Long time, no see

Hi there. It's been a while. Two weeks to be exact.

What have you been up to? Any running? I've done a little running. Emphasis on the little.

I had 2 weeks off of running. Not on purpose. I had the week after my marathon off and then meant to run the following week but alas, I chickened out cause of the cold. I just wasn't ready to run in the cold in the middle of October.

So then I started running last week with only 7 days to prepare for my 10k. 3.1 miles on Sunday, 2.75 miles on Monday (speed workout since I ran them around 8:30 pace--totally didn't mean to), and then 6.2 on Wednesday in just under an hour. That was it.

Ran the 10k yesterday with a few friends. One ran a PR and beat my previous best time by 4 minutes. All in jeans no less. Another friend ran in under 40 minutes and came in 3rd place in his age group and 26th overall out of 1300 runners. And I paced the final friend to his first 10k in 1:05:20, 5 minutes faster than his goal time!

I have a 15k now to train for next Sunday on the 1st. 9.3 miles that I should finish in an hohur and a half. I want to do an hour and a half run sometime this week. But we'll see. It's gonna be interesting; life is getting in the way this week.

Tonight I ran another 60 minutes at 9:31 pace for 6.29 miles. All on the treadmill at work. That was my first time using that gym. I also did a few weight machines for my quads, hamstrings & glutes.

Shouldn't run on Tuesday since my muscles are a bit sore. Wednesday I work until 5p and then I am having a board game night with a few friends at 6:30pm. So won't be able to squeeze in the 1.5 hour run. Thursday I have dinner & a concert with a friend. And then Friday will be a Halloween party. I'm open on Saturday but won't be doing an hour and a half run on the day before the 15k race!

So I may run like 3 miles on Wednesday morning and then Wednesday after work. I can't run at lunch since I have a meeting at 2:30 pm. And maybe I can squeeze in another 3 on Thursday before the dinner/concert??

What's gonna happen is that I'm gonna run as many miles in a week as possible but never the full distance at one time. Gosh. This is NOT going to be a good race. From what I heard it's gonna be about 10,000 where last year's race was only 3500 runners. The packet pickup was crazy insane. Took me an hour to pick it up! So maybe I'll be forced to run it nice and slow. I'll be really tired too. A bunch of us are carpooling together at 5:30a that morning. This Sunday is gonna hurt!

Categories: Hot Chocolate 15k, Pumpkinfest 10k

Love of running

I am a runner. How do I know this? Even after what I think is bad run, in which I lost all bets mentally in my marathon, I have signed up for 3 more races this year. And they will be fun ones. I will INSIST that I enjoy and have a great time (not talking pace!). I still love & want to run.

Pumpkinfest 10k

Sunday, October 25, 9 am, Sycamore, IL

This one is a race that I've done since 2006. It was my first 10k and I love the start time, 9am. Totally excellent! It's held during Sycamore's Pumpkinfest so many people come out for it to support the runners while in Sycamore. Out in the country it can get a little lonely but you're never alone with runners always with ya. It's on CARA's race circuit so a lot of runners from Chicago come out for it. Pack's usually around 1100 or so. I'm pacing a friend this year. He doesn't really have a goal in mind but I think he can do an hour. He ran a 7k with a 10 min/mi pace so yea, no problemo! It'll be my first pace race, just need to keep him slow and encourage him when he wants to stop!

Hot Chocolate 15k

Sunday, November 1st, 8 am, Chicago, IL

This is my first time doing A) a race in Chicago 2) a 15k, which is 9.3 miles. I'm excited about this one. It was expensive but the swag is neat-o. Except since I signed up late, I don't get a jacket that fits me, I get a Large. :( But I also get a drawstring bag & a wicking hat. A few in NITRO is running this one so I think we're gonna car pool in to Chicago together. It's starts at Montrose Harbour. Afterwards, get this, Hot Chocolate all around. Chocolate Fountains for bananas, strawberries, etc. Chocolate mini candy bars! Sounds like a dream come true! The start time SUCKS for November 1st though. Come on! It's gonna chilly!!

