The Murray Half Marathon

It's been 2 years since I ran my last half marathon so I was extremely excited as our local race approached. It would be my fourth half.

I had not trained as rigorously as I needed to as this race approached. Yet, I had done a respectable 11 mile run two weeks ago and a 12.27 mile run three weeks ago. I felt nervous but ready to conquer today's course.

We all gathered at the Start Line at 6:45 AM. I spoke with a few friends and wished them well as I gathered with the folks around the 2:30 pace runner. I suspected that I would finish closer to 2:15 but I wanted to intentionally start out slow, settle into the race and save my energy for the whole course. (I've never finished a half without walking. I wanted to change that on this run.) After someone sang a beautiful rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner," we waited for the race to begin.

The weather was nice for the race. It was sunny and 50* when the race started. It climbed to 64* by the time I finished.

I think it was a horn that blew and we took off. The race had started!

As I look back over my initial paces, I can see that I started

faster than I needed to. (Unfortunately, I tracked my mileage on my phone and never took a look at it during the race.) Mile 1 was 9'48", mile 2 was 9'34" and mile 3 was 9'18." I find this hard to believe because I was intentionally trying to keep it slow. I certainly didn't think that I was getting faster so soon in the race.

Mile 3 was the fastest mile of the race. Mile 4 was 9'29" followed by mile splits that progressively got slower and slower until mile 10. I had to begin walking for very short periods at about the 3.5 mile mark (I also noticed that my HR hit its peak at that point - 191bpm!). So, the simple explanation for the excess walking I did in the race appears to be due to the fact I exerted more energy than I should have at the outset. I started too quickly.

My peak HR was around mile 3.5 - 191bpm!

The only other story as I struggled to reach the finish line was that I got some much needed water at the mile 10 mark a block away from my house. But, because one (or two) hydration stations weren't manned, we didn't get any more water for 2.37 miles. As the temps were heating up and we were approaching the end of the race, that was the absolute worst time to not get water. I'm sure that the race organizers will not let that happen again. Year after year, I'm impressed with how good of a job that they do.

I crossed the finish line absolutely exhausted. I gladly accepted a Finisher's medal, a cold water bottle and a banana. I found a grassy spot and dropped to the ground to consume water and carbs. I had finished, I was exhausted, but was so proud of the accomplishment.

Stats:

Chip time: 2:21:21

Race pace: 10'47"

Division place: 206 / 307

Gender place: 99 / 124

Age place: 9 / 9

Mile splits:

1 - 9:48

2 - 9:34

3 - 9:18

4 - 9:29

5 - 9:44

6 - 9:50

7 - 10:24

8 - 10:30

9 - 11:17

10 - 12:09

11 - 11:52

12 - 12:10

13 - 12:51

Already, I'm looking forward to next year's race. But, I'm also going to lose some unnecessary weight and focus on training better. I want to break that illusive 2 hour barrier!

Book Review: "The Race Before Us" by Bruce Matson

I recently downloaded the ChristianAudio app onto my smartphone and rediscovered some books I had purchased a few years ago. In the mix was a book that I had, for some unknown reason, never listened to. It was "The Race Before Us" by Bruce Matson.

I completed the book recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here's why...

It's about Christian apologetics.
Bruce Matson is a lawyer in Richmond, Virginia who simply went through the motions of religion. He attended church and tried to be a good person.

Yet, as he approached the age of 50, he was confronted with a problem. If he really believed what he was saying and hearing in church, then he needed to take it much more seriously. If he didn't believe it, then he should abandon it completely.

This book is about his intellectual journey as he began to discover if a belief in God was reasonable. Was God's existence something we should blindly believe or was there substantive evidence as Romans 1:19-20 tells us? And what about the Bible? How can we be sure that it is God's revealed Word to us? And what are the proofs of Jesus' literal existence and the resurrection from the dead? And why is faith needed if we can reasonably 'prove' so much that is part of the Christian faith?

Bruce Matson takes the reader on the journey with him as he methodically, like a lawyer, searched for what evidence there was for the major tenants of Christianity. For those who have studied in the area of Christian apologetics, the names of those who influenced Bruce on his journey will be quickly recognized: Ravi Zacharias, Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, R.C. Sproul, Chuck Colson, C.S. Lewis and others.

