2013 Goals and Race List

2013 Goals and Race Wish List 

GOALS

Total Miles  1700

High Month of 200

High Week of 100

20+ miler every month

Run more then 200 days

6 Marathons

2 Ultras

Sub 4:00 or PR Marathon

Sub 1:45 or PR Half

RACES
At present only the 1st half is somewhat firm, the remaining races are still in the planning and budget cycle.  If you are running any of these races let me know on twitter and maybe I will see you there!  I will also join in on some local 5K/10Ks that into my training plan.
*Not registered for yet. 

Blue Arrows are firm, Red arrows are the ones I’m considering.

>January 5, (SAT) - Tidewater Striders Distance Series 20K*

>January 26, (SAT) - Tidewater Striders Distance Series 25K*

>February 9, (SAT) - Virginia is for Lovers 14K*

>February 23, (SAT) - Tidewater Striders Distance Series 30K*

>March 17, (SUN) - Shamrock Marathon*

>April 13, (SAT) - Ukrop's Monument Ave 10K*

>April  20/21, (SAT/SUN) - VA 24 Hour Run for Cancer*

>May 19, (SUN) - Cleveland Marathon*

>June 22, (Sat) - Eastern Divide Ultra 

July

August

 >September 21, (SAT) - Air Force Marathon*

>October 13, (SUN) - Atlantic Ciy Marathon

>October 20, (SUN) - Seven Bridges Marathon

>October ??, (xxx) - Niagara Falls Marathon

>November 17, (SUN) - JFK 50 Miler, pending entrance lottery

November 10, (SUN) - OBX Marathon, pending JFK 50 lottery

November 16, (SAT) - Richmond Marathon, pending JFK 50 lottery

December

The ultimate goal for 2013 is to not suffer the same fate of 2012 where I was forced to take 2 months off...DO NOT GET INJURED

Wordless Wednesday

Hood to Coast

Have you ever wanted to run 200 miles with up to 12 of your closest friends....

The 31st annual Hood To Coast Relay is an overnight, long-distance relay race held in the U.S. state of Oregon, annually in late August, traditionally on the Friday and Saturday before the Labor Day weekend. It is one of the longest and largest relays in the world with (12,600 in Hood To Coast Relay, 18,000 total participants, including Portland To Coast Walk Relay and High School Challenge Relay).

The Hood to Coast Video follows four unlikely teams on their epic journey to conquer the world's largest relay race. A 67-year-old heart attack survivor returns to conquer the race that nearly killed her, a family in mourning runs to honor the memory of their beloved, a group of film animators test the limits of their athleticism (or lack thereof), and a group of aging jocks show they still know how to have a good time. A celebration of personal determination and the power of family and friends, HOOD TO COAST proves that you're never too old or too young to attempt the extraordinary.

Not only was it a great watch but it also brought back many memories from last Oct when five of my running buddies and I headed out to do the Colonial 200 Mile Relay (206.8 miles).

I CAN'T wait to do it again.

Nov Mind Dump

Running Mind Dump - The All I Want For Christmas...Edition

Random thoughts that enter my mind while running down the autobahn of life. (cliff bars, the voice, israel and hamas, charlie’s angles, brad pitt, channing taylor, turkey trot, robin williams, marathon, nyc marathon, Christmas, cherry blossom 10 miler, genie, run a sub 4 hour marathon, nike, air pegasus, olympics, athens, puppy breath, magic mike, wine, grapes, cold)

Un-Running Related:

--  Food Recommendation:  I just found the wonder of “Clif Bars”

 

--  Music Recommendation:  Been watching the show “The Voice” and can’t wait for Terry McDermott to record a CD 

--  Movie Recommendation:  Lincoln….very good!  Side note, a friends father played a role in the movie...can you spot him?  Read his review here.

--  Worried about the world:  Israel and Hamas and the mess over NYC Marathon

Running Related:

--  In their “Charlie’s Angles” Glory Days, who would have the better marathon time, Jaclyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett, or Kate Jackson?

--  Equal time…Who wins in a 100 yard dash, Channing Taylor or Brad Pitt? 

-- Turkey Trot Revenge:  Ran my tail feathers off & set 10K PR, then could not keep down the thanksgiving meal…on a positive side, all the fun, no calories! 

