Race Recap (Finally) - runDisney's 2013 Wine & Dine Half Marathon

It has now been a month since runDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon, so I am certainly well beyond a decent and acceptable time frame for getting a full recap of the race out here on my blog. As such, I guess I'm just flying in the face of blogger protocol as I write down my thoughts from the race that took place way back on November 9th.

So where was I (in my last post)? Oh right, it was somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30, and I was headed down to catch the bus to the Start at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex. And thus began the night's first mini adventure...waiting for the bus to take us from the Beach Club Resort to the Start. As I arrived at the bus stop, one bus was just leaving, so I was fortunate enough to be first in line for the next bus, which was supposed to be along in about "five or ten minutes" (for those of you who are fans, think Seinfeld). Well, after about fifteen minutes, the line waiting for the next bus was now probably about 200 deep, and needless to say, we were all getting a little antsy. The poor volunteer - who's "job was merely to count us as we boarded the bus" - was starting to catch some heat from the crowd, and he wasn't having too much luck with his radio. While we waited, two completely empty "Event" buses (the ones to take runners to the Start) just whisked past the bus stop without picking us up...we were getting dangerously close to an all-out riot when a third bus showed up and opened its doors. Whew!

I already wrote a post about some of the thoughts and emotions I was feeling when heading to the starting corral, so here I'm going to keep things a little lighter and focused more on the race itself. But first, though, I need to point out that I had a chance to meet and have a group picture taken with a bunch of online friends from the pbrc, which is the Disney PaceBook Running Club on Facebook. It was great to put faces with names, and although it was my first chance to meet all of these folks, it still had the feel of a family (of runners) reunion...

With the pbrc...Can you find me?

After the group picture and a few fun "catch up" conversations, it was off to the races...well, after my final restroom (porta-potty) break. Finally, around 9:00-ish, I made my way over to Starting Corral G.

In the starting corral, I found a couple of pbrc people with pacing signs (one for a 3-hour finish, and the other for 2:45), so I decided that I would start the race with them and then (hopefully) pull away as the race progressed. While waiting the final forty-five minutes for the start, it was fun to have some time to visit and chat with the other runners...the camaraderie in the running community is awesome! In addition, I ran into Leigh Rosica from Mousekeplanner, who happens to be the person who set up my travel arrangements not only for the Wine & Dine weekend but also for the Full Marathon weekend next month...great meeting you, Leigh! And thanks for the tremendous deals!!!

With each minute, the race got closer, and all of the sudden, the first corrals were on their way...and finally, the fireworks went off for Corral G at 10:15!

Here we go!

Things were pretty crowded as we got underway, but we moved slowly and steadily as we made our way out toward the first three-mile stretch of highway.

A sea of runners moving out to the course!

The first few miles of the race were all highway. After taking a left out of Wide World of Sports, we headed down Osceola Parkway toward Animal Kingdom Park. Along the way, there were a couple of spots to get pictures with characters, but I opted against taking any of these because I really wanted to just run the race and see what I could do...while still keeping a easier pace and remembering that this was part of the training plan for the Full Marathon in January. As such, I had targeted a training pace of 12 minutes per mile for the race...which would put me across the finish in about 2:37.

Before entering Animal Kingdom, we crossed the 5K timing mat, and I was pretty much right on my goal pace with a split time of 37:35, which had me at a 12:06 pace. I was feeling pretty strong with ten miles to go, and it was exciting to be headed into our first park.

Dinosaur teeth guiding us into Animal Kingdom!

After snapping the picture of the Dino Teeth, I decided that it was just too hard to take pictures and keep running my race; as such, my camera (phone) took on the official role of playing music for the remainder of my run.

Running through Animal Kingdom at night was pretty cool - Everest and the Tree of Life looked amazing - and it was definitely an awesome experience winding our way through this park at night...because it usually isn't open after dark. The cast members and volunteers were - as always - so awesome and supportive to all of us, and if I didn't have a smile on my face, I was definitely thinking happy thoughts. Now, with the animals tucked away in bed, we didn't have the blaring music or laser shows that would be coming up in the other two parks...but I was having a blast.

Definitely having a good time!

Coming out of Animal Kingdom, we got back onto Osceola Parkway and headed back toward Hollywood Studios. During this stretch, I ran over the 10K timing mat and saw that I was maintaining the same 12:06 pace and had been running for an hour and fifteen minutes. At this time, I was feeling pretty good and decided to pick up my pace a little bit - maybe it was because I had just eaten my first energy gel - so I shortened up my pace a bit while picking up my cadence.

Well, the next thing I knew, I was on the race's biggest "hill" (the overpass taking us off of Osceola and pointing us toward Hollywood Studios) and a faceless green army man from Toy Story was yelling at all of us to get our butts up that hill...I laughed and gave him the thumbs up as I passed, and he saluted me for my efforts!

About a mile and a half later, we were running into the north end of Hollywood Studios...and boy was that park a-hoppin'! The course was moving us to-and-fro through the park on routes unfamiliar to me as a park guest, and the next thing I knew, a DJ had the music blaring as I ran toward the huge Sorcerer Mickey Hat in the center of the park. A few minutes later, we were running through the costume tunnel, and that too was filled with artificial fog, blaring music, and disco balls...quite honestly, it was fun but at the same time a little disorienting (since we had run around 10 or so miles at that point).

Having fun in Hollywood Studios!

At some point in Hollywood Studios, we crossed the 15K mat, and my picking up the pace a bit had worked...my average pace moved up to 11:55 per mile, and I kept moving a little faster every mile.

One of the most awesome parts of the entire race was running through the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in Hollywood Studio's Streets of America. A lot of people have expressed disappointment that I didn't stop to take at least one picture here, but to be honest, a picture wouldn't capture how awesome a sight it was...great motivation for the last couple of miles!

After leaving Hollywood Studios, it was time for another energy gel, and I only had a couple of miles to the finish! Even though it was past midnight, there were a LOT of spectators watching the race along the Boardwalk, Yacht, and Beach Club Resorts...and their cheers helped my legs to move even faster (even though they were certainly starting to hurt).

What kept me going, though, was knowing that all I had left was a quick jaunt through EPCOT's Future World, under the big ball (Spaceship Earth), and back out to the Finish Line! I was tired and sore, but right near the end, I ran past Michelle and Mary, and they provided the spring in my step that took me to the Finish!

Almost There!!!

Tired, Sore...and Very Happy!

