Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays to all of my family and friends!
I am taking some running down time until January 5th. Back on the hamster wheel after that.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Dallas White Rock Marathon Recap
When all else fails...blame the weather! Actually...Mother Nature pile drove me into the mat and walked away laughing. Warm and windy was the theme this year. Temps in the low 70's, humidity at 70%, sustained winds of 25mph with gusts well over 30mph. I knew it would be bad when I woke up and the flags outside of the window were whipping. Walked into the corral and started to cook. Temps were around 68 when we started and did nothing but climb. I don't remember the wind ever being at my back. Always a head wind or a side wind. My hat blew off 3 times during the race! When we reached the 4 mile mark I was already boiling, my head looking like a cherry tomato with seeds ready to spray everywhere. It took everything I had to keep a 6:24 pace, which should have been easy. At the 10 mile mark I was done. I went to Dallas to run a PR or near PR...but there was no way that was going to happen. I backed it down as we started around the lake but the wind got worse! (photo proof above) My spirits were really at an all time low when I reached the half marathon mark. So much so that I stepped off of the road, took off my number, and walked over to the relay runner bus. I sat in the grass for about 20 minutes and watched everyone run past the half mark. It hit me that I should stop being a baby and just finish....like everyone else. So with blanky and binky in hand, number pinned back on, I jumped back in and slogged it to the end. I think the wind was the worst between miles 14 and 18.
I would like to run this marathon again sometime down the road. Everything was fantastic except the weather.
Splits according to the chip timing system
Start to 6 mile mark: 39:46 (6:24 pace)
6 mile to 13 mile mark: 48:26 (7:02 pace)
13 mile to 20 mile mark: 1:11:12 (10:19 pace)
20 mile to finish: 51:29 (8:17 pace)
Final time: 3:30:53
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Movie Maker iPhone Application
We have cracked the top 10 list in the Photography category on the iTunes App Store. Our paid version is at number 8 and our free version is at number 9. Here is a nice little movie one of our users made.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Training 12/08 to 12/14
The temps look good for Sunday. Low of 53 high of 67. Lessons learned from Columbus in place. I am going to enjoy this trip.
Mon: 8-10 miles easy
Tue: 12 x 400m @ 6:10 pace
Wed: 6 miles easy
Thu: 6 miles easy
Fri: 5 miles w/ 6x100m strides
Sat: 3 miles with Clif Bar pace team / Darris B
Sun: Dallas White Rock Marathon
Monday, December 1, 2008
Two Weeks and Counting
The Dallas White Rock Marathon is quickly approaching. I am feeling really good and can't wait for this trip. The basic agenda has been set: arrive on Friday, early morning run with the Clif Bar Pace Team / Darris on Saturday morning, expo on Saturday, marathon on Sunday, Giants vs Cowboys on Sunday night, return Monday. We are staying one block from Dealey Plaza. Should be an interesting, fun, and educational trip.
Training Schedule for the Week
Mon: 1 hour easy
Tue: 8 x 1 mile repeats @ 6:10 pace
Wed: 14 miles - group run
Thu: 5 miles easy
Fri: 1 hour with 2 x 2 tempo / group run
Sat: 1 hr 20 min moderate
Sun: 1 hr 30 min w/ middle 30 min @ marathon pace
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Training Update 11/24 to 11/30
Training is going well. I ran the Cleveland West Fall Classic today as a long group run. The temps were pretty bitter, which made my decision to run this even smarter. No way I was going out alone in those temps. Ran 5 miles at a steady pace then dropped back to long run pace for the remainder. Here is the schedule for the upcoming week.
Mon - 1 hour easy
Tue - 6 x 2 mile repeats @ 6:10 pace
Wed - 1hr 30min group run
Thu - AM:Time Home Run for Homeless / PM:5 easy miles
Fri - 6 mile tempo run
Sat - 1 hour easy
Sun - 2 hours with 1 hour @ marathon pace
Special Congrats this week to Fred Kieser for his 2nd place overall effort at the Philadelphia Marathon. 2:22:45 at 37 years old. Not bad.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
High School Running Recap
Congrats to Coach Anjanette Arabian and the Magnificat Blue Streaks who finished 2nd at the regional Nike Cross Nationals this past weekend.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Here Comes Winter
We have been very lucky with our weather over the last month or so. Now it ends! First flakes were flying this weekend and the outlook calls for snow and low temps. Goodbye Heat Miser, Hello Snow Miser!
Training Schedule this week
Mon - 1 hr easy
Tue - 5 x 3 mile repeats
Wed - 14 easy
Thu - 6 mile tempo
Fri - 1 hr min super easy
Sat - 45 min easy with 1 min fartleks
Sun - 20 miles total with CWRRC 1/2 marathon
Monday, November 10, 2008
My Gu Bag
The following video is an example of someone who is an "expert" on running a marathon, yet has no idea what they are talking about.
Training Update
Good week behind me. Great marathon paced run on Saturday. Negative split a 20 miler. Ended up averaging 6:16, which was faster than planned. Good sign.
Training Schedule - Recovery Week
Mon - 45 min easy
Tue - 1hr 10min easy
Wed - 12 miles moderate
Thu - 4 miles easy
Fri - 6 mile tempo
Sat - 1hr 30min easy (doughnut run)
Sun - 20 miles with last 3 @ marathon pace
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Back to Work
Serious training for Dallas begins this week. I have had a good two week recovery period. The weather looks great for the week, so let's get started!
