For many years, my running followed a strict schedule. If the day's training called for 5 miles, then 5 miles I ran. Not 4.9. Not 5.1. 5. If I was training for a marathon, I could tell you the exact mileage I would run on a given day 3 months down the road. Staring at 4 months worth of pre-planned running didn't feel right. It didn't feel natural. Following a training program made my running feel like a chore. It began to suck the joy out of it.
As my running continues to evolve, I've started breaking the chains. The first link to go, my training schedule. When I get home from work, I slide on my running shoes and run until my body says, "I've got my fill for the day." Some days all I need is a 3 miler. Other days I'll blow off some steam by running a hard 6 miler. Then, there's my favorite...the ones where I get lost in the motion of running and find myself creeping well into the double digits. By running what I feel like and not what I'm supposed to, I feel free.
The second link to go, my Garmin. This is a new one for me. Over the last month, I've been leaving my Garmin behind when I head out the door. In fact, at my most recent marathon, I ran without my Garmin and it was awesome! Instead of staring at that damn watch and obeying its commands, I listened to what my body was telling me and ran accordingly. Isn't that the way running should be anyhow?
Having said all that, do I think runners should stop following a training schedule and not use a Garmin? Not at all. In fact, without having those aids when I first started running, I would have had no idea where to begin...and forget about being able to train for my first marathon without following a program. But, I'm at a point in my running where I feel I don't need these things to achieve my goals. I'm taking a more laid back approach and as a result, my running and race training have become more enjoyable and less stressful.
In essence, my running has been rejuvenated.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Race Recap: Manassas Runway 10K
I love running and I love airplanes. But, I never thought I would be able to enjoy both these things at the same time. Yet, the Manassas Runway 10K was just that. When I found this race, I thought I was dreaming. A road race staged at an airport? I couldn't believe it! I asked Katie if she would be interested in running it with me and she said she was, so we both signed up!
The weather on race day was beautiful. Albeit a bit on the chilly side in the early morning hours, the sun was shining and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Katie and I had no time/pace goal for this race. Instead, we were looking forward to running together and enjoying the distance. Once the race got under way, I let Katie dictate the pace.
We cruised through the first mile at just under a sub-9 min/mile pace. Once we reached the second mile, it was onto the airport's runway! I must say, I've never run on a course that was so wide! But, even with all that space, we crowded onto one side of the runway. I guess us runners like to stick together!
Before I knew it, we were at the halfway point. The second half of the race consisted of two out and back sections, which are never a favorite of mine. But, for whatever reason, I didn't mind them as much as I thought I would. I could tell that Katie's pace had picked up from the first half of the race. But, she said she was feeling good, so we went with it.
By the time we neared the 6 mile mark, Katie had dropped our pace into another gear! She was flying!...no pun intended. :) As we approached the finished line, a spectator had apparently taken note of Katie's fast pace because I heard them yell out, "You go girl!" We crossed the finished line in 53:44 and we felt great! Not exactly sure what our mile splits were since I wasn't wearing my watch, but it definitely felt like each mile we ran was faster than the previous one.
The Manassas Runway 10K was definitely a cool race for the aviation dork in me. But, what made this race even sweeter was running it with Katie! We had such a blast! Next race for me is the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K trail run right here in DC. It's going to be a tough race, but I'm really looking forward to my first trail run of the year!
The weather on race day was beautiful. Albeit a bit on the chilly side in the early morning hours, the sun was shining and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Katie and I had no time/pace goal for this race. Instead, we were looking forward to running together and enjoying the distance. Once the race got under way, I let Katie dictate the pace.
We cruised through the first mile at just under a sub-9 min/mile pace. Once we reached the second mile, it was onto the airport's runway! I must say, I've never run on a course that was so wide! But, even with all that space, we crowded onto one side of the runway. I guess us runners like to stick together!
Before I knew it, we were at the halfway point. The second half of the race consisted of two out and back sections, which are never a favorite of mine. But, for whatever reason, I didn't mind them as much as I thought I would. I could tell that Katie's pace had picked up from the first half of the race. But, she said she was feeling good, so we went with it.
By the time we neared the 6 mile mark, Katie had dropped our pace into another gear! She was flying!...no pun intended. :) As we approached the finished line, a spectator had apparently taken note of Katie's fast pace because I heard them yell out, "You go girl!" We crossed the finished line in 53:44 and we felt great! Not exactly sure what our mile splits were since I wasn't wearing my watch, but it definitely felt like each mile we ran was faster than the previous one.
