2 Days Until

10 Facts About Our Colonial 200 Mile Relay Adventure:

 1.  The start is at beautiful King Family Vineyards in Crozet, VA.  This is the first of many breathtaking vistas along the 206.8 miles leading to Jamestown Beach Park in Williamsburg, VA.

2.  Our Start time is 0615 Friday Morning.

3.  Our team, “Team Enofuse” is made up of six runners (4 guys and 2 gals) each with varying degree of running experience.  Our team will not be running in any “order.” Our team captain has divided up the legs into easy, medium and hard levels of difficultly.  These legs have been divided among team member with near equal totals in difficulty and miles. Our captain has also tried to match runners’ strengths with challenges of the course.  The only real rule governing race legs is that a runner must complete the leg he/she started and a runner cannot run successive legs.

4.  Mark and Eddie will be our support drivers and crew, THANK YOU both, We will be rocking one support van, it might be a little cramped in there and the smell…wish we had “Hazardous Duty Pay” for you guys.

5.  The rule book states No Drinking and Driving…but nothing about Drinking and Running….ha ha ha.  Just a joke here…No Drinking Whatsoever.  Good Rule.

6.  Race Officials have provided us with a great source of information on local hospitals and medical care facilities but nothing about local corners.??  I wonder if that was just an oversight?

7.  The race directors have hired off-duty police officers to patrol the course in each county providing additional safety, but what about animal control, I’m more worried about Bears and SKUNKS!

 8.  Majority of “Exchange Zones” are located at local churches…not a better place if you ask me!

9.  The awards ceremony will be held at 6:00 pm Saturday or before if all teams have finished the event…pls wake me up, I’M SURE I’LL BE OUT!

10.  There will be (pause for dramatic effect) “Showers” near the finish…I’ve been told the Virginia State Bio Health Agencies have made this a MANDATORY requirement.

EXTRA BONUS FACTOID:  The course will be marked with 18” x 24” yellow directional signs ….BUT I’ll be the runner who gets lost, just ask my wife.   

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at #colonial200

Our team would like the THANK the race organizers and the following counties: Albemarle, Louisa, Hanover, New Kent, Charles City and James City and VDOT for their support of this relay.

What are we doing you might ask? A 206.8 mile relay race.  

MCM Week 8

Marine Corp Marathon (MCM) Training Week 8 - Done

Week 8 

Monday            6 (7.25) 

Tuesday         off

Wednesday      6 (6)

Thursday          6 (7 at 8:23 pace)

Friday             off 

Saturday         15 (17.25 )

Sunday           off
Total 37.50 miles 

Week 8 of 13 on my way to the MCM is in the books...I also hit 112 miles for the month with a few more big running days to go.  I'm hoping the "come back" is near complete.  I'm also hoping I can start to ween myself off the knee support strap. 

Saturdays long run was run along The Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail in and around Cleveland, Ohio.  The Towpath trail is an important piece of Ohio history.  The canal and trail was originally 309 miles long and constructed in 7 years—from 1825 from 1832. Today it is a great multi-use trail system for walkers, runners and bikers.

Week 9 on the road to the MCM is also a big week for 206 other reasons.  this Friday (28 Sept) at 0615 Team Enofuse will take on the Colonial 200 mile relay.  I'm one of six runners who will tackle the road and long hours that will take us from Albemarle County in central Virginia to historic Jamestown settlement. 

All of our runners and support crews are social media junkies so be sure to follow our adventures at #colonial200 and all our twitter and social media handles. 

@enofuse @cledawgs @rosati7 @eddieantle  @jshwlsn  @JonHendrickson @ryantnt @carahendrickson 

Wish us luck and follow us through out the weekend....we will be posting updates and pictures as we go! 

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50 Shades Part 4

50 Shades of Running…

Chapter 4  "Race Day Thoughts"

20.  Each race I know...THAT I can.

19.  26.2….cause 26.3 is just crazy talk.

