Moore On Running

Running Over the Hill (Bridge) - open invite

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:09:46 PST

Tonight (Friday) at 11:45pm I am meeting my friend Greg for a run to celebrate his 50th Birthday!

This is an open invitation to anyone in the area to come join us on our run over the Cooper River Bridge as he goes over the hill :)

We are meeting at the gas station at the foot of the Bridge and you are welcome to run as much or as little as you want.

By the way, this is great night training for the upcoming Palmetto 200!

Read more about Greg and why this run means so much to him at: CharlestonRuns

I am proud to call Greg my friend and thrilled to usher in his next 50 years in such a cool way.

Hope you can join us!

Don't forget to enter the Sport Science Giveaway!

Here are the details:

Go to Sport Science and...

Email me at noah@mooreonrunning.com (Subject Line: Sport Science) - I will not share your email and will not send you span.

That's it!

Sport Science Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:59:05 PST

I don’t do this much, but I have a giveaway that I am really excited about!

Sport Science is going to give one of my lucky readers one of their new MultiPaks AND one of their awesome Smarter Basic Shirts!

Sport Science is a very cool company that has some really nice products. I bought a shirt for my wife at an expo last year and she loved it!

They have a cool mission statement:

"Our mission is to create products that do more so you can do more (or less) in style and comfort. When true technical performance fuses with incredible comfort and versatility, smarter performance™ is the result."

And and awesome philosophy:

better living
thru sport science

the philosophy behind our clothes

run a marathon, run a 5k, run farther than you did yesterday. do yoga, lift weights, jazzercise. eat well. get big, trim down a little. get in beach shape, get in game shape, get match fit. work late, take off early. have a coffee. ski, snowboard, skate, surf, roll around in those awesome shoes with the wheels in them. chill out. drive to work, bike to work, carpool. have a drink, drink water. take the trash out, recycle.

do more. enjoy.

So how do you win?

At the end of two weeks (February 19^th at 11:59pm) I will use a random number generator to select a winner from all entries received.

This is all you have to do:

Go to Sport Science and…

Email me at noah@mooreonrunning.com (Subject Line: Sport Science) - I will not share your email and will not send you spam.

That’s it.

Good luck!

It Just Doesn't Seem So Silly Anymore...

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:27:54 PST

I was in bed reading a book and I could not get this thought out of my head (so now you get to read it).

When I finally decided to start exercising, I kept thinking how silly I must look walking around my neighborhood listening to books on tape with my old Sony Walkman (actually my wife's).

But each day I kept going out and walking a little more.

Eventually it just didn't seem so silly anymore...

Thank you for reading my blog and giving me a place to share my joy of running! If you like my blog and would like to show your support please click on this link "The Top 100 Running Sites" and click the "Click Here to Enter!" button to vote for MooreOnRunning. Thanks again for stopping by.

Charleston Marathon: mixed review

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:52:40 PST

As you can tell from the title of this post, I have some mixed feelings on this one so here it goes.

First, this was my first attempt at pacing a half marathon. I loved it!

My running partner CSR and I paced the 2:30 group for TrySports. We got to wear some cool bright yellow pacer shirts and hold “2:30” signs the whole race (that was the hardest part of the race – the signs, not the shirts).

CSR and I had just run the Goofy Challenge last weekend, but the 39.3 miles did not bother either of us at all. CSR came up with a new name for what we were doing, “Marathon Sandwich”. That’s a half marathon, full marathon, and another half marathon within a week. I think the name will stick!

I was so inspired by the people I met on this run. Some people were either running their first half marathon or were going for a PR in this distance. I met a guy who had lost over 100 pounds (like me!) and a woman who just had a baby ten weeks ago (not like me)! I ran with locals, people from other parts of the state and several people from out of state. I absolutely loved hearing their stories, I loved crossing the finish line with all of them and I loved being part of their amazing journeys.

Here is what I did not love…

There were only 14 port-a-lets at the start of the race (there were over 3,000 people registered for the race). There was very little signage at the start to direct people and I cannot even remember if there was an emcee at the start.

I don’t really have much to say about the route. It’s a long race - some parts are nice, some parts are not. What I did not like was that at mile four there were no cups! In fact, there were no cups after this point until the table at mile twelve!

Luckily, the weather was cool enough that this did not become a safety issue. But I could tell that the people around me, who had never run this far, were starting to panic. People were even picking up used cups from the ground to get some water or PowerAde. The volunteers were so apologetic and I could see they were really upset that the race organizers had not given them enough cups for the runners.

The finish was not much better. There was food, but no water bottles. We did manage to find some volunteers who were filling up cups with water toward the back of the finish area.

I later found out that the race had run out of medals for the finishers after our pace group (almost as bad as not having cups).

The finish festival was nice. It was inside a tent (although it was a little cramped) and they had shrimp and grits (every race should have this at the end), but there was no water! Plenty of sweet tea, but again no water…

I do want to end this post on a positive note. My son ran the Youth Marathon the day before and had a blast! He received an awesome shirt and his medal was over the top!

I really hope this race gets better.

Charleston is an amazing place to run and I want people to come here and enjoy this place I call home.

Disney Recap – It’s not about your time, it’s about the time that you have...

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:16:22 PST

What an awesome weekend! I had such a good time running this race…

Our group (Jen, Cathy, Annie, and I) left Charleston (SC) at around 8:00am (we were shooting for closer to 7:00am, but coffee and pickle juice called our names - more about the pickle juice later).

Oh - one thing about driving to a race with a bunch of runners is that everyone is trying to stay hydrated,
so everyone has to pee all the time (including me)!

We drove to Orlando and got in pretty early (I think it took us about seven hours). We stayed at
Disney’s Pop Century (they put us in the 80’s building - nice). Not much to say about the hotel, it was inexpensive compared to the others so it was fine with me.

Perfect hat for Jen!

As soon as we checked in we went over to the expo at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. The expo had a ton of people, but was really well organized. We were actually looking for some Hammer Gel, but it looked like GU had the monopoly on the gel market so no luck (we had enough, just wanted an extra one or two for emergencies)…

Cathy, Annie and I were doing the Goofy Challenge (Half Saturday and Full Sunday) so we actually got three shirts in our bag (sweet)!!! Not much else in the bags, but the shirts rock! Jen, my wife, picked up her bag and I could see a little nervousness in her smile (this was going to be her first Full Marathon!).

FYI - the real challenge of the “Goofy Challenge” is trying to get enough sleep. The races start at 5:30am each day! Not only that, but we had to be on the bus to the starting line no later than 4:00am! I woke up at 3:00am on Saturday and 2:45am Sunday! Crazy, I mean Goofy!!!

Oh! As we were leaving the expo to get dinner, Cathy was interviewed by ESPN Latino! The best part was when the reporter asked her what she thought of the race “curse”. She looked shocked and asked “what curse?!” In fact, we all looked at each other trying to figure out what curse he was talking about. Finally, the reporter noticed her confusion and said “what do you think of the race COURSE?”. We had a lot of fun with Cathy after that!

After we finally pulled Cathy away from the cameras, we headed out for dinner. We ate at a nice Asian place in Celebration, FL, and then headed back to our rooms to try to go to sleep. "Try" is the key word. I tossed and turned all night thinking that I was going to oversleep and miss the race (and I had to get up a million times to go pee!).

