2011 Run 4 the Water 10 miler Race Report...

I look so happy here, right? This was after the race...so much more happened before this! For my own horrible memory, here are all the gory details - I'm going to warn you right now this will be a LONG report!

I was running late when I got downtown....at 5:30am. Race start: 7am. Turns out that would be very fortuitous, my time compulsion. I found out that waking up at 4am, while inherently stupid, saved my race. It may actually have been my sleep-addled brain that decided flushing a toilet that was full of water was a good idea. I immediately realized I screwed up, and lucky for me I was able to grab the plunger and avert worse damage. Murphy's Law starts my day. After a cleanup (and mopping) I was able to grab my stuff and run out the door. My legs at this point felt better than they ever have. Sad they did not stay that way!

It was perfect running weather, I'm guessing 45 degs at the start line. One hour before the race I decided to mosey (we do that still in Texas ya'll) over to the nearby Whataburger to use their men's room. Some guy was in it and I think he fell asleep on the john. I realized things were getting dicey at this point (2d time today if you get my drift) and I told him I'd really appreciate it if he could speed it up. Thank god he did is all I'm going to say about that. 20 minutes later I was headed to the start. Great atmosphere at the start! We listened to the Burundi National Anthem, and then some nameless woman - who sang very well - decided to see how long she could stretch the US National Anthem. Let's just say I don't think we started at 7am on the dot. Didn't matter, I had a good conversation with another guy at the start and off we went.

I am SO glad I left my ego at home. I was running back in 2008 at up to a 7:45 minute per mile pace (and did the Congress Avenue mile at UNDER 7 minutes), and man am I ever a LOOOOONNNNGGGG way from that! But I am grateful to AustinFit and my 10:30 pace group for helping me start at a realistic pace. I was feeling better than I ever have in a race, having a great time. I also learned a HUGE advantage for running slower - more women!! No offense ladies, it's all good. Women running at the old pace I ran were SERIOUS, and man they never said a word. Women running at 10:30 pace can still talk, and are MUCH more friendly after a few miles. 

The course was hilly, with hills at mile 3, 4, 5 and the last major one at 6. Wow that one really got my respect...my heart rate went way up on it! But I ran every hill, and I was feeling great. Loving life, little kids and puppies. At mile 7.5 roughly I was attacked by the same calf cramp I experienced two weekends ago. Man did that ever HURT! But I ran through it, and decided not to stop for water. I was well hydrated, having had to stop at about mile 5 or so to pee. Damn I hate when that happens, I need to learn not to OVER hydrate. It's a work in progress people. So the wierd thing is, I actually SPED UP the last two miles, despite a gradual uphill to the last stretch down to the finish line. I was grimacing pretty bad from mile 8 to mile 10. Sucks, because I know without that cramp I could have run much faster. And I have to just be content to know that I had a 'pure guts race' as Pre would have called it, with myself. And I won. Here is my 'watch time' calculating the running time only, sans pee break:

My new Garmin Forerunner 210

The 'official' chip time was 1:45:12 for a 10:31/mile pace, spot on what I have been training at. I loved my first race with my forerunner (210)...it has a 'current' pace setting that tells me what my pace is....and that kept me from killing myself with my fragile male ego I think! lol

My 5 mile (the 1st 5) pace was 10:33 and my overall pace was 10:31....I'm happy with that considering in the final 5 miles I had that infamous pee break and bad cramps. I still managed to run the last mile at 9:42 and the overall pace was despite the pee stop. So my overall place would not have changed, let's just say not too many men finished after I did! Still, I learned something very, very valuable today. Run for fun, analyze the numbers later, and be sure to take in the experience. The experience was a good one!!

Foot note to the cramps.....might be a calf strain. My insurance company (United Health) has a 24 hr nurse line, and she told me that I should see my primary care Dr tomorrow. Ick. Oh well, I'm going to be a good boy and hope this gets me back to health - 100% anyway, in time to train for next months 5K. 

Less than 14 hours to go. What, me nervous?

