Today is a rest day after completing my marathon this weekend. When I started the pursuit of this goal I was hoping to beat my time from 15 years ago. After 6 months of training it became clear that I am more Clydesdale than racehorse now and it would probably not happen the way that I had originally hoped. I had worked for NOLS for 16 years and one of their core leadership skills is self awareness. When getting into the corrals just before the race I placed myself between two pace setters... the 4:20 pace setter and the 4:40 pace setter. This seemed to line up well with my split times from training and the number of crushing hills on the course. In the end, after lots of simple carbs and some brutal thigh cramps around mile 22, I pulled in at 4:39:37. What really got me to the end was my wife who met me along the route and was there at the finish line, the wonderful people of the Chattanooga community along the route cheering me on and the 4:40 pace setter who really made me push myself at the end of the race. I am pleased with my run and I am going to take what feels like a well deserved day of rest before getting back to lifting tomorrow.
Have a Great Day!!
Today I will continue my training in preparation for the Chattanooga Marathon. After today I will be running a minimum of an hour and a half during each training session. The only major challenge will be the fact that it should be about 90 degrees when I head out at around 5pm today. I am going to carry 12 ounces of water in a bottle today and a Honey Stinger energy gel. I have a fancy schmancy running water bottle with a hand strap on the way but it has not arrived yet. The gel though is part of the plan to try to keep my energy level up throughout the race. Currently, my plan is to take one gel with water after every hour of running. We will have to see how the training goes.
Workout:
Run, One hour and fifteen minutes.
Have a Great Day!!
So, after some internet searching I was able to accurately refresh my memory. It was 2002 when I ran the B&A Trail Marathon just outside of Annapolis, Maryland. At 32 years old I ran the race in 3:56:35. Fifteen years later (almost to the day...), at 47 years old I would like to run at that pace, if not better in the Chattanooga Marathon. One thing that I did not do well in 2002 was monitor my nutrition prior to the race and I did not have a plan to maintain my energy during the race. I am hoping that by having a plan in place I can make a serious push to beat my old time. We will see.
Workout:
Run, 50 minutes
Mobility:
Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch
Foam Roller Work
Have a Great Day!!
Fifteen years.... it is so strange to think it has been that long since the 9/11 attacks on the United States. So much has happened. The part that I struggle with the most is just wrapping my head around all of the lost lives since then. The people in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon. The people on all the planes that hit both of those targets and the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. The first responders that died in the rescue process and those that became sick and died after the clean up. Then there are the other thousands that have died in the "War on Terror" that came after 9/11. Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria.... and with the formation of the so called "Islamic State" the people here in Chattanooga, San Bernardino, Orlando, Brussels, France, Benghazi, London...etc., etc. It never really seems to end. It will be nice when this cycle of violence comes to an end. Someday.
On a much, MUCH lighter note, the second day of running in preparation for the Chattanooga Marathon went much better than the first day.... and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. Lets see, why was today so much better than last Thursday? Hmmmm.... could have been that it was 67 degrees instead of 90 some odd degrees? Could have been that I didn't spend 4 hours prior to that chucking boxes at UPS? Duh. So I have made what I think is the very wise decision to switch my eventual long runs to Sunday and my hour and a half training runs for Thursdays. We will see how it all works out.
Workout:
Run, 40 minutes
Mobility:
Relaxing Stretches for the Back
Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch
Foam Roller Work
Have a Great Day!!
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao Tzu
I went on my first run to begin training for the Chattanooga Marathon. It was only 30 minutes but I felt like I got hit by a truck. I will be running twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays) and need to get to where I can run for an hour and a half non-stop to kick off the training in earnest. Thursdays will progress and be my long run day and Sundays will mostly remain runs of an hour and a half in length. Whew.
Workout:
Run, 30 minutes
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Relaxing Stretches for the Back
Foam Roller Work
Have a Great Day!!
So, I decided today that I am going to train for the Chattanooga Marathon that is on March 5, 2017. I ran the B&A Trail Marathon in Maryland when I was 30 years old. I am hoping that an extra two months to get ready will make up for the 17 years since then. We will see.
Warm-Up:
Row, 500m
PVC Passthrough, 10 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 10 repetitions
Banded Zots Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Weight Training:
No Foot Snatch from the Knee, 5 sets of 3 repetitions
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. 15 sets total.
Weighted Vertical
Snatch
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. 5 sets total.
Snatch Grip Deadlift to the Knee, 2 repetitions
Snatch Grip Deadlift
5 Second Negative
Snatch Grip Deadlift
Barbell Reverse Lunge, 4 sets of 8 repetitions
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch
Have a Great Day!!
Today is a rest day after completing my marathon this weekend. When I started the pursuit of this goal I was hoping to beat my time from 15 years ago. After 6 months of training it became clear that I am more Clydesdale than racehorse now and it would probably not happen the way that I had originally hoped. I had worked for NOLS for 16 years and one of their core leadership skills is self awareness. When getting into the corrals just before the race I placed myself between two pace setters... the 4:20 pace setter and the 4:40 pace setter. This seemed to line up well with my split times from training and the number of crushing hills on the course. In the end, after lots of simple carbs and some brutal thigh cramps around mile 22, I pulled in at 4:39:37. What really got me to the end was my wife who met me along the route and was there at the finish line, the wonderful people of the Chattanooga community along the route cheering me on and the 4:40 pace setter who really made me push myself at the end of the race. I am pleased with my run and I am going to take what feels like a well deserved day of rest before getting back to lifting tomorrow.