Olive Oil, Gumbo, Wind Chill, and an Umstead 10 Miler

Is it wrong that I hope Lori wasn't wearing a seat belt?

All the signs were pointing to a complete shit-show of a Sunday from the very get go.  Hiroko had to work and odd shift, which meant that driving all the way out to the Tobacco Trail just wasn't going to happen considering, I was planning to do a nice Valentines dinner for her and  watcher the afternoon Capitals-Rangers Game.  If I wanted to get everything done that I need to without stressing myself out or setting fire to the kitchen, I would have to take on the hills of Umstead Park.  This was not an appealing idea.  A 10 mile out and back run along the Ready Creek Trail is just a festival of hills.  And when it is compared to The Tobacco Trail, it becomes rather absurd (grant Ready Creek is not as ridiculously unreasonable as the Turkey Creek Trail, but I avoid that at all cost).  For an idea of the hill profile check out Shelby's post about her 20 miler on the same trail. 

In addition to the decision to run Umstead, I was just all kinds of discombobulated as I was trying to get ready.  I couldn't find my gloves, kept forgetting where I put my keys, and for some unknown reason nearly made myself insane trying to put compression socks on a foot that was already wrapped in KT Tape (this is impossible by the way, and you more likely to breathe under water than have this workout for you).  Also, the morning was one of the coldest we've had around these parts, but I refuse to wear my running tights in the daylight hours until we see snow, so as it turned out, I was one of the four idiots still wearing shorts on a blustery Sunday morning with temperature 30.9, calculated Wind chill of 22.2 and wind Gusts of 17.3 MPH at 10:55am according to the weather station at RDU (can you tell that I am starting to geek out on working in a Climate Office -- tons of fun data).   What does all this mean?  Basically means that was too damn cold to running in shorts and without the gloves that I forgot!  Actually, I only missed the gloves for the first mile and it wasn't that bad.  After a brief period where I thought I might lose a finger to frostbite, I warmed up and was fine. 

When I got to Umstead I noticed that there was some sort of mountain bike race going on that only made me begin to dread the run more.  But, as it turned out, I had a great run.  As I mentioned before, I thought my fingers might fall off for the first mile, but I was running well and warmed up considerably as the run progressed.  The Peanut Butter GU that I was trying for the first time wasn't bad at all, and the hills of Umstead didn't kick my butt nearly as bad I feared the would.  In the end, I ran the 10 miles in Umstead at the same 9:28 pace that I ran 8 miles on the Tobacco Trail last week.  I've no idea why or how this came about because I didn't even look at Old Bob until I had reached 3.8 miles and wanted to check for the mid point.  After a shockingly good run, I returned home watched the Capitals lose yet again!  Then began to prepare dinner.

Hiroko has to work on the 14th, so I made her Valentine dinner Sunday tonight.  Gumbo.  Made a roux for the first time in my life, and apparently I have watch so many cooking shows with Hiroko that I have learned, without being taught, to devein shrimp . . . on both sides.  God.  I feel . . . all domesticated and shit and feel the need to kill something with my bare hands soon to prove that I'm still a man . . . ok that's not going to happen, but I am going to leave the toilet seat up all week dammit!  Anyway, Hiro loved the Gumbo and we had a nice little dinner before watching the return of AMC's The Walking Dead! 

p.s. Olive Oil . . . hahahahahahaha!

Hiroko's First 6 Miler In Pictures & Video 12/11

Thursday's Bike crash had my limping around my office all day Friday and a still pretty sore on Saturday.  However, I did three miles on the Dreadmill with little problem.  My leg wasn't feeling good for the first half mile, but once I got warmed up, there were no porblems.  Sunday morning was pretty brisk, but for some reason Hiroko decided to join me on my Six miler, which was shocking because Hiroko hates the cold and her longest run is a 5 miler.  I decided to hit the trails of Umstead as quickly as we could so she couldn't change her mind!

We're off!

Far fewer people out running on this day

Testing out my leg to see it is going to hold up

Hiroko's self Pic

Running in compression sock may look dorky but feels awesome!

Hiroko said she felt tried at the 3 mile mark

But, she still kept going!

I look happy . . . Hiro, not so much.

That's Better!

Running with the Horse made us both a bit giddy!

