Marathon Training: March 2010

Sunday, March 21, 2010

New PR Set for a 5K Race

The 2010 Bucks County 5K Series got off to a GREAT start today. It was a beautiful morning with blue sky, sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s. This was the 1st of 7 races that will be run between now and the first week of June. I ran this 5K just 1-week after finishing a Half-Marathon in Sarasota, FL last Sunday. And, I finished in 25:06 giving me a new PR of an 8:04 mile in a 5K race. I'm psyched!

Overall, I placed 193 out of 617 runners and I finished 11th in my age group (55-59). Just missed finishing in the 'Top 10' for my age group by 1 position. This gives me the motivation to finish in the Top 10 for my age group in at least a couple of the remaining six races in this series.

The next race in the series is the New Hope-Solebury "Spirit Run" on Sunday, April 11 - just 3 weeks away!

Happy trails everyone!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bucks County 5K Series

Tomorrow kicks off the 2010 Bucks County series of seven 5K races that are scheduled between March and June. Last year, I ran 2 of the 5K races ("Doylestown Red, White and Blue" and the "Chalfont Challenge"). This year, I am registered for all 7 of the races.

My current PR for a 5K is an 8:20 mile and I am hoping to achieve a new PR of an 8:00 mile this year. With all of the half-marathon training I recently completed, I feel strong and in good shape.

The weather forecast for tomorrow morning looks like it is going to be a great day for a run!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Complete - Sarasota Half-Marathon!

After many weeks of training, I am very happy to note that I completed the Sarasota Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 14 and I achieved my goal of finishing in less than 2 hours. Actually, I just 'squeaked' in under the 2-hour mark, finishing in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 23 seconds! Yes, I made my goal by just 37 seconds.

It was a beautiful day for a race and the course was very pleasant with many scenic views. The most challenging part of the race was crossing the John Ringling Causeway - I was very happy that I included hill repeats in my training!

This is a PR for me. And, I was very happy that I placed in the top 30% overall and the top 27% for my gender/age group (Male, 55-59).

I have a couple of 5K races coming up as part of the Bucks County Panera Bread 5K series and then my next big event is the 10-mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia on Sunday, May 2.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sarasota Half-Marathon on March 14, 2010

Fellow Runners - After a major disappointment of not being able to run the Myrtle Beach half-marathon in February due to a snow cancellation, I re-focused my efforts on the Sarasota, FL half-marathon on March 14. I have been training for approximately 17 weeks and I am ready. This is only my 2nd half-marathon and I am hoping to finish in under 2 hours to beat my previous time of 2 hours 2 minutes. Looking forward to a successful run!

2012 Races

5K: BCRR Cham-Pain (1/1/12) - 24:33
5.3 Mile: BCRR Predict Your TIme (1/8/12) - 42:30
8 Mile: BCRR Polar Bear (1/15/12) - 1:08:10 PR
4.6 Mile: BCRR Honest Abe (1/22/12) - 42:53
9.3 Mile: BCRR Terrible Tyle (1/29/12) - 5.3 Miles - 46:35
5.3 Mile: BCRR Pick Your Way (2/5/12) - 42:57
Half Marathon: BCRR Eenie-Meanie-Minie-Moe (2/12/12) - 1:58:38
4.6 Mile: BCRR Staggered Start (2/19/12) - 35:45 PR
10K: MCM Irish Sprint 10K (3/17/12) - 54:54
5K: Central Bucks Family YMCA (3/25/12) - 23:34 PR
5K: New Hope - Solebury "Spirit" Run (4/22/12) - 24:45
Half Marathon: St. Luke's (4/29/12) - 1:55:38 PR
10 Mile: Broad Street Run (5/6/12) - 1:25:13 PR
5K: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure - Phila (5/13/12) - 24:46
5K: Doylestown Red, White, Blue (5/26/12) - 24:04
5K: Chalfont Challenge (6/9/12) - 26:31
6 Mmile: Princeton Healthcare 10K (6/10/12) - 49:40 PR
Half Marathon: 1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut, 1/2 Marathon (6/16/12) - 1:57:11 2nd Place Male 55-59
5K: Herb Kahl Memorial (6/24/12) - 24:32
5 Mile: Run the Gates (6/3/12) - 40:40 PR
10K: Revolutionary Run (7/4/12) -52:36 PR
Half Marathon: Rock 'n' Roll Chicago (7/22/12) - 2:08:26
Half Marathon: Rock 'n' Roll Providence (8/19/12) - 1:59:25
Half-Marathon: Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia (9/16/12) - 1:57:42
18Mile: LBI 18-Mile Run (10/7/12) - 2:48:30 PR
13K: Hatfield OctoRun (10/21/12) - 1:08:55 PR
Marathon: Marine Corps Marathon (10/28/12) - 4:36:54
5K: BCRR Covered Bridge (12/9/12) - 26:26
5.3 Mile: BCRR Jingle Bell (12/16/12) - 42:23 PR

