Chapter 7: Solo? Hell no!
7-days & 7-runs.
Sunday: 9.3.2023 (Day 43 of 112): Shakeout Run
The day after an impromptu half-marathon that was brought about by a submission to peer pressure, my legs were tired. I was thankful there was little soreness and no pain or discomfort in my legs or pain from the previous shin splints. Even though labor day is tomorrow, the summer heat is relentless and easing it’s way back into The South. The morning started cool enough and it was a terrific day to get outside, but it was clear it would be in the 90’s by mid afternoon. I had to get a run in before the real heat set in.
I decided to change the scenery up and run a local park that I haven’t visited in a while. It’s not an ideal place for a “long run” but it’s good for anything 4-miles or less. This particular park and trail have a special meaning, it is the trail where a local H.S. graduate, Henry Sanchez lost over 100-lbs in order to join the U.S.M.C. and was later killed in Iraq. There is something sacred running the same path as a brave Marine who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
The run surprisingly felt good, even on tired legs. Most of the trail was under the leaves, providing plenty of shade. I turned on some music and hit the trail. I was a little upset it was over so soon and surprised it went so fast.
The Rx: 3-mile Easy Run at 10’33” - 11’34”
What really happened:
3.13 miles: Mile 1: 10’36” | Mile 2: 10’02” | Mile 3: 9’36”
3.13 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’05” | Avg HR: 129 | Best Mile: 9’36” | Feeling: Surprised
Monday: 9.4.2023 (Day 44 of 112): Labor Day Run & Breakfast Social
What can I say, my run club is pretty damn good. The club is so great because the people are so great. Our Labor Day run and Breakfast Social was a great event.
It started as an idea by a fellow runner, Daniela had the idea of having an early morning Labor Day run. Then she made the mistake of inviting me and I kind of took the ball and ran with it. The reality is, this was her idea to bring the club together on the last day of a long weekend.
In years past we’ve had a club BBQ / Potluck at a fellow runners property and again at our great sponsor Deep River Brewing Co. However this year nobody really planned anything, my life has been busy and so Labor Day weekend snuck up on us without any previous planning. That is until the morning run.
I put out a call for a follow on Breakfast Social where runners would bring something to share, a family recipe or a store bought item or simply show up for the run and camaraderie. As with events in the past, if CAR runners are good for two things, it’s running and throwing together a feast!
My small part of sharing with the club was to bring a camp stove and cook up some sausage links and scrambled eggs. With that plan in place and running 16 total miles in the previous two days, I decided a 2 mile run was sufficient. This also allowed me to get back to the picnic tables in time to start start setting up and cooking before the rest of the runners finished their run.
It was a warm morning with plenty of humidity and the two miles was done at a conversational pace that I considered easy. I got in my two miles with a fellow runner and got to learn a little more about her which was interesting as she was a collegiate runner and now a pharmacist.
Mile 1: 11’08” | Mile 2: 10’29”.
The miles were easy, but what really made my day worth it was all the smiles from the runners in the club. People really looked to be having a good time.
It was a good morning with friends. Everyone pitched in, everyone helped and it’s because of everyone in the club that it’s so great.
The run was easy and the conversations over food flowed with easy. Overall it was a great morning with the run club. I’ve traveled across America and ran in a lot of cities with different clubs. I will say, there is something special taking place here. The club is so great because the people are so great.
2.0 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’50” | Avg HR: 125 | Best Mile: 10’49” | Feeling: Thankful
Tuesday: 9.5.2023 (Day 45 of 112): Quality Run: GO FAST!
I used to think I had a natural gift of being able to wake up before my alarm. If I thought about it the night before, while falling asleep, I’d simply wake up when I wanted, sans alarm. I used to think that was some low-key superpower. Now I start to understand it’s just out of fear. Fear that I’m going to wake up my hard working wife on her midweek workday at 4:15am. Or maybe it’s out of love that I don’t want to disturb her much needed rest, so I naturally wake up before the alarm sounds. Nah, it’s fear. No, it’s love. Whatever it is, it works and I was up at 4:15 and sneaking out of the house like a ninja.
Ok, it’s out of pure love I don’t want to wake her up. She works hard, long hours at the salon and almost never complains, except when I wake her up 3 hours before she is ready.
After executing an almost perfect escape out of the house without waking anyone up, I was heading downtown for the early morning run. Our early morning runs have now moved locations. We miss the H.S. Track and we’re hoping to get that back open soon, until then we are meeting at local parks downtown.
I shared my “Quality Run” as prescribed by Coach Brown to the other runners and all agreed that they’d give it a go.
What was supposed to happen:
1.5 mile Warmup
8x(400m at 7’30” + 400m Recovery Jog")
1.5 mile Cooldown
What really happened:
1.5 mile at 10’49”
400m Efforts:
7’19”~7’03”~6’55”~7’34”~7’03”~7’15”~7’16”~7’29”
1.5 mile at 12’07”
This was tough! We were lucky enough to have Isabella join us on the track, she recently graduated from college and ran Cross Country (5K & 10K) and was incredibly fast. I kept up with her for 1-effort lap, but her 400m recovery jog was obviously double my speed.
