I started my new years fitness resolutions this morning because I have a lot to accomplish in 2010 and cannot wait for January. I am finding that it helps to have races planned out and signed up for. It is amazing how many excuses can pop up if you have not committed to something.
My two main goals right now are drop a little weight and to prepare for the Bear Mountain NorthFace half marathon in May. I want to run a fast time and have put a lot of my bigger races for later in the fall. I will still run a few marathons, a 50k and do some snowshoeing but keep up the endurance but the focus will be on speed for the half marathon. That means faster/more intense workouts, more weights and dialing in my diet to shed 10 pounds.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
More running than blogging
Well I have been running a lot more lately and have not taken time to blog. Since my last post in March before the Hat Run I have run the Bear Mountain Northface 50k, DNF'd the Speedgoat 50k and finished the Northface DC 50 miler in 12 hours and 30 minutes. In a nutshell I am having a blast running and was on cloud nine for a few weeks after running the 50 miles. Next year is all planned with more races planned for later in the year and right now with the season being over I am resting and doing yoga a few mornings a week. Here is a quick recap of the races that I did this year:
Hat Run- first long run since ankle injury in January, 7:20 time, pretty hilly and went slow for the first half. I am registered for next year.
Bear mountain 50k- very hilly, power hiking the 1st half with time of 8 hours for the race.
Speedgoat 50k- an absolute beast of a run, not in shape for it. 11 1/2 hours and I finished 26 miles, altitude problems, second degree sunburns and a lot of lessons that came in handy on the 50 miler
Northface DC 50 miler- Mentally very strong for 35 miles, troubles from mile 35 to 42 with nutrition and thinking that I only have 15 more miles to go and that the race was almost over. Huge accomplishment. I was alive afterwards so I figure that I can run more of these which was the big test of the race. Also heard the words when I finished "Let's hear it for the 11 people left on the course." 50 miles is far......
Next year I want to be faster, drop weight, improve flexibility and add on the experience/success that I had this year. Easier said than done as life got a lot busier this year but I am up for the challenge.
Happy trails,
Rob
Hat Run- first long run since ankle injury in January, 7:20 time, pretty hilly and went slow for the first half. I am registered for next year.
Bear mountain 50k- very hilly, power hiking the 1st half with time of 8 hours for the race.
Speedgoat 50k- an absolute beast of a run, not in shape for it. 11 1/2 hours and I finished 26 miles, altitude problems, second degree sunburns and a lot of lessons that came in handy on the 50 miler
Northface DC 50 miler- Mentally very strong for 35 miles, troubles from mile 35 to 42 with nutrition and thinking that I only have 15 more miles to go and that the race was almost over. Huge accomplishment. I was alive afterwards so I figure that I can run more of these which was the big test of the race. Also heard the words when I finished "Let's hear it for the 11 people left on the course." 50 miles is far......
Next year I want to be faster, drop weight, improve flexibility and add on the experience/success that I had this year. Easier said than done as life got a lot busier this year but I am up for the challenge.
Happy trails,
Rob
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tomorrow is the Hat
Well tomorrow is the big day. One that will be very welcome after the horrible week of way too much news on my employer. I am upset with how things are being handled but this blog is not the place for those discussions. All will be forgotten once I take that first step tomorrow.
I am hopefully realistic in my expectations after the ankle problems in January and February and am looking at this as a long run. I need the mileage, need to start slow and need to learn how to run better when I am tired. If I can start slow and run when I am tired tomorrow it will be a successful race.
I have learned in life that most successful endeavors are either envisioned before hand or come as a result as a lot of hard work and luck. Your mental state regardless of how you find success is the same- loose, ready, passionate, excited, minimal amount of preconceived notions, not easily flustered when things go wrong etc. I have really focused this week on making sure that I am mentally prepared.
My next post will be a race recap.
As always, Happy trails
Rob
I am hopefully realistic in my expectations after the ankle problems in January and February and am looking at this as a long run. I need the mileage, need to start slow and need to learn how to run better when I am tired. If I can start slow and run when I am tired tomorrow it will be a successful race.
I have learned in life that most successful endeavors are either envisioned before hand or come as a result as a lot of hard work and luck. Your mental state regardless of how you find success is the same- loose, ready, passionate, excited, minimal amount of preconceived notions, not easily flustered when things go wrong etc. I have really focused this week on making sure that I am mentally prepared.
My next post will be a race recap.
As always, Happy trails
Rob
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Catch up post
Well the 50K is in the books. Here is a recap of a post that I put onto runnersworld's discussion board.