One of the final chapters includes his desire to see if atheists had sound arguments against Christianity in particular. What are their arguments and could he refute them? So, after reading the book he interacts with some of the arguments in "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. As only a lawyer could do, he methodically picks apart some of the major components of the book and shows emphatically that the arguments made by Richard Dawkins would never hold up in court.

It's about running.
Bruce was approaching 50 when it hit him that he was horribly overweight (260 lbs) with some complicating medical issues. He realized that if he was to make the most of his 50s before old age began to really set in, he needed to get fit.

This book recounts (concurrently with his faith journey) his journey to physical fitness. He takes the reader on his first training runs with all of his frustrations and questions. As he progresses, he takes his readers on some races as he describes in great detail his experiences in the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

It appears that Bruce did not have a co-writer so I have to assume that he has an incredible way with words. As he described the sights and sounds of his first 12 mile run to work early one morning and then as he describes his experience of the Boston Marathon, you can't help but think that you are there, running right alongside him.

This book can also be used as a running primer because Bruce includes the lessons he learned about running as his experience progressed. By the time you finish the book, you feel like you have learned quite a bit about the sport. If you aren't a runner, you may find that by the time you finish this book you'll want to go looking for some running shoes.

It was well written.
Bruce is an attorney. Digging into the technicality of Christian apologetics would have given him ample opportunity to write in such a way that he would lose his readers in the details and jargon. Yet, while there are certainly some technical moments in this book, it has the feel of a journal. It comes across as the logical, heart-felt reflections of a man on a journey.

As I mentioned earlier, his writing style also is so enjoyable that you feel like you can 'see' and experience what he's describing. I would love to think that I will run in Boston one day and Bruce has given me a good idea of what the race feels and looks like. To some extent, I feel like I've already run it after reading the book.

It was well read.
I'm not an auditory learner. I'm a visual learner. Yet, the narrator for this particular book (Lloyd James) did a masterful job and made it easy for me to stay engaged. The quality of his voice, his inflections, and so much more made listening a pleasurable experience.

In fact, I usually find it difficult to listen to an audiobook while I'm running. With traffic to watch, potholes to avoid, heavy breathing and so much more, I often find that I can easily disengage from an audiobook. Yet, I went out for an 84 minute run last week and was able to enjoy listening to this book for the entirety of my run.

Conclusion
So, I would highly recommend this book, particularly to those who wonder if the Christian faith is reasonable. That is this book's strongest aspect. The chapters about running simply illustrate the points he makes about his search for truth.

Yet, for those who need to get physically fit or for those who are runners (or want to be), this will be an enjoyable journey.

My running/race goal for this year...

Go Commando Half Marathon
Race Route / Clarksville, TN

My sites are locked on Clarksville,

Tennessee on October 17, 2015! That's the location and day that I want to beat the 2 hour mark for a half marathon!


I've run in 3 half marathons so far. For various reasons, I approached each of those three races not fully prepared to run it. Either injury, or busyness or my inability to lose weight kept me from crossing the finish line in less than 2 hours (ave. pace 9'08" or faster).


Well, my only race goal this year is to beat that time in Clarksville. I'm presently doing well on weight loss (down to 204.6lbs this morning). I'm currently running slowly (aerobically) to lose weight and build my base before I begin a 16 week training plan on June 30th. I'm also doing body-weight upper-body exercises to trim my core and get it fit.


This is my aim. It could all come crashing down if it's pouring rain on race day or if I get an injury within weeks of the race (it has happened before). But, if circumstances cooperate and I'm able to adjust to whatever comes my way, I plan to be trimmer, fitter and faster on October 17th so I can experience the exhilaration of setting a PR (personal record) of a sub-2 hour half marathon in the city in which I was born.


I ran this race two years ago in October 2013 and blogged about it. You can read about my experience by clicking here.

The Power of an Encouraging Word

I came to realize just how powerful an encouraging word is when I started running.

I usually hit the pavement about 3-5 times a week and put in training runs. Just me and the road ... with my phone and running app that logs my miles.

Periodically, I've tried to push it and do some sprints. I've also tried to see how quickly I can run a mile or even a 5K (3.1 miles) during my training runs.