Fortunately Jen did get a chance to sleep in while we were running, but she woke up when I was getting dressed. She looked at me, half awake, and said “I have been running all night! I’m done!”
It was too funny!

Good thing we picked up throwaway sweat shirts!

Anyway, after I got dressed I walked with Cathy and Annie to the lobby to catch the bus. The line was crazy long, but went fast and the bus trip was pretty uneventful.

We stopped at a port-a-let and then dropped off our bags (very well organized). Then we walked for about 20 minutes in the dark to the start!

This part was really strange, you are basically following a bunch of people who you hope know where they are going. Luckily they did and when we got to the start it was well worth the walk.

The start was so cool (oh, it was a little cold out too, but not cool that way, the other cool way)…

We got settled into our coral and then waited for Donald Duck to count us down. Fireworks went off for each wave start (who does that?!) - it was awesome!

It was a good thing we decided to take it easy on this race (our pace would be slower than our training long runs). It was so packed that there was no way to get a fast pace going anyway. Luckily, this race was about finishing the challenge not setting a new PR.

The course took us around Epcot and then the Magic Kingdom (did I mention this was my first time
at Disney?). I was like a little kid looking at everything. We stopped a few times to take pictures
(something I had never done in a race before this one).

We really just kept an even pace and took it easy (until the end)…

With about 2 miles left, I jokingly said we should race the last .1 miles. We laughed about it and decided
we would be "Goofy" and hold hands as we went through the finish (I really think this was to keep us all honest). Anyway, as we came through the finish line we held hands and raised our arms in victory!

And then it happened…

I could see Annie start to make her move! We were about to cross the actual finish line and she was
going to try to beat us! I took off at full sprint! Cathy started to sprint ahead as well and I cut her off (that’s right – I cut her off at the finish line…).

Cathy almost ran into the photographer! We were laughing like crazy as we made our way to get our medals (can’t wait to see those pictures from Disney)…

The ride back to our hotel was super fast and easy. Disney knows how to move people!

That day we walked around Disney Downtown and had a late lunch. We were all trying to stay awake for the whole day. We tried to stay hydrated and fueled and then we were back in bed (after peeing a million times)!

I slept a little better, but decided to get up at 2:45am (we cut it a little close the day before). As soon as
I saw the smaller line for the bus, I knew we could have slept in longer…

We all peed in the woods this time and then headed to the corals (Jen was only starting two back from
us). I kissed Jen goodbye and wished her luck. I was really excited for her, but nervous too.

I remember my first race and how hard it felt. I also remember the emotions I went through as I made it to the finish. I actually thought about running this race with her, but everyone I talked to said it would be harder on her. I get the reasoning (it was her race, she might try to run at a faster pace than she should, etc…), but if I had it to do over again I would have run with her...

The start of the Full Marathon was just like the Half (other than it was Mickey counting us down this time). I was still really excited though! I had no idea I would be such a kid about this stuff .

Oh! We ran with another runner this time. Stephanie of See Mom Run. Cathy actually ran with her during her amazing Rock n’ Roll Savannah Marathon (PR). Stephanie fit right in with our group (although we actually lost her for a few miles when we stopped (to pee!), but somehow among all those people we found her again!

When we got to the Magic Kingdom we stopped to take pictures (we were testing pickle juice on this race so we made a toast!). I know, you should never try new things on race day, but we were really taking it easy.

The Full was a lot like the Half, but we did get to go through Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood (both very cool, but Animal Kingdom was kind of a letdown – not many animals out - I guess they had better things to do).

The support on this race was nothing like I have ever seen! The volunteers were amazing (I know people say that to be nice, but I mean it! They were incredible). There was water and PowerAde at every aid station. They had bananas and even chocolate! There was a GU station. And there were more medical stations than I have ever seen!

I really wanted to pick up the pace, but I was still worried about my calves cramping as we got to mile 20. If you have followed my blog you know I have a problem with my calves cramping around this point.

We kept the pace even until mile 24. That’s when Annie got super excited and decided we needed to drop the hammer on the pace!

I was still worried about my calves cramping, but they actually felt great!

The one thing I was thinking about was an article I had read about what doctors thought could be causing men to die at the finish line of marathons. One of the things they were looking at was the sudden increase of speed or adrenaline at the end of marathons.

So, knowing that Jen would kill me if I died during this race, I backed off a little and ran through the finish right after Annie, Stephanie and Cathy (next time I'm cutting them off).

After we finished, we picked up or medals and bags. I knew Jen was a little ways behind us so I checked my phone for the Disney Tracker (another very cool thing about this race - and it was free!). She was about an hour back, but I could tell her pace had slowed after the 20 mile mark. I had a feeling she might be hitting the wall.

I found a spot at the finish line and waited (Annie and Cathy stayed near the bag check so they could find her as she came through - they are so awesome!).

A few minutes later my phone rings (it was Jen!). She said, "It's going to be a little while, you guys go ahead and go back to the hotel and I'll see you later". Now I knew she was bonking!

I said "Shut up! We're not going anywhere! We'll be right here when you finish. Put one foot in front of the other and keep going forward!" I told her I loved her and was so proud of her and said to call me as much as she wanted. She never called back, but she finished!!!

It was awesome to be there as she ran through the finish line!

I could tell she was hurting and dehydrated (later I found out that she was only drinking about 2 oz of fluid every other mile). I gave her a kiss and she walked over to get her medal (her Marathon Medal!).

There was another medical tent at the end and they iced Jen's knees (love that picture).

I still can't believe the race is over... It was such an incredible weekend.

People have asked me about my time for the race and all I can say is I had a great time! This race has nothing to do with your time, it's about the time that you have...

Big Amazing Weekend at Disney!

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:41:17 PST

My wife ran a marathon!!!

If you have read my blog in the past this is a big deal. If you have not read my blog in the past, well it’s still a big deal!!!

What most people don’t know is that my wife had pretty major back surgery a few years ago and the fact that she is even walking is a miracle. To finish a marathon is just unbelievable! (Can you tell I’m a little proud of her?)

I was able to watch her come through the finish line and even got a picture of her getting her medal! (Do you think I could use more exclamation marks in this post or what?! I’m excited, shoot me!!!!!)

Her race was not easy and she pushed through some pretty tough times to finish. I hope at some point she will be up to writing her thoughts down and sharing them here.

Until then, I will be working on my race recap of the Goofy Challenge (wait until you hear about the sprint finish) that my amazing running partners (CRS and LA) ran with me at Disney!

Checkout my Facebook page for more pictures from the race (www.facebook.com/mooreonrunning)

Awesome Start to a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:43:53 PST

A couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted to run 12 miles on New Year’s Day. There were no races in my area so I figured I would just get up that morning and run.

I ended up sending out an invitation to run on Facebook (because telling a bunch of people you are going to do something is the best way to ensure you do it!).

I figured a couple of people might show up and if not I would just run the 12 miles on my own.

To my surprise, people started to reply to the invitation!

I showed up Sunday morning to find fifteen people waiting to run. How crazy is that?!

I knew two or three of the people that showed up, but the rest were complete strangers to me. It was so cool to not only start off the year with a run, but to do it with a bunch of people I had never met. There was even a boy my son’s age riding his bike with us!

We ran one of my favorite routes from Alhambra Hall to Sullivan’s Island over Breach Inlet to Isle of Palms and then back to the start.

