Yesterday the training plan called for a 1:15 medium intensity run.  I decided, since that’s already going to be about 8 miles, to just go ahead and run a full 13.1.  I’m happy with my 1:57 time, and I’m sure I can shave 5 minutes off that by November to make my PR.  I’d really love to shave 7 minutes and make it under 1:50.  I still think that’s a workable goal at this point.  Here’s hoping the training plan is working!

Some of you may have been wondering exactly what a Pikermi is.  Pikermi is a small town about half way between Marathon and Athens.  This town would likely have been on the route of the legendary first marathoner, Pheidippides.  There are many in the running community who have suggested that half-marathon is a poor name for the 13.1 mile distance.  I’ve heard several suggestions for new names, but I think Pikermi is the most appropriate.  Pheidippides had to pass through Pikermi to get to Athens from Marathon, and many of us run a 13.1 mile race before we run a marathon.  I think it’s only fitting that that race be named Pikermi.

Here’s the original introduction of the name, and his reasons behind it, from Pochero’s blog at the Loop:

The problem is that it is half of something else. It is a half-marathon. People (non-runners and even some runners) always have a weird reaction to it. Oh, you “only” ran “half” of a marathon? That’s nice. Hey, that’s good of you to run a “half”. That’s a nice “half”. Maybe you’ll soon get a better “half”. It’s good of you to go on a “half training program”. And so on.

Are we half of a runner when we run a half? Do we run half a$$ when we run a half? Are we “half runners” forever doomed to be in the shadow of big brother marathon? Do we go through all the pain and agony of training to run “just a half”?

I say that the half marathon is due its proper place of eminence in the running world. It is 13.1 miles, 21 kilometers, a very respectable distance. It is a full-bore, balls-to-the-wall footrace. This distance needs its own name. It is not half of anything.

The marathon originated from the mythical 26-mile run by Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Greek’s victory over the Persian Army at the Battle of Marathon. An annual race is presently organized over the supposed original route and is called the Athens Marathon. I wonder why they didn’t call it the Marathon Marathon. The race in October 2010 will be the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon.

Anyhoo, around the 13-mile mark, right smack dab in the middle of the original Marathon route is the town of Pikermi. So why not name the half-marathon as the Pikermi? I know change can be scary but go ahead and try it. It won’t hurt. I promise:

Congratulations on your first Pikermi!

Hey, you rocked that Pikermi!

Good job on that Pikermi!

EDIT: [Pochero] called up Hotel Pikermi on Marathonos Avenue, Attica, Greece. It is pronounced: pee-KER-mee.

Here’s my Pikermi for Saturday, September 4, 2010:

And today’s 1 hour recovery run:

• 13.1 Miles! I CAN DO IT!
• Race Training Begins!
• Why I Run: The Challenge
• February Training Update
• Getting Excited for the Half Marathon!

Today was another hill workout, and my legs are definitely feeling it now.  Since the training plan added 15 minutes to the last workout, I had to add some more hills to my route.  The hills I chose to add are real “character builders” and kept my heart rate well above the targeted zone 3.

[If you don't see a map, click here to go to der5er.com]

The run felt good overall, and it was nice to start this run after the sun was up.  I got called in to work last night and didn’t get home until about 2:00 AM. While this would usually give me the motivation I need to skip a run, I decided to stick to the plan.  I’m really glad I did.

Next up?  Saturday’s plan calls for a 1:15 run, but I’ll probably stretch that to 1:45 if I can make it to Runner Bill’s and get some Gu before then.  Of course, this is depending upon the weather as well, since Earl is headed this way.  No rain or is currently predicted for Richmond, but I could end up working and helping out our team in Norfolk if Earl hits them hard.

• Pikermi Training Day 3: Hills
• Back from 5erFest in TN!
• Race Report: Carytown 10k
• Race Training Begins!
• Pikermi Training Day 8 and 9

Today I had a great run.  I felt loose and free, running as fast as I wanted seemed like no chore at all.  The training plan called for:

Run a 2 lap warm-up on the track. Make sure during these two laps you stride on the straight part of the track and jog on the curves.

Following your 2 lap warm-up, run 1 mile with a 400 meter recovery. Repeat 4 times.

Cool down with 10 minutes of light jogging.