Yet, when the discomfort of the run begins to set in, my brain begins to yell at my body to slow down. To keep from slowing down, I have to engage in some mental warfare. I force my mind to tell my mind (confusing, huh?) that I'm not stopping. Running isn't simply a physical sport. There is a huge mental aspect to it.

On the other hand, I've enjoyed running in quite a few races. That is an entirely different story. My best times have occurred in races.

In fact, it's generally understood that you can take a minute or more off of your average training pace when you run in a race. So, if I was training at a 10 minute per mile pace for 3 miles, I would probably run a 5K race (3.1 miles) at a 9 minute pace. Races are almost always faster than training paces.

Do you know how that's possible? There's still the mental warfare that takes place in training runs. But, during races, there's one more huge motivator: the crowds!!!

Something happens when there are men and women, boys and girls along the race route who are watching your progress and cheering you on. Their encouragement enables the runners to push themselves harder than they were able to push themselves when they were training by themselves. The people along the race routes and their encouraging cheers are priceless to runners. We listen to those words and feast on them as we continue on in the race.

Encouraging words are powerful. You and I have the ability to cheer others on as they go about their days. We have the ability to help them perform much better than they would on their own ... simply by generously giving words of encouragement.

Do you encourage others? It would seem that our narcissistic society, where folks spend more time thinking of themselves than others, causes us to rarely ever give words of encouragement. We have the power to cheer others on to better achievements and yet we fail to do so for fear that they would get the limelight as we sit in the shadows.

Realize that you have the ability to spur others on to greater achievements. Realize that you may be the one that God could use to encourage someone who He could use greatly.

In fact, what would it be like if our churches were filled with a community of men, women, boys and girls who lavished words of encouragement upon each other?! I'd love to find out!

Let me suggest an assignment for you: For the next 24 hours, try to find something encouraging to say to everyone (or virtually everyone) you meet. See how it changes them ... and you!

Ephesians 4:29 (New Living Translation)
"Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

Run for Life 5K Race

To say that I hadn't trained well for this race would be an understatement. I've run once in the past week and that was a 4-miler in the Mile High City where I struggled to get enough oxygen in my lungs. I also made poor food choices on my trip to Denver. I've got enough grease in me to keep my insides slippery for a month! So, I intended to go out slow and just take it at a 9'00" pace or slower. 

I loved the fact that my registration fee would go to a great cause - a local ministry that helps women make the right choice in regard to their "unwanted" pregnancies and provides great care, resources and counseling for the men and women involved. The men and women who serve at Life House Pregnancy Center are the best!

My race bib # was 97! I love that number!
It's the year I married Kim!

I had the honor of offering up the prayer before the race began. After saying "Amen," I joined the runners in the middle of the pack as we prepared to begin. I wanted to start the race around folks who wouldn't go out too quickly.

My plan didn't work. The race began and I felt the urge to push it. I wasn't going 'all out' but I was running much faster than I had planned. The hills on the first mile quickly took their toll. I noticed that I was gradually slowing down (and had to take a couple of 3-5 second walking breaks).

It was an 'out and back' course so the hills were waiting on us again at the end of the race. I was so glad that this was only a 3.1 mile race (I checked with another runner and it seems that this course was slightly short - my gps watch measured 3.01 and his measured 3.04). Anyway, close enough.

The race route

Here are the stats:

Official finish time: 25:36
Average pace: 8'14"

Placed 20th out of 144 runners (click link for info)
Placed 13th out of 53 male runners
Placed 2nd out of 15 male runners age 40+

Reflections on my Murray Half Marathon Race

I approached this day much more relaxed than my previous two half marathons. I think it's just experience. I also think it has to do with the fact that I'm not trying to bust any records at this point. I'm still just enjoying the fact that I can compete in a 13.1 mile race and finish it in a respectable time.

I got about 5 1/2 hours sleep the night before the race. That was plenty. I woke up and downed a bagel and hydrated. In fact, I drank quite a bit of water the day before the race so I approached the beginning of the race properly hydrated.

There were about 12 adults and children from Westside Baptist that had gathered to run in one of the races that morning. From what I observed, each of them did incredibly well and had a fantastic time in their respective race.