At the end of it all, my official time for my first half marathon was 2:33:23, and my official pace was 11:42. As such, I was pretty happy that I had sped up after the 10K point and that I had run a negative split! Most importantly, with the exception of walking for ten or fifteen seconds through each drink station - every 1.5 miles - I ran the entire race from start to finish...and regardless of the time it took, a big goal of mine was to run the whole way.

The Race According to Garmin

Now, I should divulge that my Garmin statistics showed that I didn't run the quickest route by which a race course is measured...in fact, I'm even more proud of the fact that I actually ran 13.35 miles in 2:33, which actually put me in at an 11:31 pace, broken down as follows:

Mile 1 - 12:01

Mile 2 - 11:58

Mile 3 - 11:56

Mile 4 - 12:15 (Got a little bunched up in Animal Kingdom)

Mile 5 - 11:37

Mile 6 - 11:30

Mile 7 - 11:08 (Energy Gel Boost)

Mile 8 - 11:28

Mile 9 - 11:38

Mile 10 - 11:21

Mile 11 - 11:09 (Energy Gel Boost)

Mile 12 - 11:18

Mile 13 - 10:54 (Running through EPCOT; Seeing Michelle and Mary)

0.35 Miles - 9:58 (Racing to the Finish Line)

Still Standing!

 Overall, I was happy with my first half marathon, as well as my choice for my first half to be runDisney's Wine & Dine! After making my way through some crowds to catch up with Michelle and Mary, I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Greece kiosk in the World Showcase, and then it was back to the hotel for a nice bath and some sleep.

Since that wonderful day a month ago, my mind and my training have been focused on one thing, which was actually my first thought after I crossed the Finish Line:

Time to Double the Distance!

But let's get into that next time. Until then, enjoy your journey...

Pre-Race Recap - RunDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Well, since it has now been three weeks since I ran my first half marathon, I guess I should provide another recap, huh? I haven't been avoiding it...I guess things have just been a bit hectic.

Anyway, in my last post, I talked about Friday, so let me run through Saturday's preparations before my final post about the race itself. In short, this was my goal for Saturday...

Rest Those Legs!

With a night race on the docket (I mean, who runs at 10:00pm?), my focus was on two things: eating properly and getting enough rest. After taking our time getting up and ready, Michelle, Mary, and I headed down to the breakfast buffet at the Yacht Club's Captain's Grille, which is a great (and less busy) alternative to the Beach Club's character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe. Since it was late morning, I decided that this was going to be the "big meal" for the day, so I did help myself to a few helpings of this, that, and the other...although I kept it pretty simple and stayed away from spicy and/or adventurous foods.

After breakfast, I went back to the room to lay down for a little bit and to contact a blogger or two whom I was planning to meet over the weekend. Well, I got in touch with Jen Lefforge from Running for my Life! and Michelle, Mary, and I had the opportunity to meet her for her lunch right back at the Captain's Grille! It was awesome getting to spend some time with Jen, and we are hoping to get together with her and her whole family at some point during the Marathon Weekend in January...she's done the Full at Disney before and will be running the half marathon this year; her husband Scott, however, will be undertaking the Goofy Challenge! 

Although taking a picture at the time slipped my mind (I guess I'm still not used to this whole blogging thing), later that night, Jen and I did remember to get a pre-race shot...

With our Newest Friend - Jen Lefforge!

After lunch - well, Jen had lunch, Mary had ice cream, and Michelle and I had iced teas - it was off to the pool for some R&R. Fortunately, it was a bit of a cloudy day, so finding a shady spot (and staying out of the energy-draining sun) was not difficult. Oh, and on the way to the pool, I ran into a couple of other bloggers - Pam and Christine, the mother-daughter running team from We Run Disney - who happened to be staying at the same hotel. It was great getting to meet them as well; in fact, we also ran into them on Sunday night at Thunder Mountain in the Magic Kingdom, and Michelle put it best when she said, "it just feels like we know you already because of your blog!"

From a food standpoint, for the remainder of the day, I ate small snacks every couple of hours (a banana here, a yogurt there, a CLIF bar here, and a peanut butter bagel about three hours before the race)...and, most importantly, I kept drinking water, and I mixed in a few waters with nuun tablets for some pre-race electrolytes.

I was able to lay down and get an hour or two of (very light) sleep around 4:30 to 6:30-ish, and then it was time to suit up...

Flat Pete - Ready to Run!

And at around 7:30, I headed downstairs to catch the bus to the Starting Line. 

My first half marathon awaits. Let's do this...

I'll tell you the rest next time. Until then, enjoy your journey...

Day One Recap - runDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Okay, I've waited long enough, and now I absolutely positively must start recapping the Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend. With so much happening in just a few days, I now understand why everyone's runDisney recaps usually require a few separate posts. In fact, this is already my second, and in my first, I spoke briefly about some very inspirational people who entered my thoughts while on my way to the starting corrals (you can read that post HERE).

So without further ado, let's review the weekend's first day. Here we go...

Friday, November 8 - The Expo, The Beach Club, and Epcot

One of the advantages to where I live is that it takes just a couple of hours to drive to the Walt Disney World Resort, so I don't have the frustrations of battling airports, ground transportation, and general travel challenges faced by many who partake in the Florida runDisney races. In fact, I guess I'm fortunate in that I have yet to take a "race-cation"  since my feet have been back on the pavement. That said, I do see a few in the stars for 2014...but more about that in future posts.

After getting the car packed up, my wife Michelle and I picked up our daughter Mary at school around noon, grabbed a quick "on the go" (and completely unhealthy) meal at McDonald's, and were on our way to see Mickey. Admittedly, with my first half marathon about a day and a half away, I was feeling a little jittery, maybe a tad anxious, but overall I would say that I was still doing okay.

Over marathon weekend back in January (Mary and I ran the 5K, which you can read about HERE), we drove straight to the expo before heading to our hotel, and since it worked out well back then, I decided on the same strategy this time around. So at around 2:30, we arrived at the Wide World of Sports Complex for the expo, which at the time had been open for about four hours.

With Mary at Wide World of Sports

And to much pleasure, it was an easy and painless experience. Because I had printed and signed my race waiver in advance, I walked right up to where I needed to pick up my bib, waited zero seconds, and picked up my bib.

From there, we had to head over to the other building to get my race shirt, and again the experience was easy and painless...total time at the expo was maybe a half an hour at this point. Oh, and that includes Michelle and Mary having to wait in a line to pick up their $10 Gift Cards for the Finish Line Party.