One of the runners (Lisa) had even gone to the

turnaround spot earlier and set up a table with

water bottles – so cool…

After the run I asked some random guy to take our picture (because that's what you do when you meet a bunch of people you don't know and go for a group run). A few runners had taken a detour so they were not in the picture, but the picture turned out great.

I thanked everyone for coming out (they all thanked me for organizing it). To be honest with you, there was not much to organize. I just asked people to come join me for a run and they did. I am so going to do this again!

Later that day, my son and I went back out to Sullivan’s Island and participated in the Polar Bear Plunge. Don’t freak out. It was like 70 degrees!

It was still cool to see all the people in their costumes acting crazy and jumping into the ocean. We had a blast in the water and then hung out on the streets (blocked off) and ate lunch with one of my running partners (CSR), her son (who is the same age as my boy), and another bunch of strangers.

What an awesome way to start off a new year…

New Years Day Run (an invitation)

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:32:09 PST

I am inviting anyone who wants to run on New Year’s Day to meet at Alhambra Hall (Mount Pleasant, SC) at 8:00am on January 1, 2012.

I noticed that there are no races scheduled for January 1^stin the Charleston area. There used to be a race called the Resolution Run and it was awesome! It was held on New Year’s Day and it was at the River Dogs stadium in Charleston. The organization that ran it was Trident Untied Way and they were starting to build a really good race.

Unfortunately, they decided to start having the race on the first Saturday of January and then decided to hand the race over to another nonprofit which ran it for one year and then gave up on it…

It’s too bad because this is a great way to start off the New Year. Not everyone gets hammered New Years Eve. Even the ones who do can still run the next day (plenty of people puke during races).

So I am just going to run that day and I am inviting anyone who wants to run to come out and do it at the same time! I put this out on Facebook (www.facebook.com\mooreonrunning) and there are already a few people who have responded that they will be there (cool!).

I am going to run 12 miles that morning (to bring in 2012), but anyone who shows up can run whatever distance they want.

The route is easy: start at Alhambra Hall (there's a restroom in the park), run up Center Street, turn right on Ben Sawyer Blvd to Sullivan’s Island (turn left on Middle Street if you want to go further) and then go back.

View Larger Map

No pace groups, no t-shirts, no pressure, just a bunch of people getting together to run!

Hope to see you there!

Noah

Running Groups, Partners and Family

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:43:31 PST

I started my running life as a loner (this is not to say my family did not help, they just did not run with me at the time), running hours at a time with only my Ipod and my crazy thoughts to entertain myself...

I remember my first really long run (okay - at one point one mile was a very long run, but that's another story). I woke up early and ran from my house toward the Cooper River Bridge for a three mile run. I made it to the turnaround point feeling good and had extra time so I kept running. I passed the three mile mark and realized I was getting really close to the Bridge, so I kept running (this really sounds like Forest Gump right now). When I reached the Bridge I knew I was at four miles (crap, I had to run back)! When I finally made it back to my house I felt incredible! It was the beginning of my long distance running.

I used Google Maps to figure out routes long enough for my runs and would wake up early to drive the route in order to find places to drop water bottles. I read a book about running long distance and tried to emulate the training (although I had no idea what it meant by tempo runs, intervals, track workout and a bunch of other crazy runner stuff).

My runs got longer and longer as I moved from the half marathon to the full marathon. My wife and son started to drive out to the islands and bring me water, but I spent hours alone running those roads, counting the street signs (I think the streets are numbered just for this reason).

One day I ran with a group from TrySports. This was my first real group run and I was terrified. I had run three half marathons and a full marathon, but I still did not consider myself a runner and running groups are for runners (right?)...

The group was large enough to have about three pace groups. People greeted me and welcomed me to the run. They talked about the route and then we just started running. I had my Ipod with me and was about to turn it on, but a guy was talking to me and I thought it would be rude (what was he thinking - talking while running).

Trail Running with the Saturday Morning Group

The group of guys I was running with talked about a ton of stuff and I even found out one guy was going through a tough divorce. I found it strange, but cool, how the people in this group (joined together by running) shared their lives with each other so freely. They shared running advice and talked about races they had done. I could not believe how much I had learned about running in one run!

2011 Mud Run

Over the years I have found a group of people I like to run with on a regular basis. There are people that have come and gone from our group and we always welcome others, but our core group has remained the same for a while now. I consider them my close friends and would do just about anything for them.

2011 Bulldog Challenge

We have competed as a team in several races and we have raced as individuals. We celebrate each others victories and accomplishments as if they were our own. We are an odd combination, covering three decades. Strangely, two of us are in the legal profession and the other two are in the healthcare profession. We live in different parts of town, but run together every Wednesday and Saturday. When one of us needs to run early, so we can make it to our child's practice or some other family event, we are all willing to get up at a crazy hour in the morning and make it happen.

My newest running partner is my wife. In the past few months I have had the chance to run with her on some of her long runs. She knows that her pace is slower than mine and is always telling me I can run ahead, but running at a different pace is such a small thing compared to sharing something I love with someone I love.

Savannah Marathon

This weekend my wife came out and ran with our Saturday group. I could tell she was taking it all in the same way I had years ago on my first group run. It did not take long before another runner started talking with her as we ran our first mile. There was another runner going at her pace and we all stayed together for about nine miles. We learned a ton about him (even found out that a one time he was a running back for the San Diego Chargers!). My running partner Cathy joined us on the run and we all ran together on the same islands I used to run alone.

It took a while for my wife to ease into her pace and relax, but I think she was enjoying having company on her longest run.

Jen and I on a Long Run

My wife and I finished our 15 miles and Cathy left to finish her run. It was Cathy's birthday so we met her near the end of her run with cupcakes and sang happy birthday to her. That's just the crazy stuff you do for your running partners.

I still do most of my runs alone, but the time I get to spend with my running group is very valuable to me and the time I get to spend with my running family is priceless...

Coaching and Stretching on Charleston Runs Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:03:45 PST

This month I started coaching a Couch to 5K program in Downtown Charleston (SC). It has been an incredible experience and very motivating.

For the past two Thursday nights I have shown up to see over 25 people ready to run - absolutely amazing!

During this time I have written two blog posts for the coaching site www.CharlestonRuns.com to share with the group. Both blog posts dealt with stretching and covered what I showed the group.

Here is one of the posts in short form, if you want to read the originals just go to www.CharlestonRuns.com

There is also a cool post that Coach Greg wrote welcoming me to the coaching ranks!

Kiss My Glute, Just Don’t Pull It!

Posted on December 12th, 2011 CoachNoah

That soreness in your backside may not be your boss. It could be that your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius are just tight (oh the jokes just keep coming)…

One of the places you may feel tightness and a loss of flexibility after you run is in your glutes. This may lead to back pain and stiffness, especially when you get up from your office chair or first thing in the morning as you get out of bed.

There are a lot of benefits to stretching each day and having an after run stretching routine.

Increased mobility
Reduced stiffness
Reduced injuries

I shared a few simple stretches last week with our Couch to 5K group and added one more to the routine:

Sitting Glute Stretch

Sit on the ground with both legs stretched out. Cross your left leg over your right leg while raising your left knee to your chest. Gently pull your knee closer to your chest. You will feel the stretch in your glutes at this point. You can also slightly rotate your upper body (while holding your knee) to the right for a deeper stretch. Hold for 15-20 seconds and switch legs.