Gobbler Gallop 5k

Saturday, November 21st, 9 am, Waterman, IL

A co-worker is the race director of this 5k. She wanted me to do it last year but I couldn't. I was training for my marathon and I didn't want to run 3 miles after a long run. She's run the Chicago Marathon in 2005, the one year it was actually nice! She won't do another marathon but she's been asking about all of mine. So while it's a bit of a drive for me, I think it'll still be a fun run. Maybe I'll tell the guy I'm running with in Pumpkinfest and see if he wants to do this one too.

Now I haven't started running yet. By Wednesday all pain was gone from my muscles but I still wanted to take the rest of the week off. I got out of work on Tuesday and wanted to run. It had rained earlier and the sun was shining and it was actually pretty warm and it was so windy. But I held back. I instead sat on my couch watching The Biggest Loser new season.

I will start this week though. I was going to have 2 weeks off but since I'm not exactly injured in this race like I was with my last marathon, I can start running sooner. I have to breakout my winter running clothes now. We had frost last night and there's a freeze warning for tonight. I will start with a few maintenance miles to see how the legs & lungs are holding up. Go for a long run on Saturday. Probably just 6 miles for that first try. Just enough to test out the 10k distance. Then I'll work my way up to 9 miles. I can't imagine that I lost that much endurance in a week but you never know.

Speaking of tomorrow morning, I'll be in cheering for the Chicago Marathoners again. It starts a half hour earlier this year, so I won't have a chance of seeing Jesse cross at halfway, like I tried to do last year. But I also need to dress very warmly. I will be arriving in Chicago at the same time as last year, 9:46 am, but I won't be running around like the rest of the fools out there (just kidding!) so I won't have as much body heat. There'll still be lots of sleeveless tanks and shorts though.

I started running (for the 2nd time in my life), a few weeks AFTER the 2005 Chicago Marathon. So in the years that I've been a runner, I've also paid attention to the Chicago Marathon (even before I knew I wanted to run a marathon!) and the weather. 2006: cold, rainy and the elite winner fell as he crossed the finish line. 2007: HOT, so much so, they called the race. 2008: again very warm 85 degrees but didn't run out of water this time. 2009: Cold, 30's at start, mid-50's for a high all day sometime. I'm hoping for some sun though. We need another year like 2005, I guess!! Maybe next year?

So I still love running. It is still a part of who I am. As this article on Runner's World said, "We need terrible runs in order to have terrific ones." Ain't that the truth.

Categories: Chicago Marathon, Gobbler Gallop 5k, Hot Chocolate 15k, Pumpkinfest 10k, races

