Rocky Mountain Half Marathon Race Report

Short version: I finished my 3rd Half Marathon with a time of 2:24:11. While that’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! My knee hurt throughout the race due to a flare-up of Runner’s Knee so I’m just thankful to have finished and wasn't really concerned with my time!

Long version: I was a little nervous about this race because I’ve been dealing with a case of Runner’s Knee in my left knee over the past few weeks, and it hurts pretty badly when I run longer distances or run really hard. But, I had registered for the race a few months ago and our hotel was already paid for so I decided to do the race anyhow. We spent a couple of days in Colorado prior to the race to get acclimated to the higher elevation and also visited some family and friends and enjoyed a small family vacation in downtown Denver.

The couple of days prior to the race, I made sure to stay super hydrated since we were up in the mountains, and also got in a lot of walking and some good swimming at the hotel pool, and felt really good up to the race with no major ills. I slept really good the night before the race (oddly enough) and woke up promptly at 6am when the hotel wakeup service called. I ate my usual breakfast of a bagel, peanut butter, banana, and some Powerade, then dressed and walked the 1 mile to the race start.

I did some light jogging around the block to warm up near the starting line, and did some stretching to loosen up my muscles. Since I was particularly nervous about my knee and how well it would hold up, I had to use the porta potties not once, but twice to take a pee, finishing the second time about 3 minutes before the race started. Yikes, that was close. The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and temps around 60, along with light winds. It was a beautiful day. The race started soon enough and we were running. My knee immediately began to hurt within the first few blocks, and I knew at that point that it was going to be a very, very long run.

My wife and daughter were able to meet me along the course at about 1 mile, and I was so thankful to see them. I waved and kept running. My motto lately has been, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never give up,” and I just kept repeating this over and over in my head as the miles ticked off and the pain continued in my left knee. I ran mostly, but did stop to walk occasionally every mile or two, and also to stretch my left hamstring, which helped with the pain in my knee. I did have to stop at about mile 5 to use the porta potty again, but otherwise, the remainder of the run was OK and really fun, other than my knee just ached non-stop. The knee pain wasn’t severe, just a nagging dull ache that kept my pace pretty slow overall.

The course started in downtown Denver and continued for about 4 miles amongst the sky scrapers, then along the South Platte River, then past Elitch Gardens, past the Denver Broncos stadium, then to and around Sloan’s Lake (which was awesome with snow-capped mountain vistas in distance), then back into downtown Denver.

I was also initially worried how the higher elevation would affect me since I’m a flatlander from Omaha, but I wasn’t really running hard enough to even be significantly winded. Unfortunately, what was slowing me down was my stupid knee and the pain it was causing. The last mile of the race was especially painful as I kind of hobbled toward the finish line, but I did cross it with a big smile on my face, as I again saw my wife and daughter cheering me on about 500 feet before entering the finisher’s chute. Ironically enough, as I saw them, the song “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive came onto my Ipod, which really pumped me up too.

I had a finish time 2:24:11 (well within the back of the pack), and I was really happy with that. While it’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! I never expected a PR in this race because of the altitude, and I’m just super happy I was able to finish it, and despite the pain in my knee, I had an awesome time and am so glad that I persevered. The medal was also very cool, and certainly worth the effort put into the race!

After munching on a bagel, a banana, and drinking both a bottle of water and Gatorade after the race, we walked the 1 mile back to our hotel, I enjoyed a super hot shower and changed clothes, and then we hit the Interstate for an 8-hour car ride home. Ugh. It was also lunchtime, so we decided to stop at Ihop for a much-deserved celebration meal. I enjoyed a huge stack of chocolate chocolate-chip pancakes (yes, double chocolate), 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and about 4 cups of coffee. I then proceeded to eat the rest of my wife’s breakfast, including her left over pancake, another egg, and also polished off the remainder of my daughter’s hamburger and French Fries. In other words, I ate like a pig, and it felt good with no guilt! At that point, I let my wife do the driving so I could stretch out in the back seat and iced my knee all the way home. When we got home, my knee felt great, and I have no major aches and pains anywhere else in my body. Yeah!

