Ran the 1st annual Movin' for Myeloma 5K Sunday morning in the beautiful Carolina Beach State Park. Finished a solid second place overall, out of about 150 runners. Tough course, especially in the first mile or so running through alot of loose sand by the Cape Fear River and up along the first leg of Sugar Loaf Trail. Times can almost be thrown out in such an event, but for the sake of this blog I finished in 18:56. Was pleased with the effort, passed a younger guy at about the two mile mark and held a strong pace through-out slowly pulling away from him on the loop back towards the finish line and marina parking lot area. Was a nice crowd out there for a smaller local race, and I enjoyed hanging and talking running/ and life with some good friends.
Went on a three hour plus long run today (Tuesday). Wasn't sure how far I was going to run (by time). Initially the thought was that if I could get in two hours I'd be pleased; but once I got out there I decided to try and extend the run out to near or past the three hour mark. My travels on foot took me over into the old Sea Breeze area and up and over Snow's Cut Bridge twice... then several miles on the trails in the State Park and out and beyond running the trails that extend out along the Cape Fear River southward towards Kure Beach. Exited out of the woods and off the trails at the interesection of Ocean Blvd and Dow Road... took Dow Road into the "backside" of the quaint town of Kure Beach... then eventually on back Lake Park Blvd and another smaller loop through the residential areas of Carolina Beach including a pleasant jaunt down the boardwalk with its exquisite views of the Atlantic Ocean visible above the dune lines and scrubby palms plants and willowy reeds. Was the 4th run now that I have done that has lasted for more than three hours.
Had put down previous to last week, two heavier mileage weeks of 55 miles and 70 miles. Last week knocked out two tempo runs of between 6-8 miles, as well as the 5K race. Plan is to run harder again for another two weeks or so then begin to taper as I approach the Outer Banks Marathon on Novemeber 8th. Though still I will try and mix in some harder work-outs, and hopefully some speedwork either on the track or on the trails.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Long Run --Building Confidence
This past Sunday I ran time wise, and likely distance wise the farthest I have ever gone in my life. Three hours, twenty -two minutes and some odd seconds I spent running... and for good measure another twenty minutes walking/ running. My previous long run had been a twenty mile run that took me three hours and four minutes.
I've been over the course of the past few months gradually extending the length and distance of my long runs. It's wise to slowly increase the amount by increments of time, and not necessarily by distance. One's body measures more accurately in the long term by the time it has to spend in motion and "on its feet" then by numbers of miles... and furthermore distances covered can vary in longer runs depending on factors such as weather and how the body/ mind feels going into the run. But time is always the same time, as redundant as that may sound.
I had plateaued at between two hours and fifteen minutes to hours and thirty minutes earlier in the summer. Usually too I was gutting out the last half hour or so of the runs. The three hour + run that I had completed a few weeks ago also was very tough physically and mentally especially in the latter stages... which left me questioning somewhat my abilities and/or resolve to run for longer segments of time and distance.
So mentally I attempted to change my approach by doing some visulaization techniques... "seeing" a digital watch read-out of over three hours, and "telling" myself that I had the fortitude and the training base to succeed running long. And also trying to take some of the self created pressure I was putting on myself to get ready, and be ready for the marathon in early November. Also I literally decided to change the actual areas where I would run by looking more so to run in the woods and on the trails in the state park, as well as along the beach on the north end of Pleasure Island. I figured the asthetics would help, as would the terrain and the cooler temps in the woods. And not knowing exactly the distance being covered, as opposed to the last long run that I had clocked on my car odometer.
I set the alarm for six a.m. and was off and running at six thirty from the beach and down the short boardwalk in Carolina Beach. Ran all the way to the very end of the North End where the marshy channel cuts back from the Atlantic Waterway and canal to the back side of the narrow tentacle of the island. After running all the way back on the beach to the pier, then back Canal Drive, I headed for the bike path that crosses under Snow's Cut Bridge, and eventually into the CB State Park and its labrynthe of trails criss crossing thru the woods and watershed lands. Out by the bay off the Cape Fear River I had the pleasure of sighting several egrets... some poking thier long white necks out of the tall reeds... and others perched high up in trees by the water's edge. Also saw an osprey that circled over head. I lost track of time, loosely gauging my progress by the height of the sun in the sky, and by the natural timer inside my body and mind.
And some three hours and twenty minutes later I exited out of the last trail I wanted to run and hit the main road by the entrance of the park for the cool down walk/ jog back home. What a joy and a blessing... and wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning. Oh, and I gained a little bit of the sometimes elusive thing called self- confidence... which is pretty important in running, as it is in most other aspects of one's life.
I've been over the course of the past few months gradually extending the length and distance of my long runs. It's wise to slowly increase the amount by increments of time, and not necessarily by distance. One's body measures more accurately in the long term by the time it has to spend in motion and "on its feet" then by numbers of miles... and furthermore distances covered can vary in longer runs depending on factors such as weather and how the body/ mind feels going into the run. But time is always the same time, as redundant as that may sound.
I had plateaued at between two hours and fifteen minutes to hours and thirty minutes earlier in the summer. Usually too I was gutting out the last half hour or so of the runs. The three hour + run that I had completed a few weeks ago also was very tough physically and mentally especially in the latter stages... which left me questioning somewhat my abilities and/or resolve to run for longer segments of time and distance.
So mentally I attempted to change my approach by doing some visulaization techniques... "seeing" a digital watch read-out of over three hours, and "telling" myself that I had the fortitude and the training base to succeed running long. And also trying to take some of the self created pressure I was putting on myself to get ready, and be ready for the marathon in early November. Also I literally decided to change the actual areas where I would run by looking more so to run in the woods and on the trails in the state park, as well as along the beach on the north end of Pleasure Island. I figured the asthetics would help, as would the terrain and the cooler temps in the woods. And not knowing exactly the distance being covered, as opposed to the last long run that I had clocked on my car odometer.
I set the alarm for six a.m. and was off and running at six thirty from the beach and down the short boardwalk in Carolina Beach. Ran all the way to the very end of the North End where the marshy channel cuts back from the Atlantic Waterway and canal to the back side of the narrow tentacle of the island. After running all the way back on the beach to the pier, then back Canal Drive, I headed for the bike path that crosses under Snow's Cut Bridge, and eventually into the CB State Park and its labrynthe of trails criss crossing thru the woods and watershed lands. Out by the bay off the Cape Fear River I had the pleasure of sighting several egrets... some poking thier long white necks out of the tall reeds... and others perched high up in trees by the water's edge. Also saw an osprey that circled over head. I lost track of time, loosely gauging my progress by the height of the sun in the sky, and by the natural timer inside my body and mind.
And some three hours and twenty minutes later I exited out of the last trail I wanted to run and hit the main road by the entrance of the park for the cool down walk/ jog back home. What a joy and a blessing... and wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning. Oh, and I gained a little bit of the sometimes elusive thing called self- confidence... which is pretty important in running, as it is in most other aspects of one's life.
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