(Edited)
Check out Runners' Lounge. The blog has been online for a few months. There is one older community hosted on MyBlogLog.
The new Runners' Lounge Community has been built on its own site: Runners' Lounge.
At least I think I now have all that correct.
Bob
29 September 2007
Random Thought During the Half
My random thought while running the half-marathon today:
I sure am glad this isn't a full marathon!
Most ironic part of the run came between just before the 11 mile mark and about the 12.5 mile mark. I was dying at that point and what do we pass? Three cemeteries!!
Bob
I sure am glad this isn't a full marathon!
Most ironic part of the run came between just before the 11 mile mark and about the 12.5 mile mark. I was dying at that point and what do we pass? Three cemeteries!!
Bob
It's Done
The McDonalds Maymont half marathon is probably the hardest physical thing I have ever done. An almost perfect day -- 52° at the start. The only weather issue was the wind. The course is really interesting but really challenging. We crossed the James River about 6 times, ran trails, ran roads, some flat terrain, some hills, both up and down steps. The worst were the spiral steps down from one of the bridges to the river level and the long set of steps that we had to run up somewhere around mile 8.
I had trained for the last 12 weeks for a 1:41 finish -- a pace of 07:45 mpm. One of our new journeymen, Justin Drummons, decided to run with me. Justin's less than half my age and normally runs a half in 1:20-1:25 but he was very gracious. I could not have finished as well as I did without him. Thanks, Justin. However, neither of us factored in the difficulty of the course. This was my first half but Justin has run several and he said that it was the hardest course he's ever seen. (Maybe he was just trying to encourage this old dude!)
It was also great to have Linda (my wife) and Stacey (our daughter) there at the start and finish. They had to get up early, early and leave at 6:15 am on a Saturday morning to be there. It was really encouraging to here our names called out and look over to see their smiling faces.
My finish time was 1:49:08. That put me at 166th out of something like 641 runners who, based on the results, finished. (The pre-registered printouts showed something like 1200 runners registered but that might well have included those who were registed in any of the races during the weekend.) It also put me at 7th in the men's 50-54 year old bracket. We had to walk several times. I think if I'm disappointed in anything about my race it is that I couldn't run the whole thing. The results are here -- I registered as "Robert Allen".
It's done. I'm glad I ran and I'd do it again. The race organization gave every appearance of being casual but was very good.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
I had trained for the last 12 weeks for a 1:41 finish -- a pace of 07:45 mpm. One of our new journeymen, Justin Drummons, decided to run with me. Justin's less than half my age and normally runs a half in 1:20-1:25 but he was very gracious. I could not have finished as well as I did without him. Thanks, Justin. However, neither of us factored in the difficulty of the course. This was my first half but Justin has run several and he said that it was the hardest course he's ever seen. (Maybe he was just trying to encourage this old dude!)
It was also great to have Linda (my wife) and Stacey (our daughter) there at the start and finish. They had to get up early, early and leave at 6:15 am on a Saturday morning to be there. It was really encouraging to here our names called out and look over to see their smiling faces.
My finish time was 1:49:08. That put me at 166th out of something like 641 runners who, based on the results, finished. (The pre-registered printouts showed something like 1200 runners registered but that might well have included those who were registed in any of the races during the weekend.) It also put me at 7th in the men's 50-54 year old bracket. We had to walk several times. I think if I'm disappointed in anything about my race it is that I couldn't run the whole thing. The results are here -- I registered as "Robert Allen".
It's done. I'm glad I ran and I'd do it again. The race organization gave every appearance of being casual but was very good.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Ready to Go
Well, I leave for the half-marathon starting line in about 10 minutes. I'm nervous and excited. I do feel ready. Will post results later.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Run well, y'all,
Bob
20 September 2007
Ahhh -- Fall
This has been a great week. When the temps are 45-50°, I love to be outside running and Monday was 47°. Got to wear my long-sleeved shirt and gloves.
Vanilla at Half-Fast Running blog talked, today, about a study that determined that some men's sweat has a pleasant smell. OK, not the most pleasant of supper conversations but I'm here to tell you that when I finish running, I look like I've been in a rain storm but I can guarantee you that I don't smell like a spring rain. :-D
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Vanilla at Half-Fast Running blog talked, today, about a study that determined that some men's sweat has a pleasant smell. OK, not the most pleasant of supper conversations but I'm here to tell you that when I finish running, I look like I've been in a rain storm but I can guarantee you that I don't smell like a spring rain. :-D
Run well, y'all,
Bob
15 September 2007
Are You the Dog or the Monkey?