And now, marathon training begins next week for a fall marathon in either September, October or November. I need to let my knee rest a bit, but I definitely feel confident that after 3 half marathons under my belt, I’m ready to try a full. We’ll see. Race on!

At about 1 mile into the race. Since it was Flag Day today, I decided to wear a flag running outfit, with a flag visor, stars and stripes singlet, and flag running shorts and flag socks. I got a ton of crowd support which was cool! Note the knee brace on my left knee, which helped, but certainly didn't eliminate the pain.

2nd Half Marathon a Success

I ran my 2nd half marathon in as many weeks this morning, over in Papillion. This was the 2nd annual running of the race, which helped to support the local food pantry and the Special Olympics. I didn't exactly know how well I'd do in this run, since I just raced 2 weeks ago. In the beginning, I started out racing, but then experienced some knee and hip pain so decided to slow down a bit. But, that pain went away by about mile 5 or so, and I decided to race it afterall. By about mile 10, I quickly did some math and realized I could try for a Personal Record so I really began to push it hard. In the end, I came in with another sub 2 hour time, at 1:59:45, but missed a personal record by 16 seconds from my race 2 weeks ago. I still had a blast though, it was such a great run, and am pleased with my time. I was really sore this afternoon, and my left knee was really in a lot of pain. I iced it, and have been taking Ibuprofen to ease the pain. I don't think I've torn anything, but probably just pushed it a little to hard. (edit, I believe it's an ITB issue). It's kind of surreal, I can't stop eating. I've eaten enough food today for 2 normal days I think, I just can't seem to satisfy my hunger. Will definitely have to watch my food intake over the next few days. I've now got 4 weeks until my next race in Denver in mid June. I plan to rest up for a few days, then get back at it and start training hard. The elevation in Denver will be a real challenge.

400 Career Miles

I surpassed the 400 mile mark in my running career today, an awesome accomplishment! I'm taking another taper week this week, in preparation for my next half marathon race this coming Sunday. Nice, slow runs this week, with about half my normal mileage, easing down in distance each day. Friday and Saturday will be full rest days, and also carb loading days, to store enough fuel and energy for the race. I'm still not sure if I'll race the event, or just run it for fun, it will all depend on how my legs feel, and whether I feel I've got enough kick to put the hammer down. In the end, it won't really matter, it should be really fun, and that's the most important thing. I ran on the treadmill indoors yesterday since it was raining outside. Ugh, I hate running on the treadmill now, especially since I've been running outside so much. The time on the treadmill just passes so slowly for me, versus when I'm outdoors. I think I'll have to learn how to be a cold weather runner so I won't have to be on the treadmill so much this winter.

1 Week Post Race

Well, running during the last week has mostly been light and easy to aid recovery, since I ran a hard race last weekend. Overall, I feel I'm well rested, and have recovered as much as I'm able. In fact, today, I did a long run around 11 miles, and it felt really good. I also bought new shoes, since my 2nd toes on each of my feet were cramped last week when my feet swelled, so shoes 1/2 size bigger really helped. I wasn't excited about buying new shoes, but feet are important. I was a little worried about the shoes being too big, but I just used the top-most eyelets to snug the shoes up a little more. The weather was cool this morning, with just a slight breeze, but the run felt great. I did forget to take my bottle of Gatorade with me, but found that I did fine without it. For upcoming training, I do have another half marathon in Denver in mid June, so I need to get back into the saddle of doing hard training. To that end, there is another half marathon race in Papillion next weekend, and I believe I will run it, but not race it. It's a good opportunity to do my long run. Of course, I say I don't intend to race it now, but race day adrenalin may change that. It's a small race with only 300 runners or so.

