Let the Marathon training begin!

16 full weeks away - and alot can happen in that time, is the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon. I did 30 miles this week, which is high for me in pre-training, but now I get to do specific runs each week, including speedwork. Not looking forward to that. With the constant worry about nagging "injuries" - that may not help. Had a new ache this week - Thursday night and during my extra Friday morning run, my right arch was sore. My right calf fluctuates with soreness, but then today - I ran for 1 hour 59 minutes - 13.8 miles and there was no pain anywhere! I felt good and even did one decent hill at the end. Looking forward to the cooler temps this week - lows in the low 60's!
Started reading Ultramarathon Man last week. Stayed up and read an hour and a half last Wednesday night - all about his 1st Western States 100. He's got raw talent - it's not like anyone can go out and do what he did. Crazy...
Have a group meeting this Wednesday to go over our Blue Ridge Relay stuff. So it's probably more of a reason to drink and eat pizza. Ok - just drink, but we'll eat too. Less than 2 weeks away. Aside from the hills, and being restful , I'm ready.

Books. 2 more weeks. 3 more weeks

Books: Yesterday, Greenville Literacy Association has their Really Big Really Cheap Really (something) Book Sale at the former McAlister Square Mall. I've gone for many many years - initially as a volunteer coordinator for Hands on Greenville the first few years. It has always gotten bigger and bigger - meaning more crowded, almost at an unacceptable level. I got there 30 minutes before the doors opened and got my typical spot in one of the 3 lines, about 200 people back. After all the mayhem - I got 3 of the books I was looking for, including Run Less, Run Faster and Ultramarathon Man. Also found Marathons and Beyond, Literary Running stories, and a few others. Can't wait to get started!
My 16 week training plan for the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon starts in 2 weeks. I'm still ahead of the game, so that's encouraging. Looking back now - I am ahead of where I was for Windermere, but about the same as NYC. Can't say my speed is quite there, but that's ok. I just tell myself it is still summertime.
3 more weeks until the Blue Ridge Relay - I think our van has figured out who is running what legs. Once it is set in stone, I'll pass it along. I will say - mine won't be that many miles, but I think some good uphills.

30+ mile week

So I have had a good week of working out. Took one day off (Wed) and spent the others like this: Monday - Yoga (I need the flexibility). Tuesday - 4 miles (Hills around the ICAR campus; 1st time running there in a while and was definitely slower than before). Thursday - 5.1 miles (Very humid/hot and I was not enjoying it at all!). Friday - 3.4 miles (added an easy run just to get a few more miles in; ran it much faster than I meant to, but felt good). Saturday - 6 mile hike (I count hiking miles; this with 25 pounds on my back - names of Cecelia and the Kelty). Sunday - 12 miles (Needed this long run, sore right calf for the 1st 6-8 miles, but ended fairly strong). Haven't hit over 30 since my marathon in May, and never have when I wasn't in the 16 week marathon training schedule. All this with a mid-week concert and 4 hours of sleep one night, with no time to make it up. My right calf is still paying for the miles/hills or whatever. It gets pretty sore during the beginning stages of a run. I may ease up a little this week (scheduled for ~26 running, 14 for my long run, and another 4 or so hiking). We'll see.
BRR update - we have out starting time: 7:40am Friday September 11th. Still figuring out who is running what legs in our van #2, but that's not such a big deal - we all seem to be flexible and capable of running any of them. We look to be about the (s)lower 3rd of the teams, but will start with a handful of others. 3 and a half more weeks!!

Paris Mtn 7k Trail Run

This has been a good week running, and instead of a long run this weekend, I ran the GTC hosted Xterra Paris Mountain 7k Trail Run. This used to be a 6k, but I think they actually measured it this time! Start time was 8am and around 200 people were competing. It actually felt nice out there around 7:15am, but by 8:45am, the humidity showed up and it got hot. You never know on a trail race how it's going to be with the # of runners. You can easily get behind people who are holding up 12 others and stuck there for way too long, even with the first 1/3 of a mile on the road to supposedly stretch out the field. Turned out to be ok this time! Started by the 1st shelter and we ran on the road before turning off onto the Mountain Trail heading down past the amphitheater. Was in a decent moving group there and all the way to the start of the Sulpher Springs trail. Got there in 13:29. Knew I was moving too fast (not by the time as I hadn't run this path in a long time, but my lungs were feeling it). Finally stopped to walk for 15 secs as we approached the reservoir, then ,made a right hand turn and headed back towards the road and a parking lot (made it there in another 7:50, 21:20 total time). Heading UP the road to cross over it to another parking lot - walked almost the whole way - I usually am able to run up it mostly), but only got passed by one person - a 12 yr old, who I passed 50 yards from the finish. It was practically all downhill from there and our small group of 3 or 4 moved well. I hit my second wind in the middle of this section and that was very nice. Heartrate was still way up there, but felt good about it. Finished in 38:13 (so 13:53 to get back). I knew there was a difference between this and the 6k as I had a time of 39:30 on the 6k I ran 2 years ago. Saw no one fall, but a few close calls. Saw one girl holding ice to her cheek. I feel lucky to get thru any trail run with my ankles and all intact!

