Registered for 2 More 5K’s!

OK. I must have the 5K Fever. After placing 3^rd in my age group last weekend, I went searching for another 5K in my area that will take place over the 4^th of July weekend. Bingo! I found the Run Over Cancer 5K race in Newtown, PA which is about a 20 minute drive for me. So, I'll be running again on Saturday, July 2. The extended weather forecast looks like it will be hot and humid which is pretty typical for this time of the year. It's for a good cause – proceeds go towards funding research to find a cure for Pancreatic Cancer.

Run Over Cancer 5K - Newtown, PA

I'm also registered for the 5K Race for Hope in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 6. Another good cause – Brain Tumors. My good friend, Joe, is sponsoring a team of runners/walkers so I will be there to support his efforts.

Race for Hope 5K - Philadelphia, PA

All of this amounts to staying focused on training for my upcoming half-marathons and marathon as well as making monetary contributions for good causes. In my mind, that's a Win Win!!

Happy Trails,
John

 

Not a PR but Best 5K Time for 2011 Season

Today I ran the Herb Kahl Memorial 5K Race in Warrington, PA and finished in my best time this season (25:13) and that is within 7 seconds of the PR that I set last year. It was a nice morning for a run, about 68 degrees at race time; humidity was a factor but it wasn't too bad. Being a smaller race, I managed to place 20^th overall (out of 102 runners) and 3^rd (out of 12 runners) in my age group (50-59) – I like that feeling!!

Herb Kahl Memorial 5K - Warrington, PA

Hard to believe that next weekend is the 4^th of July holiday. I decided to celebrate by running in yet another race: Run Over (Pancreatic) Cancer 5K which will be on Saturday, July 2 at 9:00AM in Newtown, PA. Maybe next weekend will be the charm for me and I'll manage to break my 25:06 PR. That would be really sweet.

Happy Trails!
John

Jogging at the Jersey Shore

Run: Easy Run by jbaker614 at Garmin Connect - Details

I took advantage of being at the New Jersey Shore (North Wildwood) while attending a family reunion this weekend to get in an early morning run along the Atlantic coastline this morning. Although mildly humid, there was a light breeze that made it an overall very pleasant run. I ran an easy comfortable pace, covering 5.68 miles in 1 hour. I normally don't run outside except for races so this morning's run was a bit of an experiment for me. There was very little traffic and the backdrop was very nice and it was perfectly flat! I finished feeling very confident and thinking that I would like to do more outdoor running as part of my training. I know that all of the running that I'll be doing at the marathon training running camp in Vermont in July will be outdoors so my plan has been to get a few outdoor training runs into my schedule before I head up to Vermont.

I am running one more 5K race this coming Sunday in Warrington, PA – that will be my last (and 8^th) 5K for this season!

Happy Trails!
John

Early Morning Run

This time last year, I was up early and heading to the gym on weekdays for my morning runs by 5:30am – 6:00am most mornings. However, this year, I've changed my schedule and have been hitting the gym after work most days. For me, exercising after working a full day has been a challenge. The motivation in itself to make sure I make it to the gym at 6:30pm is quite the challenge. Once I get there, however, I seem to get acclimated pretty quickly and manage to have a good run or workout.

So, today it's Friday and I decided to get my morning run in early before I started work and it felt great! I logged 6.1 miles on the treadmill at an easy pace for 1 hour and 20 minutes – the longest treadmill run I've logged in quite a few weeks.

I think I'd like to get more early morning runs in on the weekdays. It's a great way to get the day started, stoking up that fire and metabolism to make sure calories are used more efficiently during the day!

So, when is your favorite time to run or exercise?

When Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

Are running shoes like car tires and you can judge when they need to be replaced by measuring their treads? Not really. You should be paying more attention to the shock absorber component of your running shoes to determine when it's time they need to be replaced.

A general rule of thumb is that running shoes should be replaced every 300 – 400 miles. Signs that it may be time to invest in a new pair of shoes are when you start experiencing symptoms of overuse injuries such as tendonitis or shin splints.

Read the following article to learn more about how to keep track of the miles you are logging with your shoes and tips on how to begin rotating in a new pair of shoes into your runs:

When Should I Replace My Running Shoes?

Preparing for a fall Marathon during the summer

"… a good marathon is like making a great dessert; it takes the right ingredients, proper preparation, and total precision in the kitchen. A marathon is no different–luck only favors the prepared." (Active.com)

Perspective, Patience and Planning are the "3 P's" that will help prepare you for that fall marathon. For me, I am planning to run my first full marathon in Philadelphia on November 20 and I am already preparing myself mentally for the arduous task of training to make sure that I am ready for the race and to ensure that my training is injury-free. Part of my preparation will be attending a marathon running training camp at the Craftsbury (Vermont) Outdoor Center in July. Here, I am hoping to learn from the experts and develop better training habits to improve my speed and endurance to handle the 26.2 miles.

I have one more 5K race this season on June 26. After that, I am planning to run half-marathons in Minneapolis (August) and Philadelphia (September) as part of my training program for my full marathon in November. Aside from these events, I will be logging lots of miles on the treadmill to incorporate all the right ingredients, with precision, into my training program to make sure that I will be prepared to have luck in my favor for a successful maiden journey on that trail of 26.2 miles.