The Race Is In the Books

Short version: I finished my first ever race and HM in 1:59:38 Garmin time, official time 1:59:29. My goal time was 2:05, so I blew that out of the water. Didn't stop to walk once. My wife's first HM time was 2:33:16, and her goal was just to finish since she's struggled with her training and has been sick for the last couple of weeks. We feel great, and have grins on our faces from ear to ear, we are so proud of what we've accomplished, and better yet, we were able to do this together. Weather was absolutely perfect, partly cloudy, light wind, start temps in the mid 50s. I placed 1648 overall, and was 171/303 for my age division. My wife's goal was to finish in the top 5000 (there were 4808 entrants in the HM). She finished 3834, and was 308/434 for her age group.

Long Version: Today was the culmination of 15 weeks of hard training, going from not being a runner at all in January, to completing my first ever race (and HM) in sub 2 hour time. Training went well, taper went well, carb loading went well, everything just fell into place for an awesome run!

We woke up at 415 am this morning to get ready for the race after a really good night's sleep. After assembling all our gear last night and having my standard breakfast of bagel, PB, and Gatorade, we were on the road at 515 am for the 1 hour drive to Lincoln. About halfway down, we both had headaches for some reason, so we had to stop and grab some Motrin from the gas station. Got to the starting line around 630 am, headed to the restroom (we opted for the real bathrooms inside the football stadium) warmed up a little and checked our bags. My wife was nervous, I was not nervous at all for some reason.

My wife met some friends that she was running with (co workers), I hugged and kissed her, wished her good luck, and headed to the middle of 9:00 pace group. My wife and friends were at the back of the 10:00 pace group. The energy was amazing. They played the national anthem, blew the cannon, and the race was on. It took about 7 minutes for me to cross the starting mat.

Everything just clicked with this run. It felt great from the very beginning. I had no major aches and pains throughout the run, and I can honestly say that I had so much fun. Although, I did get a little nauseous around mile 10, but it passed by mile 11. I started out at solid 9:30 miles, ramped that up to 9:10, and eventually 8:40 miles with a nice negative split and finished with a flat out sprint. I did eat 1 GU 15 minutes prior to race time, then took Gu again at 4.5 miles, and 9 miles. I did carry my own Nathan water bottle with Gatorade, just because that's how I trained. I also grabbed 2 waters along the course, with the cups having lids and straws. That was cool, and allowed runners to not worry about spilling it all over themselves. As far as music, I've trained from Day 1 with my Ipod, but didn't use it all in the race. I had it hooked up, with my earbuds hanging on my shirt cuff, but didn't need to use it once. There was plenty on the course to keep my attention, it was so much fun. The crowd was really cool along the whole race, and I really appreciated their enthusiasm which helped to really push me. That race day adrenalin is for real folks.

When I hit mile 11, I realized that I could knock out a sub 2 hour time if I continued to put the hammer down, and just run. Getting my sub 2 hour time time by 31 seconds was just pure luck I guess. Like I said, everything just clicked when it was supposed to.

The only part of the course I didn't like was a 2.5 mile stretch on an 8 foot wide bike path along Highway 2. It was shoulder to shoulder, back to chest in that stretch. I said screw that and ran on the grass right next to the trail, which allowed me to cruise past runners just about every second. Hey, it worked for me, and was part of the reason why I got that sub 2 hour time!

My wife, while running her own race, did awesome as well! She has chronic asthma, and has been sick lately over the previous couple of weeks, and also has struggled with her training. Her lost long run was 3 weeks ago at 10 miles. She did super and only walked 1/4 mile. I'm so proud of her, I can't even begin to describe how wonderful she is, and how cool it was to be able to do the event with her. Even though we didn't run it together, we each had to run our own race, it was a great feeling to meet back up at the end to give each other a hug and kiss and that we'd just made memories that would last for the rest of our lives.

My brother in law did take a few pictures of us running during the race, and I was able to high-five my sister too, and another sister was there, although I wasn't able to find her in the huge crowds. Our daughter wasn't there, but we called her from the finish line as soon as we were able.

Bottom line, words just can't describe how happy we both are!!! This was an awesome, amazing, crazy, surreal experience, and we're living proof that you can do incredible things if you're willing to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and just say, "Well, why not!"

