The Running Blog

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 0 hour(s), 33 minutes and 45 seconds
Pace: 11 minutes and 15 seconds per mile

Almost a week to go before the marathon! I ran a short run of 3 miles today. It was gloomy out, but nice weather for a run. I signed up for a pace team for the marathon I'm running in. I'll be shooting for a 5 1/2 hour time, as I'm not quite as trained as I was for my last marathon. We leave next Wednesday, I can't wait!

Dougster -- Some Like It Hot!

Some Like it Hot!
Sunday, March 24, 2009

Greetings Fellow Runner’s,

Q: What did the digital clock say to its Mom?
A: Look Mom, NO HANDS!
Laffy Taffy 2009

As I started the van after church, the digital clock display said the time was 10:04 and the temperature had shot up to 78. I should have run at first light today. I wanted to do a 16-miler today to maintain my marathon fitness level, but knew I couldn’t finish that long of a run (3:00-hr +/-) and still make it to church. I could have “blown-off” church like many of the regulars did this Memorial holiday weekend and done my long-run, but lately I’ve felt a need to go to church. I guess I am feeling a little guilty for already missing four Sundays as I ran my spring marathons, so I decided I could wait until after church to do this run. Besides the weather was cool and clear (early this morning), but while I sat in our air conditioned church that old summertime friend of the Midwest seems to have crept back into town. I’m talking about our old running nemesis, HUMIDITY!

Before I could lace up my new Asics Kayano 15’s for their third run, I had to fuel-up with the family at Sprout’s Inn. It a Dougster family tradition to go enjoy breakfast after church (this gives the DSW (dear sweet wife) a little break from planning and preparing meals all the time too), so it was while on the drive to town I noticed the digital thermometer click up a degree to 79. At Sprouts I passed over the tempting biscuits & gravy, omelets and hash browns to select a somewhat appropriate pecan-filled pancake (love the carb’s). As we left and drove home I noticed the digital display had risen to 80.

At home I quickly got ready by selecting a white (reflective) technical tee, my Illinois marathon cap and of course my new running shoes. I strapped on my water bottle belt fitted with a 16oz bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade, stuck on a pair of nipple-guards, filled my pockets with orange flavored Hammer Gel and a couple Laffy Taffy’s. I left the cell phone behind, but grabbed the mp3 player.

I stopped by the DSW sitting on the couch perusing the Sunday newspaper sale ads to ask her to bring me another bottle of Gatorade in an hour or so, since it looked hot out. I stepped out the door, crossed the porch, hopped over the young petunias, crunched through the dry neatly trimmed lawn to the asphalt street in front of the house. The sky was a typical Midwestern hazy bluish-white and not the beautiful bright-blue humidity free sky I experienced in during the Colorado Marathon three weeks ago.

My Timex Ironman watch said it was 11:54 a.m. and the heat rising off the asphalt made it feel hotter than the 80-degrees the indoor/outdoor digital thermometer said as I left the house. I skipped starting the countdown/repeat timer that would have reminded me to take a short walk-break every 6-minutes, because I had already decided to walk every half-mile as my concession to the heat and humidity. I started the stopwatch and took off.

It takes me about half-a-mile before I feel comfortable running. I reached the first walk-break and took stock of my condition. So far so good. I was beginning to sweat and wished I would have downed a glass of Gatorade before heading out. Four cups of diuretic inducing coffee was all I had drank so far today. That is not the pre-long run hydrating that anyone should do, and I knew better. I started back running.

A few more minutes and I neared the 1-mile mark when one of the town-folk waved me over to admire his new concrete driveway. We chatted for a couple minutes (I am a village trustee, so I must listen when asked my opinion about something by a regular voter, even after just beginning a long-run). Since that two minute break was much longer than I normally would have stopped I ran past the 1.5-mile walk break and ran straight to the 2-mile marker. The 2-mile point is halfway down the bluff (the only remaining downhill over the next 14-miles) so I ran all the way to the bottom before again stopping.