I ran my first 50k on Saturday- The Mendon Ponds 50k in upstate New York (beautiful course). It was 5 loops with 1100 feet of climbing per loop. My time was 7:01, which was basically in the range of 6:30 to 7:00 that I thought that I would run. Here are my observations about my training and the experience of running my first ultra.
1. Training- I started training back in June and gradually built up my long runs to 4 hours 3 weeks before. I would run for 2 hours a couple of times and the run 2:30 a couple of times etc. 4 hours was not long enough. I would have done a 5 hour run. I also would have done more hill work. I played basketball once a week in lieu of speed work. I don't have the running base to do that so I would have played less basketball and done more speed work. On a positive note I did not have any major injuries outside of a sore knee (I did a century ride about 6 weeks before which was the reason for the sore knee) and the inevitable ankle twists.
2. Ultras are a lot harder than I thought. My groin was tight the entire 2nd half of the race and any time that I would trip on a rock or almost stumble pain would shoot up my legs. I also ran alone for most of the race and had to fight boredom. I guess that is where the longer runs would have come in handy.
3. I am not a smart (experienced?) runner. My lap times were 1:03, 1:11, 1:22, 1:44 and 1:39. Obviously way too fast and I payed for it dearly in the final laps. Why I thought that I was on a weekly 2 hour training run I will never know. In my defense I knew that the time of the first lap was way too fast but I would have slowed down a lot more and conserved energy and I would not have used up so much the first lap. I also had only about 15 songs on my ipod. These were just stupid mistakes and I should have known better. So mentally I should have prepared better.
4. Ultras are fun and addictive. While I was on the trail I experienced every emotion that you can imagine and the feeling of making the final turn to the finish with the knowledge that I have accomplished something and have pushed myself farther than I ever have before makes all of the training mistakes and pain worth it. At shorter races you get t-shirts, there is music at the end and people are cheering you on. At the end of the race there was a guy collecting my chip, a guy on a laptop and my wife. It was a good reminder of why I run. So armed with the experience and excitement of having run my first ultra I am set for next year and have my calendar mapped out with the big goal being the JFK 50 miler.
Since the 50K I had a good December and January and did a long 22 mile run where I power walked the last 3 or 4 miles. The temperature was less than 30 degrees and it was snowing but nonetheless it was a great day. A few days later I rolled my ankle playing basketball and have been out of commission for about 3 weeks. I plan on picking up training next week by swimming and riding an exercise bike and then resuming my schedule in March with the Hat 50k in Maryland on the 21st. I will probably only do half of the race.
My schedule for the year year is below
Hat 50k March 21st
North Face half marathon at Bear Mountain May 9th
Speedgoat 50k in July
NorthFace 50k in Washington DC October
JFK 50 miler in November
After the Speedgoat 50k I am planning on breaking up the running with some mountain biking and I may skip the JFK 50 miler and do the Mendon Ponds 50k again and do a 50 miler next year. I will probably also do a century and a triathlon for fun at some point.
I ran my first 50k on Saturday- The Mendon Ponds 50k in upstate New York (beautiful course). It was 5 loops with 1100 feet of climbing per loop. My time was 7:01, which was basically in the range of 6:30 to 7:00 that I thought that I would run. Here are my observations about my training and the experience of running my first ultra.
1. Training- I started training back in June and gradually built up my long runs to 4 hours 3 weeks before. I would run for 2 hours a couple of times and the run 2:30 a couple of times etc. 4 hours was not long enough. I would have done a 5 hour run. I also would have done more hill work. I played basketball once a week in lieu of speed work. I don't have the running base to do that so I would have played less basketball and done more speed work. On a positive note I did not have any major injuries outside of a sore knee (I did a century ride about 6 weeks before which was the reason for the sore knee) and the inevitable ankle twists.
2. Ultras are a lot harder than I thought. My groin was tight the entire 2nd half of the race and any time that I would trip on a rock or almost stumble pain would shoot up my legs. I also ran alone for most of the race and had to fight boredom. I guess that is where the longer runs would have come in handy.
3. I am not a smart (experienced?) runner. My lap times were 1:03, 1:11, 1:22, 1:44 and 1:39. Obviously way too fast and I payed for it dearly in the final laps. Why I thought that I was on a weekly 2 hour training run I will never know. In my defense I knew that the time of the first lap was way too fast but I would have slowed down a lot more and conserved energy and I would not have used up so much the first lap. I also had only about 15 songs on my ipod. These were just stupid mistakes and I should have known better. So mentally I should have prepared better.
