jsnowash's training group - FULL!! (Page 32)

Trying to get ready for my first Mary. I only had six weeks to train. Only two weeks to go. My last long run was 15mi. Thought I would get one more long one in before the race. New shoes tomorrow too. Any tips?
P.s.: Lovey your training looks great. Good luck on your runs.

Was 15 miles your longest run? If so, my only advice would be to just take it easy during the marathon.... Adding 11.2 miles onto your longest run is probably going to hurt. If you keep your pace in check and just go out and enjoy the day, hopefully it will hurt a little less!

Rest/travel day. In St Petersburg for my son's big race. Much bigger event than the one in NC. We are excited. I will go out for a jog early tomorrow.

Good luck to your son! Have a great trip, and let us know how the race goes!

Great race, great venue, great weather.....what can I say. My son had a blast. 500+ kids counting all three categories. Even though he came 16/18 on his age group (14 year old males), he actually improved his time by 15 minutes! (same distances). That was our goal, and all that training payed off. He was very proud. I will try to upload some pictures later if I can. Very serious competitors showed up: teams, trainers, internationals, etc. Kids were riding bikes I wouldn't buy for myself ($$$). Then again I guess, this was the Championship race. 
This was an awesome experience for my son, and I hope we planted the seed.....

Edited by guticur 2010-10-06 5:28 AM

This is a picture of my son at the finish line....it took me a while to figure out how to make this work.

Edited by guticur 2010-10-07 11:24 AM






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Jr finish.jpg (93KB - 31 downloads)

Good look. Weather here is great for a run...how about @your race? 

Good luck, Jeff! Let us know how it goes!

Fernando - great pic of your son!

6 days until my half marathon. It will be most challenging one. I was suppose to do an 8 mile long run today but instead I am enjoying a weekend getaway with my husband for our 12th anniversary.

I did 10, 11 and 12 mile runs. I also did a 16 mile run but I was told it didn't count because it was split even though it was short. Is that true?
I ran 5.1 miles, took a bathroom break, drove 15 mins to the race course, waited about 30 mins for the rest of my group to use the porta potties, then ran 10.8 miles. Under an hour between the runs.

If I don't get my 8 mile in, I will still do my 2 short runs on ?Tuesday and Thurs. I think I will still be ok for the race.

Lovey

Happy Aniversary, Lovey! It osunds to me like you're in good shape for your race next weekend. Enjoy your taper, and let us know how it goes!

Great photo Fernando. Lovey, Happy anniversary.Finished my first Marathon. It was brutal, punishing, breathtaking, enlightening, fullfilling and worth it. It left you wanting more with nothing more in you to want (if you get what I mean). IN a nutshell, I did it. And, I want more. I will do another, pardon my new addiction. The group was great. Hope to hear from you guys through PM's. I hope you don;t mind the occasional question periodically. There is always something to tweak in this sport thingy. You guys don't be strangers. Say hi from time to time. StrayDog is gone, watch the police and the taxman miss me.

My marathon training paid dividends in a small local 5K I ran this morning. I was feeling a little fatigued from training earlier in the week, so planned to do the race as a tempo effort and work it into a longer run. I did an easy 2.5 mile run from my house over to the race site, ran the race, then ran the 2.5 miles back home. I was thinking that during the 5K I might run something like an 8:30 pace. I was feeling good during the race, so pushed the pace a little faster, but was certainly not going all out. I ended up setting a 5K PR of 24:19 (7:52 pace) and took 2nd in my age group (like I said..... it was a small race!). I was pretty pleased with that time considering that 1) I went into the race not especially well rested; 2) I didn't go all out during the race; and 3) the course was modestly hilly (not super hilly, but definitely not flat). At the moment, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic that I might actually be able to run a 4 hour marathon in 5 weeks.... I guess time will tell!

Finished the Baltimore Half Marathon today. I set a 16+ minute PR! My last half was relatively flat with gentle inclines so I figured it would tke me longer on this course of rolling hills. Nope, I surprised myself by coming in under 3.

Time was 2:49:47.

It was a gratly supported very large race and I loved it. What I don't lke about it is that its on Saturday at 9:45am.
Bad time of year for me but I made it.

started running with the couch to 5K program 2/2008
1st HM (4/2009) - 3:27 rolling hills
2nd HM (1/2010)- 3:24 flat but running injured, PR by 3 mins
3rd HM (5/2010) - 3:06 gentle inclines, PR by 18 mins
4th HM (10/2010)- 2:49 rolling hills, PR by 17 mins

I am definitely getting better over the two years I have been running.

Lovey

That's AWESOME Love! You've made amazing progress in 2 years! Keep up the good work!!