At the bottom, I looked over to check the sewage lagoon level and noted that it had dropped a few inches as I drank about 1/3rd of my only water bottle. Man, it was hot. The light wind was at my back and I was now in full sweat mode as I started running again. I made a mental note to add a large handkerchief or small towel to my gear when running on hot days.

I was running south along the bluff usually on a morning run I am covered in shade since the rising sun is still behind the trees, but not now. The sun was well overhead and the light wind at my back seemed to collect the heat rising from the asphalt and encase me in its energy sapping warmth. The next couple miles went by and at mile-4 I again drank from my bottle draining about ½ the remaining fluid. I checked the time and noticed I wasn’t even running a 12-minute per mile pace. This was going to be a “long-run”.

A few more minutes of running and I decided to shorten this 16-miler to a 12-miler and turn-around at mile-6. Stinging sweat kept creeping into my eyes. The $25 I spent on the Illinois Marathon hat I thought would be comfortable to wear running on hot days, turned out to be a poor purchase. Don’t get me wrong, I like the looks of the cap, but its functionality as a “hot weather hat” doesn’t cut it. A “dew rag” is much more comfortable and keeps the sweat out of my eyes better. Man, I wish I’d remembered a sweat rag to wipe my eyes.

At mile-6 I drained the last of the Gatorade, turned around and hoped the DSW hadn’t forgotten me. She hadn’t because just a minute later, she and the granddog were pulling over to the side of the road. I grabbed the fresh water bottle and paused for a minute to help fold-down the rear seat so our grand-dog could enjoy the car ride better. That couple minute delay had me reconsidering running the rest of the 12-miles and I bagged the attempt. The heat and humidity had won (this day).

I thought I was in pretty good shape, but running in mid-80 temperatures for the first time this year had whipped this puppy. I couldn’t imagine running a marathon in conditions like this. It’s going to be a “long summer” of running to get ready for the Air Force Marathon in mid-September.

Okay fellow runner’s…this is what I learned from today’s running experience and I hope you don’t have to learn these hot-weather running lesson the hard way too.

First…hydrate.

Second…hydrate some more and avoid long-runs during the heat of mid-day. (I must be getting old (53) to consider 6-miles a long run).

Third…hydrate even more and be prepared to sweat a lot. Carry something to mop up excess sweat. (My daughter would tell me a “Sham WOW” would be the perfect item for this task).

Fourth…hydrate and have a DSW or running partner to support/keep tabs on you. Bringing that cell phone along would have made it easy for the Dougster to call the DSW to request an early pick up.

Fifth…don’t be “too proud” to adjust your running goal if your conditioning, the weather, or your “gut” tells you today isn’t your day. I’m not a doctor (and I don’t play one on TV) but I do know if I hadn’t cut my run short today, I could have easily have suffered heat exhaustion or worse today.

Finally…as I sit re-hydrating, I know that there is always tomorrow. Tomorrow happens to be Memorial Day (a holiday) so I should be able to get in an early-morning long-run and still have time to attend the Memorial Church Service at the old Rock Church in New Providence Cemetery just north of town at 10:00 a.m. Remember to pause tomorrow and say a prayer in memory of all those past veterans who gave (some a few years of their life, some who must live a life with a disability and some who gave their whole life) so we could live free and enjoy long runs in the Midwestern summer heat. Somewhere in the Mideast a young soldier, carrying a lot more than a single water bottle is running hard in 100+ temps. Oh-Rah!

Gotta Run!
The Dougster

Each Laffy Taffy comes with two jokes, so here is the other half…
Q: What doesn’t get wet when it rains?
A1: The Ocean.
A2: The Dougster, cause on a hot day, I’m drenched with sweat already.