As always, there should never be any bouncing while you stretch.

Add this to your routine and tell stiffness and injuries to kiss your gluteus maximus (and medius)!

Coach Noah

My 40th Year

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:19:54 PST

Forty!?! Are you kidding me? How can I be forty???

Okay, its not really that bad and I'm actually forty-one now...

I didn't even complain (that much) when I turned forty :) I actually love how old I am and how great I feel!

Yesterday my wife gave me my birthday present (I actually turned forty-one on November 6th, but it wasn't ready yet).

My present was a quilt made out of thirty of my t-shirts. Not just any t-shirts. My first XXL Boot Camp shirt is in it; my first marathon race shirt is in it, my first Ultra race shirt is in it; and my first 200 Mile Relay race shirt is in it!

It's freaking awesome!!!

Looking back on my fortieth year now is a little strange...

I wanted my fortieth year to be a big one and it was. I started and ended exactly the way I wanted, running a marathon on my birthday and running a marathon on the last day!

So in true running blog form - here is my recap of the Big 40...

Oh! I'm now in a new age group. Really not that great as there are some super fast 40-44 year olds, but it sure is nice to be one of the young guns in the group :)

Okay...

November 6th (my birthday) I ran the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis, IN (new PB - 3:59:47).

November 20th (two weeks later) I ran the Valley of Fire Marathon near Las Vegas, NV (after spending a week in Las Vegas for my birthday!).

January 1st I became a TrySports Ambassador (would never have thought I would be on a team of athletes at forty or any other age).

January 15th I ran the first annual Charleston Marathon in Charleston, SC.

March 12th I ran the Citadel Bulldog Challenge with my three awesome running partners (Cathy, Annie and Ninja Stuntman) - 9th place.

March 26th I ran the Rugged Maniac (not very hard, but cool to say Rugged Maniac).

April 2nd I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run 10k (new PB - 48:02).

April 7th and 8th I ran the Palmetto 200 (27 hours and 49 minutes - 8th place!)

April 16th my family ran the Krispy Kreme Donut Run as team Moore Ons Running!

April 19th I took my son on his first White Water Rafting trip!

May 16th I was part of a Dragon Boat team (what?)!

June 6th my wife and I ran the Floppin Flounder 5K on Sullivan's Island (first time we have ever run a 5K together).

June 25th I ran my first 50K - the Ultramarton Pre Deti 50K (5:02:20 - 2nd place overall).

October I became a RRCA Certified Running Coach!

October 15th I ran the USMC Ultimate Mud Run with my running partners - team SAY SOMETHING!

And on the last day of my fortieth year...

November 5th I ran the Rock n' Roll Savannah Marathon with my wife (it was her first Half Marathon)!

In addition, my son completed his 100 Mile Kids Ultra Marathon and helped raise over $1,700 for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund!

So now I move into my forty first year (already set a new 5k PB - 22:59).

I am a lucky man; I have an amazing wife, an awesome son, great friends, a wonderful job and I am in the best shape of my life!

Bring it on forty-one! Let's see what we can do this year!

Update: for some reason I can not get the comments section to work on my blog right now. So, if you really want to leave me a message (I really do like feedback) go to my Facebook Page and leave it there (plus I like my little Like number to go up). www.facebook.com/mooreonrunning

Charleston AFB Run the Runway 5k - New PR!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:58:16 PST

I know I just ran a marathon and I should be recovering so I can run another marathon (and a half) in two months, but this race was too cool to pass.

For the past two years the Charleston Air Force Base has had a 5k that was only open to base personnel. There was a race open to the public years ago, but for whatever reason stopped.

So when I heard that this year's race was going to be open to civilians I had to sign up (plus, it was only $7.00)!

So what's the big draw? Its the fact that part of the 5K course is on the runway (and its Veterans Day)! How cool is that?

Really, how often do you get to go down on the tarmac of an airport (unless you fly out of Charleston and then its all the time - but that's different)...

I showed up this morning and had to go through the security gate and park at the base commissary. From there, I boarded a bus and took a quick trip to the starting line (I mean short - like 2 minutes).

They had the gym open so everyone could stand inside and stay warm until the start. It was nice to see a mix of military personnel, family members and civilians. It was really cool, as a veteran, to be on a military base on Veterans Day.

I checked my bag (that's right, they even had a bag check) and headed to the starting line.

The start was awesome. There was a parachute made into an arch for the runners to go under as they crossed the start. The national anthem was played and then a few words were said by the Wing (could have been the Base) commander and then the race started.

I decided to start my Garmin, but not check my splits (I was really planning on taking it easy). We ran under the parachute and then down a road heading to the runway. After about half a mile I saw the first C17. If you have never been close to one of these planes you have no idea how big they are. They are huge!

As we entered the airfield, there was plenty of security around to make ensure we were going the right way (I later found out that all the military personnel lining the course were volunteering their off time for the race).

I was in complete awe as we passed between two C17's and then headed down the actual runway. It was so freaking cool! I could step on black marks made by the planes as they landed!

The runway was long (I mean longer then the bus trip to my car long). But running down that strip was so fun I would do it again right now! We made a turn at the two mile mark and headed back towards the gym. I had noticed that the wind was blowing from the side as I was running most of the course, but as soon as I made the turn this crazy hard wind was right in my face.

After about another mile, I made one more turn and could see the finish line. This was the first time I realized that I was about to set a new PR!

After I finished, I checked my time and was blown away. I had finished in 22:59 (one second under 23 minutes is still "under 23 minutes")!!!

I sure have used a lot of exclamation marks in this post...

There was a really nice stage set up (with bleachers) for the awards ceremony. The widow of Brigadier General Mikolajcik (who the race is in honor of) spoke about her husband, the race and about ALS (which her husband died of). The awards were presented and a group of young kids who had run the race were recognized.

I knew the race would be well organized, but I was mostly impressed with the community spirt of this race. I am so glad it's now open to the public and will absolutely be planning on running this race again! - (one more exclamation mark for good measure)

There is still time to make a donation to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund! Click on this link and make a contribution to on Veterans Day!

Coach Noah!

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:29:21 PST

I have joined my running coach in a partnership to teach a Couch to 5K program! Here is a welcome post from his web page at www.CharlestonRuns.com.

Welcome Coach Noah Moore

Posted on November 8th, 2011 CoachGreg

Team Moore Ons Running

I am pleased to announce that Noah Moore will be joining me in offering training for the mile to the marathon.

I have had the pleasure of coaching Noah for the past three years, beginning by offering a few words of advice and encouragement as he approached his first marathon.

Unlike many runners, he has never defined himself as a runner. Instead, he defines himself as husband first, father second, and everything else comes after those two things. He has set a great example as both his son and his wife have become runners as well.

Noah decided to get into coaching because of his desire to work with others as a way to share his love of running. He also wanted to help his son who is part of the Mount Pleasant Track Club. In coming months, we will introduce you to some running activities and programs you can do with your children as well.

Noah Before and After

Noah has personal experience with having a life style in which he wassedentary to one where he finds adventures everyday. In 2007, Noah weighed 268 pounds. With a change in his eating habits and a move to an active life style he lost over 100 pounds and as maintained that weight loss for over four years. During those years he improved his time at the Cooper River Bridge 10k from one hour and seventeen minutes to forty eight minutes and 2 seconds.

