TarBaby . Part 3

As we was about to start the race I try to visualize what I wanna do through each mile . No one knows this course better than I do . I've trained on this course nearly every week . I lived right off the course about half a mile from the 5 mile mark . Growing up I can recall days I wake up ready to go to the Dairy Festival and looking out the door was runners passing by . I knew there was some sort of event but didnt have a clue of what .as we start out the race we go stride for stride . Just me and David . I remember after about the 2 1/2 mile he puts on this kick and jumped out in front of me about :10 seconds ahead of me . Just enough to keep me pushing . He lead like that for a good while . I couldn't gain nothing on him . We pass the crowd with my family and locals cheering for me . I cant recall how many times people have asked me if I was gonna win it this year . I reply as always "Heck yeah ". Coming to mile 5 his led continues to grow and when we come to the last brutal hill past the bank to the finish that's when I realized I wasnt gonna win . David finished in 32:30 the same time as Ken did the year before . I finished slower than last year with a 32:48 . I wasnt happy .Very disappointed   . I thought I put in the training . Maybe again to many races . I won 23 that year . I think I raced in 35 that year . Way too many for a serious runner . But I didnt know that then . I coached myself . Thats all I had .. After the race was over David introduced me into joining the Atlanta Track Club Competitive team  and I have been a member since I think  .
 Through the year I continue to race and train and in 1998 the usually preparation for the race . I heard David was coming back to defend his title and on top of that Ken McLeod was coming to . Just great !!! That left me one thing to do was to train harder . I wrote David's name on my mirror to remind me why I need to do that extra mile , interval , hill repeat . I heard Ken wasn't in his best shape at time but would be nice to beat both . For sure that morning both were there and we lined up . From the start we was neck and neck again . Not sure where Ken was but wasn't with us . But here we go again . I remembered what he did last year to me and I was waiting for him to do the same . I told myself if he is plan on doing that little sprint like he did last year I was plan on going with him . We come up on the 2 1/2 mile again where he did his move and I be dang if he didn't try it again this year . I said heck no . Not this time . I went with him . He wasn't shake me that easily . We are battling mile after mile . Coming back to Church St. with the crowd he has a :05 or so lead on me .Crowd yelling like crazy for me to hang on . I had a plan to just sit back and let him think he has me . After mile 5 he has a :10 second lead on me . I can tell this by counting off seconds from land markings . At this point I'm laboring to hang on but still behind him . coming up on 5 1/2 I'm pulling up behind him on the dreadful hill . Soon as we top the hill I'm on him , then 1/4 mile to go I told myself " Feet don't fail me know "!!! I but on this sprint to the finish and I never looked back . Final after the years of hard work and trying to figure out this sport I have finally won my hometown race . Crowd at finish goes wild . Dad and mom has tears in their eyes from seeing their little 130 lb son be the center of attention throughout the day . I finished in 32:12 and David finished 32:30 . An :18 second margin exactly by which he beat me the previous year .I never been congratulated by so many people in my life as I walk around the festival through town with my stain glass award . My family threw an party for me at their house to celebrate . The paper had just about a whole page dedicated to me . As things calmed down for me the past few weeks I got to thinking that I wanted to do more with this race . I wanted the course record set by Jeff Milliman from mid 1980's .I think it was in 84 .
  To be continued ......
 

TarBaby 10k . Part 2

With some races I've been traveling to I started to pack on a lot of wins . I've ran my first sub 16 5k and winning 11 road races in 1995 . I started reading a lot of books and magazines on training and workouts . I met this one guy who guided me into doing speedwork on the track . His name was Eddie Carriolli . He was and good runner but a nut . Collected scrap metal for a living and all he wanted to do is smoke weed . I think is in jail now for armed robbery but if anyone from the day ran races in the area they would know who I'm talking about. A real character . 1996 Tar Baby rolls around . Ready has I have ever been and nervous as ever . I think I hurled before the race due to nerves. At the start I recognized Ken McLeod . A local elite from Macon . I've run against him some and he dusted me quite a bit . I knew I had to run my best race to beat him . The race starts and we went 4:45 for first mile cause of the elevation drop at the first mile but whatever goes down usually has to come back up . We ran neck and neck the whole race . After 4 miles we come back to where the start of the race was and make a run by the crowd waiting at the finish . I never seen so many people on that side of the street and most of them was cheering for me . Adrenaline kicks in and I just try to pull away from him going up Church St. I couldn't shake him . Well coming back up that hill we ran 4:45 on I tend to struggle but i was on him like a tick on a dog . Coming up to the 6 mile I'm hurting and no kick what so ever . He beat me by :03 seconds . I was happy and dissappointed at the same time . Just a weird feeling I suppose . I was happy about that I ran a PR of 32:33 but the losing part you can understand . With the local paper coming out that week I saw my picture in it running side by side with Ken that gotten me excited and more pumped up for next year . I finished out with 14 road race wins that year but not the one I wanted . 1997 came around and running races nearly ever weekend . But my times wasn't getting any better . Was it too much racing and not enough training?? I look back now and say Yes . And then again TarBay comes around. My yearly World Championship . My nerves all gone once again . And I be dang if I notice this one runner with an Atlanta Track Club singlet on . Those guys were known for fast competitive running . I had no idea who he was at the time but David Matherne was his name . An elite from Cartersville , Ga.
To be continued ......

