Sunday: 8.20.2023 (Day 29 of 112): Easy Run Makeup
If you’ve been keeping up with my journey then you know that on Saturday I was supposed to get in 12-miles at an easy pace but was thwarted by mother nature throwing me a “code brown”. After losing my socks I decided to split the run between Saturday in Utah and Sunday in North Carolina. (12-miles Saturday, 4-miles Sunday). 16 miles in two days doesn’t seem to unreasonable, especially if it was split between two days.
It was great to be back in North Carolina and the opportunity to run with Robert. He was meeting up with me on his Cross Training day to get in another 8-miles with me, it’s good to have a friend like that. Always willing to go a little more.
Temperatures seemed decent but the change from 23% humidity to 100% humidity was something to I was dreading on the flight home. However, once I got running in the humidity it was like a warm hug. It was welcoming and it felt natural to get in some miles in the heat.
Overall it was a relaxed, conversational pace that allowed me to catch up with Robert while touring the downtown area. While the running was easy, I never ran out of breath but the sweating was out of control with the humidity. Running in the south requires hydration, everyday, all day.
**Weight loss was evident this morning as I had to stop around the half mile mark and readjust my running belt. It was just a little too big and was falling off my waist. A short stop to make an adjustment got it right. I can’t remember the last time I had to make an adjustment to a belt!
8.03 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’26” | Avg HR: 139 | Best Mile: 9’49” | Feeling: Comfortable
Monday: 8.21.2023 (Day 30 of 112): Cross Training ~ Rowing
I had some ankle pain following the 8-mile run so I decided to rest it for 24hrs but I didn’t want to miss training, so off to the gym for the rower I went. The rower and I once had a very intricate relationship for a prolonged period of time. A C2 Rowing machine once made a homestead in my garage box and it was a few years of cardiovascular blasting that was intense and painful, but I loved it.
I’ve sold the C2 Rower so now I’m off to the gym to get reacquainted with my old friend.
The workout:
500m Warmup
1min Max Effort + 1 min rest X3
3 minute rest
1 Min Max Effort + 1 min rest X3
3 minute rest
1 min Max Effort + 1 min rest X3
500m Cooldown
Well that sucked! I was nearly at the point of puking on a few of those efforts but didn’t let it go as there was no garbage can nearby, and I didn’t want to get kicked out of the gym.
Tuesday: 8.22.2023 (Day 31 of 112): Quality Run (6.5mi)
To become a strong, faster runner requires pushing your body out of the comfort zone. Knowing you are about to enter the pain cave can result in anxiety and emotional instability. Some people get fearful and others simply don’t like being uncomfortable and therefore completely avoid entering the realm of growth. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Growth happens under positive stress. This is the type of stress that induces adaptation and growth, not the life stress that causes increased blood pressure.
What was supposed to happen: Quality Session
1.5mi warmup
9x400m at 1:52 (7’31”) with 2min job recovery
1.5mi cooldown
It was a great surprise to see Robert out that early in the morning. I know my friend is not an early morning person, yet here he is making headway on his Marathon goals. However Robert showed up with no attack plan, so he decided to follow me on my Quality Run. I knew this was going to suck. Robert is a much stronger runner than I am and no way was he going to let me slack off.
It was an easy 1.5mile warmup which followed our usual Wednesday route, then the 400m efforts started. Of the 9 efforts, at least 4 of them were uphill battles. It was tough, my heart rate was intense and the induced stress on the body absolutely had to have a training effect that will propel me to redemption at the Richmond Marathon.
Efforts: Pace / Heart Rate
1:47 / 154 | Pace Met
1:49 / 150 | Pace Met
2:03 / 155 | Over by 11s (Uphill battle)
1:55 / 156 | Over by 3s
2:05 / 155 | Over by 13s (Uphill battle)
1:54 / 157 | Over by 2s
1:55 / 156 | Over by 3s
2:12 / 160 | Over by 20s (Uphill battle)
2:09 / 160 | Over by 17s
Overall the morning was a smoke session that wasn’t nearly as easy as Robert made it look. No doubt each of his efforts were at pace or were over only because he stayed with me.
If you want to be a better runner, run with better people.
6.51 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’42” | Avg HR: 142 | Best Effort: 7’11” | Feeling: Like an anchor.
Wednesday: 8.23.2023 (Day 32 of 112): Easy Run (4.6mi)
It’s the best day of my week! Running with the club on Wednesday’s has turned into a weekly habit that I don’t soon plan on breaking. It’s a great way to get over the weekly hump of work and life in a relaxed atmosphere with friends.
With my Marathon Training I’ve now gone beyond the Wednesday 5K threshold and have bumped up to 4-miles. No worries there as we have plenty of options around town to make that happen and still be back in time for the social.