There were 336 other half marathoners that began to gather near the Start Line at 6:50am. I began to get a little jittery. This was the moment I had been preparing for and anticipating for a few months. The race was about to begin. How would it play out? How would I do? Would I make wise choices on when to drink water and/or Gatorade at the water stops? (I didn't want to get waterlogged but also didn't want to get dehydrated which is easy to do on long runs.) Would I finally cross the Finish Line in less than 2 hours? All of those questions and more swirled through my mind.

There was no gun or horn (at least not that I heard) to begin the race. Yet, as all of our eyes were fixed on the runners up ahead near the Start Line, I noticed that the front of the pack began to move forward and then take off. The race had started!!! I slowly got into a jog and crossed the Start Line as I pushed the button on my watch to begin tracking my race.

The first few miles were remarkably easy. I kept my pace at a comfortable speed (I guessed around 9:45 a mile) and I was a little surprised at how effortless it was. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor but based upon my breathing, my body was ready for this race. 

Kim took this picture at mile 11.5

As I climbed the hill on Highway 641 and completed mile 4, I was beginning to feel a little winded. I expected this. My pace and breathing were still under control, though, so I maintained. However, I also started to feel like I needed to drop by one of the porta-potties (hey, runners talk about everything! lol). I stopped for a quick pitstop at mile 6 and only lost fractions of a minute.

Unfortunately, as I approached the halfway point, it began to hit me that I was running out of steam. I suspect that was due to: 1) mismanaging my hydration levels probably due to the heat and 2) not having enough long runs over 6 miles in my recent training.

As I approached the 7 1/2 mile mark, I found myself almost panicking. I was looking ahead and hoping/praying that there was a water stop. My mouth and lips were really getting dry. I wasn't feeling dizzy so I wasn't worried about any medical emergencies. I just knew that I was blowing my chance to finish in a sub-2 hour time. I suspected that my significant drop in energy was due to the fact that I wasn't getting enough liquid in my body to replace what I was losing in sweat.

I think I stopped to walk the first time as I was working on mile 8. My average pace had looked so good up to that point. But, I was watching my average pace slowly creep up the more I had to stop and walk. The hills on miles 8 and 9 weren't helping either!

For the remainder of the run, I stopped to walk quite a bit. I tried to walk a few seconds to no more than 30 seconds at a time. The crowds on the side of the road were growing and their cheers were really helping. I even smiled as I periodically recognized someone from Westside Baptist Church. Seeing my family and a group of church members around mile 11.5 was so refreshing. But, the frequent walking kept happening. Wwhen you've run out of gas ... well ... you've run out of gas.

I couldn't have been more pleased to see the Finish Line! I was toasted ... but when it was all said and done, I was still pleased with my overall time. Maybe I'll get a sub-2 hour finish time in my next half marathon.

Here are the numbers:

Time it took me to complete the race - 2:12.09 (2 hours, 12 minutes, 9 seconds)

My personal gps map created during the race.
Green signifies faster speeds.
Dark red shows where I walked.

Paces per mile:

Mile 1 - 9:17

Mile 2 - 9:31

Mile 3 - 9:34

Mile 4 - 9:12

Mile 5 - 9:05

Mile 6 - 9:50

Mile 7 - 9:39

Mile 8 - 10:10

Mile 9 - 10:30

Mile 10 - 10:47

Mile 11 - 11:09

Mile 12 - 10:43

Mile 13 - 11:23

Last .1 mile - 9'34"

337 = total half marathoners

162nd place = my ranking among all racers (161 runners in front of me; 175 behind me)

136 = total male runners

92th place = my ranking among male runners (91 male runners in front; 44 behind me)

20 = total male runners 40-44 years of age

13th place = my ranking among these runners (12 in front; 7 behind me)

Today's 10 mile training run

Today's 10 mile run

I'm excited about how my running habit is progressing! I was averaging about 30-40 miles a week of running before we moved to Murray, Kentucky last summer. When we arrived, the overwhelming task of getting to know, love and lead the people in my new ministry assignment along with my wife's major health concerns overwhelmed me and running was placed on the back burner.

The very habit of running that I had developed to help me deal with stress was getting squeezed out of my schedule when I needed it most!

