Looking for 1-Mile Run/Walks

I've decided to start looking for 1-mile run/walks--that I can walk, at least at first! I'd love to walk a 5K again, partly because I miss road races in general. I enjoy the people, the camaraderie, the competition (even with myself, trying to beat my last time). Walking a mile is a good goal for me now, partly because it's still a stretch! I'm pretty excited, though, because I feel like it's an attainable goal. Onward!

Missed Long Run

My cold has gotten a bit worse this morning, so I decided to take it easy at the gym. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, and followed it with 15 minutes on the treadmill. No incline today. No speedwork. I just sucked it up and got some cardio time in. My legs still feel like they have energy in them, like they were expecting a long run today. My face, not so much energy! My nose is clogged up and my eyes feel droopy. Granted, I did go grocery shopping after my workout, all before 11 AM, but I do see a nap in my future!



I wanna be a wuss when I have a cold, but since I'm not coughing, I may try to run the Magnificent Mile tomorrow, since I'm already registered for it. I was hoping to use it as speedwork, but between the cold and projected highs tomorrow close to 95, I think I'll just go out there and run it, have fun, and see how I do.

Four on the Fourth

I've been missing the road racing circuit lately, as I've been concentrating on Saturday long runs with the Galloway Training Group. So, today being Friday, July 4, I had a couple of races (at least) to choose from in the Triangle area, and opted for the Four on the Fourth in Carrboro, put on by the Cardinal Track Club.

The weather was really pretty, though a little hot and humid. The course was fairly flat, which was nice too! We ran through some neighborhoods near the start and finish lines at McDougal Middle School. There wasn't a lot of crowd support, but the people who were out were very nice. While I appreciated everyone who was out clapping for us, I especially liked seeing parents out with their kids, encouraging even us back-of-the-packers. What a cool way for parents to model good sportsmanship to their children!

I finished the four mile race in an unoffical (Garmin 205) time of 51:16. The Garmin actually showed 4.02 miles for that time, a 12:46 min/mile average. I did a run/walk combo, and was hoping to finish in under an hour. I'm thrilled to have an average pace below 13 minutes for the 4 miles. I ran more in the earlier miles, walked more in the later miles. I ended up finishing the race with a nice lady whose name I didn't even get, but I enjoyed talking with her as we ran/walked a good portion of the race near each other.

The only odd thing about the morning was having to do with the timing chip. As I was walking toward the registration area this morning, I noticed nobody with race numbers had timing chips on their shoes. I was suddenly a little disappointed, and was surprised at myself for missing the detail that timing chips weren't going to be used for this race. (It's okay if races don't-though most do these days--I just like to know, one way or the other.) When I registered and got my race number, it turned that the chip was in a pouch on the back of the race number! Interesting! The volunteers said there would be a place at the end of the race to put the pouch with the chip. Once I crossed the finish line, someone pulled out a yellow piece of paper that was in the pouch, but he missed the chip. I spotted a box full of the pouches with the yellow sheets (and chips) still inside beyond the finish line. I pulled the pouch with my timing ship apart from my race number and asked the nearest official-looking person about it. He hesitated, but put in it the box I'd spotted and said they'd work it out. I hope so! ;-) If not, at least I have my Garmin time.

This was my first 4-mile road race, so I'm excited about having this PR of 51:16 to break in the future.

UPDATE: Official results are in, and my chip time is 51:17:34. I finished 400th out of 411 finishers. The age group posted results only went three deep.

Race Report: Run for the Roses 5K

This afternoon I ran in the Run for the Roses 5K in Raleigh. It was a 2:00 race, an unusual time, since most road races start around 7 or 8 AM! I was glad for the chance to sleep in and rest my aching legs from yesterday's 5 mile run/walk. It was a pretty day, sunny--but windy! I wondered how the wind would affect my time, since I'm accustomed to running indoors on the treadmill.

George decided to go with me this afternoon, and he was good company. We got there early enough to find the community center where the race started, and I picked up the racing chip to tie to my running shoe. I saw one of the ladies I met yesterday at the Shelley Lake run, and we commiserated. :-) (I saw another lady out on the course, calling out splits at the one mile mark.) While I was stretching and such, someone came up and asked me about my Garmin, and it was fun to talk shop.

I decided to go out for a warmup run, partly to see how my legs would do and how the wind would feel during the race. I took it easy, running .53 miles in 6:48. I was surprised at how sore my legs were, but okay with the wind at that point.

The race started promptly (I think), and the course went by Peace College, then through part of the historic Mordecai neighborhood of Raleigh. It was a very pretty route, with a lot of flat areas, but some hills as well! Whew! Of course, the wind seemed to kick in big time on some of the steepest parts. ;-) I was tempted to stop and walk on occasion, but I was able to push through. Having the split times at each mile helped, eventhough I had my Garmin this time (the first race I've run since receiving it for Christmas). It was great to have the Garmin for tracking distance as well as time, especially when I could see I'd gone two miles, and I had a half a mile left.