I don’t have a track close enough for a true track workout, so I’ve found a couple of streets just across the way that make a 3/4 mile loop with only about 30 feet change in elevation.  This is longer than a track, but I’ve found it to be less boring.

I ran almost 6 miles in 51 minutes.  That’s pretty fast for me, knocking out an 8:32 average pace.  All of my intervals were at about 8 minute pace, so I’m feeling really good with that.

Here’s today’s map (if you don’t see it, click here):

August stats:

• 9 Runs
• 51.3 total miles
• 53:30 total time
• 9:15/mi average pace.

• 13.1 Miles! I CAN DO IT!
• Best Gas Tip by the Numbers
• 250 Miles!
• Pikermi Training Day 4 and 5: Week 1 Summary
• Half way to 100!!!

Well, I finished the first week of this training plan and I think I like it a lot.  So far, things are going pretty smooth.  I logged 23.5 miles in the first week, 29.81 miles overall (today starts week two).  This first week, I averaged about 9:30 per mile and 159 bpm while running.

Yesterday was scheduled to be a 1 hour easy run.  I went ahead for 1 hour 34 minutes instead.  I learned first hand the reasoning behind one of running and racing’s biggest rules of thumb yesterday.  What rule is that?  It’s spoken one of two ways, either “Go out slow,” or “Don’t start fast.”  I decided to start my run yesterday by wearing out running with Ruby, our dog.  She’s never really run more than a mile, but does pretty good at it the few times we’ve gone.  After a mile, she never really seems tired.  I thought that 1.5 miles might make a better run for her.  My main mistake when running with Ruby is letting her set the pace.  The first mile we averaged 9:07, which isn’t really a big deal, but there was no consistency.  One minute we’d be running a really quick 6:30, the next stopping to smell something interesting.   This constant sprinting at the beginning of a long run had my heart rate up in Zone 4 around 172 bpm fairly quickly.  It kept me elevated higher than I wanted to be (I am going to stick to the plan!) for quite a while and I found I had to run very slow to keep my heart rate in Zone 3 like the plan wanted.  Even 6 miles down the road, I could feel the initial burst of speed affecting me.  It didn’t make me tired, I had no problem with the distance or pace at all, except that the pace was slow.  To maintain a Zone 3 heart rate, instead of running around a 9 minute pace like I have all week, I had to keep my pace slower than 10 minutes and even closer to 11.

This surprised me.  I had always heard the old rule, but this showed me, with my own heart rate, the reason behind it.  Your heart’s a muscle just like your legs.  If you wear it out at the beginning with sprints, the rest of your run will suffer.  Now, I wasn’t particularly tired, but I’m not really sure I could have kept a 9:00 minute pace even if I’d allowed myself to run in HR Zone 5.

[If you don't see a map in this post, click through to der5er.com!]

Today was scheduled to be a half hour easy run, but I went for an hour.  The weather is so nice today, that I couldn’t resist.  No big lessons learned here, just a nice fun run.

[If you don't see a map in this post, click through to der5er.com!]

• Pikermi Training Day 3: Hills
• Pikermi Training Day 6: Track Workout
• February Training Update
• 250 Miles!
• Pikermi Training Day 7: Hills

Today was my third training day on Active.com’s Advanced 1/2 Marathon Program. Thanks to a sale Active was having at the end of July, I paid the princely sum of $0.00 for this plan that now sells for $30!  One thing I really like about this plan is that Active sends me daily email reminders letting me know exactly what I’ll be doing when I hit the road.  I also like that it was free!

Today’s prescribed run was an easy 45 minute hilly run.  Now, as most people who live in Brandermill will know, it’s actually kind of hard to find a route that’s not hilly anywhere near me.  With that in mind, I tried to find the most consistently up-and-down areas to run.  One thing I noticed during marathon training is that every road near me seems to be downhill when heading west and uphill when heading east.  So, that makes finding consistent hills pretty easy, just run up and down the streets.

The weather this morning was just about perfect, mid-60′s and sunny.  I really kind of wish I had carried my camera with me.  Around the middle of mile 4 I came across an open field surrounded by trees with about a foot of light fog sitting on it and the moon (just a couple days past full) hovering just above the trees in a fairly bright sky.

