It's not a sprint, it is a Marathon.

The calendar has been marked for the beginning of my Marine Corps Marathon training. I have been running my normal off-and-on but as of Junes 26th that will need to be a focused regiment to end at the goal of 26.2 miles on October 30th. My friend Phil from my home brew club, who runs 2-3 Marathons a year and is starting to do Iron Man competitions, shared his knowledge and 4 work out programs that he has used. The training programs from Hal Higdon's 'How to Train' ranged from Novice (that is me)to Intermedate, Intermediate II (not Me) and Expert(definatly not me). So I looked at the calendar and counted back my 18 weeks to get my timeline of training together. My old friend the Annapolis 10 Miler even fits in perfect with my training as it turns out I need a 10 mile long run that weekend. Now I just need to make time for all of this running it looks like it is going to cut severly into my beer drinking time.

A-10 2010 - Cramps, Sweat and Beers

I'm not good at running. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I know what you are saying to yourself: What? You, Milhouse? Not good at running? I see plenty of 235 pound marathon runners. Surely you jest!
No really, I'm not good at running. I have no idea how to plan for a long distance run. The day before I stretched, drank plenty of fluids, ate a good diet and rested.
Run day was 5 miles of breathing out stomach cramps, 3 carefree miles that I enjoyed and 2 miles of foot and calf cramps. Awesome.


Oh well there is always next year. Had an awesome banana and a bumper of Southern Tier Hoppe when I got home.

A10 2010

I'm in! Registration opened yesterday. I guess I have a couple months to fine tune my hydration or lack there of.
The course is the same as has been since I've ran it the last three years.

Notice if you will mile 4 and 8. that is The Severn River Bridge. maybe you can see it better on the elevation profile:

Lace 'em up and I'll see you on August 29th

Countdown to the Pain Cave

The Annapolis 10 Miler is one of the few races that you do not receive your 'premium' till you actually finish the race. Most races you go to pick up your packet and your shirt or whatever the give away is already in your bag. Hell, why run the race I got the shirt. I always ignore the shirt or in the bag till after the race. I would never wear a shirt of a race I did not run or finish my soul can’t take that kind of torment. When I ran the Baltimore Half Marathon (13.1 miles of my life I would like to have back) I did not even look at the shirt till I came to my senses a day later but people were actually wearing their shirts to run the race, which I feel is like wearing the t-shirt of he band you are going to see in concert….Don’t be that Guy.

Here is this years Premium.



Notice it says 'Finisher'.
I like that they do it that way, because if you don’t run or finish no jacket or running shirt (in this case)for you. They always have the best give-a-ways but you have to bleed, sweat and cry to get.
Less than 3 weeks I have a 7 mile run this Saturday followed by regular week of running finshed with a 9 mile next Saturday and a ramp down to the race on the 30th.

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’

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