Today’s run was supposed to be 4.0 miles at an easy pace of 10’33”-11’34”.
I usually let loose a little bit on Wednesday runs and disregard my coaches prescription pace, but not by much! I was fortunate enough to run with my friend Dave again on this run as Robert and Jon went on ahead and were at a faster pace than us. It was a great conversational pace with Dave where we talked about life, running, politics, philosophy, human nature and run clubs. While Dave is 20yrs my elder, I’m extremely grateful for his insights into life and his friendship. He got me through last years training and through the finish line last year, I’m grateful he is here this year as well.
So what really happened? I ended up with 4.6 easy miles that felt great.
Mile 1: 11’11” | Mile 2: 10’07” | Mile 3: 10’23” | Mile 4: 10’02” | Mile 0.6: 10’04”
We went just a little further than expected, but I felt good and my heart rate was staying low. This is a lot different than last week in Utah where I felt every run was a struggle and I was having serious issues with my legs doing the work.
In the club, we have a saying.
Running with friends is better.
I understand that some people love to run solo while listening to nature, music, podcast or a book. I respect that and understand that. In this team, this run club, if you want to be a better runner, there is someone there to do the work with you, to push you, help keep you accountable and make the run just a little more enjoyable.
The weather wasn’t “perfect” per se, but was as good as it’s going to get in the month of August here in North Carolina. Everyone had a decent run and an even better social afterwards.
4.6 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’23” | Avg HR: 134 | Best Mile: 10’02” | Feeling: Happy
Thursday: 8.24.2023 (Day 33 of 112): Quality Run~6mi
This was a run I was not looking forward to. The route on the Thursday runs has a few hills that are challenging. This isn’t anything crazy like the trails I’ve seen in Asheville, NC or Salt Lake City, UT or Boise, ID but for our little town in the sandhills of North Carolina, 230ft of elevation gain in 6mi is a lot. If you’re reading this from the mountains, you can call me a flatlander. I know it’s derogatory, but in this instance it’s true.
The standard route on this run is a 5-mile loop route, so Dave and I decided to get in the 1-mile warmup before the start of the club run. Temps were near 90F but we found enough shade that it wasn’t too bad. It was a simple out and back route, downhill for 0.5mi then uphill for 0.5mi. We finished up the warmup mile in 9’43” and it felt good. It was never a hard push, but a conversational pace.
At 6:25pm, I made a few announcements to the group, took the picture below and then prepared for the run. I actually started a little behind everyone else, but that was ok because I planned on putting in 4-miles at a decent pace.
What was the prescription (RX):
1 mile Warm Up Run
4-miles at 8’55”
1 mile Cool Down Run
After the majority of the group took off I was going to do my best to play catch-up, believing this would help me push the pace. I pushed hard the first mile and clocked in at 8’43”, just faster than the RX pace. It was at that point I caught up to a new runner to the club and decided to have a conversation. As the “Club President”, I recognize that it’s a leadership position and all good leaders engage everyone in their team. So I set my pace with Leah and had a good conversation about running and gave some insights into the club. I clocked then next mile at 11’38”.
After splitting ways with Leah, I decided to pick up the pace again and went headfirst on the 5mi route at an 8’30” pace until I caught up with Dwayne and Dave who were getting in an easy run & walk. Up to this point I’ve been catching people and passing them, giving small words of encouragement as I found the breath. It was good to catch these two men and when they were walking, I decided to stop, hydrate and say hello. That mile clocked in at 10’37” but I wasn’t upset, most of that was done around 8’30” followed by some walking. After some water and talking with my friends, I stepped off for mile 5.
Some encouraging words from Dave had me motivated to dig deep on the last effort mile. Motivation is fleeting, skin deep and doesn’t last, but when you have it, might as well use it! So with that I stepped off and clocked in a 9’07” mile which felt easy enough.
All I had left was the 1-mile Cool Down that I wanted to complete somewhere in the 10’33-11’34 range. With my ankle feeling good and my hydration on point, the last mile back clocked in at 10’31” which felt incredibly easy and I was thankful for that.
The lesson here is to keep showing up. Last week I had piss poor performances and felt like my legs were made out of lead, but I kept showing up. This week the humidity and heat has been intense, but I kept showing up and my runs have been feeling easier. (Except for Tuesday morning, that was rough!).
Overall a good run that I felt I could open up my legs and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
6.0 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’04” | Avg HR: 145 | Best Mile: 8’43” | Feeling: Faster
Friday: 8.25.2023 (Day 34 of 112): Weigh-in-day / Rest Day
Another week, another loss. This morning’s weight was 218.8lbs, down another 2.0lbs from last week. It’s been since November 2022 that I was under 220lbs. I’m really looking forward to continuing this weight loss towards the Tuna 200 with a goal of being below 200lbs by October 20th.