I felt really good about this run and was quite surprised that I came in at 5 miles for the 45 minutes of running.  It felt much faster than 9:00 minute miles , but I guess the hills got me.  I definitely didn’t stay within the target heart rate zone, most of the time I was just inside zone 4.

[If you don't see a map in this post, click through to der5er.com!]

My next run is scheduled for Saturday and should be a 1 hour easy run.  I think I’m going to actually run longer than that.  I had longer base miles before our vacation, and I think I’ve still got some of that base in my legs and lungs.  So, I’ll probably run about 1:30 instead of one hour.

• Pikermi Training Day 4 and 5: Week 1 Summary
• Pikermi Training Day 7: Hills
• February Training Update
• Why I Run: The Challenge
• 17 Days left! Almost Time to Taper

10k Starting line

I love challenges.  Whether it’s a new DIY project at home, new technology or equipment at work, or a new distance or PR (personal record) in running, my juices get flowing when I’ve got something new that I’ve never done before coming up.   When I started running, before I had even signed up for the 8k in 2007, I mentioned to Christi one night, “I’m going to have to sign up for a race or something to motivate me to keep running.”  Truer words have never been spoken.  After my first race, I was addicted.  Though the energy of the crowd was great, the real thing that keeps me coming back is the challenge of finishing.  Whether it’s finishing a distance I had never run or finishing faster than I did last time, there’s always a challenge.

My favorite distance is the Pikermi (a.k.a. half marathon).  When I ran my first one in 2008, the sense of accomplishment couldn’t be beat. Not only had I finished the distance, I now had a time to beat!  I beat that time the following March, and I’m headed to the Richmond Half Marathon this November to try and beat that time. This weekend is the Patrick Henry Half Marathon in Ashland.  I don’t have time to run it this year, but that was a very challenging race that I would really love to run again.  The hills on that course are tough and if the weather is at all warm you will bake on the scenic farm roads that offer little or no shade for most of the course.  I’ve run 3 Pikermis and, aside from proving to myself that I could actually go 13.1 miles, this was the most challenging.  I’d love to say that this course was my PR, but I don’t think anyone sets a PR at Patrick Henry.

Right now, I’m training for the Richmond Half Marathon this November.  I’ve raced this distance 3 times now and you wouldn’t think there would be much challenge left.  But I’ve got a big goal in mind that is immensely challenging to me.  Not only do I want to beat my PR (1:52:35), I’m setting my goal at 1 hour 45 minutes.  That will be 8 minute miles, people!  I’ve never, ever run that fast farther than 3 miles.  Also, I’m trying something new with my training.  Instead of focusing on my pace, I’m focusing on my heart rate while I train.  Those who’ve done it say heart rate training is the way to really improve your speed, I just hope they’re right.  All of these challenges make my 8:00/mi goal seem doable, but it will be a lot of work.  I can’t wait!  (I just finished day 2 of my training yesterday, and I plan to post updates along the way here.  You can also see how I’m running at Garmin.com)

The marathon distance last fall was brutal, but I don’t think I can fully explain how I felt crossing the finish line.  The challenge of all the miles up to that point (not just the 26.2 that day, but all the training miles too) made this an amazing experience.  The feeling of knowing I had conquered that distance, farther than some say the human body should be able to run, was unbelievable.  As a bonus, I beat my goal time.  I’ll definitely run another marathon next year.  After all, now I have a time to beat.

Happy runner at the finish!

• 2010 Resolutions and Goals
• February Training Update
• Pikermi Training Day 8 and 9
• Favorite Race I’ve Never Run: Monument Ave 10k
• Why I Run: My Family

Some days I feel just plain crazy. My mind runs a million miles a minute thinking about no one thing in particular or multiple different things are coming at me all at once. My job isn’t extremely high stress, but it does have its moments.  This is when I’m really thankful for running.

During the week I run in the mornings.  Early morning.  I try to get out the door on running days before 6:00 AM.  It doesn’t always work out, but that’s my goal each time I head out Monday through Friday.  Some days I snooze too much.  Some days I get a serious case of the lazies.  Most days, I get up at 5:00 AM, have some cereal, espresso, and water; and hit the road.  These runs are always peaceful.  The whole neighborhood is quiet, the sun is just coming up, there’s a tranquil serenity about it that’s hard to describe.  Of course, I blow “tranquil” and “serenity” away by plugging my earbuds into my ears and cranking some music or a podcast.