Pre race jitters. Love them. No, really I do. They remind me that I'm human. Trying not to think about it never works. Go ahead, try it. Try to NOT think about something. See? Fail.

I know I've done everything I could, short of actually running the distance. But I have no doubt I CAN do it, as long as this aging body doesn't do anything to fuck it all up. Like cramps, the dreaded C word all runners secretly fear. I've done a lot of reading lately and interestingly enough, it's rarely caused by dehydration. In fact, more runners OVER hydrate, many marathon runners in particular. They are even backtracking on the old adage of drinking before you are thirsty...and the conventional wisdom is to drink WHEN you feel thirsty. Jeez, make up our minds already! If you wait long enough, someone will figure out that smoking is good for you and that not smoking causes cancer in lab mice.

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 210 today, they were on sale and I've always wanted one. See how I just rationalized it to everyone? It was on sale. I'm a 53 year old man and fuck if I don't still feel like a little kid sometimes. Like I have to get approval from the blogosphere to spend my hard earned $. I have to admit to being a bit of a techno-nerd. Boys and their toys I guess. But hey, it's an equal opportunity obsession! Yes girls, you TOO can buy one!

This one is the lightest they make, only 1.6 lbs so it's no heavier than my regular watch actually. It's sitting in it's little charger now, and I cannot WAIT to try it out tomorrow. I can now save my routes I run for posterity's sake...and transfer them to my PC. You will all rue the day. Of course, if you're reading this you must not have a better way to spend your time, right? Or, like myself, you are fascinated by what can come out of this brain next.

So tomorrow morning, up BEFORE the ass crack of dawn. That of course means it is still dark, much like it would be if your head were up your....well, you get the picture. I am so time compulsive, always have been. Late to me means not being somewhere early enough. I actually have a very good routine down, that allows me time to eat, drive downtown, find a spot to park, meditate and worry....lol. And of course emergency porta potty time in the absolute worst case. The worst invention of man. Can't they just put them over a drain hole and VENT the damn things with electric fans? Some working AC would be nice too....

Check back tomorrow for the latest race report in all it's gory detail....and thanks for reading. I know you're out there, even if you don't comment. And that is cool. This blog is for us both....

Running Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K!!!

Wow, am I ever LATE signing up for this. I've done this several years before and I'm really excited about it for so many reasons. Several co-workers that ran the IBM 10K a few weeks back with me are also signed up to run, and I know from experience it's a large race, and an emotional one. This year I'm running to show my support having watched Megan's mom deal with her breast cancer just last year.

It's a horrible disease and something I really do hope they find a cure for. I pray my daughter never has to go through this like her mom (Sheree) did.

Having lost my own mother to cancer in 2001 (colon), doing what I can in a tangible way to help people in our own community as well as others is important to me. It's a sad fact this disease touches someone almost all of us know personally.

If you should read this and want to donate, click here. As they say, better late than never!

"The most inspiring video you will ever watch"....

That's what the link below promised me. I was like, uh, sure. Here goes another 5 minutes surfing to a waste of my time I will never get back. To say I was blown away is an understatement. I'll admit it right here too - for those of you who are fellow "The 40 Year Old Virgin" fans...I love Coldplay, and the song Roger chose is my all time favorite of theirs. I will have a new 'Power Song' on my iPod tonight!

PLEASE....take a 5 minute time out and watch this video. Think of someone in your life that desperately needs to get healthy and needs some motivation, and forward it to them. You might help save a life. The 'ripple effect' of the good will we send out of our lives can never be fully measured.....but I believe in it.

Click here after you get the kleenex...

His website (http://www.runningformyexistence.com/home.html) has more info on this amazing man. I'm already drawing on his inspiration - tonight's workout was a joyful one. Sometimes I need to be reminded to be grateful for the simplest things, like not having to struggle to breathe every breath I take. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I have. I made a small donation to his fundraising efforts and hope to "track" his progress online at the NYC marathon Nov 6th...his # is 24589. Asics has a really cool deal where you can record a short video, and at a certain spot on the NYC marathon course, when the runners sensor passes over a mat, it triggers video messages to encourage the runner. I hope to get one recorded for him. It's really just paying it forward....

