Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - Ryan

Let's just start this off by saying that a puppy doesn't operate on your schedule; you operate on his. Needless to say, I've been getting up a little earlier than usual (530am vs. 730am) in order to take the little guy (I say "little", he's almost 16lbs at 10 weeks). I ran a very easy 7m @ 7:54/mile. It was about 30 degrees this morning, and pitch black, so I got to try out the jacket mom got me for Christmas. After one run, I'm a big fan of the jacket; not too heavy, but it does a good job of keeping me comfortable.

I'm a big fan of the taper. I tried loosening my shoelaces at the bottom of my foot to see if that would prevent the top of my foot from hurting; so far so good. I think I'm running somewhat strong after a good Madison Half Marathon a few weeks ago. Hopefully that will transfer over to the Blues Marathon.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 30

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 7.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 230.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Sunday, December 27, 2009 - Ryan

I did my last long run before the Blues Marathon yesterday. I tried a different route in Madison to mix things up. I was happy with the route, the pace (7:02/mile), and my effort (83% max).

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 29

However, the top of my right foot was / is still a little sore. Several people have told me this is a result of my big toe doing too much work, and to loosen my shoes around the bottom of my foot. I'll give that a try this week and see how it feels. During the run, I tried the Vanilla Gingerbread Gu (Leanna got that for my for Christmas), and I must say that I'm a fan. Tasted great. This week will be a series of easy runs, which I'm looking forward to. I might work a few quick miles in, but nothing too bad. I'd like to get around 30-35 easy miles in this week.

Daily mileage: 14.0
Weekly mileage: 39.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 223.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Friday, December 25, 2009 - Ryan

First of all, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I had a wonderful Christmas. Of course, my main present was the bulldog puppy (his name is JV) from Leanna. He's a handful, but such a great dog.

In terms of running presents for Christmas, I got some tights, a hat, gloves, and socks. I tried the tights out today, and I must say I'm a fan.

I did 5 1-mile repeats @ 5:45 pace today. My legs felt fine, but the top of my right foot is still tender. This is my last speedwork before the Blues Marathon in two weeks. I'll probably do 14 - 15 miles easy tomorrow.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 28

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 25.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 209.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - Ryan

I was still feeling a little tired yesterday, so I did an easy 9m @ 7:07 (heart rate was 79% max). As I've mentioned before, due to the shortage of running routes in Madison, I had to do the Ridgeland Trail again. The top of my left foot is a little tender. I'm not sure what the cause is, but it's annoying. It doesn't hurt bad enough to make me stop my run, but it just nags throughout the run.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 27

I'm taking today off. Hopefully that will help the top of my foot. I'm thinking a few mile repeats tomorrow and then maybe a few miles of tempo to mix things up.

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 16.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 200.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Tuesday, December 21, 2009 - Ryan

The weather in Madison was perfect for a run yesterday, so I did an easy 7 miles @ 7:04. My ankle had been tender from my 21 miles Saturday, so I didn't want to push it too hard on this one (heart rate averaged 79% max). I'm going to probably go 9 miles today at around the same pace.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 26

I would've posted last night, but I was too busy playing with my new Christmas present from Leanna. She got me a English bulldog puppy (which I've wanted for some time now). I can't thank her enough!

On a sidenote, based on what I've been reading on Garett's posts and talking to him on the phone, it sounds like his running is coming along nicely. Taxi is out of commission due to the weather still, but hopefully he'll find some time to get back into it soon. Nathan claims to have been running, but there's no confirmation on that.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 7.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 191.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Cold!!!

So I went for a little jog this afternoon, the details of which are linked below, let me know if it doesn't come up.

I am continuing to learn from my rookie "distance" mistakes. Tonight for instance I left the house at about 4:30. I should have anticipated that the sun would go down during my run and the temperatures would be dropping about 10 degrees. 10 degrees doesn't sound like much, but it is apparently the difference between pants and gloves versus shorts and long sleeve t. My hands were cold at mile 5, and by mile 7 they flat out hurt, which lead to my second mistake.

I didn't plan my route very well. I only planned on running 6.5, but mid run I decided to up the distance so I had to route plan on the fly, which caused me to finish 7 miles about .6 miles from my house. At that point I was gassed, and my hands were like blocks of ice.

All setbacks aside it was a glorious run. I hit my goal for 2009. I feel great, very happy with my progress. It's amazing what accomplishing a goal can do for the running confidence, especially when you do it with 10 days to spare. Thanks for all the support, hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20800569

Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Ryan

After resting Thursday and Friday, it was time for a long run today. With the Mississippi Blues Marathon 3 weeks out, I thought this would be the best weekend to get in a 20-miler (which would be my longest run since the Chicago Marathon in October). Needless to say, there aren't many good 20-mile routes in Madison, so I basically had to run all over the place. However, I misjudged my loop and ended up running 21 miles. In terms of intensity, I didn't want to push myself too hard, and I averaged 7:04/mile pace, which is 80% of max. I kept my splits in a consistent range, so I was happy with that as well. I will probably do a regular week this coming week, then start a 2 week taper. I probably should include more hills in my training since that's what the majority of the Blues Marathon is.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 25

Also, looks like Garett has signed up for the Country Music Half Marathon in April with me. That's one down, two to go. Like him, I'm somewhat skeptical of the other two, but hopefully they will prove me wrong. Remember, the discount goes away after 12/31.

Daily mileage: 21.0
Weekly mileage: 41.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 184.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Nashville Here I Come!

Well, I bit the bullet and registered for the Music City Half Marathon. Fees are paid so it looks like I'm doing this. And if I were a gambling man (which I am) I would bet it's just me and Hendy in Nashville in April (calling others to the carpet).

Let's talk about my job for a second. One of the benefits of my job is that when I'm not in surgery I can usually dictate my schedule. So, when I'm done with cases by 12, I can get a workout and run in and be done before 5. Unfortunately I also cover trauma cases. And even more unfortunate is the fact I have a partner unable to cover all cases on his own.

So last night after griping to my very understanding and supportive bride about how I hadn't gotten in a run since Monday, I headed to the gym. I called my partner (who was flying solo covering a surgery scheduled to start at 5:30), made sure he was fine to be on his on and began to look forward to my 40 minutes on the treadmill.

Well it wouldn't happen. As I stretched my calves my cell phone rang and said partner informed me that I was needed at the hospital 30 minutes away(Bobby was in over his head). So yeah, I rocked the lunar glides in the OR and put the run off for another day.

Sorry to go off on a work tangent, but I felt it was somewhat relative and I needed to vent. In running news, I made it out tonight and broke out my new nike running pants as temperatures were in the low 40's (loved them). Paired with a black ski hat, black longsleeve dri-fit shirt, my black lunar glides, and new black paints I looked like either a) The Johnny Cash of the running world or B) Your friendly bank robber.

Got the Garmin back out so here you go for tonight's run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20702102

Thursday, December 17, 2009 - Ryan

Yesterday I got in 8m @ 6:43. My legs are still somewhat tired from the race this weekend. My hamstrings feel very tight so I'm taking today off. I might run an easy 4-5m tomorrow before running 20m (6:55-7:10 pace) on Saturday.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 24

As I said earlier, I signed up for the Mississippi Blues Marathon . A lot of good, local runners (and friends) are running it, so it should be a good time (the painfully hilly course aside). I ran the half last year, and I almost swore off running because of it. The weather was hot and humid (shocking in MS, I know), the roads were terrible (probably still are given the Jackson, MS budget), and the course was so hilly that it never gave you a chance to get a comfortable pace because as soon as you finished one hill, there was another monster staring you in the face. The course has changed some this year, so hopefully they fixed that issue.

