After a whirlwind wedding weekend and then a nice, relaxing trip to Jamaica, we've returned to Baltimore ready to get back to our normal lives. It's a huge relief to have the wedding behind us, to be sure.
Unfortunately, I did no running whatsoever while away, but it was 85 degrees everyday in Jamaica with dew points in the high 70's so running was never that appealing to me anyway. I did get out for a short 3 mile run this morning to reacquaint myself with the colder, drier air. Tomorrow morning I'll get another 3 miles in before work and see how I feel. If I have no real troubles (aside from realizing how much fitness I lost over the week), I'll push the distances up to the usual 4-5 miles. The good news is that I have nothing huge going on for the next three weeks leading up to Richmond, so I should be able to get some long runs done and hope for the best.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Baltimore Half Marathon Post Mortem and Next Steps
So, with a day to digest my race and the entire weekend, I have to say that while I regret not being better trained for the race and bummed that I wasn't able to really challenge my National Half Marathon time, I am pleased that I was able to make the 13.1 miles and didn't crash and burn.
Nonetheless, I am sorer today than I remember being after the half marathon in March, which is definitely a symptom of sub-par fitness, but also the general hilliness of the course. I had no idea just how many hills there would be along the way yesterday, especially considering that much of the half marathon course was the back half of the full marathon course. With that in mind, I think I fared pretty well.
In addition to the hills, I was also surprised at just how many spectators there were on most parts of the course. You always expect lots of people to be at the start and finish lines, but I saw people out along much of the course, which was great. As bad as Baltimore's rep is (I mean, The Wire was so hated by the Baltimore political class because it was so accurate in showing the corruption and incompetence of the city government), there's a lot to like about living here, and running through the city seeing people cheer on runners on a Saturday morning was a good example of that.
So, once my legs recover (hopefully by Tuesday morning), what is next? Well, the next two weeks will be consumed with the wedding (next week I'll be married! Whoa.) and then the honeymoon to the Caribbean. Hopefully I can find some time to run during all that time. The Richmond half marathon is about 5 weeks away and I fully intend to be properly trained for it so I can set a new PR.
Ideally, I'd like to set a whole slew of PR's this Fall and Winter, starting with Richmond (half marathon) and then at the Green Valley North Turkey Trot (5 mile) and/or Celtic Solstice (5 miles). Maybe after Christmas I can enter a winter 5K and set a new PR there as well, we'll see.
For tonight, I will continue to recover and rest up so I can hopefully get back to running on Tuesday before flying out to Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, I am sorer today than I remember being after the half marathon in March, which is definitely a symptom of sub-par fitness, but also the general hilliness of the course. I had no idea just how many hills there would be along the way yesterday, especially considering that much of the half marathon course was the back half of the full marathon course. With that in mind, I think I fared pretty well.
In addition to the hills, I was also surprised at just how many spectators there were on most parts of the course. You always expect lots of people to be at the start and finish lines, but I saw people out along much of the course, which was great. As bad as Baltimore's rep is (I mean, The Wire was so hated by the Baltimore political class because it was so accurate in showing the corruption and incompetence of the city government), there's a lot to like about living here, and running through the city seeing people cheer on runners on a Saturday morning was a good example of that.
So, once my legs recover (hopefully by Tuesday morning), what is next? Well, the next two weeks will be consumed with the wedding (next week I'll be married! Whoa.) and then the honeymoon to the Caribbean. Hopefully I can find some time to run during all that time. The Richmond half marathon is about 5 weeks away and I fully intend to be properly trained for it so I can set a new PR.
Ideally, I'd like to set a whole slew of PR's this Fall and Winter, starting with Richmond (half marathon) and then at the Green Valley North Turkey Trot (5 mile) and/or Celtic Solstice (5 miles). Maybe after Christmas I can enter a winter 5K and set a new PR there as well, we'll see.
