No Search Party Required

I finally made it through a Wednesday night run with TBR without getting lost. woot woot. Actually this was by far my best effort so far. Five weeks ago there was no way I could keep up with my groups low 7 minute pace. Tonight we clocked 6.33 miles in 46:06 (7:16 pace). I ran a 10K on Thanksgiving 4 minutes slower than our run tonight. I never lost my group either, which has been a problem of mine. I fell back about 50 feet near the end, but still managed a 7:04 pace for the last quarter mile.

The course for the Carrollwood run is extremely dark and one runner stepped in a pothole tonight and twisted and ankle. Not a fun site. For three weeks in a row, I tried to find my way through the suburban forest and failed. Tonight I succeeded and I am very happy with my success.

Subtle Changes

Earlier tonight I watched the live final episode of The Biggest Loser. The changes were dramatic, in fact one of the final three wound up weighing about the same as me. My wife was quick to point out that he has a six pack. I don't watch much TV, but I really enjoyed this show. It was amazing to see the transformation during the 3 months on the ranch. Each week, the participants made gains that may not have seemed significant, but in the end, the results were amazing.

I just finished uploading my run from today to motionbased and decided to take a look at a monthly report. Since I started using my Forerunner 201 in April, I've been able to keep an accurate log of my progress. My average pace for 101 miles in May was 9:16, and my average pace for 104 miles in October was 9:12. In November, since joining the Gasparilla Marathon training program, I've run 107 miles at 8:02 pace.

I had my doubts about running with a group before I started, because I've almost always run alone. I can see from my logs that on my own, I was logging miles but not really making progress to improve myself as a runner. When I look back at November I don't remember the point that I improved my pace by a minute per mile. Subtle changes over time add up to make dramatic differences. I'm very proud of my progress and I feel I will continue to get stronger. Tomorrow night we tackle the suburban wilderness of Carollwood at the TBR Wednesday run. Hopefully we won't get lost - again :( This Sunday, my group and I will be running the Brandon Half Marathon to practice running at race pace for the marathon. Davo feels our group could push to a 3:30 marathon. I doubted him a month ago, but we still have 88 days until the race.

Always in Search of Motivation

In my never-ending search for motivation, I stumbled across the Running Blog Family Directory the other day. It turns out that the group has more than 500 runners, that train and post in their blogs. When I started running again this spring, I found that I ran better when I kept track of my progress. My Forerunner 201, Motionbased.com, and this blog have served me well so far. When I joined the Gasparilla Marathon training program, I was worried about running with a group of people. However, I see how much I've improved in just over a month of training with the group.

At RBF, I found so many blogs from runners a lot like me. Sure, some are much better runners, but everyone is tracking progress, celebrating success, and fighting the urge to fail. Today I ran 5 miles at 7:40 pace, 5 weeks ago, I ran at 8:30 pace on a good day.

I was reading a post by Dallen from RBF entitled "Here They Are: 26.2 Reasons Why I Run", and noticed something on his list that also came up in conversation with Davo during last weeks 12 mile run, (No. 21, I Can Eat All I Want). Everyone laughed when Davo said that last week, really lightened the mood and motivated me to push forward even though the doubter in me wanted to peek out.

New Shoes - Good Run

My Mizuno's started bothering my feet this weekend during the 12-mile run with the Blue Sharks, so I decided it was time to bring out a new pair of shoes. I didn't quite get 300 miles out of the Mizuno's, but they served me well while I had them. I switched to the 2004 version of the Asics GT-2100 this time around. In the past, I've had good luck with the GEL-1100's so I bought the 2100's when they were on sale a month or so ago. I also knabbed a pair of 1100's for $39 last week at Sports Authority. My comfort and health are most important when I buy new shoes, but I'm always looking for a good deal as well.

Today I ran the 5-mile loop at Lettuce Lake. When I left the gym, the sky was getting pretty dark and it felt quite muggy out. Fortunately the temps were down, probably low 70's I would guess. I felt very good today, running each of the 5 miles under 8 minutes/mi. I was worried yesterday that I might have some trouble today because my foot was bothering me. I feel some discomfort now that I'm back into some dress shoes, but my foot felt fine while I was running.

By the time I got back to my desk, I noticed that the rain was coming down. Looks like I timed my run just right today.

Post Turkey Day Run

This morning, I ran with the Blue Sharks again from the YMCA downtown through Davis Island. This week we ran the 11 mile loop, which was actually about 12 miles. Davo was back in town and shared some motivational thoughts along the way. I feel very lucky to be involved in the Gasparilla Marathon training program. Even 13 weeks from the marathon, I feel that I've improved immensely thanks to this program. When I finished the run this morning, I felt very good and ready to start my day.

Instead of running with the Blue Sharks next weekend, we will be running in the Brandon Half Marathon. The race is Sunday December 4th and starts at the Sports Authority at Lumsden & Providence Rd. The goal for the half is to run the event at marathon pace. I hope to finish at slightly better than 8 minute pace. Davo will help keep our group under control out of the gate, something we learned would not help us from the experience at the Turkey Trot.

