Last Saturday, I took second overall at the Ritley Run 5-K at Perry High School with a 19:12 time!
It's a fast course and I finished it five seconds faster than last year when I also took second place with a 19:17.
This race is really a nice community event as there is a 1.5 mile fun walk and small dashes across the football field for young children, who each receive a finisher's medal.
The weekend before Sunday Sept. 12, I ran the half marathon at Presque Isle in Erie, Pa. I was doing great for the first seven miles then my left leg tightened up and I had to drop down from my 7:30/mile pace down to about an 8 minute pace.
I said goodbye to the pace group I had found, hoping to break 1:40. But I managed to gut it out and finish in a respectable 1:42:05
I finished in 65th place overall out of 694 total finishers so ending up in the top 10 percent is a pretty good showing. My age group at this distance is also very competitive as I finished tenth.
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at."
Jesse Owens, American track and field athlete and Olympic gold medal winner
Happy running!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Miller Paul Marut 5-K
Yesterday was the fourth annual Miller Paul Marut Memorial 5-K run in Concord Township.
This is always a nice event for a good cause as the proceeds raised go to help Riverside Local School District in memory of Miller Paul Marut who died from SIDS as a young infant to a Concord Township couple.
This course is an out and back 3.1 mile run that is mainly downhill with some rolling hills on the way out, then of course, some rolling hills and mainly uphill the way back.
I ran a 6:09 split for mile one and I was cooking down the hills. Reality set in, and so did the hills, and I finished mile two in 6:59 and the last 1.1 miles was in about 7:22. So my pace was pretty consistent, considering the first mile was just about all downhill.
Overall, I finished the race in an unofficial time of 20:32. I think I also took fourth in my age group, missing out on a medal by about 10 seconds or so.
I'll post a little more once I have the official results.
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"The great advantage of our sport over all others is that we don't need a ball or a team or a field, or even, according to some, shoes. We just need to stand someplace, imagine ourselves in the center of a circle, pick one out of the 360 degrees available to us, and head thataway."
Peter Sagal, a 3:20 marathoner and the host of NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Happy running!
This is always a nice event for a good cause as the proceeds raised go to help Riverside Local School District in memory of Miller Paul Marut who died from SIDS as a young infant to a Concord Township couple.
This course is an out and back 3.1 mile run that is mainly downhill with some rolling hills on the way out, then of course, some rolling hills and mainly uphill the way back.
I ran a 6:09 split for mile one and I was cooking down the hills. Reality set in, and so did the hills, and I finished mile two in 6:59 and the last 1.1 miles was in about 7:22. So my pace was pretty consistent, considering the first mile was just about all downhill.
Overall, I finished the race in an unofficial time of 20:32. I think I also took fourth in my age group, missing out on a medal by about 10 seconds or so.
I'll post a little more once I have the official results.
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"The great advantage of our sport over all others is that we don't need a ball or a team or a field, or even, according to some, shoes. We just need to stand someplace, imagine ourselves in the center of a circle, pick one out of the 360 degrees available to us, and head thataway."
Peter Sagal, a 3:20 marathoner and the host of NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Happy running!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
I'm baaaaack
At the urging of an "anonymous" comment, I'm going to return from sabbatical.
During the summer, I've run several races including some 5Ks, a 5-miler and a half marathon.
My times have been pretty decent and it's been fun to be part of a new age group, even winning a couple awards including a 12th place overall and second in age group for a 20:31 in the Ashtabula YMCA 5K on July 4 and a recent first place age group and sixth overall showing in Conneaut Windmill 5K with a 20:11.
To help with strength and cross training, I've also started a new workout program designed to get you to eventually to do 100 pushups and 200 situps. I've done two workouts so far, it's been a challenge and different, but kind of fun and not very time consuming. It can even be done in the living room while watching TV. Bonus.
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"I think there is too much emphasis placed on the distinction between the people in the front and the people in the back. I happen to feel that the sensations are exactly the same for all of us."
Kenny Moore, marathoner and writer
Happy running!
During the summer, I've run several races including some 5Ks, a 5-miler and a half marathon.