For an entire hour, or sometimes a little less, I zone out.  My mind still thinks about things and races around a bit, but in a good way.  More ordered and structured is how I would describe my thinking when I’m running.   I’ve been stressing lately about the fact that I didn’t write anything since mid-February here.  I had hit a block and couldn’t think of anything to write.  This series of posts is a result of thinking about that while I run.   It took me a while, but I figured out how to kick myself in the rear and get writing again.  Thanks to running, I’ve got one less thing to stress about.

Saturdays and Sundays, I venture out into the daylight.  Never both, our weekend schedule at home doesn’t really allow for that.  I don’t care what season it is, it’s always beautiful to run along the Swift Creek Reservoir for a nice long run.  Sunrise and sunset on the reservoir are nice, but it’s really pretty any time of day.

Sunset on the Reservoir

Tell me a view like that wouldn’t instantly banish all the crazy from your life?

• 17 Days left! Almost Time to Taper
• Happy Birthday to der5er!
• Why I Run: My Family
• Too many post ideas…too little time
• Photo of the Day: Playing with settings

Running for Family

When people hear that I ran my first marathon last fall, or that I’ve got a 10k coming up, or even that I’m going for a 4-5 mile run at 6:00 in the morning, they most often ask, “How can you do that?”  Well, people, the how is easy.  Just get up, strap your shoes on and go!  It doesn’t matter if you’re going 1 mile or 20, those first two steps will always apply.  

What I think people really mean to ask is, “Why do you do that?”  And I’ve got to say, there are several reasons.  I run for health and fitness, of course.  But that’s not really what got me started or what keeps me going, that’s just a great side effect.  I run for my family, for my sanity, and for the challenge. 

In the beginning, I started running for my family.  It was early 2007 when I got my first MP3 player, a jogging stroller for Cooper, and hit the road.  It was only 3 miles at a time, and at most, 3 times a week.  But I was getting out there and most days I had my little coach.  Cooper (age 3 at the time) would encourage me, “You’re not runningPapa,” or, “zzzzzz….”  But the time spent with him on these early runs was awesome.  We would run 1.5 miles from our rental house to the construction site.  Once there, we would get him out of the stroller and inspect the builder’s work.  We’d usually take 5-10 minutes just to walk around and check things out.  Then I’d load my building inspector/coach back into his stroller and we’d head home.  Fortunately for me, this was almost all down hill. 

This first summer of running was different for me.  After the house was finished and we moved in, I didn’t really have a reason to run.  Someone at work suggested I enter the 8k, but wow, 5 miles might as well have been a marathon for me back then.  I didn’t see any way that I could finish that distance.  At the same time I had lost my coach, Cooper didn’t want to ride along while I ran anymore, and I really missed that. 

The next fall (2008), Sarah and Cooper both signed up for the Times-Dispatch Kids Run the night before I ran my first half-marathon.  I ran with them and trained with them, probably too little.  We fit our training in between my training for the half marathon, homework for them, and all of the other extra-curricular activities a 5 and 8 year old have.  I ran the mile with Cooper to ensure he didn’t get lost and now the table had turned, I was his coach, and I loved it.

Sarah and Cooper did another kids run in the summer of 2009 and then Sarah and I entered a 5k as a team.  We trained together, again, probably too little.  It was the first time I had really enjoyed running without music, training with Sarah.

This Spring, Cooper and Sarah both participated in Mr. Sthreshley’s (and Richmond Sportsbackers) Fit for Life program at the school.  They ran every Monday and Friday, weather permitting, and some Saturdays to make up for the Mondays and Fridays that weather didn’t permit.  I loved the days that I was able to leave work early and run with them at the school or the Saturday mornings running with them. 

I’m not sure I’d have the same connection with Cooper or, especially, Sarah if it wasn’t for running.    I have other connections with Christi (though I’m trying to talk her into running), and Leanna (she ran a mile in gym class once, that’s enough for her), so don’t worry that I’m neglecting anyone.  I don’t run as much as I’d like with Cooper and Sarah, but I definitely want to run more.  I think, with just a little training, we could be a 3 person team at this year’s Powhatan YMCA 5k. 

