Most of my posts on this blog are focused on my running, hence the name "On the Run in Virginia." That being said, I am a cyclist in addition to my running and have found that they are a nice compliment to one another. Like running, I am relatively new to cycling, but have found it to be another great community.
Until this past Saturday, my longest ride was at the 2012 MS 150 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where our team did 75 miles on consecutive days to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. On Saturday, I participated in my first century ride (100 miles) as part of the Cap2Cap Ride sponsored by the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation. Although the weather forecasts were a bit troubling, we only got rained on briefly and then the sun came out for the rest of the ride. If you are a cyclist and have not tried a century, give it a try. It did take some training, although I did not train as much and for as long as I should have and was feeling it by Mile 90.
The ride took us through some beautiful and historic areas of Virginia, including the Charles City County Courthouse, the Richmond Battlefield Park, Rockett's Landing in Richmond and past the James River plantations along Route 5. This was a great ride and kudos to the VCTF for a job well done.
If you have ever spent any time around other runners, you will find that the conversation inevitably turns to shoes. After all, they are a major component of the sport and something we all have in common. I have to preface my remarks by disclosing the fact that I have been actively running only since September, 2011. Consequently, I don't have the long perspective that some running bloggers bring to the table. I do, however, have some strong opinions.
Before I began actively running, I was a walker for many years and had decided that Saucony was the best shoe for me. I am one of those rare supinators, so I have to have a neutral shoe. When I started running, I naturally continued to use Saucony's, which are great shoes, but were not as comfortable for my running. I actually was smart and went to a local running store to get fitted with the right shoe. After trying on several types, I decided that the Brooks Ghost 3 gave me the best fit and feel. The Ghost 3 is still one of my favorites and I think I went through three pairs of them. I was not as fond of the Ghost 4's, but, about that time, Brooks introduced its Brooks Pure Project series. The Pure series was Brooks' foray into a minimalist, lightweight shoe. I tried the Pure Flows and loved them. Wonderfully light, while still well-cushioned. I still use them and recommend them to others.
The latest evolution in my running shoe journey are my Newtons. Like so many other runners, I had never heard about Newton running shoes until I began seeing them at races. Newton Running, a Boulder, Colorado-based company, was doing bright colors before it became trendy. I was intrigued by them and did a bit of research. What I found was that they are designed to emphasize a more natural style of running. The shoes employ a lug on the bottom of the shoe that encourages the runner to shift his or her weight to the forefoot. This change in form is less stressful on the knees, which is especially appealing to those of us in our 50's.
Like so many other runners, I was a heel striker with the excessive heel wear on my shoes to prove it. At first, I was put off by the cost of Newtons. At $175 for a pair of Gravities, they are not cheap. Finally, I decided to take the plunge (with the help of a gift card from a buddy of mine). I am not being gratuitous when I say that my Newtons have transformed my running. Although it took a few weeks to adjust to the new running style, I cannot say enough good things. My Gravities are lightweight and comfortable. My legs are more resilient during runs and I am no longer overstriding. In short, I love them and I think they have made me a better runner. I will continue to use my Pure Flows in my shoe rotation, but from now on, Newtons are my "go to" shoes.
The Monument Avenue 10K (above) was my first race in my Newtons and they performed well. I was not expecting a PR, because of the large number of runners, but managed to get one anyway. Although I am not ready to run a full marathon in them, I would not hesitate to use them for a half. Like many aspects of running, the choice of a good running shoe is a very individual decision. I suspect, however, the next time you see me on a run, I'll be in my Newtons!
It is still hard to imagine how two people, so twisted by hate, could choose to randomly target spectators and runners at one of the signature running events in the United States. I guess it is the price we all pay for living in an open society. I am struck, however, by the incredible response of the running community to this crime.
I can only lay claim to being part of the running community for that last couple of years, but I never cease to be amazed at the passion and excitement shared by runners. Perhaps, it is the nature of the sport. I have found it to be incredibly inclusive and welcoming to new runners. It is, at the same time, both an individual sport and a group sport. As individuals, we runners are always pushing ourselves to go faster or longer and to get that new PR. We also tend to love sharing the sport as evidenced by countless number of running clubs and races that fill the calendar.
The bombing at Boston two weeks ago was not just another random act of terror; it was an assault on the running community. It was a violation of our sport and our members at the most basic level. As such, our community has responded by supporting the victims, both runners and non-runners. Running groups and stores have sponsored charity runs and individual runners have donned the memorial bibs as a symbol of their support.
While terrorism has, unfortunately, touched the Boston Marathon, it has not ended it. Indeed, the word is that next year's Boston Marathon will be even more competitive to get into. The sad events of April 15, 2013 have brought out the best qualities in the running community and made me proud to be a member.
Being from Richmond, Monument Avenue is one of those treasured places that makes Richmond....well, Richmond. It is lined with impressive homes as well as statues of Confederate heros from what is alternatively called the War Between the States or The Late Unpleasantness. All that being said, it would be hard for me to turn down the chance to run this impressive boulevard. I ran part of it during the Richmond Marathon in November and was ready for another dose.
