Neuse River Bridge Run -- Short Recap: 10/15

I just finished The Neuse River Bridge Run Half Marathon in New Bern NC.  This was my first Half Marathon, and I finished in 2:06:07 for a 9:38 pace.  I'll post a full race report later but here are a few photos for now:

Three Thing Thursday

 1)  I need to give some BIG SHOUT OUTS to Jessie Pants , Irene, and Morgan whose comments on my blog and encouragement over the last few months through illness and training have been awesome.  Ladies, you ROCK MY SOX!  Honestly, I can't tell how happy it make me to see your comments!

2)  I need to give another shout out to my family for supporting me as I worried, fretted, rambled on about, and worried some more about running.  Hiroko, on September 26, 2006, I was lucky enough for you to marry me.  You have supported me, encouraged me, and picked on me every day since.  I love and cherish our life together and want to thank you for dealing with everything so well (including all of the sweaty running clothes), and I promise to never get into the car again after a long run without putting down a towel!

Basil, my little man, I am sorry for all the times I come home sweaty and you've unknowing rubbed up against my sweaty leg or given me a head bump only to come away soaked in sweat.  I know it ticked you off by the way you glared at me as you spent the next two hours grooming.  Sorry Bud!

3)  Tuesday after on run training run with me of 3 miles in 29:57 for 9:57 Hiroko decided to enter the 5k that is running along with my Half marathon.  Seriously, she hasn't run with me in nearly 3 weeks and still kept up just fine.  She make me sick!

Our Splits were:

10:37
9:57
9:17

Last Long Run Before My First Half and Understanding My Need: 10/8

I began my training program for this half marathon nearly 10 weeks ago, and the whole process seem daunting, and my reasons for deciding to run a half marathon in the first place had become somewhat muddled.  I had been sick and was beginning to have doubts concerning my need to run.  I kept asking myself why I felt so compelled to run and what was I hoping to prove to myself.  I never doubt that I would return to running.  In fact, being able to run again was nearly all that I thought about.  However, the thing that I was trying to ask myself was other than the obvious health benefits, why did running matter so much to me.  I thought about what running meant to me and why I felt this deep seeded need, but I couldn't to come up with an answer that satisfied me.  Eventually, as I began to feel better and started my training program, the question faded from mind for the most part.  That is until this weekend when I returned home from my final long run and turned on my computer to upload the data from my Garmin.  As I waited for my data to transfer, I noticed the internet headline that Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders had passed away.  As many of you may no, I am a life long Raiders fan, and I bleed Silver and Black.  Mr. Davis was the Raiders.  It is that simple.  And, he was a man, who I respected a great deal for a multitude of reasons both football related and not.  Rather than giving you a the same litany of reason why he was a great man that have been shared over the weekend or share the multitude of reasons why I admired the man, I've decided to keep them to myself.  My reasons are mine, and I truly cherish them.  I take pride in supporting and identifying with the organization that Mr. Davis spent his life building.

Now, one may wonder "what does this have to do with running?"  Well, after a very emotional Sunday, I lay in bed and tried to go to sleep, but I began to think about life, death, and the nature of our existence on this big blue world of ours.  It was then that I realized that I haven't had any instances of night terrors in months.  I don't really talk about it much (and who would), but I've had night terrors periodically throughout my life.  Mostly, they have been centered upon thoughts of death or feelings of overwhelming dread.  For anyone who doesn't know about night terrors here is what Wikipedia has to say:  

"A night terror, also known as a sleep terror, incubus attack, or pavor nocturnus, is a parasomnia disorder that predominantly affects children, causing feelings of terror or dread, typically occur in the first few hours of sleep during stage 3 or 4 NREM sleep. Night terrors should not be confused with nightmares, which are bad dreams that cause the feeling of horror or fear. An estimated 1-8% of children have at least one night terror in their life but have no memory of the occurrence"


Ok.  I am a child.  A giant child.  Well, no not really.  And my night terrors were never the nature of a violent fit or any thing you might have seem on tv.  I would just wake up and be seized by this overwhelming sense of dread..  I would be overwhelmed by it to the point that my heart would race and would feel like the wall were closing in on me.  I know that it sounds cliche, but that is truly the best way to describe the feeling.  I would want to scream just to snap myself out of it.  I can't really say that the source of these terror was a fear of death or the insignificance of human existence, but my mind often wandered to these subjects when these feels came upon me.  I think that my mind went to these subject because they seemed like the only subject worthy of producing the type of dread that I felt, rather than vise versa.  I can't explain what would produce these attacks because I am generally a pretty positive person.  Nor, have I ever really talked about then with anyone till this very moment.  And, I wouldn't be talking about them if not for the passing of Mr. Davis.  Sunday night, I start thinking about all of those big questions, but there wasn't any dread, which isn't surprising because, like I said earlier that isn't really how it works.  But it got me to thinking that I haven't had one instance of night terrors in a long time.  I could even really remember the last time I've had it happen in the last year, and immediately, I understood why I need to run. 