I’ve rambled on enough, I’ll write later this week or next to tell you how running affects my sanity and why I love the challenges.

• When Should Kids Start Running?
• Race Training Begins!
• 2010 Resolutions and Goals
• Why I Run: The Challenge
• St. Mary’s 21st Annual 5k Run 2009

Wouldn’t that be a silly law to pass?  But, if you’re eating a sandwich, you don’t have two hands on the wheel, so it must be dangerous, right?  Right.  I’m not being sarcastic or snarky.  It really is dangerous to eat while you drive.  Just as dangerous as talking on your cell phone.  But it has nothing to do with your hands.

The real issue here is the conversation, which leads to distraction.

-AAA Mid-Atlantic’s John Townsend.

I’ve always been frustrated that this issue is solely focused on cell phones.  I understand that this is the thing most people see as a major distraction, but it’s never really been proven that cell phones specifically are any more dangerous than talking to your kids in the back seat or looking up an address on your GPS.  Some people get so focused on singing the lyrics or shouting at Rush Limbaugh that radios can be a serious distraction as well. 

But not for everyone.  Most people can listen to their radio and drive without being distracted.  Lots of people can talk to their spouse or kids while driving and not cause an accident.  And there are millions of people who talk on their cell phones every day while driving and don’t even come close to a near miss. 

The fact of the matter is that once, or maybe twice, you or someone you know saw a car swerve.  Then you pull up beside that car and – of course! – they’re on the phone.  So, now in your mind, and everyone else who’s witnessed something similar, cell phones are bad while driving.  What you don’t realize, or fail to notice is, at any given time on the freeway or city streets, you could be surrounded by cell phone talking drivers who – gasp - aren’t using a hands free device!  Andthey aren’t swerving, driving too slow, speeding, or otherwise driving in any manner that would let you know they are talking on their phone.  Millions of people do this every day without causing accidents.  At least, no more accidents than are caused by a Wendy’s Baconator. 

Why am I bringing this up today?  Well, our narrow minded illustrious politicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia on their way to passing a cell phone ban that could go into effect on July 1, 2010.  The Virginia Senate passed SB517 (and SB10 which is similar if not identical is waiting in the Senate Transportation committee) on Monday, February 8, 2010.  Just days after a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (a division of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) saying that such laws have failed to reduce crashes.  Let me quote their press release so there’s no confusion here:

As state legislators across the United States enact laws that ban phoning and/or texting while driving, a new Highway Loss Data Institute study finds no reductions in crashes after hand-held phone bans take effect.

(emphasis provided by me)

Oh, and to make these bills even more useless, the ban is not a primary offense.  That means the officer needs some other cause to pull you over.  So, why are we wasting time in the Virginia Senate on two bills that will have no effect? 

Money.  I’ve said it before, but the report from HLDI above just proves it even further.  Our politicians are only after our wallets with these bills.  SB517 provides fines of $20 for first offenses and $50 for subsequent offenses.  That’s not much of a deterrent, so after the first year the fines go up to $100 for a first offense and $200 for subsequent offenses. 

There’s another reason our wonderful legislators introduce cell phone ban bills every single year.  They are popular with the public.  Everyone knows that cell phones cause crashes.  So, the legislator is doing something that both Republican and Democrat constituents will like.  Such legislation might even get some extra donations in the next election. 

If you’re in Virginia, please let your Delegate know what you think.  The House of Delegates has not voted on either of these bills yet, but SB517 is quickly coming their way.

These laws are too narrow and useless.  We’d be better served (i.e. safer) with an overall distracted driving law that gave each officer discretion to pull over drivers that appear distracted as a primary offense. 

Eat a sandwich, get a ticket.  As simple as that.

• Useless Laws 101: Money Grubbing States
• My Thoughts: California’s Cell phone ban
• Autoblog – Degrees of Distraction
• Deepest sympathies to Virginia Tech
• Political Tool: Richmond Sunlight

Getting goofy before the race

2010 Hasn’t started very well so far.  At least as far as running goes.  I’ve only run 3 times this year, and two of those were less than 5 miles.  Of course, I can remember a time when running anything further than 3 seemed like an insurmountable challenge! Now seems like as good a time as any to set my resolutions and goals for the year.