Training 11/3 to 11/9
Mon - AM 1hr 30min, PM 4 miles easy
Tue - 10 x 1 mile repeats @ half marathon pace
Wed - 9 mile group run (4:50am....blah!)
Thu - AM 1hr 30min, PM 4 miles easy
Fri - Off day. Cross training.
Sat - 2hrs 40min with 1hr 45min @ marathon pace
Sun - 1hr 40min easy
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
iPhone Movie Maker
OK...another shameless plug for our iPhone application. We just released an upgrade to Watch It Change and renamed it Movie Maker. That's what is does. Makes stop motion movies. There are some very creative movies, made exclusively by our application on the iPhone, on our website. Check them out.
www.moviemakerzone.com
Friday, October 24, 2008
What Next
I expected to have a PR in the books after Columbus and thought I would be planning some 5K training to see if I could reach my adult PR before the end of the year. Obviously that didn't happen. I took two days off after Columbus to recover. I ran with my Wednesday morning group and surprisingly felt as if I hadn't even run a marathon. Same thing on Thursday. I am convinced I simply ran out of fuel in Columbus. No sore spots, blisters, pulled muscles, etc. Looking back I admit I did a horrible job with my diet the week before the run. No carbo loading....nothing. Just plain stupid. So....
Plan A - 2.0
I want to take advantage of my fitness and give it one more PR shot. I am going to mix the last 8 weeks of Columbus training with Pete Pfitzingers 8 week Multiple Marathons program and go for it again at the Dallas White Rock Marathon on December 14th. Columbus now feels like it was a good long run for me. Eight weeks is the perfect amount of time to cycle back into a program so Dallas works out well. I am looking forward to the challenge!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Columbus Schmumbus
Everything was perfect for the Columbus Marathon today. Perfect weather outlook. Perfect training. All signs looked ideal to run a PR. We arrived in Columbus on Saturday a little later than I wanted due to a small 40 mile error in our drive. No big deal. Got to the convention center a little later than I wanted. No problem...just cut through the lines. Go out to eat a little later than expected. No biggie UNTIL.....my food arrived. I ordered the oriental pizza. Tasty. Into my second bite I feel something hard. My initial thought was that I bit into a tough piece of chicken. I lift the cheese and find a broken piece of knife. Yeah...I bit into a knife. Fortunately it didn't cut my mouth...but it did scrape it enough to keep the memory fresh for the rest of the night. Dinner was on the house for me, Jo, Maddie, my Mom and Dad. Headed back to the room for a good nights sleep. Woke up at 2:15am to the very loud sounds of a group of people yelling up and down the hall. I guess the bars closed at 2am. As the yelling turned to threats and fighting words, Jo decided to call security....but they quickly went away. Back to sleep. Woke up at 5:50am expecting my wake up call at 6am. Never came. Good thing I couldn't sleep. Now to run...
Again...perfect running conditions. Got off to a good start and felt like a million bucks. I was peeling off 6:05-6:14 miles the way a lonely fat guys peels off $1 dollar bills at a strip club...without effort or reservation. Felt amazing. Locked in with a runner doing the half. Had a very enjoyable first half. Went through the half in just over 1:22. Right on target. We were now approaching the new 2nd half of the course. Saw Andy R just after 15. Running smooth. Saw Chris F near 16. Felt on top of the world. Approached 17 and a funny thing happened. My legs seemed to gain 30 lbs each in the span of about 1 minute. I shook them out over the next mile by changing my stride, kicking up my heels, etc. I just couldn't pick them up. A little after 18 I started to get fatigue cramps. Nothing in one specific area, just tight and small cramp pings. From 18 to the finish I stopped running at each water station, drank a cup of Gatorade and a cup of water, knelt down to stretch, then continued along. I dropped like a stone from 18 to the end. At 20 I did a bad thing. I started doing the math. OK...remaining time divided by miles to figure out what I needed to average to get under 3 hrs. Six miles of math just sucks. Anyway I ended up with a 2:55:14. This put me as 2nd in the Men 45-49 age group.
So once again I chalk up another tough time. My plans to NOT run a Spring marathon also change. I will wait a few weeks then pick another target. Rest a few days then jump into 5K training for a few late Fall races.
Good job to those who met their goals, including Tony H, Denise Y, Jamie C, Sean M, Wyatt H, Jeff U, and anyone else I failed to mention.
Lastly a huge congrats to Tim Budic for his 4th place overall and a 2:26 effort. No science involved. Just ran. Very inspirational.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Final Training Week 10/13 to 10/19
Monday, 10-13: Very easy 40 min
Tuesday, 10-14: 12x400 at a pace that is 8-10 sec/mile faster than marathon pace. Take an easy 400 jog between reps
Wednesday, 10-15: 1 hr easy with AM group. Hear that guys?
Thursday, 10-16: 50 min easy with 4-6 1-minute fartleks @ marathon pace
Friday, 10-17: Run - 1:05 hrs total with 20 min at marathon pace
Saturday, 10-18: 2 miles easy
Sunday, 10-19: Columbus Marathon
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Columbus Marathon - 1 Week to Go
I am now one week away from Columbus. My training has been great so it is a matter of enjoying the day and running smart. The new course looks great and I can't wait to get going. Chris F will be jumping in with me at 16.5 miles and staying until around the 25 mile mark. I hope he has as much fun as I had pacing Matt Y last year.