Feets don't fail me now!

Yesterday was one of those runs. The kind that can leave you doubting yourself if you let it. I woke up and the first yellow light should have been that I just did not sleep well. This no doubt is one reason I run so much stronger on weekends than during the week, the inability to sleep longer than 5 hours at most during the week days. I've done a lot to make my sleep deeper - blackout curtains, no coffee 5 hours before, etc but not much really changes from day to day as far as quantity. The quality of sleep is better, but working the Vampire Shift really sucks the life out of me some days. I'm learning to adjust my running expectations accordingly. Since my Training schedule (see Austin Half Marathon Training Schedule) is now on week 9, we're not up to the mileage I'm going to hit this weekend - 10 miler is in a mere 4 days. So I'm tapering slightly, running my runs at a very easy pace. Mostly. Today, I did take the last mile up from race pace of 10:30/mile to a 9 minute mile to simulate running on tired legs. Simulate, hell. My legs were tired today! I really do think the poor sleep contributed, so I need to stay positive. God knows the Committee in my head knows how to work me over:

Me: Man I feel tired today...

Committee: Yeah, you look like shit too. Pudgier than normal. You should have worn black...


Me: Wow, coming up to this two mile marker pretty quick...

Committee: You really need to learn how to pace yourself old man. Not that many years ago, that blond would not have passed you a 1/4 mile back that easily. Don't you have any self respect? I think if you step it up a little you might catch her at the 4 mile point...if she really slows up that is. You suck today...


Me: Yeah, I really have slowed down over the last three years. Of course, I haven't been running. I should be worried more about pace. I have time though...

Committee: Are you fucking kidding me? You're over 53 man! Besides, you know she was dissing you. You saw her smile when she went....wait. You did NOT think she was smiling to be friendly, do you? She was laughing at you dude....


Me: You think so? Really? Hey I think a 9:00 minute mile and I can catch her. Look, there she is right up ahead. I don't think this is too smart, really. Shouldn't we be running easy today?

Committee: Easy is for pussies. Come on, lift it some. Forget that nagging pain in the hamstring. Our grandmother can catch her, and she's as you well know dead already. Man up and pass her. 


Me: Ok but I'm not going to smile at her when I go by.

Committee: Good thing you didn't. You know damn well she could have caught you old man.


Me: PLEASE shut up and take the weekend off....

Committee: Sure thing Champ. I don't want to see how ugly it's going to be when you drop at mile 8.


Yep, that is a serious look into how my male brain works at times. Maybe it's 'Low T' like they talk about in that commercial I saw.....I probably need to watch 'Revenge' and test things out with Madeleine Stowe. Just sayin'!

I have my own personal masseur....

....me! Thanks to this ingenious device:

This really saved my butt last week when I developed that very painful muscle knot in my left calf. I used this a few times a day for several days, and it really worked. No issues on my Monday morning easy run. I've had some hamstring soreness too and this worked like a charm on that. If you've never used a foam roller before (whether you are a runner or not!) Here is a link to some exercises for some common issues. From here on out I plan to use it before and after runs and experiment a little. There are more inexpensive foam rollers (think large noodles!) - but I like this one for the different areas that it has. Using each area has a different 'feel' to it and it is simple to try each area till you hit one that works. It's a simple investment that pays for itself in one session - have you seen what massage therapists charge? 