So what have I been doing? I stopped eating sugar and most breads. Increased my lean proteins with fish, chicken and beef. Increased my vegetable intake with some nuts and fruits and cut out all alcohol. I never really drank soda’s before so no need to cut that.
Saturday: 8.26.2023 (Day 35 of 112): Easy Run / Long Run
The weekend long run was here and it finally lined up with the rest of my club. Saturday Morning! I was looking forward to this run and getting in 12-miles nonstop as I was unable to last weekend. This was something I needed to get done, I wanted to get done.
Almost everyone was monitoring the forecast for Saturday throughout the week, myself included. This morning was supposed to be hot and humid, possibly one of the last brutally hot days we’ll have before a decent cool down. Stepping outside at 5:30am confirmed that the weather man deserves his paycheck this week. The predictions were correct, 75F with 93% humidity.
Even under headlamp, well before the sun rose the conditions were brutally warm and before the first mile was complete, sweating was unstoppable. The thick fog across the trail at sunrise made this early morning run just a little more special. It’s mornings like this that I am glad I invested into a running vest. It’s a lifesaver.
Before the run Stan and Heather offered me a frozen “Pickle Juice” packet they use, I’d never had one before but gladly took them up on it. It was frozen when they handed it over, frozen by mile 6 but was exactly what was needed on such a hot and humid morning.
I packed up my Osprey running vest with 1.5L of water, 3 GU’s, 1 Spring Nutrition Pouch and a Pickle Juice pouch, Toilet Paper, Neosporin and a few bandages and lastly my Glock 44. On these long runs, especially when I’m running with friends I almost always conceal carry. The purpose, to protect and preserve life, of my friends and myself. God gave me this inner drive to serve, provide and protect; to actualize that blessing requires action.
Now that I’ve checked my gear, met up with friends and taken a starting picture. It was time to set off on what my coach prescribed.
Running Rx:
12-Easy Miles at a 10’33”-11’34” pace.
Despite the heat, humidity and the fact I was awake at 4:45am on a Saturday morning to run, the miles were easy and I felt good when it was over. We started as a large group heading out onto the fog covered trail just before sunrise. It was a large group that slowly started to dissipate and naturally sort into pace groups. That’s the great thing about this club, we have runners of all abilities at our events. Their dedication to achieving their goals demands acknowledgement and respect. It’s a great thing to witness.
The miles were easy and I found myself running with Mike for the first 3.2 miles. He’s training for a 10K race and has been putting in a ton of work. It was a conversational pace that made the morning more enjoyable. By the time Mike turned around for his 10K run, the group was well dispersed and my friends were putting in the work.
The prescribed pace of 10’33” to 11’34” was really easy for me. My heart rate was staying in the upper 120’s for most of it and I consistently found myself wanting to step it out and go faster. Many times I’d look at my watch and found I was moving at a 10’00” pace or faster. To keep myself aligned with my coaches plan, I kept the pace within range.
Maybe that’s part of the purpose of the longer, slower runs. By the time I get to The Marathon, I’ll have this urge to step it out and go fast.
Regardless of my natural increase in pace, I kept it slow and kept hydrating. I was sweating for the entire run, well over 2hrs of movement, which is a good sign. If you continue to sweat throughout your run, it means you’ve hydrated enough for the event. If you stop sweating, that’s a bad sign. You’re quickly on the way to overheating and possible serious health issues.
With music playing, the miles ticked away and I ran into my friend Tina at the 6-mil turn around. It was good to see another friend on the trail. If all goes well we’ll see her and her husband in Richmond as well!
On my return to the finish line I crossed paths with Dave, who was logging a 4-hour run on the morning. It was almost hard to believe in such heat and humidity. I offered a lifeline, if he found himself in a critical state, I’d gladly run some water or food out to him on the trail. At the end, he never texted and logged just over 20-miles in 4 hours. Incredible.
The last mile of this run is all uphill. It’s fucking brutal. I told myself I would do my best to not walk any of it. As I hit the last mile, mentally I was dreading the next 11 minutes but physically I felt ok. With around 0.75mi left you hit a few steep hills and before I tackled them I walked a short distance, drank some water and then picked up a jog. Honestly I didn’t want to be caught by Jon or Robert and have them catch me walking! So I pick up a jog and made it all the way to the finish without stopping.
There was nothing exciting on this run. Just a long run along the trail on an early Saturday morning.
So what really happened:
Miles / Pace
(1) 11’02”, (2) 10’44”, (3) 10’41”, (4) 10’46”, (5) 10’54”, (6) 10’44”
(7) 10’54”, (8) 11’19”, (9) 10’54”, (10) 10’44”, (11) 11’34”, (12) 11’28”
12.0 Miles | Avg Pace: 11’00” | Avg HR: 138 | Best Mile: 10’44” | Feeling: Strong