At least until we were behind the horse!

Mile and a half to go!

Still going strong!

Almost there!

You Got this!

High Five!

Post run oranges

Surviving July: 7/14

I used to love July.  My birthday is July 7th, My Aunt's Birthday is July 6th, my best friend's birthday is July 8th, and July 4th is America's birthday, and the month was always filled with long summer days that seemed to stretch out like a giant lazy yawn.  But, over the last two years, I've begun to wonder if July isn't my albatross -- a burden to be suffered through as penance for my years of sloth and inactivity.

In the poem, an albatross starts to follow a ship — being followed by an albatross was generally considered an omen of good luck. However, the titular mariner shoots the albatross with a crossbow, which is regarded as an act that will curse the ship (which indeed suffers terrible mishaps). To punish him, his companions induce him to wear the dead albatross around his neck indefinitely (until they all die from the curse, as it happens).

Last July, I was dealing with plantar fasciites and was unable to run.  I had to watch other people enjoying the month with tons of out door activity while I trudged through some boring laps swims in an over chlorinated pool at the Y.  This year, the month is slipping away from me because of the after effects of a nasty bout of the flu, which leads me to wonder if the gods are not forcing me to wear July around my neck for all the July's that I needlessly wasted in the same fashion that Coleridge's Mariner was forced to wear the Albatross that he needlessly killed.  Honestly, I doubt that I am cursed, but it has been a cruel coincidence that I've been out of action for the last two July's.

Thursday's I tried to get back to running, and it was a giant shit-show.  It wasn't as bad as Sunday's run, but that isn't saying much.   I ran the same course and just felt awful.  I was able to run 2.81 miles at something akin to a snails pace, and it hurt.  My lungs weren't as constricted as on Sunday, but they still didn't feel anything close to normal.  My legs were also garbage -- tight from inactivity and sore from laying about too much.  And, most distressing was my lack of energy.  I was completely fatigued after 2 miles and was only able to go farther because it was mainly downhill.

Now, I would be lying through my teeth if I said that getting sick and being unable to run hasn't led me to suffer some minor bouts of depression, but mentally I feel like I am handling it alright.  I've had the flu before, but it that was during my sedentary life, and I wasn't effected by the lingering effects of the flu beyond the annoying lingering cough.  But, now so much of my inner well being is tied to running and being active that I am keenly aware of linger physical toll that a bout with the flu can take on the body.  I have been reading lost of articles about post flu symptoms and recovery, and everything that I am going through is normal.  Although I am still tempted to get down on myself for being lazy, I know that this is physical and not mental.  I need to give my body time to recover.  This is nothing compared to the effects of mono or my concussion, both of which took over six months to pass, so with some patience, I'll be back at it in time to start my training for the half.  But for now, July needs to be endured.

Do any of you have a bad luck month where injuries or illnesses always seem to strike?

It's a Long Way . . . : 7/10

I have for the most part shaken off the flu that laid me out From June 30th until July 9th (Bon Scott's Birthday).  The biggest issue with this flu is that it has been the coughing.  The fever, cold chills, and body pain passed after the first 24 hours, but the chest constriction and deep coughing have lasted and are still issues.  My body is also really sore from spending so much time in bed, and my energy level is very low, but I was detirmined to run on Sunday.

I knew that it was going to be a suckfest, but it had to be done.  Therefore, I chose to run the first two miles on trails, which would force me to go slow and keep me in the shade.  In total, I was going to cover 4 miles, but I doubted that I would be able to run more than halfway.  Still, I was hopeful that running would help to loosen up the crud that I am still coughing up.  The cough main comes at night, but it was certain that running would bring in out, I just didn't know if the cough would be so sever as to stop me from running out right.

I ran really . . . really slow from the start and could feel that my energy level was still off a ton from where it had been prior to the flu.  My legs were stiff and hating me for forcing them to run, but I pushed myself to keep going.  I had deliberately avoided the gym and the treadmill because I knew that this feeling would have forced me to quit before it was necessary.  Since I was running outside, I knew I would continue to run farther because I would be forced to walk back from where ever I stopped.

