Running Group

I've never been part of a regular running group. Whether it's because of where I live, my work schedule, or just not having early-morning motivation, a weekly appointment has just not been my thing.

That's about to change.

I attended a 7:30 group run back on Saturday, put on by the Athens Road Runners. Having relocated nearly two weeks ago, and being a serious introvert, I'm eager to meet people and find things to do. I love the running friends I met in Tuscaloosa, but Athens has a much more vibrant running community-- as evidenced by the 20 or so runners who showed up in late July for a Saturday six-miler. In Tuscaloosa, I made Wednesday afternoon trails for a while, but work didn't always allow it, and when my job changed, it became impossible. That was the only group run on the schedule, Wednesday was the only time to run with others. I remember being the only guy to show up at the running store (the one I would later work at) dressed out for a 5:30 run on an August Wednesday. They looked at me funny. But I looked on the web and saw it on the schedule, so I showed up.

Not so with ARR. This group has about 220 members, and features daily group runs. If it's on the schedule, it sounds like it's gonna happen. Some in the morning, some in the evening. I'm more interested in early-morning runs so as to get it done and get on with the day, so Saturdays seem like the play for now.

It was a good run-- the people I ran with were welcoming, and seem to be really nice. And no downtown traffic. Yet. This is a college town, and that will change. There was even coffee and a delicious apple/oatmeal bar at the end of the run. Yum.

I feel this will help me socially, as well as making me accountable to others, plus getting me ready for October, which could well feature a half and full marathon back to back.

The Lads

I’ve mentioned once or twice that I worked at a retail running store for nearly two years. I obviously had the least seniority when I started (not like it meant anything), and I was the senior man when I left. However, if you include plant life, I was only second on the totem pole.

Meet Bernard (left) and Meb.

These two dudes, named after Bernard Lagat and Meb Keflezighi, were originally one peace lily plant (Bernard is the original, Meb is an offshoot) that held down a spot near the front of the store. It was a sort of housewarming gift from the folks who ran the outdoor mall. Kind of a 'welcome to the neighborhood' sort of thing.

Anyhow, it made its way through the first couple of years until I showed up, by which time it seemed to need a little help. We’re runners (most of us) not horticulturists, so we water the plant about once a week, but it doesn’t seem to improve. Turns out the plant was getting too big for its pot, was getting watered too much, and had no drainage.

I was the only one with any sort of attachment, so I took Bernard (I had named him by this point) home for a week or so of camp. We repotted him, gave him some new soil, and a spot next to a window where some Alabama sun could get in but not beat down on him. I don’t have any ‘before’ pictures, but a week made a difference and we took him back to the store.

It was about this time that there was a gnat outbreak at the store, and Bernard got the blame, freeing me to take home and keep the senior-most employee. We then took our hero and separated him (Meb was born) and put the second plant into a new pot. There was still much trimming of old/dead leaves and stems, and Meb seemed to respond more quickly than Bernard. Ironic, since Meb is a marathoner and Bernard is a 1500 meter guy. I am pleased to report, though, that both peace lilies seem to be healthy and growing. They even seem to be back to normal, following our relocation to Georgia.

It’s pretty corny, I know, but I’ve grown attached to these guys and am glad we were able to rescue them. It’s been a treat to watch their rehab go so well.

Neutrality

I've added two new pairs of shoes to the family here in the last six weeks or so. They are neutral shoes, so I'm getting away from stability shoes since my weight has crept down (and has ticked down again here recently).

A little while back, I paid a Saturday afternoon visit to my old stomping grounds and said hello to some friends, and also came home with these guys:

They're the old Mizuno Wave Rider 14s. These shoes didn't sell too well two years ago. They were on the sale rack when I used to work there, and I bought them off the same rack for 60 bucks. They're up to about 50 miles now, and I use them on Saturday long runs. I have two pairs of shoes that are over 450 miles, so these are welcome additions. They help me stretch the lives of my other running shoes as well. I haven't had any problems with switching away from stability.

Then a week and a half ago, I found these guys:

My new Saucony Ride 3. These are three-year-old shoes, bought for 30 dollars when the First Lady and I were looking at shoes for her one evening. I couldn't say no to an opportunity like that. I even treated myself to a new three pack of socks and still got in at around $40.

I've taken these out for two spins-- a tempo 7 last week, and half-mile repeats (7 miles) yesterday, and I'm already a big fan. I haven't felt anything this soft on my feet in a long time-- it's like I'm wearing two pillows.

So the neutral shoes have been incredible.

The weekly mileage has been around 30 for the last month or so. Pretty nice, considering we've hit the hot and humid season here in Alabama. I've done a good job of getting out the door by 7 am to get a run in. It gets pretty sticky even at that hour, but we're getting the job done. Saturdays are a challenge because I like whiskey so much, so we've gone to the gym for Saturday long runs. I'm even off from work this week, and my body is conditioned to wake up at 6 to get going, so things are going well.

Mileage

I banged out ten treadmill miles back on Saturday morning. Ten boring miles at the fitness center, with nothing but the speed and incline buttons to amuse me. When I was preparing for the Eisenhower half-marathon several years ago, we were on holiday in Kansas City, and I ran 10 or 11 on the treadmill at the Crown Center and felt sore and tired the rest of the evening. Not this time. Ten on the treadmill does not compare to ten on the open road here in Tuscaloosa. I felt great the rest of the day. Weekly mileage: 29.

I also learned a few weeks ago that in 2012, I ran 994 miles. Pretty pissed off when I made this discovery. It was, by far, my best year of running, as mentioned. But leaving six miles out there is disappointing. On the other hand, it means there are still things to accomplish. I think right now I'm at 360 miles for 2013, so I'll miss the halfway pole, unless I want to to ramp up to 35-40 weekly miles from the mid-20s.

