Rock CF Race Results

Sunday was the 2nd running of the Rock CF Half Marathon & 5K on Grosse Ile.  I ran this race last year (it's inaugural year) and this course is where I hold my current half PR (1:37).  I knew this years race would be even bigger than last year.  There were about 1600 runners, 500 more than last year.  They changed the course slightly, had nicer shirts and sweet medals!   Chris had originally trained for this to be his first half marathon but after a bone contusion in his foot left him sidelined for 8 weeks, running this was dicey.  In the end, he decided that since I am pregnant and require multiple port-a-potty and walk breaks, he could do.  And he did.  He ran by my side the entire time!

It was such a great day for my last race while being pregnant.  So many of my running friends were there, my dad ran the half (and PR-ed w/ a 1:33!!), my mom & aunt walked the 5K, I had such awesome support from fellow runners & spectators out on the course and even received 2 medals when I crossed the finish line; one for me and one for baby!  I got to meet Katie from Runs for Cookies.  Thanks for introducing yourself and congrats on the PR!  I also got to see Rose from Hacker Half Marathon that I met last year at this same race.  Again, congrats to you too on the PR.  I swear, yesterday was the day of PR's. 

The was another PR for me too; my slowest half marathon ever!  LOL!!  It was also race #7 to add to baby's pre-birth racing list/my pregnancy racing list.  Am I sad that racing is over until after I give birth?  Absolutely.  I love running races, even if I am not technically "racing" them.  I love being surrounded by others who have a passion for the same thing I do; running!!  But I also know it's now time to cut back.   

Here are my official results and a few pictures.

Finish Time: 2:11:04
Pace: 10:00
A/G Place: 45/75

Chris, baby and I finishing the half!  :-)

 After the race w/ my 2 medals; one for me & one for baby!

a profile shot of the baby bump.  all smiles!

Chris and I getting our picture taken

a handful of my running friends! 

Baby's got another race

Or should I call it a run?  I am technically not racing. 

Anyway, this Sunday is the 2nd running of the Rock CF Half Marathon.  This also happens to be the same course that I hold my current half PR (1:37:31).  I will be lucky if I can complete the half in 2 hours.  My, how things have changed in a year.  I am really looking forward to this event.  There will be so many people that I know from the running community running this race.  And I get to add another race to the baby's list!

Unfortunately, Chris will not be running. After taking 7 weeks off due to a bone contusion, he just started running again last week.  I was hoping he would be healed enough to at least keep my company on the course, but he's making the right decision to not run it at all.  He'll get a shirt out of the deal and the money goes to a good cause!

As I mentioned, I get to add another race to the baby's list.  So far she has participated in a trail ultra, a marathon, a 10K, 2-4 mile races, a 5K and now a half marathon.  This will probably be her last race before she arrives.  That is, until I get the OK from the pediatrician to start running her in the jogging stroller, then she will be back at it. 

Back to the grind!

6 easy miles on the treadmill at 5am this morning.  First run since the marathon and I felt great.  Don't get me wrong, my slow pace felt fast, but I did not have any aches or pains.  What a great way to kick off my birthday!  I made sure to spend a good 15-20 minutes rolling around on the foam roller after I finished my run.

While I was on the treadmill, I chatted with one of the guys from the Y who was running next to me.   It just so happens to be the same person I ran with during most of the marathon.  Anyway, we were discussing the Rock CF Half Marathon and he said his wife signed up with him.  I also found out one of my other running buddies and his girlfriend signed up as well.  I planned on running this but thought about how great it would be if my husband would run it too.  Chris said he wanted to try a half marathon one day, so why not make it the Rock CF half?  I called him as soon as I left the gym. I told him my Y running friends and their spouses are running it and how I'd like him to run it too.  He agreed!  I am totally pumped!  It will be his first half marathon and I am so excited to help him train.  I made sure to register us both as soon as I got to work this morning.  If you are thinking about running this, I have a $5 off coupon code.  Just let me know if you'd like it. 