Not a plug for this one - but it's called The Grid if you simply have to Keep Up With Perry and his toys...lol

Week Two with Austin Fit

Today was my 2d "Long run" with the group, and it was a fun one! We ran the Town Lake trail 5 mile route - with a twist! We stopped at Austin High School and ran a mile on their track! This was really cool, my first time to run on that track. Very nice surface, soft and springy! Although I have ran on other tracks before, I always found it pretty boring. This was cool, as we were sharing the track with a lot of other groups. We did 4 laps of course, and I have to say since I was stuck in the outside lane I had a longer way to go! Lol. We did sprints (using the word really loosely!) on the straights, and jogged through the turns. So basically 8 wind sprints, followed with the last 2 miles of our run....total distance was 6.25 today. It really ramped up my confidence for next Saturday's Run For the Water 10 mile race. Not that I will be racing anyone but myself, lol. My goal for the 10 miler is to go out slow, stay slow, finish and not get hurt!
I've been having some issues with my left calf that really surprised me - my calves are the strongest part of my body I thought....but then again cycling and running are completely different animals. And although I do believe the cycling helped me with an aerobic base to start with, running is running. Only cycling really builds cycling endurance, from my own experience, and so it makes sense that I need to run to build that running endurance also. The calf thing is a tightness that feels somewhat like a charley horse....and it goes away once I start running. Not really what I would call painful, and it's much better this week. Heat, stretch, ice a few times per day I was told, and that really has helped.
The main thing is, I'm having fun with it again. The group is something that to be perfectly honest totally frightened me at first. Doing something I've always done pretty much alone in a large group was a daunting thought. How I got out of bed last weekend and into my car is a testament to the fact we need to push ourselves to do new things, to experience more Life. At least for me. And I could not have had better experiences my first two times. It helps that we break down into smaller groups after a initial warm up and signing in...I'm running with the 10:30 pace group, led by Cheryl. It's cool in that I can be as social as I want, or as solitary as I need. I don't have the best "wind" at the start of my runs, and it takes me a while to settle in. That seems to work well, as not everyone is a morning person like me. It would be easy to alienate people at 6:30am being a chatterbox!!! Of course every group has one, but so far it's not me!!
Tomorrow is cross training day, so it's back to a spin class I think, for an easy effort and then into the pool for some laps. I'm loving the new trunks and goggles, maybe I'll actually post a pic here soon.

(Note - pictured is my new best friend. Long runs without it would be just plain stupid. This holds 20 oz, and I was amazed that I never heard anything slosh once, and it stayed firmly on my hips and never annoyed me at all!! Worth every penny! A Nathan's Trail Mix hydration belt - it has a great pouch for storing keys and ID, gels etc. LOVE IT!)

My all time nemesis...

Yep, this is it. The lap pool at my gym. I was reading this guy's triathlon training blog, and he mentions doing an "easy 800 M"..."Only 32 laps". I hate this bastard already and I don't know a thing about him. I did 10 laps yesterday on my 'cross training' day, and just about drowned. It might help if I actually knew what the fuck I was doing. I think I might just have to take some lessons. My swimming is all self taught, 'hope-not-to-drown' stuff anyway. I always say I hate swimming laps but the real truth is it's embarrassing just how much I suck at this.

My Latest Running Playlist

1. Liz On Top of the World 1:24 Various Artists Pride & Prejudice (Music from the Motion Picture)
2. Lose Yourself                 5:20 Eminem 8 Mile
3. Born to Run                    4:29 Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
4. Eye of the Tiger               4:04 Survivor Eye of the Tiger
5. Ghosts N Stuff                 6:11 Deadmau5 Ghosts N Stuff - Single
6. Right Now                       5:23 Van Halen The Best of Both Worlds
7. Believe                             4:34 My Fitness Music Hits of Cher, Vol. 1 F
8. Rush                                3:14 Aly & AJ Into the Rush
9. Only Girl (In the World) 3:55 Rihanna Loud
10. Our Lips Are Sealed  2:45 The Go-Go's 200 Cigarettes (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
11. Red High Heels                3:43 Kellie Pickler Small Town Girl
12. Shut Up and Drive            3:32 Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad
13. Start a Fire                       3:19 Ryan Star 11:59 (Deluxe Version)
14. Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)   3:52 Enrique Iglesias Tonight (I'm Lovin' You) 
15. Even Angels Fall               3:26 Jessica Riddle Key of a Minor
16. Misery Business                3:32 Paramore Riot!
17. Pieces of a Dream             4:02 Anastacia Pieces of a Dream
18. Darcy's Letter                   3:57 Various Artists Pride & Prejudice (Music from the Motion Picture)

Running through the Fear...