We're home now, sitting on the couch, and just resting. 13.1 miles, been there, ran that! Bring on the next race!

Garmin Split Times:

Mile 1: 9:30
Mile 2: 9:30
Mile 3: 9:25
Mile 4: 9:27
Mile 5: 9:12
Mile 6: 9:12
Mile 7: 9:00
Mile 8: 9:00
Mile 9: 8:57
Mile 10: 8:43
Mile 11: 8:35
Mile 12: 8:40
Mile 13: 8:24
Last 0.25 1:55 (7:32 pace)
Total: 1:59:38

I also wanted to express my thanks to EVERYONE on the Runner's World chat boards!! There are some great folks there and I appreciate so much all the advice that everyone has been willing to give to this once newbie runner. Everyone there has been so positive, and I truly think they all helped to push me today, to a safe and almost unbelievable sub 2:00 finish! I also want to thank my coworkers for giving advice and continued inspiration, and also my family for the love and support for something that was completely foreign to me (running) a few months ago.

Post-Race Pic, note the huge smiles on our faces!

Race on!

Pre Race Day Jitters

Today is the day "before" the big day. I've been tapering my training this week, and have run only half of what I normally run. I feel as if I'm losing everything I've done in training up to this point, even though that's not the case at all. I've also been carb loading the last couple of days. Ugh, I've gained a couple of pounds, and definitely can't wait to stop so I can get back to my normal foods. Pasta, potatoes, pancakes, bread, you name it, I've done it. It's supposed to give you extra power in the race since I'll have a higher than normal carb load on board. It's just making me fat. Today, we headed to Lincoln to get our race packets. We visited the race expo, although it wasn't that great, and we drove the course for the race. So, I think we're as ready as we're going to be. I actually slept fairly well last night, even though I had to get up every 2 hours to pee. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I've been drinking like a fish. Bottom line, I'm well hydrated, have got extra fuel on board, now I just have to go out and run. It's kind of a surreal feeling that my 15 weeks of training has culminated in this single moment. I'm assuming that it will all be a little anticlimactic tomorrow after the race is over, but that's why I've signed up for more races, to keep me motivated to continue my training. The weather for the race tomorrow should be nearly perfect. Temperatures should be in the mid 40s, winds should light from the north (at my back for the first 6 miles or so), and it should be dry. In the back of my mind, I have a goal time in mind, but in the end, it doesn't really matter how I do. I know I'll finish, my training has already proven to me that I can do the distance. I just hope my body remembers, and it goes according to my master plan. 13.1 miles, in an official race, in another 14 hours, I should be able to say, "Been there, ran that!"

Up to 33.7 Miles

Finishing my 14th week of training for my upcoming Half Marathon, I ran 33.7 miles this last week. I did another run of 13.1 miles on Friday, and finished strong, despite temperatures climbing into the mid 70s by the end of the run. It was getting hot, very hot. I don't have any major aches and pains, and feel good about the race next weekend. I just wish it were here, I'm getting anxious to just go out and run. Now, on the flip side, I've been very healthy over the previous 14 weeks, having not been sick even once. I think the running really strengthens your immune system. But, unfortunately, just 1 week out, I'm now getting sick. Ugh. My throat is sore, so who knows what I might be getting. I've stressed myself out a little over the last couple of days, burning the candle at both ends, and maybe some stupid bug got in. Just have to battle through and run my race no matter what.

Another Week With 30+ Miles

32.8 miles in the training log this week, and I feel really good. A little stiff today, but not bad. I actually did my long, slow run on Friday (again), and ran 13.1 miles on one of the trails here in Omaha. So, I enter my last week of hard training with hopes of getting another 33 miles in or so, and will then taper next week to rest up for the race. The half marathon distance run that I did on Friday was mostly good, although the last couple of miles were tough as the arch of my right foot was hurting pretty bad. Still can't believe that I've been training now for a full 13 weeks, with only 2 weeks to go. In many regards, I wish the race were this week, as I feel I'm ready, and just want to run it and get it over with.