T.V. Quote of the Week - "not much fruit in those looms." Great episode of the Office this week.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Duty Now for the Future
In the final month of this historic presidential race, the band DEVO is making an urgent trip to their native Akron, Ohio to rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The four founding members of DEVO (two sets of brothers -- Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerry Casale and Bob Casale) sprang from Akron in the 1970s at a time when the city was mired in a severe recession and dealing with the after-effects of a failed war. The band channeled that frustration into such groundbreaking hits as “Gates of Steel,” “Whip It,” and “Freedom of Choice.” Their albums blended political lyrics and pop iconography with urgent guitars and groundbreaking electronics, the combination of which earned them a place in music history and continues to influence countless bands today.
And at a time when the country is facing an economic crisis of historic proportions and soldiers are returning from service to bleak job prospects, DEVO is converging on Akron to channel their energies with a concert called “Duty Now for the Future.” All proceeds will benefit the Summit County Democratic Party in their efforts to create a future filled with hope and responsibility by electing Barack Obama as President of the United States.
Although the four band members now live in Los Angeles, DEVO maintains strong family ties to northeastern Ohio, and feel that their energy could be best served by supporting Barack Obama in their home state. "Ohio is where we need to be," says Mark Mothersbaugh, the band's co-founder and frontman. "My wife Anita convinced me of this after we had attended yet another Obama event here in California. It's great that we’re all for Obama, but sitting around in our BLUE bubble doesn't do anything for his chances in the battleground states. We all have a vested interest in what happens here -- our families and friends who have been hurt of the nonsense of the past eight years. We hope to make an impact with this concert, and raise consciousness to what's happened in Ohio in the past -- and what will happen again if people are not made aware of what their vote means. Our country is currently struggling under the burden of the unrestrained greed and political blunders of the current administration. We need a presidential team that can pilot us out of this mess. I think that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are our only hope. That's why we are here."
Adds Gerald V. Casale, Mothersbaugh’s co-writer and the band’s co-founder (they met at Kent State): “DEVO's excited to be ‘bringin' it all back home’ to our birthplace, Akron. This is the most important election in recent history, and most experts agree that Ohio is the key to winning it. Freedom of Choice is the title of our most successful record -- it's what America is all about. We're honored to help raise money for the Summit County Democratic Party and awareness for Barack Obama's candidacy. By restoring democracy, he will make sure that Freedom of Choice remains what this country is all about."
DEVO will perform their “Duty Now for the Future” concert at the Akron Civic Theatre at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 17, 2008. All proceeds will go to the Summit County Democratic Party and there will be a reception with the band for VIP ticket holders.
Read more...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Peak vs Taper
I recently read a good article that discussed peaking for a marathon versus tapering. The main difference between the two is that tapering generally calls for lower mileage at an easier pace. Peaking lowers the mileage but keeps the intensity intact for shorter periods of time. Look at my Tuesday workout. Mile repeats a week and a half out from a marathon was never in my vocabulary prior to this year.
(13) Monday, 10-6: 1 hr easy
(12) Tuesday, 10-7: 8x1 miles at a pace that is 8-10 sec/mile faster than marathon pace
(11) Wednesday, 10-8: 1:15 hrs easy
(10) Thursday, 10-9: 1:20 hr easy-moderate
(9) Friday, 10-10: 1 hr very easy
(8) Saturday, 10-11: off - recovery day
(7) Sunday, 10-12: 1:30 hrs total. 30 min easy. 30 min marathon pace. 30 min easy
Here is the recap of the Peak approach
14 days out - 14-16 miles with the last 4-6 miles @ marathon pace (Done - Sunday run 15 miles with group. Nilesh and I ran final 6 miles @ 6:12 pace)
12 days out - 6-8 x 1 mile @ 5K pace (I am older. Plan is half marathon pace)
10 days out - Three 4-6 min surges @ half marathon pace
7 days out - 12 miles with last 6 at goal marathon pace (look at my Sunday plan)
5 days out - Six 8-10 second surges @ 5K pace
3 days out - 5 x 3 mins @ 10K pace
I have my marathon plan figured out at this point. It is not too much different from what I actually did at Columbus in 2006. The good news is that my 5K time is about a minute faster right now than it was at this time in 2006.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Running Photos
I liked both of these shots taken by Jo. The dude is me at the Nat 5K finish. The other is Sara Slattery during the USATF Women's 8K Championship.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Columbus Marathon / Random Thoughts
Three weeks to go. I am feeling pretty good about my training. No more extracurricular events in my way so the final training push should be solid. The course has been modified and I am looking forward to a less boring 2nd half. Here is the link to the course if anyone is interested.
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=240687
Matt joined our Wednesday morning group today. I really like this group which includes Damon, Nilesh, and Rich. Joe, Mike, and Tony used to jump in as well. Maybe we can coax these guys back. We are very compatible as runners and I look forward to getting up at 4:20am and meeting these guys.
We have renamed our iPhone application from "Watch It Change" to just "Movie Maker". It seemed to make more sense since that is actually what it is. We are also moving the price to free. I imagine we will see a spike in activity because of this. The website will be changing as well. Here is the new dot com -> www.moviemakerzone.com
I had a great time with the Akron Marathon this past weekend. Very cool for Jo and I to assist the Women's 8K group and invited marathoners. Very nice people. They clearly deserve a tremendous amount of respect for their running resumes, but the reality is they are just very nice regular people. I hope we get to host another USATF event next year.
A very strange thing happened at the Akron Marathon expo. I walked by our booth and didn't recognize any of the three people sitting there. This means that either a) I don't know as many club members as I thought, b) we have recruited more new members than I am aware of, or c) we paid people to sit there while the club hosted the pasta dinner. Maybe all of the above!
