I may not have posted about it, but I am still running!

The RunDugRun blog went stale in the last year due to me having limited time to focus on and contribute to blogging.  You may ask what kept me occupied since my last post.  To quickly catch you up, since August of 2012 I successfully completed a Masters in Information Technology from the University of Virginia,  joined GE Healthcare, traveled to (and ran in) multiple US, European and Indian cities, ran 900 miles in 2013, as well as completed the Marine Corps Marathon.   I can happily say that I am ready to start 2014 with more time to focus on my family, friends and running.

I start the year with the following running goals:

• Run on average 3 times a week
• Run 1000 Miles
• Run in 3 Charlottesville Track Club events
• Complete 1 or more Marathons
• Be more faithful to a healthier diet

I also have the following stretch goals:

• PR 5K time
• PR Marathon time
• Compete in a sprint triathlon 

I am excited to accomplish these goals in 2014 and plan to blog about my progress as I go.

2013 Marine Corps Marathon Race Dedication

Hi Family and Friends,

The Marine Corps Marathon Race Day (Sunday, Oct 27) is coming very soon, and my training continues to go well.  I remain healthy and I completed my final "long run" (21 miles) this weekend. Now I start the tapering process with multiple shorter runs each week while also working to maintain confidence that my training is sufficient for the challenge.   I am excited to run another marathon, and I hope that you will track my progress and even come out to support me and the other runners if you can.

I may have shared with you why I am running MCM this year, but I would like to provide a few more details.  Marathon distance (26.2 miles) is pretty long and one has a significant amount of time to think about a variety of topics while running this far.   It would be hard to run the MCM and not focus on Marines that have impacted one's life personally.   For me, Al Kanshaw and Byron Sheldon are those Marines.

Al Kanshaw (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/NorthJersey/obituary.aspx?n=Aslan-Kanshaw&pid=157755580#sthash.mek6xB3O.dpbs) and I worked together on a number of IT projects at Affinion Group.   Al approached project delivery like a mission.  He was focused, organized, and worked to bring the team together to accomplish any given goal.   I was lucky enough to know Al outside of work as well;  we often spent time together when I was traveling to CT.   Al was a great friend, colleague, and thankfully a Marine.

Byron Sheldon, (http://www.tributes.com/show/Byron-Sidney-Sheldon-95928191) was a long-time family friend and a very proud Marine.  I always caught up with Byron at family get-togethers where he would share his stories.  Byron's stories provided insight into Marine life that I could not imagine.  Many of his memories centered around the world travels and adventures the Marines offered he and his wife Diane.  I felt lucky to know Byron and was impressed with the courage he showed while battling cancer.   

I am happy to run this year in memory of Al and Byron and fully expect that each of these men will help me during the marathon journey. For those interested in tracking me throughout the race, the MCM Website has a number of details, but here is the key information to get you setup:

Sign up to track me and other runners you may know: http://www.xacte.com/templates/mcm/supporter.html

Check out the 26.2 Mile Course map and all the cool things that I will see:http://www.mcmlocator.com/map

Come find me at the finishline: http://www.marinemarathon.com/Assets/PDF/2012+Transportation.pdf

Talk to you soon,

-Doug

New Shoes

I was long over due for some new shoes so I headed to down to Ragged Mountain Running Shop this weekend.   I worked with the staff to evaluate a few different shoes.  We covered the standard check list about injuries and current shoes.   I explained that I am working to reduce my over-pronation and heel strike, that I have enjoyed the Brooks shoes recently but like ASICS, and that I want to get a more technical shoe with a balance of stability.    We tried on a ASICS 2170 and 1170, but settled on the Brooks Ravenna.   

I did my first run this morning in my these shoes and enjoyed the cushy yet structured feel.

Charlottesville 10 Miler - Prerace

I did not travel this week in hope that to have a good tape week with a few easy runs.   Things don't always go as planned around here.  Monday into Tuesday night one of the kids was up sick multiple times through the night which prevented my run on Tuesday.  I decided to take Weds as a recovery day.   My taper week has been busy with work and I have been able to get some good rest and recovery.  The interesting thing about tapering is the impact on your mental view of running.   I often find that in the middle of the taper week I start to question if I will even remember how to run.  With the instant drop in running frequency I feel out of balance with my day to day activities.

Race bib numbers were issued today, and I will be bib number 1683. 

Mid March Review

The C'Ville 10Miler is in a couple weeks and I am excited to race again.   I am hopeful that I will meet my target pace of 8:20/Mile but have my doubts.  Taper week starts on Sunday after one last long run.  My training continues to progress and I remain healthy.  I am finding my business travels are having an impact on my speed workouts.   My typical speed workout is usually the morning after a long travel day, which has left me tired and the workouts more daunting than normal.  Much of the workout difficulty is mental, and I find once I get into the workout I am able to do what is required.   Due to travel, most of the speed work outs have been on Treadmills.  I find running on treadmills to be a constant grind, which forces you to keep up with no real time to recover.  The tempo and long runs have been difficult but enjoyable. 

I have enjoyed the best of weather in Virginia and Connecticut for running outside so far this spring. It is nice to shed the layers of winter gear for spring / summer gear.  I am hoping that it does not get to hot to soon.  The longer spring days are nice, but it is still dark when I head out in the morning.
My current training plan has me targeting 4 days during the week with a long run on Sat. With travel that has not been possible because I travel early one day during the week and miss a recovery run.  Even with that, I have been making the 20-25 Miles a week consistently since starting the plan.  That distance and frequency is proving to be  comfortable and challenging level. I have reached more than 25% of total mileage for the year, which is right on pace.  My run cadance has improved and staying on target for 90 Steps /Min. Looking back at Q1 2012 I am happy with my running efforts and results so far.

2012 Charlottesville 10 Miler

It is official!  I am registered for the C-Ville 10 Miler.   Training has been going pretty well despite my heavy travel schedule.   The next 3 weeks are a long haul with long runs, speed work and tempo runs.    I am excited to run this race again and hope to run the course a few times as I prep for race day.

Mid Feb Report

I am enjoying my training plan for the C'Ville 10 Miler because it has enabled me to run with purpose, provided a bit more variety in my workouts and given me the opportunity to get in some longer runs.   Although I am just a couple weeks into the training plan I am feeling good, starting to see the results of the workouts and running healthy.  I am excited for the race at the end of March.  Still need to register for the race to make it official.

I continue to travel for work which has made some of my training more difficult due travel fatigue.  However, I am taking advantage of running at the local high school track for speed work when traveling - something I don't have access to at home.    Eating healthy is always a challenge while on the road and it is something I need to focus on more to cut down on the calories from large meals and alcohol.   Overall I have been making good choices and trying to eat meals with high protein such as sushi or chicken.

My shoes are starting to show the wear of the increased mileage and frequency.  What I am finding with the Brooks Switch is that my foot strike is pushed the outside edges even when I am landing on my forefoot.  I am thinking that I these are too much of a stability shoe and may need to find a shoe that is a bit more neutral.  I also noticed that the Switch sole is a firmer than I would care for on some of the longer runs on hard surfaces.  I am ok with the feel and fit of Brooks Switch but I think I will either go back to the Brooks Adrenaline or some type ASICS shoe.