• 1000 miles.  After the marathon, I’ve got no big goal distances (no, I do not plan to ever run an ultra-marathon).  So, I’m setting myself a cumulative goal to run 1000 miles this year.  I ran 800 miles last year, so I think the extra 200 should be easy to find.  I’ve set goals on my Garmin to run 100 per month, and as long as I make 10 of those, I should get my 1000 for the year, and then some.
• PR every distance except the marathon.  I’m not running any full marathons this year, so I am going to shoot for a new personal record in every distance I can.  Here’s how I stack up right now:
  • 5k - 24:46 at the St. Mary’s 5k in October 2009.
  • 10k - 50:50 at the Carytown 10k in May 2009.
  • Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) - 1:52:35 at the Shamrock Half Marathon in March 2009.
• Run more with the kids.  This may have to wait until warmer weather.  While I can get out and run 5-10 miles in 10-30 degree weather, I won’t punish the kids with that!  I know there’s another Running Kids event in August, plus the Powhatan Village run that usually happens on Labor Day weekend and the Richmond Marathon kids mile in November.  The kids race calendar is all set, I just need to do a better job preparing them for it.
• Post more.  This one used to be Post More Consistently, but I’ll settle for just more posting, period.
• Time management.  Yeah, I’m still working this one. 
• Delegate more.  My phone still rings too much at home, I need to better train and trust my technicians.
• Banish the “can’t.”  I have another secret resolution, but there’s a lot of “can’t” in my head around this one.  I read on the DIY Diva blog about getting around the “can’t” and just doing stuff.  It’s funny, once you tell yourself that you can’t do something, you can’t.  But, if you remove “can’t” from the equation, things get easier.  I’ve done this at work recently with a couple of really tough to understand problems, and getting rid of the “can’t” really helps.  If I can remove the “can’t” from my secret resolution, I’ll let you know. 

I think that about covers goals and resolutions for 2010, what are yours?  Let me know in the comments.

• Why I Run: The Challenge
• Happy New Year! 2008 in Review.
• Pikermi Training Day 8 and 9
• Home for the Holidays: Resolution Time
• Happy New Year! 2009 is Here!

Grandma Dixie says Happy New Year!

Leanna says Happy New Year!

Sarah and Christi say Happy New Year!

Cooper says Happy New Year!

• Happy New Year! 2009 is Here!
• Happy New Year! 2008 in Review.
• Happy Birthday to Me!
• Happy Birthday to der5er!
• My First Race as a 35 year old!

I can’t believe how quickly this year has passed.  Only 8 more days until 2010.  So, I guess it’s about time to look back and see how i did in 2009.

I set 6 resolutions in January.  Let’s review those and see how I did:

• 

  Having fun with my camera.

  Keep up the consistent training schedule. With marathon training, I think I did just that.  There were a couple of times that I took a week off here and there, but overall, I kept a pretty consistent schedule of running 3-4 times each week.  I didn’t cross-train as much as I would have liked, but I can always work on that in 2010.

• Post more consistently. I did really well for the first half of the year, I only averaged 2-3 posts per month after that, except September with a whopping 6 posts.  I’ve really been slacking around the blog, but I am going to work on posting at least once per week from now on (of course, that will go on my 2010 resolution post).
• Time management. This is always a problem.  I think I got even better at managing work time, but I still let lots of things slip through the cracks at home.  I guess this one will be going back on next year’s list, too.
• Keep the garage clean! Nope.  Fail. I didn’t do a little each weekend to keep it cleaner (not even a little each month), and maybe that was too ambitious.  Or maybe, like I said at the beginning of the year, I’ve really got to master the time management thing so I’ll have time to clean the garage.
• Delegate more. I’ve managed to hand a couple of jobs to my employees, and I think my phone rings less, but there are some projects that are hard to let go of.
• Calendar. I definitely did better with my calendar at work, and it’s even helping a little at home.  Not completely solving all my time management problems, but I like to think it’s helping.

I ran 128 times (so far) in 2009, totaling 796 miles.  I’ve still got a few days left, so I should finish the year off over 130 runs and over 800 miles easily.  Of course, now that I say that, I’ll probably twist my ankle walking to my truck to go home today.