So Saturday was a huge day for me. I put aside all my fears ( and I had a LOT!) about joining a running group, and dove headfirst. Goal race is the Austin Half Marathon on Feb 19th 2012, but this training program will dovetail nicely into the other two half marathons I have to complete to do the Austin Distance Challenge (see earlier post here).
The group meets for 26 weeks and although I joined late, I was confident I could run the 5.5 miles they were scheduled for Saturday. The group is really well organized. I met Jennifer H., who runs the group, and she was really nice and welcoming. I decided to join the 10.30 group (runs 10 min 30 sec mile pace) to ease into it - the great thing about this group is each pace group (approx every 30 secs) has a leader and you can always move up or down in pace time. This turned out to be the perfect group for me, as the run was very hilly the first half...an out and back run to St. Edwards University. I did have a major charlie horse in my left calf that had me really wondering if I could make it - hurt like a bitch! I was able to stay with the leader and thankfully the return trip was easier as it sloped mostly downhill. It was a gorgeous morning for a run - we started at 7am straight up after a short warm up. The neighborhood was nice, and we took a few cross country jaunts on local trails. The hills were challenging, but fun. The group had a water stop set up which was really cool. Most people carried water - which I will do on longer runs. Anything under 6 miles and I'm OK with water before and after unless it's really hot. Thankfully it was about 64 at the start I'd guess...cool enough for a warm up jacket!
The group I ran with had about 15 people and Cheryl was our leader. She was calm, friendly and supportive. The group seemed pretty friendly too, and it was cool that you could just run, or talk to people. Whatever you were comfortable with. I liked the camaraderie we had, it was a nice group. All in all I'd highly recommend the group to anyone. A nice perk is the 10% discount card for Luke's Locker - you get a one time 20% too which I really hammered. Let's just say I saved most of the fee I spent on membership fees to the Austin Fit group. I'm really psyched about actually training for my goals instead of my previous stumbling along alone. I've always thought of myself as a solitary runner, but I have always enjoyed running in large groups. Maybe that's a throwback to my Army days!
I also get access to the group weekly training plans - and they have informal get togethers to train during the week...next Saturday will be a 7 mile run for our group. Can't wait!

Newbie runners - never forget these.

Never!

Placement - Doh. You have two of them, just like the girls do. Cover them.

Monday, Monday....

So here I am at my favorite Starbucks. Damn, its been too long old friend. But my budget lately makes you out of my league....and (gasp!)...I just don't drink that much coffee any more. There. I've admitted it. but paying $7 for a lousy cup of cappuccino and a stale scone - yes there are so many better places in Austin - has been missed for some reason. Maybe it's the familiarity of seeing my name on my cup:

Perry, NOT Penny!

This is also my first blog post from my new HTC EVO4G.....which I really love. I was worried about the bulkyness, as it is larger than a iPhone, but in the end that is what I love most about it. In landscape mode this thing rocks.

I am feeling like a fish out of water today....its a rest day and I am already suffering workout withdrawals. I guess on some level I understand how a bipolar person feels when they go off meds. Ok.....too extreme an example I suppose. Everything I read...and I read a lot - tells me rest days are very important. I'm just not sure about how Mondays will be after I take Megan home from a weekend with me.....that is never easy. But I will be doing my long runs on Sunday and that requires rest day to be Monday. I'll have to deal...and I will try not to bitch too much on this blog....although I have the right, who in their right mind wants to hear someone bitch too much?

So my only goal for today is....no exercise. Wow that sounds tough huh? Fellow exercise junkies will relate.

Into the One-derful One Hundreds!

Today was a great day for me....I check my weight more often than I care to admit....and it motivated me to start running. I was STUCK at 205...I mean, no matter HOW hard I would ride, or workout, I could not lose ANYTHING. Been there, done that, but I kept putting it off. I know 205 is about 25 pounds over what my Dr wants me to be at - 180 is ideal. And I also know that my cycling suffers some for that extra weight. I mean, can you imagine picking up 2 10 pound bowling balls and climbing a huge hill on a bike? Now imagine part way up, you can drop both bowling balls. Hard not to say you'd like that, huh? I had a lot of excuses, but the plain truth is I know I feel better, ride better, and run better at 180. I am going to get there!