On a separate note, Garett and I have signed up for the Country Music Half Marathon in April. Again, that race last year was a nightmare because I didn't know the course and because the temperatures at the finish of the half were around 75. I believe they were north of 80 when Leanna finished the full. Maybe God will be kind to us this year. Taxi and Nathan are on the clock now for sign-up. Yes, they are still alive. Taxi claims its too cold to run and Nathan apparently doesn't feel the need to post anything.

Daily mileage: 8.0
Weekly mileage: 20.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 163.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Back In the Saddle

Well lets hope last Friday's run was an anomaly. Monday evening's run might have proved it was. In a terrific recovery I went 4.8 in 38:24 (previously ran this route 2 minutes faster).

Unfortunately I made a very rookie mistake with my new Garmin 405. I forgot to charge the thing. I took today off to celebrate my birthday with seared duck breast and bread pudding. I'd much rather run outside tomorrow but I think I need to hit the gym and get in some light weight training.

As expected my running has been erratic over the last week and will probably continue to be that way due to a number of circumstances: 1. The Holidays 2.Sam's surgeries and recoveries 3.My sister's looming delivery.

While I accomplished my original goal of 6 miles before the new year, I am still hopeful that I can push a 7 mile run before January 1. Also, I think I'll begin to look for a half marathon training program for the Nashville half marathon, and I'm open to any suggestions.

Happy Running

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Ryan

Let's start the post off by saying happy birthday to Garett. Hope he had a great one.

My schedule called for 9 miles on Monday, and I fully intended to do them. However, the weather didn't cooperate so I was forced inside to the treadmill. For those of you who read this, you know how much I hate the treadmill. Nonetheless, I tried. I made it 3 miles, got bored, and called it a day. My hamstrings were still a little tight from the race on Saturday, so only going 3 miles probably wasn't a bad thing.

I got 9 miles in today at a comfortable pace. I was supposed to do mile repeats tomorrow, but there's been a slight change in my training schedule. For some reason, I got a wild hair and I've decided to run the Mississippi Blues Marathon. It's a tough course through parts of downtown Jackson, Belhaven, Lakeland Drive, and northeast Jackson. I ran the half marathon last year and swore I'd never do it again, but for some unknown reason, I thought I'd try and tackle the full this year. Instead of following the training program I'd planned for NOLA, I'm going to modify it a little for the Blues Marathon in 3 weeks. I'll probably train for another week and then start my taper.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 23

Also, the pictures above are from my half marathon finish this weekend, and from the exact half marathon finish last year (my first half marathon ever - 1:34:30). I cut my time by 15 minutes in a year, which I'm quite happy with.

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 12.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 155.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Falling Back

As someone who isn't an established runner, I can think of few things worse than a medical setback, followed by trying to get back to where you were just two weeks ago.

While visiting Michelle's family last week, I decided to go for a jog on Friday. Since it was 18 degrees outside with winds at 20-30mph I drove for 30 minutes to the nearest Snap Fitness. I was feeling much better from my cold, but still wouldn't put myself at 100 percent.

There on the treadmill I had the most embarrassing, painful, and awkward runs to date. 3 miles in 25:44. And I was spent. I don't know why my legs felt so bad, but they did. I was dying, I had to walk for 4 minutes of the jog (two separate 2 minute intervals). I actually stopped running at about 14 minutes, and slowed to a temporary walk.

It was awful, but worse is that I'm not sure where I should be now. After I post this I am heading to the gym for a little run. And I will start off at my usual 7:47 pace and see how long I can hold it. Here's to hoping this performance is better than the last.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 - Ryan

If someone listed the worst possible conditions to run in, the list would include difficult elements (wind / rain), cold temperatures (below 40 degrees), and a boring course. Well, if you wanted all of those things, then you should've run the Cellular South MTC Half Marathon this morning. Windy, steady rain, temperatures around 40, and a boring out and back course (with rolling hills for good measure).

My plan for the race was to go out at a pace I could maintain for most of the race (9-10 miles) and then see what I had left in the tank for the last 3 miles. I ran the first 10 miles at around 6:00 pace and the last 3 at about 5:50 pace and finished in 1:18:59 (a new PR for me by about 2 minutes). I was very happy with that time, especially give the conditions and the fact that the course was about .10 of a mile long (which adds about 20-30 seconds).

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Cellular South MTC Half Marathon (RNR NOLA 22)

Nathan opted for a rain check on this one. Not sure I blame him, but I'm glad I got out there and ran a strong race. Great race from Caleb (1st), Dale (4th) and Chris (5th) as well.

Daily mileage: 13.2
Weekly mileage: 34.2
Miles on Lunartrainers: 143.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 62.6

Thursday, December 10, 2009 - Ryan

I made a little modification to my run yesterday since I'm racing this weekend. The schedule called for a hard tempo run (6m @ 5:59), but I'd prefer going into the race Saturday with fresh legs, so I ran 5m @ ~6:35 and then finished w/ 3m @ ~6:17. This way, I got a little tempo work in after running 5 solid miles. I guess this was a workout to somewhat test my "kick", while keeping my legs fresh for the race. I'm taking off today and tomorrow, then 13.1 Saturday.

As of now, Nathan is still planning on running. I only update you because apparently he doesn't feel the need to. Taxi's running has slowed a little due to weather issues in Chicago. We're hoping his wife will get him a Garmin for Christmas.

Daily mileage: 8.0
Weekly mileage: 21.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 143.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - Ryan

Due to the rain today, I had to run 6 miles on the treadmill. If you read my post yesterday, you know how I feel about running on the treadmill, I absolutely hate it. Todays run just confirmed that; I still hate it. Even with a towel covering the display board, I could see through the towel so I always knew how far I'd gone. I'd sit there and try to watch Sportscenter, but end up glancing down to see the distance tick up evrey 1/100th of a mile. Needless to say, 40:40 felt like several hours, but I'm glad it's over. I'm supposed to do speedwork tomorrow, but I might not because of the half marathon I'm running on Saturday. I might do an easy 7-8 miles tomorrow; we'll see.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 13.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 135.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Too Soon

So I was still feeling the effects of whatever was in my system over the last few days, but still felt like I could get in a run.

I fully expected to my body to just feel weak and tired (which it did), so I only set out for 4 miles on the treadmill. What I didn't see coming were the multiple coughing fits throughout the run. Fortunately I had my towel close by and proceeded to cough into it. Aside from struggling to breathe (really all I wanted was a little throat clear and it turns into a convulsing hack and gasp for air) the spasms also lead me lose my balance, thus causing me to use my now germ infested hands to clutch the treadmill and keep myself up.

Looking at this and my previous post I seem to be getting a little negative. No worries, I am enjoying the running and have found great satisfaction in the little improvement I've shown. Should I be concerned? I mean, I'm only up to 6 miles and I sometimes feel like I'm on a death march, a slow 9 minute mile death march.