The Manassas Runway 10K was definitely a cool race for the aviation dork in me. But, what made this race even sweeter was running it with Katie! We had such a blast! Next race for me is the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K trail run right here in DC. It's going to be a tough race, but I'm really looking forward to my first trail run of the year!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
New Jersery Marathon: Race Recap
The New Jersey Marathon was my 28th marathon, and unlike my previous marathons, I decided to run this race without my Garmin. I wanted to run this marathon on pure feel. I must say, it felt very liberating to pack for this race and leave my Garmin sitting on the table. And, to make this marathon ever better, Katie accompanied me on the trip!
After getting my ass kicked at the Blue Ridge Marathon two weeks ago, it was refreshing to see a pancake flat course profile for the NJ Marathon. As race day approached, the weather forecast was looking promising with high's in the 60's and partly cloudy skies.
My goal was to run a sub-4, but I wasn't going to be upset if that didn't happen. Honestly, I never really know how my race is going to go until I get out there and run. After waiting in an ungodly long gear check line, I made it to my corral with only minutes to spare before the start of the race. Katie told me that she wanted to run part of the race with me. So, the night before, we reviewed the course map and decided that mile 11 would be a good meetup point.
The race got off without a hitch and I settled into a comfortable pace. Halfway through the 2nd mile, someone from behind me commented on the shirt I was wearing (a RnR Seattle Marathon shirt). That comment led to a 5 mile conversation. Now, I'm usually not one for making friends during a marathon (I'm a introverted runner), but I didn't mind chatting with Kevin from New Jersey, who was running in his second marathon.
After parting ways with Kevin, I looked forward to mile 11 and meeting up with Katie. However, when I got to the mile 11 marker, I didn't see her. The marathon course was a point-to-point. So, after the race started, Katie had to take a shuttle bus from the start to the finish area. However, the bus ride to the finish area took longer than expected and Katie bailed out of the bus early and unbeknown to me, dashed further up the course. So, to my surprise, I spotted her closer to the mile 12 mark. Needless to say, I was happy to see her! Katie (a two-time marathon finisher herself) ran with me until mile 14. Being able run some of the marathon with her was definitely my favorite part of the race!
The last 12 miles were very enjoyable for me. Even without my watch on, I could tell that my pace had increased a bit from the first half. But, I was feeling pretty strong so I stuck with that pace to the finish. After crossing the finish line, I found Katie and then quickly found a bench to park my butt on for a few minutes. Then, we started walking around in search of the gear drop truck so I could collect my things. While searching for the gear truck, I saw a results tent and asked a volunteer to look up my finishing time for me. I was anxious to see what my time was, which ended up being a 3:54:26. I had achieve my race goal and I was very happy about that! Reviewing my time more in depth later online, I was very pleased with how well I paced myself. I ran the first half in 1:58:55 and the second half in 1:55:31, a 3:24 negative split!
Another highlight of the NJ Marathon was getting to meet one of my fellow running tweeps, Jocelyn, after the race! While speaking to each other, we found out that both of us are running in the Chicago Marathon this fall! However, something I didn't find out until after speaking with her is that she set a 40 minute PR! Awesome! You can read all about her NJ Marathon here.
Overall, the NJ Marathon was a great experience. Not sure if I'll do this race again, but I was glad to check New Jersey off my list of states I need to run a mary in. It was weird at times not having a Garmin to check my pace, but I'm glad I ran without it. I will certainly run Garmin-less again in the future and would highly recommend you try it as well! It was so nice having Katie with me because I'm not use to having company while traveling to most of my marathons. Her support and encouragement over the weekend meant a lot to me! You're the BEST!
After getting my ass kicked at the Blue Ridge Marathon two weeks ago, it was refreshing to see a pancake flat course profile for the NJ Marathon. As race day approached, the weather forecast was looking promising with high's in the 60's and partly cloudy skies.
My goal was to run a sub-4, but I wasn't going to be upset if that didn't happen. Honestly, I never really know how my race is going to go until I get out there and run. After waiting in an ungodly long gear check line, I made it to my corral with only minutes to spare before the start of the race. Katie told me that she wanted to run part of the race with me. So, the night before, we reviewed the course map and decided that mile 11 would be a good meetup point.
The race got off without a hitch and I settled into a comfortable pace. Halfway through the 2nd mile, someone from behind me commented on the shirt I was wearing (a RnR Seattle Marathon shirt). That comment led to a 5 mile conversation. Now, I'm usually not one for making friends during a marathon (I'm a introverted runner), but I didn't mind chatting with Kevin from New Jersey, who was running in his second marathon.