Pumkinfest 10k

They say that you should never try things new on race day. Well, I tried 2 things new this year for Pumpkinfest 10k. I had my new arm warmers and my SPIbelt. The arm warmers worked great, the SPIbelt, not so much. I'll tell ya why later. I woke up this morning at my normal work time. I love going to this race because I can actually sleep in and leave only 30 minutes before start time. I do pay for parking as I have no idea where to park in Sycamore. Last night I laid out what I was going to wear. Last year, I wore a Cool Wear UA shirt and my UA leggings. I was happy with the leggings, not so happy with the shirt. So I decided to go with the leggings but try out my arm warmers and a sleeveless shirt (as that's all I had, no short sleeve shirt clean. I should have done laundry sooner in the week). I get to the parking lot and get out only to see that EVERYONE it seems is in shorts. WTF?! I'm in my sleeveless and arm warmers and DID NOT want to take off my jacket! But I did and immediately put on a cotton t-shirt. I'll later regret this move. But I headed over to the starting line area. Talked to a former NIU colleague for quite a while about running and then it was 5 minutes to post! I saw my boss and ran up to say hello. She was decked out in pink. I told her that I had a runny nose and a cough but my energy is feeling much better. But I'm not expecting great things. I stayed around that area until the starting point. It took about 15 seconds or so to cross the starting line. This is a BIG race. A lot of CARA people come out for it. Kayte, my boss, took off to the right side of the road but I stayed on the left-ish side and soon lost her. She was way in front. "Phil" my Garmin was saying over 10 minutes and slowly coming down. The first mile is always congested with this race and it's uphill a little bit and no one realises that. I settle into a rhythm. Heading south on Somonauk and I don't really feel the wind since we were still in the city of Sycamore so I had no idea what was coming for me. Turn left onto Bethany and BOOM! The wind was at my back and helping me along. I LOVED IT! Every year, the route takes us by a horse farm. Last year the horses were out to pasture and they just stood there staring at us. As I said to myself, wondering what the heck all these humans are doing. This year was a completely different story. They were running with us! The four of them were galloping up along the fence and then turned and ran with us in the same direction along the fence. When they reached the end, they turned and headed back against us but it was so fun to see them do that! That they run just to have fun too! I took off my cotton shirt after that and just let it drape around my neck like I did last weekend. However, since it was a short sleeve shirt, it didn't want to stay behind my shoulders. But after I got used to it, I just let it stay where it wanted to. My arm warmers were working great! I used the shirt a few times to blow my nose into it. Takes much more energy and disrupts your breathing rhythm to keep your mucus in your nose than to just let it go. Turning north on Airport Rd. was another different story. I know that Airport has hills and farm land and with the corn gone, nothing to block the west wind. Sure enough, BLAST from the left. It knocked me off my stride. The entire way north on Airport I was fighting the wind, not myself or the hills. I don't even remember the hills. Just the damn wind. It was fierce. I also passed by boss at a hill on this road. I didn't say anything to her as I went by. I don't think she knew it was me though. Before mile 4.5 I got beside this woman. She was breathing so hard I could hear her. Another blast of wind. I said Damn. She asked "The wind?" I said yes. I was on her left and I said "Well, at least I'm blocking it for you!" She said "I think I'll need someone bigger than you." I replied, "Every little bit helps!" She said that she wasn't looking forward to the park, I agreed not with this wind. I told her that everytime I see the park, I think the finish is almost here but alas we haven't even reached 5 miles yet! She knew how I felt. I said that we can pace each other. She asked 9:15? I said yes. So we stayed with each other. And together we stayed. We reached 5 miles and it was great. Through the wind, the bridges, the turns, the hills. We kept urging each other on. Finally reaching 6 miles. What no one told me the first time is that 6 miles, there's still .2 left (which I knew) but at the .1 mark is when the hill starts arriving. Before the hill, we still managed to stay with the pace but at the bottom she said "Let's go!" and she started to kick it! So I was with her and I said "We can do it!" and escalated up the hill. But we both slowed down considerably again but then she said "Go Go Go!" and I think we both grrred and we crossed the finish line! I always miss the clock because it's is so far off the shoots. I turned around to give her a high five and she hugged me as well as we kept on walking down the shoot. I forgot to stop my Garmin at that time but after the end of the shoot it auto paused anyway since I stopped. We introduced each other, she asked where I was from. We're both from DeKalb. She said that if I hadn't of picked her up she would have been way back there. She asked what my normal pace was I said about this to 9:30 depends on the length. Told her I was training for my first marathon. She said that she always wanted to do one. Then she said that she should give me her name and number and if I ever wanted a running partner, to look her up. We both didn't have a writing utensil but I have her bib number (#691) and she works at Castle Bank. [Side story: Owner of Castle Bank makes all his employees run in the Pumpkinfest 10k and wear company shirts specially made for this race. My goal was to pass every runner with that shirt on. I didn't but it was nice lofty goal.] Afterwards, I stood in line for my sticker with my pace, finish time, overall, sex and age group finish. It's nice that it comes on a sticker for I just put it on the back of my bib number. I have kept every single bib number I've been in. I've got to do something with them soon! Maybe distrubute them by year and collage them or something. After I got that, then I went over for my free glass of beer and sat on the hill. I put my cotton shirt back on but still chilly. I didn't even finish my beer since I had no one at the race and just headed back to the car. My goal was to do another 6 after that but my legs were a little sore and with this wind, I didn't want to do with it. So I'll just do the normal milage this week and hopefully be able to do a Half Marathon this weekend. I sure hope I can. Now on to the SPIbelt. I put chapstick, my iPod, a couple cough drops (which I didn't use) and my car key. But it bounced the entire way. Around my belly button too. Come to find out, it's really elasticky and I could have moved it lower, below my belly button and just above my hip bones. Then it wouldn't have bounced. Found this out once I got home! So I'll take it out on me with a few of my runs this week and see if I can improve on the belt but the arm warmers are definitely a MUST! Overall finish: 2006: 553; 2007: 693; 2008 - 670 Sex Group finish: 2006: 128; 2007: 202; 2008: 197 Age Group finish: 2006: 14; 2007: 32; 2008: 35 Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 851 ft Location: Sycamore, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 10/26/08 Up/Downhill: [+154/-154] Time: 09:35 AM Difficulty: 2.2 / 5.0 Weather: Fair and Breezy 52 F temp; 46% humidity 52 F heat index; winds W 23 G 29 Performance Distance: 6.26 miles Time: 0:57:41 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 13 /mi Calories: 657 Map Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 14 +0' 01 6.5 -0.0 +27 ft 2 8' 58 -0' 15 6.7 +0.2 -3 ft 3 8' 57 -0' 16 6.7 +0.2 -33 ft 4 9' 11 -0' 02 6.5 +0.0 0 ft 5 9' 14 +0' 01 6.5 -0.0 -3 ft 6 9' 25 +0' 12 6.4 -0.1 -3 ft end 10' 08 +0' 55 5.9 -0.6 +16 ft Versus average of 9' 13 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Categories: Pumpkinfest 10k