Tonight Jo and I are going to see Lindsey Buckingham at the House of Blues. I saw him in Minneapolis around 1990. Man I am old...but so is he. Should be a good show.
My big toe nail on the right foot fell off the night before the Erie Half Marathon. It is coming back now. Just thought I would share.
My dog has a horrible yeast infection in his ears. He really stinks. Just thought I would share.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Weekend Update
The Road Runner Akron Marathon is this weekend. I will be busy along with my helpers Jo and Logan handling the Invited Marathoners as well as the 8K National Championship Women. I hope it will be a good learning experience for Logan, and an exciting time for Jo and I. Here is a link to the list of Women running the event.
Logan and I went on our campus visit to Ohio University this past Monday. Man has that place changed. I felt like I had time travelled to the future. Looking down at the bricks on the road, I remembered nearly everything about how it used to look. Lifting my head...the landscape quickly changed to new buildings, old buildings with new facades, and nice green space where heavy brush and trees used to be. I really hope he can get in there. It will shape his life nicely.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Word of the Day: Quandary
I ran the 5th annual Falls Natatorium 5K today. My goal going in was to set the masters record. It stood as 17:40, which was going to be very doable. The problem was how to get there. I won this race for the first three years with a best time of 17:19. Problem was that since I was in the top 3 I was never eligible for the masters record...even though I won the races as a masters runner. So here was the quandary. The only way I could get the masters record was to finish 4th. Anything higher would put me in the top 3 overall and I would be excluded from any masters consideration. Now the right thing to do is to award the masters prize to the first over 40 runner after the top three, but if you have a masters runner in the top 3 and they have run faster than the record...they should get the record. Anyway...here is what happened.
I knew that I would be somewhere between 2nd and 6th today, depending on how others did. We got a good start and went through the mile in 5:14. The first mile is usually fast as most of it is downhill. I was in 5th position at that point. The next mile saw a little bit of jostling for position and as we came past mile 2 there were three of us side by side, with the leader about 12 seconds ahead of us. At that point there was one masters runner behind us. I felt pretty good that I had the record at that point. As we headed to the final hill the two guys next to me started to slow down. Here was my quandary - I could have moved past the two guys and finished in 2nd overall, but I made the decision to stay with them and try to finish 4th. I blurted a "come on guys" to them and hoped they would respond and get up over the hill with me. They did and we made the final turn towards the finish line. I tucked in behind the 3rd place guy and came over the line in 16:55. So I met my primary goal of setting the masters record, but was bummed that I had to settle for 4th in order to do so. I know I could have been 2nd and chopped a few more seconds off of my time. The photo is me sitting on 4th.
Unfortunately the woman who finished in 3rd place overall was a masters runner and ran way faster than the current masters record. She was awarded 3rd overall, but was not credited with a new masters record.
This will be my last race where I do that. Whether I did the right thing or not is a matter of opinion. I am rarely selfish in life, but I really wanted to put my name in the record book for this race.
I have three weeks of marathon training before Columbus. A hard workout on Tuesday (5 x 3 mile repeats) and a marathon pace run on Sunday.
At the mile mark with Curt Bachus
A ridiculously sized trophy. Maddie will eat popcorn out of it! Read more...
Friday, September 19, 2008
Weekend Update
Agenda for the weekend: Copley High School football game with Jo and Maddie, Copley XC meet at Malone, help out at the Hudson Chili Run 5K, run the Natatorium 5K and try to establish a new Masters course record, head to Athens for a campus visit with Logan. Yes...we will be checking out Ohio University on Monday. I will get a good easy run in on my old stomping grounds early Monday. Photos to follow!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Marathon Shoes
I love getting new shoes. Here are my Fall Marathon shoes. The Nike Lunar Racer. Very lightweight. They have a spongy feeling and some kind of crazy fabric for the upper. The tennis ball green is actually brighter than the photo. I also noticed they match the colors of this blog. Hmmm? Coincidence? Maybe.
My final week of running prior to the half has been good. Very nice workout of 10 x 400 meters on Tuesday. A good run with Damon and Nilesh on Wednesday morning. A final group run with the Lock 29 crew (Seymour, Benesh, Brawn, and Dobos) on Thursday, feeling very light on my feet. It looks like rain for Sunday which is OK with me. Just keep the winds away.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Busy September
I finally have the Buckeye Half Marathon & 5K behind me. This was my 6th year as the race director and it has become easier to manage over the years. We had a great turn out and the new course was well received. I have bigger and better plans for 2009...so all of you have one year to train!
The next three weekends are as follows: Sept 14th - Erie Half Marathon, Sept 20th - Chili Bowl 5K timing, Sept 26-27 - Road Runner Akron Marathon. I am on the USATF Womens 8K National Championship race committee. I will be very busy at Akron escorting the Elite 8K Women as well as the Invited Marathon Runners.
Columbus is also on the horizon and I am really looking forward to the new second half of the course. I have always done well at Columbus for some reason, and I have high expectations this year. I am down to my fighting weight as well. I weighed 142-145 pretty much since the Burning River 100 last year. I was still at 142 in April for Boston and Cleveland. I am now at 129 which is my optimal racing weight. I also turned 45 a week ago...so Columbus will by my first 45-49 age group marathon.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Watch It Change
It has been two weeks since we released our first application for the iPhone. We are getting some nice press and it is pretty cool to be in the App Store on iTunes. If you have an iPhone....buy it now!!! Otherwise just visit our website - http://www.watchitchange.com/ - to see a few cool videos. Look for "Dew Go Home". That one is mine.
