8 Mile Thursday!

I got out for a run after work today, and did 8 miles. It was about the same weather wise, temps in the low 50's, and overcast, with not much wind. That's 2 days in a row, in shorts! Just think, daylight savings time is only a little over a week away!
I probably should have not run as long, since my lungs were killing me afterwards.
I can't friggin stand coughing, and it seems like that is all I do. I figured I'd run the cough out of my system. I guess it doesn't work that way. I had that burning feeling in the lungs afterwards, and it took a little while for it to go away. Guess I should know better than to push it when I'm not 100%.
I did a longer loop, similar to Wednesday's Mercer County Park loop. For as nice as the weather was, I only passed one other runner. I kept a nice even pace, and like yesterday, I wanted to end with negative splits.
For as crappy as I felt the past few days, I think the worst is behind me.
I'll take off Friday, and if I feel better, I will hit the trails Saturday morning with the group.

8 miles (1:10:18 8:47avg.)

Mile /Time
1 8:42
2 8:48
3 8:49
4 8:51
5 9:05
6 8:57
7 8:49
8 8:14

5 Mile Loop

I've felt like crap the last few days, and got to thinking today, that I would run the crappyness out of my system. One thing I hate, is that crappy winter sickness that seems to get us all at one point or another. I've been od'ing on vitamin C & Tylenol, and have taken zinc the past 2 days. At this point, all I have left is the 30yr smoker cough & the Flem is brings up. Soo... out the door today to run!
It was warm enough to run in shorts, my best guess is maybe it was close to 50deg, with a slight breeze, when I ran later this afternoon. I wanted to run 5 miles, so I did a loop from home to Mercer County Park, and back. I felt pretty good, considering how bad I felt during the Ugly Mudder. I think the hill at the race helped today. Running a pretty flat course seemed really easy after those hills!
Please check out the HamiltonAreaTrailRuns group blog, for some more detail about the Mudder, and some great pictures.
Anyway back to the run, it was nice to run in some decent weather, and I can't wait for spring to get here! It was a relatively uneventful run. No craziness going on anywhere, but that was ok by me.
I ran the 5 miles in 41:21, and negative split the last 2 miles.
If I fell good tomorrow, I might just get out there again, and try and add a mile or 2.

41:21 (8:15 avg.)

Mile/Time
1 8:26
2 8:28
3 8:31
4 8:09
5 7:43

UGLY MUDDER TRAIL RACE!

Another trail race is in the books, the UGLY MUDDER is history!

It started out really good, as the man himself, Bart Yasso was on hand to sign copies of his book, and was the starter of the race.

The weather was a bit of an issue, as it was cold and we had snow showers during the race. It was warmer than the Chilly Cheeks race, but still cool.

There was 10 of us that made the drive up from Hamilton, to Reading, Pa for the event, and it really is an event.

Here is Ron Horn, the man behind the Pretzel City races, at the start giving us a pep talk. He is quite the character, let me tell ya!

I wore a different shirt & hat than I had in the previous trail race here, and I made a bad choice.
After about the 1st mile, I felt sick, as if I was overheated. I wore a tech shirt, and I really shouldn't have worn my jacket with it. With it snowing, I wore a hat that covered my entire head, unlike the usual run for the holiday 5k hat, that barely hits the ears.

This race ran a totally different course than the Chilly Cheeks. It was flatter and faster. It still had some major hills, and they kicked your ass, let me tell ya!

This was the 1st race I had run, where I actually felt like I was going to throw up! Not a good feeling to have in the 2nd mile of a 7.25 race. I held it together, but man I don't think I have ever been passed by more runners than I was today. I think the hardest part of today's run, for me was trying to get going after one of the hill climbs. I just didn't have anything in the tank.

I had my camera with me, but the way I felt, there was no way I had the energy to bring it out.

Overall with not feeling the greatest, it was an enjoyable event.

The Garmin had it at 6.39 miles, but they say it was a 7.25 mile race, so who do you believe?

I finished in 1:10:34, which wasn't bad considering how I felt.

Well, I think that is the last of the trail races for awhile, so it's back to what I enjoy best, road races!

14 on a Sunday Morning

After Saturday's trail run, and not feeling that great, I wanted to get out and go for a nice long run. I picked one of the courses I ran while training for the Philadelphia Marathon.

It was a nice long 14 mile loop. I can break this run down into 2 half's.

The first 7, I felt pretty good. Legs were moving and I was making up for yesterday. The temp was in the 40's with a slight breeze, really nice running weather.

I ran past a red tailed Hawk, put I couldn't get a good shot of him.

I did get a nice shot of some Canadian Geese on a golf course.

