Rock 'n' Roll Series Coming to Raleigh!

The Raleigh City Council gave approval on Tuesday for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series to do a marathon in Raleigh, starting in 2014. My first reaction was, "Wow! That sounds great!" My second thought was, "Will they have a half marathon too?!"  See, I've always wanted to do a Rock 'n' Roll race, just to see what it's like, but the total cost has been a bit over my budget. The race registration  for Rock 'n' Roll races is a little high, but the "official hotel" rates within close proximity to the start and finish lines are even higher, and sometimes require a 2-3 night stay. (That's the case for the Virginia Beach race, anyway.)

As word as spread through the local running community, I learned that feelings are mixed about a RnR race coming to town. Someone on Facebook compared it to Walmart coming to town, and out-muscling the local marathons. I'm not deep enough into the running scene to know if that will be the case or not. Time will tell.

Here's the story from wral.com.

I'd love to hear opinions from  local runners, as well those who have participated in Rock 'n' Roll races! What do you think?

Ahhh, Massage!

I had a professional massage a little while ago, my first one in several months! It feels like I have a new upper back! Holy cow!

Meanwhile, I've gotten a little more exercise this past week, and that feels good too. Here's hoping there will be more of that soon. Grad school continues to eat up a lot of free time, but that's definitely a priority right now.

Meanwhile, George is gearing up for his first marathon a week from today! Yippee! I won't be running the accompanying half marathon that I paid for, but it is what it is. I stopped running because of plantar fasciitis in my left foot, but classes and studying have quickly filled the void I've felt in the past when I stopped running to heal. So, I'm really looking forward to supporting George during next Sunday's marathon. I'm sure he'll do great!

A Date with (and for) New Orthotics!

Well, I finally have a date to get my new orthotics--February 14, Valentine's Day! As much as I love running, I can't wait to get them in my running shoes and start breaking them in!

Meanwhile, I'm looking at fall races and wondering if I'll be able to do some running by then! Time will tell. I'm working on my walking form, in the mean time, and am currently reading the book, The Complete Guide to Marathon Walking, by Dave McGovern. I've just started it, but so far, it's a pretty good read. I'm trying to be optimistic about running comfortably again, but realistic too, planning for what I CAN do. I may never do another marathon, but I hope this book will help me with half marathons.

Outer Banks Marathon DNF

Well, the big news isn't what I hoped for. I was hoping to report a big fat PR, but instead, I had my first DNF, or Did Not Finish. I have mixed feelings about it, but am glad I went. George and I did this race together, and we both learned a lot from it.

We did run, by several accounts, the prettiest half of the course, and decided to stop there, as my IT Band continued to hurt, and George ended up with an unexpected knee injury, which he got diagnosed at the medical tent later. He has decided since then that it was probably caused by the new pair of shoes he had to by in Kill Devil Hills Saturday afternoon because he'd left his shoes at home! The pair he was sold was a size narrower than he's used to wearing, a recipe for injury, it turns out!

We were glad to get a half marathon in, but it's too bad we didn't get a finisher's medal for it. Sunday's race course took us through pretty neighborhoods and past the Wright Brothers Memorial, which was awesome! I took pictures, which I'll post later. We were impressed by the volunteers at the water stops and aid stations, as well as the crowd support along the way.

I'm still processing the experience, but here are some things I've learned:
1) I need to continue to work on speed, endurance, and weighht loss to improve my running.
2) Make a checklist of things to pack for a marathon out of town, and start packing earlier.
3) If George and I run another long distance race together, we need to get on the same page in terms of packing, shopping, and sleep, about a week in advance.
4) I need to work on stretching my IT bands more frequently, perhaps returning to yoga class.
5) I enjoyed running with George, and I'm glad we talked a bit beforehand about a game plan.
6) It might help to think about things to talk about ahead of time, when I'm planning to run a long distance with someone. Actually, it helped me to have George talk and be able to listen to him as I ran through some tough sections!


I've already signed up for my next race, a 5K in a couple of weeks. I need it to help me pick my chin up and keep going. I must remember to allow myself to rest and recover this week too, though.

UPDATE: George's and my split times didn't show up on the official race results! Arrrgh! It was one of those little strips that you pull off the back of the bib and loop on your shoe laces. George already emailed the company, and I will as well, after I get home and look at my bib number again (I don't remember it.)

Race Report: 2009 Triple Lakes Marathon

Well, I did it! My first marathon, the Triple Lakes Trail Race, is in the books! It's still a little hard to believe, eventhough I'm living through continuing, though subsiding, aches and pains.