Read the following article from Active.com to understand how you can properly prepare all the ingredients to make sure you have a successful marathon race in the fall!

Summer Training Tips for Your Fall Marathon | Active.com
 

2011 Bucks 5K Series Comes to a Close

Chalfont Challenge 5K Race Results

The 2011 Bucks 5K Series came to a close today with the Chalfont Challenge right here in Chalfont, PA. It was an overcast and very humid morning with rain showers just prior to the race start time at 8:30am. Turnout was light because of the weather – a total of 347 runners crossed the finish line.

I finished 8^th in my age group (55-59) with a time of 26:04:17. This was my 2^nd best race time for the series this year but I ran the same race 11 seconds faster last year. So, all in all, I am pleased with my performance in the series this year. I ran 6 of the 7 races and placed in the top 10 in my age group for 4 of the races I ran. My best time in the series this year was 25:55 compared to 25:06 during 2010. A year older and 49 seconds slower!

I am planning to run 1 more local 5K race in Warrington, PA on Sunday, June 26 before I head up to Vermont to spend a week at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center for my marathon training camp. It took me 57 years to go away to summer camp but Vermont, here I come!

Happy Trails,
John

Chalfont Challenge 5K

The 7^th and final race in this year's Bucks County 5K Series will be held this coming Saturday (June 11) in Chalfont, PA. The Chalfont Challenge 5K is not the most difficult course in the series, but some of the inclines make it a bit more challenging than others. Right now, we are in the midst of an extreme heat advisory with temperatures in the upper 90's (97 degrees today and 99 degrees is predicted for tomorrow) with high humidity. Fortunately, it looks like the high temps will break for Saturday's race but the forecast is now calling for showers and thunderstorms, Let's hope the storms hold off until after the race is finished.

Start time for this year's race is 8:30am. Hope to see a good turnout of runners and spectators!

Happy Trails,
John

13.1 Minneapolis

Today was a rest day for me and I had a leisurely evening – came home from work, laid out in the back yard, had a light dinner, watered the garden… and then I came inside and registered for the 13.1 Minneapolis Half-Marathon on August 21! I am continuing my commitment to run 2 more half marathons this year before my first full marathon in November. Right now, all appears to be on track.

Minneapolis is of special interest to me since I went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus between 1979 – 1981. I've only gotten back to Minneapolis once or twice over the past 30 years. I can't believe I'm even saying that I finished graduate school 30 years ago – so, so hard to believe!

Anyway, it will be nice to be back in the Twin Cities again. I know that August can be pretty warm and humid but I'm taking my chances. I still have a good friend who I have kept in touch with all these years and plan to spend some time visiting and catching up on the good old days.

Minneapolis – Here I come!

John

New PR Set for 10K Race

Princeton Healthcare 10K Race Results

By a mere 17 seconds, I was able to achieve a new PR for a 10K race today, finishing the Princeton Healthcare 10K in 54:42:82. This was only my 2^nd 10K race and I definitely feel much better after today's finish than I did after my first 10K race 2 years ago. Comparing my races between this year and last year, even when I fall short of beating last year's times, the biggest difference this year is I feel much stronger and not as wiped out. That tells me that I am making good progress with my overall endurance training. What I need to focus on next is strength and speed.

It was a lovely morning for a race in Princeton. Overcast skies, temps in the upper 60's and a light breeze. Most of the course took the runners through the beautifully tree lined streets of Princeton, NJ and the race finished on the track at the stadium at Princeton University. With just under 387 finishers, I placed 164^th overall, putting me in the 58^th percentile which is very consistent with all of my other races this season.

Next up is the Chalfont Challenge 5K next weekend on Saturday, June 11. This will be seventh and final 5K race in this year's Bucks 5K Series.

Happy Trails Everyone!
John

National Running Day

Today, June 1, is the beginning of a new month ("Rabbit Rabbit") and it also happens to be National Running Day! In recognition of this event, runners from all across the country are either participating in group running events or making their mark by running in their own way. I celebrated today by logging 5.1 miles on the treadmill at my fitness center. It was a very warm and humid day here in the Philadelphia area so I resorted to my usual treadmill running. And, that's OK because treadmill running is my preferred method for running and training.

This is a special year for me after having come back from several injuries last July (dislocated shoulder and a ruptured tendon in my right foot). Two foot surgeries and months of physical therapy and rehabilitation later, I have come back strong. Since March 2011, I have completed a half-marathon, a 10-mile race and 5 5K races. In the next 2 weeks I will be participating in a 10K race and another 5K race. I have my sights set on 2 more half-marathons (Minneapolis in August and Philadelphia in September) and then my FIRST full marathon in Philadelphia in November!!

Yes, I have come back and I am so happy to be here. Running represents a channel for me to stay active and provides me a great sense of accomplishment. I enjoy the self discipline and I have an acute awareness of self reliance when I know that I am in control of my destination when it comes to logging the training miles and competing in the races. The exciting feelings of anticipation when I am assembled at the starting line and the exhilaration and relief when I cross that finish line are the best rewards that will keep me inspired to celebrate many more National Running Days in the future.

Happy Trails Everyone!
John