No surprise that my fastest 400m effort was the one where Robert ran with me at 6’55”. The following lap I slowed down to 7’34” and busted time!! I was fucking cursing myself in my head and swore I wouldn’t bust time again. How did I fucking lose 30s on a 400m effort, it was pathetic.
So for the remainder of the next 4 efforts I decided I wouldn’t bust time again, even if that means I’m puking on public property at 5:30am in front of my peers. Fuck it, I’m not busting time again.
The efforts were tough but I felt a little lighter on my feet. The last time I did a quality run like this, it was up and down hills. I was thankful this time was flat and fast.
It was a tough morning but the work was done and I was ready to get on with my day! Time to drink water, refuel and rest for the Wednesday run.
6.60 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’34” | Avg HR: 133 | Best Effort: 6’55” | Feeling: Faster
Wednesday: 9.6.2023 (Day 46 of 112): 5-miles
Mother nature is seriously playing with my emotions. Last weekend I was teased with a 58F morning run where I turned a 10-mile run into a 13.1mi run. What I didn’t hear last weekend was the quiet laughing of Mother Nature coming from the tree’s. The heat would return and put me back into my place.
If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know that Wednesday’s are my ritual 5K day with my local run club Clayton Area Runners. Today was no different and I was going to get in this prescribed run no matter what. Coach Brown had today down for a 5-mile Easy Run at 10’33’-11’34” pace.
The temperatures were forecast to be around 90F with a high heat index. The evening run was going to be 2-miles longer than the standard 3.1miles in horrid heat.
Before I get to the run, you need to read about the discipline required, nay the discipline displayed earlier in the day prior to this run. I had to run some errands with my 17yr old son and with everything going on, we ran out of food options later in the day. My son is rather skinny, so when he wants to eat, I have no qualms getting him the things he wants. Today he wanted McDonald’s.
I am Pavlov’s Dog. As soon as we get in line for the drive through my mouth is salivating. I’ve been eating McDonald’s since I was 19yrs old and it’s now just been a part of my life. Coincidentally, a part that put me on the path of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and a 6hr Marathon. I’ve been accustomed to eating a Big Mac or Double-Quarter Pounder with Cheese, a Large Fry, Soda and a Milkshake. That’d be a common order in the past. BUT NOT TODAY.
“Welcome to McDonald’s, would you like to try a value meal today?”
Damnit. I wanted ALL the value meals. My mouth was watering, my stomach rumbling and I had the means and opportunity to act.
I ordered my son’s food and for myself, I got a 4-piece McNugget. That’s it. No fry’s, no drink, no milkshake. Nothing else.
You may be asking, “but why?”. Well, the reality is that my son and I don’t share a lot in common outside of our last name. What we do have in common is the meals we share together. From the breakfast’s I’ve been making over the last 17 years to the times we go get pizza. Food is one of the common bonds we have, so if he got McDonald’s, than so am I. Honestly, he was thankful I only got the 4pc McNugget, he knows I’m trying to be healthier and lose weight and I didn’t cave when it would have been easy to do so.
My mind kept thinking: You damn fool, you’ve got a 5-mile run in this record heat later today. You can’t be eating McDonald’s and shit. This is NOT the time to give in for a cheat/treat meal!
With that episode behind me, we make the drive home. I drink water, eat a banana and a granola bar and head out for the run with friends.
So what really happened:
I started the run with Jon, who by all means is a far superior runner than me. I told him my expected distance and pace and he agreed. Around mile 2.25 we were greeted by Isabella who joined up with us. She was getting in 7-miles on the day, so she had a little more than us but was willing to stick with us until we hit our 5.
Isabella is a recent college graduate and was a collegiate cross country runner. Needless to say, she was obviously much faster than Jon or I and for the next 3 miles she was basically pulling us along at her pace. Honestly, she must have been holding back because I felt fine and the pace hovered around that 10’00” pace.
The run ended up being a little longer than expected, clocking in at 5.31 miles, but it all felt good. I ran faster than Coach prescribed, by about 15 seconds but the run really did feel easy. My heart rate was elevated, but I’ll chalk that up to the 100% humidity and real feel of +100F.
What really happened:
5.31 miles
Mile 1: 10’10” | Mile 2: 10’20” | Mile 3: 10’26” | Mile 4: 9’49” | Mile 5: 10’31”
5.31 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’16” | Avg HR: 147 | Best Mile: 9’49” | Feeling: Overheated!
Thursday: 9.7.2023 (Day 47 of 112): Rowing & Pullups & 2miles
It was supposed to be a cross training day and a rest from running, however circumstances changed. I went to the gym to do some cross training and decided to get on the rower. An old Army friend of mine, about my age posted on his IG his 5000m row time, which of course I thought I could beat. However it wasn’t easy.
The goal: Row 50000m in less than 26minutes.
I’m no stranger to the rower and have done 5KM workouts in the past, I know this is going to suck. I just hope I don’t end of puking in a packed gym!