It was so clear and nearly a revelation.  Running is my mechanism by which I process the world.  I don't know how it is for anyone else but while I am running my mind churns more than my legs ever could.  My brain just goes into over drive and bounce from one random subject to the next thing to the next until by the end of a run I feel mentally wrung out.  Some people call it me time, but it isn't that selfish in nature.  At least I don't think about it in that manner.  It is just that running allows me to put my body in to the rhythm it needs to stimulate my, normally screwed up, little brain into working correctly.  Simple as that.  That is my need for running in a nutshell.  Distance, speed, times . . . none of those thing matter.  I just need the process.

9 Miles 1:29:11 9:54

1 10:42
2 9:34
3 9:21
4 8:56
5 9:47
6 10:34
7 10:56
8 10:03
9 9:14

My Pet Peev with Interval Runners and Why I am not a Running Bigot: 10/6

Thursday morning I over slept, so rather than attempt to run the streets of Raleigh during the morning drive time, I chose to run in Umstead following work.  I enjoyed the run a great deal, but the park is a noticeably different place during the week as opposed to the weekends.  Because of the limited day light their appear to be far few runners than on the weekend.  However, the number of mt. bikes seems to have increased exponentially.  I know that their is often a clash between the two groups, but I personally could care less.  I find everyone equally annoying  .  Let's face it, I've been buzzed by mt. bikers and I had runner let out random grunts/yells for no reason as they passed me.  I find both things to be irritating, but I try not to judge a group based upon the idiocy of a few of it's members.  


However, if there is one group that does annoy me for no real reason other than, they annoy me, it is interval runners.  Before people start yelling at me for being a snob or running bigot, let me just say that I am not one of those people that looks down on the practice of running intervals.  It isn't my thing, but whatever floats your boat.  I just find playing runner's leap frog with interval runners very distracting.  I would rather be passed by a person or pass a person and be done with it.  Having the someone pass me, then stop walk awhile, until I pass them, then have them start running again and pass me, and stop and start the cycle all over again . . . ugh . . . it just makes me nuts, and I'll deal with it, but for those of people who run interval and get a sneer from me as you pass me for the seventh time, please know that it is not that I look down on you or a judging you . . . it is just that YOU ARE ANNOYING THE F@*K OUT OF ME!

As you may guess, I had a bit of an issue with a guy running intervals during this run. I'll get over it.

I did 6 miles in 1:00:51 for a 10:08 pace. 

1 10:45
2 10:24
3 10:33
4 10:44
5 9:38
6 8:44

Lets Talk Rewards: Fish Sticks! 10/5

Ok!  I am close enough to my Half Marathon to talk about post race rewards.  Mine started as an odd joke between Hiroko and I a little over a year ago.  We were standing in the frozen food aisle, and I told her how I was craving Fish Sticks of all things.  It was crazy because this deep visceral craving was nearly giving me the shakes and my knees felt weak.  I had no idea were it came from because I haven't eaten fish sticks in at least 10 years, and the last time I did eat them, I was monumentally disappointed because they we soggy and disgusting.  But, this craving just grabbed hold of me and would not let go.  Hiroko said if I wanted them that badly that I should just buy a box.  But, I refused because deep down I knew they were going to be AWFUL!  The idea of Fish Sticks -- great!  I loved them as a kid, but I know that I am not a kid anymore and no matter how much I once loved foods like SpaghettiOs, Tang, and of course Fish Sticks, I now find them to be rather repugnant.  So, I showed restraint and scurried off without buying any Fish Sticks.