On a bright note, my wife was able to push past her comfort zone this past week and did her first double digit run on Saturday. She was able to do 10 miles. Most of the training plans say that if you can run 10, the adrenaline on race day should take you the last 3 miles. I hope that's true.

After the Lincoln HM, I have a half marathon scheduled in mid June in Denver, and will then take the summer to do a novice training program (bump up from beginner) in prep for the Omaha half marathon at the end of September, and then the Kansas City half marathon in the middle of October. Beyond, then, while it's so far away, I probably would do maintenance running in November and December, but then begin an 18 week plan to run a marathon at "next" year's Lincoln, NE race. Pie in the sky stuff, but you have to have goals.

By the way, I did the distance on Friday in 2 hours and 9 minutes and 53 seconds. My goal for the race finish will be somewhere near that, and am hoping that race adrenalin will push me harder. I've held back a little on my training runs so I wouldn't trash myself for the rest of the week, but I plan to run full-bore at the race, with NOTHING left in my gas tank when I'm done. I hope to be a quivering pile of goo by then, and will have to crawl home. Otherwise, if I'm not spent, I'll know I didn't race hard enough, and will always wonder how hard I should have pushed it.

I'm nervous, and a little anxious about the race, but am confident in where my training has taken me, and confident in my ability to run a strong race. Bring it.

32.3 Miles This Week

Another week closer to our race, which is just now 3 weeks from today. The past week has been busy with 5 out 7 days spent running. This was the first week in a long time that I've had some significant pain while running, mainly in my ankles. I first thought it might have been my new shoes, but now attribute it to just being stiff and sore, and continuing to ramp up my weekly mileage. After a couple of miles, I was able to run through the the pain as all my joints got well lubricated. The week end in a 12.1 mile long, slow run on Friday morning. It felt great, (after the first couple of miles that is). While I was sore after the run, it wasn't anything uncontrollable, and I felt a shear sense of accomplishment. One more hard week is in store, with a weekly mileage log of about 34 miles hopefully, with a long slow run of 13.1 miles. Then, the following week, I'll probably keep about the same distance, but then do a significant taper the week of the race to be as strong as possible for race day. It's hard to believe that I've been training now for 12 full weeks, but also awesome to see how far I've come.

A 29.4 Mile Week

Well, another week of training is now in the books. I've completed 29.4 miles this week, culminating in my 11.1 mile long run that I mentioned earlier, followed by a 6 mile recovery jog yesterday. I feel pretty good, but definitely deserved the day of rest today, but will have to hit the pavement again tomorrow. The mileage only increases from here on out with a 12 mile run this week, a 13 mile run next week, and in the final week before the race, I believe I'll taper back to 8 or 9 miles. I just hope I remain healthy between now and then, and that I don't turn my ankle taking out the garbage or something.

My wife on the other hand is struggling with her training. She has been quite busy with work, and just hasn't had the time to get her long runs in. I think she's been running during the week at the gym, but her long run training has suffered. And now, it seems she's getting sick again. She has Asthma, and the running really stress her system. I have some concerns whether she'll be able to complete the mileage without hurting herself. I think she wants to prove to herself that she can do it, but I'm concerned about her health, and that she'll push it too far just to prove me wrong.

Long Run up to 11.1 Miles

My long run was supposed to be this coming Sunday, but with the impending winter storm, I had to move my long run up a couple of days. Today, I did an 11.1 mile run along the Keystone Trail here in Omaha. The run felt great, although my fingers did swell up a bit, and my right foot cramped up around mile 10. Other than that, no aches and pains, and even tonight, I feel pretty good, albeit a little stiff, but not really sore. The Lincoln Half Marathon is now just 4 weeks away, but I'm definitely getting more confidence that I'll be able to complete the full distance. In fact, I've registered for my second Half Marathon, the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Denver on June 14, and also plan to register for the Omaha Half Marathon on September 27, and the Kansas City Half Marathon on October 17. This running thing has certainly become addicting. It just feels good, so it's important to take advantage of the moment when you can. I was able to do the 11.1 mile run today at a solid 9:50 pace, so that's a great pace for someone who wasn't a runner just 11 weeks ago. In the coming weeks before my race, I plan to run 12, 13.1, then taper down to 8 or 9 miles the week before the race. While I have no plans of competing in any of these races, finishing strong is my main goal, and just to have some fun!