I finished this week up with 30 miles, putting me over 100 miles for the month. Since September, I've average about 100 miles per month. Tomorrow I will rest well, and I plan to take off next Thursday and Friday as well. My body is beginning to feel the impact of the mileage, and I want to avoid unnecessary injury.

Turkey Trot

My training buddies and I decided to run the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot at Clearwater High School. Our decision came Wednesday before we took off for a 5 mile run with the Tampa Bay Runners.

This week at TBR, we did not have Dave to lead us through the course, and given my experience last week, I did not feel comfortable leading the way in the dark. Once again, we lost the course, and wound up running a modified 6 mile track. I understand there are supposed to me markings on the ground to lead the way, but I still haven't been able to locate then. The good news is that we are now a month into the training program and I was able to keep pace with my group, running about 7:25/mile for the six mile loop.

Thursday morning started out as a cool morning, but by the time the race started, it felt quite warm. Despite my best efforts to control my pace for the event, my group and I sprinted off the line to the tune of 6:40. That mile destroyed my plans to maintain a good steady pace. By the end of mile two, I felt terrible and slowed drastically. It took me about 3 miles to begin to feel better and by the end of the run I felt good again, ready to go further. I finished the race in 50:40. I was disappointed by my run, because I failed to follow my plan. This was not a race I planned to run, so I will take this as a learning experience. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of a race. I'm confident that I could have run much better if I had stuck with my planned 7:30 pace.

After the run, I enjoyed a nice day with my family. We cooked a non-traditional meal (ribs) and watched football. Unfortunately, the Bronco's made my wife's day and ruined mine. I'll bet that Billy Cundiff is on the Tuna's short list today. He's got no room for a kicker that misses a chip-shot and neither do I. 55 yarders are nice, but you've got to put the easy one's in.

No Sleep Run

We spent the night at the emergency room with our son last night. He was absolutely miserable with an ear infection and bronchitis. We also found out that the medication made him hyper. I managed to catch an hour of sleep or so before heading out to work today. My wife was not as lucky as me.

When I got to work, the weather was in the 60's with pretty strong winds. Since I did not run yesterday, I decided I really needed to run today regardless of my lack of sleep. I felt very good today. I think the drop in temperature made the biggest difference and I actually felt awake while I was running. I ran five miles today around Lettuce Lake Park at 7:40 pace. I never felt like I was running hard. Tomorrow night is the TBR group run. That is the run that I typically have problems with. The jump from 7:40 miles to 7:10 miles has zapped me for the past three weeks in a row. I'll just do my best and try not to get frustrated. I don't think that helps me keep pace.

My Gasparillia trainer David sent this quote out today:

"I know of no single factor that more greatly affects our ability to performthan the image we have of ourselves." -Tim Gallwey, from The Inner Game of Tennis

I look back at this week and I can see that I was getting down on myself. I didn't like the way I was feeling when I got home Wednesday night and even as I started to run on Thursday. However I had a nice run of 5 miles on Thursday. I understand that endurance will not come overnight and I resign myself not to get too down on myself. Afterall, I run because I enjoy running.

Tomorrow morning is the 8 mile run with the Blue Sharks. After the run, I'm off to Homestead for the final race of the NASCAR season, weather permitting. I'm excited about the trip. This will be my forth race of the season. Something tells me that I won't be attending as many next year, so I'll make sure to soak it all in this weekend.

Lost in the Dark

Tonight was a miserable run for me. I failed to keep up with my training group again, this time feeling lousy just two miles into our run. I fell far behind around mile 3 of 5 and somewhere between there and the turn home, I made a wrong turn. I found myself running aimlessly through Carrolwood, frustrated and upset. I've focused on my training, however the group I run with seems fresh when running low 7 minute miles but I do not.

After running several extra miles, I refereed to my Forerunner and used the navigation feature for the first time. I must say that although the feature is primitive, I did find my way back. Apparently there are marks on the road to guide runners, but I never saw them. It is extremely dark at 7pm these days.

My weeks have been up and down so far, usually the group run on Wednesday being my low point. I feel very comfortable on Saturday's but the quicker pace tonight really got me again. I'm not sure how to fix the problem, but I'm going to try. I really feel that I should be able to keep pace.

Stroll through the hood

My son and I went for a run this afternoon, through Tampa Heights and into downtown. The weather was very nice, but there was a slight breeze. On the way downtown, which is also slightly downhill, the wind was at our backs. When I turned around and headed home up the slight incline, I felt the load of the jogging stroller.

My first two miles were 8:43 and 8:39, which is pretty good for me with the stroller. Going back up the incline into the wind, my speed dropped to 8:58 and 9:00 for the 4 mile loop. When I run with my son, I don't normally try to run paces I shoot for alone, so I was happy with the run. My son had a good time too. He enjoys looking around while we run. Today he was pointing out a bridge to me. He's 15 months old, so I was impressed.

Tomorrow night is another workout with Tampa Bay Runners for the Gasparilla training program. It is also the night of the U2 concert in Tampa. As my wife reminded me, we could have gone to the concert, if we hadn't been in Las Vegas in March when the tickets went on sale. I'm sure U2 will be back again, and I had a great time in Las Vegas.