The race ended where it began, so I knew from that too when I was getting close to the end. Since I started out the race pretty fast (for me), I didn't have a lot of kick at the end, but I tried to push a little and hold it to the end. It was a great feeling to see the finish line banner and hear someone over the loud speaker, eventhough I could understand what was being said at first, or see the clock yet. As I got closer, I could tell that I couldn't beat the 35 minute mark that I was hoping for, but that's just another goal for the next 5K, right? I ended up finishing in about 35:30 (my Garmin says 35:28), though I'm still waiting to see the official results posted on the website. That's about two and a half minutes faster than my last best time, so I've very happy about doing that much better, especially with the wind!

I had a great nap after I got home! Now I'm even more sore, but it was worth it!

(I ended up with 29.14 miles for the running week, but the way!)

***Official results have been posted, and my gun time was 35:30 (11:26 pace), chip time 35:08! I finished 424th out of 488 runners, and 28th out of 39 in my age group.

OK, I Did It!

I just registered for the Coach Bubba 4-Miler in Durham this coming February, and it feels really good! It's a distance I haven't done in 20+ years (since doing a few 6.2 mile races in college), so I'm excited--and a little nervous! I bet I'll hit the 4-mile mark in training fairly soon, so I won't worry about it. It's nice to have an official goal to work toward again, though, something I'm committed to running on a specific date.

The Day After...

This morning I did 60 minutes on the elliptical. I actually looked at the treadmills, then passed them by. I'm tired this morning after yesterday's race push, and could've done with a shorter workout, but oh well! I'm a little sore too, but mainly tired. (I got plenty of sleep last night, so I can't blame my tiredness on that.)

Still looking for offical results from yesterday's race, can't wait to see that the PR's official. :)

I was thinking about doing another 5K next weekend, but think I'll wait until the 15th now. There's a 5K in Fayetteville, a bit of a hike, but doable.

Race Report-Run for the Quay 5K, June 2, 2007

I ran in the Run for the Quay in Fuquay-Varina, NC, yesterday, and had a fun time! My buddy, Stephanie, went along and ran with me, and I enjoyed her company (as well as her navigational skills) alot.

It was a sunny, late spring morning, and I found Fuquay-Varina to be a charming town. The start and finish were at a local Methodist church, where we picked up our race numbers and timing chips. The race volunteers were friendly and organized, and the race started on time. The course had some mild hills, nothing too bad. We ran through some neighborhoods, and some of the residents were out in their yards, cheering us on. (One family even had a water hose rigged to a ladder at the curb, sending a light water mist over us as we passed by--that was great!)

I finished in 42 minutes even, for an overall pace of 13:31/mile. I ran the first mile in 13:05, so I slowed down a bit. I beat my last 5K time of 46:30, which was my goal, though secretly, I was wondering if I could break the 40-minute mark. (Perhaps next time!) I jogged the whole race for the second time in a row, and felt pretty strong throughout. There were bananas, oranges, and empty Bojangles boxes in addition to fresh water when I got to the tent after finishing the race. I'm glad the Bojangles boxes were empty! ;-)

I could feel a hint of the North Carolina heat of summer coming on, as I worked up a good sweat!

I'm hoping to find another race to do in July or August. I've found a 5K/10K combo in Fayetteville in August, and am wondering if I should stretch for the 10K, or continue to work on my 5K time. I'll see how my distance runs are coming along in another month.

A new 5K possibility

I've just found a 5K on December 16 that might be a good possibility, the Reindeer Romp 5K in Cary, NC, not far away from Durham. Perhaps this will give me a litle kick in the tail to keep training, including speed and resistance.

Another 5K Race

There's another 5K road race I'm thinking about, this one in Durham. It's the Duke DPT (Doctor of PhysicalTherapy) 5K, run around the Duke campus on Sunday afternoon, Octover 15. I'd thought about doing one next Saturday morning, the 14th, in Raleigh. However, I have football tickets to the Duke-Florida State game for Saturday afternoon, and my ERUUF Covenant Group is planning to serve at the soup kitchen for dinner that evening. I'm thinking I might like to spread my weekend activities out a little bit!

Maybe a 5K in my near future?

I was just looking at information on the Autism Ribbon Run in Raleigh on October 14, and I think it might be a good thing to do. I'd decided to wait until I'd lost more weight and could jog for longer periods of time, but I need the proverbial carrot dangling in front of me. This looks like a good one. I think this will help me stay focused with the exercise and stay on course with the weight loss. The only downside is missing the morning check-in at the Rice Diet, but this seems like a good cause.

Meanwhile, I did the elliptical machine for an hour before work this morning. The morning workout seems to be working for me now.