Sycamore Pumpkin Fest 10k

So after more than a week of an illness, I finally went to the doctor's on Thursday. I was diagnosed with sinusitis. Fun times. Gave me antibiotics and my cough is nearly nonexistent! My doctor said rest and I asked her, so like after the Pumpkin Fest race? She asked if I planned on winning the race, told her no and she said that I can run it. But what I ended up doing was not running all week after Monday's run.

Today was a 10k race today. I was afraid that with my lack of running I wasn't going to do well in it but I'll spoil the surprise; I ran a PR! 55:14 was my time and 55:41 was my clock time. The difference between there are about 1300 people in the race and it took me about 30 seconds to cross the start line.

I compared my numbers last year and I ran 40 seconds better than last year's clock time and ran in an average 8:59 min/mi compared to 9:05 but here are my stats:
Overall finish: 2006 - 553; 2007 - 693
Sex Group finish: 2006 - 128; 2007 - 202
Age Group finish: 2006 - 14; 2007 - 32

Those stats mean that the crowd got a lot bigger. Running is now cool! They say that there are more and more Americans training for a marathon now. That is the ultimate everyday every man challenge.

It was cold this morning; frost on the ground. I might have overdressed again though. I wore my UnderArmor ColdWear long-sleeved shirt. I should have worn the HeatWear instead. The leggings I had were fine. I saw people wearing shorts and I thought they were crazy. It's what I wore last year though.

I saw my editor on the sidelines. I yelled at him a few times before he finally heard me and waved. Then I saw my friend Stacey. She was cheering for me loudly when she saw me. That was pretty cool.

Sunday I'm going up to Rockford and I'm buying UA CW leggings and gloves. Well, maybe gloves, if they have any. I gotta get into my running for the half marathon now!

Today's run: 45-47*, overdressed a bit (UA CW shirt, UA HW leggings)


Best news of all today; I had someone special to see me finish! :-)

Categories: Brent, Pumpkinfest 10k, sick

bad or good?

I'm nervous as all hell about tomorrow for some odd reason. My hip, the length, Wes, my knees, the weather (it's supposed to be windy tomorrow) and then the parade later on. Still no walker to this point. But anyway, I'm nervous. I realise that it's like 650 people in this race (much more than anything I've ever done before) so I'm not expecting a medal this time around but just getting under an hour would be good. I'm really scared for the pain that I'll encounter tomorrow. I may take Monday off work. Oh wait, can't. We're moving our furniture that day and getting new stuff on Tuesday morning. Craps. Craps craps. Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it. Wes is still running and wearing jeans and doing it hungover. Just like last year. All I can say is that if I don't beat him, I'm done running. For good.

Categories: aches and pains, Pumpkinfest 10k, races