Double Digit Run...Finally

Well, I can now say I've hit the double digits for a single run as I ran 10.4 miles yesterday for my LSD (long slow distance) run. And I ran that 10.4 miles without stopping (except to grab a snack and a water bottle from my car at the halfway point). It truly is amazing to me, since just 10 short weeks ago, I was NOT a runner, and now, just 2 1/2 months later, I can literally run double digits. I feel like Forest Gump, ha. In the last week, I've run 28.4 miles. In the last month, I've run 110.8 miles. Again, the only word that can describe that is amazing. More importantly, on my 10 1/2 mile run today, it felt good. I felt strong, and literally thought I could have run further and longer. And now, 12 hours after the run, I still feel good with no major aches and pains. That's a miracle in itself, that I've been able to accomplish much of my running injury free. I did have some Achilles Tendinitis early on, and occasional sore/stiff legs here and there, but so far, in my 215.9 career running miles, it's been pretty smooth. I can only keep my fingers crossed and hope that I remain injury free over the next 5 weeks. Yes, my half marathon is now just 4 weeks and 6 days away. That's slightly daunting, but also surprisingly refreshing knowing that I hit 10 miles today, and should be able to complete the full 13.1 miles just as strong as I was today. I fully intend to cross the finish line with a smile on my face, and an unthinkable amount of pride in what I've been able to accomplish. I do have a goal of finishing with a time of 2:10, which is a solid 10 minute mile. I honestly think I can do it. Has it been easy? Absolutely not, I've worked very hard for this, with a ton of sweat and determination. Not much blood in there, and maybe just one tear. Ha.

New Running Shoes...Already?

Well, my Nike Pegasus 25+ running shoes have about 210 miles on them. Yikes, how did I rack up the miles so fast? Well, I'm now up to the mid 20s for mileage each week, so yes, the numbers do add up pretty quickly. While they are still fine, I am finding that I'm getting a little more ankle and knee pain more frequently now. Not sure if that's because I'm running so much, or that the shoes are starting to lose their cushion. Probably a little of both. Plus, with another week until my half marathon, I'll be pushing 350 miles by race day, and that may be pushing it for having a smooth, ache free race. So, I went to the local running store and got a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 12s. They recently won the Runners World editor's choice award, and are definitely a quality shoe. I went with size 12, although the running store wanted me to buy a 12 1/2, but they just felt too big and loose. I've had no problems with my feet at all in my Nike Pegasus 2007 or 25+ in size 12, so I'm not going to change now. We'll see how they feel when running. They sure felt awesome when I tried them on. I could have gotten them for a few $$ cheaper online, but decided to give the LRS some love instead.

9 Mile LSD Run, Yowza!

A couple of nights ago, I headed out well after dinner (around 830 pm) for what I thought was just going to be an easy 3 or 4 mile run. At about 1/2 mile into the run, I started to have a sugar crash and thought I should head for home. But, that quickly passed, and after that, I felt really good. It was dark, but I had a blinking red light on my jacket, and it was in the lower 50s. The miles quickly ticked off as I ran through my local neighborhoods. I reached 4 miles, and felt good enough to do 5. Five turned into six, and six turned into seven. When I hit seven, I thought I could surely hit 8 miles since I ran that far last week for my LSD run. When I hit 8, I really wanted to push myself to get 9 in this week. While the last couple of miles were hard, I indeed clicked off 9 miles on my run, and staggered home. My heart and lungs still felt strong, but my legs were pretty much done, and not sure they could have given any more. So, yesterday, I rested. Wow, it was a hard run, but now I just need to turn 9 into 10, and 10 into 13.1. The Lincoln Half Marathon is now just 6 weeks from today. Yikes, I can't believe that, in fact, it makes me a little more than nervous. But, I know I certainly put in my the required training, and should be more then well prepared for the run in a few weeks. Now, I just have to make sure I don't injure myself, and indeed, I should be wearing a medal around my neck, proudly I might add. Not everyone can run a half marathon, and I hope to prove to myself that I can do it.