• Happy New Year! 2009 is Here!
• Home for the Holidays: Resolution Time
• 2010 Resolutions and Goals
• Happy New Year! 2008 in Review.
• Why I Run: My Family

Brightroom Photography, the official photographer of the 2009 SunTrust Richmond Marathon, has posted their pictures of the race.  If you’re searching for a Christmas, take a look over at Brightroom’s website.  I’m happy with most all of the pictures they managed to get, and any of them would make a great gift!  Unfortunately, those pictures are copyright and I can’t republish here.  Here’s one I do have permission to republish:

Bill and Greg after the race

That’s Bill Blevins and I.  Bill is my company’s resident marathon maniac.  He finished the Richmond Marathon in 4:02:28, which is extremely impressive.  Especially when you consider that just two weeks ago, he ran the New York Marathon in 4:21:01!  Two weeks!  He should still be doing recovery runs and he was out there running Richmond 19 minutes faster!  I know, very different courses and I shouldn’t compare the two times, but still, 19 minutes!  After I crossed the finish line Bill was waiting, looking cool as a cucumber like he’d only run an 8k.  I’ll definitely have to work harder in training next time if I want to catch him!

• 17 Days left! Almost Time to Taper
• 13.1 Miles! I CAN DO IT!
• Getting Excited for the Half Marathon!
• Why I Run: The Challenge
• Why I Run: My Family

Me before the race

Yesterday, I ran a marathon.  This has been one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life.  Who would have thought, just a few years ago, that I would enter, train for, and actually finish a marathon.  There have only been a couple of times in my life that I have experienced true euphoria, the finish line yesterday was one of those times.

The morning started off on the chilly side and wet.  But not too chilly or too wet and, thankfully, there was no wind.  There was a slight breeze once we got away from the taller buildings but nothing that would slow us down.  Temperatures started in the upper 40s.  Cool enough that I wanted my jacket and long pants before the race started, but warm enough that I wasn’t sad that I ditched them. 

My first few miles went by very easy.  I ran with a neighborhood friend Kyle.  I had been apprehensive about the long straight roads in Richmond.  I normally run on windy roads and trails in Brandermill and Midlothian, never really going much more than a half mile before turning or curving.  So, looking at the 2 miles starting out on Broad street and, later in the race, the nearly 3 miles straight up Boulevard, had me thinking those sections would be very boring.  Fortunately, they went by without much thought, and before I knew it, I was headed across the Huguenot bridge to Riverside Drive.  A really beautiful stretch of road along the James River. 

After running past Pony Pasture, we headed up to Forest Hill and across Powhite Parkway.  Just a little further down the road was the halfway point, where Christi, Grandma Shirley, Sarah, Leanna, and Cooper were waiting to see and cheer me on.  Just past the halfway mark our neighbor, Jennifer,  joined us and ran with us for a couple miles.  She ditched us right after mile 15, saying she would rather not run the Lee Bridge again (Jennifer ran the marathon last year, and the Lee Bridge has quite a reputation for sapping the energy of runners). 

Kyle and I split up at this point, and I went on ahead up the bridge.  I won’t say the bridge was easy, but I will say I conquered it.  I skipped out on the junk food stop at mile 16, preferring to stick with the GU Roctane energy gels I brought with me.  After passing through VCU, I headed through an area of Richmond I had never seen.  I didn’t even know we had an area called Uptown.  It was a very pretty area, with many of the buildings looking near historic.

Next I ran through Carytown and then it was time for the dreaded Boulevard.  I know most runners probably didn’t dread this the way I did.  I just can’t get into a long straight run.  I tried my best to take in the scenery, and that worked until I got to Broad Street.  After that, Boulevard becomes a street I drive almost daily and there isn’t anything scenic about it.   I made it through by thinking about my favorite barbecue joint that’s on this stretch of road, Buz ‘N Ned’s.  After passing Buz ‘ Ned’s, it was just a little further to the top of the bridge, then downhill past the Bryant Park Interchange area and mile 20 where Christi and the family were waiting again.  It was really good to see them, and always made me smile.