So, now with Kim's health concerns in our rear view mirror (prayerfully!) and with the slippery roads of winter behind us (hopefully!), I'm getting back into running. I put in 21 miles this week as I continue to rebuild my weekly mileage.

As I continue to prepare for the Murray Half Marathon on April 12th (only 20 days away), I went out on a 10 mile run today. One of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I ran was: "I can't believe I'm able to do this! Only 3-4 years ago, I could barely run a city block or two without getting so winded that I had to stop and walk." I privately had wondered if I would EVER be able to run ... if there was something wrong with me."

Yet, I was running a 10 mile run in a respectable time. Here's a brief review of how today's run played out:

I hydrated this morning by drinking a cup of coffee, 24 oz of watered down Gatorade and some water. I stopped by a store to grab another Gatorade for post-run and a bag of gummy bears to put in my pocket for the run. 

As I approached 7am when I would begin the run with Jamie Mantooth, I just didn't feel like I was as mentally prepared as I would have desired. I didn't have a passion to tackle the 10 miles today. It just felt like a day that I would go out and do what I had to do ... hoping my body wouldn't give out.

For the first 3 miles, I found that my eyes kept looking at my watch to keep tabs on my heart rate. I wanted to keep it sub-170. Yet, I think I was stressing myself out. I wasn't enjoying the run. 

So, at the conclusion of mile 3, I changed my watch display to show 'distance traveled' and the 'clock.' I kept it that way for the next 7 miles. Doing so allowed me to simply get into the run and do it according to 'feel.' I noticed post-run that when I stopped stressing over my watch, my pace picked up significantly and my heart rate elevated only slightly.

Somewhere around the conclusion of mile 7 or 8, I was feeling really tired! Yet, as I turned north onto 641, I was able to run the downhill slope that leads up to the Walmart entrance with a reasonably strong northern breeze pushing me from behind.

Murray Half Marathon Route (April 12, 2014)

I fought through the last couple of miles. My body wanted to stop but my mind wouldn't let it. I noticed after my run that I was slowing on the last couple of miles but that's OK. I got it done.

Here are my paces per mile:
Mile 1  -  9:52   (168bpm)
Mile 2  -  10:05   (168bpm)
Mile 3  -  10:36   (166bpm)
Mile 4  -  9:46   (171bpm)
Mile 5  -  9:52   (172bpm)
Mile 6  -  10:09   (171bpm)
Mile 7  -  10:02   (173bpm)
Mile 8  -  9:44   (165bpm)
Mile 9  -  9:58   (173bpm)
Mile 10  -  10:17   (164bpm)
Last 1/4 mile  -  10'36"   (166bpm)

I'm looking forward to training for the next couple of weeks and then taper the week of the race. I don't think I will be able to beat my last half marathon time/pace (2:04:18 / 9'30") because my fitness isn't nearly what it should be. Yet, I hope to give it my all and try to come as close to a 2 hour finish time as possible.

Yesterday's snowy run

My running schedule called for a 3 mile run yesterday. About 4-5 inches of ice and snow had been dropped from the sky overnight and so I thought that running was out of the question.

Then, as I watched the snow continue to fall and saw that it would soon end, I got an idea. I realized that quite possibly this would be the last significant snow of the season ... and I had never run in snow before. So, I donned my HM chest strap, running watch, WARM running clothes and headed out the door.

The picture on the right was what the weather was like as I was about to begin my run.

As I headed down Doran Road (heading north), the snow was blinding. It was so cold and the snow kept hitting me in the eyes that I had to cover my face with my gloved hand in order to keep going. I even tried keeping my eyes closed for a few seconds at a time.

But, the couple of times that I thought of abandoning my run were chased out of my mind. I was going to conquer this run. Few would brave the elements and go for a run under such conditions and so I felt that if I could do this, it would provide me with a great sense of accomplishment.

It's not that I thought that I was better than anyone else. I just thought that if I was doing something that was so difficult and uncomfortable that most other folks would never try it, then I would be rewarded with the good feeling of accomplishment by finishing this run.

As I turned right onto Sycamore (near Murray High School), I headed east for a few hundred yards and then took the picture to the right.

