Instagram filter used: Earlybird
My training log posts for the Rocket City Marathon (December 10) have been few and far between, and my training in general has been less than ideal. There are several reasons for this:
- In October and November I have competed in 5 races…
*Shelby Bottoms Boogie 15k – Oct 2
*Bank of American Chicago Marathon – Oct 10
*Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon – Oct 16
*196-Mile Ragnar Relay – Nov 4-5
*Boulevard Bolt 5-Miler – Nov 24While all of these races have gone pretty well, they have left me tired, and not allowed for a normal training schedule for Rocket City
- I missed 5 days of training due to being sick, and it took another 5 days to get my energy back once I was able to run again. Due to fatigue from racing, and from getting sick, I was not able to get in a 20-mile run until last Saturday which is only 2-weeks from race day (That 20-miler felt pretty good though). I had originally planned on doing one 20-miler and one 22-miler before Rocket City. I have also been very limited in my ability to get in good tempo or track workouts.
- Just as I was getting over being sick I hurt my back (re-aggravated an old injury). This did not prevent me from running, but did impact the quality of my runs for several days.
So….all of this has added up to me not feeling like 3:15 is going to be a realistic goal for Rocket City. On our 9-mile tempo run today, 7:30 pace felt pretty fast. I’m not really expecting that between now and next Saturday 7:26 is magically going to feel great again.
Even though I think it is a long shot, I’m not going to make my final decision about whether or not to go for it until closer to game time. This race does have a 3:15 pace group, so that does have me thinking about going for it anyway. Is this crazy?
Another 5-mile @BoulevardBolt in the books. 32:35 finish, 6:31 avg pace. Pretty pleased considering I’ve been sick. Happy Thanksgiving! #fb
Just because:: Run, Drive, Sleep? Repeat: Ragnar Relay Tennessee 2011
Team Isabel, Ragnar Relay Tennessee post from my dear friend Paxton (paxblr):
http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/tennessee
Last weekend I ran 3 legs of a 196.1 mile relay from Chattanooga to Nashville, Tennessee. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was runner number 3 of the 12 member Team Isabel relay team from Nashville, Tennessee. My…
Waiting For A Sub-2-Hour Marathon? Don’t Hold Your Breath
Article by Amby Burfoot in Runner’s World … Interesting Read.
My thoughts on the 2nd annual Ragnar Relay Tennessee
November 4-5, 2011
Chattanooga to Nashville
www.ragnarrelay.com/race/tennessee
The Experience:
This was undoubtedly one of the most difficult yet AWESOME things I’ve ever done. I had never participated in anything remotely like this before, and had an absolute blast going through this experience with my teammates. The Ragnar Relay Tennessee is a 196.1-mile relay from Chattanooga to Nashville. A standard team was comprised of 12 runners, with each runner completing 3 legs of 2 to 9 miles each. The first 6 runners were in Van #1 and the last 6 in Van #2.
Meagan leading Team Isabel to the finish line…
I am not somebody who just likes to run. I am a runner. This is the difference between a pastime and a passion. I like to play golf, but I am not a golfer. I like to cook, but I am not a chef. I don’t just like to run. I am a runner. It is a passion. It is part of who I am and is woven into the fabric of my personality, character, and psyche.
Adam Goucher from “Running the Edge”
Tuesday (Nov 1)
Running: (FAIL) My schedule called for 10-miles this morning, but I overslept and missed my opportunity. I am SO MAD at myself, and have felt out-of-sorts all day long. I don’t ever recall being this upset before about a missed run. I’ve got to remember this feeling so that the next time I reach for the snooze button I’ll have a little extra motivation to get out on my feet.
Princess Passenger Completes First-Ever Marathon at Sea to Honor Friend
Staff Sergeant Christopher Chacksfield once expressed interest in raising funds for Help for Heroes, a charity that provides support to those wounded, sick or injured in the line of duty since 9/11. Unfortunately, he never got the chance. In June 2010, he unexpectedly passed away, and his friend Steve Eaton struggled to find some way to honor the fallen military veteran’s life.
With an upcoming cruise in place, Steve put his mind to work on a unique idea for honoring his late friend, but it would take a lot of planning and coordination with the Grand Princess crew. Princess Cruises was more than happy to help out and on September 22nd, Steve Eaton successfully completed the world’s first-ever marathon at sea to benefit Help for Heroes on Christopher Chacksfield’s behalf.
Though he’s an avid runner with 33 previous marathons under his belt, this was definitely a new experience for Steve, and the 57-year-old UK native was up to the challenge. While Grand Princess was sailing near the coast of Portugal, he ran 70 laps around the ship’s Promenade Deck to cover a total distance of 26.2 miles, which he wrapped up in 5 hours, 16 minutes and 45 seconds. A considerable crowd lined Steve’s route, offering support during his run and subsequently congratulating him at the finish line, including Grand Princess Captain, Anthony Herriott.
Once he’d had a chance to catch his breath, Steve said, “This has probably been my hardest marathon to date, but it was for a very special cause and I’m grateful for all the support of the passengers and crew onboard to keep me going. Tonight I’ll have a big steak, for the protein to help my body recover, and a glass of wine to celebrate together with my wife, Margaret.”
“Everyone at Princess Cruises is very proud that Grand Princess could host the first marathon at sea,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “Our passengers and crew were really behind Steve’s attempt, and it was wonderful that so many of them came out on deck to cheer him on. Help for Heroes does fantastic work and we hope that Steve’s efforts have raised lots of money for this worthwhile charity.”
Congratulations, Steve! We hope that you took some time to escape completely during the remainder of your cruise.