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If you like free stuff as much as I do, head over to Tips 4 Running and enter to win a pair Saucony shoes!

Somerset Stampede race results and review - The Cliff Notes Version

I am going to keep this short and sweet.

Half marathon + 4.20 miles.  ran 2 miles w/u, 13.1 race and a 2.10 mile c/d.

For me, this race was awful.  The hardest I have had in a long time.  I lost focus early on and could never regain it.  The hills kicked my butt, the sun annoyed me, my hip was sore, etc...  I didn't expect it to be this hard after coming off the Run thru Hell.  I had a successful race on an extremely hilly course, so why would this race be any different?  Well it was.  My pace was all over the place, I struggled up the hills and couldn't wait for it to be over.

I ended up running my slowest half marathon (not including trail half's) in 3 years!!!  Not only that, I ran this course 4 minutes slower then last year.  WTF?!  Since this is such a small race I snagged first in my age group with a finish time of 1:44:24, 7:58 pace.  Clearly this was not my day.  I ran my marathon pace for this half and felt awful the entire time.  Oh well, you can't be 100% all of the time.  I just chalk it up to being a good hill training run for Dances with Dirt. 

Official Results:
Finish Time: 1:44:24
Pace: 7:58
AG Place: 1/10

Half Marathon and Nascar weekend!

I have another half marathon this weekend.  This will be my 3rd year running the Somerset Stampede.  It's a small and inexpensive race (only $20!) that offers two distances; a half marathon and a 5K.  The course is made up of challenging hills out in the country, dirt roads, a horse trail and finishes at the Somerset Beach Campground.  My current PR for this course is 1:40:02.  My goal is to break 1:40:02 but I would be thrilled if I could come out with an overall half PR by breaking 1:37.

It just so happens that this race fell on the same weekend of the Nascar race out at MIS (Michigan International Speedway).  We attend every Nascar race at MIS (June & August).  It's nice being able to enjoy the lake that my in-law's live on yet being within 12 miles of the race track.  I am off work Monday so I can get in another hilly 6-8 mile run before heading home. 

Fun & training going hand in hand. 

Martian Half Marathon - adjusted results

If you read my previous post, you would have learned that the half marathon I ran on Saturday was actually 13.40 miles long.  The timing company was quick to acknowledge this issue and notified us that they would adjust the time accordingly so we would have our accurate 13.1 finish time. 

The updated results are posted here and I learned that I just missed my PR by 14 seconds!!  My official finish time for 13.1 miles would have been 1:37:45, 7:28 pace!  My results for the actual course length of 13.40 is 1:40:10, 7:29 pace.  I ran a half PR on March 20th with a finish time of 1:37:31.  So close!!

I was satisfied with my results, but this makes me extremely happy to know that within 2 weeks of each other, I was able to bust out a sub 1:38 half.  I am really starting to see the results of my hard work.

Martian Half Marathon Race Results

First let me start by giving a HUGE shout out to Morgan of cautionredheadrunning for organizing the blogger meet up and putting together an awesome swag bag!  You rock!  Even with injury you still came to support us while rocking your fabulous be-dazzled crutches.  Thanks again! 

I think they should change the name to Martian Half Marathon + .30 miles.  The course was officially longer, so all those who thought their Garmins were wrong, they were not.  The race directors posted the results for 13.40 so I ended up meeting my goal and running a sub 1:40 half.  Yay! 

Guess I should start the beginning. 

I arrived early so I could park and meet Morgan and the rest of the bloggers at the meeting spot by 7:45am.  I parked about a half mile from the start and ran to the meeting spot.  It was a chilly morning but I could not complain.  They originally called for rain/snow.  Instead it was about 32 degrees and dry!   Anyway, it was very easy to spot Morgan.  Not only did she have a sign but she had some pretty crutches and balloons.  What a rock star she is.  Injury and all, she still came out to support us and even put together a fun swag bag that included a bondi band and Arctic ease!  Sweetness!! 