He is certified by the Road Runner’s Club of America and will soon be a Level 1 Certified Coach with USA Track and Field. Noah has completed six marathons and two Ultras (he placed second overall in his first 50K this summer).

Yes, You Could Say they Helped Save My Life...

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:55:55 PDT

Four days until the Savannah Marathon and five days until my birthday!

Saturday will end one of the most active years of my life. It just happens to be my 40th.

If you would have told me that I would be in better shape during my 40th year than any other time in my life, I would have thought you were crazy! But with the help of a lot of people, I have lost a bunch of weight (over 100 pounds) and maintained that weight loss for over four years!

I really do believe that had I stayed on the course I was heading, I would be in pretty bad shape right now (or not here at all).

As it is, I have a wonderful family (they were wonderful even when I was fat), I have a great group of running friends (they were great before too, just not with me), and my life is an adventure (not a video game or TV adventure)!

If you have read my story, you know I owe this to a lot of people.

One group from this list is the Marines.

I know, how could an entire branch of the military help me get in shape when I was not even a member?

The MUSC Boot Camp I joined several years ago is run by a group of Marines who are earning their college degrees and officer commission at the Citadel.

Not only did they help me discover that working out could be an adventure, they challenged me to think about my eating and overall health. They motivated me when I felt I could go no further and inspired me to do things outside my comfort level (okay, maybe I went a little over the top when I made the connection of making it through one of their workouts and being able to run an Ultra - but I did it!).

I remember the first time I ran a mile without stopping (I know - I keep retelling this story, but its good).

The Marines were standing at the end of the one mile loop and as I went by I told them I had done it without stopping. They said good job and cheered me on and then went back to talking. I then proceeded to run a few more feet and puked. The Marines went nuts! They were cheering and congratulating me and slapping me on the back! Never in my life had I felt such a rush. I was hooked!

So yes, you could absolutely say they helped save my life...

Over the last few years, I have watched several of these Marines graduate from the Citadel and receive their commission (an honor, if you are ever invited, you should never miss). I have run with these guys on their training runs and have even helped them with running questions. I have stayed in contact with them as they have been sent to other training schools and even deployed to war zones. I count many of them as my close friends.

I say all this so that you will know why I am such a proud supporter of the Marines and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

I hope you can help these incredible men and women, who do so much for all of us, by supporting the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. I encourage you to read about the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and help if you can. Every dollar counts.

Click Here to Donate

USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:32:39 PDT

What a crazy ride I'm on...

Saturday morning I drove to Starbucks to meet my running partners. This sounds pretty much like any other Saturday morning (even if I had said it was 5:00am) but this was something different.

We were heading to Columbia, SC, for the USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run!

The Mud Run is a 5-6 mile obstacle course put on by the Greater Columbia Marine Foundation. Teams of four compete in several different categories and it is said to be the largest race of its kind in North America!

I had heard about horrible traffic getting to the race, but it was so clear we started thinking we were on the wrong road. We were directed into a grass field to park without any problems. Must be the new company they hired to direct traffic (nice job).

I looked around and was amazed at the amount of cars. There were over two thousand teams of four running this race!

My team "SAY SOMETHING" decided to check things out before we dropped our bags. We walked around and found the showers, food and port-a-lets. Music was blaring and people were walking around completely covered in mud. I was already getting pumped up.

We stood in line for a while to get out shirts and then walked to the check in area.

We checked in by handing in our waiver forms (much too short for a race like this - as stated by attorney Ninja Stuntman). Then we walked into a tent and had our team number written on our arms and leg with a permanent maker (so cool). Now I was seriously getting pumped up.

We were going to check our bags, but the volunteer said it was pretty backed up. We decided to put everything back in the car and just check the car key.

The four of us made our way to the start and got in line with a few hundred people. The volunteers were great and kept everything organized. Teams got one bib and timing chip and then made their way to the starting line.

The music was right next to the start and finish so the energy level was off the charts as we waited for our start time (12:08:30).

A few of things before I get into the race.

First, the team - Cathy R, Annie P, Ninja Stuntman, and me. If you have ever read my blog, you know these are my crazy running partners and the same team that ran with me at the Bull Dog Challenge earlier in the year. They are by far the best running partners anyone could ever ask for!

Second, the team name - SAY SOMETHING! We named our team in honor of Chris Emde. He is a bad ass Marine that has tried to kill all of us at one time or another at MUSC Boot Camp. His favorite thing to yell is "SAY SOMETHING!". He really is an amazing guy and we love running with him and hanging out with him. What better name for our team could we come up with?

Third, the race - USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run. How awesome is the name? The course is at least five miles long with 32 obstacles and a bunch of Marines yelling stuff!

Fourth, the camera - Ninja Stuntman was wearing a video camera during the race! I hope to add it to the site as soon as we edit it.

Finally, how does this race compare to other races? Here are the other adventure races I have done that are kind of like this race in order of toughness:

Rugged Maniac - Wimpy!

Warrior Dash - Fun, crazy, but not even close to being as hard.

Bull Dog Challenge - Very different. Not as many obstacles, but the BDC is much harder.

Okay, back to the race.

As we snaked our way through the line to the start I was getting so jacked up. I was a little nervous (normal for me at a race) and really wanted to get going. We moved to the front and as the time hit 12:08:30 (exactly) we started!

After running for a while, climbing out of ditches and jumping over walls we made it to the first, of many, mud obstacles. It was an over and under log obstacle in a mud pit. I had to put my head completely under the mud to get under the first log - sweet!

We ran further and made it through some tunnels and then used a rope swing to get over a ditch (Ninja Stuntman went down hard, but in true Ninja style he jumped up like nothing had ever happened).

There were several 15' walls to climb and a 10' wall with no hand holds that we were able to work as a team to get over. One of the things I am so proud of (and there are many) is that our team never took a penalty. We made it through every obstacle!

There were more logs to jump over, double bars to climb and huge water pit to jump into (10' deep and 48' long). There were up and down hill trails to run, hills to climb, monkey bars to swing from and an entire stream to wade through.

At about the midway point I hit my shin on a branch in one of the mud pits and thought I had broken my leg. The bottom of my leg was completely numb for about ten minutes. It was covered in mud so I had no idea how it looked. It was only until we hit the stream that I was able to see that it looked like crap, but there were no bones sticking out!

Right before the end of the race, we went through another mud pit and then had to fireman carry two of our teammates about a hundred yards. I picked up Annie P and Ninja Stuntman picked up Cathy R. As soon as we were able to put them down, we all sprinted the last hundred yards through the woods to the finish line. It felt amazing to cross the line yelling, "SAY SOMETHING!!!"

After we finished we took showers, changed clothes, ate some food, listened to music and hung out for a while. I think we were all so pumped up we didn't want it to end.

Salomon XR Crossmax are the perfect shoes for a Mud Run

But its not the end, its just another stop on this crazy ride...

Checkout more pictures from the race at my Facebook Page:

www.facebook.com/mooreonrunning

The Marines need your help.

Please support the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund by donating to my run at:

http://www.active.com/donate/SFFCOMMATHL2011/mooreonrunning

Mud Run - Short Post

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:16:12 PDT

Just a short post with some pictures from the USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run today. I have to get some rest for my 20 mile long run in the morning so I will work on the recap later...

Team SAY SOMETHING!
Before the race

A little muddy, but we sure had a good time!!!

This was an awesome race! More to come.