The first mile just sucked, but I wasn't coughing as much as I had expected, nor was I wheezing, which I had feared, but as I ran my lungs began to get tighter and tighter causing me to have difficulty catching my breath.  I didn't feel like I was choking, but it wasn't a comfortable feeling by any measure.  By the second mile my legs felt better, but I was just running out of gas across the board.  My lungs weren't burning, and the tightness didn't seem to be in my bronchial area but from my back where a doctor would put their stethoscope when they listen to you breathe.   I had been coughing up crude all through the run, sweating like a fiend, my nose was running -- I was just a disgusting mess.  My nose, throat and sinuses hadn't had any problems throughout this flu, so looking on the bright side my runny nose was just the formal runny nose that I get when running and not some flu fueled monster. 

By the end of the second mile, I had reached the end of the trail and was coming onto the utility road, and I had nothing left.  I had to stop running.  If it had just been either my lack of energy or the tightness of my lungs, I may have been able to continue, but the combination was just too . . . too much.  I walked most of the way back to the parking lot except for a time when I was being attacked by a monster Horse fly that was determined to add to my difficulties. 

I am glad to have done this first run back, but I can't deny that it was so rough that I am questioning the wisdom of it.  I had been running really well and feeling great before this flu, but I am not going to complain about it because I am just thankful that I got it at a time when it will not interfere with my Marathon training.  I know that this type of respiratory ailment will take time to recover from, but I refuse to get discouraged at this point and will just take it slowly.

Chasing a Better Version of Myself -- First 9 miler: 6/26

 After getting a migraine and sleeping for 10 hours on Saturday, I was a bit apprehensive about attempting my first nine mile run on Sunday.  However, I felt right as rain when I woke from my coma on Sunday morning a decided to give it a go.  I made sure to drink plenty of fluids before leaving and to take my hand held water bottle with me, and a post run water bottle, which I left in my car for after my run.  The plan was to run in Umstead, continuing the same course that I have been running, and just add another half mile on to the outward portion of the run.

I began my run at just after 8:30 am, but I could already tell that the air was much less humid than it had been on the prior morning.  First mile, felt a bit ragged to me, and I had an odd pain in my shoulder blade.  However, the pain faded right around the first mile mark, and I seemed to settle in to a good groove.  Around this time, I began to think about the prospect of running nine miles, and the idea of nine miles began to intimidate me.  I was beginning to have doubts, and just as those doubts were taking root in my mind, a guy just blew right past me.  I hadn't heard his foot steps until he was right behind me, which was strange because the dirt and gravel roads of Umstead will usually let you know that someone is coming up on you.  I got a little annoyed that he blew past me so easily and that my head was filling with doubts.


I began to think that there was a better version of myself out there somewhere in the world that wasn't having doubts about his run and that didn't care about some ninja runner dude blasting past him.  I started to think that this better version of myself was just in front of me and right around the next bend urge me to catch him.  I have often had these thoughts in the past as I have run, but this time I seemed to be in a full blown fantasy land and started to get a more complete picture of this better me.  The prospect of running nine miles wasn't phasing this better version of me because he had been running his entire life.  This better version of myself wasn't a heel striker.  His breathing was impeccable, and he didn't weigh 282lbs.  I started thinking about all the ways that he was better than me: he didn't mind cleaning his cat's litter box, he played high schools sports and was good, but not cocky, where as I quit in Jr. High.  He spoke three languages and was working on a fourth, he didn't mind running in the humidity, and wasn't bothered by Horse Flies, he didn't get angry in traffic.  This better version of myself can do long division, he gets Bebop and The Beat poets, he can run a 5k in under 20 minutes, he love to do push ups, and doesn't get nauseous at sight of coleslaw.  He can spell the word "subconscious" correctly every time without the aid of spell checker, and he loves to proof read.  I imagined that if I squinted just right I could see him about to crest a hill on the horizon just powering over the hill.

As I kept thinking of all the ways this other version of me was better, the miles were clicking off.  I started to think that I'll never be able to truly catch this better me, and that I catching him wasn't the point.  The point is that I am not sitting on my couch drinking beer and watching TV, I am not still 330 lbs, and I don't look on runners from from the window of my car and wonder what madness compels them to run.  I realize that what's important is that I am out here giving chase to that better version of myself.  And as I passed the four mile point on the utility road for the first time in my life and committed myself to running nine miles, I realized that by going beyond this point that I was about to eliminate one thing from the list differences that separates the me that I am to day from the better version of myself that exists in my mind.  I was about to find out something he knew, which I hadn't until now.  I was going find out what the next half mile of this rod looked like, and then I was going to find out what it felt like to run back to where I started and complete a nine mile run.

