TheRunningRev.Com

Why I Love To Run

I slipped out the door around 7:30. It was cold and dark as I headed out onto the country roads near our home. Wearing a Brooks Nightlife jacket and donning a Black Diamond headlamp I lit up the road with my presence rather than my speed.

As the light of the headlamp lit my path it was hypnotic with every step I thought I might catch up to the light in front of me but never did. It was still, it was quiet and I felt very much at peace with the world. I felt like I could run forever but I was only going four miles. It was a simple out and back, I've run it dozens of times but tonight I had to stop and check my bearings, such was the hypnotic impact of the run.

On the final stretch I was focused on the way my breath drifted across the beam of light and disappeared into the dark. It was a thing of beauty a great momentary piece of art that can never be reproduced.

This is why I love to run... although I'm looking forward to spring!

Running Year in Review...

I just finished my last run of the year, it was a balmy 10 degrees out with a -5 windchill, as I arrived back at our house after six miles just as the sun was dropping below the horizon for the last time in 2009.

Over the course of the year I put in 1,450 miles of running and completed six organized races.

I never thought that this might be the year of the 5k but I set a PR in June and then took 2nd place in my age group at the local Thanksgiving Day run. My one marathon of the year, Twin Cities, was a little disappointing but I wasn't that surprised as I spent a few days in Virginia the week before and stayed up later than I should have but I couldn't pass up on the U2 concert.

My favorite running moment of the year was once again the track workouts at Gainesville Middle School with the folks from The Running Store. They will be sorely missed as we have now moved to Minnesota.

After eight months in MN I'm still trying to find a good trail (with 10-20 miles of trail) to run on that's close to home. The Manassas Battlefield was so convenient, I drove past it every day to and from work.

2010 will hopefully be a great year with at least one marathon and a couple of ultra's thrown in for good measure!

Prefered Temperatures for Running

As I was running in 20 degree weather today I found myself daydreaming of summer track workouts with Ian Connor and the The Running Store folks. Running intervals in 90 degree temperatures sounds like the greatest thing in the world right now,  and to think that Minnesota normally sees only a handful of 90 degree days in the summer.

So here's my list from best to worst of temps to run in...

1. 40-65
2. 65-80
3. 32-40
4. 80+
5. 20-32
6. below 20

You may disagree and that's fine, but when you haven't had cold temps like this for five years they most certainly hit the bottom of the barrel.

From 50 miles to 5k

Tomorrow is the JFK 50. I wish I was there. I have never had as much fun running a race as I had last year in this one.

So with no 50 mile races on my calendar I think I'll have to settle with a 5k or two over the next couple of months. Oh well, perhaps I can finish is under 20 minutes instead of 10 hours!!!

First Cold Run of the Season

Last night we had the first snow of the season! Today the temperature reached a balmy 35 and there was a 15mph wind blowing from the west creating a wind chill of 25. Brrr, this was serious winter running in Virginia but only the tip of the iceberg for Minnesota (pun intended).

I thought about taking the day off, heck I ran a marathon a week ago. Then I realized that if I start making excuses today I'll be making them all winter. So I donned my tights and jacket, hat and gloves and went for a 5 mile run.

It was amazing! Having spent the last few months training for the marathon I was now free to run how I wanted to. I'm not bound to a training schedule and it felt fabulous to be outside running free. I'm really looking forward to the next few months of running before the build up for my next marathon, but for now I'm running free!

Running Again

It's been five days now since the marathon and the soreness has left the muscles, that means its time to start running again!

Four easy miles on the road. It's so nice to be able to get out and run without being in training for any particular event, just running for running's sake. It was a perfect day to start back, temperatures in the upper 40's, sun shining brightly and a light breeze. I have no idea what my pace was today as I plodded along on the first of my recovery runs, I just focused on keeping a comfortable pace all the way.

It won't be long now before I have to do some winter running. That'll be new to be me as I haven't had a "real" winter in five years.

Taper Week

Only six days left until the Twin Cities Marathon and I've come down with a cold, ugh! The good news is the hard work is done, its rest and taper time. I should shake this cold in a couple of days and be 100% before Sunday.

My training has gone fairly well. With two of us training and working and then having kids schedules to juggle on top of that it would be nearly impossible to have a perfect training build-up to the race. I managed to fit in all my long runs and have had a few good tempo runs at marathon pace or faster. I've missed out on speed work but for the marathon it shouldn't hurt me too much.

The plan for Sunday will be to start out with the 3:20 pace team and see if I can hang on! I need 3:20 to qualify for Boston, the holy grail of marathoning. It's probably a long shot for me but you never know, if everything goes right on the day then it just might happen.

Let's go have fun over 26.2

Manitou 15k

It was a cool 45 degrees at race time as we lined up for one lap around White Bear Lake. My goal was to run it as a tempo run somewhere between 7:30 - 7:40 pace. I figured if I put in a lot of runs at this pace I'll be in a good position to qualify for Boston this fall.

We started running and I wasn't sure of my pace but I knew it was a little faster than I'd expected to start but I felt good. When I passed the first mile marker in 6:34 though I knew I was in trouble. I've never sustained this pace for a 5k let alone a 15k! So I slowed down a lot hoping I hadn't done to much damage and pressed on. At 5k my pace was now averaging a little under 7:00 so I was giving time back just as I should. I still ended up running faster than I intended finishing in 1:07:40 with a 7:16 average.

It felt good knowing I was able to run this pace this early in my training. I'm feeling very hopeful for a sub 3:20 marathon in the Twin Cities this fall!

For the love of running

On Monday I ran my first ten mile run since the "Icy 8" back in February! It felt fabulous on a sunny afternoon to plod along at an 8:20 pace in seventy degree weather enjoy the great outdoors. I'm finally motivated again to start running long... Marine Corps, JFK 50 and the Icy 8 took there toll on my desire to go long for a while!

I topped off Monday's run with a quick four on Tuesday with a 7:07 pace and a 6:31 third mile. It was my first run by White Bear Lake!

I love running!

Joy of Running

Some days I just don't feel like running. Today was one them. It took everything I had to drag myself out the door and onto the streets. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and there was only a very light breeze, it was a little cool at 35 degrees.

The first couple of miles were a little arduous but after five I was feeling great and loving life! It felt wonderful to be in the wide open countryside, not a person or car in sight (a rare thing in Northern Virginia). As the miles clipped by I found myself thinking how easy this is and was amazed at the ability of the human body to move itself over long distances without falling apart.

After 15 miles I arrived back at my house feeling  energized and in love with life! I was ready to take on the rest of the afternoon. (I procrastinated until noon before starting!)

15 miles, 8:23 pace