Monday, December 7, 2009 - Ryan

I ran a solid 7 miles today. I did the standard Ridgeland running trail route since I ran from work. The weather was quite awful today (rainy, overcast, temp in the 40s), so I was lucky to find a small, rain-free window to run outside. I apparently got off to a spirited start considering I hit 99% of my max HR in the first mile.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 20

I despise running on the treadmill. There's nothing worse than running for an hour and realizing you haven't gone anywhere. Plus, I always find myself looking at the timer every 5-10 seconds, so my treadmill runs seem like an eternity. It doesn't even help if I watch TV on the treadmill, I still end up staring at the clock. Also, at least you have scenery outside.

I was talking with Nathan today on Facebook. Readers might remember Nathan as a "guest" poster on the blog. Anyways, he and his girlfriend are coming to run the same Cellular South Half Marathon that I'm running on Saturday. I highly encourage anyone in the area to come run it. It was my first ever half marathon last year, so I'm anxious to see my improvement with a year of training under my belt.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 7.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 129.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Sick...

I find myself coming down with some cold like symptoms; sore throat, runny nose, cough. So I took another day off from running. I haven't hit full blown sick yet, but I'm hoping rest and fluids will keep my condition from getting any worse.

If I feel the slightest bit better tomorrow I will go get 5 miles or so. I'll probably take the run indoors and avoid the elements.

In other news, an invitation to the blog has been extended to my favorite student. Shoeless Taylor, lace 'em up and let us now what your jumping off point is.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Ryan

It was definitely chilly this morning when I left the house for 8 miles. It snowed last night and the trees along the trail were covered in snow. There was little / no humidity, so that made running much easier. Since I didn't do any speedwork or tempo this week, so I tried to run today at a good pace (6:25 pace, avg. 91% of max HR). Off tomorrow, then back at it Monday.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 19

Glad to see Garett joining the Garmin 405 family. Hopefully Taxi and Nathan will follow suit soon.

Daily mileage: 8.0
Weekly mileage: 37.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 122.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

A little Chilly

Concern: I hate running in the cold. My body wasn't designed for it. I don't have very much natural insulation, and what's even worse I have poor circulation. I have to purchase some gloves, my left hand got numb to the point I couldn't extend my thumb. Oh, and the cold weather, combined with multiple layers of clothing isn't helping with the chaffing.

On another note, I purchased an early birthday present for myself this week. The Garmin 405 Forerunner. Last night was the maiden voyage for the 405. I think I still have some things to work out, mostly operator error. I didn't lock the bezel so my screen was all over the place. After syncing it though, I was pleased with the performance. Below is a link to my run, hopefully it will work.

FYI I shaved 12 seconds per mile off my run with Hendy, and added .18 miles. A small improvement but I think my goal of a 7 mile run before New Year's will be easily attainable.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20014582

Thursday, December 3, 2009 - Ryan

Another easy 7 miles today. I went a little harder today versus yesterday (88% of max HR). Off day tomorrow, and then another 7 miles on Saturday. I could get used to these easy weeks.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 18

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 29.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 114.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Ryan

Another easy 7 miles today. Again, due to a shortage of routes and traffic on Highland Colony at lunch, I ran on the trail. As I said yesterday, I was going to run easy today, and I did. I averaged 73% of Max HR for the entire run, which is perfect for an easy run. 73% put me at the low end of Zone 3, defined as:

"In this zone -- reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio."

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 17

You guessed it, another 7 miles tomorrow and 7 Saturday.

Looks like Garett and Taxi are both making strong progress early in training. Rumor is Garett just picked up a Garmin 405, so hopefully he'll start mapping his routes as well.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 22.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 107.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Running in the AM

Let me say the few times I've run within 3o minutes of waking up, I haven't like it at all. That might be the single thing I look forward to the least out of training for the full marathon. I know it's going to be a neccissity when I am looking at 10 + miles in the Mississippi heat in August. And I'm aware your testosterone levels are higher in the morning, but my body just can't function without a shower, and who wants to wake up early, shower, run, and shower again?

That said, I do LOVE getting a run in before lunch. Today, with the fear of my schedule in the afternoon looking like it could go into the early evening, I squeezed in a trip to the gym after a couple hours of work this morning. I logged 3 miles on the treadmill in 23:03 (since I did 4.5 yesterday and will go for 6 again tomorrow) I felt a quick pace and shorter distance would be enough for today. It just changes the way I feel the rest of the day. My body feels great, not tired. Plus there's the added bonus of accomplishment with getting something done physically before 11 am. Hopefully this feeling will be enough to carry me through future AM workouts.

Happy Running.

Thanksgiving Weekend in Wisconsin - Taxi

Well, first things first, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Weekend. I know that those who contribute to this blog (save Boo Boo) really enjoyed Saturday afternoon. I had to pay $25 to get the Egg Bowl on PPV, but it was well worth it.

I had plans to run in a Turkey Trot Thursday morning with my sister, but after the bad snow Wednesday night we opted out. I did, however, get a 2.5 mile run in on Friday morning in the hilliest conditions that I have ever run it. Now I was not running up and down mountains, but I also did not realize the terrain compared to my beginner's level of running. It wore my ass out. Fortunately, we had a family spa day on Friday and I had a massage Friday afternoon...call me gay, but this guy loved the hell out of it. Before I left, I ran my longest since my training started in the last month. It was not long, but it was a hilly 3.5 miles. I felt great after the run. I am going to try to get to 4 miles sometime this week. My goal for the end of the year is lofty, but I would like to get up to 6 miles within the next 4 weeks. We shall see what happens.

One last item, although it is off topic. I deep fried my first turkey last Thursday. The long and the short of it, phenomenal. It will be a tradition for years to come. I'll try to get on the blog more often, sorry Hendy.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Ryan

Another easy run today (7 miles @ 6:35). The weather was crap today, but I felt pretty strong during the run. My leg seems better. I'm thinking the pain behind my left knee was a result of overuse.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 16

Tomorrow calls for 7 miles again. I'm thinking I'll go a little easier this time and slow the pace down a little (considering I hit 100% of my max HR today). Sorry I don't have anymore commentary, but limited routes and an easy week don't make for much excitement.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 15.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 100.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Monday, November 30, 2009 - Ryan

Today started my easy week on my training schedule (i.e. no speedwork, tempo, or long run). This week I had 8 miles today, then 7 miles Tuesday - Thursday and 7 miles Saturday. I was able to get my 8 miles in today at lunch. I've been having a nagging pain behind my left knee ever since my long run last Thursday, but that didn't bother me too much today and I was able to keep a good pace.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 15

I'm doing the Cellular South Mississippi Track Club Half Marathon on December 12, so I'm thinking of taking another easy week next week as well. There are rumors of Nathan coming in town so he and his girlfriend can run it too.

Daily mileage: 8.0
Weekly mileage: 8.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 93.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Sunday Nov. 29th

Great great weekend. Saturday couldn't have been better. Good weather, great football game, great friends, and my longest run since starting the blog.

Following the football game Saturday there were a couple of hours of downtime before anyone in our group thought they would be ready for dinner. Fortunately Ryan was in town and saw this as the perfect opportunity to get in a run.

I can't describe what a difference having a running partner made. I really didn't begin to focus on the distance until around mile 5. It also helps to have an experienced runner who can establish a comfortable pace.