When I reach the turnaround I was tempted to start thinking about all of the versions of myself that were worse than me, but I decided that it wasn't necessary because our paths weren't going to cross on this road today.  I am well aware of many of the mistakes that I've managed to avoid, and revisiting my good fortune just seemed unnecessary. The next 4.5 miles weren't a struggle, nor were they filled with thoughts of my better self.  These miles were peaceful and fill with a sense of pride that come from doing something that was once unimaginable.   The last mile was the up hill struggle that it always is when I run this course, but no more than it is when I run eight miles.  When I finished my run, I began to think of next weeks nine miler not as a mere possibility but as a certainty.        

I did 9 Mile in 1:37:07.57 for a 10:47 pace.

Mile1: 10:34.36
Mile 2: 11:12.13
Mile 3: 11:09.30
Mile 4: 10:42.44
Mile 5: 10:38.08
Mile 6: 10:14.22
Mile 7: 10:22.84
Mile 8: 10:33.55
Mile 9: 11:40.55

Hydr-eight-ion Run 6/12

The day after the Race for the cure I returned to Umstead for my Sunday 8 miler.  This time I brought with me my brand new Nathan's Hand Held water bottle.  And let me tell you, that sucker is worth every penny!  I felt a world of difference in the way I ran this eight compared to how I have run the last two weekends.  I think that I sweat more, but felt much more fresh as the run progressed.  I was pretty tired from the previous days race at the start of my run, and I ran a little slower than I had last week.  But, at around mile five, I could feel my legs finally hit the right gear and felt well sorted at point where I normally begin to struggle.  By the time the dreaded last mile began, I could feel that my legs still had a reserve of strength that I just normally don't have and was able to power through the last mile. I even manged to kick a little just for fun for the last two tenths of a mile( . . . ok not for fun . . . but to end the run sooner!).  Some of these changes may be the result of my body getting acclimated to running eight miles, but I really think that most of is the result of better hydration.  I did have one long running battle with two sweat bees through most of mile five.  As annoying as those things are I'll take them over the deer and horse flies any day.



And according to good old Wikipedia Sweat Bees sting is nearly painless and they are virtually harmless anyone, who is not allergic.  I'll be honest and admit that I didn't know this and will just do my best to ignore them on my next run.  Go forth and Pollinate little bees!  You'll have no more trouble from just a gentle shoo.  Above is on of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, who are unfortunately most often associated with a Bee Girl. 

I did 8 miles in 1:26:45.36 for a 10:50 pace.

1 10:33.53
2 10:42.81
3 11:10.57
4 10:51.30
5 10:56.05
6 10:33.45
7 10:13.78
8 11:42.40

Awesome Runnin' Weekend -- Day 2 6/5

Confidence, cooler temperatures, shorter shorts and no sleeves, Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" still streaming through my head, who knows what led to it, but I had an awesome run.  I ran the same eight mile Umstead course that I ran last week, but this time I shaved off four minutes without really trying!

Last week the first four miles were kind of a struggle, but this time not so much.  I just tried to run at a comfortable pace and didn't give the distance much thought after the first mile.  Last week, I was clearly intimidated by the idea of running eight mile and was reluctant to commit to the distance.  But, my mind was set on the distance and didn't let it effect me at all this go around.  Interestingly, my pace was fairly consistent (at least by my standards) regardless of inclines or declines until mile six, when I was being attacked by a horse fly and mile eight, which is all uphill.  As I mentioned earlier, I still had the same song stuck in my head as I ran, which thankfully is a song that I like.  I have completely stop running with my I-pod and no longer take it with me, so I always try to listen to a couple of good songs before I leave the house because I dread the day that I get anything Gaga related stuck in my head just before a run.

