A lot of visitors to this site don’t comment on the posts but here’s your chance. Let us know which upcoming races you have planned and how things are going. I’ll start…
09/05 – Mickey’s Main Street U.S.A. 5K
09/06 – Disneyland 1/2 Marathon
09/19 – Recycled 10K (pending)
12/06 – Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas Marathon
01/10 – Walt Disney World Marathon
There’s only 7 days left until the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon and I can hardly control my excitement. That and the fact that my wife and kids have been packed for nearly 3 weeks now.
To be honest, I’ve never felt more ready for a race in my 3 years of running. I’ve put in over 250 miles over 4 months and am injury free – not a sprain, nick, bruise or blister (tempting fate? yep!). I haven’t missed a training run, I’m running faster and I’ve dropped over 20 pounds over the last month and a half.
I’ve checked the weather and temperatures in Anaheim are supposed to be in the low 80′s with lows in the low 60′s – perfect!!! Now my only concern now are the wildfires that are wreaking havoc in the L.A. Basin. I’m hoping for the residents of Los Angeles and for race weekend that the cooler temperatures will help assist putting those out.
Training for the Mickey’s Main Street, U.S.A. 5K basically stalled and fizzled out once the kids started school. Since it’s not a competitive race and all we have to do is finish around 15/miles (which is basically walking fast), we’re not that concerned. Of any race I’ll ever run, the goal of this race is the journey with my family, not about finishing times.
Hope your training is going well for your fall races!!!
I’d like to introduce you to one of my best friends in the entire world. Meet the Band-Aid Extra Wide Sport Strip. After years of searching for the perfect running confidante, I’ve finally found them.
As a runner, I find it highly amusing when I start talking to non-runners about how sensitive guys nipples get when running (I can’t speak for the ladies and I don’t think I would if I could). You see, there’s something magical that happens when you’ve been running for a couple of hours – your nipples and specialized sweat wicking technical shirt get very well acquainted. The results can be…well let’s say…devastating!!!
I for one have never reached the blood soaked shirt that some of my other running brethren have but I’ve come extremely close on occasion. Close enough that I’ve not been able to comfortably wear a shirt for a couple of days.
Until some scientist comes up with a way to genetically defeat this male dominated malady, you can bet me and my Band-Aid Extra Wide Sport Strips will be covering countless miles in breast bliss.
If you’ve never seen Andy Bernard’s 5K scene from The Office, please enjoy.
I would like to thank the computer geniuses (especially Steve Jobs – über-genius) at Apple for including runners in their marketing materials for the new iCal update for Snow Leopard. I’m a computer geek and this was the first thing I noticed when I saw this. At first, I was astonished that we runners got any publicity at all but then was worried about Apple’s marathon training program. I’m not sure 1 day a week is going to cut it.
Not soon after my first pedicure, my wife introduced me to The Ped Egg For Men!!! Yes men, they manned it up for us so we could manscape with pride. They gave us a black egg to smooth our road crusted heels and calluses. And for a limited time…
Wait, I’m not a pitchman but I’ll tell you what, this little thing kicks arse. Being blessed with my mom’s sandpaper feet, I don’t make matters any better with the miles of pavement I put on them (or walking around barefoot). This can lead to some pretty tough skin, cracks and sometimes bleeding. The coolest thing about the Ped Egg (for men) is that it doesn’t take a lot of time and doesn’t hurt (my boyz say it tickles). Keep in mind that I actually used to use a belt sander when they got really bad.
Not everything they sell on As Seen On TV is what it’s cracked up to be but this one gets my egg of approval.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
As long distance runners, we work hard to build our endurance and strength. On race day, we have our wicking shirts, lightweight shoes and our bodies are prepared for the test that lies before us. To run the race that God has set before us, we must also strip off the excess weight that slows us down.
It’s never too late to experience God’s grace.
I was reading a bunch of boards the other day discussing whether it’s better to run with traffic or run against traffic. Are you serious? Just the thought of running with traffic gives me chills. The reason it is suggested to run against traffic is so that you can see what’s coming at you. If you see a car approaching that is riding the curb or crowding the bike lane, you have the opportunity to get out of the way.
This brings me to a question: If you meet other runners on the road running with traffic, do you point it out? Maybe suggest “You should be running against traffic for your own safety.”
Let us know what you think.
Well, I’m two weeks out from the Disneyland 1/2 marathon and am so excited to get out of Las Vegas, I (and the family) can hardly wait!!! So far training has gone by the books and to my own astonishment, I’m injury free (knock, knock).
Yesterday was my longest run of my training (11 miles) but I stretched it to 13.1 – why not? The morning was relatively cool (80º) with overcast skies and a slight breeze. I had made up my mind to go hold an easy pace out and back just to get the enigma of the distance out in the open and put it behind me. After 2 1/2 miles, everything was going fine…and then I met Joe.
It was at the time that I heard somebody gaining on me from behind. I had just passed over the Red Rock Bump and was going slightly downhill so I wasn’t completed surprised that somebody would be cruising up behind me but I wasn’t totally prepared for what happened next.
He slowed down and introduced himself as Joe. Now you can just tell from looking at certain runners how fast they are and Joe – he was a machine. With introductions over, we covered our running histories and upcoming races; training regimens to nutrition and supplements. It was a great distraction that I don’t get to enjoy that often since I run alone. Because I run alone, I don’t ever get pushed like I got pushed on Saturday. Without fully realizing it, Joe had brought my pace well under 9 min./miles and we were still climbing uphill. Once I fully understood that we had just done a little over a mile at that pace and I was about a 1/4 of the way thru my run, I knew I had to back it off. Wishing Joe well, we went our separate ways.
I was spent. I had gone much faster than planned and struggled to my 6.6 mile mark to turn around. Since the out is uphill, I was dying to head back and hopefully coast most of the way home – but there was a problem. Joe was running for 2 hours (not distance) and I knew he was going to be coming back my way. With my bravado getting the better of me, I challenged myself to see how long I could hold off the ultra marathoner. As it turns out, not that long. With about 4 1/2 miles left, familiar foot falls sounded behind me and Joe greeted me once again.
I was proud of the fact that I hung with Joe (or to state it simply that Joe slowed for me) and we shared the road until we had to go our separate routes home. I wish I could say I broke my PR but I did not – far from it exactly but I did see what I could take physically which to me was a lesson I will take with me on all my races. Running alone is great. I love the solitude – but running with somebody that’s going to push you over your comfort level is much more rewarding.
Now Joe, if you read this please don’t get the wrong impression. I really did appreciate the comradeship and quicker pace. I hope to see you out there again and this time, I’ll be ready for ya!!!
I borrowed the headline but Usain Bolt is insane. I know it’s not distance running but when you put his recent records in the 100 & 200 meters into a statistic we all know, it blows your mind!!!
Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds. That equals 23.35 mph.
He ran the 200 meters in 19.19 seconds. That equals 23.26 mph.
In comparison, the fastest 1/2 marathon was run by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru in 58:53, thats 13.33 mph.
Haile Gebrselassie’s marathon record is 2:03:59 for an 12.68 mph.
Next time you’re driving, go 23 mph and actually see how fast that is. To know that there’s a human being on the face of this earth that can run that fast, blows my mind!!! To think, I get excited when I bust my tail down a hill and reach 8 mph!!!
This goes out as a reminder that the Marathon World Championships are this weekend. The men run Saturday, August 22 at 5:30 AM (EST) and the women run Sunday, August 23rd at 5:15 AM (EST). You can watch both live online at Universal Sports or catch a tape delay later in the day on NBC.
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