Not really having too much to purchase at the expo - some KT Tape for me (and my Achilles) and a Sweaty Band for Michelle (Mary decided to get her prize at Epcot) - we did a little bit of meandering but ended up getting out of there in a couple hours at the most...probably more like an hour and a half.

From the expo, we got back in the car and headed over to check in at The Beach Club Resort. While we typically don't stay at the Deluxe resorts for our Disney trips, I decided to go the extra mile this time for two reasons: First, I knew that we weren't going to be doing much on Saturday, so since we were going to be hanging around the resort, we should at least hang around one of the nicest pools on all of Disney's Florida property; Second, knowing that the Finish Line Party was taking place in the Epcot World Showcase, I knew that being able to walk back to the hotel after the race would be much easier than having to jump on a bus...turns out I made the right call.

Here's a great shot of Michelle and Mary right after we arrived at the hotel and were already heading to Epcot...

Mary & Michelle - My Cheering Section!

I had made dinner reservations in advance for the San Angel Inn in Epcot's Mexico, one of our favorite restaurants around the World Showcase...but we had planned a couple of hours for rides before dinner, so we went over the Future World and took rides on Test Track (yes, we had gotten Fast Passes in advance), Spaceship Earth, and Living with the Land before heading back to dinner in Mexico.

Dinner actually gave us the first of just two disappointments of the weekend....and it had nothing to do with the food.

One of the negative facets of Epcot's Food & Wine Festival is that some people have more difficulty handling the wine part than others. Unfortunately, we were seated next to three who were about twelve sheets to the wind, and there were quite a few F-Bombs and other not-family-friendly crude comments flying around. At the end of it all, though, we asked if we could change tables, the staff complied, and we ended up having a lovely dinner.

As a side note, I did have some initial "how's my stomach going to react to Mexican food before a half marathon?" concerns when making the reservations at San Angel; however, when taking into consideration that we were eating about twenty-seven hours before Saturday night's race, I made the judgement call that all systems would be functioning properly come race time. Fortunately, I was correct; and even more fortunately, there were no stomach issues resulting from any meals over the entire weekend.

After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll through the countries, stopped off in Japan to get Mary a "trip gift" she was asking for, and then headed back to the hotel for some shuteye. Saturday was, in fact, going to be a very big (and ultimately a very long) day. But let's talk about that next time.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

RunDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon: Inspiration at the Start

Even without a race recap, many of you - my dozen or so readers - already know that just a few nights ago, I completed my first half marathon down in Orlando at Disney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon. And while I am proud as punch that I, a formerly obese smoker, was able to run 13.1 miles in just a little over two-and-a half hours, I really want this post to be about a few people who are much more inspiring than I'll ever be. Yes, I've lost 100 pounds; yes, as of Monday, I have been smoke-free for two years; and yes, and even though I'm a lot slower than I was twenty-five years ago, I have regained some of my running mojo and have put myself on that proverbial path to my first full marathon in January.

And while all this has required hard work and dedication on my part, walking to my starting corral this past Saturday night, I came to realize that my hurdles have been insignificant little bumps when compared to those of some other people...some real heroes...


Kimberly Markey

It wasn't too long ago that my daughter Mary, my wife Michelle, and I were watching Kim's YouTube videos to give us some motivation to run some RunDisney races. We like this one in particular (and Kim knows it!)...





But even though Kimberly's running served to inspire in and of itself, what she has been through in the last few months - and what she has done with it - is off the charts.

Not too long ago, Kimberly was diagnosed with a fairly aggressive type of breast cancer (read about it HERE), and she immediately was put onto an aggressive treatment path. But that didn't stop her...nope...not even close.

In just the last month, Kimberly has run RunDisney's Tower of Terror 10-Miler, both the Chicago and New York City Marathons (both races taking place on a Sunday following chemotherapy treatment just a few days prior), as well as this past weekend's Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

So as I made my way to my starting corral on Saturday night, look who I ran into...

Thank Goodness for Serendipity!

Kimberly - You are a hero and an inspiration, and I look forward to seeing you at RunDisney and non-RunDisney races for years to come!


Steve Bell

Parting ways with Kimberly, I had some time to think as I made my way through the crowds, and thinking about the New York City Marathon she had just run, I was reminded of a new Facebook / Team Boomer friend of mine: Steve Bell.

As many of you - again, my dozen or so readers - know, I am running for Team Boomer, which is the athletic fundraising side of the Boomer Esiason Foundation to fight and find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis, which is primarily a lung disease against which my niece and nephew have fought their entire lives.

Well, Steve battles the same illness, and sometimes he does so fiercely...





I was reminded of Steve because, like Kimberly, he too had run the New York City Marathon just a week earlier (read his recap HERE), and although he was disappointed with his performance, the last two sentences of his blog post certainly tell us who he is: Another New York City marathon under my belt.  Another great day of celebrating life.

Steve - You are a hero and an inspiration, and I look forward to running "your" race - the New York City Marathon - with you in the years to come!


Anna Corr

It's a good thing I'm not presenting this blog post to my dozen or so followers in person. I've already teared up a few times while writing about Kimberly and Steve, and I don't think I'd be able to get through telling you how my niece Anna was also there with me in spirit (and purely unintentionally) as I prepared for the race.

After making my way into my starting corral around 9:00-ish, I was checking out my phone to see whether Pandora was going to help get me through the miles in front of me. Well, as that app wasn't loading (14,000 people taking up the 4G airwaves simultaneously), I decided to see whether anything interesting had posted to Facebook...and I saw the following post from my niece Anna:

I just want to be able to breathe, it's not so much to ask for....

Standing in a sea of people, I just stared at the post for a few minutes before I tried (unsuccessfully) to respond...because of the whole 4G thing. It wasn't until a day or two later that I thanked Anna for reminding why I was wearing a Team Boomer shirt.

Anna - You are a hero and an inspiration, and my sincere promise to you, to Aidan, to Steve, and to everybody battling Cystic Fibrosis is that I will continue to run races to raise money to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

And, no, Anna...it's not so much to ask for...

Anna & Aidan

Until next time, my loyal readers, do me a favor and put these heroes in your prayers...and if praying is not your thing, just send some positive thoughts.

And rather than me telling you to enjoy your journey this installment, I'll use Steve's words this time:

Until next time, celebrate your life...