Donate to my run and help an injured Marine

Shark Attack on A Long Run

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:36:57 PDT

Dun dunt... Dun dunt.... Dun dunt, Dun Dunt, Dun DUNT, DUN DUNT!!!

Okay it wasn't that dramatic, but it sure was cool.

At 3:30am I woke up to get ready for my twenty two mile long run.

You know those jokes that start with "You might be a ____ if you ____"? Well, here are mine.

You might be a runner if:

You wake up at 3:30am on a Saturday morning for a run.

You go to sleep at 8:30pm on a Friday night so you can wake up at 3:30am on Saturday for a run.

You let your son sleep in your bed with your wife so you can sleep in his bed so you can get to sleep at 8:30pm on a Friday night so you can wake up at 3:30am on Saturday for a run...

The temperature was perfect (like 20 degrees cooler than it had been in months)!

I met Cathy R. and Annie P. at 4:30am to run a six mile loop before we met the rest of the group for a sixteen mile loop. We ran our first loop around the Old Village and were mesmerized by the night sky. The stars were so bright and the air was just so clear and crisp. It felt incredible.

We met the rest of the group at 5:30am and started our next loop. Our route took us over Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms. It just happened that the IOP Connector 10K/5K was the same morning. The plan was to be over the Connector before the race started.

After crossing the Ben Sawyer Bridge and Breach Inlet we made it to the Isle of Palms Connector. The race volunteers were setting up and the police had already closed some of the roads. We started our run up the bridge and passed some more race volunteers.

Just as we made it to the top, Cathy R. saw something in the water. Ninja Stunt Man thought it was a duck at first, but then we all realized it was a...

May not have been this big...

Dun dunt... Dun dunt.... Dun dunt, Dun Dunt, Dun DUNT, DUN DUNT!!!

SHARK!!!!

It was so cool.

We see dolphins all the time, but I have never seen a shark on any of my runs.

Our whole group (and all the volunteers behind us) stopped! We watched for a few minutes as the shark swam around and then attacked something in the water. We could see the water splashing and the fin moving crazy fast. And then it was quiet...

Dun dunt... Dun dunt.... Dun dunt, Dun Dunt, Dun DUNT, DUN DUNT!!!

Finally, the shark fin surfaced and we could see it swimming away.

Absolutely amazing...

Please help me support the Semper Fi Fund by making a donation to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

Morning Run Over the Cooper River Bridge

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:38:36 PDT

One of the most amazing sites in the Lowcountry is the Cooper River Bridge.

Seeing it as the sun rises, on the way back from a long run, is even more amazing!

One of my running partners (Edi) took this picture yesterday morning (it's the view from the Charleston side of the Bridge).

Not hard to see why, even after running for miles and miles, you can be motivated to run faster when you see it...

Also, if you are planning on running the Race in April here are my (non technical) Tips for Running the Cooper River Bridge 10K

Help support our run for the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund

Running in Louisville

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:53:20 PDT

Last week I attended a conference in Louisville, KY. The conference was great, but the running was even better!

I'm from Kentucky, but I had not been in Louisville in over 20 years (WAY back in high school and I was not a runner). I was not going to miss this opportunity to explore "My Old Kentucky Home"...

The city is great and really runner friendly. There was an Ironman there just last month (I actually know three people who just competed in it). I ran part of the course and even ran by the finish line (did I mention I'm thinking about doing an Ironman???).

Each morning I woke up and ran around the city, down the Ohio River and across the 2nd Street Bridge to Indiana (it's so cool to get to run to another state!).

On the last day I was there, I was running down a trail along the Ohio River (on the Kentucky side) and saw the coolest thing. On one side of me was an amazing sunrise and on the other was a full moon! I stopped in the middle of my run and just stood there looking across the river and taking it all in.

We are truly lucky to be able to experience these amazing events...

Staying Ahead of It

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:10:45 PDT

Refueling

Fall is almost here and that means mileage is building.

This is the time when your fueling plan really gets tested.

Its one thing to run six miles and forget to bring your gel, but anything after that and you are going to start to feel it.

A few weeks ago, my running group was out for a 16 mile long run. I had planned on refueling at 4, 8, and 12 miles. I took my gel at 4 and 8, but both my running partner (Cathy) and I missed 12 for some reason. By the time we hit 14 miles we were feeling it. The last two miles were brutal...

I decided that on my next run I was going to try to stay ahead of my fueling plan.

This past Saturday we ran our 18 mile long run. I was determined to stick with my fueling / refueling plan this time.

- During the week of the run: I ate meals high in carbohydrates starting on Wednesday night. I know from reading and from experience the importance of carbohydrates. I also know that its not what you eat the night before, but rather what you eat the two or three days prior to a long run or race.

- First thing when I woke up: I ate a piece of toast with almond butter and honey. I drank some water and then a sports drink as I drove to meet my running group.

- Right before we started our run: I took a gel. I had decided to experiment with this to see how it would sit on my stomach (lucky for me it worked great).

- I drank sports drinks for the entire run (I use a handheld bottle from CamelBak and it rocks).

- At miles 4, 8, 12 and 14 I took gels.

- When I finished I drank chocolate milk.

Your plan may be different than my plan, but the important thing is to have a plan. I ran this entire run without getting close to hitting the wall (bonking). I felt great and hit my pace the entire way.

I also coached my son's football team after my run and then went home and ran another 5 miles with my wife!

Yep, it felt good to stay ahead of it!

Help Team Moore Ons Running Support the Semper Fi Fund

Coach MooreOn... Now What?

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:00:41 PDT

Did I even mention that I was taking the RRCA Running Coach Certification class?

The weekend before school started for my son (August), my family and I drove to Davidson (North Carolina) so that I could take a two day running course (is that not the best vacation you have ever heard of or what?).

The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) class was full of great information and there were thirty one people in attendance who were incredibly talented and knowledgeable (these people were from all over the country).

The instructor, Janet Hamilton, who wrote the book "Running Strong and Injury Free" did an excellent job of keeping all of us interested (not bad when you consider that these are people who usually don't like to sit around).

I started thinking about taking this class last year. I wanted to learn more about my own training as well as get a better idea about working with my family (my wife did say that if I could coach her I could coach anyone).

As the class got closer, I realized that I answer running questions from a lot of people (not complaining, just saying) and I should really have a better idea of what I was talking about. I truly get more out of seeing someone else start a running program than I get out of my own running (that's saying a lot, because I love to run).

Not going to go into the whole class, but it was really good and I learned a ton of stuff.

I also had to take a test to be a Certified Coach (fun!).

The great thing about the test was that it was take home and I had to research some of the questions to get the best answer (research = reading, talking to other class members, talking to Coach Greg and looking back at my own training).

Me - not bragging...

We were given 30 days to take the test and pass with an eighty percent or better (only one shot at passing).

Not bragging, but I got an A :)

So...

Now what?

ECORun Recap – Running in the Boneyard Beach!

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:22:20 PDT

Anytime you have to take a ferry to an island to run a race you know it’s going to be an adventure…

This past weekend I had one of the coolest running experiences with my family! All three of us ran the ECO Run 5K on Capers Island.

I run on islands all the time, but this one is very different.

