Friday, September 28, 2007
Quad Cities Marathon Race Recap
So I apologize to anyone who was looking for a race review for the past couple days but life has been crazy with having way too much work due in one week and some other things going not so well in lab.
But yes I have offically finished my first full marathon and cannot be any happier. It was an interesting weekend to say the least. Driving out there through all the corn fields solo was kind of nice to be able to get myself mentally prepared for the race because I was not really ready for what was to come with school and everything hitting pretty hard right now. The expo was nice and I ended up winning a $300 gift certificate for laser hair removal or skin rejuvination. Not sure what I am going to get with that, I was thinking about some sort of design on my body somewhere. Any ideas?
Race day: The blessing before the race was great, the priest said the Irish blessing may the road rise up to meet you... and so on. It was the perfect thing to say before a race like that. I was keeping a great pace, I was looking at somewhere between 4:10 and 4:20 and then it got hot. It reached 90 degrees air temp and 110 pavement, so I found out after I crossed the finish line. I knew it was going to be a hot day so at every water station I was taking 2 cups tyoically 1 H2O and one gatorade. I made sure that I was taking my Endurolites every 40-50 minutes, but thinking back I may have missed one which could be a potential reason for what was to come. I was taking my gels every 30-40 minutes, Amino Vital is quite tasty. I was running really well and everything felt great and then it got hot. Out on Arsenal Island is where things started to unravel. I was at about mile 19 when I got cramps in my hamstring and calf of my left leg which I stopped and quickly streched out and kept moving. Then at mile 19.5 I got cramps in both of my hamstrings and calfs and almost fell over because of it. I stereched it out and started running again, mile marker 20 is only .2 miles from the finish and there was a woman standing there with a sign that said 20 miles of body 6.2 miles of heart and as I read that I realized it is really what it came down to. All I had to do was just keep my body moving forward and I would be back at that point crossing the finish line today. So I started the out and back that would get me to that finish line and was plagued with cramps up and down both my legs casuing me to stumble off the side of the road multiple times. I made the decision to not even try to run from mile marker 25 to mile marker 26 so that I would be able to run across the finish line. I started my run as soon as I hit the marker and it probably was not even that much of a run but it was getting me there faster I knew that much. I was about 100 ft from the finish line when my body decided it did not want to run anymore and everything cramped up, legs arms chest back talk about a party. I told myself I did not care how much it hurt I was going to cross the finish line in a sembalance of running. As soon as I crossed the finish line I fell over and a medic caught me and pulled me into a chair and started to question me about how much I had been drinking and what hurt. I looked down at my left calf to see it shifted and cramped on the inside of my leg, not where it was supposed to be and all I could manage to tell him becuase of pain and the emotion of crossing the line was a MEH and a point at it. His response, Oh Damn! and he helped me strech it out.
As soon as I could walk again I walked over and got my finishers medal and then stumbled over to find a place that was quite enough I could call my family and tell them I am alive and I finished. They had been amazing and sending my inpirational text messages all day long, which was quite helpful considering I did not have anyone there for me. After hanging out for a bit I walked over to my car to make the nice long and boring drive back to Notre Dame. As soon as I got on the highway other than getting on and off of it to get gas I did not touch the gas or the brake I was using cruise control the entire time and just using the coast button to slow down and the accelrate to pass. It was fantastic. I did not even know my offical time until over a day later and did not care all that mattered was crossing the finish line. My first big step towards preparation for Ironman FL in 2008.
Offical Time: 4:46:22
But yes I have offically finished my first full marathon and cannot be any happier. It was an interesting weekend to say the least. Driving out there through all the corn fields solo was kind of nice to be able to get myself mentally prepared for the race because I was not really ready for what was to come with school and everything hitting pretty hard right now. The expo was nice and I ended up winning a $300 gift certificate for laser hair removal or skin rejuvination. Not sure what I am going to get with that, I was thinking about some sort of design on my body somewhere. Any ideas?