The run wasn't without a few minor events. There was the drunk guy urinating in the parking lot around mile 3. Then there were the taunts and cheers from the drunks in the junction, still celebrating the Bulldogs upset win over #25 Mississippi (one of the setbacks of having campus as your track).

Followed up the run with some good Mexican food and a good night out with old friends, couldn't ask for a better fall Saturday.

Sunday, November 29, 2009 - Ryan

First of all, I want to congratulate Mississippi State on their 41 - 27 win over #25 The School Up North. Few people, including myself, thought MSU would win this game, but Coach Mullen had the team ready to play. Ole Miss had no answer for Anthony Dixon or Chris Relf. That was the loudest I'd seen Davis Wade Stadium since my freshman year when we beat Jean Short U (Florida).

Garett and I did a 6 mile run Saturday afternoon after the Egg Bowl. I found out just how tough it is to get in a long run in Starkville. Campus was still full of happy (drunk) Bulldogs and pissed, disappointed (drunk) Rebels. Garett's goal was to be able to run 6 miles by the end of December, which he accomplished on Saturday.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 14

This week is an easy week for my on my schedule (i.e. no speedwork or tempo), so I'm definitely looking forward to it. I think it calls for all easy runs of 6 - 7 miles which I am fine with.

Daily mileage: 6.0
Weekly mileage: 48.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 85.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Ryan

(FYI, that is not me in the picture, but it gives you a good idea of how we felt after today's run)

Chances are, during your training you will have training runs where you feel great, where you feel like you could go 5 more miles when you're done with your run, where your legs don't hurt, and you aren't out of breath. However, there's also a flipside to that run, the run where every mile hurts worst than the last, where the cold wind hits you every stride, where a new "ache" that you've never had pops up, and where your stomach just doesn't think you should be running today.

Today, I had the latter. It was supposed to be an easy 14 miles with Leanna, and then 4 miles at my pace. There was nothing easy about the 14 miles for either of us. First of all, there was wind throughout 70% of the run. Wind is only your friend if its at your back, which it never felt like it was. Second, for me, I had an ache in the back of my knee. I've felt this little gem of an ache before, but never with 14 miles to go. I think it could have something to do with me having a hard Tempo run the day before, but I'm not sure. Finally, my stomach and the rest of my body weren't on the same agenda today. Runs like this are never fun, but you have to fight through them and move on.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 13

Rest day tomorrow and Saturday, then probably an easy 6 miles on Sunday.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving with their family and friends.

Daily mileage: 18.0
Weekly mileage: 42.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 79.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Treadmill Love

I don't understand how on some days on the treadmill my 7:47 pace seems quicker than others. Looking in the mirror it looks as though my stride is the same, but some days it just seems my legs are moving faster than others.

Fortunately today was one in which things were moving in slow motion. I kept my 7:47 pace for the entire 4 miles and felt pretty good. I wanted to get in a run/trip to the gym yesterday but work got in the way. After the new year I hope to start getting in weekday runs in the AM. It also seems on mornings where I don't have surgery, but still put my run off to the afternoon, some trauma case comes in that keeps me from running that night.

So far I feel comfortable with my progress. I said from the beginning I hoped to be able to run 6 miles by the end of December to give me a good jumping off point for the start of our half marathon training. To reach that I'll need to only add 1 mile in the month of December. Shouldn't be too difficult, my only concern is the erratic schedule the holidays provide.

Hope everyone enjoys there Thanksgiving, I'll be taking the day off from running, but look to sweat out some gravy on Black Friday.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - Ryan

Today's run was quite challenging. Tempo runs are by far and away the worst training run in my opinion, the runs I dread the most; that's probably why the are the most beneficial for building speed / endurance. Ideally, Tempo should be done on a flat surface, that's why most people prefer a treadmill (flat surface and no wind). I can't stand running on a treadmill, so I usually do my Tempo across the reservoir on Spillway Road, perfectly flat, but wind can sometimes be an issue (see Marathon Makeover Half Marathon last month). I shook the cobwebs off the Lunaracers for this run, and they felt really good. My goal on today's workout was to keep my heartrate above 90% of my max, which I was able to do. I felt good for most of the run, but I could definitely feel I was working hard the entire 5 miles.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 12

Leanna and I are doing our long run tomorrow, so I've got 14 miles with her and then 4 more on my own.

I hope everyone who reads this has a great Thanksgiving holiday with their friends and family.

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 25.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 61.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 49.4

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - Ryan

I was reading Runner's World and found a really good article for beginner runners. I think that most people on this blog are past this level, but it's a good read if you are just starting to run for the first time or are starting to run again after a few years off.

I had another 7 miles today. Judging from my heart rate monitor, I think I ran this one a little too hard. I averaged 83% of my max (peaked at 93%), which is Zone 4. According to that size, Zone 4 is:

"This zone is reached by going hard -- running faster. Here you get faster and fitter, increasing your heart rate as you cross from aerobic to anaerobic training. At this point, your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to supply the exercising muscles fully so they respond by continuing to contract anaerobically.

This is where you "feel the burn." You can stay in this zone for a limited amount of time, usually not more than an hour. That's because the muscle just cannot sustain working anaerobically (this means without sufficient oxygen) without fatiguing. The working muscles protect themselves from overwork by not being able to maintain the intensity level."

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 11

Tomorrow I've got 5 miles of Tempo at 5:59 pace. Hopefully I can hold that. I'm breaking out the Lunaracers after a month off, so I'll let you know how that goes.

We should all congratulate Nathan on his purchase of man's best friend, a maltipoo named "Tuxedo".

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 18.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 61.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

Look who's up (Garett)

Consistency. Something my workouts have been lacking over the last couple of weeks. With Michelle's new schedule and Sam's recovery (he had surgery today to remove his Nocardia infection), I haven't been the most regular runner.

However, Sunday I had an open hour to get my run in and then shower and change for a trip to Tupelo. I went on the same route I had run last Tuesday (distance of 4.8 time of 39:45). I knew on Tuesday I wasn't killing it during the run, but was just at an easy pace. Sunday I consciously made myself start out a little faster. I finished the same run in 36:31. I thank Ryan for the brutal "speed training" he tried to put me through last week.

I'm looking forward to this week and will attempt to get at least 18 miles in during the next 5 days.

In other news, two words for dog shopping boo boo, PET INSURANCE. Look into it, I wish I had.

Almost forgot, got my first bout of the dreaded chaffing Sunday, since we're sharing everything running related on the site, I thought it applied. I know it was only a matter of time, it's a viscous viscous cycle. Just ask this guy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8UXf7gqWPs

Monday, November 23, 2009 - Ryan

It's good to see that both Nathan and Taxi are alive and running. Garett and I were beginning to wonder.

I did another easy 4-miler this morning. Again, here the focus is on adding a few easy miles a week, not speed. I wish there were a few more routes that I could take to get an easy 4 miles in, but there really aren't. Oh well...

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Morning Run 10

My schedule called for 7 miles this afternoon, so I got those in at lunch. I think my schedule calls for 7 miles tomorrow as well, and then Tempo on Wednesday (not looking forward to that at all).

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 10

Daily mileage: 11.0
Weekly mileage: 11.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 54.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

I'm Alive...