Race Recap: Evergreen Pumpkin Run 10 Miler

This Sunday, October 27, I ran the Evergreen Pumpkin Run 10 Miler in Jacksonville, Florida, and it was actually the first race I had run since the Castaway Cay 5K during my Disney Cruise earlier this year. The reasons why I've held off on racing are simple:

1. I didn't travel anywhere in the last four months;
2. During that timeframe, there weren't any local races that started at 5:30am, and that is the only time I ran during the ridiculously hot Summer months here in Florida.

But boy was this weekend different in an awesome running weather type of way! But let me get to that in a minute.

For me, some race stress actually started to kick in on Saturday night because as an avid Red Sox fan, I was conflicted between staying up to watch World Series Game 3 or being a responsible runner (who happens to be coming off an injury) and getting a good night's sleep before taking on what would be my longest race to date. Actually, it was my first double-digit-miles race. I ran a 15K earlier this year, but that was "only" 9.3 miles, so in retrospect, this Sunday was a pretty big deal!

Anyway  - back to the story - when the Red Sox fell behind 4-2 late in the game, I decided to go to bed; however, I texted a friend and told him to text me back only if the Sox had the tying and/or go ahead runs in scoring position. Well, an inning later the Sox threatened, he texted, the Sox tied the game, and I ended up staying awake for the rest of the contest...which didn't turn out as well as I would have liked in the end. In hindsight, I guess I should have just stayed in bed...oh well.

So after watching the Sox lose, I went back to bed and ended up getting a whole four-and-a-half (maybe 5) hours sleep before getting up at around 5:00am for the 8:00am race. After a couple cups of coffee, a bagel with peanut butter (my pre-race favorite), and some water, I did some Trigger Point massage therapy on my lower legs, bundled up a bit, and was in the car around 6:30-ish.

Bundled up? What do you mean by bundled up, Floridian?

Well, it turns out that it was in the low 50s when I woke up - Nice! - and was forecasted to be in the high 50s/low 60s for the race. To a Floridian who has been running in temps in the 70s and 80s with humidity in the 90s (before the sun comes up, mind you), that is absolutely IDEAL running weather.

So by the time I got to the race site (around 7:20), I picked up my timing chip (the shoelace chip), made sure the porta potties were in working order, mulled around for a little bit, had some idle chit chat with other runners, and then made my way over to the starting line.

By the way, all of this took place in a cemetery! Cue Puddy from Seinfeld - Yeah, that's right....a cemetery.

The Evergreen Pumpkin run - which actually consists of a 10 Miler and a 5K - is a run that makes its way through Jacksonville's Evergreen Cemetery, which is a beautiful old venue with majestic oak and magnolia trees canopying the paths and roadways. The route itself was pretty interesting, with quite a few twists and turns; but the signs marking the journey were clear, and there was never any doubt about which way to go. Oh, and by the way, we didn't trample on anyone's graves...all running was done on asphalt paths and roads, so the chances of a Poltergeist movie breaking out were slim to none.

But it was certainly an adventure...



From my Garmin Connect

Anyway, before embarking on this journey, I had a race plan. You see, the only reason I was running this race was to get myself a better corral placement for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon, which requires a 10-Mile qualifying race (the 9.3 miler "missed it by that much"). As such, I just wanted to go out and run a decent "slow and steady" training-pace (12-minute-mile) race in order to move up a handful of corrals at Disney.

But remember when I said that the weather was just perfect for running? Well...

At the race's start, I definitely stuck with my plan. I ran the first mile at an 11:50 pace, and I was just enjoying the scenery, as well as the company of my fellow runners...although, to be honest, I wasn't actually talking with anybody because I was listening to some good running music.

But although I didn't pay close attention at the time, when I looked at my splits (at every mile) on Garmin Connect after I got home, I realized that with the exception of Mile 5, I got faster and faster as the race progressed. As I look back, it was just that I was having such a good time running through a beautiful venue in perfect running weather, I just happened to move faster and faster as the race progressed.

Somewhere around Mile 8, I hammed it up for the camera person who yelled that it looked like I still had a lot of spring in my step...and she was right!



Feeling Great around Mile 8!

In fact, for each of the last five miles, I was able to achieve negative splits (I think I'm addicted to negative splits); and my 10th mile actually turned out to be my fastest with a 9:55 pace, which must be why I found myself smiling at the finish!

What a Fun Race!

In short, I had a blast this past Sunday morning, and I highly recommend this race to Jacksonville's running community. Heck, even if it were hot, the course is so heavily shaded that battling the sun would not have been an issue...that said, I'm glad we had a cool morning!

At the end of it all, I beat my two-hour target by over ten minutes, as my chip time was 1:49:16, which put my overall pace at 10:55. And since this was my first 10-Mile race, it was of course a PR!!!

So did any of you race this past weekend? If so, I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Let's hope that's the case when I recap my upcoming Half Marathon at Disney, which is now less than two weeks away! I'll keep you posted on my nerves as we get closer to November 9th.


Until then, enjoy your journey...

The Wine & Dine is Almost Here!

Over the last month and a half, much of my training focus has been geared toward getting my left Achilles working without pain or discomfort...and, fortunately, it has been cooperating; and with long runs back into double digits, I'm feeling really good that my Achilles has been feeling really good! In retrospect, though, it hasn't been a cup of tea. On top of my marathon training schedule, the added challenge of my Achilles injury brought an additional checklist into the mix:

• Taking things slowly and steadily on the pavement (Check)
• Undergoing self-administered deep tissue massage therapy to various lower leg trigger points at least three (and preferable four) times a day (Check)
• Keeping up with calf and soleus strengthening exercises at least three times a day (Check)

But during my 10-mile long run over this weekend, it dawned on me that I was (seemingly all of the sudden) just three weeks away from this...

...and I have to admit that I am pretty fired up about my first official Half Marathon!

In addition, as the father and husband in a Disney family (and I happen to be a pretty avid Disney fan in my own right), it's even more exciting that I'm undertaking my first official Half at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!

So here a few things I know about the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, which many avid runDisney participants consider their favorite of the Disney's races:

• Fireworks will set the runners in motion on November 9th at 10:00pm...yes, it's a night race.
• The three-park race starts at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports, sends the runners over to Animal Kingdom, back to Hollywood Studios, past the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, and then off to EPCOT for the Finish!
• Following the race, participants and their families attend a Finish Line party that keeps going at EPCOT until 4:00am.
• The families also get to hang out at EPCOT while the participants are running, and they'll probably have full stomachs by the time their runners arrive because in addition to being able to ride a handful of rides in Future World, they'll also get to visit a few dozen food stations around the World Showcase. You see, this whole shindig takes place during the final weekend of EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival!
• I'll have the opportunity to spend some quality time with my wife and daughter, as well as a whole bunch of runDisney runners (fanatics?) I've gotten to know over the course of the last year!