Race day: The blessing before the race was great, the priest said the Irish blessing may the road rise up to meet you... and so on. It was the perfect thing to say before a race like that. I was keeping a great pace, I was looking at somewhere between 4:10 and 4:20 and then it got hot. It reached 90 degrees air temp and 110 pavement, so I found out after I crossed the finish line. I knew it was going to be a hot day so at every water station I was taking 2 cups tyoically 1 H2O and one gatorade. I made sure that I was taking my Endurolites every 40-50 minutes, but thinking back I may have missed one which could be a potential reason for what was to come. I was taking my gels every 30-40 minutes, Amino Vital is quite tasty. I was running really well and everything felt great and then it got hot. Out on Arsenal Island is where things started to unravel. I was at about mile 19 when I got cramps in my hamstring and calf of my left leg which I stopped and quickly streched out and kept moving. Then at mile 19.5 I got cramps in both of my hamstrings and calfs and almost fell over because of it. I stereched it out and started running again, mile marker 20 is only .2 miles from the finish and there was a woman standing there with a sign that said 20 miles of body 6.2 miles of heart and as I read that I realized it is really what it came down to. All I had to do was just keep my body moving forward and I would be back at that point crossing the finish line today. So I started the out and back that would get me to that finish line and was plagued with cramps up and down both my legs casuing me to stumble off the side of the road multiple times. I made the decision to not even try to run from mile marker 25 to mile marker 26 so that I would be able to run across the finish line. I started my run as soon as I hit the marker and it probably was not even that much of a run but it was getting me there faster I knew that much. I was about 100 ft from the finish line when my body decided it did not want to run anymore and everything cramped up, legs arms chest back talk about a party. I told myself I did not care how much it hurt I was going to cross the finish line in a sembalance of running. As soon as I crossed the finish line I fell over and a medic caught me and pulled me into a chair and started to question me about how much I had been drinking and what hurt. I looked down at my left calf to see it shifted and cramped on the inside of my leg, not where it was supposed to be and all I could manage to tell him becuase of pain and the emotion of crossing the line was a MEH and a point at it. His response, Oh Damn! and he helped me strech it out.
As soon as I could walk again I walked over and got my finishers medal and then stumbled over to find a place that was quite enough I could call my family and tell them I am alive and I finished. They had been amazing and sending my inpirational text messages all day long, which was quite helpful considering I did not have anyone there for me. After hanging out for a bit I walked over to my car to make the nice long and boring drive back to Notre Dame. As soon as I got on the highway other than getting on and off of it to get gas I did not touch the gas or the brake I was using cruise control the entire time and just using the coast button to slow down and the accelrate to pass. It was fantastic. I did not even know my offical time until over a day later and did not care all that mattered was crossing the finish line. My first big step towards preparation for Ironman FL in 2008.
Offical Time: 4:46:22
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Quad Cities Marathon
I am running in the quad cities marathon today, it is my first marathon and I cannot be more excited. I will let everyone know how it goes either tonight or tomorrow.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
I love long runs
So I had a very sucessful run this morning, I was able to knock off 18 miles without an issue. I felt fantastic afterward other than some minor leg fatigue because I decided to run the last 4 miles about a minute faster than the first 14, go smart decisions. One more long run left and then it is taper time which is a very scary reality that is going to be very interesting. I booked my hotel room so this is becoming a reality, exciting! Okay time to run and get on with other things. Good luck to the Ironman Wisconsin people.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Blog comeback
So it has been a while since I have updated because of the hectic life that has begun yet again. I am still keeping up the marathon training even though I had a rough weekend with a botched long run. I just wasnt feeling it so I had to cut it short. This weekend is 18 mi I should be able to do it I am really not all that worried about it. Okay time to get some homework done.
Later. Hope everyones tapers are going well and good luck with your upcoming races.
Also congrats to all the new ironmen from this past weekend.