Race Report:

MARINE CORP MARATHON 10K
OCTOBER 31, 2010 (Sunday)
ROAD RACE: 6.2 MILES
WASHINGTON, DC


Third times the charm. I carpooled to the train station with my running
group and took the metro to the start line. I ate my bagel and cream
cheese on the ride down to the station. We got to the race site an hour
early. 10 of us were doing the 10K while D was doing the marathon. After
bag check we headed to the long lines for the porta-potties. The 10K
start was around mile 20 of the marathon course & it was packed. We
decided to take it easy because 5 of us were planning to split up and run
part of the marathon course with D.

I ran what felt like my slow training pace (13.2 min/mile) never stopping
except for water at mile 5 for like 10 seconds. To my surprise at the
end, my Garmin said I had an average pace of 12.2 min/mile. I finished in
1:17, with a PR of 2 minutes based on my fastest time at Clyde’s 10K
this year. But from 2009 MCM 10K, it’s a PR of 15 minutes!!

We grabbed our post race snacks and headed to the metro. Two of met D at
mile 17.75 and ran that last 8.5 miles with her picking up our other 3
running buddies at mile 23.
She beat the bridge!! I couldn’t believe that bus was just driving
around with the lead cop car really trying to intimidate people to get
moving.

I really enjoyed being there but it is super crowded. Saturday was even
worse when I had to pick up my packet and then get me and my son to the
Pentagon for the kids’ one mile race. He’s not a runner (yet) and he
was so proud he ran the whole way. I would have been proud even if he
didn’t. I was proud he finished.

Time - 1:17:40

Today we (the family) ran our local 5k. This is the first race I ever participated in one year ago. It marks the first anniversary of serious training. Amazing how time flies.
Everyone achieved PR's. Fernando Jr (the 14 year old triathlete) improved his time by 3 minutes. Nicky (the 10 year old) didn't run last year, but finished in 25 minutes. Both my wife and I improved our times by 4 minutes.
I look back and reflect.....this has been a fantastic year. We are all engaged in activities we really enjoy, and for the most part we do them together. It has brought us closer to each other. Everyone is healthy, and we intend to keep it that way. Starting this journey has been the best decision we have ever made, and even though we are uncertain what the destination will finally be, the journey is shaping up to be a blast.
Happy holidays to everyone,
Fernando. 

COLUMBIA METRIC MARATHON
NOVEMBER 14, 2010 (Sunday)
ROAD RACE: 26.2K (or 16.28 MILES)
COLUMBIA, MD

After registering for the 5K in previous years and having it cancelled due to ice, this year I considered upping the distance since I had 4 half marathons under my belt (& PR’ing 38 minutes between my first and 4th one. I got talked into the metric marathon by one of my running buddies. I woke up race morning pissed off because I had an upset stomach all night due to my pumpkin spice latte the evening before being made with milk instead of soy milk as I ordered. I was too busy at work to even notice the taste difference. Race started at 8:15 and I got there at 8, eating dry bagel on the way to calm my stomach, and had to hustle to find my race partners with less than five minutes before the gun.

This 26.2K race had a 3.5 hour time limit. Our goal was to finish in that time and figured at our pace we will be dragging in with the sag wagon. Started off easy for the first few miles knowing exactly when those hills are going to try and kill us. My running group was out in full force supporting us on the course. One officer was directing us on a wrong turn off Dunloggin. I refused and told him that was the old course and we had to go straight. He eventually believed us but he had already sent people up the hill. It would have been a very hill road that added an extra half mile. He was sincerely apologetic and even drove by later still apologizing. Then came Toll House Road at which point I question why on earth did I listen to Melinda in doing this race. It did sound like a good challenge at the time and I was excited about it. But what the hell was I thinking? If I can get to mile 10 I will be fine because the worst would be over. At mile 11, the sag wagon wasn’t too far behind. He moved ahead of us on trails like he was leading sheep to the slaughter. He reminded me of the swag bus on the MCM course like grim reapers waiting to pick you up.

At mile 14 I thought, is this what it feels like to hit the wall? I wasn’t sore or aching just tired. More of my running group was out there to help me along and cheer. I didn’t want to run anymore but I didn’t have any choice. Especially when I passed the injured “slow Kenyan” at 14.5 miles (sign on his back said so). I gave him thumbs up and said less then 2 miles to go. He responded, “Sure, I have been hearing that for 5 damn miles!” I swore honesty and showed him my Garmin read out. Then I got a big smile.

At mile 15, I didn’t think I had absolutely anything left but my group kept pushing me on and I dug deep and I mean really, really deep to pick up the pace for that last mile. 26.2K is loooooong. I could not imagine wanting to do 26.2 miles. I didn’t hit my goal but I was close. Better yet, other than tired legs, I wasn’t achy or sore after the race. A day later, slightly, I mean slightly sore legs and that’s hit. I feel great. Maybe a marathon is in my future.


Time - 3:41:50

Lovey