Final Countdown

Down to my final week of tapering . I haven't really done much tapering as I should but gonna really scale it back this last week . I have a 12 mile run Sunday and thats gonna do it . I cant let all my little annoying injuries and pains heal . My plan for the marathon is first 4-5 miles at 5:50ish pace then over the next 15 miles @ 5:43 pace then depending on how I feel the last 10k @ 5:35-5:40 pace . 2:30:00 is my goal . I've looked at all the previous times over the last two years and alot of people end up falling way off their first half marathon split .Only the winners had negative splits . Hopefully this plan will work if not then oh well . Gonna try to enjoy the race best as I can . I have my oldest daughter Gracie and Julie going along with my two sisters coming to watch . that should alone give me enough motivation to run well . This is my first marathon since Boston in 2005 . After this one the're gonna be more especially my masters years .

The only way I know

"The Only Way I Know"

Well I grew up in one of those one light town
Where I run till the sun goes down
Everybody looked and stared
I kept running till I hit the middle of nowhere
I just figured out that how I was
And everybody else must think I'm nuts
Running in the rain , sweating in the sun
Don't quit till the workouts done

Tha'ts the only way I know
Don't stop till everythings gone
Straight ahead , don't turn around
Don't back up , Don't back down
Full Throttle , Wide Open
Getting Tired I don't wanna show it
Digging a little deeper when I cant dig no more
That's the only way I know

That old red dirt road is the first place I learned
Is that you don't give into nothing that you don't earn
Humbled pride I grew up on
You find out how long you gone
The sun in my eyes , heart beating faster
Never have time to go any slower
Hitting the wall sweating and hurting
Still thinking about nothing but winning

That's the only way I know
Don't stop till everythings gone
Straight ahead , don't turn around
Don't back up , Don't back down
Full Throttle , Wide Open
Getting Tired I don't wanna show it
Digging a little deeper when I cant dig no more
That's the only way I know

Heroes Half Marathon (Dirt Road Half Marathon)

9/16/12 I woke up at 5:30 am and only getting a few hours sleep after getting back from UGA game . Wasn't really in the mood to run a halfm but needed the 13 miles to finish up my first 100 mile week . Got to race on time but feeling ill after some gels I took . Didn't have time to warm up but was gonna let my first mile of race be my warm up . I was very curious about the course cause the website said it was 4 miles on dirt roads , 1 mile on trail and 8 on road . I emailed the director and he told me that the dirt roads are packed hard without much gravel so I took a chance and registered . I was looking for a half to run my marathon goal pace ( 5:45 ) .
Before the start they had a helicopter fly over which was cool . We start the race and I led from the start . Going through the trails at first with a 6:00 first mile then we hit the dirt roads . Man oh man at the gravel on the roads. I had to watch nearly every step cause it's not fun stepping on s rock with running flats on . I was hitting some miles at 5:35 to 5:45 at times . Finally hit pavement after 4 miles . We ran around Atlanta Motor Speedway then hit dirt roads AGAIN !!! . Feeling comfortable and didn't wanna rush the pace . I wanted to but trying to hold back . At a turn around on the gravel road I nearly hit the dirt sliding . At mike 12 I think I ran 5:35 but last mile I had to run back through the trails again which I slowed to a 5:56 last mile . Finished with a 1:14:50 which I was happy about . I hated it was a hilly , rocky course cause I didn't wanna struggle to hold a 5:45 pace but I needed to get the legs dialed in for that pace . Afterwards I did a 5 mile cool down at 6:45 pace .
The race was part of the Wounded Warriors Project and was glad to take part in the race to help support our fallen troops . The coolest thing of it all was part of my overall award is that I got to fly in the fly over Huey Helicopter . I was able to take a passenger with me whom it was Asa Peed who works at Run Fit Sports . We flew over Atlanta Speedway . Awesome day plus breaking 100 miles for first time with 105 .
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223507391

My mileage superstition

Today I realized something on my long run that I've been doing for quit sometime now . I was plan on doing a 23 mile long run but I said to myself " 23 is an odd number to end a run with ". . I don't end any run with an odd number except for 5 . Examples are 1,3,7,9,11,13,17 and on , and on . So today I ended my long run with 24 . Something I've had a habit of doing . My own somewhat of a superstition . Might seem odd to most people but I'm sure every runner has something of their own . God Bless

Race Calendar

June23rd Indian Springs Triathlon
July 4th Peachtree 10k
Start marathon Training for New York
Sept 3rd Labor Day 5k
Sept 22nd Corporate Challenge 5k*
Oct 3rd 131 Atlanta Half Marathon
Nov 3rd New York City Marathon (2:32 Goal)

5000 track

Yesterday me and Chris Dietrich headed up to Atlanta for the all-comers track and field meet . I was really had my heart set out to run a fast 5k on the track backed with some good quality workouts with a Torture Trail 10k win last weekend of 32:52 . A good time considering the course . I was hoping for a sub 15 . We arrived and I saw Malcolm Campbell and Janet Cherobon Bowman . He told me they was wanted to run low 15 . That was great for me cause I needed a push to get that sub 15 . Janet was there in preparation for her coming up 10000m at the Olympic Trials next week . My first mile goal was 4:50 but soon as we toe the line and through the first half mile I wasn't feeling any pop or turnover in my legs . They were dead . 2:26 first half mile with Janet , Malcolm , Cory Baumann . I knew I was in trouble . First mile was 4:52 and I was struggling . Felt like I was running a 3k . After 6 laps I died and fell back off pace with the gang going by . Second mile was 9:59 . I ripped my jersey off and threw it along side of the track in discuss plus the humidity was making it feel uncomfortable . I never thought about dropping out of any of my races but this one I came close to . But I always say " Finish what you start ". My last mile was 5:01 and I finished up third behind Janet 15:36 . She ran 15:21 . 6 years ago I ran a PR here of 14:34. A long way from those days. I was really wanted to run along side her bit Cory managed to help pace her to a PR . Malcolm was there to help pace her through 3k and jumped off the track . Not sure what happened to me . Humidity was around 70%+ and temps was mid 80's . Chris ran his first sub 5:00 mile at 4:55 high . Got a 5k this weekend on the road and hopefully redeem myself .

Today's 5k

The past two weeks I've been training pretty consistent after a bad 5k on May 5th . The weather was warm and I started off too fast with a 4:45 first mile . I knew I was too fast after 1.5 miles into it . Mark Kushinka wasnt too far behind me . If he was there I wouldn't finished under 16 . My plan for today's race was to take it out conservative . It's hard to do that sometimes when adrenaline is pumping .
I arrived early today in Forsyth for the Connie Slaughter Memorial 5k . My goal was 15:30 . Wondering if I would get that mark on this fast course I recognized a runner from a race a couple of years ago . No doubt it was Sean Burris a pretty fast runner . Kinda glad he showed up to push me through a fast race . I wanted to stayed focused on my first mile and not run his race from the gun . I looked at my Garmin through the first 1/4 mile and we was running 5:20ish pace . I decided to pull from him alittle due to a slow start then he pulled beside me . We went through the first mile in 5:00 flat and we stayed together until the 2nd mile where he tried a little surge . I was feeling good so no need to worry about the surge . I've been running long enough to know surges are short lived from a mile out . I catch back up with him . He starts to pull away from 600 yards out and I'm trying to hang but couldn't . We finished with a lap on the high school track at Mary Persons . He came in at 15:16 ahead of my 15:21 . At my age now it's all about trying to stay fit instead of winning right now . A year and a half from being masters and I'm gonna need to stay this way till then hopefully .