Later. Hope everyones tapers are going well and good luck with your upcoming races.
Also congrats to all the new ironmen from this past weekend.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Holy Crap
So I am sitting at work today, yes I am working on a Sunday, its not too bad double time but anyways. I am thinking about my interview tomorrow which could be the first interview that starts my career with GE and that is kinda freaking me out. I do not feel old enough to be starting a career. And I am slightly nervous which is a completly new feeling going into an interview. I do not know what I am going to do.
Anyways marathon training is going well had a nice 10 mi run this morning and it felt pretty solid after working out some kinks in the first half mile (wierd quad twinge, shoe tightness.) I bought another pair of the same shoes to start rotating shoes in and be ready to swithc my shoes and socks at the 13.1 mi marker of the race to feel fresh even if I am not all that fresh.
Anyways marathon training is going well had a nice 10 mi run this morning and it felt pretty solid after working out some kinks in the first half mile (wierd quad twinge, shoe tightness.) I bought another pair of the same shoes to start rotating shoes in and be ready to swithc my shoes and socks at the 13.1 mi marker of the race to feel fresh even if I am not all that fresh.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Where did the summer go?
Warning this entry is really scattered kinda how my head is right now.
So I am sitting here pretending to work thinking about this summer and am shocked as to how fast it has gone. It really feels like I started working here only a couple days ago and now I only have 14 days left including today, well really like 13 because my last day is aparently a softball tournement. I really cannot believe what I have accomplished this summer, an International Tri, a Half-Ironman and marathon training, who the hell could have ever predicted this. Certainly not me. I am approaching the infamous 200 lbs mark right now something I have not been below probably since early high school sometime.
I cannot wait to get home in just under 3 weeks now, getting to see everyone I have not seen for an exteneded period of time in a long time will be really nice. Hopefully get the old beach crew together to just catch up and have a few drinks, something we have been doing together for a very long time which is just hillarious.
I am sad that the Harry Potter series is now over I finished the last book on Sunday and now do not know what to do with myself. once all of the movies are done I will truly be at a loss.
Since noone really reads this I can say this without anyone really finding out, I met a really cool young lady the other day it just sucks that I am leaving so soon and met her this late so nothing can really happen at least not yet. Oh well thats just my luck right?
I have to start packing up my apartment and figure out what I am going to do with all of my crap and how I am going to fit it all in the car considering it was a tight fit coming here and then I had to buy stuff to live in an apartment. Such is life I guess.
Okay that is all for now maybe more will come later who knows depends on how busy we get today in teh Jet Engine Factory.
So I am sitting here pretending to work thinking about this summer and am shocked as to how fast it has gone. It really feels like I started working here only a couple days ago and now I only have 14 days left including today, well really like 13 because my last day is aparently a softball tournement. I really cannot believe what I have accomplished this summer, an International Tri, a Half-Ironman and marathon training, who the hell could have ever predicted this. Certainly not me. I am approaching the infamous 200 lbs mark right now something I have not been below probably since early high school sometime.
I cannot wait to get home in just under 3 weeks now, getting to see everyone I have not seen for an exteneded period of time in a long time will be really nice. Hopefully get the old beach crew together to just catch up and have a few drinks, something we have been doing together for a very long time which is just hillarious.
I am sad that the Harry Potter series is now over I finished the last book on Sunday and now do not know what to do with myself. once all of the movies are done I will truly be at a loss.
Since noone really reads this I can say this without anyone really finding out, I met a really cool young lady the other day it just sucks that I am leaving so soon and met her this late so nothing can really happen at least not yet. Oh well thats just my luck right?
I have to start packing up my apartment and figure out what I am going to do with all of my crap and how I am going to fit it all in the car considering it was a tight fit coming here and then I had to buy stuff to live in an apartment. Such is life I guess.
Okay that is all for now maybe more will come later who knows depends on how busy we get today in teh Jet Engine Factory.
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