Consistent

I ran my usual 4 mile loop through Lettuce Lake park today, paying attention to my pace. I was quite happy to rattle off 3 miles of 7:50, 7:58, and 7:56. The pace felt extremely comfortable and I never felt as though I was struggling. During the last mile, I tried my best to sustain the pace. As I pulled up to the gym, I stopped the clock at the end of mile 4 (7:50).

After my run, I browsed through my Forerunner history and was surprised to see the changes in both pace and consistency in the last month. I attribute most of my improvements to the Gasparilla training program. On a side note, I also put down my audio book about a month ago. I doubt it has anything to do with my improvements, but I was getting a little burned out of the Dark Tower series. I'm about 8 hours into book IV and I'm sure I'll pick it up again soon.

Week 3 with the Sharks

This morning was the third long run with the Tampa Bay Sharks. The weather was very nice, and getting up for the 5:30 run was a little easier than previous weeks. We set out for a 6 mile run to the second water stop and back on the Davis Island path. The run turned out to be just about 8 miles, since we decided to run around the corner to the water stop from the 3 mile mark.

The pace was just under 8 minutes which was very comfortable for me. David continued to share words of wisdom and answered our questions along the way. I imagine that people pay good money for the kind of training we are getting from the Gasparilla group, especially David. I never thought this training experience would be as nice as it has been so far.

I also ran into a neighbor this morning at the run. Her group runs in Tampa Heights on weekdays at 4:30am. Just a bit early for me. She informed me that she just ran her first marathon in Chicago in 3:50. I was very impressed and I will keep her time in mind as I set my goals beyond finishing in February.

Virtual Partner

I ran with the virtual partner feature turned on today. This feature requires that you look at your forerunner while you run. Unfortunately I run with my forerunner on my upper arm for better reception through the thick trees in Lettuce Lake. Needless to say, I can't easily look at the device and run at the same time. I will not be using the virtual partner in the future.

My run did not feel very good today. I started out way too fast and zapped all of my energy, leaving nothing for the return trip to the office. My run with TBR last night really took a lot out of me. As I stated before, my short term goal is to gain the endurance to keep pace with my running group on Wednesday's. I'll keep working.

TBR Group

I ran with Tampa Bay Runners again last night. For the second week in a row, David pushed the pace and I struggled to keep up with my group. I held out for 4 miles, three of which we ran at better than 7:25. I lost the group in the final mile. My short term goal is to improve my stamina so I can keep up with the group for the entire 5 mile run.

Dave gave some good pointers about controller your breathing, basically fooling your body into thinking that you are more relaxed that you really are. I'm also going to work to improve my pace as I run by myself. I'm going to use the virtual partner feature on my forerunner today. This is a feature I've never used before, so I'll be sure to post my results.

After last nights run, I joined the TBR group for dinner and a beer. It was nice to talk to some of the members of the group. Everyone has been very helpful to our marathon training group.

8 Miles with the Sharks

Saturday I ran with the Blue Sharks again. We set off to run a 7 mile loop through Davis Island. The weather was mild and I had a decent nights sleep the night before. My hydration level was good, and I felt comfortable as we run the distance at 8 minute mile pace.

By the time we returned to the YMCA, my Forerunner registered just over 8 miles. This was a nice surprise. I felt good enough not to be concerned that we weren't back when 7 miles clipped by. For the third group run in a row, I ran with David, Manny, and Rick. It's nice to have a group of trainee's (Manny, Rick, and myself) that can run together for the most part.

I'll probably take the day off today, since it is a day off according to my schedule. Normally I run every Sunday, but I worked late last night and have a lot to do today. The first thing I'll be doing today is purchasing a frame for my diploma from the MBA program at Saint Leo University. My diploma arrived yesterday, and I cannot express the sense of accomplishment I have. The program included 2 years of intense coursework in addition to my roles at work and home. I believe I will have the same feeling of accomplishment when I cross the finish line at the Gasparilla Marathon.

TBR Wednesday Run

I made the trek up to Carrolwood for the Tampa Bay Runners Wednesday run this evening. The group has been meeting at Publix since 1982, according to the web site. Manny and Rick were back from the Saturday run. We again ran with David, this time running the 5 mile loop. David pretty much let the group set the pace, and Manny set a pace that was quite a bit faster than I normally run. In addition to the quick pace, this was my first evening run I can remember for a long time. I kept up with the group for the first four miles, but fell off the pace. I felt I ran strong even though I wasn't able to keep up with the sub 8 minute pace that last mile.


I finished the 5.35 mile loop in 41:53, definitely much faster than I normally run. I think running with the group will help me become a better runner, since I feel motivated to elevate my effort. My goal is to improve without pushing myself into an injury. So far, I feel good and have not pushed too hard.

This Saturday we will meet again for an 8 mile run. I expect the pace to be a bit slower than tonight, which will be good for me. My goal for the marathon is to finish and I understand that running sub 8 minute miles out of the gate will not get me to the tape. However, runs like tonight serve a purpose to improve speed, something I have not focused on.

So far, this experience has been enjoyable. The Tampa Bay Runners and YMCA Blue Sharks have gone above and beyond to help our group of first time marathoners out.