New PR for Half Marathon!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day to run a half marathon. At 6:30am when I boarded the shuttle bus at the hotel to head out to the St. Luke's Half Marathon in Allentown, PA, the temperature was a chilly 36 degrees. But by race time, the temp had inched up to 46 degrees and the sun was shining!

All made for a perfect day and I managed to sweeten the pot by achieving a PR coming in at 1:55:38! I started pacing myself with the 2:00 pace group but was able to inch my way up to the 1:55 pace group and stuck with it. What a great all around day.

My right hamstring bothered me the most when I was trying to climb the few hills on the course. I still have a way to go with my recovery so I need to be vigilent with my stretching and icing.

Next up is the 10-Mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia next Sunday, May 6. My 10-mile split time today was 1:28 so I will be very happy if I can hold that time. Hopefully this time next week I'll be able to write about another PR!

Happy and Safe Running, John

Half Marathon Time!

Tonight I am finalizing my preparations for the St. Luke's Half-Marathon in Allentown, PA. I'm checked into the hotel and just finished a pasta dinner, clothes are laid out, and alarm is set…. I am ready to go!

I was encouraged with my easy run this morning. It was exactly that – slow and easy. My right hamstring was still sore and it took me awhile to loosen up but I managed to run 4.5 miles on the treadmill. And, as the day progressed, I continued to feel better. Aside from my run this morning, I did not do anything strenuous. Yes, there is still plenty of yard work that needs to be done, but I wanted to have more of a restful and relaxing day. So, I'll be giving tomorrow's race tomorrow my best shot.

Temperatures are supposed to drop to 36 degrees through the night so it will be a bit chilly in the morning. The forecast is calling for race time (8:10AM) temperatures to be in the mid to upper 40's.

It is Half Marathon time again – Yeah!

John

Close Call

I am feeling fortunate tonight as I reflect on this past week. I was out of town on business (Houston, TX) and went out for a morning run on Wednesday. At 3.5 miles, I took a spill (tripped on a cement curb) and nearly wiped out! I came so close to falling flat on my face – I really don't know how I managed to pull myself back and stop from falling. The outcome was a very sore right hamstring – ouch! I had to sit through a meeting all day but I managed to get ice on it later in the day. Two days later, it is much less sore but I have not run since Wednesday morning. My plan right now is to get to the gym tomorrow (Saturday) morning and do a very easy run to test the waters and see how it goes. If I manage to get through the easy run, I'll plan to follow through with my plans to run the St. Luke's Half Marathon in Allentown, PA on Sunday morning. I am hopeful that all will be OK. After all, next weekend is the 10-Mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia and I really don't want to miss that one.

Wish me luck and Happy Trails Everyone!
John

Long Distance Race Lineup

Ok, I definitely have Running Fever. I just made a commitment (by registering) to run 4 Half Marathons starting in June as part of my preparation and training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October, 2012!

Call me crazy but I've been 'on the fence' about exactly what races to run and how to prepare for my marathon this year so tonight I bit the bullet and decided to run one half-marathon each month between June and September. This is in addition to the half-marathon I am running in April and the 10-Mile Broad Street Run. So, here is my lineup of longer distance races:

Mon	Date	Race	Location
Apr	4/29/12	St. Luke's Half Marathon	Allentown, PA
May	5/6/12	Broad Street Run (10 Miles)	Philadelphia, PA
Jun	6/16/12	½ Sauer, ½ Kraut, ½ Marathon	Philadelphia, PA
Jul	7/22/12	Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon	Chicago, IL
Aug	8/19/12	Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon	Providence, RI
Sep	9/16/12	Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon	Philadelphia, PA
Oct	10/28/12	Marine Corps Marathon	Washington, DC

Looking forward to a very full and hectic summer of running!
John

New Hope-Solebury 5K Spirit Run

Wrapping up this week with 38.7 miles of running which included several easy runs, an interval speed workout, a 10.25 mile long run, and finally, a 5K race! I am very much looking forward to my REST day tomorrow.



This morning's New Hope-Solebury 5K Spirit Run was the 2nd race in this year's Bucks 5K Series of races. The weather was overcast, 50 degrees with light rain. Although I did not achieve a PR today, I did have my best performance for this particular race in the 3 years that I've run it: 24:45. I was pleased that I came in under 25 minutes and I managed to just 'squeak' in under an 8:00 min pace with a final result of 7:58. I continue to credit my speed training with intervals for my faster results.

This week will be a mixed bag of sorts for me. I am traveling to Houston for work and my schedule is going to be a bit hectic. The weather looks like it is going to be warm in the mid-80's most of the week so I'll plan on early morning runs.

Next weekend, I'll be running the St. Luke's Half Marathon in Allentown, PA and the following weekend will be the 10-Mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia.

Running season is definitely in High Gear!
John

Spring Yard Work Means Fewer Miles

Spring has definitely 'sprung' here at home and that means lots of yard work. And, since there are only so many hours in the day, that translates to fewer miles. But that's OK because I am looking at my yard work as a good form of cross-training! I've been digging, transplanting and pruning. That all translates to exercise. And quite frankly, I've been completely exhausted in the evenings so I think that is a good sign that I am getting a decent workout.

I logged just under 26 miles this past week – that's about 8 fewer miles than what I've been averaging over the past couple of months. But, I did manage to return to my interval training on the treadmill on Thursday – that's my first time since returning from vacation in Turks and Caicos and it felt really good!

I did not get a long run in so I plan to get to the gym each weekday morning this coming week. My plan is to hit 30 miles this week.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Spring!
John

Running on Grace Bay Beach

Thinking back on this past winter, it really was quite mild. However, there were a couple of Sundays in February when the temperatures were in the upper teens to low 20's when I was heading out to run the Winter Series races with the Bucks County Road Runners.

That seems so long ago right now as I am able to enjoy the lush tropical landscape here on Grace Bay Beach (Providencials, Turks and Caicos). I've managed to get in several early morning beach runs and I have 2 mornings left before I have to leave this beautiful island. Right now it is evening and I am relaxing on my oceanfront patio listening to the rustling of the palm tree branches and the calming roll of the ocean waves.

I think tomorrow morning's run will be a 6-miler and then a day on the beach to maximize my last full day here on Grace Bay. Now that I have this vista captured in my memory and on video, I'll be able to revisit my experience here, time and again!

Happy and Safe Running Folks!
John

9 Mile Long Run on the Island

Today I continued my commitment to staying fit while vacationing so I ventured out on a very humid morning to tackle a 9-mile long run. I took ¼ mile walking breaks after each mile so some may argue that I really didn't get my miles in. But, on the other hand, I think it is Hal Higdon who recommends walking breaks after each mile. Regardless, I am on vacation in "Provo" (short for Providenciales), Turks and Caicos, so I am going to take credit for the full 9 miles! I need some way to burn off those extra calories I am eating at dinner and the somewhat sedentary (but very relaxing and restful) time I am spending either on the beach or poolside. Just two and a half more days of this paradise living and then I will be headed back to my routine schedule in Philadelphia.

Speaking of dinner, I just returned from Magnolia Restaurant and Wine Bar where I had their signature dish, Cracked Pepper & Sesame Crusted Rare Seared Tuna with soy ginger sauce, jasmine rice and vegetables. Hands down, this was one of the best meals I've had here in Provo so far!

Tomorrow will be a REST day for me but I do plan on walking on the beach throughout the day. I will be getting plenty of rest as I lay on the recliner listening to the gentle rolling of the waves coming ashore on Grace Bay beach.

Happy and Safe Running!
John