Just down the street from there I was joined by my neighbor John, who ran the rest of the way with me.  It really helped to have someone running with me.  It was almost like getting a new burst of energy.  Thanks to John and his “GO GREG” sign, the 1 mile straightaway down Brook Rd seemed like nothing.  It was great when John would hold up the sign and spectators, people I did not know, would start shouting “GO GREG!”  I never thought about it before the race, but this really made me feel like a rock star! 

Turning from Brook onto Lombardy I realized there was less than 3 miles left.  And I wouldn’t spend more than 9/10ths of a mile on any street before turning.  And, most of the remaining course was downhill. 

With the final turn onto Cary Street and only a little more than the final 3/10ths of a mile remaining, I stretched out my legs and flew down the hill to the finish line.  Breezing past Christi, Grandma, and the kids with a quick wave, I handed off my fuel belt to John and took off.  I finished the final 2/10ths in 1:28. 

Crossing the finish line of my first marathon was the most amazing feeling I think I’ve ever had.  The rush of emotion reminded me of when my kids were born.  I actually felt like I could have gone another 4 miles at that point, but that quickly faded after walking a bit and realizing how tired I actually was. 

Today, I’m still a little sore.  Mostly my thighs, but really everything is feeling a little pain to remind me that those muscles are all there.   No, I won’t be running today.  I might tomorrow, just a quick and easy run.  No training for a while because I haven’t even picked my next race.

I’m happy I ran the marathon.  My official finish time was 4:25:04 and my pace was 10:12 per mile. My overall finish place was 2201, my age group finish place was 249 and my gender finish place was 1484.  This is something I’ll always remember as one of my best days.

• 250 Miles!
• Race Training Begins!
• Getting Excited for the Half Marathon!
• Race Report: Patrick Henry Half Marathon
• Why I Run: The Challenge

While camping at First Landing State Park on October 3 we went to nearby Fort Story for the 21st Annual running of the St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children 5k Run/Walk.

Getting goofy before the race

The 5k course was flat, the weather cool and dry, and yours truly managed to run real fast, finishing in 24:46!  That was fast enough to snag a third place finish for the 35-39 age group!  Plus, 24:46 was a new record for me!  It was awesome all the way around!  I could have been even faster, but I still haven’t figured out how to drink water from a cup while running without choking.  So, I spent at least 5-10 seconds stopped drinking water around the 2 mile mark.  That still wouldn’t have gotten me first or second, as those guys finished 4 minutes ahead of me!  I never even considered the possibility that I would place, so we didn’t hang around for the award ceremony.

I didn’t carry my camera with me for the 5k.  I’ve run on Fort Story before (during the Shamrock Half Marathon), so I didn’t think about bringing it.  It was a beautiful day, but the areas of the Fort that we ran wouldn’t have provided too many picture opportunities.

The 10:00 AM start for the kids race was also perfect.  It meant that Christi and the kids didn’t have to get up as early as I did, though Ruby made sure they were on Fort Story shortly after I finished.  Cooper and Sarah had a great time with this one, plus they got medals!  I’m still floored by this, because that’s a perk you usually don’t expect from a smaller event like a 5k.

We started the kids race by doing our warm-up with an astronaut.  The course was, just like the 5k, pretty flat.  It had a couple of gradual hills, but nothing to really wear you out.  A quick 1/4 mile loop took us back past the starting line and gave Christi a good opportunity to snap more pictures of us before heading out on the last 3/4 mile loop.  The astronaut weaved around all the racers on roller skates (cheater!) and offered to take pictures of Cooper and I–turns out he’s also a photo-journalist!  I left Cooper a little before the half-way point and sprinted across a short cut to catch a couple pictures of Sarah before she got into the last 1/4 mile.  She was still smiling, which is always a good sign.  Plus, I think she liked seeing me out of breath after sprinting to catch her!  As we neared the finish line, Leanna and Ruby were there cheering us on, and I managed to get a picture of Cooper crossing the finish line.  He actually crossed a couple seconds before the picture, and I think his “official” time was 10:58, Sarah’s was 9:58.  This time next year, he may pass her!

• When Should Kids Start Running?
• Official Marathon Pictures!
• Race Report: Carytown 10k
• der5er Finishes 1736th in the nTelos 8k!
• Race Report: Greater Richmond SCAN 5k