Luckily the flies and the heat weren't bad until the return portion of the run.  I ended up going to war with one for the most part of the sixth mile that I'm sure caused me to waste a lot of energy and mess up my stride.  The damn thing bit my back, through my shirt, on my right shoulder blade.  I finally got away from it when I was able to hit it hard enough to drive it into the ground.  But, I didn't kill it unfortunately!  I saw the damn thing bounce off the ground and fly off in the opposite direction.  Meh.

The last mile was the one part of this run that still filled me with dread.  The hill that makes up most of that mile is just looms over the whole last half of the run and was really the only thing that I could think of after dispensing of Mr. Evil fly from Hell!  By this time, I was totally soaked through with sweat, so the small breeze that was blowing in my face actually cooled me down more than it slowed me and was a welcome relief from the sun and heat.  Every time I reach a portion of shade, it seemed to shrink just as I reach it, making think that the sun and trees were just playing with my mind.  By the time I reached the end of my run, my shoes were again filled with sweat and squishing as I walked, which caused me to go out and by water bottle for runners!  The run as a whole was just rock-on and leaves me pretty optimistic about my race this weekend.  Which I am sure means that the wheels will come off during the race, but at least for the moment . . . I am cautiously optimistic that the hills of the Komen course won't crush me. 

I did 8.00 miles in 1:24:14.12 for a pace 10:31. 

1 10:25.38
2 10:43.28
3 10:44.14
4 10:03.43
5 10:10.83
6 9:54
7 10:09.28
8 12:02.26

Awesome Runnin' Weekend -- Day 1: 6/4

Saturday morning I got up earlier and with more ease than I had any other morning that week.  Work vs. Running . . . hmm . . . which one do you look forward to most?  Having increased my miles on my week day runs, my plan was to repeat the same runs that I had done the prior week.  Most things I have read say that runners should not attempt to increase their mileage by more than 10% from week to week, and I see no reason to buck that advise.  Currently, my plan is to add miles onto my weekly runs because I don't like the idea of having 50% of my miles coming from my long run.  I've seem the topic of weekly mileage breakdown debated a lot and have yet to find a definitive answer.  However, 50% does seem to be on the high end among most people, which is why I plan to add miles in on my weekly runs.  Granted, at this point, I am not training specifically for either my Half Marathon or Marathon, so I feel like I have a some flexibility in my workouts.

Currently, my aim is more focused upon building the self discipline needed to put in the proper amount of work.  I want to improve my general conditioning and try to work off as much weight as possible before I begin a specific training program geared toward the Marathon.  Also, I want to focus upon learning and applying proper post run recovery routines.  It is one thing to be able to run 10 miles once, but it is another to ask you body to do it repeatedly.  Considering my weight is much higher than most people attempting to run a Marathon, I'll need to do everything I can to aid my body in its post run recovery.  I need to be disciplined about stretching, using the foam roller, taking ice baths, using my compression socks, and nutrition.  In the past, I have been kind of hit and miss in all of these areas, which is part of the reason why I wanted to commit myself to running in the marathon.  The marathon is unforgiving and is not going to allow my to be slack without making me pay a price that I just don't want to pay, so dedicating myself to doing things correctly now will only help me later.

As the title of this post might suggest, my runnin' weekend was in fact awesome!  Saturdays 3.7 mile trail/multipurpose road run was nearly too good to be true.  I began my run about 30 mins. earlier than I had the week before and the temperature was not as disgusting as it had been last Saturday, which I am sure helped.  The first mile was on the trail and a little shaky, but most first miles are a bit shaky.  During mile two (also a trail mile) everything seemed to be clicking, my legs felt great, my breathing was easy, and my new Saucony Triumphs seemed like money well spent!  Mile two also contains more uphill running, so I handling this portion o the trail gave me a real confidence boost.  During the third mile, I had to work to reel myself in.  Also, I got to see a deer pass across the road about 5 yards in front of me.  This was the first deer that I had seen while running in Umstead.  She was a beautiful doe, and I was surprised to see her that late in the morning, but she was moving towards water and might explain it.  As awesome as this run had been, I was still dreading the last .76 mile, which just mainly consists of one giant ass-kicker of a hill.  But, this run indeed proved awesome when I stormed right up with hardly giving it a thought.  Normally, whatever song is stuck in my head on a run completely abandons my as I climb this hill, but during my run on Saturday -- this song just kicked the hell out of that hill:



So thanks Adele!  I was actually shocked at just how well I went up that hill.  If there has been one constant since I began running this course in Umstead, it has been that this last hill has pretty much kicked my ass. But, Saturday I took it at 10min. mile pace and had energy to spare at the end.