I don't know about you, but this sounds like a great time to me! And the good news is that it all happens in just 19 days!

In the interim, though, since it's race season, I guess I'll need to use my next post to recap the 10-Mile Pumpkin Run coming up this weekend in Jacksonville.

Until then, enjoy your journey!

Back on Track...With a Few Changes

When I finished my easy run/walk yesterday evening, it marked the first week since August that I was able to stick fully to the week's marathon training schedule. Oh, it wasn't for a lack of trying (a.k.a. laziness) or an incredibly busy schedule (yes, I've been busy lately but certainly not too busy to run); rather, it was an Achilles injury that turned out to be far less debilitating because I shut the running down quickly rather than trying to muscle through the pain (which was my first inclination).

For some more background on the injury, you can check out these older posts:


The Story of Achilles

Slow & Steady Recovery



So for the first time in a month, I am very relieved to say that I'm back on schedule...although that schedule required a number of revisions following the injury. Since the primary reason for tweaking my Achilles seems to be that I was coupling long runs with tempo runs, I made the following changes to the training plan (well, with the help of Hal Higdon)...

• Long Runs - Backed off on the distances. Although I was up to 13 miles before the injury, the past three weeks, my Saturday long runs have been 6, 7, and 5 (with Higdon, every third week is a "stepback" week). This Saturday, I'll be stepping back up to 9 miles and then up to 10 the following week. In addition, my old training schedule had me working all the way up to a 26-mile training run, but I've changed to the Higdon-recommended 20 miler (right after Christmas).

• Race Pace Runs - Eliminated midweek race pace runs because for this marathon, I have adjusted my mindset to be of the "let's just run this 26.2 miles this time" variety. As such, all of my midweek runs will be at a comfortable pace...perhaps a little faster than my long run pace, but definitely slower than my capabilities.

• Speed Work / Tempo Runs - Completely deleted all speed work and faster-paced tempo runs from this marathon training schedule. The goal of one's first marathon is to finish, so I need to put thoughts of speed off until future marathons. I have to keep reminding myself of this...over and over and over.

• Calf Strengthening / Trigger Point Therapy - New to the marathon training schedule is daily calf strengthening exercises (Eccentric Heel Drops) and Trigger Point deep tissue massage therapy. Both of these have become something I do four times a day...no ifs, ands, or buts.

So things have certainly changed, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to be back to my marathon training. Yes, I'm certainly proceeding with caution so as not to reinjure myself...but the best news is that I'm proceeding. Here are last week's results (and, yes, I still have the overall number of weeks from the start in July), as well as this week's schedule...

Marathon Training - Week Fourteen (September 30 - October 6)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 10), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 3.05 Mile Run (10:49 Pace)
Wednesday - 4.08 Mile Run (11:06 Pace)
Thursday - 3.10 Mile Run (11:04 Pace)
Friday - 3.01 Mile Walk
Saturday - 5.09 Mile Run (11:24 Pace)
Sunday - 2.99 Run/Walk (2:00/2:00 Run/Walk Intervals)

Total Miles on the Pavement - 23.99 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 273.87

Days to Half Marathon (More About This Next Week) - 32

Day to Full Marathon - 96


Marathon Training - Week Fifteen (October 7 - October 13)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 3 Mile Run
Wednesday - 4 Mile Run
Thursday - 3 Mile Run
Friday - OFF (Walk)
Saturday - 9 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


Now I just keep things slow and steady as I continue to progress. It's not about speed...it's about finishing. It's not about speed...it's about finishing. It's not about speed...it's about finishing.

I just need to keep reminding myself...it's not about speed...it's about finishing...


Until next time, enjoy your journey...

Running from my Injury...Slowly and Steadily

Prior to my Achilles flaring up on me a few weeks ago, I have to admit that I was starting to feel a bit like this...

Marathon Shmarathon...I'll Be Ready Next Week!

But when the tightness and pain hit my Achilles, I was definitely brought back to earth and felt a little more like this...

Why Don't I Just Sit Here and Watch the Big and Strong People Race?

Yes, I went from feeling on top of the world after my 13-mile training run and subsequent speedier runs (which was the problem, by the way) to feeling somewhat dejected and wondering whether I would be running in my upcoming scheduled races. Having had an injury that ended my college baseball career, I pretty much immediately fell into a "Will I ever come back from this?" mindset.

Fortunately, the pity party was short-lived, as neither my running friends nor my wife Michelle were going to let me stay down in the dumps; and at the end of the day, they all reminded me that I would, indeed, be running again very soon...and they were right!

While it has been a little frustrating pulling the proverbial reins over the last few weeks, with the help Trigger Point therapy four times per day, Eccentric Heel calf strengthening three times per day, and carefully-placed KT Tape, the ten-minute walk I took on Labor Day evolved into a couple of longer walks, then a couple of walk-runs, and ultimately five short runs (ranging from 2 to 4 miles) over the last nine days. I have definitely dialed down my speed substantially (by about two minutes per mile), but running a little bit slower is a lot more fun than not running at all. As such, I have to remember to just be happy to be running again and to be this guy for a little while...

Slow and Steady Wins the Race!

Since both of my "slow and steady" runs this week have been free of pain and discomfort, tomorrow morning I will be stretching the distance a little bit and will be running six miles. As with each time out since the injury, though, I am undertaking the run with the "if it hurts, I'm going to stop running" attitude / game plan. While I haven't had to employ that game plan to this point - and I hope I won't need to tomorrow - it is important that I hold to it should the need arise. Slow and steady wins the race...slow and steady wins the race.

I'll let you know how everything goes...and hopefully I'll be back next week to report on my now-revised marathon training plan.


Until then, be sure to enjoy your journey...

It's Not All About Me

A number of years ago, I was sitting in church, listening to the minister tell a story of his young child - around three years old at the time - who had recently gotten a T-Shirt that proudly proclaimed "It's All About Me!" across the chest. The minister went on to explain that when we're three years old, "It's All About Me!" is a pretty accurate proclamation. When we're hungry, someone gives us food; when we're tired, someone tucks us into bed; when we're messy, someone cleans us; and when we're hurt, someone is there to comfort us.