Read more...
Monday, August 25, 2008
Training 8/25 to 8/31
Recovery/Build
Monday, 8-25: Off day.
Tuesday, 8-26: AM: Run - 1 hr very easy. PM: Run - 1:20 hrs slightly higher intensity as the AM.
Wednesday, 8-27: AM or PM: Run - WU 20 min main set - 55 min moderate.
Thursday, 8-28: WU into main set of 10x1 mile at projected half marathon pace. Easy 400 between reps.
Friday, 8-29: Birthday - off day.
Saturday, 8-30: Run - 2:30 total. WU 20 min to marathon pace. Main set is 1:50 at marathon pace. The remainder is WD easy.
Sunday, 8-31: Run - 1:30 easy-moderate.
Hood to Coast Recap
What a trip! 4 intense days in Oregon. We did very well as a team (10th out of 1,000 teams). We actually were about an hour slower than we expected due to a missed exchange point and not everyone being in top shape, but it was a blast. I will keep this high level.
Day 1 - Thursday - Got picked up at the airport, hooked up with the team at an IHOP, then went directly to the Nike Employee Store. Deep deep discounts on all items. We have a friend who is a Nike employee and she was able to get us guest passes. Saw lots of international teams shopping there.
Next we headed to the Nike World Campus. Very cool. Each building is named after one of their athletes. We hit the Lance Armstrong building, the Michael Jordan building, the Steve Prefontaine building, the Alberto Salazar building, and ended up crashing a party at the Tiger Woods building. The party was for the international teams that Nike brought in, as well as the employee based teams. We decided if anyone asked us for credentials...we would simply smile and nod our heads as if we didn't speak English.
Ended the day with a drive to our house in Seaside located about a half mile from the finish line.
Day 2 - Friday - Got up and went for a nice short run to loosen up the legs. Left around 2pm to head to the start. Stopped for groceries along the way. Made it to the start at the top of Mt. Hood by 6:15pm, which was plenty of time before our actual 7:00pm start. Took the team picture there.
The race started right at 7pm. My first leg was at 11:15pm. I ran 4.5 miles averaging 5:45 per mile. Unfortunately our van went to the wrong exchange point and Dave D had to wait for us to figure this out and get back there before he could hand off to me. We lost 25 minutes right there. My run was rolling and in the pitch black. I passed 22 people during this leg. I quickly realized that the theme for the race would be hurry up and wait. I finished my leg and passed the baton to Al. One done...two to go.
Day 3 - Saturday - Our van had a few hours of down time at leg 16. We found the exchange point at the Fred Meyer grocery store. Everyone got in about an hours worth of sleep. I slept on the ground in the parking lot. Once we were back on duty it started to get congested at each exchange point. My next leg would be a 5 mile climb with a 0.7 mile drop. I was handed the baton at 5:20am just as dawn began to break. I worked hard over the next 5 miles....running between 6:15 and 7:00 pace. I passed 20-30 people along the way. My final 0.7 miles downhill were run at 5:15 pace. I was officially tired and exhausted...but daylight brought renewed energy to the team and we were getting stronger. As the race progressed the traffic got really bad. On average the vans were backed up for a half mile before each exchange point. We were barely able to get to the next point to pick up the runner and get the next runner going. My last leg came at 11:20am. It was a nice 4.1 mile run. Unfortunately I was over-amped up for this one and took off too hard. My first mile split was 5:10. Dumb. I paid for it around mile 3 with a 6:30 mile...but came back for my final mile in 5:35. We finished in 19hrs 46mins which put us in 10th overall and 5th in the Open Male division. Once we were back in Seaside we quickly took showers and made our way to the beach party. We had fun but I was done around 9pm. A few of us headed back and crashed.
Day 4 - Sunday - Got up early and headed for the airport. Long travel day back. Lay over in Denver was hampered by thunderstorms and the Democratic National Convention! Arrived back in Akron around 1:30am on Monday.
Read more...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Hood to Coast is here
I haven't updated this blog for some time now. I have been training hard for Hood to Coast. All signs are good to this point. I ran a 5K in 17:12 last weekend. I know I would have been under 17 if it weren't for an issue around the 2.5 mile mark. My training is going well and I feel really fit. I hope to post updates between my legs at Hood. Not sure how the cell reception will be out there. Worst cast I will recap everything once I get back.
Columbus Marathon - There will be a course change this year....for which I am very happy. The worst part of the course for me has always been between miles 16 and 20. It is a long boring stretch. The course will now go through the Ohio State campus beginning around mile 15.5. I really hope some of the students get out and cheer. I am going to try to have Chris F, a redshirt XC freshman at OSU, pace me for a few miles. My training runs have been far better this year. I am running regularly with Damon B and Nilesh S. Running with them cements my theory about running with people faster than yourself. It only makes you stronger and better. I have always subscribed this approach. My running is the strongest it has been in many years. I turn 45 next week and am looking forward to the Celebrate Westlake 5 miler as my first 45-49 age group race.
Family - Jo is finally off of her crutches. I am sure she will be sore for a few more weeks, but the worst is hopefully over. Maddie and Logan start school next Tuesday. Logan is a Senior and Maddie will be in her first year of Middle School (5th grade). Logan and I will be heading down to Ohio University in a few weeks for a campus visit. I won't tell him about the Intensity Palace (my home down there) or any of the fraternity stories just yet. Let's just get him through his first year there....then I will open up to him.