The snow was continuing to fall but at least now, it wasn't hitting me in the face. I was also beginning to build up body heat so the cold temps were becoming more bearable.

In this picture, you can see that the road and sidewalk was completely covered. The problem wasn't simply that I couldn't determine whether or not I was on the sidewalk. The real problem was trudging through a few inches of snow (which created much more friction than running on smooth pavement!).

I also didn't realize that as I ran on the road at times, that ice had been packed differently by vehicle traffic. As I stepped onto the snow and settled down onto the uneven ice, my ankles twisted a few times. Slipping isn't the only hazard of running in wintery weather.

Running in the snow and ice provided more of a workout than I had realized. So, I had to stop and walk a few times during the run. You can tell when I walked on the picture to the right. The slower paces are in red.

Running in the ice and snow is definitely not something I would want to do more than a few times. Yet, I can say I did it and know that I accomplished a feat that definitely wasn't easy ... which makes it all the more rewarding.

Reflections on my Go Commando Half Marathon Race

I approached the Go Commando Half Marathon in Clarksville, Tennessee on Saturday,

My race bib

October 19, 2013 with primarily one objective in mind ... I wanted to enjoy it. 

I was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. I have tons of fond memories in this city! I remember attending Bible Baptist Church on Golf Club Lane and attending my first school years at their academy. I remember living on Edgehill Drive behind the Dairy Queen. I remember staying with my maternal grandparents two houses down from Bible Baptist Church and my paternal grandparents in the Cumberland Heights area. On and on I could go...
     

This half marathon race route took me down (or near) some of these streets and special locations. So, whether I did it in record time or not, I wanted to just take in the moment.
     

My training for the past few months has left much to be desired. With Kim's major surgery and recovery, I took on some added responsibilities. Running wasn't high enough on the priority list and it got scratched out of most days. (I only ran 3 miles last week and only 2 miles the week before. I should have been averaging around 25-35.)

Start time weather

705 half-marathoners lining up at the Start Line

I woke up race day morning at 4am after getting a little more than 5 hours of sleep. I drove the hour and a half to Clarksville and was relieved that parking wasn't hard to find. I tried to go "jacket-less" but the 50 degree weather was a bit cool. Once the race started, I knew I would elevate my body's temperature but standing around waiting for the race would be extremely uncomfortable so I grabbed my jacket.

I logged the weather details on my phone 6 minutes before the race started. Ordinarily, 53 degree weather is incredible racing weather. I've gone running with shorts and short sleeves in 40-something degree temps before and had an enjoyable run! Ten or so minutes into the run, I've heated up and the cool temps did a great job of keeping me from getting overheated.

Race route

However, look at the radar at the bottom of the picture I took on my phone. The rain to our NW was headed our way! It started to hit almost as soon as the race started. Fifty-three degree weather is incredible. Fifty three and raining is another story!

I lined up with Jamie Mantooth and Chad Beck, two running friends. When the gun fired, we took off. I was glad that Jamie didn't feel obligated to hang out with us slow guys. I wanted to see how well he could do in this race. I never saw him again until somewhere around mile marker 9. At that point, runners in front of us had already hit a turn-around point and were headed back. He was doing well coming up the hill but he told me afterward that his knee had radiated so much pain that he had to stop running around that point. I think he finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Incredible time for this VERY hilly race with a knee injury!

Picture taken by Chad's wife
around mile marker 2

Chad and I ran at a much slower pace. My right calf developed some severe pain two weeks before in a 5K race and I didn't want to push it and have to abandon this half marathon race. So, I took it slow and easy. Somewhere around mile marker 4 when we were running through Austin Peay University's campus, we were joined by another runner who stayed with us pretty much the rest of the race. We had a lot of great conversation.

My right calf seemed to tighten up within the first few miles of the race. I mentally massaged it as I ran (runners know how this works). Around miles 8 or 9, it started to give out on me. My body was feeling the effects of the lack of training and running at a slower pace than I usually run. I found myself fighting through every step trying to get to the Finish Line.

As we went over the Cunningham Bridge that spans the Cumberland River on the final mile, Chad told me that he had dedicated his final mile to the glory of God. As he said that, we had almost a breathtaking view of the river below and the beautiful landscape around us. I really needed that because my tank was running on fumes at that point. Within minutes, we both crossed the finish line.