Good run - marathon this winter?

So I have misplaced my heel gel inserts that I have been wearing for the most part since my phantom PF showed up. Last wore them (I believe) hiking Saturday at Paris Mountain. They must be in the house somewhere. Feet have felt fine though, so no panic yet.
Side note from my long run Sunday - I went through 1.5 liters of water on that run. 11.9 miles in 1:45. That equates to 0.126 liters per mile (8 min 51secs). So many more calculations I could do, but I won't!
Ran this morning and the temps were slightly better, around 68° I am guessing. Not sure if that was it or what - but I had a really good run! Enjoyed it, and even with walking/drinking every lap for 35 secs or so, still ran 8 laps (6.8 miles) in under 56 minutes. Haven't done that since Windermere Training back in April. With that, the current training I am planning for the BRR and my half marathons, I am now thinking about a winter marathon. My buddy Todd (who I ran my 1st one with back in 2001 - Rock N Roll San Diego) is training for the BRR and the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon Dec 12th. Same day as the Paris Mtn 20k I have always wanted to do, but Marathon takes precedence. He's hoping for a 3:30, right now - I'd be hoping for a finish and a 3:59. 19 weeks out, so maybe I could do a little better. Always have to compare where I am now with where I was before my other ones: Definitely ahead of where I was prior to Windermere Training, although that was on the heels of NYC and a slight heel injury. Slightly behind the NYC training, so go figure! But I now have a tentative running schedule to follow. The long runs fall in good spots outside the BRR and half marathons, so no more doubling up on races. (Yep - that is me linking to my own blog!)
Keep track of me as I go after my 3rd one in 13 months! My 8 month old has not yet been out in the jogging stroller - I run too early as it is too hot - but the Paris mountain hikes we're doing weekly help!

Long Run & training update

Good weekend so far. Had a good hike with the 25lbs on my back yesterday. Could definitely feel it in my thighs and we didn't even do much climbing. But today was my long run, planned on 12 miles. Had the alarm set for 4:40am. Wanted to get out there 5:30-5:45ish and be done before the sun came out (usually out around 7:15 or so). Our daughter didn't want to sleep at around 2am, so I was up for awhile walking, rocking, bouncing her back to sleep. It didn't take too well that time as I was up again at 3:15 for another 30-45 minutes doing the same. This one worked at least a few hours as she was sleeping peacefully as I left at 5:30am to go over to Oak Grove. As tired as I was, I am thinking this will be decent training/preparation for the Blue Ridge Relay. I expect we will be sleep deprived and very tired for at least 1, possibly 2 of the running legs.
So - as poor as last week's run was, this was quite nice. Never really felt like I wanted to stop. Heck - even thought I should keep going to see how far I could go. I knew better and stopped at 14 laps, or 12 miles. 1:45. At this pace for this time of year, I can't complain. I am trying to prep for the BRR as well as two half marathons in 3 weeks this fall. I may try to really race the first one, while the 2nd one is a run with my brother. We'll run together - he's just not sure of the pace. Expecting between 8:00 and 9:00. As my PR is at an 8:10 pace and I don't expect to be capable of that, I hope it's closer to 8:30's.
Been reading a few BRR blogs that are nice. One is a group of 6, so we're going to seem completely out of shape newbies compared to them. The other I am still catching up on, so not much to say. Supposedly, we're going to be blogging/tweeting or whatever during the event. I'll post info on it when I know more.
With the BRR 6 weeks away now and my mileage around 25 miles/week (very little, if any, PF foot pain the last few days), I'd like to A. start doing some hills, and B. plan on running twice a day in another 2-3 weeks or so. Maybe my normal 6 miles in the morning, then a 3-4 miler at lunch on the treadmill as there is no way I would get out in August in the middle of the day unless I absolutely had to (and this doesn't qualify!).
Hopefully - more soon!