I also got to meet and chat with Jessie of Live~Love~Run, Nicole of runnernic, Jen of solitudestew and many others whom I am forgetting.  (I will add them to this post as I remember so you can check out all of these fabulous blogs) I made a run back to the car to drop off my stuff and get ready for the race.  With the run to and from my car I was able to get in about a mile warm up.  I could have used more as I was pretty darn cold.

I was pretty much on my own from the start so I ended up popping in my ear buds and listening to music.  At the 8 mile mark is where I noticed that my Garmin read 8.40 miles.  I thought to myself "dang, I must be all over the place today".  At mile 12 I took out my ear buds so I could hear the spectators at the finish shoot.  When I crossed the finish line the time was 1:40:10. Not bad.  I wanted to break a 1:40 half but was satisfied with this time. 

I received my medal, I saw a friend from the Y.  He asked how I did and pointed out that the course was long.  So it wasn't just me!  As I spoke with more runners, everyone had 13.40.  I really had broke 1:40 like I set out to do.

As I was standing around by the finish line watching more finishers come in, I got to see Steph of Steph's 50 marathon challenge finish the marathon.  What a crazy marathoner and strong runner this woman is!  We chatted for a bit and I learned she had to run a few extra miles too.  So we ran them together.  I must admit, this is one of the highlights of my day!  I have been following her blog and her marathon journey for a while now so having the opportunity to run with her was so exciting!  I am sure she felt like she was on an interview.  I asked about her training, what she eats, how she balances training & work, when she started running, etc...  Sorry about that Steph!! 

I ended up hanging around the finish area with Steph waiting for her mom to finish.  We also discovered that we both had placed.  She, being 1st in her age group for the marathon and me being 5th in my age group for the half marathon. 

We snagged these cool martini glasses.



















All in all, it was a successful event!  I got to meet some wonderful ladies from the blogging community, saw a friend from high school run his first half and chatted with the infamous Steph!  It was a good day.

Official Results:
Time:  1:40:10 - 13.40 miles
Pace:  7:29 pace
AG Place: 5th/189
Overall: 171/1836

And here are a couple photos from the day. 

Jessie & I before the race (She looks great, I look sleepy). 

"borrowed" from a web site ;-)  heading towards the finish line

Martian Races and Mother Nature

Tomorrow is the Martian Invasion of Races and blogger meet up!  I am very excited to finally meet some of these fabulous bloggers that I follow.  Not only are we meeting prior the the race, but we are having brunch/lunch afterwards.  I have to make sure I remember to pack my camera!

I am also hoping that Mother Nature is playing a very cruel joke on us and that it will actually be 50 degrees and sunny tomorrow morning.  As of now, the weather channel is saying 36 degrees and snow.  really?  It's April!  I am so ready to retire my running tights, gloves and other cold weather gear until next winter. 

I also decided how to get my additional mileage in.  Being that it will be a balmy 36 degrees (weather says "feels like 31"), I will run a 2 mile warm up prior to the race and 2 miles cool down after the race. 

To race or not to race, that is the question

I am signed up for the Martian Half Marathon on Saturday and I am not sure how I intend to run this race.  My training schedule has a long run of 17 miles for this weekend.  I refuse to run the half and not get in the additional 4 miles I need to meet my scheduled long run.  As much as I'd like to beat my previous half time from March 20th, I doubt I will be able to.

I have come up with a few options for Saturday, I just need to choose which one will work best for me.

Option #1: arrive extra early to run 4 slow & easy miles prior to the race.  run the half as fast as I possibly can. 

Option #2: arrive at my normal time (1 hour prior) and run 4 slow & easy miles after the race.  run the half has fast as I possibly can.

Option #3: use this half as a training run and stay out on the course for an extra 4 miles. (instead of turning around at the half turn around point, continue on for another 2 miles before turning back).  My time will show much slower than the norm for a half but I will know this is because I actually ran 17.1, not 13.1.