However, the craving only got worse over time.  Every time Hiroko and I went shopping as soon as we got to the store my mind began to focus on Fish Sticks.  I would forget what I had gone to the store to buy and find myself standing in the frozen food section transfixed  by all the boxes of Fish Sticks.  That grizzled bastard the Gorton's Fisherman just stood there mocking me.  Eventually, I'd shake it off or Hiro would come by and pull me out of my death stare.  But, as the weeks turned into months, the situation just got worse and worse.  I'd refuse to even walk through the frozen food section just to get to the checkout for fear of getting sucked in.  I would wake up in the middle of the night and could swear I smelled fish sticks in the oven.  I even started to eye my cat, Basil's, bowl of food whenever he got a can of Classic Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Feast. Poor guy ended up eating nothing but Tender Beef & Liver Feast everyday for about six weeks last January.

This all came to a head around the time that I signed up for my Half Marathon, I needed a solution to this issue because this whole fish stick thing was really beginning to effect my life.  I told Hiroko that if I ran a Half Marathon then, and only then, would I buy a box of Fish Sticks and give into this craving -- as a reward.  Seriously, I have no illusions about just how disappointing these fish sticks are going to be, but nonetheless a 48 count box of Fish Sticks is my Post Half Marathon Reward!  The funny thing is that as soon as I settled upon Fish Sticks as my reward, the craving has subsided and I've been able to go in the the grocery store without hardly giving Fish Sticks a second thought.  But, I dare not run a foul of the Gorton's Fisherman, soon after I return home from my race.  I'll be getting my Fish Sticks!



Workout 10/5 12 Days of Christmas:

1 Lap
2 Step Ups (each leg)
3 Fire Hydrants
4 Dips
5 Push ups
6 Bicycles
7 Bird Dogs
8 Russian Twists with 6 lb ball
9 Side Obliques
10 Super Mans
11 Crossover Crunches
12 Standard Crunch

On Step Closer: 10/4

I stole this from runjodirun

My first Half Marathon, The Neuse River Bridge Run, is less than 9 days away as I write this post.  At this point I am really excited and just can't wait for the day to arrive.  My 12 mile run on Sunday gave me a to of confidence, and I feel good about the race.  I have done nearly all of my training on my own, but have followed the training plan that I selected for Runner's World nearly to the letter.  I wanted to do my training on my own because I wanted to own whatever happens come race day.  It was entirely my choice to run a half, so I wanted the responsibility of the training to fall on myself as well.  I have learned a lot about myself over the last 10 weeks and have come to understand a lot about why running appeals to me.  I've come to realize that I love the internal struggle running presents.  Every time I put on my shoes and get ready to go for a run, it is another opportunity to ask myself if I have enough courage and fortitude to accomplish the goal that I have set for myself that day.  I have come to cherish my time on the trials or streets, and longer distances no have fear attached to them.  I still respect them, but I am confident that by training and dedication I can eventually achieve any distance goal that I set for myself.  Sunday, I ran 12 miles and spent well over 2 hours running, and it was, by far, a wonderful investment of my time.


Tuesday, I shook off the soreness of Sunday's long run with a 3 miler in Umstead. 

I did 3 miles in 31:18.67 for 10:26 pace.  The first two mile were rough, but I felt well sorted out by the end of mile two, and the third mile was a dream.

1 11:05
2 10:54
2 9:18

Running Down Darth Vader: 10/2

Twelve miles.  When I began copying my training plan from the August issue of Runner's World, the twelve miler at the end of week 8 was unimaginable.  I remember just shaking my head as I wrote it on my calendar.  I was glad that it fell in the early part of October, so I wouldn't have to stare at it for the whole month of September.  It scared the crap out of me.  It reminds me when I saw Star Wars for the first time, and Darth Vader scared me to death.  Most people forget just how frightening Vader was to kids watching the original Star Wars for the first time on the big screen.  He was enormous, clad in black, and the way the breathed chilled you to the core.  Darth Vader gave me nightmares as a four yaer old.  The Boggie Man never bothered me because I had no idea what he looked like, but Vader -- I knew exactly what he looked and sounded like.  This Twelve miler was just as terrifying to me as Darth Vader was to that wide eyed four year old with his eyes fixed upon the screen.