Walking out of church that day, I came to realize that during many moments of most days, I could pretty much wear that T-Shirt (in the proverbial sense) as that little three year old. And, since I'm being honest, I know I am still capable of falling into a mindset in which I see the world "according to Pete" and wonder why all of these people around me just aren't acting in accordance with the manner in which this world "should" operate.

In reality, I think we're all guilty of this from time to time (well, probably more often than that), but actually knowing and recognizing our own myopic vision is actually a sign that we are stepping away from these tendencies.

With my running, there is certainly a selfish aspect for me, and that feeling of self has certainly lifted its head a couple of times in the last two weeks as I've been overcoming my Achilles injury (progress is good, by the way...more about that next week). But there is also a very different side to my running, and it is this facet that has added dimension and enjoyment to my overall running experience. In short...

It's NOT all about me.

Four months from today, on January 12, 2014, I'll be running my first full marathon at Walt Disney World, and I certainly anticipate that this event will be one of those "Fence Post" moments in my life's journey.

But it's not all about me...right?

 As I indicate above, there is a undoubtedly a selfish element to embarking on this marathon journey, and I have personally benefitted by shedding over 100 pounds, by dropping my resting heart rate into the 50s, by overcoming nagging little injuries (like the one I've had over the last couple of weeks), by pushing myself to limits that I never would have imagined just a couple of years ago, and by achieving a positive sense of self I have never felt before.

 But it's not all about me....right?

Last September - right around this time, in fact - I watched in awe (from the confines of my office and computer screen) as my brother-in-law, Michael Corr, completed Ironman Wales in just a hair over 13 hours (not bad for 140.6 miles, Mike); but more compelling was that he raised an amazing amount of money for the Boomer Esiason Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis because both of his kids - my niece Anna and nephew Aidan - have been battling this disease their whole lives.

And it was on that day, watching Mike complete that Ironman, that I realized why I was back on the pavement after a twenty-five-plus year hiatus. I remember saying to my wife Michelle, "I need to do something like this...I don't know what exactly that is yet, but I really think I need to find the answer."

So after letting the journey run its course for a little while (pun intended), it turned out that the Disney Full Marathon was the answer; and it is through this event that I am raising money for Team Boomer and the Boomer Esiason Foundation...and I am raising this money not only for my own family but for anyone (and their loved ones) battling this disease.

Admittedly, I've spent far too many moments on this life journey of mine thinking only about the guy I see in the mirror...but this isn't one of those times.

So if you'd like to help out, the website link for donations is below. I would be personally grateful for any donation with which you can come up...as they say, no amount is too small. I would also be appreciative if you would please pass the link to the website along to anyone you think might be willing to help. Sure, you can tell people the story of how a formerly obese smoker is now getting ready for a marathon...but please also remind them that one of the things that keeps him going is that it's no longer all about him.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/peteolson/2014waltdisneyworldmarathon

Oh, and by the way, over the marathon weekend, I will be joined by a handful of others who are proud to be supporting Team Boomer along with me, and I'll be running more detailed features on this team of finely tuned athletes in upcoming posts...

Brother-in-Law Mike - Running Goofy (1/2 Marathon Saturday, Full Marathon Sunday)
Sister Sandy - Running the 1/2 Marathon on Saturday
My Wife Michelle and Daughter Mary - Running the Family 5K with me
Our friend Roger (who has a niece with CF) - Running the Marathon
Roger's wife Mary - Running the 1/2 Marathon

We all thank you in advance for any help you can offer.


I'll be back to talking about me (oh gosh...it's all about me again) and my positive Achilles rehab next week.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

Greek Mythology - The Story of Achilles...Uh Oh!

I told you in my very positive post about reaching my weight loss goal earlier this week that I would be speaking a little bit about Greek mythology in a later post...so here goes.

At the conclusion of my 6.2 mile run on Saturday, my classical education files in the back of my brain opened up, as I was (unfortunately) reminded of the story of Achilles...can you guess why? I'll get to that in a minute, but first the story.

In Homer's Iliad, Achilles is a powerful warrior, almost invincible, and his strength stemmed not only from formal training. When Achilles was an infant, his mother immersed him into the River Styx to give him immortality and to make him invincible in battle. Her grave error, though, was that she held Achilles by his left heel when putting him under the water, and it was this part of his body that was not submerged that was vulnerable and ultimately led to Achilles' demise when he was struck in this heel (yes, his Achilles Heel) with a poisoned arrow.

So while I wouldn't put myself into the powerful warrior class, I was reminded of this story as I finished off my run with some sharp pains in my left Achilles tendon (yes, it was my left one, too) over the last couple of miles. Like most runners, I didn't think much of the pains as they were happening, and I carried with me the "oh well - it will go away" attitude as I muscled my way through the run. And, to be honest, the pain wasn't constant...it actually was coming and going...so I wasn't thinking I was hurt.

Well, as the day progressed, the pain (and some tightness) continued to come and go...and I was no longer running. Fortunately, it wasn't coming and going when I was at rest, but I could definitely feel it when moving around.

So, in my brilliance, I decided that it would be a good idea to test it out on a 2-minute/2-minute run/walk (hey - it's just a run/walk, right?) on Sunday morning...well, that proved to be a mistake. Oh, I was fine during the walking portion - yes, there was a little tightness, but it didn't feel "bad"...except during the running intervals. Every time my left foot hit the pavement, there was a sharp pain shooting through my Achilles.

So I did the smart thing...I kept on running...umm...for a pretty educated guy, that wasn't too bright either.

Despite my idiocy, though, it looks like I'm going to be okay and that I caught this in time to recover and keep training for my upcoming races....there's just a little extra work to do.

After speaking with a podiatrist, a track coach, and a Trigger Point therapy guru from my local running store - The Jacksonville Running Company - it looks like I should be back to full speed in just a few weeks...and back on the pavement running at easy speeds as early as this weekend. In the interim, I've been able to continue to cross train on the stationary bike this week; and with the addition of Trigger Point deep massage therapy and calf strengthening Eccentric Heel Drop exercises, the last time I felt pain and experienced swelling in my Achilles was on Monday...the only pain now is muscle pain associated with my new routines, but muscle pain is welcome pain. But that makes me lucky...very lucky.

Oh, and by the way, if you experience Achilles problems, please don't take my advice as THE advice and please note that I've spoken with three others regarding my own situation...in other words, I'm not a doctor, a track coach, nor am I a trained massage therapist, so don't take this as professional advice (or end up suing me if something goes wrong).

