Gonna Fly Now

Howdy! I have not posted in a couple weeks. Running is going well. I've been motivated and a very happy runner. I am keeping my 20-25 mile a week goal. Have done 2 speed sessions per se and some strength training. Again, Savannah likes to help me with resistance.

My Route: We have a "favorite 5" mile route near my house but have not been able to use it because of construction. So, it forced us to do a route that is not always a favorite...the "backwards five" which includes about 2 ish miles of various hills. I know this route has helped me with my races, so I have done it about once a week in the past. Well, since construction ( all summer), this is my only 5 mile route available. I think it is good because the muscles are always working the hills. And when I want to do a 10 miler, I do it twice. I really like it now and feel the improvement. Soon, my body will say, what's next? This route will be awesome training for the US 10k classic in September. I am starting to itch to do another race, but I want to save money and do the races I really love. I know that I will PR on the US 10k classic, even though it is not an easy 10k.

The Joy of Running: I was at the Jason Mraz concert this past week. It was unbelievable and so joyful. He is the real deal and gives a great concert. As I was sitting there, I felt so much peacefulness and joy. I thought, I have felt this same feeling recently...when was that...oh yea, when I was running. So, even when you do not feel like getting out there or you think, hey, I'm not 100%, just remember the peacefulness and joy that you experience during a run or just after. It is wonderful and an unexpected gift that God gives you.

Runnin' Runnin' Run Runnin' Runnin'

Keeping the Mileage:

I am very excited. I feel like I have come up a level in my running experience. I have been running for a year and 3 months and have learned a lot. I really feel like a runner now. My legs are confident, and I am more in tune with my body and what it needs to maintain mileage.

My goal after the marathon was to maintain my mileage. Besides the two weeks of light mileage after the marathon, I have averaged about 20-25 miles a week. This is comfortable to me with a max at 30. It will keep me in half-marathon shape at all times and allow me to work on speed and increasing the consecutive running days. I have pretty much gone with every-other-day philosophy, but after this marathon I feel like my legs have moved to a new level and can handle more consecutive days of running. I plan to stick with one long run of 10-15 miles, a speed workout, and a tempo run, and two easy runs per week of 4-6 miles.

READING ABOUT RUNNING:

One thing that I wanted to improve this year was making time to read. I enjoy reading but have not made it a consistent habit since I graduated from college in 2001 (kinda was burnt out on the reading). I feel blessed to have running, and I am doubly blessed because it has brought about a passion for reading as well. I have read many training books this year and am now reading biographical running books. It's fun to have a purpose in reading.

I just finished Bart Yasso's book, My Life on the Run. It is wonderful, inspiring, and hilarious. I looked forward to reading it every night and highly recommend it. It just reminds me that life is what you make of it. Nothing if off-limits, and you can achieve your goals at any age.

I decided today to renew my subscription to Runner's World. My buddy Kim had given me the subscription for Christmas. I typically will devour the magazine in one night. Even though, the magazine is just a highlight to the awesome website and not too deep into running philosophy, it is helpful and a positive alternative to the news or gossip magazines. I have also gotten many quick exercise tips.

I have a subscription to Marathon and Beyond. Talk about about tales of running. This magazine highlights heroes of running (or crazy ultra-runners) who have gone way beyond the norm. It is very deep and written more in a journal style. I like it, but I do not plan to do an ultra any time soon....KIM P.

PEACHTREE 2009

PEACHTREE ROAD RACE 2009

It has been two weeks since I ran the Marathon. I feel awesome. I feel nothing like I did after the first marathon. I know my body is still recovering, but I certainly cannot "feel it." I got back from my trip and just a few days later ran the Peachtree Road Race. I was wondering how I would feel racing again so soon after a marathon. I have really taken it easy since the marathon.

The Peachtree is not an easy 10k, not the hardest, but not to be considered a fast course (ok, the first 3 are fast). The weather was perfect and this year because I registered with a qualifying time, I was given a Time group 2 number. It was cool because were were granted access to what seemed like our own little warm up area...ok, and 10,000 others. It had a nice stream of port-o-lets which all had toilet paper and a nice parking lot near the start to chill and do warm ups. Kim and I got there early and we had plenty of time to use the port-o-lets twice, a luxury! Close to 7:30, we headed up to the announcer and watched the elite runners jumping and getting in gear for their start. It was awesome. They all looked fast and were just pure muscle. After their start, we headed back to get in line with Time Group 2. The crowd, the excitement, the positive vibe. We all smelled good at that point. The weather could not have been better. At our start time 7:36, it was 70 degrees. This year, they had timing chips, for 55,000 people.... SOOO cool.

I did not set a time goal as I usually do because I did not have any idea of where my legs were or how it would be jukin' around other runners (last year, I acquired a number in time group 8 and there were lots of walkers). I knew that I felt good, but runners know this does not mean that after mile 2, your legs would start talking, "you just ran a marathon, what are you thinking." All the books warn, do not race after a marathon, relax, recover...I do not like this, but I am trying to be good so that I can run for a long time. I knew that I was good about 2 miles in. It just felt great, and I was able to breath deeply at a great pace. After mile 3, the hills kicked in. I did not have my usual power on the hills and thus my time slowed. I felt fine, but just could not kick it like usual. I was happy just to be running at a steady pace and not feeling muscle fatigue, aches or pains, etc. It was a fun run. I finished only a minute and a half over my best 10k time. So, that was great. I did not expect to have such a close time to my PR. Exciting. Now, I cannot wait to race again.

Publix was one of the sponsors and handed out water, coke, and Powerade along with other sponsors who handed out pretzels, granola, ice cream sandwiches. I was in heaven snacking on all this on our 2 mile walk back to Marta. Coke tastes the best after a good run. It is worth running to taste it at its best. Kim and I had fun. This was my second Peachtree, and I will do it again. Happy Birthday, USA!