Now, I know that I still have a Half Marathon to run, but the twelve miler is the longest run of my training plan, and I am counting on the race day rush to carry me pretty far during the half.  But, I knew that for that twelve miler that I would only have myself to see me through.  I began to dread the run even more after I inexplicably scheduled a 10k race for the day before.  Why would do such a thing, well . . . I am sometimes a bit of a dumbass!  After last weeks 10 miler, which was the longest run of my life to that point, the gravity of this run began to set in, and I felt as if the Imperial March was playing in my head all week.  Vadar was coming and he had been disappointed for the last time!  My legs were cranky all week, and by Wednesday, I began to think of ways to alter my training schedule.  However, Thursday's morning run did a lot to settle my nerves.  Still by Saturday morning, there was still part of me that was wanting to skip the 10k.  Luckily, it had a $30 entrance fee, and I am a bit of a cheap bastard didn't want to just throw money away.  Therefore, I manned up and ran the race.  Afterward, my legs felt good, but I was feeling exhausted and nervous as the day went on.  I started getting stuff ready for my Sunday morning long run at 9:30pm and was in bed by 10pm.  When I woke up at 5:30am, It was time to face Darth Vader.



But, I didn't want to face him.  So I dilly dallied around until it was nearly 8:15 before I left the house.  When I got to Umstead, I still wanted no part of this run.  I spent the first three miles trying to settle my nerves and reconcile myself to the task at hand.  I didn't bring a camera on this run because I wanted to focus on the run.  Taking pictures as I run is a good way to make a run pass quickly, but I felt like I need to face up to this one.  Look directly at it's Darth Vader face and run it down.

Somewhere into mile three a couple of songs came on my I-pod that helped me to relax.  The next three miles went by fairly well, but I was still unnerved by the idea of twelve miles, and I couldn't help but think that it had only been a week ago that I ran ten miles for the first time.  However, upon reaching six miles, I was committed. My car was six miles away, and one way or another I was going to have to get back to it, so I may as well run.  Over the last six miles I felt a real clarity of purpose.  If I were a huge nerd I might say something about "the Force", but I'm not going for a cheezy reference with this post.  It is just when I think of things that scared me as a kid, Darth Vader tops the list, and when it come to training for the Half Marathon this run was what scared me the most.

After reaching the the nine mile mark, I knew I had the run in the bag.  It was down to a 5k, and I knew that I had more than enough in the tank for a 5k.  The last of my hills were in mile ten, and the last two miles just slipped by pretty quickly.  My legs hurt as soon as I stopped running, but the pain was just from soreness. . . lost of soreness . . . but not hint of injury or pain that I need to worry about.  I had faced down Vader and survived!

12 miles in 2:09:48 for a 10:48 pace

1 10:49
2 10:49
3 10:38
4 10:12
5 11:14
6 10:30
7 10:33
8 9:42
9 11:28
10 11:53
11 10:41
12 10:50

Carrboro 10k Race Report: 10/1

The Carrboro 10K was a race that I enjoyed a great deal, but may not have been the wisest choice to run from a scheduling stand point.  I was looking for a 10k to fit into my Half Marathon training schedule, but this race was kind of a square peg round hole deal.  If I wanted to run a 10k, it needed to happen two weeks ago, but I'm a rookie, and I made a rookie mistake that will leave me running a 10k the day before the longest run of my training schedule.  FAIL.  

The Race, in and of itself, was a nice little race that showed me a lot about the progress that I've made over the last 8 weeks of training.  This was my third 10k and was by far the least taxing of the three.  The course was actually more challenging that the others, but I ran the distance with very little effort.  Granted, I didn't attempt to challenge my PR, but I came fairly close to my goal pace for the Half Marathon, which is by far more important to me at the moment, and I didn't feel bad at all following the race.  Honestly, I knew that I could easily pick up the pace if I chose, but I made the wise decisions for once and opted not to attempt anything stupid.  Having the 12 miler tomorrow actually helped in that regard.  

I arrived at the race just in time to make the start.  I miss timed my wake up and how long it would take to drive to the race.  I've never in my life been to Carrboro, so the course was also I total mystery.  Yeah . . .  I know . . . You don't need to say anything . . . I can feel your look.  Not smart, huh?  That's ME!  I am not going to bother with attempting to break down the race mile by mile because I ran the whole thing in the same, "just don't hurt yourself" manner.  We had nice weather and aside from the lack of a starting line of a sort, the race was well organized.  I have no complaints at least.  It was pretty windy and chilly, which made for a good test of my lungs and their healing from my breathing troubles this summer following my nasty flu and sinus infection, and I am happy to say that I had no issues breathing at all!  I felt 100% normal.  I plan to still keep using my inhaler before bed until after the Half, but this race has me optimistic that those problems are behind me.  In addition, my shin held up well, and I didn't feel any of the soreness that I felt following last weeks 10 miler other than on the downhills.  I did pick up a hitchhiker in my shoe right at the 4 mile mark that threw my stride off a bit, but other than that the race was just a fun little trot.   

