't feel the need to play any mind games on Saturday. Just focusing on the task at hand was enough. There is just something about the adrenaline I had from actually running in the race, and that was enough to occupy my mind. Plus the unfamiliar territory actually helped because I didn't know what to expect after the next turn.
Overall, it was a very nice course. There were a few hills, but I don't feel that they slowed me down. The weather was a bit cold to start, but I was thawed out by the end of mile 2. My feet probably felt it the most while walking through the frost in my Vibrams. My toes were pretty cold at the start of the race, but I figured they would warm up once my blood started pumping. After those first couple of miles, I was warmed up and felt good. I am extremely thankful that it wasn't windy on Saturday.
I definitely enjoyed it and will keep going with my training for the full marathon. I'm taking a break today but tomorrow it's back to training...only 151 days until the marathon!
Friday, October 29, 2010
One More Week
One week until the big race! I ran 8 miles today and managed to push myself pretty hard. I brought my pace down from a 9 minute mile to a 8.5 minute mile! And the best part? It felt really good to open it up a bit more. There were a couple of spots along my run that I was running uphill and head on into the wind, and I know that affected my performance. I know that I may have those things to deal with on race day, but it's still nice to start to feel and see the effects of my training.
On a side note, I really need to figure out something with my ear buds I use to listen to music. I fight with them a lot on my run, trying to keep them in my ears. I may just ditch them on race day unless I can figure out something during next week's short runs.
On a side note, I really need to figure out something with my ear buds I use to listen to music. I fight with them a lot on my run, trying to keep them in my ears. I may just ditch them on race day unless I can figure out something during next week's short runs.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Where Is My Trash?
Running long distances is almost as much a mind game as it is a physical challenge. Finding ways to occupy your mind while running for long periods of time can be quite difficult. For me, I have found "little landmarks". And by little landmarks, I mean pieces of trash laying along the side of the road.
I have a basic loop that I run almost every time I'm outside. It gets modified slightly and repeated depending on the distance I need to cover that day. Along my route, I have found 6-pack carriers, combs, cigar tubes, beer cans, gatorade bottles (not mine, I promise) and various other "landmarks". So it's almost like a scavenger hunt when I go running. Can I check off all the items on my list? Or will I run right past without taking notice?
I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle my actual race day when I'm on completely different territory. Maybe I should just keep a mental list as I'm running and see how many items I can remember when I finish. I'll try to post them here after the half-marathon in 2 weeks!
On another note, I ended up running 5 miles today. I was only supposed to run 3, but I don't have a 3 mile loop mapped out yet. And since it is so nice outside today, I just had to run outside instead of on the treadmill. The warm sun and little to no wind made today a very good day to be running outside.
I have a basic loop that I run almost every time I'm outside. It gets modified slightly and repeated depending on the distance I need to cover that day. Along my route, I have found 6-pack carriers, combs, cigar tubes, beer cans, gatorade bottles (not mine, I promise) and various other "landmarks". So it's almost like a scavenger hunt when I go running. Can I check off all the items on my list? Or will I run right past without taking notice?
I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle my actual race day when I'm on completely different territory. Maybe I should just keep a mental list as I'm running and see how many items I can remember when I finish. I'll try to post them here after the half-marathon in 2 weeks!
On another note, I ended up running 5 miles today. I was only supposed to run 3, but I don't have a 3 mile loop mapped out yet. And since it is so nice outside today, I just had to run outside instead of on the treadmill. The warm sun and little to no wind made today a very good day to be running outside.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Two Weeks!
Only 2 more weeks until the Amish Half Marathon! I feel ready for it. I ran 12 miles today and felt good during the run. Now, two hours after finishing, I'm feeling a bit tired and slightly sick in the stomach. I didn't post this last week after finishing, but I think I had a case of hyponatremia set in. That's when your body is depleted of electrolytes. I got pretty sick. Today, I feel slightly sick, but nowhere close to what I felt last week. I've been pumping the electroyltes, just not enough I guess. I need to make sure I tank up before and after running.
Next week I'll drop back to 8 miles for my long run. That should seem easy compared to what I did today. I'm just amazed that I've been able to run these long distances. A year ago, I never would have guessed that I'd be running like I am today.
I've also noticed that as I'm increasing the mileage of my long runs, my feet are getting a few more blisters. Nothing too bad, and the ones I got last week have toughened up, so I'm sure the ones I got today will do the same. And since I'm only doing 8 miles next week, I shouldn't get any new ones. Now off to enjoy the weekend and my recovery days!
Next week I'll drop back to 8 miles for my long run. That should seem easy compared to what I did today. I'm just amazed that I've been able to run these long distances. A year ago, I never would have guessed that I'd be running like I am today.
I've also noticed that as I'm increasing the mileage of my long runs, my feet are getting a few more blisters. Nothing too bad, and the ones I got last week have toughened up, so I'm sure the ones I got today will do the same. And since I'm only doing 8 miles next week, I shouldn't get any new ones. Now off to enjoy the weekend and my recovery days!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Double Digits
I have made it into double digits for my running distance. I ran 10 miles on Friday and it felt good! Aside from a slight hydration/electrolyte imbalance afterwards, I felt great. A lot of it is a mental thing. But knowing I have the ability to run 10 miles sure encourages me to keep going.
When I started this blog, I did so because I wanted to document the whole barefoot running experience. And I realize that I haven't written much about actually running barefoot. I think that's just because I don't think about it. It just seems natural. I don't have any problems with my feet (other than some muscle soreness), knees, legs or back. I've been focused on the thrill of running long distances and the fact that I can do it!
Running has lots of other benefits as well. Weight loss for one. I started exercising at the beginning of this year just with a goal of losing some weight and becoming healthier. I set a weight goal for myself. I reached that goal several months ago and have just kept going. Since the beginning of the year I have lost of total of 40 pounds (my goal was to lose 25)!
I'm grateful that God has given me the ability to do that and for my wife who has helped by supporting me in my running adventures and is cooking me healthy and yummy meals! Thanks, April, you're the best!
Another big week this week...less than 3 weeks until the half-marathon!
When I started this blog, I did so because I wanted to document the whole barefoot running experience. And I realize that I haven't written much about actually running barefoot. I think that's just because I don't think about it. It just seems natural. I don't have any problems with my feet (other than some muscle soreness), knees, legs or back. I've been focused on the thrill of running long distances and the fact that I can do it!
Running has lots of other benefits as well. Weight loss for one. I started exercising at the beginning of this year just with a goal of losing some weight and becoming healthier. I set a weight goal for myself. I reached that goal several months ago and have just kept going. Since the beginning of the year I have lost of total of 40 pounds (my goal was to lose 25)!
I'm grateful that God has given me the ability to do that and for my wife who has helped by supporting me in my running adventures and is cooking me healthy and yummy meals! Thanks, April, you're the best!
Another big week this week...less than 3 weeks until the half-marathon!
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