3.76 miles in 40.57 for a 10:52 pace.  Over 90 seconds faster than last week.

11:08.66
12:01.89
10.02.49
.76 7:44.08 10:07

Taking the Triumphs to Trails: 5/28

The heat and humidity are beginning to fray my nerves, and it is only May!  It has me wanting to sell all of my shit, set fire to what won't sell, pack up Hiroko and Basil and move somewhere that actually has four real distinct seasons.  Enough of the this "just cold enough to annoy", followed by "Green pollen hell" season,  then "summer?", then "wait you thought that was summer?  Fuck you, this is SUMMER!", Followed by "God Hates You ALL . . . Roast in the Fires of Hell", then "Summer lite", and then for about a week and a half . . ."Fall".  Perhaps, I am just a bit pissy because tomorrows high is going to be 97, which is just maddening. 

Ok, In actuality, Friday and Saturday weren't too bad because we got a lot rain, which kept the heat within reason.  Friday was my rest day, so Saturday morning I set out to break in my new Saucony Triumph 8's in a 15 wide.  I decided to do my regular 3.76 because I was breaking in some new kicks and because my last run hadn't left my with all that confident.  I got to the park just after 8am, which was later than I had hoped to start, but I hoped that the rain the day before would keep the temperature in check.  The trail was nice and soft and only a little sloppy in the place I would expect it to be.  My legs weren't feeling great, but weren't lifeless either. 

My new shoes for running in messy places

I did 3.76  in 43:29.22 for an 11:33 pace.  The first mile felt slow, and I would like to blame the dampness of the trail but just can't.  It took 12:05.33.  The heat was alright, but the air was really muggy.  It felt thick in my lungs and just seemed to cling to me.  I was sweating nearly the moment I began to run. 

Mile two is usually slower but the drop off wasn't bad  12:45.46.  Mile three got me off of the trails and on to the multipurpose road.  Also, it was mainly down hill so my pace quickened despite the fatigue setting in my legs.  Mile 3 took 10:38.25  My new Triumphs felt heavy compared to my old Ride 3'sthat were nice an broken in --  they had dome me well on the trails, so it will just be a matter of breaking them in.  Also, the Super Feet insole were new which made them feel a little less forgiving than I am normal.

The last .76 is all up hill, but I managed it fairly well.  It took  8:18 for 10:31 pace, which was really kind of good.  My legs seemed to be adjusting to the idea of running just as I was about to finish.  But, I was really glad to be done and avoid either the heat or more rain, one of which  or both were sure to come.

Sunday @#*%*@$ Six! -- May 22

Sunday, I took my back up shoes out for a spin.  After running right out of my shoes on Saturday's run.  I decided to avoid the trails and stick to the Multi-purpose roads.  The heat is becoming more of an issue and a 9:30 am start time was really pushing it.  Our highs have started to reach the low 90's, so I need to get a much earlier start if I want to avoid the very real possibilities of heat exhaustion, dehydration, or sun stroke.  Also, the horse and deer fly plague that infests Umstead through most of the summer seems much worse as the day progresses. 

Sunday, I chose to run six miles.  I was already pretty tired from the five miles that I had done the day before and, I knew that no matter what route I took my last mile would have to be uh hill.  Truth be told I was both dreading and looking forward to that last mile more than anything else.  I wanted to exhaust myself for that last mile because I wanted to suffer.  This may sound odd or just plain dumb, but I have decided that so much of longer distance running is about dealing with suffering, pain, and mental exhaustion that the best way I could train for longer distances is to kind of punish that crap out of myself and just strive to hold it together. 