4. Ultras are fun and addictive. While I was on the trail I experienced every emotion that you can imagine and the feeling of making the final turn to the finish with the knowledge that I have accomplished something and have pushed myself farther than I ever have before makes all of the training mistakes and pain worth it. At shorter races you get t-shirts, there is music at the end and people are cheering you on. At the end of the race there was a guy collecting my chip, a guy on a laptop and my wife. It was a good reminder of why I run. So armed with the experience and excitement of having run my first ultra I am set for next year and have my calendar mapped out with the big goal being the JFK 50 miler.
Since the 50K I had a good December and January and did a long 22 mile run where I power walked the last 3 or 4 miles. The temperature was less than 30 degrees and it was snowing but nonetheless it was a great day. A few days later I rolled my ankle playing basketball and have been out of commission for about 3 weeks. I plan on picking up training next week by swimming and riding an exercise bike and then resuming my schedule in March with the Hat 50k in Maryland on the 21st. I will probably only do half of the race.
My schedule for the year year is below
Hat 50k March 21st
North Face half marathon at Bear Mountain May 9th
Speedgoat 50k in July
NorthFace 50k in Washington DC October
JFK 50 miler in November
After the Speedgoat 50k I am planning on breaking up the running with some mountain biking and I may skip the JFK 50 miler and do the Mendon Ponds 50k again and do a 50 miler next year. I will probably also do a century and a triathlon for fun at some point.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Final Thoughts Before 50k
As I was running on the treadmill today I thought back to some of the century rides that I used to do. The first century ride that I showed up for I was on a mountain bike and don't even think that I was wearing bike shorts or had clipless pedals. Anyways I remember that I got lost and had no business attempting 100 miles. I made it 93 miles and then got picked up by somebody as I had a flat tire (no repair kit) and was not on the right road. The guy noticed by wristband and took me to the finish. I have ridden a few more since then and even this year rode in one with some friends about a month ago with only having ridden less than 10 times this year. It was enjoyable, I knew what to expect and stayed within myself. I have tried to apply my experiences with centuries to my first 50k and it has taken a lot of the pressure off of me. I partially know what to expect and am okay if things do not go as planned.
I also accepted that I needed the experience of running a 50k to know what a 5ok is like. I have read enough discussion boards, psyched myself up, put in my time learned about eating on the run, put up with twisted ankles and have ran over the same trails time and time again. I have enjoyed the journey but now it is time to get out and attempt 31.6 miles to get experience that I can base next year on. I am excited and I have come to realize that I have to pay my dues just like everyone else. The road to the JFK 50 will take a little longer than I at first anticipated but I was in no shape to run 50 miles so 50k will have to do. You cannot fake these distances and I would have been a mess had I attempted 50 miles this year. I think that 50k represents for me the right amount of stretching myself to achieve a demanding but attainable goal.
My next post will be as a 50k finisher.
Until then, happy trails.
Rob
I also accepted that I needed the experience of running a 50k to know what a 5ok is like. I have read enough discussion boards, psyched myself up, put in my time learned about eating on the run, put up with twisted ankles and have ran over the same trails time and time again. I have enjoyed the journey but now it is time to get out and attempt 31.6 miles to get experience that I can base next year on. I am excited and I have come to realize that I have to pay my dues just like everyone else. The road to the JFK 50 will take a little longer than I at first anticipated but I was in no shape to run 50 miles so 50k will have to do. You cannot fake these distances and I would have been a mess had I attempted 50 miles this year. I think that 50k represents for me the right amount of stretching myself to achieve a demanding but attainable goal.
My next post will be as a 50k finisher.
Until then, happy trails.
Rob
Sunday, October 26, 2008
4 hour long run is in the books
I ran 4 hours last Saturday and that is by far the longest that I have ran at once. I did not really know what to expect so I approached it like any other run. Half way through the run I was back at the starting point to refuel and then it was off again.
My first loop was 10 miles or so around Watchung and I saw some new trails that I have not seen before. I felt really good the first two hours, with minimal walking and no soreness. I probably went out too fast but I was feeling good so I kept going. I did not get too bored and was feeling good about things. I try to look at my watch which helps as well as the Ipod.