I left home about 5:30 Saturday morning, and watched the nearly full moon set as I drove west towards Greensboro, North Carolina. I got there about 6:50, and learned that the race director had decided to let the early bird marathoners start at 7:00, rather than 7:15 (as published on the website). I had to hustle to get myself together at the start, but was happy to get the show on the road. I'm glad I got to see both Wendy (fellow Raleigh Galloway Group runner and social networking friend) and Amy (a coworker at Duke) before the start, as I didn't see them again on the trail.

The first mile plus was on pavement, but the rest of the course was on single-track trail. It was a very pretty course, taking in Greensboro's Watershed Trails, through the woods and around Lake Brandt. The course itself had a fair number of roots, rocks, holes, etc., enough that it took a fair amount of concentration to keep upright. I didn't do a very good job of that early on, falling three times in the first six miles of the course! Two falls were around mile 4, the other around mile 6. I walked it in after the second fall, and took advantage of first aid supplies at the next three aid stations. I decided that as long as I could walk on my bum knee without any pain below the skin surface, I'd try to keep going. It got to the point where I broke the race up into smaller goals. When concentrating on each mile ("Do the mile you're in!") got too tedious, I would shoot for the next aid station. I'd tell myself I could decide whether or not to stop for good at the next aid station. At the aid stations, I got more liquids and food, and where needed, I got extra water to clean out my knee wound, as well as antibiotic ointment. I decided to pass on the gauze and tape offer, for fear that the tape would restrict my movement.

The aid stations got better stocked as the day progressed--unusual, huh? (Most aid stations tend to run out of things for us back-of-the-packers.) There were more food choices, as well as gu gels, at the later stops. The last stop had some defizzed Coke, which was amazingly refreshing (partly because of the caffeine)! In addition to the extra nourishment, I got more chatty with the aid station volunteers as the day wore on, because I was out there on the trail for stretches all alone. Usually I savor running/walking time to myself, but I got pretty bored and lonely out there on the wooded trails.

As the miles wore on, I began to feel blisters form on my right foot. By then, it was hard to know which leg to favor, since my left knee was the injured one. I gritted my teeth and chugged on.

With a mile or so left to go, George showed up on the trail, and was a welcome sight! He had run with the Galloway group in Raleigh Saturday morning, and his mom (another saint!) brought him to Greensboro so he could drive me back home in my car! He came bearing an extra water bottle, and was great company for the end of the race! He told me that former coworker Gina and her husband Steve had stopped by to try to visit with me at the finish while I was still on the course. (What a shame that I missed them!) What a delightful surprise to find that Wendy (fellow Galloway runner) had stuck around to see me finish my first marathon! She finished about three hours ahead of me, so it was quite sweet of her to stay, considering her drive home.

It was such a relief to cross the finish line! I wasn't as emotional as I thought I'd be, just incredibly relieved to be at the end of the path. I ended up finishing in 10:55:43, a disappointing time and last place marathon finish, but I'm sooo glad I finished the distance. It would not have been a shame to stop early, but I do feel pretty satisfied to have logged the distance I said I would. This was a major athletic feat for me, no matter what the time.

[I learned afterward that my official time at the race was logged at 9:55:43, because I was rushed at the beginning and didn't realize that I needed to let a race official know I was starting early. NOW that makes sense, but I just didn't think about it at the time (nerves?), and nobody mentioned it! Also, the race director had decided not to bother with timing chips and mats.]

On the way home, George ordered me a tomato and mushroom pizza, and had it delivered as I took my ice bath. The 9:15 PM pizza meal was my first meal of the day (I'd had a banana with almond butter for "breakfast," and then the race course foods for the rest of the day), and it was the best pizza in the world right then!

I spent the day after the marathon resting, drinking liquids, soaking in the tub, and eating in bits and pieces. I also went to the CVS Minute Clinic for suggestions for my blisters and my knee. (I felt kinda like a wimp for going, but I was so uncomfortable!) The lady I saw just suggested soaking my blisters in Epsom salts and using detergent to scrub the dirt out of the knee I fell on (three times!). Soaking in a warm bath felt good, but the knee scrubbing fell short of a fun time.

Things I learned about myself by doing the Triple Lakes Race:

1) I can do 26.2 miles in one day. And I'm certain I can do it faster than I did last Saturday.