Justin -- Bridge the gap 5k

Distance: 3.1 miles

Race day! I had four kids follow through with the training and show up for race day. They all did great and I couldn't be prouder of them! I'll post some pictures when I get them (probably sometime early next week)

Dougster -- 2009 Colorado Marathon

Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 4 hour(s), 53 minutes and 35 seconds
Pace: 11 minutes and 12 seconds per mile

Greetings Fellow Runners, Family & Friends

On Sunday, May 3, 2009 I ran and completed my 20th Marathon by finishing the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins. Fellow marathoners have many reasons for running a given race event. I chose this race since my son is attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins, so the DSW (dear sweet wife) and I could double-up a visit to our son with a marathon weekend.

The Colorado Marathon is by far the most scenic race I’ve ever done. At 4:20 a.m. I stepped onto one of 30 motor coaches at the downtown bus station with the rest of the 1,000+ competitors for the pre-dawn ride up into the Rocky Mountains to a start line staging area. As we queued up to load on a bus, the organizers had boxes of bagels for us to pick-up and nibble on during the 60 minute drive. Most everybody brought their own water bottles and breakfast to eat on the ride. I sat in the front row and was joined by a fellow from Boston who was running his 48th state on his 50 state marathon quest. He was joined by his sister and another friend. We compared notes on past races we had run and discussed why we chose this event.

~READ MORE~

Justin -- 15 mile run and the dogwood parade

Distance: 15.20 miles
Time: 3 hour(s), 1 minutes and 0 seconds

Got up this morning at 5:30 and was out the door by 6:00. My plan was to run 15-16 miles into Quincy, were I would meet up with my boss and some kids from Teen REACH to walk in the Dogwood Parade.

The run went fine, Mandy came and gave me water and gatorade around mile 12 and I was feeling pretty good. I was mainly running on the river bottoms the whole way, and then I have to turn up State Street in Quincy...

I never before realized that pretty much from front street on the river all the way up to 24th street is up hill, and I mean up a steep hill. It sucked.

I eventually make it to our meet up spot at 15.2 miles, I had given my boss a change of clothes on Friday to bring with her, so I changed in the bathroom at Hardees and then we headed to our spot in the parade.

I was feeling pretty thirsty at this point and nobody had any water with them. Luck would have it that we were lined up right behind the Pepsi truck and they were giving out bottles of Propel. 3 bottles later and I was feeling pretty good!

We started moving in the parade close to 30th and Maine, the parade goes all the way to 5th and Maine. The walk must have been only a mile and half to two miles, but after my run I was definitely feeling it!

Who's bright idea was it to have horses at the beginning of the parade route? We had a hard enought time dodging all of the poo, I can only imagine what it must have been like for the marching bands!

At any rate it was a beautiful spring day and the parade was fun. By the end I was famished and ready to get some food! I think next week is supposed to be a 15 miler, but I might run 16 since I wasn't able to get the complete distance today.

Justin -- 3 miles

Distance: 3 miles

The Teen REACH kiddos ran 3 miles today! It was a big accomplishment for them and it was great to be able to see the smiles on their faces afterwards....well mostly there was just heavy breathing, but I'm sure there was a smile somewhere there..

We are running one more 3 mile run next Wednesday, and then next Saturday is the 5k race.

Justin -- irunfortheparty.com

If you're ever looking for a good excuse to head to Nashville, then this is it. Irunfortheparty.com hosts a few different runs throughout the year, all of them being a huge party before, during, and after the race.

From the website:

I Run For The Party began in 2005, when running enthusiast Emmit Martin organized an innovative breed of race event that promised an unprecedented reward for everyone involved, an all-out party to be held at the end of the race. Originally intended to be a single event called the "I Run For The Party 5k," the momentous response to the event was more than enough to push I Run For The Party forward to become one of Nashville's most popular and cherished pastimes.

Justin -- Denver Gorilla Run

I've posted about this before, but wanted to bring it up again as a reminder. The Denver Gorilla Run is a 3.5 mile run in..guess where?..Denver! This race costs a little more than your normal 3 mile races($99), and that is because you get a full body gorilla suit to run in, and you get to keep it afterward!