Oh, and by the way, here's the most likely thing I did (or didn't do) that led to a hurting Achilles...and this is something that would probably be wise for any runner to avoid (especially when training for his or her first marathon). As you know, my distances have been increasing dramatically over the last month or two, but my mistake (especially in the last two weeks) was not allowing my body to recover appropriately from the long runs; rather, on my recovery runs, I started pushing my speed to new limits as well. Thus, in my case, as someone who has just been back on the road for a year and who is training for his first marathon...

Increased Distance + Increased Speed = Increased Likelihood of Injury.

So this week is a bit of a sabbatical from the marathon training, but here are last week's results (with the recovery runs pushing my speed limits), as well as what I've been up to this week:

Marathon Training Week Nine (August 26 - September 1)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.07 Mile Run (10:05 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.12 Mile Run (9:26 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 6.22 Mile Run (10:35 Pace)
Sunday - 2.65 Mile Family Run
Total Miles on the Pavement - 20.12 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 190.47


Marathon Training Week Ten (September 2 - September 8)

Monday - 10-Minute Walk (0.63 Miles) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 20-Minute Walk (1.39 Miles) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Friday - Walk 30 Minutes
Saturday - Walk 45 Minutes
Sunday - Run/Walk Intervals (as long as all is okay)

In addition, I have been (and will continue to be) doing the Eccentric Heel Drop exercises three times per day, as well as the Trigger Point therapy four times per day. These will continue all the way through to the marathon in January.

So a great warrior I am not, but the last week has shown me that I do share a vulnerability with one of the greats of lore. Let's just hope that I don't share a similar fate...DOH!

In all seriousness, a good triathlete friend of mine told me earlier this week that this is just a bump in the road, and as long as I don't rush myself - which is already getting tough because my Achilles feels pretty normal again - I'll be back on schedule and getting ready for my races before I know it. Thanks for that advice, Andrew! It came at the right time!

I look forward to having good news about hopefully being back on the training road next week.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

September Weigh In - Made It!

I know I usually wait until Wednesday for my blog posts, but this one's pretty important to me! Later this week, I'll be writing a little bit about Greek mythology and the River Styx, but you'll have to wait to find out how that topic is relevant to my own journey.

As I've stated in the past, it was January 7, 2012, when I (at 275.6 pounds) really made the commitment to weight loss; well, I kinda sorta made such a commitment. The problem was that I had not defined how much weight I wanted to lose; rather, I had basically set my sites on "about fifty or so" pounds.

It was not until January of this year - when I weighed in at 226.6 pounds - when I arrived at two realizations:

1. I saw that a loss of 50 pounds (well, 49) still left me in the "Obesity" category; and
2. I knew I needed to set a "Healthy" category goal weight

As such, I decided then and there to set a goal weight of 175 pounds, and I chose this number not because it was 100 pounds from where I started but rather because it would put me comfortably under the "Normal" ("Healthy") weight line, which for someone my height and age falls somewhere between 180 and 185.

Fast forward eight months, and here's what my scale screamed out to me this morning...

I Stepped on it Three Times to Make Sure!!!

This number was actually pretty amazing to me, for although reaching the goal this week/month was anticipated, I did not expect to have fallen this far below 175...but I'll certainly accept it!

So today is a day of mini celebration...but it's not a day to go out and eat everything in sight. Although weight loss is no longer the goal, I've now moved into a lifelong weight maintenance stage. You see, I've lost weight in the past (not anywhere close to this much, though)...and I've gained it back (I think they call that a yo-yo dieter); so I have absolutely no intention of changing what I've been doing to get here. I'm still going to track my intake and my exercise; the only difference is that my daily calorie target (my points total in Weight Watchers) has climbed a bit because I'm no longer tracking to lose weight but am instead tracking to maintain my weight.

As a safety net, I have a very close friend/accountability partner who has promised to come down to Florida and kick my butt if I were to ever start packing on the pounds again...thanks for that, Roger...and thanks for all the support as we've watched the weight loss happen over the past year. What helped the most was the tough love you offered when I gained some weight around the holidays, and you'll never know how thankful I am that you didn't allow me to get away with any excuses!

So there you have it, everyone...102.4 pounds in just under twenty months.

Was it easy? Absolutely not!

Was it worth it? Every second of it.

And as I've said many times to many people over this past year and a half...

If I can do it, ANYBODY can do it! So whether it's 100 pounds or 10, go get started! You can do it, too! You CAN!!!


Tune in later this week to see how Greek mythology relates to my marathon journey.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

My First Half Marathon...Sort Of

Just a little after 5:30am this past Saturday, August 24, I stepped out of a fairly brisk warm up walking pace and into a slow running pace at which I would find myself moving for a little while.

In fact, it was 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 11 seconds later when I finally backed off of that running pace and found myself cooling down with an easy walk. Oh, and at the end of that timeframe, I had completed a run of 13.15 miles!

My first half marathon in the books!

Well, sort of...

There were a few race sights and sounds missing from the picture. There was no Star Spangled Banner. No starting gun (or Start Line). No race bib. No timing chip or timing mats. No USATF-sanctioned course. No volunteers. No water stations. No spectators. No Finish Line. And, well, no other runners.

But there were a few things that made this count...me, my sweaty running clothes, my trusty running shoes, my tired legs (started feeling them at about 11 miles), my little aches and pains that came and went (mostly during the run's second half), my determination to keep going...oh, and my Garmin to make this half marathon "official"...well, at least in my heart, mind, and soul.

If you're keeping score...
Distance, Pace, and Time include Warm Up and Cool Down walks

Yes, I know it's not a "real" half marathon and that results will be posted nowhere but right here; but I also know that I ran 13.15 miles and only stopped running for a quick water/nature break (at mile 6.45). And just to keep everything on the up and up, I did NOT stop my Garmin while I took the three minutes to fill my water bottles and... uh...to use the facility at the local sports field.

What I really take from this past weekend's personal "half marathon" is the knowledge that I can do one; and when I put that knowledge to the actual test down at the Disney Wine & Dine in a couple of months, this run is the first of a few coming up that will give me the confidence I need to persevere through that first "official" USATF-sanctioned half marathon!