Today the scale read 199.8! And that is so cool, I'm down over 4 lbs since I started this blog. And my only fervent hope is that I can keep from ever getting over 200 lbs again.

The Joy of Racing in the Rain....

Today I was able to do something really rare in Texas this year - run in the rain! I was at the gym by 8:30 to warm-up for spin class and got in a quick 15 minutes on the elliptical. My favorite Spin instructor - Kari - was on the schedule. Once again she was a no show. I can't even count any more how many Saturdays I've gone there looking forward to her class and then bam! I get someone that I really don't care for. There are just some instructors I don't click with. I don't like being yelled at, or someone with a shrill voice that plays music too loud and then tries to shout over it. But that's just me. To each his own. Suffice it to say I was not 'feeling' the class, so I packed it in and headed down to Town Lake. It was a great idea, even though it was overcast and very, very humid. I was actually hoping for rain, and on the last mile of my long run for this week - I got it!
I had planned on running the long run on Sundays, but today I just felt it and wanted to go longer than I have so far. The 6.9 mile loop (and the 1/10th to the car to get in 7!) is perfect....takes you out on a more remote section of the trail which I like. They also added another cold water station so that is a huge plus.

The hills today were really challenging, and of course the legs were not 100%, but I mentally enjoyed the run. Two days since I ran last and I was itching to get out there. Megs was helping her mom move into a new place, so I was able to relax with no time crunch to get anywhere. The trail has a new section planned that will add a 'boardwalk' on the section of the trail that is 'missing' - technically that is. The course veers off onto Riverside drive for a section of that loop and it's less than ideal scenery. I've seen some artist renderings of the new section and it really will be cool when it's done. Austin has a real treasure in Town Lake - families picnic - there is a dog park section, people walk, run, and bike the trail....it's just fantastic. Add to that the fully supported cold water stops, and what more can you ask? They continue to add improvements to different areas, and it just keeps getting better!

Highlight of today's run - the total downpour at the last mile! I also was running along Riverside drive, zoning completely out, when on the shuffle came 'Even Angels Fall" one of my favorite songs. The lyrics shook me awake - "You're on the ride, you might as well open your eyes"...and I looked to my right and saw this totally awesome graffiti on an entire wall. Graffiti in this town is treated like art in some areas, and it really was gorgeous. I'll try to get downtown and get a pic someday soon and add it to this post. The words to the song made me laugh, and open my eyes and see the beauty I almost missed. I love it when that happens, total serendipity!

Running for the Water - and a new challenge for me...

Update 10/10/2011: added this really cool video preview of the course...look at these hills! Love the comment by the race director Michael Madison, about the impact this race has on Burundians....I will use that thought to get me through miles 4-6!!

I am now training for the next race in the Distance Challenge - The Run for the Water 10 Miler. Here is what the website says about the awesome charity we will run for:

The Run for the Water is produced by and benefits the Gazelle Foundation. Thanks to participation in the last four years we have been able to provide over 8,000 Burundians with access to clean water for their remainder of their life through the implementation of water systems. For every registrant in the race the Gazelle Foundation is able to provide clean water to one additional person in Burundi. For life.

For only $49, I will be providing clean water for another human being...for life. Unreal to think that is possible, but I believe it. And to add more challenge to the next 23 days or so I have left until this 10 mile race, I'm giving up one of my secret (to most) loves....Coke. No, not THAT kind, Coca Cola. And I ain't going overboard and saying this is permanent! But I will, from this evening forward (you know - after the dying man's last coke) drink only water, and sports drinks during my workouts - and only during/after my workouts. I'm convinced the electrolyte replacement is that important. Once the heat is gone, I'll scale that back too...