2) "The Wall" can happen earlier than Mile 20. For me, it happened after the second fall at Mile 4 in this particular race. The last 22 miles, they were very long. I hope that the "The Wall" will be MUCH later down the road for my next marathon.

3) I need to come up with a list of more things to think about when I'm running long mileage. I depleted my "alone time" topic reserves during this marathon, and that surprised me. (I usually exercise and run alone, except on Saturdays with the Galloway group).

4) I did pretty well last week with nutrition the week before the marathon. My gauge is that I utilized the two available porta-potties (only two, can you believe it?!), but didn't have to hold "it" uncomfortably for any of the race.

5) I ran out of water/Gatorade once on the trail, but made it to the next stop okay. Otherwise, I did a decent job of drinking and rationing my water/Gatorade between stops, which were usually about 4 miles apart.

6) Saying mantras on the trail helped a lot, but I had to change them up every so often. Being by myself for long stretches allowed me to say them outloud at times, which helped. The word "finish" factored in more than once. Popular ones for me were:

*Do the mile you're in.

*I-can-do-this.

*Fi-nish-line.

*Go-ing-home.
*Got-ta fin-ish

7) I have friends who care about me, and are happy that I've tackled this marathon thing. Their support before and at the end of the marathon (and since) have been heartwarming. I also got a good bit of encouragement from other runners along the trail, a number of whom asked me how my knee was doing.

8) I found a lot of extra determination on the trails, and what a pleasant surprise that was! Sometimes my feet were on automatic pilot, but I almost threw in the towel a couple of times. I'm glad that something deep down pushed me to keep going.

9) My blisters and bum knee have hurt worse than my muscles since the race, and I'm not as tired now, a couple of days out, as I was after my 18-mile training run. I can tell I put my body through some trauma on Saturday, but acute injuries aside, I don't feel as bad overall as I expected. I'm still getting to bed early, but I feel like I'm healing.

10) I'm not as fond of trail runs, especially single-track trails, as I'd hoped. I'm too new of a distance runner to be tackling challenging single-track trail runs, and the run/walk in the woods was less enjoyable than I expected. (I assumed the course would be a sufficient distraction.) Maybe it was the falling-down stuff that make it kinda miserable, but I'm not in a hurry to do another trail run like that. I'd signed up for another trail run, the Medoc 10-Miler in Hollister on October 17, and had an order in for a new book on trail running that's coming out in January 2010. I'm bailing on the 10-mile trail race in favor of training near home, and I've cancelled the book order. Training time is too precious (and so is new book money!), and I need to focus on getting ready for the Outer Banks Marathon early in November.

11) I have a lot of admiration for all the runners who finished in front of me, including my Raleigh Galloway Training Group friend Wendy, who walked a course PR by over 40 minutes on Saturday! I also have a lot of gratitude for the volunteers who talked with me at aid stations and checked up on me in the last miles, as well as for the race director, who allowed me to finish about three hours past the posted time limit for the marathon.

So, three days after Marathon #1, these are my thoughts. I'm certain I'll continue to process the experience for a while. Corny as it sounds, I do feel like my life's changed because of my first marathon adventure. It'll be interesting to see how my running changes because of it.

Wednesday Workout

1) Rode 5.37 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.01 miles (16:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.15 miles (25 min) on the treadmill

I also did 4 sets of 5 reps on the vertical knee raise. I haven't done any core work in, like, forever, so this was a little hard for me to do. I can tell I need to strengthen my abs, so this should be good for me, right? :)

I've decided to really work on the weight loss again, so I don't have to carry any more extra weight than I have to during the marathon. No doubt about it, weight can slow a body down. I recorded my weight yesterday, and much to my suprise, I was UP 2/10 of a pound today! WAAAA! Not the encouraging start I wanted on the diet front, but I must remember the big picture.

First Marathon!

Big news! I've signed up for my first marathon, the Outer Banks Marathon on November 8! I have lots of time now to train (and stay healthy!). I'm nervous, but excited too!

I've also decided to use it as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham. I visited there last month as a volunteer stint with my Junior League committee, and it really made an impression on me! My fundraising goal is $500, and my online fundraising page is here.

More to come!

Thursday Workout and Fall Race Update

The gym was still pretty crowded with the Resolution crowd this morning, but I was able to get a decent workout in.