-- Magic Genie (played by Robin Williams) grants you a last marathon PR at any race in the world…where would you run it?  It’s Athens, Greece for me!

--  Ran in 18 degrees wind chill…and thought I’m crazy logging miles outside until I saw a worker tending to the slumbering grape vines, he was just standing there working away.  I had a pretty happy run after that.

-- When the horn at work goes of…I think, I get to run tonight!

-- I’ve been a pretty good Runner Guy this year, 14 races, 1 PR two sub 4:30 Marathons and a 200 mile relay….so here is my My Christmas Shopping List, in case anyone wants to get me something.

    -  A stride like Ryan Hall’s….he covers something like 6’4”

    -  Entry into next year’s Cherry Blossom 10 miler

    -  A pair of Air Pegasus shoes that look like THE Cleveland Browns helmet

    -  Sub 4:00 Marathon time, is that Genie still around?

    -  Meniscus fixer in a can, so my wife can run with me

    -  A race calendar like @runlikeacoyote who inspired this list

    -  A tazer, that zaps would be drivers who are about to run me over, this tazer would not harm them but would make them wet themselves

    -  Forever perfect 70 degree days w/just the right amount of humidity and breeze

    -  A magic button to enter any marathon/race I want with just one push…oh and it’s paid for!

   -  Re-tweets to everything I tweet on Twitter…there is nothing better then RT Love! Except puppy breath!

Heavier Then Running Related:

-- Is there something that you are currently taking for granted?

Psalm 118

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Wordless Wednesday

Turkey Trot 2012

PRE RACE:
In the days leading up to this race I was not sure how I would approach it.  I was coming off 2 marathons in 14 days.  It would have been 11 days since the second marathon, of which both were run sub 4:30.  I knew all the marathon training plans called for significant time off after a marathon, but my mind kept wondering how fast I could push a 10k.  Yet in my mind I knew I should not push it, I had a 50K coming up in just under a month, and one of my injury free running Mantras has been “Don’t sacrifice tomorrow for today.”

(might be the best race shirt ever)

Race morning was near perfect, bit on the cool side (44 degrees) with bright blue skies and a slight wind.  The Erie Runners Club has hosted this event for years on Presque Isle State Park and this would be my second running.  I get an extra kick out of running an event in my old home town, like I have something to prove to the streets.  I was not a runner in those days…so maybe I do.  Another bonus for the day was my wife Michele would be walking the 10k, I so enjoy events we can share together.  Even as we staged for the start, Michele asked me how I was going to run this race, “I’m not sure…we will see” was best I could do.

THE RACE:
To start the race, I lined up semi near the front, no corralling here, back to the old school lined up and go.  And when the horn went off I found out how this race would be run, “all out.”  The field jumped out to a fast start and I went with them, even against my better judgment, but I was committed.  Within the first 50 yards I would get the first big test of the day.  A supportive spouse was leaning in to the roadway to get a picture of their favorite runner.  I did not see her until the runner in front of me had made “jet fighter” maneuvers to get out of the way.  Then it was my turn, I had to decide in the blink of an eye was I going to be Jim Brown or Walter Payton (football analogy for turkey day seams appropriate).  To avoid collision I made the best NFL spin move at full speed ducked my head under her out reached camera and continued on my way.  SCORE!

Mile  1 7:29 – The start blasted off like the Millennium Falcon racing away from the moon of Endure.  I knew when I made the first mile I was committed.  My breathing was up and I was putting out my too much effort to call this a recreational run, if I was going to pay Jabba the Hutt, might as well make it worthwhile.

Mile  2  7:12  Once I had settled into my pace and got my mental game intact…it was on, I was hammering out near sub 7:00 pace and feeling good.  The force and my legs were with me this day!

Mile  3  7:33  Mid way point and I knew the fast start was going to be hard to hold up over the closing miles, and it was at this point that the thought of posting a PR jumped into my Jedi Mind.

Mile  4  8:03  It got a little tough in mile 4, but my Jedi powers were so locked on the PR that I was able to hang on to a 8:00 mile pace, doing some quick on the fly math told me if I could hang in the 8:00s I would be able to threaten the Sith zone of 48:00.