Regarding gear, I have purchased a few toys to help out. I did purchase a SPIbelt, which is an elastic belt with a small pouch to put small, personal items (SPI). It works great, and is just big enough to hold my cell phone and car keys, and a couple packs of energy gel if necessary. Great running accessory. I also purchased the blinking, red light that I mentioned, so I'm more visible at nighttime. With the weather turning nicer, I've definitely been out running more on trails and on the streets in the neighborhoods, so I want to make sure I'm seen by traffic.

In case I'm not seen by traffic, or some vengeful person tries to run me down, I also wear a Road ID necklace. It's essentially a dog tag with all of my pertinent ICE (in case of emergency) info, should I be rendered unconscious. It's assurance that I'll be identified if something happens to me while running.

My health has also moved into the "remarkably healthy" (words of my doctor) category due to my running. My resting heart rate is about 55 to 59 beats per minute on average, although I did measure it at 49 bpm one night a couple of weeks ago. I just tested my blood pressure this evening also, it was 98 over 58. That seems a tad low, based on my physical exam from earlier this week, which was 120 over 70. My cholesterol was 152, my triglycerides 50 (should be less than 149) , my HDL was 57 (should be 40-60), and my LDL was 87 (should be less than 90). So, all in all, I'm doing great. My weight has stabilized around 156, so only just a couple of pounds below my pre-run weight.

OMFG, I'm a Runner

Well, 8 weeks into my training for the Lincoln Half Marathon and I just knocked out an 8-mile run (full loop around Lake Zorinsky here in Omaha) for my weekly long run. http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7802342 Eight weeks ago, I couldn't run for more than 15 minutes. And now, I just ran for an hour and 20 minutes, non-stop (had to stop once to retie my shoes), at a solid 10-minute mile. I've been able to do my tempo runs during the week at 9:15 pace, but I slow it down (long slow distance) on my long runs. I never would have imagined I could have come this far in just 8 weeks. But I feel great, and ready to push for more. No major aches and pains. The Lincoln HM is still 7 weeks from today, so am just over halfway through my training. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm truly starting to believe that this goal of doing a HM will be reachable. More importantly, I'm having fun. I've gone from not being a runner, in that I didn't like it, couldn't do, to absolutely loving the idea of running, and find that if I don't get my runs in, I'm not happy. Weird. I'm now at 24.2, 24.2, and 26.0 miles for weekly mileage for the previous 3 weeks. OMFG, I'm a runner!

Running Man...That's Me

The half marathon training is going well. I've run 18 miles this week already, and still have an 8 mile run planned for Sunday. The weather had turned cold late last week and much of this week, but the temperatures have rebounded into the 40s today, headed for highs near 70 by Monday and Tuesday. I ran 5 miles yesterday in 31 degree temps, and it was chilly. My daughter was also doing track practice during the same time, and she was frozen popsicle by the time she got done. I feel that I'm really accomplishing something during my runs, and have improved my pace from 16:40 minute mile when I started 8 weeks ago, to a solid 9:15 minute mile as of this week. My VO2 max (whatever that is) has gone from 14 to 33 in that time. I still need to remind myself to take deep breaths, which seems to help, but otherwise, I'm doing pretty well. My aches and pains are not major anymore, and I find that I'm recovering pretty well after runs too. There's only 7 weeks left until the Lincoln Half Marathon, so that gets me nervous at times, but as long as I continue on my present track, I should be able to complete it without any trouble. I hope. One day at a time, and slow and steady wins the race.