After parting ways with Kevin, I looked forward to mile 11 and meeting up with Katie. However, when I got to the mile 11 marker, I didn't see her. The marathon course was a point-to-point. So, after the race started, Katie had to take a shuttle bus from the start to the finish area. However, the bus ride to the finish area took longer than expected and Katie bailed out of the bus early and unbeknown to me, dashed further up the course. So, to my surprise, I spotted her closer to the mile 12 mark. Needless to say, I was happy to see her! Katie (a two-time marathon finisher herself) ran with me until mile 14. Being able run some of the marathon with her was definitely my favorite part of the race!
The last 12 miles were very enjoyable for me. Even without my watch on, I could tell that my pace had increased a bit from the first half. But, I was feeling pretty strong so I stuck with that pace to the finish. After crossing the finish line, I found Katie and then quickly found a bench to park my butt on for a few minutes. Then, we started walking around in search of the gear drop truck so I could collect my things. While searching for the gear truck, I saw a results tent and asked a volunteer to look up my finishing time for me. I was anxious to see what my time was, which ended up being a 3:54:26. I had achieve my race goal and I was very happy about that! Reviewing my time more in depth later online, I was very pleased with how well I paced myself. I ran the first half in 1:58:55 and the second half in 1:55:31, a 3:24 negative split!
Another highlight of the NJ Marathon was getting to meet one of my fellow running tweeps, Jocelyn, after the race! While speaking to each other, we found out that both of us are running in the Chicago Marathon this fall! However, something I didn't find out until after speaking with her is that she set a 40 minute PR! Awesome! You can read all about her NJ Marathon here.
Overall, the NJ Marathon was a great experience. Not sure if I'll do this race again, but I was glad to check New Jersey off my list of states I need to run a mary in. It was weird at times not having a Garmin to check my pace, but I'm glad I ran without it. I will certainly run Garmin-less again in the future and would highly recommend you try it as well! It was so nice having Katie with me because I'm not use to having company while traveling to most of my marathons. Her support and encouragement over the weekend meant a lot to me! You're the BEST!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Running naked
This weekend I'll be running in my 28th marathon, the New Jersey Marathon. However, unlike my previous 27 marys, I will be running this one naked. Alright, well that's not entirely true. To spare my fellow runners and any unsuspecting volunteers and spectators, I will be clothed. It is my wrist that will be naked. No Garmin barking at me this time.
Back in 2007, I bought my Garmin Forerunner to assist me with my training runs while preparing for my first marathon. Since then, I've been married to the damn thing. Don't get me wrong, I'd be lost without my Garmin. Yet, I sometimes find it rather pathetic how much I rely on it for pacing...instead of listening to what my body is telling me.
So, to spice up my marathon, I'm running this baby on pure feel!
Sorry Garmin, it's not you...it's me.
Have you ever run a race "naked?" If so, I'd love to hear from you!
Back in 2007, I bought my Garmin Forerunner to assist me with my training runs while preparing for my first marathon. Since then, I've been married to the damn thing. Don't get me wrong, I'd be lost without my Garmin. Yet, I sometimes find it rather pathetic how much I rely on it for pacing...instead of listening to what my body is telling me.
So, to spice up my marathon, I'm running this baby on pure feel!
Sorry Garmin, it's not you...it's me.
Have you ever run a race "naked?" If so, I'd love to hear from you!
Spring Twiter Road Race: Race Report
A shout out to our overall male winner @bmobsta (18:54) and our overall female winner @turtlegirl00 (21:08). Awesome runs! If you have not seen the results yet, they can be viewed here. I'd also like to thank @hellomisspotter for designing the bib for this race. Be sure to check out her blog to see some of her other graphical work!
I enjoyed reading everyone's race recap blogs. Awesome stuff! I swear I'm not playing favorites, but I have to give a shout out to @KCtoCapeCod on another highly entertaining and picture loaded blog about her TRR. She was even sporting her official TRR t-shirt during her run!
If you missed out on this race, no worries, the summer edition of the TRR will be here before you know it! Date is TBD, but I'm planning to having it sometime in August. Stay tuned to my blog and tweets for the race date. Until then, lace up, run hard and most importantly, have fun!
Doug
@seedouglasrun
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Spring Twitter Road Race - Final Instructions
As most of you know by now, the date of the race is this Saturday, April 28th and the race distance is a 5K. The finisher's form will be posted under the Twitter Road Race tab on my blog soon. You MUST submit the time of your 5K on this form by 11:59 PM Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HAST) Saturday night to be counted as an official finisher. After the cutoff time, submissions will no longer be accepted.