In addition to the personal half, here's the recap from the entire week, as well as this week's schedule:

Marathon Training - Week Eight (August 19 - August 25)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.14 Mile Run (10:50 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:39 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 13.15 Mile Run (11:57 Pace)
Sunday - 2.84 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 27.28 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 170.35


Marathon Training - Week Nine (August 26 - September 1)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.07 Mile Run (10:07 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 5 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


Next week's training (Week Ten) will be shifting me from four runs per week to five...oh, and I'll also be finishing up the week with my next long run...of fifteen miles!!! But I'm going to go ahead and wait until next week to freak out about that distance...I hope.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

Marathon Training Week 7 Recap: Not Speedy...Speedier!

Following the long run at the end of Week Six, the focus of Week Seven was to just get back on my feet, recover, rebuild, and get prepared for the next long run (later this week).

But a funny thing happened during my first four-mile "recovery" run on Tuesday...I felt terrific! I started out with a nice easy pace of about 10:30-ish for the first half mile; but my lungs and legs were feeling strong, so I decided to reach down for a little extra...and I found it. When all was said and done, I finished the 4.13 mile run with a 9:38 pace, which happened to be my fastest pace for a four-plus mile run.

But that record was actually short-lived. On Saturday, I got back out there for four miles, and after a similar start of 10:30-ish for the first half mile, I found the extra gear again and ended up running 4.16 miles at a 9:35 pace!

So while I wouldn't define myself as a "speedy" runner (the Boston Marathon isn't reserving my qualified-for spot yet), it's nice to see that as I keep plugging along (and as I keep cross training), my ability to pick up the pace has definitely improved. Speedy? No...Speedier? Absolutely.

All that said, as I prepare for this week's long run, I need to pull back on the reins a little bit as I head out for tomorrow morning's four miler. While it's tempting to go out an see what I can achieve, I need to remind myself that this isn't a speed week...it's a long run week...and fresh legs willing to go thirteen miles will certainly be needed this Saturday morning!

Here's the recap from last week, as well as this week's schedule...


Marathon Training - Week Seven (August 12 - August 18)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 4.13 Mile Run (9:38 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 5.11 Mile Run (10:23 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 4.16 Mile Run (9:35 Pace)
Sunday - 3.61 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 19.01 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 143.07


Marathon Training - Week Eight (August 19 - August 25)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.14 Mile Run (10:50 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 13 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run

I'm trying not to freak out too much about the thirteen miler this weekend - although freaking out is certainly tempting - so I'm just going to brush over it for now with the hopes that I'll be able to tell you all about it next week.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

My Longest Run Recap...and My August Weigh In

In last week's blog post, it might have been apparent that, although excited about the prospect, I was a bit apprehensive about my upcoming (and first) double-digit-mile run. In fact, I was so focused on the long run that I forgot to include my August weigh in result. Actually, it's interesting that I overlooked the weigh in because that action (or lack thereof) is actually indicative of where I am mentally right now.

While I am very close to my target weight, which you're about to find out, my primary focus is no longer on my weight as it was just nineteen months ago. Yes, getting to my goal weight has a bit of a "Complete the Quest" appeal to me, but since I moved into the "Normal" BMI range, my primary focus has shifted away from losing weight and toward the new mountain of completing my first marathon. And even though I am still tracking everything I eat with Weight Watchers, the most important tracking I am doing is the tracking of my progress with my marathon training plan.

All that said, though, here are the results from my August weigh in...

Weight - 178.7 Pounds

Total Loss in July - 3.3 Pounds

Total Loss since January 2012 - 96.9 Pounds!

So I'm bearing down on my goal weight of 175 pounds, and I imagine that I'll find myself there within the next month or so...but, again, my weight has become less of the focus as I climb marathon mountain. Yes, I am tracking and will continue to track my food intake even after I hit my goal, but I've already told myself that I'm not going to freak out about my weight unless I find myself drifting above 175 (after I get there).


Now to the real focus...Week Six and that first double-digit long run.

In short, I did it!!!

Time, Pace, and Distance include Warm Up and Cool Down Walks

To make a shorter story a little longer, I got out of bed around 4:45-ish on Saturday morning, brushed my teeth, got suited and laced up, gobbled down a CLIF bar, drank about sixteen ounces of water, and headed to the driveway for some stretching a little before 5:30.

On my five-minute Warm Up walk, I thought about my run strategy...start slow, drink about four ounces of water every mile (beginning at Mile 2), eat a Power Bar Energy Blast every two miles (beginning at Mile 3), drink four ounces of Gatorade at Miles 5 and 10, and refill my water bottles at the Little League fields on the way back home. Whew...that's a lot of planning for just eleven miles! I guess it makes sense when the proverbial "they" tell us that long runs don't just prepare you to run a marathon; they also teach you how to keep your body full of the fuel that will be necessary to get you through that marathon.

With a long way to go, I started out at a very slow pace (about 12:30 for the first half mile) in that "looking for a rhythm" portion of the run. The body check told me that nothing was hurting, everything was loosening up, and that we were off to the races (so to speak). At the end of the first mile, I had sped up a little bit and found myself at a 12:20 pace. Knowing that I had set my goal training pace at 12:00, I asked my legs to move a little bit faster...and they did. As such, as the run progressed, every time I looked at my watch, my average paces kept dropping (except for when I stopped to refill my water bottles, at which time my average pace jumped from 11:48 to 11:51...I remember that distinctly). That said, though, I must have really picked it up from there because I finished with an average pace of 11:41, and completed the running portion of the run (11.05 miles) in two hours, nine minutes, and three seconds.

At the end of it all, I'm very happy with the run. To put it into context, back in March, I ran the Gate River Run (9.3 miles) at a pace of 11:51...and did not have much sugar left in the tank when I was done. Heck, it was tough walking to my car to go home! But last Saturday, after running 11.05 miles at an even faster pace of 11:41 (which was actually an intentionally slower training pace), I actually went home, stretched out (admittedly I needed to stretch a little more than usual), rested for about a half an hour, and then proceeded to mow my lawn.

What a difference five months make!

Here's the total weekly recap from last week, as well as this week's plan...

Marathon Training - Week Six (August 5 - August 11)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.17 Mile Run (10:59 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.15 Mile Run (10:17 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 11.05 Mile Run (11:41 Pace)
Sunday - 2.38 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 24.73 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 124.06


Marathon Training - Week Seven (August 12 - August 18)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 4.13 Mile Run (9:38 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 5 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 4 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


As you can see from the Week Seven plan, this week is definitely a recovery week...but you'll find out soon enough that Week Eight will certainly make up for that.

Until next time, enjoy your journey...