Work - We just released "Watch It Change" on the iTunes App Store. It is an application that uses the camera to make stop-motion movies on the iPhone. We have received some great reviews from the press. You can check out our website at www.watchitchange.com
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Burning River 100 / Training
Burning River 100 - Training got a little off track last week due to the Burning River 100. I was busy from the very start to the very end. Friday Jo and I sat at the registration desk taking runners photos for the webcast that I was running. Got a few hours of sleep on Friday. Rich came over to my house at 3am on Saturday for our drive to the start. Hung out and watched the start of the race at 5am. We did the timing for the event, so it was very busy and steady for the next 30 hours. Most of the timing was done remotely by me, Jo, Matt, Josh, and my mom. Thanks everyone!
Wedged in between the timing were my pacing duties for Rich. I have to say that I almost would have rather been running all day than handling the timing. Once I met Rich at Boston Store, the next 20 miles would be my time to relax and have fun. Rich looked a little beat, but still strong willed as we made our way into the hills and eventually the darkness. The course was very well marked except for a section where "hoodlums" had removed the trail markings. Five and a half hours after Boston Store I handed Rich off to Ed for the remaining 20 miles. I quickly headed to the finish line to set up my timing spot. It was great to see everyone come across the line as I had last year. There were bumps along the way with the timing, and I was a little unsociable to periods of time as I was getting things back in line. Sorry for not being more chatty!
The race ended at 11am. I quickly created the final results for the awards ceremony, hung out a bit, then headed home. It is now Thursday and my sleep pattern is finally back in order. I am glad I didn't run! Great job to everyone who ran or volunteered. It takes a huge human effort to make this event roll.
Logan - Logan was stung by a bee/wasp at practice on Tuesday morning. He had a bad allergic reaction and his face, eyes, mouth, and throat all swelled up pretty bad. He spent all of Tuesday and Wednesday in the hospital. All is fine now, but we have to keep an EpiPen on hand from this point forward.
Training - I am back on track with my training. Here is my schedule this week.
Mon 8-4: 1 hour easy
Tue 8-5: AM: 1 hour easy. PM: 14 x 1 mile repeats (missed due to Logan bee sting)
Wed 8-6: AM: 1:15hr with Damon / Nilesh
Thu 8-7: 1:30hr with 3/4 mile surges
Fri 8-8: 1 hr easy
Sat 8-9: AM: 10K race
Sun 8-10: 2hr30min with some marathon pace work
Read more...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Hood to Coast / Updates
Hood to Coast is now within 30 days. 197 miles from the treeline on Mount Hood to the coast (Seaside, Oregon). I received my leg assignments and am pumped about the trip. I will be running legs 8, 20, and 32. I am feeling the most fit in 3 years, so it bodes well for this adventure.
A guy I know put together some music mixes that I use while running. To download a mix, right click on the solarmix# and save target as.. They are large files so you need high speed internet to get them. Just beware of number 2.
solarmix1 playlist1 anger scale: mellow, mix with hits, worldbeat
solarmix2 playlist2 anger scale: maximal; music from satan himself*
solarmix3 playlist3 anger scale: mellow; punk rock girls go surfing
solarmix4 playlist4 anger scale: mellow; all MC Solaar, french rap
solarmix5 playlist5 anger scale: mellow; mix of classical music
solarmix6 playlist6 instigated by egret, morphed into rock and roll phoenix music.
solarmix7 playlist7 very very mellow; injury comeback music. all female vocals remixed or set to trip-hop beats; nora jones, ella fitzgerald and some international greats.
solarmix8 playlist8 high energy seattle grunge-mix, inspired by sans souci; you may never need caffeine again. almost all the energy of solarmix2, with only 10% of the evil
solarmix9 playlist9 about 70 min of 70's soul and funk, loosely lyric-ed with positive running messages, so tell me something good everyday people, and don't you worry about a thing, 'cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough...
solarmix10 playlist10 running in the desert...
solarmix11 playlist11 this one is short and sweet. jpgarland posted something about running to the soundtrack of endurance (disney movie about haile geb... see it if you haven't!) so i got the idea of putting together a bunch of movie sountracks. only 40 minutes... mostly good movies, some cheesy ones, but good, mostly orchestral, music throughout. (hey, by the way, this is an olympic year... this will help get you in the mood...)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Recovery Week 7/21 to 7/27
A recovery week is in order now. Next major event is Hood to Coast. I will run several races along the way.
Monday, 7-21: 1 hr easy.
Tuesday, 7-22: Off day.
Wednesday, 7-23: AM: 1:20 hrs with 45 min medium pace. PM: 1 hr easy.
Thursday, 7-24: 1:10 hrs easy.
Friday, 7-25: 1 hr easy with pickups.
Saturday, 7-26: 5K race, then 1:10 hrs easy
Sunday 7-27: 2 hrs total on roads with 55 min medium pace.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Taper 7/14 to 7/20
The Buckeye Trail 50K is on Saturday. Patience and Persistence will be my motto for the day. Should be fun.
Training Schedule
Monday, 7-14: AM: 1 hr easy. PM - 1 hr easy
Tuesday, 7-15: AM: Track. 7x1 mile at half marathon race pace.
Wednesday, 7-16: AM: 1:20 hrs total with 30 min cruise pace.
Thursday, 7-17: Run - 1:20 easy.
Friday, 7-18: AM: 1 hr easy.
Saturday, 7-19: Buckeye 50K.