18.  Mile 26 thought…Do I look as bad as that guy?

17.  Finishing thought...At the end of this I’m going to eat a pizza, some cookies, followed by a big glass of milk.

16.  Two people can look at the same race course and see it differently.

15.  Great coverage of the elites at Run Blog Run 

14.  Failure, Today is not one of those days.

13.  You can’t fake a Marathon.

12.  Only thing worse then doing math in public is trying to figure out your mile splits on the run.

11. You can think “You can” or “You can’t” and you’ll be right!

In case you missed the previous additions of 50 Shades of Running follow the links below.

Chapter 1   Chapter 2    Chapter 3

Tune in again next week...

200 Miles

The Next Big Adventure...200 miles with friends. (Really it's 206.8 but who's counting?)

In 8 short days six of us (two couples, Jon & Cara, Tim & Terri, Josh and I) will begin a 200 mile relay race.  The Colonial 200 Relay is a unique, overnight relay adventure in which our team of friends will run over 200 scenic miles through the heart of Virginia.  The Colonial 200 Relay begins in Albemarle County in central Virginia and finishes in historic Jamestown.

Our team of six (four guys and two gals) will kick off this adventure Friday morning and hope to be finished early Saturday afternoon.  The race is split up into 36 legs with distances varying from 3 – 10 miles. Along with our team of runners we will have a support van and two drivers (Mark and Eddie) to drop off and pick up our runners at designated exchange zones along the 200 mile route.

All of our runners are social media junkies so be sure to follow our adventures at #colonial200 and all our twitter and social media handles.

@enofuse @cledawgs @rosati7 @eddieantle  @jshwlsn  @JonHendrickson @ryantnt @carahendrickson

The long varying miles of the race will be just one of the challenges we will face this weekend.  Another will be conquering the logistics and support challenges of supporting six runners over a course of over 200 miles.  The terrain we will cover is as varying as the personalities of each of our team members.  Then there is the clock...36 hours, that's right a 36 hour road trip...36 hours on the road, like any other great adventure...anything can happen in 36 hours.  But the finish will be worth any challenge.

The finish is along the Capital Trail traveling into Williamsburg near some of the most famous plantations in Virginia (Shirley, Berkeley, and Sherwood Forest).  Finishing across the street from the Jamestown Settlement, the Colonial200 Relay will be a great team challenge and a great way to see the rich history of Virginia. 

What was your biggest challenge? 

50 Shades Part 3

50 Shades of Running…

Chapter 3  Runner Problems

30.  I don’t wear shorts out in public often…the women stare at my legs to much.

29.  If I did not run, there would be a lot more OREOs in the world.

28.  Food is fuel…any questions?

27.  Short shorts…only for Olympians.

26.  Picking which shoes I wear for which race.

25.  Toe nails…only for the weak.

24.  Have you heard anyone asking “do these running shorts make my butt look fat?”

23.  Runners never quit and quitters never run.  @TeamRunner4Life 

22.  Running, where you’re allowed to hang out with fast women…and it’s good for you.

21.  I see people running when I'm at work and I'm jealous!

Half Way to Marine Corp Marathon

Updated

I’m a little late in posting my review of week 6 of my 13 week “Road to the Marine Corp Marathon.”  You might be thinking, Why a 13 week program?  This summer I have been plagued with a case of Patella Tendinitis.  And as a result of this little pain in the knee, I lost most of June and nearly all of July to recovery and rest.  August 1^st is  when I started running/training again, I had 13 weeks to get back into marathon shape for my 26.2 mile run in our nation’s capital.

Week 6

Monday          off (11.25…made up for missing a race the day before) 

Tuesday         off

Wednesday      6 (7)

Thursday          4 (4...first back to back run in months)

Friday             off      

Saturday         14 (17.5…slow but happy miles)

Sunday             0 

Total 39.75 miles

Midway thru week 7 and it’s hard to believe I feel like a real runner again.