Option #4: arrive at my normal time (1 hour prior) and run 2 slow & easy miles before the race and another 2 slow & easy miles after the race.  Run the half as fast as I possibly can.


So there you have it.  My break down on how I want to run the Martian half.  I told myself that I must know how I intend to "race" this event by Friday evening.

How do you think I should run this half marathon?

Completed; Week 7 & Week 8 of Marathon Training

Week 7; March 7th - 13th

Monday scheduled: 4 mile run
Monday actual: 5.25 mile run on treadmill at 1% incline w/ 8x400's 42:47 8:08 pace

Tuesday scheduled: 7 mile run
Tuesday actual: 6 mile run on treadmill 49:50 8:18 pace , core work, push ups 6 x 10

Wednesday scheduled: 4 mile run
Wednesday actual: 5.1 mile run on treadmill (1M 8:25 pace, 3.1M 7:30 pace, 1M 8:20 pace - Virtual 5K), upper body lifting, legs

Thursday scheduled: rest day
Thursday actual: rest day

Friday scheduled: 7 mile mgp
Friday actual: 7.20 mile run on treadmill at 1% incline 60:00 8:20 pace (slower than mgp)

Saturday scheduled: 14 mile run
Saturday actual: JM Yoga Melt Down (spent the day at my son's wrestling tournament, had to rearrange my long run days)

Sunday scheduled: cross train
Sunday actual: 14.25 mile run 1:58:46 8:20 pace w/ a new running group, JM Yoga Melt Down, JM 6 week 6 pack

Schedule Total Mileage: 36 miles
Actual Total Mileage: 37.80 miles
Weight: 122lbs


Week 8; March 14th - 20th
 

Monday scheduled: 4 mile run
Monday actual: 5 mile run (3M on treadmill, 2M on track) 42:20 8:28 pace- sore legs, foam rolled, push ups 5 x 10

Tuesday scheduled: 7 mile run
Tuesday actual: P90X Ab Ripper X, P90X Back & Biceps, free weights for shoulders, core work, foam rolled - sore shins

Wednesday scheduled: 4 mile run
Wednesday actual: 7.11 mile run outside! 54:06 7:37 pace

Thursday scheduled: rest day
Thursday actual: 5 mile run on treadmill 40:34 8:06 pace, core work, push ups 4 x 15

Friday scheduled: 7 mile mgp
Friday actual: 7.12 mile run on treadmill at 1% incline 60:00 8:25 pace (slower than mgp)

Saturday scheduled: 15 mile run
Saturday actual: rest day

Sunday scheduled: cross train
Sunday actual: Rock CF Rivers Half Marathon 13.1 miles 1:37:31 7:27 pace

Schedule Total Mileage: 37 miles
Actual Total Mileage: 37.33 miles
Weight: 122lbs

Rock CF Rivers Half Marathon Results

What an awesome event.  I must say, for being a first time race, it was one of the most organized races I have participated in. I am so impressed on how this came together.  And all for a great cause. 

I was up early Sunday (5:30am), ate breakfast and was out the door by 10 after 6.  I had to meet my dad and head over to the island.  No need to take 2 cars.  We ended up parking fairly close to the high school where the race start and finish was.  They had the school open so we could hang inside and stay warm before the race.  I was able to meet to fellow bloggers before the race too!
Jeff/Detroit Runner and Rose/Hacker Half Marathon  Jeff had his camera and made sure to get a picture of us 3 together.

My dad and I had plans on running the entire race together.  I really wanted to break 1:40.  I've been trying to break a 1:40 half since June 2010.  I wasn't so sure today would be my day, but we were going to push for it anyway.  We both run this course quite a bit so we are very familiar with the road conditions and where the wind will strike.  Mother Nature was on our side.  Usually once you make the turn from West River to East River, the wind hits regardless of the weather.  Not this day.  It was very calm.  Perfect conditions, although I would have liked the temps to be a bit warmer. 

