Preping for the Half.

I think it is like anything else, when you do it enough it is the little things that you don't think much about.  Follow me on this.  I have over the past couple of years fallin' in love with running.  And depending on the day, time and what I am preparing for will determine the distance and the speed that I train.  Well the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half is coming up very fast.  I'm excited and a tad nervous at the same time. 

 

These are pretty cool!

Pro Football Hall of Fame Half

I've never trained for or run this kind of distance this early in the season.  And usually we'll get a couple warmer dryer days in February and March that one can get in a couple good runs.  This year...not so much.  The cold, a high of 35 today, the snow, yes more snow on the way and the wind have made it tough to train.

"What's your point Bill?"  The point is don't forget the little things when that time comes and you have a small window to get in a training distant run.  STRETCH!  This is the most vital part of any training or work out.  Stretching should be done before and after an extended exercise.  I did a 10 mile training run this past Friday and in my haste to get it in I failed to 'do the little' things and did not stretch properly.  I've been running for more than 2 years consistently, which for me is a pretty long time, and have always stretched before and after.  WELL, at 37 and running for an hour and 25 minuets my body had enough.  That was a Friday evening and come Saturday morning my body was mad at me.  My legs were spent and so sore.  I paid the price for not doing what I was supposed to do and I'm lucky that I didn't injure myself.  Plus when you get older it takes longer, my experience, for your body to recover putting even more emphasis on stretching. 

I've learned after all this time, step back, take a breath and a moment and evaluate what I am about to do and please, P-A-LEASE take an extra 5 to 10 minuets and stretch before hand.  It will definitely save you from being sore and in most cases avoid injury.  I have the next 32 Days, 15 Hours and 56 minuets to make sure I don't do something like that again.  I could really use your prayers. 

If you are curious about any other techniques or workouts to either get in shape or stay in shape, check out my coaching site or let me know if you have questions,  Coach Bill.

One down...many more to run!

Close your eyes.  Not yet, you’re reading this.  Picture this.  That’s better.  You lace up your worst pair of running shoes.  The wind bites through your layers of clothing and you can’t wait just to start running.  The siren goes off, your running in a pack of about 200 other people.  Quickly the pack narrows on to a muddy path.  The mud is deep, wet and cold.  Within the 1^st 5 minutes of your run your feet are now sloshing around in your shoes.  To avoid the worn down muddy path you run along the side only to have the pickers dangling over the path nipping at your shins and calf’s.  The cool air pierces your lungs as the first hill rapidly approaches.  Quickly you’ve come to realize this is that portion of your worst dream when your legs are moving, you aren’t going anywhere, and they feel like they weigh a ton.  Then you crest at the top of this hill, mud covering the tops, sides and sole of your shoes and then quickly before you catch your breath there is the first step on a patch of ice the size of a Lincoln.  Strides shorten, you hold your breath, arms stretched out and prayers that you stay up right and the theme from “Last of the Mohicans” running over and over in your head.  Toward the end of the race the muscles are fatigued, legs are Jell-O, but you’re almost done and you have to push through because the last thing you want to do is a face plant in the middle of the muddiest portion down the stretch after you’ve come this far.  Now you’re finished.  And MAN that was fun! 

 

My wife and I did the Hartville St. Patrick’s Day Trail run - http://www.hartvilletrail.com/

 

 

We had a great time.  It was everything I described during the run and then some.  I would do this again in a heartbeat.  The race was fun, the people were fun, it was an all-around great experience for our first Trail Run.  Between you and I, Ryann is hooked.  This won’t be her first rodeo with trail running either.  This could be the start of something special. 

“Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the Prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 

Yeah I'm smiling, this is fun!

I can't answer the question why Ryann isn't...I'll leave that for another day and time.

We will run faster the next time.  As hard as it was I finished in 27:19 and Ry in 45:33 and I couldn’t be happier.

Let the training for the next one begin!

Who's with me?

Maybe I'm doing this because it is the right thing to do.  Maybe I'm doing this because I'm excited about running season.  Or, maybe I'm doing this because I'm so sick of the snow and cold it gets my mind thinking of warmer weather.  Either way, it is to late!

For the second time in as many races my wife and I will be running in a local 5K.  If you can remember we did something like this back in November.

 

 

I'm not sure she's totally hooked yet, but we are really looking forward to running on March 15th at the 3rd Annual Hartville Trail Run.  http://www.hartvilletrail.com/

It will be the 1st run of the year for us and Ry's second 'real' 5K.  What worries me?  The cold the mud the cold again.  I really enjoy running but most of you know that living in North East Ohio you expect the unexpected.  That's what makes it fun.  But that's what makes it hard to train.  I have this gut feeling that Ry will be more like this in a 'classy' before the race and after the race photo.  But you never know...

 



Over the weekend I must have been bitten by the sun, because I didn't stop there.  Nope, I decided to lace up my big boy shoes and sign up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the 27th of April.

 

http://www.hofmarathon.com/

 

I asked Ry if she wanted to join me for this one too.  It didn't take me long to figure out the answer based on the 'look' she gave me.  But, I can't go back now!  I am committed and will continue to train.  I ran in the Cleveland Half last spring but that occured in May.  This will be the earliest I've run since I started.  Training for a 5K and training for a Half are completely different.  I have some awesome supporters though between the pretty red head I married, my little buddy and the pretty little red head that told me I can do it and pointed out my potential reward for finishing...

 

 

Maybe some chocolate after I cross the finish line, maybe.  Well 2014, here I come.  Looking forward to race season, with a touch of golf season and spring sports with my biggest fan base.  I'll keep you all posted on our success.  So...WHO'S WITH ME!?