For tonight, I will continue to recover and rest up so I can hopefully get back to running on Tuesday before flying out to Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Half Marathon Eve
And so here we are, less than 13.5 hours away from the Baltimore Half Marathon. A few brief thoughts:
1. I'm woefully undertrained for this race but I'm a mixture of both OK and unsettled with that. I mean, it's too bad I'm not in danger of setting a new PR, but sometimes a hobby is just that and you have to prioritize when other more important things demand abnormal amounts of attention and energy.
2. I am not a team runner. As I posted in previously, my company is a sponsor of the running festival and so I got to sign up for the half for free, saving me a cool $70 in the process. Unlike last year, this year our corporate communications department wanted to make this a morale boosting exercise. They gave us new Under Armour running shirts that we can wear in the race tomorrow, which was really awesome and far in excess of what I expected. They're red with the "company team" logo (I didn't know we had a company team, but apparently we're the Falcons because a falcon has a nest on top of the skyscraper) on the front and the corporate logo on the back, etc. But they also wanted all the sponsored runners to pose in their shirts for a picture yesterday around 4:45. I wasn't feeling that so much and just chose not to show up for the picture. I feel kind of bad about it, but not enough to do anything about it. I like running, but I prefer to do it by myself. I don't know; I'm weird.
3. I am nervous about the race, per usual, but will try to view it as a training run in preparation for my PR attempt of the season: Richmond. Richmond is a flat course and it'll be much cooler in November than it's going to be tomorrow. That should translate, all else being equal, to a better time.
4. To PR in Richmond, I must train better. I love the Baltimore Running Festival. Nothing is better than walking out my door and being at a world class race in 30 minutes. However, this year it just didn't pan out that I could make this the centerpiece of my racing season. Which is OK, actually. I'll have a great time tomorrow and this will be a nice step in my training for Richmond. In reality, deep down I wanted to make Richmond the main goal this year anyway, since it's on my birthday and it's several weeks after the wedding and honeymoon, which should mean less stress and distraction. This should also mean I can concentrate more on training properly.
5. I must train more CONSISTENTLY. Can't say this enough. I need to really try hard to get my ass out of bed in the morning to get my runs in and create a routine that makes that if not easier, than at least a little more bearable.
And with that, I'm off to plan my routine tomorrow and lay out my race clothes.
Go Falcons.
1. I'm woefully undertrained for this race but I'm a mixture of both OK and unsettled with that. I mean, it's too bad I'm not in danger of setting a new PR, but sometimes a hobby is just that and you have to prioritize when other more important things demand abnormal amounts of attention and energy.
2. I am not a team runner. As I posted in previously, my company is a sponsor of the running festival and so I got to sign up for the half for free, saving me a cool $70 in the process. Unlike last year, this year our corporate communications department wanted to make this a morale boosting exercise. They gave us new Under Armour running shirts that we can wear in the race tomorrow, which was really awesome and far in excess of what I expected. They're red with the "company team" logo (I didn't know we had a company team, but apparently we're the Falcons because a falcon has a nest on top of the skyscraper) on the front and the corporate logo on the back, etc. But they also wanted all the sponsored runners to pose in their shirts for a picture yesterday around 4:45. I wasn't feeling that so much and just chose not to show up for the picture. I feel kind of bad about it, but not enough to do anything about it. I like running, but I prefer to do it by myself. I don't know; I'm weird.
3. I am nervous about the race, per usual, but will try to view it as a training run in preparation for my PR attempt of the season: Richmond. Richmond is a flat course and it'll be much cooler in November than it's going to be tomorrow. That should translate, all else being equal, to a better time.
4. To PR in Richmond, I must train better. I love the Baltimore Running Festival. Nothing is better than walking out my door and being at a world class race in 30 minutes. However, this year it just didn't pan out that I could make this the centerpiece of my racing season. Which is OK, actually. I'll have a great time tomorrow and this will be a nice step in my training for Richmond. In reality, deep down I wanted to make Richmond the main goal this year anyway, since it's on my birthday and it's several weeks after the wedding and honeymoon, which should mean less stress and distraction. This should also mean I can concentrate more on training properly.
5. I must train more CONSISTENTLY. Can't say this enough. I need to really try hard to get my ass out of bed in the morning to get my runs in and create a routine that makes that if not easier, than at least a little more bearable.