I felt great the entire race.  My left hip bothered me a bit but I ignored it and eventually I didn't even feel any discomfort.  When we hit the 11 mile mark, my dad told he was going to maintain his current pace and if I had any gas in the tank to go.  I responded with "I am not leaving you".  but that didn't last long.  I was a few strides ahead of him.  I felt bad going ahead of his since he had just paced me for 11 miles!  How can I leave him?  I pushed on and tried to pick it up a bit more at the 12 mile mark.  I knew my dad was behind me, but I wasn't sure how far back.  I knew if I turned to look, I would have waited for him so instead I kept on.  I made the turn on to the high school track where the finish line was, heard them announce my number, name and city I live in, kicked up my speed as fast as I could and crossed the finish line at 1:37:31!!  I did it!  I broke 1:40.  A new PR!  My dad cruised in behind me at 1:37:55.  Not only did I crush my goal, I beat my dad.  I NEVER beat my dad in any race before. I know it's only by 24 seconds but being able to do this is a huge accomplishment for me.  My dad is such a strong, fast runner.  Being able to beat him was the proof that I needed to show myself that my hard work is paying off.  It makes me want to push myself even more!

Here are a few photos that I borrowed from a local running web site. 

I really need to buy a new L/S 1/4 zip. I have worn this purple one for both races this year. I love it. It's my favorite cold weather running top. But I also do not want every cold weather running photo to look the same!  I need to learn how to not have monster face when running.  It's scary.

Dad between mile 12 & the finish line

Official Results:

Time: 1:37:31

Pace: 7:27

A/G Place: 3rd / 71

Overall: 90 / 712

Rock CF Half Marathon

My first (of many) half of 2011 is finally here!  http://www.outruncf.com/

I love racing this distance and love the location of the event.  Its being held on Grosse Ile, an island that I do a lot of my long runs on.  Not only is the location great, but so is the reason this event is taking place.  You may have read this article in the September 2010 RW's. Emily Schaller  Well, she is the one who organized this event.  It is the first time this event is being held, and over 1200 runners are registered!  What an amazing turn out this will be. 

Now, I was not going to set a time goal.  I was just going to run hard and use this as a training run but.... I really want to break 1:40.  I have been trying to do this for a year now!  I came so close at the last half I ran just missing it by a few seconds.  Hopefully my dad can pace me and get me there!  I am hoping that the weather is calm on Sunday.  The west side of the island tends to be windy even on a calm, non-windy day!  Right now they are calling for low 30's.  I would have liked to see low 40's but as long as it is above freezing, I can't complain!

Complete: Week 5 of Marathon Training

I can't believe I am already 5 weeks into training and that there are only 13 more weeks to go!

Monday scheduled: 3 mile run
Monday actual: 4.5 miles hills on the treadmill, strength training for shoulders

Tuesday scheduled: 6 mile run
Tuesday actual: 6 mile run 48:36 8:06 pace

Wednesday scheduled: 3 mile run
Wednesday actual: 4 mile run w/ speed work (5 x .25 at 5K race pace), strength training for back, push ups 5 x 15

Thursday scheduled: 6 mile run
Thursday actual: 6 mile run on treadmill 1% incline 48:33 8:05 pace

Friday scheduled: Rest
Friday actual: Rest

Saturday scheduled: 12 mile run
Saturday actual: 13 miles 1:44:17 8:02 pace, ran the Rock CF Half Marathon course on Grosse Ile w/ dad - cold & breezy!

Sunday scheduled: cross train
Sunday actual: 28 mins AMT 4% & 10%, 5 mins 8% cool down, upper body strength training (biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, chest), core work

Schedule Total Mileage: 30 miles
Actual Total Mileage: 33.49 miles
Weight: 122lbs

Somerset Stampede Half Marathon Results

This was my second time running this race. I completely forgot how difficult this course truly is! Picture 13.1 miles of never ending rolling hills and you've got the Somerset Stampede half. Although, it is difficult, it's one of my favorites! It is a smaller race as I think most run the 5K.