It's me, local ghost blogger Nathan. I can assure you I have been running even though I haven't found time to really let you, the readers, know about it.

I was in Oxford, MS this weekend for the Ole Miss/LSU football game, so my running schedule got thrown off just a little bit. I was able to knock out a 4.5 mile run on Friday at a 7:30 pace after eating an entire calzone from Proud Larry's, which is more than impressive if I do say so myself. I was supposed to get a 9-mile run in this weekend, but that didn't happen due to time constraints with the game and the festivities, but I will get a 10-mile run in this Friday after a long Thanksgiving Day and gluttenous amounts of food. I'm sure this will be fun.

Even though I didn't get to run my planned 9-miler this weekend, I'm confident my heart rate stayed at about 85% max due to the football game and frenetic finish.

I'm going puppy shopping tonight with the girlfriend, and then will hit the treadmill for an easy 4-5 while I watch Monday Night Football. I'll be a better poster, I promise.

A Quick Run Tonight - Taxi

Let me preface this with an apology. It is about a quarter after 11 p.m. and this kid needs to get to bed. But I thought I would get on here first.

Went out for a run tonight, and made the what is becoming my usual route with my regular running buddy (Bertolli). As I discussed in a previous post, my neighborhood is approx. 2.8 around. So tonight, this fat kid did not wait long enough between his genoa salami sandwiches for dinner and his run. At about 1.5 miles the stomach was getting after me in a bad way, so I changed the pace to a walk for about .2 miles which threw little Bert off completely. But since it did not last long and we picked the pace back up for the last (give or take) mile. Followed all of this up with a .2 mile cool down.

Now, my runs have not gotten longer yet, but tonight felt much easier to make the lap than previous runs. I am also planning on running more often than I have since we started this training. I need to pick up the pace or at least the distance little by little, so I feel by running a little bit more often I can make my goals more obtainable.

That's it for me tonight, maybe another run tomorrow after work with little Bertolli. I might even put a picture of the little guy on here before too long.

Saturday, November 21, 2009 - Ryan

Just finished a great run with Leanna on Highland Colony and the Ridgeland Trail. Team In Training is also training for the RNR Mardi Gras Marathon and they were out there today. Leanna has done Team In Training before, but I haven't. It's such a great cause (benefitting leukemia and lymphoma research) and its really great to see so many people in Madison / Ridgeland A) supporting the cause and B) getting in shape. I recently read an article that Mississippi is still the most unhealthy state in the country, so its great to see people doing something about it. If anyone reading this is wanting to run a marathon for the first time, give TNT's website a look.

We ran 12 miles at 8:29 pace and then I ran 4 more at about 6:10 pace. I'm really starting to like this heart rate monitor. It basically tells you how much harder you can run. I tried to keep it around 85% max for the last 4 miles and found it much harder to get your heart rate from 85% max to 90% max than it is from 70% max to 85% max.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 9

I recovered with a cold bath and some Endurox R4 recovery drink. Rest day tomorrow and then back at it Monday.

Daily mileage: 16.0
Weekly mileage: 43.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 43.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

Friday, November 20, 2009 - Ryan

I decided to go for an easy run today so I did another 4 miles with the heart rate monitor, again, trying to keep my heart rate in Zone 2. This felt like a very easy, conversational pace for me, which is exactly what I was aiming for.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Morning Run 9

I've got 16 miles tomorrow (12 with Leanna, 4 on my own), so hopefully that won't feel too bad.

I found this Nike commercial on YouTube that I found quite good:

I'm Addicted

Daily mileage: 4.0
Weekly mileage: 27.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 27.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

Thursday, November 19, 2009 - Ryan

I concur with Garett, Taxi and Nathan seem to have gone missing. I know Nathan has been running due to daily facebook chats that have included mention of a 9-miler this weekend. Taxi is supposed to hit the pavement tonight so hopefully we'll get something from him later.

It's true, I did tell Garett to push the pace a little. It's good for the legs to mix up workouts. He probably hates me right now, but I think he'll be fine on his run tomorrow. This early in training, there's no reason to worry about pace on your long runs, it's just about getting in some miles.

As for me today, another easy 7 mile run. I've got 16 miles on Saturday (12 with Leanna, 4 at my pace). I felt really good on my run today. I'm starting to like training with the heart rate monitor. Aside from being a numbers dork, I like the real-time training feedback in terms of how hard my body is working to keep me moving.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 8

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 23.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 23.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

November 19- Garett

I know I had taken a little hiatus, but does anyone know the whereabouts for Taxi Morreale? Put out an APB for a short, maybe bearded, Italian roaming around your local Italian beef sandwich shop and see if you can't get the guy to put down the "double beef, juicy" and put on his Brooks.

In other news, criminal charges are being filed against one of the blog's premier runners. Ryan tried to kill me today. Let's begin by saying I've run back to back days one of which being my longest run since this thing started. I made the mistake of calling him before heading to the gym, I had contemplated taking the day off from running but then thought an easy 3 wouldn't hurt anyone. Ryan had other plans:

"Start at your normal 7:47 pace (can't maintain this for 4 miles steady). Then every 800 meters (roughly 4 minutes) bump the pace up .2 (about 15 seconds faster per mile) until you get to 4 miles."

"Hendy," I said, "there is no way I can do this, on a good day."
"Oh, you'd be surprised, just push yourself." He replies.
Wrong! so wrong...I was hanging on for dear life before I even hit 3 miles. Needless to say I didn't make it, but I guess it was a good "off day" workout. We'll see tomorrow when I try and go for 5.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - Ryan

So I tried something new today. Not sure why I did this, but I thought I'd run twice today. I did an easy 4 miles out and back from the house this morning. The focus of this run was on heart rate. My Garmin 405 takes your minimum and maximum heart rate and then divides it into Zones. The zones are the following:

Zone 1: 50% - 60% of my max
Zone 2: 60% - 70% of my max
Zone 3: 70% - 80% of my max
Zone 4: 80% - 90% of my max
Zone 5: 90% - 100% of my max

My focus of this run was to train in Zone 2, literally a nice easy morning run. Based on my maximum heart rate of 192, my Zone 2 range is 132 - 147bpm. I averaged 145bpm on this one so it was right at what I was shooting for.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Morning Run 7

After work, I met Leanna at the track for our first attempt at mile repeats. Basically this workout is a warm-up mile, run a mile (1600m) at faster than race pace, jog 800m (2 laps), run another mile (hence "mile repeat), another 800m, then a cool down mile. Mile repeats are great tools for building speed and for getting someone mentally tougher to know they can run much faster than their required marathon pace.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 7

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 16.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 16.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

Finally a Run

Apologies to the blog, I haven't posted, or for that matter, run in a few days. Most of you know why, but if you don't and you're interested our Golden Retriever Sam has been in the ICU since Monday.

Sam was on an antibiotic to treat an infection he had and unfortunately the antibiotic has some rare but serious side effects that got to him. On Monday we were informed that Sam's platelet count had bottomed out and he would need to be admitted to the ICU at the MSU vet school. As of today, he still hasn't registered a platelet. Michelle and I are appreciative of all the prayers and support Sam has received in the last few days, there is no doubt he is a loved dog. Hopefully tomorrow's test will return positive results as our house isn't the same in his absence.

