Eat. Run. Sleep.

It's been about 2 years since I've started this blog, and to say the least, it's been lacking. 
It's not to say that I haven't been doing anything, I've run all over the county, I've found a job, I've lost that job(doh!), I've found another job(YAY), and I've run so much, I somehow became a coach(More YAY!).  Over the next few days,I am going to try to recap the races that I have run for whoever might be interested in reading about them. 
I will also be including more info on my training, what works, what doesn't. Also, info on how I train my clients.  Injuries - prevention and healing.  Reading materials I think are worth while, be it books, articles in magazines, video, etc.  OH! and I will also be the last person to chime in on the barefoot running thing....even though I was in on it very early on(actually barefoot - then moved to vibrams -when my feet started to bleed)
I am excited to reboot this blog.  I will be getting my older brother to post some of his thoughts on training, and races, and maybe get an occasional guest post from some of my running buddies.
So it's raining down here in VA, I need to get a run in before I hop in my car and head to NJ(brothers birthday = morning run and pancakes with him).
As always, Eat, Run, Sleep!
-Running Rob 

Hey Peoples! So I have been off for a while, not really writing, but running a whole lot.  I have a ton of great stories to tell from my races in Delaware, and Boston, plus a story about how I nearly died on the operating table!  I've "raced" since then, but have my first real race at the end of March(Ocean Drive Ten Miler in Cap May, NJ). 

I don't have the time to write the details now, but I am going to recap the last 7 month over the next two weeks. 

Eat, Run, Sleep,

RunningRob

 

There was no link to this text, but I thought it very important to republish.  This is quoted directly from Ryans blog which is:

http://ryanhall.competitor.com/2010/08/23/overcoming-adversity/

"We all face challenges that knock us down from time to time. Here are some ways I have found to stumble back to my feet, whether it is enduring tough workouts, life circumstances, or personal shortcomings.

1. Rise again. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Proverbs. It says, "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." I can't tell you how many times I have reflected on this verse in tough times. I constantly remind myself that I must get back up and it's not the falling that determines my character-it's whether or not I rise again.

2. Remember your original vision. In college, when I felt like quitting running, I often reflected on the vision God gave me for my running when I set out on my first run at 13 years of age. I couldn't allow myself to quit because I knew that I had yet to accomplish the vision God had given me for my running, which was to run with the best guys in the world and to help other people through running.

3. Spend time with people who care about you and give them the chance to pour encouragement into your life. As a guy, I often find that I will keep things that are bothering me inside and perhaps won't even deal with them at all. I have learned to share these things with my wife and family and allow them to encourage me through them. I certainly wouldn't be running at the level I am at if it weren't for the encouragement of my wife, family and friends. This journey of life is not meant to be lived alone.

4. Figure out what makes you you. When I left school for a quarter during my sophomore year in high school I realized that my self image was based on how I performed on the track. During this time away from school, I got to the point were I saw myself for who I was independent of my performances, whether it be on the track, classroom, or wherever. In the culture of today, which is largely performance-oriented, I encourage you to see yourself independent of your performances. Chances are you will perform better from this perspective, anyway. I like to see myself the same way that God sees me, which, thanks to Jesus, is in perfect light.

5. Don't go overly introspective, but keep moving forward. It's easy to get overly introspective. I struggle with this one from time-to-time, however I am learning to focus on how I want to be, not my shortcomings, and walk as if I am already there."

What is on the horizon for Running Rob!

http://www.dogfish.com/dogfishdash   --Rehoboth, DE.  Dogfish Head Brewery hosting the 5^th Annual Dogfish Dash!  Looks like a really fun race.  Capped at 1500 runners, the race seems to have a really great atmosphere.  Definitely looking forward to running this race on 9/26/2010.

http://www.baa.org/HalfMarathon/Default.asp  --Boston, MA.  SUPER EXCITED to be involved with this race.  After initially getting locked out at registration the BAA folks gave me a waiver to register.  This race, has a great course, great atmosphere and raises money for two great charities - The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and The Jimmy Fund. 

http://www.obxmarathon.com/Top_Nav/outerbanksmarathon/fpraces_courseinfo.htm --Kitty Hawk, NC.  Looking forward to getting down to North Carolina in November!  Should be slightly warmer that NOVA.  The 13.1 mile course takes you past the airfield where the Wright Brothers first took flight!  I can't wait to wander around the city after the race!

http://www.odmarathon.org/TenMileInfo.cfm --Cape May, NJ.  Wow...You'd figure I would have done NJ a long time ago, but alas, I never got around to running anything really long in NJ.  This is another great Beach run, not too expensive, near some really great restaurant for pre-race dinners, and for post race gluttonyJ   

http://www.bsim.org/The_Twenty-Sixth_Presentation.htm  -- Monterey, CA.  This one is going to be beautiful.  I have no intentions of racing through this course.  I want to take in all that this course has to offer, and having never been to the west coast and seen the Pacific Ocean, that will be everything!  I also can't wait to try out some local dinning establishment. 

States already complete- Philly Half Marathon --Philadelphia, PA;  Cherry blossom 10 miler -Washington, DC; Baltimore Half Marathon -Baltimore, MD; 26.2 With Donna Breast Cancer Marathon - Jacksonville, FL;  Army Ten Miler --Arlington, VA; Country Music Half Marathon -Nashville, TN.

