Countdown to race day

I am getting ready for the Taste of Louisville on Saturday. This will be my last race for a few months. I ran this afternoon and actually felt pretty good. I haven't put in as many miles since the last race, but I think I will enjoy this race nonetheless. I was hoping to cut off some time on this race, but I will be happy with any time around 2:20. In addition to running, I have been doing a little bit of biking lately. Denver Cruisers which rides throught the streets of Denver on Wednesday nights has been my new workout the last couple of weeks. Riding a bike up hill seems like more work than running up a hill, but I am giving my lungs a good workout and preparing them for my race. We also rode along the bike trail near the Yampa River in Steamboat this past weekend. The bike I was riding was about three inches too short, so my legs were working more than they should have.

I am excited to run in a new place and see some new scenery. Even though Louisville is only 45 minutes away from where I live, I haven't spent much time there. My co-worker encouraged me to sign up for this race and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Although I am sure I will be trailing my co-worker, I will use it as motivation to go faster. I have a hard time pushing myself during my training runs. But maybe if I have someone to keep up with, I will work just a little bit harder.

I looked at the race course and elevation. It has some downhill around miles 9 to 10, but then goes back up toward the end of the race. I am glad I have been doing some hill training lately. I guess I will see if it pays off. Until race day, I will be keeping myself properly hydrated and enjoying some pasta :)

http://www.tasteoflouisvillehalf.com/

Look at me, I'm a winner (or at least a finisher)

well, I did it. i finished the half marathon in a little less than 2 hours and 19 minutes. This is a little more than my goal time, but less than my "you better finish in less than this time" time. The rain held off until just after I finished. Normally I feel pretty lousy after a race. But I feel good after this race. I enjoyed running into the speedway and around the race track. As I was running on the track I thought it was never going to end, but then I realized the part I thought was more race track was actually part of the track that I already ran and I was at the end of the speedway part and onto the last 4 miles. The energy from all the spectators was great as was all the music along the way. One of the favorite parts of my race was 2 women running with their dad who had open heart surgery 8 months ago.  Now I have to start training for the Taste of Louisville. Maybe in a month I can cut 4 minutes off my time and get a personal record.  Now we are off to visit some Indy breweries so that Chris can blog about them.

Two days, 12 hours, 23 minutes and 22 seconds

The amount of time I have to train keeps getting shorter. But, yesterday I ran (with a little bit of walking) 10.15 miles. I am surprised that I am not sore at all today. When I was running, my body wasn't in pain at all, except for my lungs. I felt good until about the 7th mile. After that I felt like I couldn't get any air into my body. The route I ran included some uphill parts, some down downhill parts and a lot of flat parts. This was the 2nd time I have run this route from the Highlands to Crown Hill Cemetary and park and back. This time I added a few blocks by Sloans Lake.

I packed my bags for the race and hopefully I didn't forget anything I need. I packed blister band-aids to protect my feet from the blister that I formed training for the race. Running 13 miles with a blister is not fun, I know what past experience. I also packed my Sports Beans to eat along the way, my water bottle, my powdered Gatorade and clothes for warm and chilly weather. It has the possiblity to rain on rain day. I have been fortunate to have great weather in every race that I have run so far. Maybe my luck will continue...

Wish me luck! I am going to need it for this one.

One week

I can't believe that I have less than a week until I run the Indy Mini. I feel like my training for this half marathon has been not been what it should be. This last week has been especially hard with allergies that make it hard to breathe. I am hoping that the altitude, or lack there of, will give me a boost in Indianapolis. It has been my goal to get my personal best time at this race, but I am not too optimisitic. Since i started running, my goal has been to run a half in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The closest I have come is 2:17 at the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins.

I just signed up for the Taste of Louisville in June. I hope that I can make some improvements between now and then. I have learned that I need to have a goal so that I don't quit running. I am already signed up for the Denver Rock & Roll in October. Before becoming a Rock & Roll marathon series, the race was called the Denver Marathon. The course is challenging, with a uphill run from mile 9 to 10 into Cheesman Park. But, the last part of the race is a downhill run by the state capitol, the art museum and Denver's city and county building. This will be my third time running this course.

As I prepare for my upcoming race, I have other thoughts about future races. I have been entertaining the idea of running a full marathon for a while now. I found a race in Indianapolis in November and I am almost sure that I am going to sign up. Somehow I need to find the time to balance work, school, and training. But, it is hard to get motivated to go for a run after a long day of work.

So, I am starting this blog to share my thoughts as I train for a marathon. If I don't do the one in Indianapolis, I will find another one to run. I have no doubt that I will run a full marathon someday.