In running news, I slipped on the lunar glides for a little bit of therapy Monday night. In the majority of my runs I try and maintain an 8 min/mile pace and can usually hold that for the first 3 miles or so. At that point I walk for 2 minutes and then finish out the remaining mile or so at my 8 pace. Monday night I went out a little slower and settled into a comfortable pace, that didn't require too much effort. By the end of the run I had gone 4.8 miles at about an 8:16 mile pace, without the customary 2 min walk. I'd say it was my best run yet. I felt I could have gone another mile, but my route ended in front of our house which happens to be on a dead end street so I called it a night.

Ran again tonight during a trip to the gym. 4 miles in 32:19. Depending on what comes up this week I'll try and go 2 or more times this week to try and get over 15 miles for the week.

Again thanks to all friends and family for keeping Sam in their prayers and thoughts wishing for a full recovery.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - Ryan

Well, yesterday was an unexpected day off due to either a stomach virus or food poisoning on Sunday. I felt like I probably could've run yesterday, but took the day off just to be safe. Needless to say, whatever I had was awful. I lost 6-8lbs in 24 hours. While losing weight is a runner's friend, this is not how I wanted to do it.

Just did an easy 7 miles at lunch. I felt really good, maybe it was the 6-8lbs I don't have anymore. This was also the first day on the new Lunartrainers. They felt really good. Also, I hooked up the heartrate monitor for the first time in a while. It's a useful tool that basically tells you how hard your body is working to run a certain pace (the lower your heartrate, the less energy you're using, and vice versa).

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 6

Tomorrow is the first Speedwork session of training, so that should be interesting. 2 x 1600 (mile repeats) at 5:33 pace.

Again, things are slow at work, so I was searching YouTube and found this footage of the 2009 Chicago Marathon. If you look closely, around 5:21 - 5:23 of the video you can see me run by in a grey sweatshirt, blue shorts, and a red cap.

2009 Chicago Marathon - Mile 2.1

Daily mileage: 7.0
Weekly mileage: 7.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 7.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 42.4

Sunday, November 15, 2009 - Ryan

Another rest day today. I had a good long run on Saturday with Leanna. We did 10 miles together and then I did 4 miles after that at a little slower than race pace.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 5

She's been having shinsplints because she hasn't gotten new shoes since June. We went to Fleet Feet and she tried on the Nike Vomero 4 (her current shoe) and the LunarGlide. She said there was an obvious difference in the cushioning between the two (the Vomero being more cushioned), so she's going to be getting another pair of those I think.

On a separate note, my Lunartrainers got here Saturday, so I'll be using them starting tomorrow. I think I'll start keeping up w/ weekly mileage and shoe mileage on here. That should make it easier to know when it's time for a new pair.

Pimp Down!!

Why do I hurt more the second day after a long run, than the first. I always look forward to my run after a day off. I expect my muscles to be rejuvinated and refreshed and I look for my speed and endurance to suprise me. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.

Yesterday, I commented that my legs were a little sore and felt worse in my daily walking around than they had the day before. Nonetheless, I ventured out in attempts of a 4.5 mile run. Jogging along on the treadmill I knew it was coming before it hit me. I got that eery feeling anyone that's ever had a muscle cramp gets right before your muscle contracts and locks up. The feeling where you think, "maybe if I don't move at all it won"t happen." And it always does. Right leg locked up something bad wrong. Tried to strattle the treadmill to keep from being thrown into the stationary bikes. Couldn't quite get the right leg of the belt, causing the force of my wickd 7:45 pace to spin my body around, butting both legs on one side of the emergency landing zone of the treadmill.

As I drew moderate attention from guy next to me I thought I could either shout in pain, scaring anyone to laugh at me due to the unbelievable agony I was suffering , or laugh it off. I chose the latter, unfortunately the pain I was in, made it come out as one of those crying laughs, like "stop tickleing me I am about to pee. Ooooh wait now I am peeing but still laughing."

That said, I only made it about 2.5 miles yesterday, but as I sit typing now, I am preparing to hit it again. Lesson learned, must improve my diet and fluid intake. I have been eating trash since this process started. It's like trying to hit 105 in your explorer that you haven't changed the oil in in about 9 months, just not a good idea.

Expect a video similar to this from my local snap fitness sometime soon...pay attention to the guy on the mill at about 50 second mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Zq3NLoubU

First Respectable Length Run - Taxi

So, since everyone seems to be putting pictures of their current shoes on the blog, I will do the same. And I think we should update when we get a new pair since we will all go through at least a couple. I am currently sporting the Brooks Defyance 2, in the color shown. I do not have a history with running shoes so I cannot say much about them other than they feel great to run in. I am not crazy about the color scheme, but I think that it is a requirement for running shoes to be ugly.

I will post a quick something regarding last night's run. I had it in my mind to go out like the week before and run 1 mile, walk 1/2 back and then run the last 1/2. Instead, when I got to 1 mile "I just felt like running" Forrest Gump style. Everything felt great and I ran around our entire neighborhood, which is a big circle. When I got to the end, I felt that I had just completed a great accomplishment for myself. In my mind the circle was exactly 3 miles. Before I let you down, I clocked it this morning in my car and the mileage came out to 2.8 miles. STILL GREAT, but I had that last .2 in me and thought I was already there. Regardless, I now know that I am able to run 3 miles straight without any walking in the middle. I was hoping to be at this point sometime by the end of the month. After all this rambling, I realize that I have a long way to go, but I finally feel better about all of this and truly believe that the marathon is an obtainable goal. I will get the time on my run last night for you later. I do not have a digital watch (or anything fancy for that matter) so all I have to base my time on is my playlist (which I will be listing later with songs and length of song). FYI, the first song on the playlist is dedicated to Boo Boo. Any ideas what that first song might be? I'll give you a hint...I have never felt closer to death in my life, and I didn't even spill my sweet tea!

Thursday, November 12, 2009 - Ryan

Another 7 miles today. I opted to avoid the Ridgeland running trail and tried something different. There aren't many "scenic" routes around here, so I just ran down Highland Colony, into Cypress Lake, and then back. The last 2-3 miles felt really good. I think my Garmin briefly shut off, so the time on the 5th mile is probably 30 seconds fast. Either way, it was a good run. In terms of intensity / speed, this has been one of my best training weeks in a while.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 4

Work was slow again yesterday, so I found this little gem on Hulu. It's a great documentary about marathon running that I think everyone who reads this should take the time to watch.

Spirit of the Marathon

It's almost 2 hours long, but is all about 5 different people training for the Chicago Marathon. It's a great portrayal of the different views / training programs people have, from elite runners to first timers.

Hopefully my new Lunartrainers will get here tomorrow so I can break them in on Saturday. The schedule calls for 14 miles, so I'm going to run the first 10 with Leanna and the last 4 at my pace (not race pace, but probably 6:40ish).

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - Ryan

Ryan Hall - Half Marathon Tempo Runs

Just finished my first tempo run for RNR NOLA training. I will say, tempo runs are the runs I dread the most. Simply put, tempo runs are basically a shorter run at / faster than race pace. They are meant to improve your lactace threshold pace (how fast you can run before the lactate (lactic acid) level in your muscles and blood increases rapidly). The higher your lactate threshold, the longer and faster you can run. Mentally, tempo runs let you know how fast you can run. This becomes very beneficial during races when you know that, if you had to, you could run faster because you have in training.

