Not a stranger, just another runner...

I have found that runners are some of the nicest people.  I see it at races, at the track and I know how my running group takes in people that are visiting the area.  Its nice to be around all these people that just don't see people as strangers.

Yesterday, I went out for my long run.  I was planning on running twelve miles out to Sullivan's Island and back. As I made it to the top of the Ben Sawyer Bridge it was opening to let the ships through the Intercoastal Waterway.  There were at least twenty sailboats lined up and I knew it was going to take a while so I turned around to go back to Mount Pleasant.  As I was running back I saw another runner and told him I thought it was going to be a while.

I usually don't wear headphones on my runs, but I was running alone and I needed some motivation.  A few seconds after hitting the bottom of the bridge the runner I had passed came up along side of me.  I took off my headphones and we started talking and running together.  We ended up running about four miles together.  I learned that he was new to running and was planning on running a half marathon next year on his 40th birthday (a lot like my plans to run a marathon on my 40th birthday next year).  He was visiting the area from Columbia, SC, with his wife and two kids.  He talked about the Marine Mud Run that he did in Columbia and I talked about the Citadel Bull Dog Challenge (they sound a lot alike).  As we made it to his turnaround point we exchanged names and shook hands.

I ran for a few more miles and headed back home.  I ended up running my splits fairly well (9:45, 9:42, 9:33, 9:16, 9:10, 9:30, 9:45, 9:55, 9:55, 9:54, 9:55, 9:30).  When I got back home my wife asked me how my run was and I told her about running with this guy named Kevin from Columbia. Not a stranger, just another runner...

Turkey Day Run

There is no better way to start off Thanksgiving than by joining 5,000 people in downtown Charleston for a 5k!

Not only did I get to run the Charleston Turkey Day run, I finally got to watch my wife finishing a race.  She is usually the one waiting for me after my race or in the past was caring my son during his early tries at running.  This is the first time I was able to get to the finish line and see her come through.  I knew she was feeling weak before the race, but she really looked happy as she crossed the finish line.

I know I usually write about all the running activities I do with my son, but this was a chance for my wife and I to get out and experience a race together and it was a blast!  We even stayed after for a little while and listened to the band, ate some bananas and bagels, and hung out with some of our friends that had run the race.  I am truly thankful that I am able to share the joy of running with my entire family.

On a side note, I hit a personal best for the 5k (23:50).  I have not been training very hard this month and did not go out to run very fast.  After the run I felt great and could not believe it when I saw the clock.  My Garmin had my time even faster (23:43)!

This morning I ran six and a half miles (9:50, 9:39, 10:01, 9:50, 9:25, 8:24).  I wanted to do negative splits to work on finishing better.  I tend to die at the end of my races.  It felt good and I may have even worked off some of the turkey from yesterday.

The Marine Captain's Cone

Most of this month I have devoted to recovering from the marathon.  I think I am as recovered as possible and ready to start doing more tempo runs.  I am also ready to get back on the track and increase my long runs.

I am running the Charleston Turkey Day 5k in the morning.  This will be the first 5k I have run in a while.  Not sure what kind of time I will run, but it should be fun.  Here is a list of my last few days before the race.  

November 18 - Ran 6 miles (9:42, 7:41, 9:35, 9:37, 9:30, 10:02 )
November 19 - Boot Camp
November 20 - Ran 6 miles (9:10, 7:47, 8:59, 9:19, 9:05, 9:03, 9:08)
November 21 - Ran 8 miles (10:24, 9:38, 9:11, 9:50, 9:50, 9:23, 9:25, 9:30)
November 22 - Rest
November 23 - Boot Camp
November 24 - Boot Camp
November 25 - Rest

On the 24th I went to Boot Camp and there was a Marine Captain that came out to lead our workout for the morning.  He was pretty intense when he walked in.  He was holding a traffic cone in one hand and yelled at all of us, "This is my cone, you will not touch my cone unless I tell you to touch my cone!".  He then walked across the gym and placed the traffic cone in the corner.  We of course yell, "Yes Sir!".

There were about one hundred grown men and women standing there with confused looks on their faces (including me).  We had already stretched and warmed up so he went right into his workout (mainly core building for an hour).  As he walked around the gym he started pointing people out, "You call that a plank? Go touch my cone!!!".  "Get your butt out of the air!  Go touch my cone!!!".  The person would have to jump up, run to the cone and touch it.

You can imagine that we were all doing our best to keep a straight face.  My stomach was already hurting from all the abdominal exercises, but now I was really hurting every time he would yell at someone to go touch his cone.  This went on for the whole hour.

I thought the workout was a little easy while I was doing it, but this morning I could feel it.  The Marine Captain never cracked a smile during the workout.  I have no idea how he did it, but it sure made for a fun workout.

I'm back...

It's been a while...

I have not been updating my blog each day as I did when I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon. Not sure why, but maybe I just needed a little break.

I did take it easy for a few days after the race. I have kept my runs to not more than six miles and have tried to run at an easy pace, but I am itching to get back in the game.

So here is a recap of what I did after the race:

October 25th - ran the Marine Corps Marathon

October 26th - walked around DC and visited the Zoo - did you know that the zoo is on a hill? Well, after running a marathon it felt like I was climbing a mountain! My son had no mercy.

October 27th - walked all over DC - my six year old son really has no idea how much pain I went through so he could see the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum (twice!)...

October 28th - drove back home - rest!

October 29th - rest

October 30th - rest

October 31st - ran 6 miles (9:45, 9:17, 9:43, 9:34, 9:41, 9:35) - I ran by feel and did not look at my watch until I got back.

November 1st - ran 4 miles (9:41, 9:30, 9:32, 9:16)

November 2nd - first day back to Boot Camp

November 3rd - Boot Camp

November 4th - rest

November 5th - Boot Camp in the morning and then ran 4 miles in the afternoon (9:48, 9:53, 9:33, 9:41)

November 6th - rest - it was my birthday...

November 7th - ran six miles (9:39, 9:15, 9:05, 9:09, 9:13, 9:26)

November 8th - ran 4 miles on the track - mostly 200's and 400's with my son

November 9th - ran 6 miles (9:53, 9:19, 9:42, 9:27, 8:56, 9:11)

November 10th - Boot Camp

November 11th - Boot Camp

November 12th - I ran the James Island County Park Holiday Lights Two Mile Run with my son and we did it in 32:15 (he said he beat me by 2 seconds though)...

November 13th - ran 6 miles (9:18, 8:46, 9:35, 9:20, 8:35, 9:27)

November 14th - rest

November 15th - ran 6 miles (9:21, 9:39, 9:32, 9:05, 9:25, 8:52)

November 16th - Boot Camp

November 17th - rest

So that's it! I have been running easy and trying to recover and still get in some miles. I have also been reading Bart Yasso's book and I love it! What an amazing story.

What now? I am planning on running the Charleston Turkey Day 5k on Thanksgiving and then trying to figure out my race schedule after that.

A group that I run with wants to do the Palmetto200 (a 200 mile relay from Columbia, SC, to Folly Beach, SC). I am really excited about doing it next year.

The biggest thing I am planning next year is a marathon on my 40th birthday! The Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis is on November 6, 2010 and I am going to break four hours!

I have a sister that lives in Indianapolis and most of my family lives in Kentucky, so I have asked all of them to run or walk that day to help me celebrate. How cool will it be if all four of my sister run on that day?

I am rested and ready to go, should be a fun year!

www.mooreonruning.com