This is a pretty funny video. Maybe it's a metaphor of exercise -- we're either the dog or the monkey. :)
Interesting week of running. I was at Ridgecrest (Baptist conference center east of Asheville, NC) this week, staying at the Days Inn in East Asheville. Fortunately, I had rearranged my training plan so that this week has been my easy week. I knew that meeting schedules and terrain (mountains) were not going to be conducive to doing a hard week. It turned out that the hotel's location was not very good for running -- residential areas were not well-lit (as in dark) and there were a lot of woods (black bears had been spotted in the general area over the previous few weeks). So, the best option was to run on Hwy 70 (Tunnel Rd). I was glad I had a reflective vest!!
Two weeks to the half-marathon. I'm in good shape for it but not sure if I can run my goal time of 1:41:00. I hope I can just relax, have fun, and not worry too much about my time.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
Interesting week of running. I was at Ridgecrest (Baptist conference center east of Asheville, NC) this week, staying at the Days Inn in East Asheville. Fortunately, I had rearranged my training plan so that this week has been my easy week. I knew that meeting schedules and terrain (mountains) were not going to be conducive to doing a hard week. It turned out that the hotel's location was not very good for running -- residential areas were not well-lit (as in dark) and there were a lot of woods (black bears had been spotted in the general area over the previous few weeks). So, the best option was to run on Hwy 70 (Tunnel Rd). I was glad I had a reflective vest!!
Two weeks to the half-marathon. I'm in good shape for it but not sure if I can run my goal time of 1:41:00. I hope I can just relax, have fun, and not worry too much about my time.
Run well, y'all,
Bob
08 September 2007
Why?
Today, for the first time since beginning the training for the half-marathon, I am seriously wondering why in the world I'm doing this. Today's run was scheduled to be 12 miles at 8:47 mpm. First, I only went out because the training plan said to go out. Then, for the first 8+ miles, I was glad I did. But, after that I was dying. I finished the distance and my pace was 8:48 overall but I did walk some. Drank 8 oz of water before running, 20 oz of water during the run, and about 12 oz of instant tea and 24 oz of water after the run.
By this evening, I'll be back on target mentally but this is tough.
While I was running, I wondered about another "Why?" Why do people put their trash cans, recycle bins, piles of limbs and grass, and junk furniture right on the sidewalk? What a pain! It's their convenience but inconveniences everybody else who needs to use the sidewalk to actually (DUH!) walk.
Well, I think we're going to head to the mountains to a chapel at the YMCA Camp Greenville called Pretty Place. I worked there during college and my wife doesn't think she's ever been there.
Y'all run well,
Bob
By this evening, I'll be back on target mentally but this is tough.
While I was running, I wondered about another "Why?" Why do people put their trash cans, recycle bins, piles of limbs and grass, and junk furniture right on the sidewalk? What a pain! It's their convenience but inconveniences everybody else who needs to use the sidewalk to actually (DUH!) walk.
Well, I think we're going to head to the mountains to a chapel at the YMCA Camp Greenville called Pretty Place. I worked there during college and my wife doesn't think she's ever been there.Y'all run well,
Bob
02 September 2007
Battles in Nature
This is absolutely, totally unrelated to running. Well, OK, the buffalo run away from the lions then the lions run away from the croc then the lions run away from the buffalo -- and I would run away from any of them.
This is an incredible video of South African wildlife, shot in Kruger National Park.
Everybody knows that lions and crocodiles are dangerous, but cape buffalo are bad animals. They have a reputation of simply being ill-tempered. They don't see well so when you get near them, you see them raising their noses into the air to smell you. Stories abound about wounded buffalo tracking down the hunter.
Run well, y'all, and watch out for wild animals,
Bob
This is an incredible video of South African wildlife, shot in Kruger National Park.
Everybody knows that lions and crocodiles are dangerous, but cape buffalo are bad animals. They have a reputation of simply being ill-tempered. They don't see well so when you get near them, you see them raising their noses into the air to smell you. Stories abound about wounded buffalo tracking down the hunter.
Run well, y'all, and watch out for wild animals,
Bob
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