From SCDNR:

Capers Island is a classic, undeveloped barrier island located about 15 miles north of Charleston between Dewees Island and the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The island lies about three miles from the mainland, and is approximately three miles in length and one mile in width. It encompasses 850 acres of maritime uplands, 214 acres of front beach, 1,090 acres of salt marsh and over 100 acres of brackish water impoundments.

The island contains diverse habitats supporting abundant wildlife. One may observe alligators, white-tailed deer, raccoons, loggerhead sea turtles. The McCaskill Trail, which starts at the dock on the south end of the island, provides great access for serious birders and casual hikers alike. Birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, bitterns, and various waterfowl species are common in the brackish impoundment adjacent to the trail. Each year ospreys nest on Capers near the front beach. Eagles can also be seen soaring over the island from time to time. The creeks and marshes adjacent to Capers are alive with oysters, shrimp, hard clams, crabs and many species of fish such as sea trout, red drum, flounder, black drum, king whiting, spot, pompano, and croaker.

How cool is that description?

My family and I woke up early Sunday morning and drove out to the Isle of Palms Marina to catch the ferry to the island. We paid a modest $3.00 for parking and signed in with the race director, Brett. We waited for the other runners to arrive and were able to buy sunscreen and bug spray at the marina store (cannot believe I forgot that stuff).

At 7:00am we boarded the ferry with about thirty other runners, had a safety briefing and then headed out to Capers Island. The views were amazing and my son was really taking it all in. The ride was great and seeing the Sun rise as we were making the thirty minute trip was awesome!

The ferry pulled right up to the beach and we all got out for the start. We had a few minutes to take in the sites and get ready before the race. There was also an auction for some gift certificates (this was to raise money for the Charleston Chefs Feed the Need Program that these races help fund each year).

We gathered for a group photo and then moved to the starting line (there was a line in the sand that was used as the start / finish).

Brett, the race director, rode his bike down the beach before the start to set up the turnaround points for the 5K and 10K (he also set up water for the 10K turnaround). The race was very low key; no race bibs and started with a simple “GO”.

My wife headed out and I ran with my son. I had just run my 16 mile long run the day before and my son had agreed to take it easy on me...

We had a blast!

The run goes along the beach, but as soon as we were about half a mile away from the start we hit the Boneyard. This is an amazing site!

From www.nature-tours.com :

One of the most fascinating features of Capers Island is its front beach known as the "bone-yard". Its name is due to the old tree skeletons and stumps left as a result of erosion and bleached out by the sun. Capers has been eroding an average of 15 feet per year since 1875. Visitors can stroll in and out of this sculpture garden of weathered trees which goes on for about 3 miles. Walking the front beach of Capers gives visitors a feel for what our barrier islands looked like before beachfront houses and condos arrived. Capers "bone-yard beach" is a favorite place for photographers, beach combers, or someone looking to experience a truly amazing natural creation.

The coolest thing was to watch my son running through the Boneyard. He was having so much fun. He took off his shirt and started jumping over all the trees, stumps, shells and even crabs!

We stopped a few times to take pictures, but he didn’t want to be last so we kept running.

We saw a few people coming back toward us and even got to cheer on my wife as she made her way back to the finish line. She had a great race and lowered her 5K time (even though she was running on sand)!

We got to the half way point and turned around (it was written in the sand and the tree was marked with ribbon – love it).

We had just as much fun running back as we did going out. When we got to the end we ran over the “finish line” and called out our names (no need for bibs). After that Peyton and Jen got in the water and cooled off. It was so much fun to just hangout on the beach and watch all the other runners coming in (mostly from the 10K).

We stayed there for about another hour until all the other runners were back (and the black clouds started to form near us). Everyone got on the ferry and we headed back to the marina. On the way back we got to see some of the ECO Tours wildlife displays on the boat and then I had a chance to talk to Brett for a while.

I thanked him for inviting me and my family out for the race and we talked about the race and the ECOThon that was coming up in October. We also talked about the charity that the race helps (Charleston Chefs Feed the Need Program).

I was really impressed with the fact that this race was so low key, but so well organized. It’s hard enough to put on a race, but to do it on an island that you have to take a ferry to get to is incredible.

Brett puts this race on several times a year in addition to the ECOThon. The next two races are September 18th and November 6th.

My family had a blast and cannot wait for our net adventure on Capers Island!

Treadmill Speed Work

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:34:11 PDT

Not that I have completely changed my mind about hating treadmills, but I have found a workout that is perfect for the treadmill.

This workout is on my schedule courtesy of Coach Greg.

The paces I am showing are for me (because I don’t know you and don’t know how fast you run)…

10 @ 10:00

20 @ 8:13

10 @ 10:00

20 @ 8:13

10 @ 10:00

So you start out with a warm up for ten minutes at a 10:00 pace (that’s 6.0 on the treadmill). Speed up to 8:13 pace (that’s about 7.3 on the treadmill) for twenty minutes and keep rotating until you are done. This is great speed work and is perfect for those crazy hot days that you just cannot get it together to go outside and run fast.

There is a variation of this work out that I did yesterday:

10 @ 10:00

30 @ 8:13

10 @ 10:00

The thirty minutes in the middle was tough, but manageable. If you have been running in the heat at all, this workout is going to feel even better. You will get to see just how much faster you can run inside where it’s nice and cool (unless your air conditioning is broken or your treadmill is outside – then it’s going to suck).

Ultramaraton Pre Deti 50K Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:35:33 PDT

Its been over a month and I am just getting to the recap of this race (I know, I'm a slacker)...

I actually had planned on running an Ultra in May, but for several reasons things just did not work out. I happened to find this race at the beginning of June (the race was on June 25) and figured I could rework some of the training I had already done and be ready to race by the end of the month. I also figured for $25 how could I go wrong :)

The Ultramaraton Pre Deti 50K (Ultra Marathon for the Kids) was held in Beaufort, SC, which is about one and half hours away from Charleston (almost a local race). It was a little different in that it was a trail race that started in the evening (6:00pm).

The course was a 4.5 mile trail loop around an old golf course, woods and marsh. It had two or three road crossings and a 15-20 foot dirt hill at the end of each loop (seven loops equaled 50K).

I drove down to Beaufort and made it there about an hour before the race (plenty of time to set up).

There were a lot of people at the start, but what I found out later was that some of them were only there to run a lap or two and others would end up dropping out before the midway point due to the heat.

The weather was hot and humid (around 90 degrees). There was thunder and lightening and even a few rain drops (not enough to cool it down though). The race director was pretty clear that the race would not be stopped or delayed for weather so I was ready for whatever came my way...

The start

My car was parked near the start so I was going to be able to get to it as much as I needed during the race. I set up a chair, cooler, supply box and drop bags (I planned my drop bags as if this was a non loop Ultra, so I could practice some of the things I will need to do for future races).

As far as supplies, I had a ton: water, sports drinks, gels, electrolyte tablets, pretzels, shoes, shorts, shirts, socks, head lamps, flashlight, hats, sunscreen, bug spray, first aid kit, and lots and lots of ice. The race director also had food, water, fruit, cold sponges (awesome), and antacids.

There was a short briefing before the race followed by a prayer (this was a first for me and just seemed to bring the small race community feel home).

See any gators?

The race started with a "go" and we were off. I was wearing my trail shoes (Salomon XR Crossmax) and they felt pretty good, but a little heavy. I was staying with the lead pack and could not believe how fast everyone was running (at the end of the first loop when some of them stopped, I realized that they were only running one loop - oops). I noticed a few people stop for supplies and decided to keep going to try to get some room between us.

