Handling the Half

Over.  It is officially over.  As I mentioned in my previous blogs I didn't expect much from myself for a race this early in the season and with limited training.  Race day changes things.  To be honest, the race was on Sunday, and it all really started on Saturday. 

I took the family to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to pick up my packet, shirt and bib (the link has some photos from the race too).  A lot has changed since coming here as a kid. This is the new main entrance.  We had the chance to tour the Hall, for free being a runner, and if it would have been up to my son I think we would still be there.  He loves to read and well..."In the beginning, God created football..."

Both kids were good sports and humored me most of the time.  (I need to figure out my new phone and how to hold it steady.)

Alex may have been off reading something when I took this picture.  It was a Champion type atmosphere, feeling of competition and the amount of people really in to it helped get past the doubt and concerns about race day Sunday.  The weather was perfect.  The sun was out and both kids had the chance to go through a mock NFL Combine at the stadium.  The entire football experience from Saturday through Sunday was very well thought out and made it so much fun for everybody, families and runners.

Race day.  It was 34 degrees when I left for the race.  I'm not sure how I feel about this picture, but I had to drive past the Hall and stadium to see it all lit up.  It was pretty cool, and frankly this is probably the best I could do.  This picture is kind of growing on me though.  I'll remove it if it is to much of an eye sore.

It warmed up to about 36 degrees when I got on the bus to head to the stadium.  I decided to wear compression pants with shorts over top, white pants, my wife wasn't happy with that purchase. I also wore a bright orange shirt so she could spot me at the finish.  The pants kept my legs warmer and considering how cold my arms were it was a total distraction.  The run itself was a blast.  It was a smaller race, about 3000 Half and Full Marathoners.  The 'pack' thinned out pretty quickly and I wasn't getting trampled on or trampling on others. 

The race weaved through Canton Ohio, by the McKinley Memorial and Monument and the back up toward the stadium and Hall.  And by up, I really mean up.  From mile 11.5 until the finish it was a climb.  The hills surprised a lot of runners that weren't from the area.  I am from the area and was still surprised at the hills.  After a quick run around the parking lot you headed back into the stadium and finished at the 50 Yard Line.  What a way to finish.  What a fun race.  What a fantastic experience.  This was my 4th Half, and as much as I love Akron, this one was an absolute blast for 2 days.  And will be on my schedule for next year too. 

How did I finish?  My goal was to beat 1:49:00.  I finish at 1:44:20 (7:58 min/mile pace).  I missed setting a personal best by less than 40 seconds.  I was thrilled with my time.  Like anything else when you're done you always look back and think where you could have run faster or picked up the pace.  Are my goals obtainable?  You bet!  Is it going to take some hard work?  Oh yeah!  Am I going to break 1:40:00 at Akron in September?  God willing!  You'll just have to wait to find out.  Its spring, its running season, and its a new year with a better than expected start.  Can't wait for the next.

 

God bless you all, and keep working hard.

 

Coach Bill

Preping for the Half Part III

Nervous, anxious, worried and excited.  Since Monday, now that Easter has come and gone, my email reminders continue to pop up notifying me that the race is getting closer.  This will be my 4th Half Marathon, but for some reason this one is a tad different for me.

Maybe because I set my goals pretty high this year.  I did get off on the right foot back in March, and felt real good about my results considering it was a trail run, the paths made it difficult to pass and I started in the middle of the pack.  And during my training for this half I've actually had better times than I anticipated.  Last Sunday I did 11.5 and Easter morning 9.6 before church (good thing too, because after what I ate you would have thought I wasn't training at all).  Those were my last long runs and I was training for miles rather than time.  But the bar has been set.

My goals for 2014:

Break 20:00 for a 5K before the end of the year

Break 1:40:00 at the Akron Marathon

Well, all the chips are on the table and I better deliver.  You can't back out now.  But I've got my cheering section ready to go...

God love them for loving me.  Wish me luck!

Bill

Preping for the Half Part II

I think there comes a point in time during the training process where you just have to realize that even though you're not ready, you are just going to have to do the best you can.

I had to take a week off for minor surgery.  Then, THEN, Mother Nature decides to play a joke on me...us.  Tantalizing us with 70 degrees and then only to have snow on the ground the next morning.  The hardest part about training this time of year, meaning the calendar, is that you just never know what to expect.  I, for one, am tired of waking up to this:

Even though it is snowing here, I just had one of my real good friends finish her first her first Team Triathlon. Tis' the season! 

It has to end at some point.  I finally did my last long run before the Half.  I maxed out at 11.5 miles before the 13.1 at a 8:18 per mile pace.  It is probably best to make sure you train for the race you are running.  When I train for The Akron Marathon the training will be different.  More interval training, speed training, and longer faster distant runs.  I expect a good time and I expect to be better than last year, but I am also a realist and things could definitely change...especially depending on the weather. 

I am still looking forward to it.  The 'swag' looks great and the Finisher's Blanket looks really nice too.  The bonus is that when I go to pick up my stuff my family and I will get FREE entry into the Hall of Fame.  I love this place, if you have an affection for football the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the place to go.  All around this is going to be a fun family experience and in the end, I get to run.

Coach Bill

Outside your comfort zone

So what do you do when it’s about 30 degrees, 20 mile per hour winds and you start to wonder if the sun will ever shine again? Well, you go for a run of course! Not only that, but you make it a family event.

Back in October of 2013 I started a fit club at church for the men in the church to take control of their struggles with eating, dieting, exercise...or lack thereof, and motivation. This is something I wanted to do for some time and prayed about for guidance and timing. So I put it in God's hands and for about 5 months it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. Come September of 2013 it finally became a reality and simply through word of mouth we had about 6 men every Friday for 8 weeks. That carried over into another 8 week session in January that ended in March. It was fun, but more important it got guys motivated and willing to make a difference. Everybody wanted to keep going.

That brings us to April. We have guys from this group that will doing something in 2014 that they never thought they'd ever get around to do (maybe I'm adding drama where drama shouldn't be added). Some of these men will be running in 5K's for the first time and will be training with me over the summer to run in their first Half Marathon. Several of us will be running in the Akron Marathon at the end of September this year. They have all come a long way.

 

 

 I just don't think she could be happier.

 

Alex, our little pace setter

So when do we start?  Why not right now?!  We did a fun run this weekend at a local trail in Rittman.  What a blast.  I enjoy running and I enjoy running even more with great people.  I took my wife and kids.  My son on his bike was our pace setter and he did great.  My wife and little girl...watched the van for us.  No, they ran too.  For a little bit but it was just too cold for them.  Other Freshwater Fit Club guys were John, and he brought his 2 daughters, Gregg (2 g's...yes), Josh and his dog Cooper, and Dan.  Great people and a great time.  This is going to be a fun summer watching all these people change their routine and lives. 

What a great group.  Keep routing them on and may God Bless them all.

- Coach Bill

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!?