TarBaby 10k . Where my passion began . Part 1

For so long I've been wanting to share my little story that got me started into running and never giving up on goals . I've got to share my story today with a couple of friends today and got alittle choked up about it .
Back in 1993 when me and my brother graduated school together my dad told us that we needed a hobby , something to do on our spare time . He mentioned that we can try the Tar Baby 10k out in town. When I was younger we use to love to go to the Dairy Festival for the games and rides they had and I can recall seeing runners go by just 1/4 up the road where they run pass our neighborhood where we lived at. If I only knew what was about to happen several years later. The Tar baby 10k was a well known and popular event back in the 80s for the tough course and when there was only a hand full of races instead of the 100+ a month you have now . People would come to little ole Eatonton to get in a test race in before Peachtree . A few greats have came through this town to run this race . Craig Virgin, Jeff Milliman , Kim Bird , etc . Now today it's known as the Torture Trail 10k cause they changed the name of it due to complaints from the cult " Newabians " of being a racial name for the race . They were threating to boycott if not changed . But so Ken and I trained running around in our neighborhood . I can remember sitting on the front porch after a few beers yelling at me that Ken was going to kick my butt. We had no idea how to train for this let alone how far a 10k was.  Starting in the back of the race that morning we headed out . I don't recall much of the race but only knowing that after 4 miles and seeing the finish line ahead I thought the race was over with but I noticed everyone was turning right ahead of the finish line . Another two miles !!!! I remember coming up the last hill throwing my guts out and finishing in around 46:23. Ken finished ahead of me in around 43:49 . Still today that's the only time he has ever beaten me . He won an age group award and I didn't . It didn't sit right with me cause I trained more than he did and my work didn't pay off . The next few days I went to the Farmer And Merchants Bank where they organize the race . One lady I know well told me how great I did and that I should take up running because I have the body for it . I took up the complement and headed off for some training . I entered a 10k in Monticello and ended up winning it in a sub 40:00 performance with unbelief that I won only running my second race . My dad was there to watch me and I remember him with a tear in his eye as I finished. Well I started hitting some local races but few and I had no idea how to train . The next year came around and was getting ready for TarBaby again . With my whole family there and mom at finish line taking pictures as I crossed . I finished the race in 37:08 and 10th overall and didn't realize till later on that I was off the Putnam County residents course record by :04 seconds. I told myself the record will be mine next year and had my family especially my dad behind me on this . I trained alittle more the next following year but still haven't found my place into what was lying ahead for me . 1995 rolls around with more experience from racing . That year set out to get that record I shattered that by running a 35:18 and getting 3rd Overall !!!!! I was excited about the record but couldn't believe I was 3rd and only 1:30 something from winning . My dad said it would be awesome if I could win this thing . That put the spark in me . My goal was to win this thing and be the first PC resident to win this brutal race .
To be continued ....

Running

After a week off from a scare from being out longer I seemed to have picked up from where I left off from training . After the NYC marathon was canceled I figured I'd run Soldiers Marathon the week after to not waste any of my hard training but a 20 mile long run in Central city Park that Sunday morning did me in . I started out that morning with a tight feeling in my achilles but figured it would go away but stupid me decided to push through it and it cost me a week off . Thought I'd be out longer cause the next day I could hardly walk on it . Cant seem to put my finger on how I started out with an injury cause I was in middle of tapering and hadn't done any hard running plus how I healed from it quickly .
 After a week of easing into it and an interval workout I wanted to run an 18 miler and try out this new product my wife has came across . I read up on it and saw nothing but great reviews . Its Advocare's O2 Gold . Its suppose to give you a third lung during exercise especially anything endurance . I finished yesterday's 18 with a 6:14 pace . Hitting some miles at 6:05 pace feeling relaxed . I believed I might have pushed the pace just alittle but felt great and relaxed . I usually run this long run @ 6:35 pace but this stuff is great but wanna run a couple more runs and workouts to see if stuff is legit , there is some other products I'm gonna try that Julie has ordered for me to go in conjunction with O2 Gold . Some Pre and Post workout drinks from advocare . If anyone wants to more info or wanna try this stuff out just get in touch with me and I'll post the other Advocare products as soon as I try them out .I have a race Thursday in Dublin in which I'm gonna try to break the age group state record (35-39) that hasn't been broken ever since 1991 in the 12k . Like to knock that out of the way . Plus on Dec 8th I'll be traveling with the ATC team to Lexington Kentucky for the USA Club Cross Country National Championships 10K . I'm gonna use my race as a measuring stick against the masters for next years following race .

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