I did some stretching, especially on my back and shoulders and then turned on the music and got to work. It was an absolute beast! I only stopped three times. Twice to get some water and another to text my son back. My next goal will be a nonstop 5K.
I had planned not to run, but then a local athlete needed our help. The club was contacted by a local H.S XC coach if we could help a deserving athlete with some shoes. Of course the club pulled through BIG time. We raffled off a FREE entry to a popular race series out by the coast. The raffle tickets raised $217, then we had an anonymous runner match any donations up to $250! All in all we raised $434 along with another runner donating a brand new Under Armor sports bag and yet even more runners asked what else she needs. They were willing to help as much as possible! The running community is simply amazing!
These funds should really help this young athlete get the gear she needs and hopefully shows her there is a community with running that really helps each other out.
Since I was at the brewery and the club was running, I figured hell, I might as well get in 2-miles. Which I did.
2.0 Miles | Avg Pace: 10’36” | Avg HR: 134 | Best Mile: 10’28” | Feeling: Impressed
Friday: 9.8.2023 (Day 48 of 112): Weigh-in Day.
This journey is crazy and drives me fucking insane sometimes. My weight was up 1.0lbs this week to 218.0! Are you kidding me, I’m tracking everything I eat, been keeping it clean and ran every single day this week. Yet I’m up +1.0lbs. Crazy.
I’m also supposed to run 7-miles this morning and to be honest, I just don’t fucking feel it. At 4:45am, I can tell I already feel the day is fucked. The only way to make it better is to get out there and run with friends. So off I go to the Downtown at Dawn to run with some friends.
Oh yeah, I didn’t mention. I was supposed to go do a 7-mile run with a friend at Fort Liberty (Ft. Bragg for the real Paratroopers out there). Well, the Jeep took a shit and a turn for the worse, so I have to deal with that immediately. Pretty much everything is a falling apart. Jeep broke-down, weight is up, my wife’s out of town and I’m feeling sleep deprived.
I show up to the meetup location and we have a few new runners! Instead of going for 7-miles, I figured I’d shorten it down to 5-miles and if that sucked, down to a 5K. So after some introductions and figuring out paces and distances we take off running. I decided to stick with Amanda and Mitch for their first run and we knock out a 5K.
I’m done. 5K and done. Fuck it. I have a race tomorrow and more shit to deal with than just my bad attitude and lack of miles.
I’m going to bed on Friday night with some nerves. I have a 5K race tomorrow morning and I’d really like to do well. Something faster than an 8min/mile! I’m in my 40’s, why the hell am I feeling nervous for a local, small town 5K? I’m not going to win it and my age group 40-49 is insanely competitive. Ugh, doing to get some sleep and hope for the best.
3.14 Miles | Avg Pace: 13’21” | Avg HR: 108 | Best Mile: 12’32” | Feeling: Overwhelmed
Saturday: 9.9.2023 (Day 49 of 112): My Kids Club: 5K
Coach brown called for a 0.5mi warmup before the race. So we take the group picture and then Becca and I take off for our warmup run, hoping we time it just right to still have an increased heart rate when the start happens!
Sure enough, we timed it JUST RIGHT!! As we were making our way back to the start, everyone was in the corral and the announcer was discussing the start. We literally walked up, turned to face the start and there we go!! This was great, I was already warmed up and ready to go!
I step it out the first mile and notice I’m well into the 7’s. My friend Anthony pulled up next to me (Orange shirt) and kept pace with me for the first mile. Oh man, I’ll tell you what, I was a little scared that Anthony was going to stick on my hip and PUSH me to the finish! If that was going to happen, I knew I was going to puke because I didn’t want to slow down if Anthony was pulling me along!
We complete the first mile in 7’32” and I’m breathing hard and on the doorstep of the pain cave! I maintained that pace for another 0.25mi before I tell Anthony that I’m slowing down; he tells me to have a great race and off he goes. My second mile came in at 8’21” and I felt myself slowing down. I simply couldn’t take it, so I dug deep a little and knocked out mile 3 at 8’37” and the last 0.14mi at 8’27”.
It was a FLAT and FAST course! I’ll do it again next year for sure.
According to Strava I set a new “PR”, while I know this is not a lifetime PR, it still felt good to push the limits a little and see what was there. I still had some left in the tank and feel like I ran this at about 80% of what I was capable of. When it was over I had some left in me, but decided not to push too hard as I had a 14-mile run the following day.
My friends did incredible. Anthony and Monica took 1st place in their perspective age groups, Becca took 2nd place and Jan took 3rd! I ended up with 4th place in my age group and others all set PR’s. It was great to have so many friends there on the course.
My unofficial goal while driving to the race was an overall Top 20 finish. I was thinking I could handle that. However, the reality was just a little different.
Overall: 21st Place out of 180.
Age Group: 4 of 19 (M: 40-49)
18th Male to Finish Overall.
3.14 Miles | Avg Pace: 8’11” | Avg HR: 159 | Best Mile: 7’31” | Feeling: Not Fast Enough