The first difficulty that I had was at about 2 1/2 hours when I took a walking break to eat a clifbar. As soon as I stopped at a tree to stretch a bit Journey's "Don't stop Believen" came on and I had to chuckle to myself. The quads were the first muscles to start hurting and it was cold the whole time but the cold did not affect me. I think that is where cycling comes in handy. When you are on a bike your upper body does not move so you get pretty cold. Running involves more of your body and the blood seems to circulate better. I did well for the first 3 hours and was able to run through the quad soreness but the hills got to be a little tough even to walk up. The last hour was pretty tough and it took all of me to keep running and to get through it.
Overall I felt good, hydrated well, ate right and had a great time with good music getting me through 4 hours and I probably covered 18-20 miles. I will say that 4 hours is a long time and I definitely have to run long more often to get ready for next year. I also have to work on being able to run up the hills when I am tired and it is 3 hours into a run. That will hopefully come with time.
With the 4 hour run in the bag I am ready for the 50k in 2 more weeks. I am in taper mode, have trained long and well for the distance and will definitely appreciate the experience of running 50k.
Happy trails,
Rob
My first loop was 10 miles or so around Watchung and I saw some new trails that I have not seen before. I felt really good the first two hours, with minimal walking and no soreness. I probably went out too fast but I was feeling good so I kept going. I did not get too bored and was feeling good about things. I try to look at my watch which helps as well as the Ipod.
The first difficulty that I had was at about 2 1/2 hours when I took a walking break to eat a clifbar. As soon as I stopped at a tree to stretch a bit Journey's "Don't stop Believen" came on and I had to chuckle to myself. The quads were the first muscles to start hurting and it was cold the whole time but the cold did not affect me. I think that is where cycling comes in handy. When you are on a bike your upper body does not move so you get pretty cold. Running involves more of your body and the blood seems to circulate better. I did well for the first 3 hours and was able to run through the quad soreness but the hills got to be a little tough even to walk up. The last hour was pretty tough and it took all of me to keep running and to get through it.
Overall I felt good, hydrated well, ate right and had a great time with good music getting me through 4 hours and I probably covered 18-20 miles. I will say that 4 hours is a long time and I definitely have to run long more often to get ready for next year. I also have to work on being able to run up the hills when I am tired and it is 3 hours into a run. That will hopefully come with time.
With the 4 hour run in the bag I am ready for the 50k in 2 more weeks. I am in taper mode, have trained long and well for the distance and will definitely appreciate the experience of running 50k.
Happy trails,
Rob
Friday, October 17, 2008
Down but not out......
I can't belive that it has been 3 months since I last posted. Here is a quick list of excuses.
1. I spent more time running and life got busier. I got a church assignment that takes up about 10 hours a week that has cut into my blogging.
2. I work for AIG and no, I was not on any of the nice trips that you hear about in the press. I did give a small interview to an Italian TV crew though.
3. The Northface 50k got cancelled (worse that working for AIG) and I was depressed.
4. I did not get into the JFK 50 miler and was even more depressed.
So as you can clearly see, wo is me. Life is so hard right now :)
The truth is that since I last posted I have completed a century ride, have been increasing my long runs, doing yoga and am on track for a 50k on November 8th. I would have liked to have the feedback and experience from running the Northface 50k but I am feeling good right now. I have stayed relatively injury free and the wasted taper getting ready for the Northface 50k I think turned out to be a blessing. I am super excited to see what the 50k has in store for me.
I have also started running at night with a headlamp. It is so quiet and peaceful at night at Watchung that I really look forward to it.
Next up is a 4 hour long run tomorrow of which I will blog about soon. (I promise)
Happy trails.
1. I spent more time running and life got busier. I got a church assignment that takes up about 10 hours a week that has cut into my blogging.
2. I work for AIG and no, I was not on any of the nice trips that you hear about in the press. I did give a small interview to an Italian TV crew though.
3. The Northface 50k got cancelled (worse that working for AIG) and I was depressed.
4. I did not get into the JFK 50 miler and was even more depressed.
So as you can clearly see, wo is me. Life is so hard right now :)
The truth is that since I last posted I have completed a century ride, have been increasing my long runs, doing yoga and am on track for a 50k on November 8th. I would have liked to have the feedback and experience from running the Northface 50k but I am feeling good right now. I have stayed relatively injury free and the wasted taper getting ready for the Northface 50k I think turned out to be a blessing. I am super excited to see what the 50k has in store for me.
I have also started running at night with a headlamp. It is so quiet and peaceful at night at Watchung that I really look forward to it.
Next up is a 4 hour long run tomorrow of which I will blog about soon. (I promise)
Happy trails.
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