7 Mile Long Run

Well, today was a new milestone in my running, I was able to do a 7 mile long run, without stopping. The run felt pretty good, although my right ham string did cramp up about 4 miles in, and didn't go away until the end of the run. Not sure why that happened. It's not that I pulled the muscle, it just cramped up. So, that's 24.2 miles of running this past week. I feel stronger each and every day I run, and am able to go farther each time. The half marathon is only another 6.1 miles, so I've been able to get myself past the halfway point. That's an exciting motivator that should carry me through. My first race in Lincoln is now 9 weeks away, still plenty of time to take and slow and steady, and continue to build my long runs up to 10 to 12 miles eventually. I'm beginning to think beyond Lincoln, and what options would be available. I tossed around the idea of trying to run a half marathon a month thereafter, however running marathons through the summer doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Ha. There is a marathon in Kansas City in early June. I may consider that one, but would probably then not race until September in the Omaha half marathon, and perhaps another half marathon in Kansas City in October. Who knows. I still have to get through my first one, but that's becoming more and more likely as I continue to build my miles.

Light Workout Today

Since my calf was hurting a little today so I decided to just do a light 3 mile run at an 11 minute pace, and then did a nice round of stretching in the sauna. Too much too fast. Slow and steady wins the race. Have to keep telling myself that. Ugh.

5 Miles...Like Butta!

Back on the trail today after doing a cross training day yesterday. Actually, yesterday was supposed to be a strength day, but I just wanted to take it easy, so did a 20 minute swim/water run, then just did a little bit of stretching in the sauna. Today, I ran 5 miles at Standing Bear Lake. It was cool and cloudy today, so I decided to buy a pair of lightweight running gloves and hat to wear, and also got a compression long sleeve shirt to wear under my running jacket. I stayed toasty and warm, with a temperature around 41. The first part of the run was harder than I would have thought after my big mileage days this past weekend. But, part of that was probably anxiety too, since I had to run off trail, along the street, in the mud for about 1/2 mile on the west side of the lake. Yuck! Hated that part. Anyhow, quickly got into the groove though, and the miles ticked off after that. My heart rate was a little higher than I would have liked, with a run average of 149 bpm, so I tried to consciously slow it down a little with deep belly breathing, and it helped a little. I am having a little bit of calf pain in my right leg tonight, higher than the pain I had last week. I didn't get to stretch as much as I would have liked after the run, so I probably just tightened up a bit. I just have to keep telling myself everyday, "Slow and steady wins the race." "Complete, not compete."

Heart Rate Zones

I did some research on what exactly heart rate zones are, and at what level I should be training at. I mainly did this to help support my wife who again overdid her run today. She's very competitive, which is a bad thing sometimes and nearly killed herself again today. Well, that's twice in just 8 days now.

Anyhow, we each have our own Forerunner 305 now, which does have a heart rate monitor accessory. I really didn't have an interest in wearing that chest strap monitor, and thought it would be cumbersome and uncomfortable. But, today, I decided to give it a try, and also to try and keep myself in the right zone. I got off work at 4pm, and even though it was only 30 degrees, with 5" of snow still on the ground, I suited up to head out for a trail run. I wore a pair of tights under my running pants, and just a normal shirt under my running jacket, along with a pair of lightweight gloves. I have to admit, I really wasn't that cold. I decided to run on the West Papio trail. It was very icy for the first 1/4 mile, but then it was apparent that the city of Omaha had already cleared it past that. So, I ran out 2.1 miles, turned around and came back. Even though I had already run my long run yesterday, I just wanted to run. I love to run now, and that's just after 4 weeks of training. Strange.

The heart rate monitor worked great. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I had imagined, and I can now see how beneficial it could be to train in the "right" zones. It also was helpful to control my pace, to know whether I could go faster or slower.

So now, I intend to run with the heart rate monitor attached. I'm shooting to do most of my training in zones 3 and 4, with periodic bursts into zone 4, and occasional zone 5 speed work. I'm becoming a fitness freak.