My workout called for a warm-up mile, 4m @ 5:56 pace, and a cool down mile. I went out too fast on my first mile, and paid for it on my last mile. I dont think I've ever run 4 miles at a sub-6:00 average pace, so this was a first for me.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 3

Here is a link to a good article on tempo runs:

Tempo Article

I won the eBay auction for my Lunartrainers. $49.50 including shipping. Looking forward to getting those and tracking the miles I put on them. I'm thinking I can get 300 - 350 miles out of them.

While bored at work, I found this humorous Nike running commercial:

I Am Not a Runner

I'm Nathan

Hello world, my name is Nathan and I have been suckered into this running thing by the other three clowns who own and operate this blog. Do I run, yes. Do I like to, yes. Do I have time to tell you about it, yes, but I don't really want to, but I will for the good of the order.

I have been a runner since about 12th grade. I started running because when I looked at my stomach it reminded me of the wave pool at Waterland and I didn't like that. So, one day I went outside and ran about 1/2 a mile. I hated it, and vowed to never do it again, but since I have an addictive personality, I went out the next day and ran another 1/2 mile. This would continue for the better part of the semester. Before I knew it, I had shed approximately 50 pounds and decided it was something I not only enjoyed, but was addicted to.

Addicted you ask, yes, addicted. A true addiction too. It was so bad that I would actually turn down going out to run if I hadn't had the opportunity to get one in yet. Yea, I was a gigantic loser, although not literally gigantic anymore...since I started running.

My competitive running career is not great, or illustrious like some others on this blog, however I have competed in 4 1/2 marathons, and several 5 & 10k's. No records have been broken or anything like that, but I've maintained an average pace in the 1/2 marathons of about 7:30/mile on all but one. On that one, I ran with my current girlfriend who was participating in her first ever race. Not her first ever half, her first ever race. Before we trained together for the St. Jude 1/2 marathon she had never run, so I promised I would run this one with her all the way until the finish. We actually did better than I expected and ran the 1/2 at about a 9 minute pace throughout. In my opinion, not too bad of a pace for someone who had never run a competitive race and who had run 13.1 miles just once...race day.

I'm excited about the adventure ahead in training for Chicago and I plan to take it very serious. I'm working toward running a 1/2 marathon in Jackson during December or January and an additional 1/2 in Nashville this coming April. I'd love to throw in a few more races as time goes on.

I'm going to lean heavily on Hendy for advice on training and preparation as he is the seasoned veteran of the group, but will also look toward Taxi and Garett for additional motivation as we look to conquer this beast together.

The road will be long, but fun, and I'm glad to be a part of this group.

Mid Wk plans

Looks like I get to force a run in today. I have a case that starts at 5 p.m. in Columbus and a couple of hours of downtime before then, so I'm about to head to the gym and then try and run about 4.

Yesterday I got 4 in in 31:48. I'll shoot for 4 today, but could accept 3-3.5, because tomorrow I will go for 4.5-5. Short runs on Thursday and Friday and a long one on Sunday (5) should be a good week.

I must admit I'm struggling a little to find a good route for my outdoor runs. I need to pick up a Garmin or Timex w/GPS. Basically now when I run outside I go for time and attempt to maintain my 8min./mile pace. I hope I'm not getting shortchanged on my distances. Last Wednesday I was out for 41 minutes and ran for 37 of those, so I'm assuming in the 41 minutes I went at least 4.5 miles, hopefully when I am able to clock off that run I won't be dissapointed.

In other shoes I own the ugliest running shoes known to man. You might not think they look that bad in a picture, but when worn with navy blue shorts or something that doesn't match it only enhacnes the ugly...They are anything but neutral in appearance.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - Ryan

Day 2 of RNR Mardi Gras Marathon training called for the same workout as yesterday, an Easy Run: 7 miles @ 7:07/min pace. Looking at the SmartCoach training schedule from Runner's World, each week contains 3 Easy Runs (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday), 1 Speedwork / Tempo (Wednesday) and one Long Run (Saturday). I did the same route today due to it's convenience, but I'll be hitting Spillway Road tomorrow for my Tempo. There were no Garmin or gum issues today, so the run was pretty smooth.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 2

I'm taking recovery / rest days much more seriously this time around. I really didn't recover that well when training for 2009 Chicago. This time, I'm putting more focus into resting not only on off days, but trying to recover better on the days I run (i.e. cold bath after each run, eating correctly after each run, etc.). I'm hoping this will not only make me recover faster / stronger, but also enable me to train harder.

The auction for my shoes on eBay ends today so hopefully I'll be able to pick them up for under $50 including shipping (brand new they are $100).

Monday, November 9th, 2009 – Ryan

Today starts my training for the Rock n' Roll New Orleans Marathon. I found a 16-week training program on Runner's World similar to the one I used for the 2009 Chicago Marathon. It’s quite easy to use, just input a previous race time, how many miles you want to train per week, and an “intensity level” and it spits out a program. For 2009 Chicago, I set the training program to “hard” intensity, but for New Orleans I’m setting it on “moderate”. The first week isn’t too bad, 41 total miles. Looks like the most difficult week is 59 miles, which is close to the most I ran during Chicago training.

The program is split into easy runs, speedwork / tempo runs, and long runs. My program has me running 5 days a week whereas Leanna’s has her running 4 days a week. Today was 7 miles @ 7:07/min pace for me. However, we had several malfunctions that were almost catastrophic. First of all, I accidentally spit my gum out. For those of you that know me, I can't run without gum. Running without gum is my kryptonite. With about 2 miles to go I lost said gum during a routine exhale. Then, the Garmin beeps twice, letting me know the battery was low. I had to hustle home because I didn't want my workout to be lost if the battery died. Needless to say I made it.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 1

My First Week

I will start this off by saying, "I am not a runner". Not today at least. But I hope to become one over the course of the next year. The farthest that I have ever run was an 8K in downtown Chicago call the Shamrock Shuffle. Good time, barely trained...thus barely survived. My goals for the next year are obviously lofty ones, but I hope with the help and support of Garett and John (Hendy) we can all reach those goals.

As for my first week, I went for 2 runs. Both seems to be very eventful (probably more than planned).

Run #1 about 1.5 miles: last Tuesday night I decided to lace up the new shoes and take Bertolli (my dog) for a little jog. If any of you know my little bundle of joy that is my mutt, then you know how much energy he has...A LOT! I thought that it would be good for him to get out and get rid of some of that energy. Needless to say, most of the walk was spent stopping to "use the restroom" (not me, Bert) and stopping to smell, well EVERYTHING. I am going to continue to take Bert for the runs, I just hope he starts to get used to it. I did however make the beginner's mistake of NOT stretching after the run, and I paid the price for that for a couple of days.

Run #2 about 1.25 miles: Saturday night the entire family went out for a jog around our neighborhood. My wife, Emily, took Bertolli this time, I think she likes yelling at him more than I do. As for myself, I pushed the jogging stroller (which took me much longer than I care to admit to put together) with Miss Addison in it. I have to set this up a little bit. The stroller's front wheel swivels for easier turning and what not, so that is the position that I had it in when we started. At the beginning of the run, SOMEHOW, the wheel locked into place and then all together locked up. DISASTER! AC was fine, but the handle bars caught me straight in the stomach, which is not all together that small of a region these days. It caught me off guard and did not feel good. After a minute or so of constant cussing, to which my wife called me white trash, I gathered myself together and finished the run. This time however I did stretch afterwards and have felt great ever since. I have realized quickly that this is going to be a longer journey than I expected, which was crazy long to begin with. But I look forward to the journey and keeping you peeps posted along the way.