Week 7

Monday             6 (7) 

Tuesday         off

Wednesday      8 (8 @ 9:29 pace)

Thursday          4 (4 easy run*)

Friday             off 

Saturday         16 (16 @ 10:02 pace 2hr 40m)

Sunday           off
Total 35 miles

Today is the mid way point, 44 43 42 days and counting…and it is about at this point that I feel like a marathon runner again.  My knee has been doing well; I have not had any real pain since returning to my training.  To get to this point I have been really cautious logging miles.  As humbling as it was, I started with limited miles, did not run back to back days for the first month and limited the amount of speed type work.  I’m at the point I feel like the marathon is doable.  Got in my second "Back 2 Back" running days without pain...and in fact the run felt great.  And at Half way, I have the time to get in the longer runs and stay on my controlled plan to not over do it and have a set back.

Like my road to recovery, I have humble goals for the Marathon…#1 Finish and #2 I would like to run it no slower then 4:45 or 4:30 if all goes right.  If I can survive that, then I’ll begin working on my sub 4 hour marathon for the spring.  I’ve run 4:10…so I believe I can do it!

What are your marathon goals?  When is your next marathon?

Wordless Wednesday

9-11

The morning of 9-11-2001, I was visiting with my Mother as my family was en route during a Military move.  My wife Michele and I were both active duty, with our two kids we were a USAF family.  We were eating breakfast; chatting and I went into the living room to catch some news...our lives changed forever.  By our original timeline we were to depart Baltimore the next day on our way overseas.  

14 days later we signed into RAF Mildenhall, England my wife to 3rd Air Force and I to 352 Special Operations Group, the Air Force's "Special Forces."  4 years later, nearly 200 deployments managed and over a year on the road myself.

I Remember...

Where were you?  What do you remember? 

I believe with the love of "THE God" we forgive, "for they know not what they do" But I also believe we remember and we should keep our eyes open.

50 Shades part 2

50 Shades of Running…

Chapter 2  A few Running Facts of Life

40.  Running makes you feel so much better physically, emotionally, and mentally!

39.  Body Glide…it’s worth it!

38.  Running friends understand…none running friends don’t or wish they did.

37.  You can’t play football with Joe Montana, you can’t race against Richard Petty but you can run in the footsteps of Paula Radclife or Ryan Hall.

36.  @Kris_law is a…monster

35.  Running in the rain is fun, running in a lighting storm…equals a PR.

34.  Running shoes…the only good shoe fetish.

33.  I’ve never heard a runner say “running made my life worse.”

32.  Long runs make a nap acceptable.

31.  Hard to have drama on a run.

Aug

August - A Look Back…(Updated)

If you have been following my blog, you know that in June I developed a slight case of Patella tendonitis.  This overuse injury caused me to take some time off from running.  The time “away” cost me little over two months of marathon training.  Missing two months has required me to relook at my goals for the year. 

My adjusted goals for the remaining months of 2012 are as follows:

I WILL Run:

- Two marathons

- 600 miles Aug-The end of the year

- Run 50 miles during the 200 mile relay

- Finish the year healthy and improving the strength and reliability of my knee

Run 2 Marathons: I have the pieces in place, I’m signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon (MCM) in Oct and the Norfolk Freedom Marathon (NFM) in Nov.  If I do this right I think I’ll be able to run both marathons…although my marathon finish times will be conservative, I don’t see a PR this year, but my goal for the MCM is to finish 4:30 – 4:45 and two weeks later run NFM with a goal of 4:15 – 4:30.

Run 600 Miles:  My come back month (Aug) had modest goals…I wanted to get back running.  And I did.  Shortly after getting back to running I found out my knee was not ready for “back to back” running days.  I adjusted my 13 week marathon training plan and limited running to only three days a week.  I managed to knock out 100 miles.  To make 600 miles I need to avg. 125 miles per month.  This week I was able return to "back to back" running days...one big step towards my end of the year goals.

Colonial 200 Mile Relay: A team of five and I are signed up and getting ready to run the Colonial 200 mile relay (http://colonial200.com/).  This relay is broken up into 36 legs and will take us from Charlottesville to Jamestown settlement, VA over the last weekend in Sept.  My goal is to run all my assigned legs (7/39 miles) then add enough “extra” miles to reach a relay goal of 50 miles.