I earned a new half marathon PR. It's nothing to write home about, but a PR nonetheless. I was 3 seconds away from breaking 1:40 too. oh well, I am not beating myself up over it. My time last year on this course was 1:46 and some change!! So to run this over 6 minute faster, I'll take it.

Finish Time: 1:40:02
Pace: 7:38
2nd out of 12 in my age group
3rd female overall
21st out of 134 overall

They actually had people out on the course taking pictures this year. I look forward to their web site being updated with them so I can score a couple and add them to this post.

Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon Results & Review

Yesterday, my dad and I ran the Dexter - Ann Arbor half marathon. I was unsure how the weather was going to hold up for us. The night before mother nature released some wicked weather on us. I was woken twice by high winds, pouring rain and tornado sirens. My dad had it even worse. His town was hit by a tornado...twice! So needless to say, we were both pretty darn tired Sunday morning. My friend Kristy was running the 10K so she was at my house at 6am. We made the drive to Ann Arbor, parked and waited for my dad. He met us at the parking structure around 7am. I wished Kristy good luck and dad and I headed to the bus lines. We were to be bussed out to Dexter and the course takes you back to downtown Ann Arbor near the U of M campus. The start time was moved up from 8:30am to 8:15am and then back to 9am. There was a tree across one of the roads that needed to be removed before we started. At 9am we were finally off. I fell into a comfortable pace with my dad and enjoyed most of the course. There were a few decent climbs and some nice down hills where I could pick up speed. I felt good through out the entire race except for the last 2 miles. Mile 12 I was really pushing myself along, telling myself "you've made it this far, its only 2 miles". Mile 13 was the death of me. I was leaving all I had out on the road adn it still wasn't enough. A couple times my dad turned and said "come on" and I snapped back "I am. I am trying my hardest". LOL! My dads goal for me was to come in around 1:40. My previous half marathon PR was 1:46:25. We crossed the finish line at 1:40:47, which is a 7:42 pace!! I beat my previous PR by 5:48! My Garmin states that we finished in 1:40:47 but that the distance was 13.27, not 13.1 which would put my pace at 7:37. Of course, I am going with the official race results as my time.

I remember my dad saying to me while we waited at the start line "you'll be surprised at how good of shape you are in with all the winter training you put in". I told him "if I can finish in 1:40, this will be a big confidence booster". It is. But I am still disappointed in how the last couple miles beat me. I let the mental aspect of the pain/race get to me and it won. I really need to work on that!



Official Results-

Finish Time: 1:40:47
Pace: 7:42
Age Group Place: 12/181
Overall Place: 379/2397

Blog Neglect and random thoughts

I am so behind on updating my blog. So much so that I have not even added my weekly exercise from last week! I can't do it right now since I am at work and my log is at home. Booo.

I know I have said it before, but I really need to give my blog an overhaul. It's so boring and just plain blah. I can't seem to find the time or patience to do so. I do promise to update more. I start marathon training on Monday so ideally I'd like to post daily, if not daily then every other day. I am taking on a tougher training program and with a BQ goal, I'd like to document as much of my training as possible.

I have a half marathon on Sunday. My dad wants me to run with him since he is also registered for the same race. I am not so sure I will be able to hang. I, for one, do not want him to run at a slower pace just to stay with me. That is what he would have to do because I highly doubt I can maintain his pace for all 13.1 miles. I will see him at the race expo on Saturday and will discuss our "game plan" then.

I am totally in love with my Garmin except for one small issue. I have the strap on the 2nd to smallest notch and once I start running it slides around on my sweat covered wrist. Which then causes it to bounce off that small bone on the side of my wrist. If I put it on the tightest notch, then it's too tight and hurts. Anyone have an idea on how I can make it fit more comfortably on my wrist? Should I purchase the loop strap versus using the watch style strap it came with?