Mile  5  8:08  I’m aware that Yoda and all the running coaches, books and sound racing plans advise running negative splits, but that plan was out for this race.  The overriding thought that was echoing in my ear was “I’m your father Luke…a PR is there for the taking” so I dug in and continued to put the hammer down.  To tell you how focused I was it was at this point that I passed my wife coming in the opposition direction and although she moved to middle of the road to high five me.  Seeing her, I lifted my head, raised the peace sign and advanced the speedster throttle never moving over to greet her.  Later she would tell me “I knew you were up to something, you were flying.”

Mile  6  7:42 I had a vision of Yoda,  “Luke, lose it you shall not…a PR is there for the taking”  A glance down at my GPS and I knew it was game on…thinking, I’ve got this…Now Go!  I had hoped to really put on a closing mile dash, but when my brain neurons fired and said “GO” the muscle fibers in my legs said…”Hang on, Darth Vader, this all we got.”  I pushed as hard as I could.

Mile  6.2  :38  Home stretch for this race takes a right and a left turn on to the beach access road of the park.  This road provided a clear view of the finishing line.  With that goal clearly in sight I gave it my best Galen Rupp Olympic dash.  46:46 displayed on my GPS…..#BOOMBABY!

POST RACE:
Some people may undervalue the social media relationships we build with Facebook and Twitter, but a driving force today was that I so wanted to post a PR on my timeline once this race was over.

PR Baby 10k in 46:46 (my GPS) and an OFFICIAL Time of 46:42 (chip time) by RD #BOOM!

Turkey safety

Top 5 Thanksgiving Dangers and How Being A Runner Could Save Your Life.

1. Choking on an Appetizer

Anybody can get something stuck in their throat. It's decidedly more common for the kids and grandparents -- although it gets more common as the adult beverages start flowing.  But have no fear, your increased endurance will be helpful as you sprint across the room, hurdling a sleeping Aunt Sally, and still have the stamina to perform the Heimlich maneuver.  All those Fartleks and Interval training days will surely have paid off.

2. CuttingYourself Instead of the Turkey

Cutting yourself in the kitchen is both a curse and a blessing – bacteria from food abounds, but you have everything you need to clean your wound at the ready.  Your running skills once again will save the day.  Odds are that you’ll have no band aids in the house.  Your long distance training will make short work of the run to the store.  Not only will you help stop the bleeding but also get in the miles needed for that second helping of turkey.

3. Lighting the Kitchen on Fire

Grease fires are notoriously dangerous. It's easy to extinguish the typical grease fire by smothering it, but make sure everyone is heading out of the house first.  You may have to run for your life…enough said!

4. Getting Burned bythe Oven

Burns are some of the most common injuries around the house.  Make sure you know what to do if your bird decides to seek some revenge.  If you have the misfortune to suffer a burn, your increased VO2 max will enable you to hold your tongue long enough to make sure there are no young or sensitive ears within shouting distance.  All the hill runs will be worth it so that you don’t teach young nephew Johnny all the wrong things to say.

5. Getting Sick from the Food

Imagine the looks you'll get from your mother-in-law after giving the entire family food poisoning. Learn how to recognize food poisoning symptoms, and follow these food safety tips: Cook, Separate, Clean, and Chill. 

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria. The safe temperature for poultry is 180 degrees. 

Separate cooked and uncooked foods, as well as foods eaten raw and those cooked before eating. Cross-contamination occurs when raw meats or eggs come in contact with foods that will be eaten uncooked. This is a major source of food poisoning.

Cleaning is a crucial part of food safety. Wash your hands and work surfaces frequently when you are cooking and after you have blown your nose, been to the bathroom, touched a pet, or changed a diaper. Plain old soap and water are very effective. 

Chilling food is very important. The danger zone where bacteria multiply is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Your refrigerator should be set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below; your freezer should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Here's a simple rule: serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold. 

And if all of this fails and the bird executes a surprise attack on your insides, those fast twitch muscles will come in handy as you try to beat the rest of the family to the bathroom.

Of course this is all in jest, have fun this holiday season, enjoy the time with your family, enjoy the free time from work, long a few extra miles and most importantly, Give Thanks to GOD for the blessing of your life and the gifts we have been given.

Now pass the turkey!