Only submit your time once. If you realized you made a mistake or are unsure if your time was submitted, send me a tweet and I can check and make any necessary corrections for you.
IMPORTANT: When you enter your time into the form, PLEASE, pretty please, be sure you enter it in the correct format, which is HH:MM:SS. For example, if you ran your 5K in 32 minutes and 10 seconds, please enter your time as 00:32:10. If you enter your time as 32:10, leaving out the 00: for the hour placeholder, the form is going to think it took you 32 hours and 10 minutes. So, please be mindful of that. Thank you :)
Bibs
My Twitter friend and fellow runner, @hellomisspotter, has kindly designed the bib for the race. You can download bib here: Race Bib
Results
I know a lot of you will be anxious to see the results. I will be out of town this weekend and will not be able to get in front of my computer to compile the results until Sunday afternoon/evening. But, I promise to have the results posted no later than 9pm, Eastern Time. My hope is to have them up sooner and I will be sure to tweet the link once the results are ready. Thank you for your understanding!
FAQs
Q: Can I run the race on a treadmill?
A: Yes.
Q: My training program calls for a 5 mile (8K) run on Saturday, can I use a 5K split from that run to count towards the Twitter Road Race?
A: Yes.
Q: I have a 5K race on the same day as the Twitter Road Race, can I use my time from that race for the Twitter Road Race?
A: Yes.
See a trend here?
Basically, any way you can run the 5K is fine by me. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to tweet or DM your questions and I will be happy to answer them.
Post Race Party
Following the race, a #TwitterRoadRace Q&A chat session will be held on Monday, April 30th from 9-10PM, Eastern time. It will be hosted by yours truly and will give us all a great opportunity to share our race experiences with everyone. I hope you will be able to participate!
Again, thank you so much for spreading the word about this event! Please continue to tweet using the hashtag #TwitterRoadRace so we can get as many runners as we can on race day! I wish you all a great and safe race! Have fun out there!
Happy Running!
Doug
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Race Recap: Blue Ridge Marathon
I can sum up this race in one word: TOUGH. I guess that's why this marathon carries the slogan as being "America's Toughest Road Marathon." The Blue Ridge Marathon course, set in Roanoke, VA, has 7,200 feet of elevation change. Yes, 7,200 feet. To put it simply, finding flat real estate on this course is hard to come by.
The course features 3 distinct climbs:
1) Roanoke Mountain (Miles 5-7, 700 foot climb)
2) Mill Mountain (Miles 11.5-12.5, 500 foot climb)
3) Peakwood (Miles 17-19, 500 foot climb)
I was running this race to enjoy the scenery, so time, nor pace, mattered to me. Going into this marathon with that mentality was quite refreshing since my past two marathons had very strict pacing goals. My race started fine, but by mile 3, I was beginning to develop some stomach cramps. Stomach cramps is something I'm not use to dealing with in marathons, so this did catch me a bit off guard. Fortunately, they seemed to disappear by mile 6 (but were to come back later).
After cresting Roanoke Mountain, it was two miles of downhill running. When I say the word "hills", what's the first thing that pops into your head? Probably running up them, right? But, what about running down them? That's something we don't think about much. But, did you know that downhill running is harder on the legs then running uphill? If you didn't, this race will make you very aware of that.
The halfway point marked reaching the top of Mill Mountain. Then, it was 2 more fun miles of running downhill. It wasn't until mile 16 that I started to realize I might be in a bit of trouble. I was starting to feel the sensations that a marathon runner dreads, the wall. Knowing that I had one more climb ahead of me, I was definitely concerned with how my body was going to hold up.
Long story short, by mile 18, my body was starting to shutdown. My stomach cramps had come back and now my lower back was starting to tighten up. The Peakwood climb consisted mostly of walking. But, I took comfort in seeing that all the runners around me were walking as well. Apparently, I wasn't the only one dying out there.
Mile 20 punched me right in the face. To add to my stomach and back cramps, my calf muscles began to tighten. Wee!
I was in complete survival mode for the last 5 miles. I had adopted a walk/run strategy because running a full mile was not possible. Many times I thought about stopping for a few minutes to sit down to relieve my back pain. However, better judgement prevailed and I kept on moving. It's in those moments you realize how important finishing a marathon means to you. No matter how bad you're hurting, the will to finish always outweighs the pain.
I crossed the finish line in 4:25:16. My 27th marathon is now in the books and I definitely had to earn that one! My thanks to all the volunteers and race officials -- first class race from start to finish! The Blue Ridge Marathon kicked my ass, but isn't that what the "toughest road marathon" is suppose to do?
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