And with that, I'm off to plan my routine tomorrow and lay out my race clothes.
Go Falcons.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Delays and Roadblocks
That would be how I'd describe my preparation or lack thereof, for the Baltimore Half Marathon. As a result, I am woefully undertrained for this half on Saturday. However, while I am concerned, I don't really mind. The last few months have been stressful with the wedding, work, studying CFA material, moving and trying to fit in training somewhere in the middle. I'm tired and apathetic, which sucks. As a result, my running has been downright awful lately, but I have only myself to blame.
A few weeks ago I found out that my firm would not be reimbursing a fair portion of my CFA exam fees because it no longer wants people to take the exam in December, but would rather they take it in June only. They suggested I also delay taking it until June. At first, I said no, as I wanted to show them I was ready. But lately, reality has been setting in. With the wedding eating up two weeks of this month, I would have to take my books with me on the honeymoon, which was not appealing to me. I would be ready for the exam in December, but if the firm was going to let me take it in June and pay for all the associated fees, why not just postpone it, enjoy the wedding and holiday season, continue studying and have that much mroe time to really hit the ball out of the park when I sit for the exam?
Eventually, I decided that this was the best course of action. Not only will I be able to cut back on studying each week, but I won't be as stressed about the wedding and honeymoon and can devote some more energy to running again, which makes me happy. Plus, I think Annie wanted me to delay taking the exam since the firm was actually encouraging me to do it.
All this is by way of saying that while the Baltimore Half is probably not going to be my best race ever, the Richmond Half is a strong possibility. The bulk of the Fall/Winter racing season is still in front of me and I have 8 full months before the CFA now, rather than 2 months. That gives me the time I have been secretly craving to shore up my knowledge and get back to running on a regular basis.
This Saturday may be painful, but I'll make it and have a great time and for the first time in literally months not worry about getting as much studying done as possible.
Relief.
A few weeks ago I found out that my firm would not be reimbursing a fair portion of my CFA exam fees because it no longer wants people to take the exam in December, but would rather they take it in June only. They suggested I also delay taking it until June. At first, I said no, as I wanted to show them I was ready. But lately, reality has been setting in. With the wedding eating up two weeks of this month, I would have to take my books with me on the honeymoon, which was not appealing to me. I would be ready for the exam in December, but if the firm was going to let me take it in June and pay for all the associated fees, why not just postpone it, enjoy the wedding and holiday season, continue studying and have that much mroe time to really hit the ball out of the park when I sit for the exam?
Eventually, I decided that this was the best course of action. Not only will I be able to cut back on studying each week, but I won't be as stressed about the wedding and honeymoon and can devote some more energy to running again, which makes me happy. Plus, I think Annie wanted me to delay taking the exam since the firm was actually encouraging me to do it.
All this is by way of saying that while the Baltimore Half is probably not going to be my best race ever, the Richmond Half is a strong possibility. The bulk of the Fall/Winter racing season is still in front of me and I have 8 full months before the CFA now, rather than 2 months. That gives me the time I have been secretly craving to shore up my knowledge and get back to running on a regular basis.
This Saturday may be painful, but I'll make it and have a great time and for the first time in literally months not worry about getting as much studying done as possible.
Relief.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Cheesecake Factory...ugh
Last week was so busy that every time I thought about posting, something else came up and I had to push it back. Well, here we are nine days later. I got a few runs in last week and a decent 10 miler in on Sunday morning, long story short. The week was cool and dry in the morning, which made my runs in the morning fast and positive. However, a tropical depression came up the cost on Friday and brought two days of rain and wind with it. On the backside of the storm came the tropical humidity that is more typical of July than late September. It made running much more uncomfortable, to be sure. But I got through it and had no ill effects other than some general soreness.
Monday I took off as planned. I had every intention of getting up this morning and running. In fact, I awoke with Annie around 5:15. However, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory last night and the food did not sit well with me overnight. I woke up several times with stomach pains. This didn't change when I awoke finally at 5:15. I felt slightly nauseous and my stomach still ached a bit. So, I ditched the run and went back to sleep. It was a good decision, as I awoke feeling better and now feel fine in the middle of the day. Needless to say, we won't be going back to Cheesecake Factory anytime soon (we only went because we had company from out of town visiting, otherwise we never eat in the harbor anymore). I forgot how heavy and greasy the food is there and my stomach was not ready for it.