Other Races to End the Year:
Crawlin Crab Half Marathon
Turkey Trot
Sea Shore 50K 

Finish the Year Healthy, This is perhaps the most important goal.  I’ve been marathon running for 12 years and have had very limited time off the road.  Although I have some lofty goals to finish out the year, I will keep a close eye on my mileage and running conditions to ensure the comeback is a stainable one. 

You can follow me on Twitter @cledawgs

Run Streaks

Running Streaks:

To get outside and run takes motivation, a lot of people never get past the idea that they want to get in shape and they want to run.  They never step outside their comfort zone to put one foot in front of the other; never take a deep breath that will soon be replaced by a shortness of breath; never to take muscles full of energy and deplete them to the point of pain.  To run just one day takes drive, to run two consecutive days takes willpower, to run 30 consecutive days…you have to be determined…and to run 100 or more days in a row takes something special.  It takes, A Streak Runner!

The official definition of a running streak, as adopted by the Streak Runners International, Inc., and United States Running Streak Association, Inc. (USRSA), is to run at least one continuous mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day under one's own body power (without the utilization of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices).  Running under one's own body power can occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.  Running cannot occur through the use of canes, crutches or banisters, or reliance on pools or aquatic devices to create artificial buoyancy.

Myself, I have never been a good “Streak Runner.”  The logistics of my life and the fact I love, no really “LOVE” my rest days works against me.  I admire those who can in fact run everyday, never failing.  I once had the opportunity to run with this fellow nicknamed the Raven.  The Raven you may have seen or read about, he has run on Miami’s south beach for over 110,000 miles running on consecutive days for over 37 years.  But if you can’t run on consecutive days can you still be a streak runner?  Maybe not according to the USRSA, but I believe you can, running streaks comes in many forms and fashions:

A running streak could be running in your favorite race year after year, a friend of mine (Jill C.) has ran the Monument Ave 10k in Richmond, VA for 10 consecutive years.  There are runners who have run races on consecutive New Years Days, Turkey Trots or other special “race” occasions.  I’ve read about runners who have logged over 2,000 miles in consecutive years.  There are runners who consecutively run 50 miles or more a week.  And we have all marveled at the runners who run marathons on consecutive days, consecutive weekends, or consecutive months.

Before getting injured in June of this year I had two pretty impressive (to me at least) streaks of my own.

-        13 consecutive months running 100 miles or more

-        9 consecutive months running a 20 mile long run

What is your present running streak?  What “streaking” goals are you shooting for?

Week 5

I'm Not Happy With Myself....

Week 5

Monday             7 (8.25 miles) 

Tuesday         off

Wednesday      7 (8.15 miles)

Thursday        off

Friday             off (2.25 miles...100 miles for the month)     

Saturday         off

Sunday          15.5 (DNS = NOT Happy)

Total 18.65 miles 

Monday: The week started off really well when I stretched this run a little longer then planned.  At the end of this run I felt like I was getting back to my old running self...no knee pain.

  

Wednesday: I ran another extended run working towards my goal of 100 miles for the month.  This run was another of a streak of painless runs I am starting to a mass.
  

Friday: I got up at "O-Dark Early" because I needed to make up a few miles for missed runs along the way.  100 Miles for a come back month felt pretty good and I was feeling like I was getting back some of my runner swag.  After my Friday run my wife and I needed out for a little Labor Day Honeymoon getaway and a 25k trail race thrown in as well.  Even though we have been married 21 years any time away with my honey is a honeymoon to me...this is Honeymoon number 75 or so.  The trip was great, our first time to Pigeon Forge, TN and we really enjoyed the shows (Hatfield's & McCoy Dinner Show and the Comedy Barn Comedy show).

Sunday:  Because of some poor time planning and not getting to eat right on Saturday....I did not run the 25K trail race.  Although that seamed like the right call at 1100 Saturday night, I would have had to get up at 4 a.m. to make race start.  I WAS NOT HAPPY with myself Sunday morning.  I put on my best happy face and enjoyed the bonus time with my Mrs...but I hated not making that race.  I'm over it, but know I need to make up those miles....!

Have you ever DNS because of poor planning....how did you deal with it?