Sunday, I met that goal.  But, it took me a lot longer to get to the point where I doubted myself than I thought it would, which kind leads me to believe that I have been kind of soft on myself recently.  I choose to run to run a moderately hilly portion of the park that I had been running when I first returned to Umstead a couple of months ago.  At that time the hill kicked the crap out of me, but on Sunday I handled them really well considering I had run five miles the day before.  None of my miles went over 12 minutes, which was pretty shocking to me.  Miles 2, 4, 6 are filled with large uphills and mile 3 is sort of a mixed bag, but I handled all of them but mile six with relatively little foul language, which is a rarity for me.  Most of my runs are fueled by a steady stream of self directed obscenities, which I mutter between and around breaths.  However, as the heat of the day approached and mile six came about the suffer that I sought kicked in and the obscenities became less restrained -- I may have even direct a few slurs at myself as I approached the steepest portion of mile six!  By the time Old Bob beeped for that sixth mile, I was done in and ready to stop! 


6 miles in 1:06:50.2 for a 11:08 pace.

Mile 1 10:49.11
Mile 2 11:40.40
Mile 3 11:20.58
Mile 4 10:47.22
Mile 5 10:18.44
Mile 6 11:53.10

Running Right Out Of My Shoe: 5/21

3 miles into a 5 mile run, I caught my foot on a rock and this happened.
 (That isn't blood, just red from the flash.)

I was on a trail in Umstead, and my toes just popped right out through the split.

I put my foot back in the shoe and ran the last two miles the toe box ripped open,
but it didn't effect the run at all.  I Love Saucony!

5 miles 58:02.63 11:36
First three miles were on trails and the last two were on utility roads, but with a gutted shoe!
Mile 1 11:41.88
Mile 2 12:57.59
Mile 3 12:24.11
Mile 4 10:05.32
Mile 5 10:53.73

Feeling Human Again Run 5/8 & Big News:

Here is the skinny on Sunday's Run . . . It didn't suck! 

I returned to Umstead and ran two miles of  a hiking trail and just under two of one of the multi-purpose trails.  It was a really nice run regardless of the enormous amount of dread  the last mile, which is nearly all uphill, caused me.  It was nice to have a decent run again.

In Fact . . . 

 I enjoyed those 3.81 miles so much that I started thinking about my plans for next weeks run this morning . . .

Which . . . led me to this post by JessiePants and to do this:

Registration Confirmation for:


2011 Neuse River Bridge Run

Dear Greg,

Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Neuse River Bridge Run. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.bridgerun.org/

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That is right boys and girls, I registered for my first Half Marathon!

Which will be on October 15th in New Bern, NC:

New Bern, NC



Come Take a Run With Me: Umstead in Pictures -- Easter 2011

While Hiro slept in on Easter, I went for a run.  Please come along!  (All of the following pictures but one were taken on the fly as I ran.)

Starting Out on the Company Mill Trail



Umstead has a way of making me feel like it is a world all it's own

Me!

Foot bridge over one of Umstead's many creeks

A picture of the creek as I ran across the bridge

A nice flat section along the stream, but lots of bugs!

another small foot bridge

Green!

this portion of the trail is soft with few roots and rocks

Ok, time for some hills!

this timed shot is the only photo not taken on the fly as I ran



About to cross the multi purpose trial.  Can you see a guy riding a mountain bike on the multi-purpose trail ahead of me? 



Backside of the loop: here is where things get fun!

I really need to pay attention here. 
The trail narrows, gets more rocky and rooty at times,
and has lots of switchbacks, which can send you straight into the woods.

Still there are still some soft pine needle covered sections to enjoy

The trial narrows to the point where two people can't pass in a few places

these roots will get you if you're not careful!

About to leave the hiking trails behind

More hills!

Heading for home on the Ready Creek trail

By 11am we were in the mid 80's, so the shade was welcome!

Another runner zooms on by

I really enjoy the sound of my feet running across this wooden bridge

a right turn and we're nearly done!

The little lake is a welcome sight, but the flies buzzing about my head I could do without.

The bridge ahead is my stopping point, I plan to walk out the rest of the way.

We're done!  let's enjoy the view before the Horse Flies get us!

4.6 miles run in Umstead:  Here is map of our run:

Follow the yellow line.

Thank you for coming on this run with me.  I shot nearly 140 photos but selected these 28 because they reflected the terrain best.  I twisted my ankle on this run, but ironically I wasn't taking a picture at the time.  In fact, I had turned of the camera because I knew the section I was in was a bit tricky.  Oh well, such is life!  I hope that you have enjoyed these photos and can see why I feel so strongly about Umstead.