Man, this is going to be tough!!! But I've fought it for years...and I think it's one of the things I do that sabotages my health too. Too much stuff out there - and NO, I don't believe everything I read - that says soda is just empty calories. And too much science to deny that aspartame is not good for me - in any way. But I do love my Coke, and the fact that we have not one, but THREE refrigerators here at our data center, where they are - watch it - FREE will rest my resolve! The only healthy choices are juices, and this week we had a run of OJ that had mold under the caps. Ugh, scratch that as an option! So it's filtered water - really cold - and I am sure some real withdrawals coming up!!!!

I want to emphasize here that I am NOT - contrary to what all the fitness stuff I do might seem - a zealot about anything. I simply have learned in life that I abhor health issues, and I want to live a good, long healthy life. To share my daughter's life, and to enjoy my own to the fullest. Yes, I know I'm obsessive about anything I enjoy, but I only live MY life - I won't tell anyone else how to live theirs. If what I do encourages anyone to work on getting healthier, great. Love to hear about your struggles and victories. Preach to me about your latest fad Hollywood diet, and I won't even pretend to be interested. Tell me what is working for you and I'm all ears. Even if it IS the latest Hollywood fad diet!

Now, go away and let me savor this last Coke....:O)

2011 Distance Challenge - Here I come!

I've been really encouraged by how fast I recovered from Sunday's race, so I've decided to bite off a really big challenge - The Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge! This is a series of five races that began with the IBM 10K. I'm fairly sure that I will place dead last in my age group, but that really does not matter. In every race I ran, there was always only one person to beat - myself. I love overcoming the mental - and physical - challenges.

So the races themselves are all doable I believe - I only wish I could commit to the Austin Marathon. But there is definitely too little time left to train, so I'll run the Austin Half Marathon instead - it still counts towards the Distance Challenge. Here's the Distance Challenge rundown:

Runners Benefits - Improved for the 2011-12 Series
All registered participants will receive:
A custom printed long sleeve tech running shirt.
One Year FREE membership in ARC (non ARC members)
Use of the Austin Distance Challenge tent found at the finish area of each race. There will be beverages, special premiums and other fun stuff.
Invitation to the Celebration Party in March.
All participants who complete the series will receive:
– A custom printed runners jacket
– A Completion Certificate
– Additionally, trophies will be presented for Overall, Masters and Age Groups in 5-year increments, both M and F. Trophies will be presented for both the Full and Half Track Series options.


The races:

IBM Uptown Classic 10k - October 2, 2011 (Completed in 1 hr 47 secs)

Run for the Water 10 Miler - October 30, 2011
ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon - December 11, 2011
3M Half Marathon & Rellay - January 29, 2012
Livestrong Austin Marathon & Half Marathon - February 19, 2012


Damn I'm excited about doing this!

What goes up.....

The only down side to the awesome 'highs' that running and cycling give me is the inevitable mood crash. I'll take it though, as the highs are so worth it. Totally legal, too. Just saying.

Today was my first organized road race since 2008, and I had a complete blast! I assumed I would be running alone, with no one at the finish. Been there, done that many times. But I was surprised to run into three guys I work with at Oracle...Jared, Faisal and Steve. Steve is on my new team, so we got a chance to actually meet (we work different shifts) and that was cool. Nice guys, all of them. Faisal and Steve were both running their first organized race, and they were understandably excited. Always cool to feel that enthusiasm, even though I had plenty of my own!

Jared, me, Steve

Jared, me, Faisal

I love the carnival atmosphere of pre-race. You can feel the excitement, the energy, the nervousness of the runners. It's very tangible. Add music and Austin's best announcer, Evil, and it is something else. Even though the larger races are not the place to 'PR' (get a Personal Record), they make up for it in the atmosphere.

This was the first time I've ran this course - rumoured to be on it's last year - and I was glad my legs did not know what was coming! "relatively flat" my ass!!!  I started well back from the front of the pack, and I stayed within myself. My hope was to run less than 11 minute miles - I run even slower than that on the treadmill - and I was really surprised to see the time at the first mile was right at 10 minutes. I was feeling great at that point, heart rate about 145 (my max is about 170-175) and the legs felt Ok. So I found a cute young thing to pace me and the next two miles were also right on 10 minute pace.