My times have been pretty decent and it's been fun to be part of a new age group, even winning a couple awards including a 12th place overall and second in age group for a 20:31 in the Ashtabula YMCA 5K on July 4 and a recent first place age group and sixth overall showing in Conneaut Windmill 5K with a 20:11.
To help with strength and cross training, I've also started a new workout program designed to get you to eventually to do 100 pushups and 200 situps. I've done two workouts so far, it's been a challenge and different, but kind of fun and not very time consuming. It can even be done in the living room while watching TV. Bonus.
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"I think there is too much emphasis placed on the distinction between the people in the front and the people in the back. I happen to feel that the sensations are exactly the same for all of us."
Kenny Moore, marathoner and writer
Happy running!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On sabattical for now
I am suspending posting on this blog for a few weeks due to time constraints. Will be back posting soon.
Friday, April 23, 2010
25-minute hard tempo run
Last night's workout called for a 1-mile warmup, followed by a hard 25 minutes, then another mile for a cooldown.
I felt great during this workout and my challenging speed workout from Tuesday paid off, I believe.
Here are the splits:
Mile 1 (warmup) 8:14
Mile 2, 6:55; Mile 3, 6:47; Mile 4, 6:49; Mile 4.66 (end of 25 minutes) 4:29 which translates to a 6:49/mile pace. This part of the workout 3.66 miles was done in 25:02, which translates to a 6:50/mile pace!
Mile 5.66 (cooldown) 8:35
Total workout was 5.66 miles (including warmup and cooldown) and was done at a 7:23/mile pace.
Gotta love it!!!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
Happy running!
I felt great during this workout and my challenging speed workout from Tuesday paid off, I believe.
Here are the splits:
Mile 1 (warmup) 8:14
Mile 2, 6:55; Mile 3, 6:47; Mile 4, 6:49; Mile 4.66 (end of 25 minutes) 4:29 which translates to a 6:49/mile pace. This part of the workout 3.66 miles was done in 25:02, which translates to a 6:50/mile pace!
Mile 5.66 (cooldown) 8:35
Total workout was 5.66 miles (including warmup and cooldown) and was done at a 7:23/mile pace.
Gotta love it!!!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
Happy running!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
New challenging speed workout
Tonight's speed workout was something I haven't done before. Very tough, but a refreshing change!
The training called for running two miles at 10-K pace, followed by five minutes rest. Then run one mile at 5-K pace, three minutes rest, then another mile at 5-K pace, three minutes rest.
After this, then run a 1/2 mile at slightly faster than 5-K pace, rest three minutes, then another 1/2 mile at the same pace.
Total equaled five miles.
That two-mile run was killer and my lungs were burning at the end, but each sprint afterward was slightly easier, although it was faster.
Here are the times/splits:
2 miles, 13:34 (6:42, 6:51); 1 mile, 6:34; 1-mile, 6:34; 1/2 mile 3:17; and finishing with 3:12 for the last 1/2 mile.
Interesting how as you get more tired, the pace increases!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"The training is constant. You just have to stick with it and you'll be successful. I use running to stay healthy and burn off the day's stress."
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, NASA Astronaut
Happy running!
The training called for running two miles at 10-K pace, followed by five minutes rest. Then run one mile at 5-K pace, three minutes rest, then another mile at 5-K pace, three minutes rest.
After this, then run a 1/2 mile at slightly faster than 5-K pace, rest three minutes, then another 1/2 mile at the same pace.
Total equaled five miles.
That two-mile run was killer and my lungs were burning at the end, but each sprint afterward was slightly easier, although it was faster.
Here are the times/splits:
2 miles, 13:34 (6:42, 6:51); 1 mile, 6:34; 1-mile, 6:34; 1/2 mile 3:17; and finishing with 3:12 for the last 1/2 mile.
Interesting how as you get more tired, the pace increases!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"The training is constant. You just have to stick with it and you'll be successful. I use running to stay healthy and burn off the day's stress."
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, NASA Astronaut
Happy running!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Three challenging, one easy workout this week
Tuesday was a sprint workout day and that called for seven 1/2 mile sprints.
I was a little nervous about the volume of this workout, but once I got into it everything seemed to go just fine and I cruised much faster than anticipated.