3.5 weeks to run as fast as my dad!

Is it possible?

Should I pray for a miracle?

I am registered to run my first road half marathon of the 2010 season on June 6th and have been pestering my dad almost daily about registering as well. He called me last night to tell me that he finally registered but since I pressured him to register, I now have to run the race with him. Yes, that sounds fabulous since the last time we actually ran side by side was the marathon in October. One problem...he's faster then me!

We both ran the trail half in April; he finished in 1:56 and I finished in 2:03. We also ran the same road half in August of 2009; he finished in 1:38 and I finished in 1:46. I would have to PR by at least 8 minutes to be able to run along side him. I would love to be able to run with him but I also do not want him to have to slow up at all because of me.

At the same time, I am trying to convince myself that I can hang with dad. I can maintain a 7:28 pace for 13.1 miles. I want my dad to be proud to see that I can run at his speed. I want him to see how strong I am and far I have come since he ran with me at my first 5K in 2007.

I will be buckling down for the next 3.5 weeks! Speed work, tempo runs and long runs every week! I've already been doing this for the past few months now, but I'll definitely be pushing as hard as I can and then pushing some more!

Watch-less Running

I have decided to leave the watch at home this week for all my runs. I've been spending so much time on training and working on my speed, that I have not had time to just enjoy a nice run in the spring weather. That is why I have made this week watch-less running week. No worrying out my pace, no worrying about my speed, just going out and enjoying the sounds, sites and smells of a spring day run.

For this week only!

Next week, I jump back into an intense 4 week half marathon training program. My first road half marathon is on June 6th and I have a set time I must beat! The next day, June 7th, is day one of marathon training. The next 5.5 months will be dedicated to running half marathons, running a couple short races (5K, 10K) and training for my October marathon.

Week 1 Day 2 & 3 of Half Training

The week was off to a nice start after Sunday's power session at the gym. Little did I know the damage I caused. Monday was painful! My legs have not been this sore since running the marathon. I think spending 2.5 hours working on my legs and abs was a bit of an over kill. At least I learned my lesson.

So day 2 ended up being mostly a rest day. I did spend some time doing upper body strength training along with 4 x 15 push ups.

Day 3 turned out much better. I went to the gym for an easy 3 mile run to loosen up my muscles, which were still sore! I ended up having a great run and pounded out 5.25 miles alternating the incline along with the pace (8:20-8:00). That really refreshed me and put me in a great mood.

Week 1, Day 1 of half marathon training

Although my next half is a trail half marathon, I have decided to follow a training program. I am using Hal Higdon's intermediate half training program. I have used his programs in the past for my half marathons and for the marathon and really enjoyed them.

http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm

On day 1, it is strength and stretching. Since my upper body is sore from lifting both Friday & Saturday, I will be spending my time at the gym focusing on lower body strength training and core work. I plan to do lots of squats, lunges, stability ball work, abs using the medicine ball, etc... I will finish the work out with 20-30 minutes on the AMT set at 20%.

I've also started researching trail shoes. My dad loves Brooks Cascadias and although they work for him, who knows if they will work for me. I currently run in Brooks Adrenalines GTS and have since February 2007. I plan to go to Running Fit this week to get fitted for a trail shoe. Unfortunately, I am going to do something I am kind of against. I will get fitted and then find them cheaper on line. The reasoning behind this is because I am not even sure I will enjoy trail running! Why spend $100+ on a pair of shoes at the store when I can try to find last years model at a discounted price! The reason I am some-what against ordering off the Internet is because most of my local running store plan and sponsor races and I want to be able to give back. I will be purchasing my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's in the next month or two, so I guess I can give back then.

I also convinced Chris to order new shoes. He doesn't run races, but I still want him to have a good shoe for when he does run. He runs the treadmill and road for cardio and may try to run a race with me in the future. He is going to try Brooks as well. I told him to get fitted, but he won't. Hopefully these shoes work well for him.