One thing that made this race a challenge was the fact that the 5K race (3.1 miles) also shared the same course as the 10K (6.2 miles). So we had to run past the 5K finish line! I mentally just told myself not to slow down and to think of it as the second 5K race was just beginning. And man, it was! At about 3.5 miles, we went down a dip in the road, and I heard a woman behind me talking about a hill on the course that she hated.  We went up a decent little hill, and THEN we could see the steepest part of what turned out to be a looooong mile of running. Here is where my cycling training of all things really helped me - I love the challenge of hills and I know they are very much a mental game. So I shortened my stride...and SPED UP! I kept my 10 minute mile pace until about the 4.5 mile point, where the road finally leveled off and we headed down hill a bit. I decided to really start pushing the pace at the 5 mile marker, and I ran that last mile in under 9 minutes. A short rise at about 5.5 miles, and we were running downhill to the well attended finish and a lot of applause. I had a great sprint at the finish and felt that old thrill - exhaustion, happiness and contentment. And Endorphins - Nature's Prozac!
Final totals:

Class Position

Gun Time

Chip Time

Overall Place

Age

Zip

Gen Place

Total Pace

Tot Div

Tot Gend

Tot AG

5K Rank

5K

5K Pace

10K Rank

10K

10K Pace

1084 Perry Huntley Cedar Park,

41

01:02:35

01:00:57

874

53

534

9:49/M

1352

664

55

932

30:55

6:11/K

838

1:00:57

6:06/K

Jared finished first and cheered me in, and we cheered for Faisal and Steve as they finished. Had some water, took some pics and it was over all too soon. I did not stick around for the post race activities, and I'm not really sure why....not feeling all that social lately I guess. But I was happy to hit the hot tub at LifeTime and come home to nap. It was a super experience and I can't wait to do it again!!

Faisal and Jared at the finish line!

Faisal and me at the 10K finish line

Luke's Locker - Runner's Nirvana!

I want to preface this post with a bold statement - I will NEVER go "professional" on this blog. Any review I do, restaurant, business or product that I "endorse" will be because of my own experience and not for any form of remuneration whatsoever. Unless someone offers me cold hard cash. In that case, I'll probably sell out like everyone else I've seen whose blogs have "made it" to the big time.

That said, I found runner's Nirvana today - notice that catchy blog title. I've always been a huge supporter of RunTex here in Austin, as they do one hell of a job on our beloved Town Lake Trail by providing two major water stops where they keep cold water stocked up - and cups - on a daily basis. At no small expense on their part, either. My experiences in their stores have been, however, less than stellar. I think they just got too big, and thought they were the only game in town. I don't know how long Luke's Locker has been around - I honestly had never heard of them before today - but they are a game CHANGER. The store is immaculate, set on the ground floor of one of Austin's newest and trendiest condo "towers". It has a high end feel to it, and the salespeople are not too aggressive, yet are there right when you need them. I was highly impressed on my first trip. I was there to register for tomorrow's IBM Classic 10K, and to buy some Body Glide. If you've ever run to the point your knees/crotch/feet are either chafed or blistered, get this stuff. It is an absolute necessity for someone that sweats like I do. I also bought some (they better be) incredible socks, at an eye-popping - at least for me - price of $14 a PAIR:

They are more of a neon yellow, as if that even matters. Women know fuchsia from pink, though, so I thought I should add that. These socks are phenomenal, as far as fit and the way they feel at least. I'll comment more after the run tomorrow. From past history, I can tell you - don't run any distance in 100% cotton socks! Ever!!!

I'm excited about tomorrow's run - can you tell? I'll have a full blown race report tomorrow, but for now I'm off to watch my favorite running movie - even a "non-runner" would like this I think. For me, it never fails to get me pumped up before a race. Better than Chariots of Fire in my humble opinion!