So keeping things in the mid-20 neighborhood for now is a good plan. But marathon training begins the end of this month. On the agenda is the Atlanta Marathon, October 27th. The wife and I are moving to Athens, Georgia next month, so it'll be a shorter trip into town.

Anyhow, the marathon training will really get the mileage up, and the miles will be difficult, since Athens is much hillier than my current stomping grounds. I think I'll make it to 1,000 miles easily enough.

Another PR

Ran my first race of 2013 this morning-- the Mayor's Cup 5K. It's a race that has grown in popularity in each of the seven years it's been run. Over 1500 folks toed the line for the 8 am start. Proceeds go towards the mayor's pre-K initiative, which is a special cause-- it gets kids learning and reading at an early age, and it encourages exercise in a region that needs all the fitness it can get.

Not to be forgotten is that we raced on April 27, a day that will live forever in our city's history. The F4 tornado that shredded our city two years ago on this day. For us, it's a memory similar to 9/11 and the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. I remember that day and those hours like it was yesterday-- the buildings I drove by that day that were gone by evening, the time we spent in she shelter on the UA campus, and the friends we spent time with that evening. Even the brief thought that these may be my last few moments on earth.

We also remembered the folks at Boston Marathon whose lives are changed forever. Terrible things happened to people who are runners and support a major running event. It still breaks my heart-- it was an attack on innocence-- an attack on the running community of which I am a member.

I'm a little spoiled in that I don't really 'prepare' for races at this point-- a three-mile race doesn't intimidate me. I was more focused on getting to the front of the corral, hitting splits, and hopefully putting a good number on the board. It was also good to see some of my running friends, many of whom I don't get to see much anymore now that my time at the running store is over.

Last year, I had a minor hamstring issue and was unsure how I'd do. It turned out to be a non-issue, though the tight course and other traffic didn't help. This year I managed to get closer to the front, so I didn't have to weave through as much traffic. I even ran past our Thursday night trivia bar.

My goal this time out was to set a PR, beating the 23:07 at last year's Holt 5K, likely the toughest course in town, where the third mile is a solid uphill climb. I thought I could do better on a flatter course, but you just never know on race day.

As always, it took about a half mile to get my pace dialed in-- 2:05 and 1:47 for the first quarters, before I got settled. The course was similar to last year, we just ran it in the opposite direction. We headed down Paul W. Bryant Drive, past the football stadium that also bears his name, and through the Walk of Champions. So yeah, football is a pretty big deal around here. Also present near the stadium were the Central High School cheerleaders, plus Big Al, the UA mascot, with whom I slapped a high five. I thought it was nice that they all (plus the Bryant High cheer squad) wanted to be there to support the running/fitness community.

After that first half mile, I really red-lined it, running faster here than I do for my weekly tempo sessions, so I did question my will a little bit, finding comfort in the solace of a short race, knowing it'd be over soon. At about mile 2.5, I even passed the mayor, who has been a bit of a rabbit for me in the last few years. He's a distance runner himself, and a good one, at that. This was also something to hang onto toward the end, knowing I reached another goal.

I turned the last corner at 21:30 with a PR pretty much in my pocket, and I even thought a 21-something a remote possibility, but I didn't have anything left to give, so that (new) goal will live another day. I had to be happy with a 22:14, a new 5K best by nearly a minute, and a 43rd place overall finish, which put me in the top 3% of a race where I'd felt good about a top 10% finish.

So I ran hard and well, and I found another example of what I am truly capable of.

Planning

Went out for a solid seven-miler this morning, in great weather conditions. Light wind and cloudy, with temps in the 60s. I went out about 10:30, after eating two slices of buttered toast and half a glass of water.

I'm pleased with the result-- my average heart rate was 149, average pace 9:11. I've been working on keeping my HR lower, and this is a positive step, attributable, in part, to taking a bottle of water out with me. I also ran past the spigot in the park where I can refill. 

I also want to give a big shout out to whomever put a 2x4 down at a particularly muddy crossing point near the train trestle I cross underneath. This spot is popular for photographers, so perhaps someone put it down for that reason. Anyhow, it stays muddy there long after the rain has left town, and I used to have to slow down to find a stable enough place to plant and cross. Having that board there is big time and allows me to keep my stride.

This brings the weekly total to 20. I missed a three-miler Friday morning, but no worries, since there is no real plan to work. I'm starting to think I need a maintenance plan to stay accountable to myself and be a little more practical about building mileage. 

Saturday

The weather is officially starting to change here in Alabama-- chilly mornings and mild days. Chamber of commerce-type stuff. This is the type of weather that gets none of the headlines, and it'll be what we can expect for the next six weeks or so.

So I ran a six in shirt sleeves and shorts for the first time this season, and it felt great. I ran a chilly four-miler Friday morning in a Nike reflective vest and arm warmers, and needed it all. Today, I didn't.

I also tried to keep my heart rate below 150, and it worked for the first three miles or so. I have a hard time keeping the effort even once I climb a hill or two, so when effort has to increase, the heart rate typically stays there. This time I throttled back on the pace (my average pace was 9:16, but it's a long run and pace doesn't matter as much), but the HR stayed in the low 150s. I was pretty thirsty for the last little bit, so I'll try to change that for the next time.

That made 10 miles for the week. My right calf has felt fine, so I may hit 20 or so next week. Weight is the thing I'm chasing right now-- I was at about 157 when I ran the half in Huntsville, and I'm closer to 165 these days. Still healthy by many standards, but I'd like to get rid of these 7-8 pounds.