I also managed to convince eight runners from our Cornerstone Striders group in Suffolk to join me. Until I actually began reading up on the race, I had no idea it was so big. Some 40,000 runners and walkers. The corrals stretched for blocks and I only made it into mine by a few minutes. I really had no expectation of a PR given the number of runners and the crowd did not thin out until we were well up Monument Avenue on the first leg. Still, I managed to keep a sub-9 minute pace and when we made the turn at the half way mark, the field had opened sufficiently to allow me to make up some time.
Like the Richmond Marathon, the Monument Avenue 10K has terrific public support with spectators lining the entire route and bands at every mile. We had a beautiful day and I even managed to PR the race by almost a minute with an average pace of 8:26. I thoroughly enjoyed the race and hope to make it again next year. Thanks Richmond!
Well, the Shamrock Marathon is now history and it's one I will remember for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the weather. It was COLD!! I had been looking at the long range forecasts for weeks and had pretty much figured that we were looking at temperatures in the mid-40's, which proved to be the case. The big question mark had been the chance of rain. The weather gurus had gone back and forth all week, first predicting rain, then backing off and then predicting it again. In the end, it came close to raining, but (with the exception of a few drops) it did not rain during the race. The wind was another matter. From the time I got out of my car in the parking deck on Sunday morning, I knew we were in for wind. In fact, I added some gear to help deal with the wind chill. The wind was particularly brutal along the Boardwalk between Miles 10.5 and 11.5 and coming back through Fort Story between Miles 20 and 22.
The other memorable thing about the 2013 Shamrock Marathon was a nice PR. I was able to slice 15 minutes off my time from the Richmond Marathon in November of last year. I set my goal of running average 10 minute miles and managed to have all of my mile splits under 10 minutes for a finish at 4:20:18. Not bad given the unfavorable conditions.
The Shamrock Marathon course is mostly a flat course with a couple of exceptions. The most notable is during the first half where you go out and back over the Rudee Inlet Bridge. This amounts to a freeway overpass, so not a terrible hill to contend with and, fortunately, is during the first half of the race when you are better able to deal with it. The other "hill" occurs during the second half of the race between Miles 16 and 19 as you approach the West Gate to Fort Story. However, this is a pretty gradual hill and you don't really feel it. The photo of me is Mile 18 going up that "hill."
As I mentioned, the real obstacle this year was the cold wind off the Ocean. Now, anyone who has been to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront know that the wind blows most of the time. On marathon morning, it was blowing particularly hard and combined with the temperatures in the low 40's made for a chilling experience. While I geared up, I saw plenty of runners in tank tops and shorts and I couldn't help but think - what do they know that I don't? I'm still not sure.
When the race was done, I was not only tired but bone-chilling cold. I picked up my swag and headed for a warm car. No post would be complete without a tip of the hat to the J&A Racing folks. They put on great races and, with the exception of the weather, this year's Shamrock was another success. They really have their act down and they do it right.
Not so long ago, it seemed like Shamrock was a distant point on the horizon. No longer. This is the weekend. We have had some beautiful weather this week, but it looks as though we may be in for some less than ideal race weather. The forecast for Saturday is mid-60's with a chance of showers in the afternoon, so the kids doing the Final Mile (including my daughter) and the 8K'ers should be okay. Things get a bit more dicey come Sunday with highs only in the upper 40's and a better chance of showers. One of the things I have learned about running races is that you can't change the weather, so there is no reason to obsess about it. Just dress appropriately, show up and run.
Our Cornerstone Striders running group in Suffolk is going to have a pretty good showing for Shamrock. At last count, we had 22 people doing at least one of the Shamrock races. I think the majority are doing the half marathon and only two or three of us are doing the full. Not a bad turnout. I think for 2012, we only had less than 10. Everyone has trained hard and I hope to hear about some new PR's at Shamrock!
The Fitness Expo is today and tomorrow, so I will probably go by there today and pickup race packets for myself and my daughter. I hope that everyone participating has a great race and an enjoyable weekend.
When I first started running, I didn't give a whole lot of thought to my times or to my pace. Running was about finishing a certain distance, regardless of the time required. At some point, however, pace became more important to me. It became the standard by which I measured myself against other runners. It also allowed me to judge my compatability with running friends.
When you run with other people, one of the first questions they ask is "so what pace do you run at?" If you don't know the answer to that question, it is likely because you are new to running and have not given it much thought. Pace is, literally, the speed at which you run a mile. Your pace can vary depending on the length of a particular race. For example, my pace in the 2013 Virginia Is For Lovers 14K was about 8:16 minutes per mile. For most people, that's a pretty fast pace and it translated into a nice new PR beating my 2012 time by a whopping 22 minutes. On the other hand, my marathon pace in Richmond was almost 2 minutes per mile slower and was designed to allow me to finish the 26.2 mile course. In short, you adjust your pace to suit your running objective.
When you run with a group, you may want to adjust your pace to allow you to keep up with the group. Most running groups have members that run at a wide variety of paces, so it is not hard to pair off with a compatible runner. I have also found that running with others, who have a faster pace, can also help you increase your pace. My Garmin helps me adjust my pace to finish my races successfully and with the occasional PR. Now that I know what pace is, I like it!
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