These geese are taking over around here. It's hard to run in any local park, with running through geese poop.
The first seven miles seemed to go by pretty quickly, and brought back good memories of last summer/fall and training for Philly.

The 2nd 7, well, that's when the legs started to ache, and my bad planning of no water hurt me. I did pack a GU, and took that around the 7th mile.
As I hit Mercer County Park, I was hoping the bathrooms would be open, but they were closed.

As I ran into the woods, I got a nice shot of a pair of geese enjoy a swim.

The wind was a lot stronger at the park, especially coming off the lake. I think that had something to do with the legs.

As I left the park, and started on the last 2 miles, I wanted to make sure I picked up the pace for the last mile. It was hard, as this was the longest run I have done since Nov. I did check the Garmin, and I was at 1:55 at the 13.1, 1/2 marathon mark. I was really happy with that.
I picked up the pace the best I could for the last mile, and finished at 2:02:42.

Oh, and I got home just in time to watch the FLYERS put a beating on the Rangers. I will say, most of the beating was self inflicted. The Rangers are in a free fall.

14 miles (2:02:42 8:45 avg.)

Mile / Time

1 8:34
2 8:35
3 8:46
4 8:43
5 8:48
6 8:34
7 8:39
8 8:46
9 8:43
10 8:49
11 8:57
12 8:57
13 9:08
14 8:37

Clayton Park minus the ICE !

Clayton Park is sure much more fun to run at minus the ICE we had to deal with a few weeks ago.
Today's trail run was tough, Nate really pushed it up the hills, getting us prepared for the Ugly Mudder next weekend. We ran 5-1/4 miles, but it sure seemed longer, but hey the Garmin doesn't lie.
As you can see from the picture, we had a big group out today. Most of us running the UM, were here.

Clayton has some nice hills that will help replicate somewhat the trails in Reading.It was a tough run, and I was glad when it was over.

One guy, said it was a piece of cake, and he sure looks relaxed.... Shoreturtle

5.25 miles 50:01 (9:31 avg.)

8 miles in Shorts & a Tee!!

3 in a row!!
That's 3 consecutive runs in shorts! While Cal Ripken's record will stand, this sure feels good.

I got to run in Mercer County Park, Wednesday after work, in shorts and a t-shirt! The weather geeks claimed it could hit 70 here today, but I knew better. It was low 60's, and that was fine by me. The wind was an issue, as it was gusty, but I'm not complaining.
The park was buzzing with activity, walkers, bikers, runners, strollers, dog walking, it had that spring time feel.
I wanted to get in 8 miles today. My goal is to put a week in similar to my marathon training I did. I am kicking around an idea, and just want to see how I feel. More on that another day....

Anyway I felt good, the wind was a nuisance in the mid miles, but hey, 60's in Feb., let it be known, I am not complaining! If anything, it's good training for the Ocean Drive 10 miler.
8 miles (1:08:30 8:33avg)

Mile / Time
1 8:22
2 8:10
3 8:21
4 8:49
5 8:39
6 8:51
7 8:47
8 8:27

A Quick 6 in the park!

It was another nice weather day to run! It was in the low 50's, and I was able to run in shorts & a long sleeve tech shirt. That's 2 in a row, in shorts! I know I'll be paying for this break soon, it's just a matter of time.
Anyway, I went to Veteran's Park after work, and ran 6 miles. There were a bunch of walkers out, and a few runners. I felt pretty good, and enjoyed the mild temps. I ran the basic Hangover course, and modified it a bit, to add the extra mile. I felt like I could have gone further, but 6 was plenty. I pushed it the last mile, and wanted to run that under 8 mins. Mission accomplished. I did the last mile in 7:41.
Looks like tomorrow, Wednesday, the temps could hit 60, so while it has been an off day of running, I might just have to pack the gear and hit the parks! How can you pass up weather like that in Feb?

Sorry, no pics today, there just wasn't anything interesting to photograph.
One last thing.. I signed up for the UglyMudder trail race. Yea, I'm a glutton for punishment!

6 miles 50:05 (8:20 avg.)

Mile / Time
1 8:31
2 8:23
3 8:52
4 8:23
5 8:10
6 7:41

New Blogger...

Hey, if ya get the chance, check out the new blogger...

www.havebabywillrun.blogspot.com

She has started a blog, and has run the trails with us, and is training for the NJ Marathon.

It was cool that Shoreturtle mentioned my blog when I started this, and others found me, and I thought I would pay it forward.

A weekend of temperature extremes!

What a difference between the 2 days.

Let's start with Saturday. I got out at 7:00am, and met up with the trailruns group. The temp was 11.5 deg F, when I left the house. Another frigid trail run! I just keep thinking that running in these temps will payoff come Spring.