1) Ran 3.14 miles on the treadmill in 38:03 minutes
2) Walked 0.50 miles on the treadmill in 6:11 minutes
3) Biked 2.15 miles in 12 minutes

This afternoon, I noticed that the City of Oaks Marathon and Half Marathon have tentatively been set for November 1. That's cutting it close to the annual anniversary trip George and I usually take the end of October. (Our first date anniversary is on Halloween!) Sooo, I also found out that the Outer Banks Marathon and Half Marathon are on November 8! The timing seems better, and it would be a neat trip! Also, I've heard that marathon is rather flat (except for the bridge), and could be a great first marathon. I wonder if I could be ready for a marathon this year. I'd all but talked myself out of that goal for this year, thinking that another year of base mileage would be good for me. But what if I could do it?!

Well, I'll see how the Coach Bubba 20K next month goes. Raleigh Rocks Half in March will be a good indicator of my progress as well. Stay tuned!

2009 Running Goals

I've been mulling over my 2009 running goals lately, trying to decide how big or specific to be. I also mulled over whether or not the go for a full marathon this year. I decided I wouldn't push it this year, but continue to work on my base mileage and speed. If the marathon happens this year, okay, but at this point, I'm thinking 2010 will be the marathon year. So, for 2009:

1) Run 1000 miles this year.

I tried to do this in 2008, but with injuries early in the year, I wasn't able to catch back up.

2) PR in the half marathon.

I ran my first half marathon in November 2008, and I want to put the things I learned from that race into action and run a faster half marathon time in 2009. I've already signed up for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon in March.

3) Race a new distance.

I've already signed up for next month's Coach Bubba 20K. It'll be my first 20K, so it'll be an instant PR, the time to beat when I get around to another 20K!

New Running Week

Although I got to bed late last night, I felt pretty good at the gym this morning. I didn't try intervals for the first time as I'd planned, but I still had a decent workout.

I started with 15:01 minutes (3.68 miles) on the recumbent bike, then finished with 40 minutes (3.22 miles) on the treadmill with a 1% incline.

On the reading front, I recently started the book A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles on the Streets of New York, by Liz Robbins. This book is about the 2007 New York City Marathon, and it's been an interesting and motivating read. Now I'm thinking a lot more seriously about training for a marathon!

Partial Run

This morning I got up early and was at the gym before 6 AM to run on the treadmill for a while before my 9 AM meeting. I was scheduled to run 10 miles, but ended up doing 4.46 miles of (mostly) running, and then 1.7 miles on the recumbent bike before heading home to get ready for the all-day meeting at ERUUF.

I wish I'd had time to get the whole 10 in, but I was hard pressed to get up early enough to run 10 miles before 7:30 AM, giving me enough time to get ready and get to church in time. (It was a good meeting, and I'm glad I went.)

I watched the end of the women's Olympic marathon tonight, and it was very inspiring. I only caught the last couple miles of the gold medalist, but wow, how impressive! Constantina Tomescu Dita from Romania won in 2:26:44, and is the oldest woman to win the Olympic marathon! Wow!

Yesterday I emailed a lady about the Anna's Angels 10-Miler, which I was considering signing up for. (Since I've run 10 miles or more a few times, I thought it would be a good experience to try a race.) I noticed that the awards ceremony is going to be 2 hours after the race starts, so I emailed the contact person to see if I could run in it, eventhough I knew I couldn't finish it in under 2 hours. (I wasn't worried about being in medal contention!) She replied that the course closed after a couple of hours for safety's sake, so the 5K might be a better option for me. *sigh*

I'm planning to run again in the morning to round out the week's mileage.

Another Galloway Long Run

This morning I met the Galloway Training Group at Shelley Lake again, and decided to go with the 14/15 group again, especially since I did the 4-mile race yesterday. We did five 1-mile repeats with the intent of practicing getting closer to race pace. With the 14/15 pace group, the first couple of miles were that way, but the last three were slower. With my tired race legs, I didn't mind the slower pace. I started out as one of the faster people in the group this morning, but by the end I felt tired enough to slow down and talk more with people.

The group leader and I got things straight in terms of mileage this morning. Last week I was a bit discouraged because the group went a shorter distance than was on my training schedule for the City of Oaks Marathon, and the group leader insisted that 10 miles was correct. Well, it turns out that because I'd just (re)joined that group, she didn't know what my target race was, and no one else was planning to do the City of Oaks Marathon at the time. (Another pace group member has since let her know that it's her target race too.) I didn't think to tell her either.

I enjoyed talking with Leigh Ann this morning; she works with diabetics, so we had a lot to talk about. I also had fun getting to know Janet, whose twin sister, Janette, is running with the 13 pace group.