Jamie Mantooth and me
after the Go Commando
Half Marathon Race

After crossing the Finish Line, Chad asked to borrow my phone because his phone had died during the race. I looked around and found a table to lay my jacket on while I took my phone/armband off. However, I didn't realize that the table belonged to the EMS personnel who were manning the first aid station nearby. As I neared the table, I heard one of them speak into their radio, "We may need some back-up." I looked over to realize that they were looking at me! Apparently, I was a little more pooped out than I realized! I decided that I wasn't going to use their table after all!

Afterwards, Katie Mantooth took a picture of Jamie and me before I headed to the car for the long trek back home. Believe it or not, I was much, much more tired that I looked!

But, be that as it may, I finished and got the finisher's medal ... and the memories to go along with it. I'll take a few days to rest and then plan my next challenge.

My Finisher's Medal!

Here are my race stats:
Finished 31 of 38 males (40-44)

Placed 297 of 342 male runners

Placed 544 of 705 overall

Finish time: 2:30:43

Average pace: 11:31/mile

Reflections on my Karing for Kids 5K Race

This race didn't turn out like I had planned. I didn't take time to do a warm-up mile before the race so my heart had to elevate much too quickly as I took off. I should have known better.

I started off at a 6:52/mile pace but the jolt to my heart rate and the hills slowed me down quickly. I finished the first mile in 7 minutes and 31 seconds. I finished the second mile in 8 minutes and 38 seconds. I ran another .48 miles before I had to stop and averaged an 8 minute 42 second mile for that stretch. 

I had not been getting in all of my training runs recently and so I hadn't rebuilt my mental strength and racing endurance. Somewhere around the 1.25 mile point and then again around the 1.75 point and the 2.25 point, I stopped to walk for 5-10 seconds. I just couldn't push through.

As I look back over my heart rate readings during the race, I was pushing the limits (like I always do). My 5K race heart rate usually gets up to around 185-192bpm and hangs there until I cross the finish line. My mind, as would be expected, tries to shut my body down because it doesn't like my heart beating that fast. Unfortunately, I listened in this race. I only stopped for very short intervals but ... I had to stop a few times. When my calf injury happened, my heart rate went to 196bpm!

I only had .62 miles before the end of the race when a searing pain in my right mid-calf developed. The word "developed" makes it sound like it came on slowly, though, and that would be incorrect. It wasn't gradual. It hit instantly. I tried to keep going but the pain was too intense and I slowed to a walk (actually, it was a hobble). I tried a couple of times to resume running but couldn't.

As I rounded the final turn and I saw the finish line and the crowd cheering for those nearing the finish line, I felt pretty embarrassed. I had experienced injuries while training before but never in a race. Mack Bucy, who finished the race in fourth place overall (pretty impressive!) came running to encourage me along to the finish line.

After finishing (with a time of 30:16 - my slowest time by far!), I went to the pavilion where Russ Shemberger massaged my calf and easily found the trouble spot. His massage felt pretty incredible (Molly Franklin took a picture of me on the massage table. lol). He also told me that I need another pair of shoes (I didn't realize that I've logged almost 500 running miles on these). I also need to do a little better at hydrating during the day.

Hopefully, this doesn't mess up my half marathon in two weeks. I planned to run it MUCH slower than this race but if my calf doesn't heal up, I'm not going to get into an endurance race. I've got some healing and choices to make in the next 13 days.

Reflections on my Lake Minneola Half Marathon Race

Moments from the Finish Line!

I've been looking forward to this race for a few months! I have run in five 5K races. Yet, ironically, while I celebrated how quickly I was able to reach the finish line only 3.1 miles from the starting line, I lamented how brief the race was. 5K races are finished almost as quickly as they start. While they have their own special niche in a runner's repertoire (I'll certainly continue to run them), I wanted something a little more substantial. I wanted to enter a race that would take longer to run than it took me to drive to the event.