Even though, I didn't run this race that hard, I chose not to run with my camera, but Hiro took a few nice photo, which I've included with this post. I ran with my I-pod during a race for the first time in forever, but I think that I am going to take it with me when I run the Half Marathon because the Neuse River Bridge Half Marathon is a small race, and I have no idea what kind of crowds to expect.  I am sure I will be in for some long lonely miles once the 10k runners finish.  As for the Carrboro 10k, I count this race as a success and just I hope that tomorrows 12 miler will be just a good.

Start of the race

Fast people I never saw

Same as above

same as above

There I am sporting the red shirt and Raiders hat

Not sure that this guy and I were in the same race?

Fast

Also Fast

see above

Wow!  My feet touch the ground when I run!  Not like this guy.

My guess is first Female, but I never saw her either

Every time someone passes me with a baby stroller, I tell me that they have probably BQ'ed . . .I kind of helps 

Oh come on!  Two kids . . . you smoked me pushing two kids!  

Just before the finish line

Yeah . . . I'm still not there

This couple passed me around mile 4.  I would like to blame the rock in my shoe, but that's a lie!

Here I am.

Hey, am not looking like death!

58:08 according to Old Bob.

I need to thank Hiroko for all the support she has given my as I follow my running passion!

But . . . She must stop taking pictures of all the people, who finish ahead of me pushing strollers!

Thursday Three Miler: 9/29

My mind was getting the best of me all week.  Following Sunday's ten miler, my left leg began to have issues.  My leg leg is my problem child and is normally rather cranky.  After Sunday, it was having a fit, which is a little difficult to deal with when you are two weeks out from your first Half Marathon.  My shin was thee kinds of pissed off at me and letting me know it.   And if any of you are following Red, you're keenly aware of the hell that she has been going through with the dreaded injury that must not be named.  So to say that my mind was wandering to the land of worst case scenarios would be waaaaaay more than accurate.  By Wednesday night, I was like hopes . . . CRUSHED . . . dreams . . . FADED . . . Fears . . . RUNNING AMOK!


Making matters worse, I had changed my running schedule to fit in a 10K race the day before my 12 mile long run.  Yes, I know that I am a(n) Fucking idiot.  This is a fact that most of my dating history prior to my meeting my wife would readily confirm (oddly enough most of the mistakes that I dated would also happily confirm this fact as well).  Anyway, umm . . . yeah . . . By the end of the day Wednesday . . . Paranoia out the wahzoo.  Luckily, since I had switched Thursday morning's 6 miler to Saturday and Saturday's 3 miler to Thursday.  I had and easy run to help sort stuff out.  Switching these run also worked out well because I was reassigned at work and began working out of a new office this week, and I ended up having a rather important meeting 9am Thursday to discuss the transition.  If I had run six before that meeting, I doubt that I would have been any where near coherent.  As it turned, 3 miles meant that I could function. 

Despite all of my fears and paranoia, the three miler was nothing.  I did nearly vomit because of the combination of my antibiotic (for a tooth infection) and garbage day . . . meh.  But, other than that no much to write about.  A bit of shin pain that faded as I got warm and throbbed up briefly on or near hills but again faded quickly as I ran.  I turned out that this run was just what I needed to set my mind at ease.  Let's face it, I am a 284 pound guy, who just ran 10 miles and a hilly 10 at that.  Pain should be something that I expect, but it shouldn't send me off in need of a tranquilizer!

3 miles 32.39 for a 10:40 pace

1 10:56
2 10:30
3 10:38

Burnouts! 9/27

After Sunday's long run, I felt off for most of the week.  I am totally to blame for this because I didn't take proper care of myself following the run.  Piss poor stretching, no nap, didn't eat well, about the only thing I did right was to ice.  Part of this was because of scheduling issues but that too is still on me.  So, when Tuesday's workout came around, I was in no mood for it.  I decide to to do burnouts as a way to test my progress.  Just pick and exercise and see how many you can do until you need to stop.  Pretty simple.


Bird Dogs 45
Russian Twists 20
Push ups 20
Bicycles 21
Dips 18
Side Obliques L 24 R 32
Crossover Crunch L35 R41
Fire Hydrants 9
Crunches 59
Supermans 25