Here are the times:
3:14, 3:05, 3:02, 3:06, 3:04, 3:02 and finally the last lap faster than three minutes at 2:57!
After a day off, Thursday called for an easy run of 30-45 minutes, so I decided to do four miles. Nothing special here, but still feeling the effects from Tuesday's sprints.
I did four miles in 32:39 for a 8:10 average mile pace.
Friday's workout was much more intense. This was a tempo run of five miles plus a mile warmup and a mile cool down for seven total miles.
Total run including warmup and cooldown was done in 51:57 for a 7:26/mile pace!
Here are the splits:
8:12 (warmup), 6:56, 7:00, 7:08, 7:13, 7:07 and 8:18 (cooldown)
I was flying during some of these miles that were done at a moderate pace, I'm guessing that's around 80 percent effort, perhaps I ran them a little harder than that though.
Saturday I had to work so not much of a day off for recovery before my next challenging workout.
Sunday's run was for 10 miles. My legs were definitely not as fresh for the long run, and despite some heavy gusts of wind for some stretches, I still ran at a pretty good clip. This is a good sign that my training is progressing well.
Here are the splits:
8:02, 7:51, 7:35, 7:42, 7:41, 7:44, 7:49, 7:42, 7:56 and 7:47. Total was 10 miles in 1:17:56 for a 7:48/mile pace!
Hypothetically, if I could have held that pace for another 3.1 miles, I would have run a 1/2 marathon in 1:42:15. But this was just a training run and I wasn't fresh at all, so who knows?
I know for sure that I'm done with week three of the 10-week training program for the 1/2 marathon. I'm running paces that are certainly giving me hope that I can establish a new 1/2 marathon PR June 6 in Concord.
Right now, my best time in a half marathon is 1:36:25 last fall at the Towpath 1/2 Marathon.
Can't wait to see what happens!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"I tape my list of goals, both large and small, above my bed so I see them when I wake up. This holds me accountable."
Chris Solinsky, Elite runner from Portland, Oregon
Happy running!
I was a little nervous about the volume of this workout, but once I got into it everything seemed to go just fine and I cruised much faster than anticipated.
Here are the times:
3:14, 3:05, 3:02, 3:06, 3:04, 3:02 and finally the last lap faster than three minutes at 2:57!
After a day off, Thursday called for an easy run of 30-45 minutes, so I decided to do four miles. Nothing special here, but still feeling the effects from Tuesday's sprints.
I did four miles in 32:39 for a 8:10 average mile pace.
Friday's workout was much more intense. This was a tempo run of five miles plus a mile warmup and a mile cool down for seven total miles.
Total run including warmup and cooldown was done in 51:57 for a 7:26/mile pace!
Here are the splits:
8:12 (warmup), 6:56, 7:00, 7:08, 7:13, 7:07 and 8:18 (cooldown)
I was flying during some of these miles that were done at a moderate pace, I'm guessing that's around 80 percent effort, perhaps I ran them a little harder than that though.
Saturday I had to work so not much of a day off for recovery before my next challenging workout.
Sunday's run was for 10 miles. My legs were definitely not as fresh for the long run, and despite some heavy gusts of wind for some stretches, I still ran at a pretty good clip. This is a good sign that my training is progressing well.
Here are the splits:
8:02, 7:51, 7:35, 7:42, 7:41, 7:44, 7:49, 7:42, 7:56 and 7:47. Total was 10 miles in 1:17:56 for a 7:48/mile pace!
Hypothetically, if I could have held that pace for another 3.1 miles, I would have run a 1/2 marathon in 1:42:15. But this was just a training run and I wasn't fresh at all, so who knows?
I know for sure that I'm done with week three of the 10-week training program for the 1/2 marathon. I'm running paces that are certainly giving me hope that I can establish a new 1/2 marathon PR June 6 in Concord.
Right now, my best time in a half marathon is 1:36:25 last fall at the Towpath 1/2 Marathon.
Can't wait to see what happens!
Runners World Quote of the Day:
"I tape my list of goals, both large and small, above my bed so I see them when I wake up. This holds me accountable."
Chris Solinsky, Elite runner from Portland, Oregon
Happy running!
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