Because of the intended speed work, I ended up doing 8.02 miles in 2:15 today--faster than last Saturday, but a slower overall pace than yesterday (big surprise). I enjoyed the earlier meeting time today.

Off-Beat Morning at Shelley Lake

This morning I joined the Galloway group for the regular Saturday morning long run. The yellow sheet with our target training schedule said that today would be a 12-mile run. I've been wondering all week whether to stick with the 13:00 pace group or go back to the 14/15:00 pace group, which I ran with on my first week with the Galloway group.

Once I got to Shelley Lake (where the group met to run this morning), I had a hard time finding a parking place, for starters. The Raleigh Galloway training group as a whole is nearly 400 strong, and while there are group members absent on any given Saturday, there are still a lot of group runners there each Saturday morning. As it happened, the local Team in Training group was out running around Shelley Lake too, in addition to the normal traffic (which often includes some North Carolina Roadrunners Club running groups too). Crazy tight parking, but I ended up creating a parking place under a tree, so my car was nice and cool when I got back to it.

I found my 13:00 group leader and told her I was going to join the 14/15:00 group today, and she said, "Okay, well go ahead and sign in on our board." Another 13:00 pace groupie overheard me, and it turns out her mom is one of the 14/15:00 group leaders, so she introduced the two of us. That made me feel a little better.

Once I got to my adopted group, I asked about the 12 mile plan for today, and the leader said, "NO!" This group was running 10 miles, all we needed, considering the planned races, she said. She was adamant about it. I backed off, but felt a little put off. I was already feeling a little tenuous over switching groups.

Today was group and pace group picture day. I participated in the Raleigh group photo. My 13:00 pace group opted for a pace group photo, but the 14/15 group I was running with today wasn't going to stay for a photo, so off I went with them, missing out on the photo shoot with the folks I've been running with for several weeks. So, I was still feeling a little out of sorts.

We walked for a little bit to warm up as usual, then we started the 1 minute run/1 minute walk ratio. Without meaning to at all, I was at the head of the group, sometimes by a good bit, and the leader lady had to keep calling me back to run with the group. This was pretty frustrating--for both of us, I'm sure. I introduced (or reintroduced) myself to everyone in the 14/15:00 pace group, and they're a friendly and determined group of people. I found out that another lady in the group, Gloria, is also planning to run in the City of Oaks Marathon, and that was a treat to learn. After a while, a lady in the pace group came up to me and asked if she'd like me to have her run with me in the 13:00 pace group for a while, then rejoin the 14/15:00 group later in the run. I jumped at the chance! Nancy turned out to be a long-time runner (and professional personal trainer) who's running as a guest with her sister, a first-time runner in the 14/15:00 pace group. It was nice to be back with the 13:00 group, still at the back of the pack but with willing company.

At the half-way point, we rejoined the 14/15:00 pace group, and at first I felt a little out of sorts again, as people were already into conversations. But I overheard Gloria talking with another lady about music, and the other person mentioned a washboard band she was in while in school. The school I went to had a washboard band, so I started singing their theme song and suprised her! Yes, it turned out we'd been to the same school, St. Mary's, though at different times. She graduated from the junior college division when the school had one, and I graduated from the high school part several years before. Still, it was great fun talking to her about it! To add to the connections, we found out our first-date anniversaries with our boyfriends is the same day-Halloween! :) Unfortunately, I don't remember this person's name, so I'll have to get it next time.

I continued to be at or near the front of the group, until we stopped for our final bathroom break at one of the park's restrooms. I wasn't going to go, but decided to at the last minute. While I was in the restroom, I thought someone else was still in there, so I said through the walls, "I'll be out in a minute," assuming "she" was heading on outside. When I got outside, though, there wasn't a single person in the running group left, and I wasn't sure how to get back to the parking lot! It was a surreal feeling, really. I decided to start heading in the opposite direction from the one we came in, and hoped to seeing something or someone familiar. I came to a fork in the path before that happened, but I saw someone coming toward me who looked friendly. I asked her which was the way back to the Seratoma Arts Center parking lot. (The arts center is next to Shelley Lake, and the parking lot there is the biggest of the Shelley Lake parking lots.) Her response: both ways! The expression on my face must've read: Okay, so which way is shortest?! She pointed to the left, and asked if I were part of the Galloway group. It turns out she was too, and was already done and walking around a bit. It was nice to meet someone new and have a little company for the walk in.