It was a good run, and Nate, our "leader", pushed us on a few hills. I didn't feel all that good on this run, and didn't have anything for the last 1/4-1/2 mile kick.

I was glad I got out and did the run. I'm still undecided if I am going to do the UglyMudder trail race.

The Garmin had the run at 7.11 miles, but I missed about a 1/2 mile as it tried to find the satellites.

7.11 miles (1:10.02)

Now Sunday was the total opposite of Saturday!

I went for a run around 11:00am. I wanted to run about 10 miles, so I headed towards Mercer County Park. It was awesome out! The thermometer read 61deg F, when I left. Yup you read that correctly, 61 ! What a difference from the frigid Sat. run! I was actually able to run in shorts!

I felt a lot better running today, than Saturday. Maybe it was the weather. For the 1st 1/2, I didn't realize I had the wind at my back. When I hit the park, man it was windy. The gusts where really strong around the lake. The paths that were ice covered only 24 hours earlier, where bone dry. These conditions will resemble the OceanDrive 10 miler. Very gusty for the 2nd half. The winds did slow me down.

When I got home, my oldest son took a picture of my unusual running attire. I had my long sleeve pullover off the arms. It was warm!

10 miles 1:26:18 (8:37 avg)

Mile / Time

1 8:06
2 8:12
3 8:05
4 8:06
5 8:38
6 8:49
7 8:45
8 9:25
9 9:04
10 9:01

5 miles in frigid Veteran's Park.

Our crazy roller coaster East Coast winter was back to the frigid side.

I ran 5 miles in Veteran's Park, Thursday, with temps in the low 20's and the wind whipping around. I was always one that enjoyed the cold, but I hate the damn winds. When you run into the wind, it just seems to zap you of all your energy.

I can't wait for Spring! I did see one other runner, and told him come spring we'll be reaping the benefits of running this winter.

5 miles (41:54 / 8:22 avg.)

Funny thing, my pal Shoreturtle had the same idea, and ran in Veteran's Park. I must have just missed him.



On tap this weekend, will be another trail run with the group on Saturday, and I might get out on my own for a long run on Sunday.

4 miles in the Snow.

On Tuesday, I got out and ran 4 miles after work in the snow. It had been snowing here all day. Nothing was sticking to the roads, since we just had a few days of temps in the 50's deg F.

I ran out and back to the beginning of Mercer County Park. The bike/walking path was covered in a few inches of snow.

It was cool to run in the snow. It reminded me of my old winter track days.

Funny, after getting about 4" of snow, and now a couple of days of frigid temps, they are calling for highs in the 50's this weekend! Ahh good ole NJ winters.

4 miles (34:25)

A weekend of running on the Trails of Clayton Park & the shore of Long Branch

It was a busy weekend of running. I did 2 group runs.

It started early Saturday morning, when I ran the iced over trails of Clayton Park, with the Hamilton Area Trail Runners. We only did 5 miles, but they were a handful.

It was 18 deg, when I left to meet the group at 6:30am, and with the wind, it didn't warm up any. The trails where an icy mess! We had a group of 8, with two new runners to the group. I hope they didn't get scared off.

Hopefully next weekend, the trails will be in better shape. It was my 1st time running at Clayton, and looks like a great place to trail run, if there isn't an ice issue.

5.01 miles 58:00 mins

On Sunday, Shoreturtle & I headed down to Long Branch, to meet up with Progman2000 & Joyrun , to run part of the NJ Marathon course. Prog had 14 miles to run, and nothing beats running at the shore. The 1st Sunday of every month, the Jersey Shore Road Runners Club meet and do a training run, in preparation for the NJ Marathon in May.

It was a nice balmy day, compared to yesterday's icy trail run. It felt like it was in the 30's, with a slight ocean breeze.
The JSRRC had set up a few water stops along the course, and we ran into LarrytheLighthouse at one of the stops.Larry had on what appeared to be a pair of gold 70's era disco shorts on.

It was a pretty scenic course, and always fun to run at the shore.

I can tell you that this course was similar to Philly's marathon course, as it was very flat. We ran a few slight hills, but nothing that bad.

It was nice to meet fellow blogger Joy, who hung in there with us, and looks to be well on her way to have a great NJ Marathon experience. It was good company and nice to settle in to a relaxed pace, and log some miles, after the past few weeks of helter skelter trail running.

My apologies to Joy, for not getting her in this picture. Progman looks to have his head in the clouds.

This was my longest run since the marathon in Nov, and I felt tired but good after it was done.

13.80 miles 2:14:03 (9:43 avg)

Mile / Time

1 9:13

2 9:47

3 10:00

4 10:20

5 9:59

6 10:17

7 9:58

8 10:07

9 9:59

10 9:35

11 9:08

12 9:46

13 8:56

.80 6:52