Sunday, 7-20: Off day for recovery.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Training 7/7 to 7/13
Very happy with my training last week. Reached 90.5 miles mostly due to a big weekend. I ran 31 miles on Saturday with Rich and a few others as part of their Burning River 100 training. It was slow and easy so I decided to just get time on my feet. I came back 7 hours later and ran the Buckeye Trail 50K course at a pretty aggressive pace from Oak Grove to Boston Store. I started to run out of gas on the way back. I also felt easy and relaxed on my Tuesday track workout. Busy week ahead. Here is my schedule:
Monday, 7-7: 1 hour easy.
Tuesday, 7-8: AM: 7x1 mile repeats. PM: 1 hour easy.
Wednesday, 7-9: AM: 2 hrs total with D&N. PM: 1 hour easy.
Thursday, 7-10: Rest day.
Friday, 7-11: 1 hour easy
Saturday, 7-12: 1hr 30min marathon pace
Sunday, 7-13: 5K race early. 2:15 hrs trails later.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream aka Training 06/30 to 07/06
I am clearly getting into a rhythm as the training program progresses. I am feeling stronger and my recovery is much quicker. Had another good week. Jumped into a 5K on Saturday and ran well considering the heat and my lack of racing / speed training. I will do another 5K in two weeks and see if I can shave a few seconds off. The Buckeye Trail 50K is the next big race. I will go into that race relaxed, knowing that it is a tough run and anything can happen during those 31 miles. Mud, roots, horse tracks, creek crossings, bugs, stairs, heat, rain, and luck all play a part in this race. My goal is to run well and have fun along the way.
Monday, 6-30: 1 hour easy with XC team
Tuesday, 7-1: AM: 50 min easy. PM: Track - 20x400
Wednesday, 7-2: AM: D&N run. PM: Run with XC team.
Thursday, 7-3: 1 hour easy
Friday, 7-4: Off day. Timing 5K in Hudson.
Saturday, 7-5: Run - 1:30 easy.
Sunday, 7-6: Run - 3 hrs trails.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Training 6/23 to 6/29
A good first week of training behind me. I got 84.75 miles in with two hard back to back days. I think the Tuesday night track work will really help with my leg speed. There is a small chance I will mix in a 5K race this Saturday. I would like to get a benchmark for my fitness. I will decide on Friday. Here is my schedule:
Monday, 6-23: 1 hour easy
Tuesday, 6-24: AM: 50 min easy. PM: Track - 16 x 400m w/ 200m recovery
Wednesday, 6-25: AM: Group run - 1hr 50min total with 1:10 @ marathon pace. PM: easy hour run.
Thursday, 6-26: Off. Weights.
Friday, 6-27: 1 hour easy.
Saturday, 6-28: 1hr 30min easy (maybe 5K race).
Sunday, 6-29: 2.5 hrs trails
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Chicago + Training 6/16 to 6/22
I took Logan to Boston in April for a vacation, so this time it was Maddie's turn. We spent a few days in Chicago. I am glad I took her there. It was the first real exposure to a large city for her. I think it was a hit as her saying for the first two days was "this is heaven". By the third day it was hell and we were ready to come home. Some of the highlights were:
* Shedd Aquarium
* American Girl Store
* Ed Debevec's Diner
* Spending hours at the hotel pool
Photos can be viewed in the photo album starting on Monday.
I also had a chance to run with Jason Ream and his Fleet Feet buddies. Good guys. We went 15 and I got a nice tour of the city. Hopefully we can rope Jason into taking our 12th Hood to Coast spot.
Training - This is the official first week of training for a Fall Marathon. I am feeling stronger than I ever have at the beginning of a session. A few key races along the way will make it fun.
- Monday, 6-16: 1 hr easy with the XC team.
- Tuesday, 6-17: AM: 50 min easy. PM: Track - 12x400
- Wednesday, 6-18: AM: 1:40 total starting out with Damon & Nilesh. Finish with XC team and hills. PM: 50 min easy.
- Thursday, 6-19: Rest day
- Friday, 6-20: 1 hour easy
- Saturday, 6-21: 1:30 fartlek on trails.
- Sunday, 6-22: 2 hrs trails
Read more...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Training 6/9 to 6/15
Final week of unstructured training. The Fall marathon plan begins on 6/16. Here is what I will probably do this week:
Mon 6/9 - AM: 7 miles PM: 4 miles
Tue 6/10 - 6 easy miles
Wed 6/11 - 9 miles w/ Damon & Nilesh, then 5 Mingo miles with the XC team
Thu 6/12 - Off day - travel with Maddie to Chicago
Fri 6/13 - 8 easy miles
Sat 6/14 - 8 miles with a few pickups
Sun 6/15 - 8 easy miles - return home to Akron
Monday, June 2, 2008
Training 6/2 to 6/8
If I remember...I will post my weekly schedule on Monday mornings. If anyone is interested in running together, let me know.
Mon 6/2 - 9 trail miles with Vince
Tue 6/3 - 4 to 6 miles w/ VR Track Workout
Wed 6/4 - Early morning 9 miles with Damon and Nilesh
Thu 6/5 - Easy 5 miles
Fri 6/6 - 6 trail miles @ Mingo
Sat 6/7 - Timing Race for the Parks / Run 8 after
Sun 6/8 - Timing Irishfest 5K / Run 15 after
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Two weeks to go...
...until the Fall marathon plan starts. I am going to work with Pete again, but we have altered the plan a little. I think with school being out my running opportunities get better. I have selected a few races along the way.