I ended up doing 10.01 miles in 2:54:00. I had to walk around the parking lot to log 10 miles on the Garmin, though I probably did a little more than 10. (I forgot to start the Garmin up at the very beginning, and then forgot to restart it after a couple of water stops.) My left leg bothered me again this morning. Susan suggested it might be Illotibial Band Syndrome or something similar, and she could be right. *sigh*

Once back in the car, I tried a Gu Gel I bought at REI earlier this week. This particular flavor was called Espresso Love, which is coffee flavored and has extra caffeine, among other electrolytes and vitamins. As much as I like the smell of coffee (not to mention the taste of coffee ice cream!), I'm not a big coffee drinker, so the taste of it after a run (did I mention it was hot outside this morning?!) wasn't very refreshing. Bleh! Oh well, it's fun to try different things, especially with recommendations from others. I still have a Vanilla Bean flavored Gu Gel to try, and a Honey Stinger Ginsting-flavored gel to test drive too. (The Honey Stinger Banana flavor sounds good to me, but didn't see it at REI.)

On her way out of the parking lot, Gloria passed me, rolled down her window, and asked me if I would be back next week. I smiled, and told her I would. (It was nice to be asked, eventhough she was probably alluding to the holiday weekend next weekend.)

I need to decide what to do about the pace group thing. I feel like I'm in between pace groups and don't have a comfortable "home" group, at least for now. There are worse problems to have, I know, but this is a several-month commitment of Saturdays I've signed up for (there was money involved) , and I don't want to dread going. There were certainly several bright spots today, mostly involving people instead of running, though. Perhaps I need to rethink my running goals for the rest of the year, and remember that the City of Oaks probably won't be my last marathon, and that the social aspect of running is a lot of run.

Have you been in a similar situation? If so, I'd welcome your insights!

A Little Longer

Today I went for 43 minutes on the elliptical machine (3.29 miles), then 2 minutes on the treadmill (.14 miles). The treadmills were all taken when I got to the gym this morning, and I got on a roll on the elliptical. :)

I returned to the orthopaedist yesterday, a follow-up appointment about my groin strain. The doctor could see improvement, and was encouraging about my 5K last Saturday. She did prescribe 4 more weeks of physical therapy, which will help. I was sore last night from the extra stretching during the appointment!

Meanwhile, I'm thinking about signing up for a Jeff Galloway Training Group that's starting near here next month. I'm especially intrigued by the emphasis on training and staying injury free. Advice is welcome!

Finding Balance

I've been thinking more about the Disney Marathon in 2009, and my overall racing plans for 2008. With the expense of registration ($105 for the marathon, $95 for the half--higher than more local half and full marathons), plus travel and lodging, I think I'll opt for being able to run (and afford) more races within 2-5 hours of home, at least for the next year or so. I need to build my base mileage anyway, and a plus of running around here is that I'll get to know the local running community a little better.

Talk About Planning Ahead!

I was just looking at info about the 2008 Disney World Marathon, which happens in about a month. I've heard it's a really fun race! Turns out that registration for the 2009 marathon opens January 14, about a year in advance. Wow! It certainly looks tempting! I wonder if I could train (and save!) with a year's notice. Talk about a great big goal--but exciting to think about! Hmmm....

Marathon Advice

I found a handy-dandy website today called MarathonGuide, which offers runner comments on various marathons. I especially enjoyed reading the nice comments written about the Outer Banks Marathon. Although I doubt I'll run a marathon in 2008, it's interesting to read about well-run marathons when I know there's an accompanying half marathon, as is the case with the OBX Marathon.

Getting Ready for Tomorrow

I did an hour on the elliptical machine this morning. Decided to stay off the treadmill one more day, as I'll be running in the Jingle Bell Run in the morning. It looks to be a chilly, but pretty morning! The race starts at my old high school in Raleigh, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

A reader asked if I listen to the Phedippidations running podcast. What a conincidence, I just subscribed a couple of days ago and listened to this week's podcast yesterday! I really enjoyed hearing about this runner's experience with the 2007 Philadelphia Marathon, as I'd love to be able to run a marathon someday. He beat his last marathon time by several minutes, but was very disappointed that he didn't hit his big goal of breaking the 4 hour mark. He missed it by about a minute and a half---oh, so close! I felt that way with my last race, when I hoped to break 40 minutes and missed it by 13 seconds.

We'll see what tomorrow brings! I'll write a race report later this weekend.