Saturday, January 30, 2010

Today's Run - 1/30

I was able to get my run in before the big snow storm started. I was out early and it was cold and a little windy. It was nice to run in the day light. I can not wait for spring to bring the longer day light hours. I did not got to run the track I had mapped out because I could not remember the entire loop. I was able to piece the 12 miles together, but I had to circle a few blocks for the last mile. I was surprised by the flat terrain of South Riding. The 12Miles run felt pretty good and boosted my confidence for the longer runs I have coming up.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Planning for this Weekends Run

I am looking for a place to run this weekend when we head to NOVA to see some friends. I am planning to run 12 miles and think I can modify this route to meet my needs. Hopefully the foretasted SNOW will not prevent me from getting out.


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Today's Run - 1/27

A tough 6mile run this morning after a late night at work and limited sleep. I successfully pushed myself out of bed and headed out into the cold for a quick run. After the first mile I was able to get into a groove and was able to work through the remaining 5 with out much issue. I headed for the hills again working on running up and down. The overall pace was a bit slower than I would like, but I guess having limited sleep will have that type of impact on a run.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Today's Run - 1/26

A simple 3mile run. Weather was a bit warmer than usual and it is starting to get lighter sooner. Almost timed the finish of my run with the sunrise.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Today's Run - 1/23

My long run this weekend did not seem that long compared to previous weeks. It was nice to get a little bit of a break.

I decided to run the C'Ville 10Miler course backwards starting from the downtown mall. I only needed to do 7 miles so I cut the course short by not going onto campus, and just coming straight down the UVA corner and back downtown. Unfortunately this cut ~4miles off the course and I needed to improvise a bit to get the last mile in.

I was happy with this run. My training is starting to show in my endurance and strength. I was able to continue with my sub 9min pace. I found that the hills were worse running this course backwards, especially the hill on Grady heading towards Rugby.

So far I continue to run with out any injuries. My legs are holding up pretty well and the only thing that is sore after the long runs appears to be my feet. I expect my paranoia of getting hurt will increase as I get closer to race day.

Friday, January 22, 2010

More thoughts on Boston

I am debating if it is better to know everything or very little about the challenge that lies ahead of me in Boston. Every article I read points out how hard the last half of this race is going to be. Running the downhills is apparently going to be as difficult as running up the hills. I hope the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains will be a good training ground to prepare.

I can't help but read everything I come across about running Boston. With every article I read about how hard it is, their is a theme of how great the race is going to be. The huge number of people and the adrenaline are going to create an environment like no other. The more info the better, I hope to use the information to realistic expectations for my race.

My real goal is to finish in a sub 4hr time and my stretch goal is to finish with a sub 9min pace. My current training results show that a sub 4Hr finish is obtainable. I hope that my training and expectations provide me a foundation to enable me be successful in meeting these goals. Who knows maybe I am just sandbagging and will break 3HR:50Min... anyone want to bet?

Thursday, January 21, 2010

ASICS... how they holding up?

My ASICS 2150's have ~110Miles on them and are about 2 months old. They seem to be holding up pretty well and hope to get at least 250-300Miles out of them. At my running rate, I will need to get a new pair of shoes in April and break them in before the the Boston Marathon. The soles of my running shoes are wearing out before the tops even get dirty. I may have to switch to trail running!

Today's Run - 1/21

I caught a break this morning as the rain stopped before I headed out for my run. It was still a bit cold, foggy and dark. This was a quick 3Mile run and I continued with my sub 9min mile pace.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Today's Run - 1/20

Getting out to run this morning posed a challenge that I have not typically had to deal with. I was not mentally ready to run and really struggled getting out the door for the 5mile loop. I did not mentally commit to the run until I was 1/2 way through. I was surprised by the pace I was setting with my poor mental attitude. I was pushing to just get through the miles and did not really think about what I was doing. As always I felt much better after my run, but it is concerning that mentally the commitment to this is starting to wear on me.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Today's Run - 1/19

I was ready to get out and run this morning after taking Sun and Mon off from running. Today I concentrated on pace and running up/down hills on this short run. I was happy with the results, have an average pace of 8.37/mile and pushed hard up and down the hills. I found that my recovery time after getting to the top of the hills is starting to decrease and I am able to get up the hills faster. I am not sure I could keep that pace up for more than a 10K distance, but I am impressed that my speed and endurance continue to improve.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Today's Run - 1/16

I decided to move my long run up a day to take advantage of the great weather.   When I headed out it was just above 32 with clear skies and little to no wind.   As I ran the temperature rose to about 45 degrees.   Definitely the best running weather in a while. 

There we lots of runners out today.  It looked like the local track club started a training class for the 10Miler.   It was fun to see all the runners out and pushing through new challenges.   I saw few people I know, I always seem to run at bit taller and in a smoother form when I see others.   We passed each other and gave the runners wave and smile of encouragement. 

Today's run felt good and I hit the C'Ville 10Miler course again.   This track has become pretty regular in my training routine, and  I have broken this loop down into easier manageable pieces.   The first section is around the stadium and campus.   The second section takes you out of campus and then to and through the downtown mall.   The third section is a neighborhood and then back to the downtown mall and then up towards The UVA Corner.   Once you hit The Corner you are pretty much home,  just around campus and back to the parking lot.  10 miles is easy when you break it down in to a number of more manageable sections.   Not knowing how to break the course up in my mind will be a definite challenge for Boston.