So, I want to get runs in the rest of the week. I'll be taking my long run on Saturday this week because I'm heading down to Washington on Saturday night to hang out with my step brother, cousins and step dad and won't be back until late Sunday morning or early afternoon. There's little chance of me wanting to do a 10 miler after a night out and train ride back to Baltimore.
In other exciting news, tonight I am going to see a special showing of Spirit of the Marathon in north Baltimore! It's showing one night only and I talked Annie into letting me go tonight. I've been wanting to see this movie for about a year or so now and I've had two chances to see it before tonight. Both times I either had no access to a car or was otherwise occupied. It's being released on DVD soon, but I was hoping to be able to see it in the theatre before having to risk buying it on DVD and not liking it. I'm so excited to see the movie, especially with the Baltimore Half being just two weeks away. I'm hoping that the movie will inspire me and give me a little more impetus to get up in the mornings and put in the work. The Baltimore Half won't be a PR for me, given my lack of trianing these past months, but I think with high racing season approaching, I can still really work on my times and get some good results. Maybe The Spirit of the Marathon is just what the doctor ordered!
On the racing front, I have registered for the Celtic Solstice in December (one of my favorite races of the year) and the Green Valley North Turkey Trot in November. Together, both races cost me just $30 (30 cents a mile), which I consider a bargain. Now I just need to bite the bullet and register for Richmond before midnight tonight to save $10 on the fee!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Move Complete!
After a stressful week of preparation and careful planning, Annie and I have moved into our new (larger!) apartment. It was a hellacious week and weekend that made me put my running and CFA studying on hold in order to devote enough time and energy to it. But, in all, I think it'll be worth it as the move was as painless as it could be. We had everything loaded on the truck, to the new apartment and in the new apartment before 1 PM yesterday. We then spent the rest of the day and night putitng things away and generally trying to unpack our life! Today, we had the cable and internet reconnected without too much trouble (TiVo refused to cooperate for much of the day but I figured it out).
Now, Annie has been at rehearsal for the day so I've gotten some more things put away and went to the grocery store to restock to fridge, etc.
So, tomorrow I need to get back to training and studying! I really thought doing a 10 miler would be a possibility this morning, but I couldn't tell you the last time I was more tired than I was last night. I hurt all over from moving things and generally just wanted a day to sleep until I got up and to deal with the consequences later.
So, tonight I'm going to look at some new running routes from the apartment and will be up early tomorrow to get 4-5 miles in. I have two weekends left before the half marathon. I'm mentally prearing myself for a race that will fall below my initial expectations back in the beginning of the summer, but I have none to blame for that but myself. Instead, I'm going to use Baltimore as a fun race that I promised myself I was going to run last year when I did the 5K and saw how much fun the half looked. I'm also setting my sights further into the racing season and will register for Richmond this week and am really looking forward to running a Turkey Trot and the Celtic Solstice in December (probably one the best races I've run for the weather, size, course and organization).
Anyway, back to the grind tomorrow but man, it'll feel good to re-enter my routine this week after a week of organized chaos.
Now, Annie has been at rehearsal for the day so I've gotten some more things put away and went to the grocery store to restock to fridge, etc.
So, tomorrow I need to get back to training and studying! I really thought doing a 10 miler would be a possibility this morning, but I couldn't tell you the last time I was more tired than I was last night. I hurt all over from moving things and generally just wanted a day to sleep until I got up and to deal with the consequences later.
So, tonight I'm going to look at some new running routes from the apartment and will be up early tomorrow to get 4-5 miles in. I have two weekends left before the half marathon. I'm mentally prearing myself for a race that will fall below my initial expectations back in the beginning of the summer, but I have none to blame for that but myself. Instead, I'm going to use Baltimore as a fun race that I promised myself I was going to run last year when I did the 5K and saw how much fun the half looked. I'm also setting my sights further into the racing season and will register for Richmond this week and am really looking forward to running a Turkey Trot and the Celtic Solstice in December (probably one the best races I've run for the weather, size, course and organization).