Toward the end of last year, I was toying around with the idea of running a marathon. I'm so glad that a couple of my dailymile friends encouraged me to give the half marathon a try first. I'm glad I did! I finished this race in a respectable 2:04:18 for an average pace of 9:30/mile. I came in 171st place out of 445 half marathoners (official results here). In my gender/age group (40-44), I came in 16th place out of 26 (official results here). I'll take it, especially since I plan to set a PR in my second half marathon!

But back to my first sentence. I had been looking forward to this race for a few months. It was a strange feeling but I just didn't have that passion this morning at the start of the race. The race was enjoyable once it got going but I lacked that deep down desire to conquer the course like I've had in previous races. Here's how it played out:

I couldn't go to sleep last night as I mentally ran the race course in my mind. I was imagining myself starting at a slow and steady pace and making my way around the race course. Yet, I was also battling with a little anxiety. On training runs, I've run as far as 13.1 miles a couple of times (a few months ago). Yet, there have been times when I set out to have a long run and discovered that I didn't have it in me. I would abandon the training run after 4-5 miles and no one knew the difference. This race was different. Everyone who crossed the Start Line would either cross the Finish Line 13.1 miles away or they would get a DNF beside their name ("Did Not Finish!"). Who wants THAT beside their name?! Because of serious pain in my left Achilles tendon about a month ago, I had to drastically reduce my mileage. I questioned my fitness/endurance as I approached this race.

I finally dozed off just before midnight. My eyes opened around 3:15am and I drifted in and out of sleep until I finally got up at 4am. Great! Only 4 hours sleep before a 13.1 mile race!

After taking the hour drive to Clermont, Florida, I got out of the warm, dry car and stepped into cool temps (low 60s) and a drizzly rain. A lot of folks were getting a chill. The restroom lines were long!

I lined up with 444 other half marathon runners about 15 minutes before the 7am start time. However, due to the rain, the race officials didn't want to risk messing up their computers and other electronic gadgetry that would monitor our start and finish times.

The race finally got started at 7:30. We had been standing in the cool, drizzly rain for all that time . I wasn't surprised when the horn blew and the race started to see a lot of runners dart to the porta-potties about  a quarter mile into the race. I joined them. I lost about 2-3 minutes in that first mile. Fortunately, the rain didn't last and everyone was able to focus and settle into their race pace.

The first couple of miles were in a residential area and it was neat to be a part of a group that was 445 strong running a race down the streets. Neighbors were in their front yards or on the side streets watching and some applauded as we passed. I think that the tragedy in Boston this past week played into some of their sentiments.

After the first 2 miles, the route became fairly scenic. Part of it was on a wide, paved bike trail through the woods and the other was along the streets lining Lake Minneola. But, let me tell you that the beauty of that lake wasn't really capturing my attention in the race. The few times I glanced at the lake, I couldn't help but realize how far across it was ... and I was going to have to run around the thing! I quickly refocused upon the road ahead of me.

I had a game plan regarding two specific areas. First, I kept my watch on "heartrate." I had a chest monitor that enabled me to keep tabs on how hard my heart was working. I was concerned that if I let my heart rate get too high, I'd crash and burn before the end of the race. In 5Ks, I allow my heart rate to max out at around 189 and I simply hang on for 3.1 miles. However, I tried to keep my heart rate around 175-180 for this race. After the race, I noticed that my average was 176bpm.

Secondly, I planned on how I would navigate the water stops that were placed about every mile and a half along the route. I never drink water during a 5K race. But, because I was sweating like a pig in this race, I knew that  I had to fight against dehydration as this 2 hour race played out. So, as planned, I stopped to walk at ever water stop. I suspect I didn't lose too much time doing that. I only walked for about 15-20 seconds each time. That way, I could give my legs a break and keep from splashing the water all over my face. (Have you ever tried to drink while you're running?)

In the last 3-4 miles, I had to stop to walk more than I wanted. I was out of gas. But as I observed my heart rate on my watch, I made it a point to take off when it got down to 170bpm. On my next half marathon, I hope to be in better shape so I can run the whole thing.

The last 1/4 mile was rewarding. All of those who had finished the 5K and 12K races as well as those who had finished the half marathon were at the Finish Line to applaud everyone who crossed the line. It felt pretty cool. 

As I crossed the finish line, I had two conscious thoughts: 1) Mission accomplished! and 2) I'm headed to bed!