Hills!

In preparation for the Annapolis 10 Miler I have put into my training a hills loop. My wife came up with it last year because you could get out quick in the neighborhood and get a good work out. It starts at my house goes out to North Laurel Rd and up a ¼+ climb, a loop around the neighborhood at the top of the hill then back done the hill back towards my house down 3rd street around Decatur up the hill on 4th St. to Madison past my house back down 3rd St and then around the other way on Decatur to the bottom of Madison and then the hill back to my house. A 2 mile beatdown of hills to get the endurance for hills up. I sandwich this in between my other two runs for the week to hopefully get me ready for’ The Severn River Bridge of Doom’

Free Shoes....both of them

Free Shoes!

Safety First!

My wife, Mrs. Runner, and I have two children. So we do not get to run together much at all. I wake up, run, come home, make breakfast for the little ones and mommy goes running. We always have a quick briefing of where we are running and when we should be back and it always ends with ‘if I’m not back by such-and-such time come find me’.
My brother is an avid bike rider both road and mountain biking and he has had numerous run-ins with cars and sketchy roads and trails. Taking a page out of his playbook I decided to buy a product for my wife and I that I hope we will never need.
I purchased for us each a RoadID http://www.roadid.com/. It is much reminiscent of the dog tags I wore in The Marines, minus my gas mask size and religion. For $20 you get a tag with your emergency contact and medical information on a stylish 3M reflective band. They sell these to be worn on your wrist, ankle, or your shoe. We both opted for the neoprene ankle style, mine in red and the Mrs. in Pink. I filled out our tags with our names, address, home phone number, each others cell phone number, blood type and that we have no allergies to medication and that we are both organ donors. It may seem a little bit morbid to think about but if I get ripped in two by a passing car it would be nice if they could give my still functioning organs to someone (although my liver may not do anyone any good) or better yet get me some blood and put me back together.

It’s easy to say it won’t happen to you but I decided for us it is better to be safe than sorry.

…and don’t forget: Be Positive…..no really! If you see me bleeding on the side of the road get me some B+!

11 weeks!

Getting back on the Horse

Running Saturday was better. Not great. Each run should be getting better. I am breathing a little better. The River run is a good 3.5 miles and can be a very good trail not very scenic although it does go through Historic Laurel via Main Street. At this point I am trying to get my breathing and stride to match up. Which can take some time to hit the groove. nothing is worse than having to concentrate on your breathing while running once in stride you can just move without thinking. 12 Weeks till A10. It is on.
Hockey tonight running Tuesday, Thursday and long run on Saturday.

Don't forget to honk at chubby runners, it make us feel good.

Upper Respiratory Infection be Dammed!

I am back from fishing in Miami and my friend Woody’s wedding in Key West.
June 1st was the registration for the 34th Annual Annapolis 10 Miler or more hipper known as The A10. If you plan on running this one you better do it quick, it always sells out.
I am on a mission for this race since in the past the hills have taken me mentally out of my ‘game’. I was whining in my head the entire time. “Who would put hills on top of hills? What kind of sicko is he or she?” So the running has begun with a goal of kicking this courses' ass (or the person who designed it) looming for August 30th. I am recovering or I may still have an Upper Respiratory Infection so yesterday’s run made 2 and half miles or less out of 3, that I could run and breathe, feel like 10. After coughing, gagging and leaving phlegm (that should be a spelling bee word) all over the neighborhood, I actually felt cleared out of all the bad I put in my body from the late nights in the Key’s.

Here we are: Ground Zero for the 10 mile training. 13 weeks of running 3 to 4 times a week and progressively doing more miles each week (Thank you, Hal Higdon) ending with 10 miles of hills and the dreaded Severn River Bridge.
It can only get better than the run yesterday.

I hope they are going to have those awesome chocolate chip cookies and watermelon after the race.

"Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread, are where great deeds can be accomplished." -Jack Lovelock