Anyway, back to the grind tomorrow but man, it'll feel good to re-enter my routine this week after a week of organized chaos.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Long Week
It's Thursday, which means my workweek is just one day away from being over. It'll be a welcome break from the place that eats 10-12 hours of each day 5 days a week, but this entire week is one huge To Do List. We're in the final days of our moving escapade and thus far it's going satisfactorily. We signed the lease on the new apartment on Tuesday and spent the past two nights moving boxes and other things from our old apartment to the new digs. It's been an exhausting process and I am more convinced than ever of the need to hire movers next time we move.
Tonight Annie has a recital here in Baltimore at 7:15 but hopefully we can be back home by 9 to continue working on the packing, etc. I'm going to leave the office early today so I can go home and spend another hour packing boxes and loading up the car so we can come back, change and drive a load over to the apartment. I'm anticipating that tomorrow night I'll be up late into the night disassembling things and packing the last bits of clothing and other odds and ends. Then Saturday morning I'm picking up the U-Haul (and dolly! that's key) at 7:30 AM and we have four hours to move out. That should be plenty of time based on my estimation. We should hopefully get it all packed in about 2 hours and then have it all unpacked in about the same time. With any luck, we'll return the U-Haul and be back in our new home by mid-afternoon, at which point I will probably be exhausted and will need a nap before reassembling things and unpacking.
In the midst of all this, I've gotten out for a few post-injury runs. Tuesday I ran a nice 5.4 miles without much trouble. I came home and iced my leg for about 20 minutes afterwards just in case. It was fine by that afternoon. This morning I got 4 miles in at a decent pace as well. I think I was favoring my right side because my left leg right above my ankle was really sore when I got done today. I iced it as well and it's not hurting any longer. Tomorrow I plan on concentrating on that to make sure I stop placing too much weight and stress on one side. I'll take Saturday off for obvious reasons and then head out Sunday morning for a 9 mile (maybe 10 if I feel OK) long run. That should get me close to level with where I was before my leg injury two weeks back. That leaves two more long runs to push my mileage up to around 10-11 miles which should get me through the half marathon. The break in the weather has also helped tremendously, as it's so much easier to breathe in 55 degree air than 75 degree soup.
Tonight Annie has a recital here in Baltimore at 7:15 but hopefully we can be back home by 9 to continue working on the packing, etc. I'm going to leave the office early today so I can go home and spend another hour packing boxes and loading up the car so we can come back, change and drive a load over to the apartment. I'm anticipating that tomorrow night I'll be up late into the night disassembling things and packing the last bits of clothing and other odds and ends. Then Saturday morning I'm picking up the U-Haul (and dolly! that's key) at 7:30 AM and we have four hours to move out. That should be plenty of time based on my estimation. We should hopefully get it all packed in about 2 hours and then have it all unpacked in about the same time. With any luck, we'll return the U-Haul and be back in our new home by mid-afternoon, at which point I will probably be exhausted and will need a nap before reassembling things and unpacking.
In the midst of all this, I've gotten out for a few post-injury runs. Tuesday I ran a nice 5.4 miles without much trouble. I came home and iced my leg for about 20 minutes afterwards just in case. It was fine by that afternoon. This morning I got 4 miles in at a decent pace as well. I think I was favoring my right side because my left leg right above my ankle was really sore when I got done today. I iced it as well and it's not hurting any longer. Tomorrow I plan on concentrating on that to make sure I stop placing too much weight and stress on one side. I'll take Saturday off for obvious reasons and then head out Sunday morning for a 9 mile (maybe 10 if I feel OK) long run. That should get me close to level with where I was before my leg injury two weeks back. That leaves two more long runs to push my mileage up to around 10-11 miles which should get me through the half marathon. The break in the weather has also helped tremendously, as it's so much easier to breathe in 55 degree air than 75 degree soup.
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