2011 Races

5K: Central Bucks YMCA (3/20/11) - 27:17:18
Half-Marathon: FirstWatch Sarasota (3/13/11) - 2:06:12
5K: New Hope-Solebury Run (4/3/11) - 26:34:54
5K: Bridge Valley Trailblazer Race for Autism (4/16/11) - 27:42:31
10Mile: Broad Street Run (5/1/11) - 1:35:54
5K: Cornerstone Race (5/7/11) - 25:55:87
5K: Race for the Cure - Phila (5/11/12) - 27:19
5K: Doylestown Red, White, Blue (5/28/11) - 26:18:94
10K: Princeton Healthcare 10K (6/5/11) - 54:42:82 PR
5K: Herb Kahl Memorial Scholarship (6/26/11) - 25:13 (3rd Place Male 50-59)
5K: Chalfont Challenge (6/11/11) - 26:04:17
5K: Run Over (Pancreatic) Cancer (7/2/11) - 24:51 PR
Half-Marathon: 13.1 Minneapolis (8/21/11) - 1:59:48
Half-Marathon: Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia (9/18/11) - 1:59:02 PR
5K: Chestertown 5K (9/24/11) - 25:25 (1st Place Male 50-59)
18Mile: LBI 18-Mile Run (10/9/11) - 3:08:30
13K: Hatfield OctoRun (10/23/11) - 1:10:57 (2nd Place Male 55-59)
Marathon: Philadelphia Marathon (11/20/11) 4:23:46 - PR
5K: BCRR Covered Bridge 5K (12/4/11) - 26:29
5.3Mile: BCRR Jingle Bell 5.3 Mile Race (12/11/11) - 43:39

John's Book Reviews

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been a while since I’ve been ‘wowed’ by a book so it was with great pleasure that I recently finished reading The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. Set in the 1800’s in the Pacific Northwest, the characters in this story represent what would be considered an ‘unconventional’ family by some standards in our current society – a family created out of horrific circumstances when 2 young (and pregnant) girls (Jane and Della) come upon William Talmadge (“Talmadge”), a loner who tends to and nurtures his orchards of apricots, apples and plums. Talmadge’s family roots are similarly tragic – he and his sister, Elsbeth, were orphaned as youngsters. And, at the age of 16, Elsbeth walked into the woods and never returned, leaving Talmadge alone and left to wonder what became of her. This lack of closure regarding his sister’s disposition is a key driver to the relationship he develops with Jane and Della - that of a nurturer and always wanting to provide a sense of comfort and belonging.

The complexities of the relationships that Talmadge has with Jane and Della, as well as Jane’s eventual daughter, Angelene, are compounded by the circumstances that drove Jane and Della to escape their painful upbringing and living environment. Trust and a willingness to be nurtured are not always welcome and these are the forces that drive the conflicts between what Talmadge wishes for the girls and the final outcome of the tragic events that continue to shape their lives.

(view spoiler)

Although it is still early in the year, I think it’s going to be hard for me to come across another book in 2013 that is so beautifully crafted and inspirational. Bravo to Amanda Coplin for this splendid novel!

View all my reviews