Loop and 12/24 hour races are different than other races. There is some strategy that goes into these races. You have to watch the other runners and see when they are resting and decide if this is when you are going to rest or you are going to make a move to pass them (it seems a little devious as you are doing it).

Port-a-let

I did manage to move up, but I also managed to make myself sick at the same time. Not sure if it was the pace I was running, the heat or both but at this point I really started to feel sick. I was less than two laps into this race and my stomach was killing me. I tried to puke (no luck) and then ducked into some woods and peed, but I was still feeling awful.

I was passed by a few people and was really hurting. After only two loops (9 miles) I was seriously considering dropping out of the race!

Amazing views (while it was light out)

Did I mention there were no port-a-lets on the course?

Okay, sorry for the TMI, but I ended up going in the woods and "taking care of business" (that was for those of you who are not interested in all the details of my GI problems).

Anyway, after two more stops I finally started to feel normal. The next two loops I picked up the pace and started passing people. Some people I passed while they were resting at the start point and others while on the course. I also noticed that there were fewer cars at the start point every time I came around (a lot of people were packing up). I was really surprised to see a guy I talked to at the start of the race pack it up at this point. He was a serious runner from NC and I was sure he was going to win the entire race.

It started to get dark and I knew I was going to need my headlamp. I had planned on wearing a really bright lamp and carrying a flashlight, but as I came into the start point I noticed several people who were ahead of me taking a break. I knew this was my chance to move up so I grabbed my hat that had a lamp on it (not the one I wanted) and I took off. This was fine for the fourth loop, but on the fifth loop I was in complete darkness. I could not see anything! I ended up taking a wrong turn and going about half a mile off the course. I could not believe my luck! This was the second time I considered dropping out of this race.

I found my way back on the course and had to run behind some guys I had already passed. I had finished my water bottle and was completely empty. My luck changed when I saw some race volunteers walking the course backwards. They filled my bottle and I was off.

This is where my competitiveness took over. After running all this time, I was starting to actually feel better (and faster). I changed head lamps and grabbed my flashlight. I also did something a little sneaky...

I figured some of the front runners were doing the same thing as me (they were watching to see how long it took everyone else at the aid stations). So I turned on my tent lap and left it on in my car. I also turned my head lamp off until I was at the actual aid table (I know, sneaky). I figured maybe someone would think I was taking a break and would linger around a little longer than normal and I could get further ahead (I think it worked).

On the sixth loop, I passed a few more people and continued to pick up my pace. I was running well under 9:00 pace and feeling fine. I ran past a few people that were hurting and barely noticed me as I ran by in the dark. It felt really strange to be running this race in the dark and a little creepy at times. I knew there were gators around, but there were also parties going on in the distance and I could hear music as I passed a few houses.

At the start of loop seven, I saw a guy I knew was ahead me taking a short break. I knew I needed to stop, but I figured this was my only chance to get ahead of him. I looked at my Garmin and I was over 28 miles at this point (I was going to be over 32 miles at the end)!

After about one mile of the last loop, my legs started to cramp and I had to take a walk break. Just as I was about to start running again, I could hear foot steps behind me...

The guy I had tried to get ahead of had come up on me like I was walking (okay, I was walking)...

Turns out the guy's name was Nick and he is the track and field coach for Hilton Head High School. We started to run together for a while and even lapped some guys I had passed earlier. Nick was pushing the pace and we were running around 8:00! I stayed with him until we had about a mile to go and he pulled ahead of me. I had pushed my legs to the limit and they were fighting back with cramps...

I kept a good pace for the last mile and felt like I crawled over the last hill.

The finish was a little anticlimactic. It was just like every other loop, except they had a stop watch to keep track of your finish time. I grabbed a cold sponge and dumped it on my head. I saw the race director and joked about running too far and showed her my Garmin. I was at 32.68 miles!

I actually thought I heard them say I was in seventh place, but later found out that I had finished second (Nick had won). They did add the fact that I ran extra mileage :)

I packed up my stuff and drove back to Charleston. I got home a little after 1:00am and was exhausted, but it still took me another two hours to finally fall asleep.

Cooler, TrySports Shirt, Shoes and my awesome Feetures! Socks!

The race was a great experience and the people running it (Becky and the other volunteers) were really cool. And for $25 I got a cool t-shirt, a very interesting course, food, support, cold sponges, and a chance to push myself past points that normally would have stopped me in my tracks.

On to the next challenge...

Breaking Down the Breakdown...

noreply@blogger.com (Moore On Running) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:49:25 PDT

It’s easy to just say I had a crappy run, but trying to figure out why I had a crappy run is a little harder.

Saturday I met my running group (I say “my” running group only because I was there, as opposed to a group of runners that I was not running with - that would be “their” running group).

Anyway…

I guess I need to first state the fact that I had a crappy run Saturday.

It was one of those runs that you can look back on and say, “Wow! That was really crappy”. I actually felt bad from the beginning to the end. I felt weak and even though I was running at a good pace, I never felt good.

So after beating myself up about it for two days I thought it might be a good idea to figure out what the deal was. It had to be more than: I’m old, I suck, I can’t run, I suck, I need to find another sport, I suck…

So here is the breakdown:

· It was 5:30am and I have not been running in the morning for a while. Most of my runs (with the exception of about two) have been either in the afternoon or at night for the past few weeks.

· I did not get a good night’s sleep (see above).

· I ate a crappy breakfast bar instead of my usual breakfast (peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread).

· I usually have a sports drink in the morning before I start long runs. I didn't have time to stop at a gas station on the way to the run and there were none in the refrigerator (excuses, excuses).

· I need new shoes. I have run my shoes into the dirt. In fact, I was wearing a pair of shoes I had not worn in over a year. The pair I wanted to wear were soaking wet from an afternoon run the day before.

· I slightly twisted my ankle as I was heading up the Bridge. I’m not sure, but this may have made me change the way I usually run (changed my gait - for the runner lingo savvy readers) and ended up making my right hip flexor hurt (left butt cheek - for the non runner lingo savvy readers).

· I ate a lot of salad the day before (lunch and dinner), but not much carbs.

Okay, the sleep thing was working against me from the start. I was tired. I never felt like I could get my energy level up. Maybe the change in my breakfast and sports drink was enough to make me feel like a piece of crap (probably). I did refuel with two gels as I ran and I think they helped, but like I said I was out of it from the beginning.

The shoes… Yep, those shoes sucked and felt like bricks as I ran. They also have no support left (not their fault, they were great back in their day – last year). Twisting my ankle at mile two did not help either. The crappy shoes and hurt ankle just made the crappy run that much crappier (I was using another word in my earlier draft, but thought I should clean it up a little).

What to do…

New shoes are on the agenda for today. I think this is one area you just can’t play around with. Plus, I love new shoes!

I’m running Wednesday morning to get back in the habit of waking up early (and going to bed earlier). I am also going to ensure I have all my breakfast stuff I need for the mornings.

Fueling the day/night before a long run. It’s pretty messed up that I am at a point where twelve miles just seemed kind of like a short run. I know! Messed up! I was not really thinking about how much I needed to fuel before this run - because I was not really thinking it was that long…

Most of this stuff is pretty easy to fix. The big thing is to chill out, work on it, kick the negative crap to the side and get back in the game next week.