The race is on Halloween, I probably will be signing up for it sometime this week. I think it's going to be a lot of fun, but will be even more fun with friends! Let me know if you're going to sign up!
Denver Gorilla Run - Fun for Charity

Justin -- Mighty Mississippi River Run

Distance: 11.8 miles
Time: 2 hour(s), 14 minutes and 58 seconds
Pace: 11 minutes and 27 seconds per mile

Doug and I ran the Mighty Mississippi River Run on Saturday. The run is from La Grange, MO to Canton, MO which is about 6 miles. We decided to park in Canton, run to the race start, then run the race back to Canton.

We mistimed our start, so by the time we get into La Grange there are already people going the other direction in the actual race. We tell the walkers as we pass by that we'll see them in a little bit.

We get to the race start about 10 minutes late, turn around and start to catch up with the race participants. It took awhile, but we finally pass all of the walkers and catch up to the back of the runners.

The race was fun, there were some neat houses up on the bluffs and every once in awhile we caught a glimpse of the Mississippi beside us. Funny thing about the road from La Grange to Canton, no matter which way you travel it, it's uphill both ways...strange.

Anyway we get to the race finish and are hanging around enjoying some bananas and muffins when they are passing out trophies. Imagine my surprise when they announce my name for 1st place male in the age division 24-30. I go up, get my trophy and get my picture taken. At this point I say to the race director "I was the only one, wasn't I", she smiled and said "yup".

So there ya go, if you want to win a trophy in a road race and you're back of the pack like me, just pick a race with 50 or less participants, and you might just have a chance!

Dougster -- 6-mile Pensacola Beach Run

Distance: 6 miles

I’ve gotta tell you about my recent beach run.

I got the opportunity to travel to Gulf Breeze, Florida for my nephew’s wedding and to re-connect with the Dougster’s southern family last Saturday, April 18th. This trip would give me a great opportunity to log-in a few miles of beach running on the sugar white sand of the Gulf of Mexico just outside of Pensacola. The DSW (who is still nursing a broken leg) couldn’t get any vacation leave so I was “baching-it”.

I arrived around 6:30 p.m. Friday night (after a 14.5 hour drive) and checked-in at the re-conditioned Paradise (Bates) Motel at the (un)reasonable $120/night price. I heard a live band playing behind the motel so I dropped my larger running bag and smaller overnight bag in the second floor room and headed downstairs. My room had a “king-size” bed with wooden venetian blind covered window that faced the main highway and looked south toward the Gulf. The view must have been nice (once) but now it is blocked by a brand-new 16-story “MacHotel & Conference Center”.

~READ MORE~

Justin -- 14 miles

Distance: 14 miles

Mandy had to go in to work today to work on a presentation she has to give, so I came in with her for my long run. Long runs on treadmills are not really fun, but it was due to rain most of the day and running in that isn't really my idea of a good time either. I figured that at least on the treadmill I would be able to watch tv while I ran in an effort to distract myself from the task of running 14 miles.

Mandy's work has just recently bought a sweet (and expensive) new treadmill, it has fans built into it for crying out loud! I started watching some MTV's "Made", then switched over to Star Wars III, it was about half way through and I ran watching that for the rest of the time.

It is amazing to me how I zone out and lose track of time when running. After Mandy was done working on her presentation, she came over to the workout area and worked out on the elliptical for about 50 minutes. I was shocked when she told me how long she was on the elliptical, because in my head I could have sworn it seemed more like 10 or 15 minutes. This zoning out must be a defense mechanism in my head to help me forget about the task of running for almost 3 hours straight.

I started to feel pretty tired with about 5 miles to go, so I switched my intervals around a bit and that gave me the push I needed to get through. Next week I get a little bit of a rest, with a long run of 10-11 miles

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Workout Logs

Recent Logs

03/22 - gringo
Run - 3.14 miles

03/22 - gringo
Exercise - 10 minutes

03/17 - gringo
Run - 2 miles

03/15 - gringo
Run - 3.14 miles

03/15 - gringo
Exercise - 10 minutes

03/14 - gringo
Elliptical - 3.76 miles

03/13 - gringo
Walk - 12 miles

Monthly Totals (September)