Buckeye Trail 50K - I love this race but have yet to run it from start to finish. I will be living on the trails until mid-July
Hood to Coast - A trip with Nakel, Seymour, Leonard, Brawn, Casagranda, Dobos, Adams, Thor, and others should be a Summer highlight. We have already been warned to wear Nike shoes when we visit the Nike campus. Duh.
Erie Half Marathon - Could be a windy day on Lake Erie, but this is the best chance to PR. My duties around the Buckeye Half and the Akron Marathon forced me to look at Erie.
Columbus Marathon - The course has always been good to me...so it wins the Fall Marathon Lottery. I will be 45 years old at this race....so a PR would be sweet.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Weezer Returns
Great new video from Weezer featuring actual people from popular YouTube videos. Very clever. The new album is out on June 3rd. Go buy it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
NYC
We had a great weekend in NYC. It was a loud, busy, bright, smelly, expensive, crazy, and fun trip. Happy to be home. Highlights were:
* Getting together with Tom Geiger for dinner on Saturday
* Yankee game on Sunday
* Running in Central Park on the Trials course
* Crazy people on the subway
Trip photos can be viewed in my Photo Album
Read more...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cleveland Marathon Photos
Before the start with JP
Feeling great at the finish
After the race with Jo
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Cleveland Marathon
All went well at the marathon today. I went out much slower than I ever have and what a difference it makes. My plan was to run at 6:45 pace through 20 then decide to stay or back down. I was right on the money the whole way. The first 16 flew by like a training run, and I have never felt stronger at 20 miles in my life. I ran with Tim Hackett through 19 something. I had to take a pit stop and it couldn't wait, so I told Tim to go ahead and I would try to catch him. Once I had taken care of business I set out to get him. At the 20 mile mark I could see him way up ahead, so I pushed a 6:20 mile from 20 to 21. I realized there was no way I could get my lost time back, so I hooked up with another guy who was starting to crash. He needed a 3:10, so I backed it down and helped him in. We both finished around 3:05. So I hit my overall goal of sub 3:15 for London, and more importantly got through a marathon feeling the best I have ever felt.
This was a great step towards some of my Summer goals.
It was great to see many of my running friends, especially Wyatt get under 3 hours.
Read more...
Friday, May 16, 2008
17 on the 17th
Happy Birthday Logan!
It doesn't seem like 17 years have passed. I remember being 17! It was just yesterday that I was building leaf piles for him to dive into. I hope you have a great day on your birthday.
Love,
Dad
Read more...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
One More Try
I have been quietly running well for the last three weeks. My knee is almost 100% on flat and uphill sections of the road and trail. I am still bothered when I have to brake going downhill, but it is under control. I ran two key workouts over the last week. The first was 4 x 3 mile cut down repeats. I was able to average 7:00 / 6:50 / 6:40 / 6:30 pretty well for each set. Yesterday I ran a 4 mile cut down going 7:00 / 6:30 / 6:00 / 5:30 and felt good. So with that...I am going to run the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday. I am going to take a very different approach this time. The final goal is to finish under 3hrs 15min. That time will ensure an entry into London in '09 if we choose to go that route. My plan is to run with the 2:55-3:00hr guys that I know for at least 15 to 20 miles. If all is well at that point I will creep it down or try to maintain. If things don't go as planned I can back off and just come across the line in hopefully 3:15.
Read more...
Friday, May 2, 2008
Running Update
For the first time in a while, I don't have a specific running plan. Pete and I are going to take a break for about a month or so. I am just running easy and doing what I have to do to get my knee back. It is slowly feeling better...so my unstructured running plan will continue in May.
We have formed a new Masters Team for Club Nat / competition purposes. It is sponsored by The Run Zone and looks to be solid. A core from Team Good River put it together and make up the roster.
My basic plans are to run the Buckeye 50K as hard as I can in July. Head West with Seymour, Nakel, Thor and the boys for Hood to Coast in August. Pick a Fall marathon (either Marine Corp, Columbus, or Richmond).
I am also heavily involved with the Road Runner Akron Marathon this year, assisting with the Invited Runners program and as one of the organizers of the USATF National Women's 8K Championship.
Read more...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Post Marathon Strategy
What to do after running an injury riddled marathon? Go see the B-52's of course! The last time I saw them was at Blossom Music Center while in high school. I had my wisdom teeth pulled either that day or the day before, I can't remember. I do remember having a great time and spitting blood most of the night. No blood this time.
Read more...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Race Report - Boston Marathon
Q: Boston or Bust
A: Bust
I have been dragging my feet about reporting on my Boston run. I guess there was nothing I could have done differently and it was just one of those things. A few weeks ago I twisted my knee coming down some steps. It has been lingering for the last month. At mile 5 of the Boston Marathon I felt some discomfort in the knee. I pretty much ignored it until my knee "popped" around mile 10. I came to a sudden stop and hobbled over to the med tent. The medical people on the course were great. They sat me down right away, gave me Gatorade, scanned my bib so that if someone was looking for me I would be recorded as "out". After some time sitting in the med tent I was given a choice of either waiting for the bus and getting a ride back, or continuing on. I decided to just get to the next medical station then make a final decision. Once I got going at a very slow trot I decided just to run it out and deal with the discomfort. It is Boston.
Three hours and fifty minutes later I crossed the line. A new PW (personal worst). I did learn many things that day about mid-pack runners, and I have gained a new respect for those who are out on the course for that long (and longer).
Now it is on to an appt with the good Dr. Shah. We will plot a new course and forge ahead. Stay tuned.
Joey Phillips and I are on the far right in the photo taken at the 30K mark.
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