Sunday, November 11, 2009 - Ryan

It's another rest day for me. I had my last run before Leanna and I start training for the Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans. I did a good 15-miler Saturday morning.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Run #13

I wish there were a few more routes to run around here, but running from the house and on the trail is definitely the most convenient, plus there's usually Team in Training or Fleet Feet water to "borrow".

After the run, I tried an ice bath for recovery and I must say, as painful as they are, they definitely work. My legs feel fine this morning, which is not normal after running 15 miles the day before.

I think it's time for a new pair of Lunar Trainers, so I'm looking on eBay for those. If you're lucky, you can find running shoes up to 50% off on the internet, so definitely look around before buying in the store.

According to my RnR NOLA training program, I've got 7 miles @ 7:07 pace tomorrow.

Saturday's RUn

So many mistakes made before my run on Saturday.

1.Ate a big Mac, fries, and washed it down with a root beer an hour before run. I should preface how stupid this was by saying that I have not had a fast food hamburger in almost 14 months (aside from an eating competition). I hate fast food, but when dealt with no other options I always go with a grilled chicken. So on an inactive day this would have been a decision to regret, much less one in which I plan on running

2.Did not scout my route very well before the run. I was in Fairhope for the weekend and noticed during the day a sidewalk that started about 800 yards before my Sister's neighborhood and seemed like it had the stuff to get me down my run. The 800 yards of having to run in the road would be a small setback compared to the beautiful weather and scenery.

Wrong, I failed to notice how narrow the road was, leaving my only option to run in the ditch next to the road (un-mowed grass made it increasingly difficult to determine whether or not my next step would be; on an ant hill, in a hole, or on a snake). The time on the sidewalk was euphoric but short lived. My dream sidewalk ran out after about 1 mile and I was returned to ditch running in an attempt to keep from being run over. Also, what is the need to honk at someone (not the polite tap, but the fear of God inspiring lay on the horn) who you don't know and who is very clearly not a threat or disturbance to your driving? I often thought of how likely it is that many of my friends (namely boo boo) probably practice this same art of driver to runner communication.

Otherwise, a successful trip. I haven't purchased a garmin but clocked off my run at 4.4 miles.

Good day

Friday, November 6, 2009 - Ryan

Decided to sleep in yesterday morning, so I got in an 8 miles at lunch.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Run #12

I did an easier run on Wednesday, so I decided to pick up the pace a little on this one. The run went great until I got back to the office and discovered someone had stolen my t-shirt. Luckily, I had an extra shirt in my gym bag.

Today is a rest day. I usually try to run 5 days a week and take Friday and Sunday off. This schedule seems to work well for me, but some people prefer to run 4 days. It took me a while to realize that my body needed rest days, but once I started training for 2009 Chicago, I quickly found out that constant days of running does a number on your legs. Rest and recovery are critical to successful, injury-free training. I had always thought I could push through the pain signals my body was sending me, and I probably could've, but I didn't have to. Training programs, when followed correctly, are quite accurate, and they call for multiple rest days.

I'm thinking an easy 12 miles or so tomorrow and then Leanna and I start training for the Mardi Gras Marathon on February 28th together.

Thursday, November 5, 2009 - Ryan

Looks like we might have a fourth joining us in the Windy City for 10/10/10. Nathan Best is a high school friend of mine and a friend of Garett's since elementary. We'll let him introduce himself.

Here's my workout from yesterday morning.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Run #11

Easy 7 miles (out and back) from the house. Morning is definitely the best time to run; nice and quiet and cool temperatures. However, waking up at 6:00am on a consistent basis is miserable. That's why I like to incorporate a lunch time run a few days during the week. Lunch time running mixes things up, and makes the day go by faster. I officially start training for my next marathon on Monday so I'm taking it pretty easy this week. I'm running the Mardi Gras Marathon (Feb. 28) with my girlfriend in order to get her qualified for the Boston Marathon. She's a much more experienced runner than me, so hopefully with her experience and me pacing her we'll be able to get her qualified.

Sounds like a good run Gary Boy. As much as you love a TV and the random conversation of the person next to you on the treadmill, keep running outside.

Introduction-Garett

Here we go. I guess I would describe myself as an occasional runner. Longest distance to date 8 miles (run almost 2 years ago), while training for a half marathon that I never ran (to go along with a triathlon I trained for and never ran).
So I would say that my biggest problem would be sticking with the training long enough to get to a race. In the coming months I will be leaning heavily on the support of Taxi and Hendy to make it to the finish line on 10/10/10. It might truly require a team effort to keep me motivated for almost a year.

Great run yesterday. Decided I wasn't going on a specific route or running for a set distance or time, would just try and keep my 8 min/mile pace as long as I could. Things started out beautifully. 77 degrees, sun shining, ipod thumping, in my own world...until I started to hear voices. Female voices. I realized a couple of young ladies were closing in on me. I might not be fast and I'm by no means a chauvinist, but I am competitive. So, being taken over by a couple of what sounded like sorority girls out for a brisk started to bother me. I tried to justify that the only way the caught me was that they were probably only running 1 mile, surely they weren't putting out my kind of distance at this pace.

Subconsciously I must have picked up my pace by a fraction, because they didn't pass me, and took a while to get even with me. But I never expected what came next. What I thought was a couple of Chi O's out for a jog turned out to be some type of cross country team. Before I knew it I was completely surrounded: Two in front, one on the right, two on the left, and what sounded like a couple on my six.

I couldn't break pace and let them go, they weren't going fast enough to pass me, and I wasn't going to make the obvious break out and kick it up a gear. So I ran with them. I can't imagine how this looked to cars and pedestrians passing by. Seven, might have been, high school girls running around one late twenties male. I envision they looked like some sort of Charlie's Angels secret service keeping my fans and admirers at bay. When realistically I probably looked like some perv trying to keep up with some high school girls.

It was a nice change of pace and lasted about 5 minutes before they went left and I went right. But I hope not all my runs are like this, I might begin to get a reputation.

Introductions - Ryan

I swore up and down I'd never run a marathon. What joy could someone possibly get out of running 26.2 miles as fast as you can? I'd been running for about a year when a friend said he could get me into the Chicago Marathon for free (Run for Autism charity runner), so I thought I'd give it a try. I'd done a few half marathons and thought those were absolutely miserable, so I really couldn't imagine this being any fun at all. The marathon training program I chose for the 2009 Chicago Marathon was miserable in the Mississippi summer heat. Needless to say, I did my training, ran the race, and now I'm going back in 2010. Not only is the race experience unbelievable, but the feeling of satisfaction you get from completing a marathon is like none other.

That brings me to the other two participants on the blog, Garett and Taxi. I'll let them introduce themselves.

We'll chronicle our different training programs for the race, me in Madison, MS, Garett in Starkville, MS, and Taxi in Chicago. Hopefully you'll get some enjoyment out of it.