I am mot sure what happen with the Runkeeper mapping, but it had some issues tracking the last 1/2mile of the run.  I tried to fix it through the website but it is not exact.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Today's Run - 1/14

An easy 3mile run this morning.  I am really trying to work on my pace for the shorter runs.  I was happy that I was able to get the first 2 splits under 9mins, not sure what happen on the last spli.
 I am looking forward to my rest day tomorrow so that my legs can recover for my long run this weekend.   I plan to do my long run on Saturday on the C'Ville 10Miler course because the weather forecast for Sunday is looking cold and wet.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Running for a cause

Friends and Family,

As I have shared with many of you, in the last year I started running and it has become a major part of my life. I am excited to announce that I recently started training for my first marathon, the 114th Boston Marathon on April 19, 2010. For added inspiration, commitment and support, I am running for the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The Respite Center is given a limited number of running bibs by the Boston Athletic Association. They provided me with the opportunity to run in the race with their support, and in turn, I will raise funds to support The Center.

The Michael Carter Lisnow Center was founded by Sharon Lisnow and Mary McQueeney to provide emotional and physical support for families of adults and children with disabilities. The Center, founded in 1996, was named for Sharon’s son Michael who was born 16 weeks prematurely and grew to be ten years old, despite facing his own disabilities. The Center offers programs such as after-school care for children, adult day-programs, and employment support for individuals with disabilities. More information is available at their website www.hopkintonrespite.com.

My goal is the raise $2,500 for the Lisnow Center. Should you wish to support me, any contribution would be truly appreciated - $25, $50, $100, or any other denomination – and corporate donations will be accepted as well. The Center is a 501(c)(3) organization, allowing you to take tax deductions for your donation. There are two options for giving:
  • Checks – Make checks payable to The Respite Center, and mail to me in the enclosed addressed envelope. I will mail all donations to the Center on a weekly basis.
  • Online – I created a personal fundraising page for online donations at www.firstgiving.com/whatsdougrunning4
Thank you in advance for joining me in supporting this great cause. You can follow my progress on my fundraising and training (rundugrun.blogspot.com) websites.

Always Running,

Douglas Morrison

Today's Run - 1/13

I headed out for a 5mile run this morning. I am starting to get concerned about the hilly Boston course so I went in search of hills. My neighborhood has some pretty good hills for climbing and descending runs. I used my a 4mile loop and then added another mile by piecing a few different roads together. I was happy with my average 9:16.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Today's Run - 1/12

I felt great after my rest day yesterday and ready to get back out there for a run this morning. It was still cold and dark this morning, but it warmed up to 30 degrees and it was feeling almost balmy when I headed out. I was working on pacing today to see if I could stay below 9mins for each mile splits and I was happy with my avg split of 8:35. I am starting to see how my training in paying on my times and endurance.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Today's Run - 1/10

Today's run was the first long run of my training program. I headed back to the C'Ville 10Miler course for this run. I was targeted to run 9miles, but I was feeling good so I decided to run the entire course. It was nice to get back to running on the UVA campus and throughout Charlottesville. The day was clear, light winds and about 28 degrees when I headed out on my run. Considering the recent temperatures today was a beautiful day for running and there were many runners out and about. I was surprised to see a significant amount of snow still on the ground and sidewalks.

I was happy with my pace and can see that my endurance has greatly improved since the last time I ran this course. I completed the run in just under 1hr:33mins. Based on this run, I am setting my sites for running the C'Ville 10Miler Race in 1hr:30mins.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Improvement over time....

I should not be surprised that my running times are improving, but I think that this is dramatic. Looking at my Runkeeper history, I found 2 runs with the same loop and compared the times and pace. My splits improved by ~1 min/mile in the last 4 months.

9/7/09 - 38:39
1/5/10 - 35:03

Friday, January 8, 2010

Running Boston - a mental challenge as much as phsyical

This article makes me a bit nervous about my up coming challenge to run the 2010 Boston Marathon. I guess it is good that we have hills in central Va that I can train on.

Running Times: Run Smart, Run Fast in Boston

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Today's Run - 1/7

It was bitter cold this morning when I started out on my run.   I bundled up in my running suit, gloves, hat and headlamp to stay warm.  I decided to run pieces of my normal loop in reverse and head out of the neighborhood to route 250 and back to make my 3.5mile run.   My legs are sore from the limited recovery time and increasing running distances.   I can't believe it but I am actually looking forward to my rest day tomorrow.





Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Today's Run - 1/6

Another cold morning for today's run. The outside thermometer showed a temperature of 13 degrees as I headed out. The cold crisp morning air actually felt good in my lungs and overall I was not impacted by the cold or wind as I ran. I was feeling tired and sore from running yesterday and adding mileage. The run tomorrow will be a test of how quickly my body can recover from these back to back runs. I will definitely be looking for the rest day on Friday in prep for the first real long run this weekend.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Today's Run - 1/5

It was 15 degrees and very dark when I headed out this morning on my 3mile Run. I bundled up in multiple layers, gloves and hat to beat the cold. I used a new Headlamp to light up the road ahead of me. The cold weather gear and headlamp made my run very enjoyable and considering the extra gear and weather conditions I am happy with the pace and endurance.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Inspiration Required....

I am looking for a little inspiration to run in the cold weather tomorrow.



ahhh - there it is.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Today's Run - 1/2

Today was the first long run of my training program for Boston. I was really anxious to run outside after running on the treadmill and a day of rest. A cold snap has kept the temps in mid 20's with high winds. Despite these conditions I bundled up and headed out for a 6Mile run. After getting started I was warm and feeling good to run outside. I was happy with the run pace considering the change in elevations, cold temperatures and windy conditions.