If anyone knows of any great races, I am always looking for recommendations.  I am looking for races that aren't always the BIG races, but still have great community, and enviroment.

Eat, Run, Sleep...

-RunningRob

It's been a few strange months since I have written! 

There has been a lot going on in the world of eat, run, sleep and I just haven't had a spare moment to write about it.  I feel I must attack each item in the order that they occurred so I can properly remember what happened! 

I finished up the month of April with some great training runs.  People can attest to the fact that I was running with a great deal of energy and conviction.  I had the Country Music Half Marathon coming up and I wanted to be ready to hit a new PR. This was a race I had set ahead of me, and had put some great consideration into running.  I was treating it as a rebirth, a point at which I would start to take a new direction with my life and with my running.  I had made a decision to attempt to run a race of 10 miles in all 50 states(I decided to back count a few)but Nashville represented the first real state on my list.  It was symbolic to me,  I hadn't raced since December, and I was going to see some people that I hadn't seen in a while. I just wasn't sure how it was all going to go down, this was a race, a moment,  at the very time I needed it.  Ok, with the serious stuff out of the way a few funny stories did occur during this training time;   I went out for a normal run(which is about 6-8 miles), but was feeling really great, so I kept going, and going, and going......turned into a solid 16.5 mile run.  The funny part isn't the run, it's that my brother was ready to call out the National Guard to look for me because I typically don't disappear for that long.  He has never actually run down the hill in search of me before, and never before has he been like concerned/angry!  I also learned that I can run to my gym from work.  It's about 9 miles of mostly flat terrain, which is great...but I learned I could do it while wearing a 20 pound backpack!  It was truly fun learning the extent at to which I could push myself during this training period.

Weather.com had said it might be rainy the weekend of the race...stormy...so I arrived in Nashville hoping for grey overcast and a nice temperature for the race.  My good friend Doug lives in town so he was nice enough to let me stay by him, and drive my butt to the expo.  The country music marathon does know how to really organize their stuff!  It was one of the nicest expo's I had ever been too.  Simple, easy race packet pick up, they kept the lines moving, and there was just enough stuff to see, and to play with that made you stick around for a while.  It did a great job of pumping you up for the event itself!  Seeing how this blog is also about running I will rave about where I had my pre-race dinner, The Italian Store in Nashville was a great place to enjoy a quiet meal.  Food was good(I had linguini with a meat sauce), and some of a large anti-pasta.  Portion size was good(which is important don't want to be bloated) and it was not heavy on the salt - see bloated.   Weather.com was right though, there were storms arriving.  It rained Friday night, woke up to overcast on Saturday, with a chance of Tornado's...oh boy.....also they pushed they race time up...didn't know that detail till I was on the line for the race!  So.....I ran without a warm up, without stretching, and having raced from the bathroom to make the gun(that's right I was seated..how...I don't know)  Sadly, I didn't run the race I wanted to, and the course was far hillier than the elevation chart on the webpage said, but overall it was a enjoyable time and race.  I am not going to go into the detail of the race, I'll simply say it was a cool course.  The atmosphere was great, people line the entire course, band are at every mile,  and the town gets involved beside the normal volunteers.  Water, and whatever the Gatorade rip off was they were serving  stations were manned by friendly encouraging people.  I was sad to see the Marathon get called early due to the weather, but the safety of all those around had to be taken into consideration. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention two other quick Nashville places that are a must!  Bongo Java - they serve a breakfast bagel called "The bachelor" it's a perfect pre-race day before kinda lunch. It's a wheat bagel served with natural peanut butter, and a banana sliced on top with a bit of cinnamon.   It's got a little of everything runners want, carbs, potassium, and maybe a little sugar.

Also!  Jack's BBQ....I pigged out after the race, as the rain came down outside in buckets, I devoured the choice bbq inside.   Totally enjoyable meal!  DEFINITELY AN AFTER RACE THING!

I need to also mention that this race occurred a week before the flooding in Nashville.  It was really hard to see the destruction that took place to the town which just a few days earlier, had hosted such a great event.   It's been a few months, and from what I am hearing from my friends, things are looking way up.  There is still a lot to be done though!  People lost everything in this flood, the same people who stood on the side and held their hands out with water, who clapped their hand and cheered us onto the finish!   Check out this donation page, it is on the marathons main webpage so it's legit.  http://nashville.competitor.com/features/donate-to-nashville-flood-relief/

Eat, Run, Sleep

-RunningRob

Related articles by Zemanta

• Country Music Half Marathon - 2010 (findingforrest.com)
• What to Eat Before a Marathon (walkingrunning.suite101.com)

  The mere thought of combining those two terms seems out of place, almost painful.  Vacation time is precious.  There is so little time afforded to many all year, and the cost of being able to travel can often be prohibitive.  So, when one gets a chance to have an opportunity to just get away from it all, why would you make running a part of your vacation? 

  This past summer, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my family at the shore.  I haven't taken the time to run/exercise at the beach since I was in high school and was training for cross-country and track.  The most work I wanted to do was carry myself to the beach and then back again, with cool refreshing beverage in hand.  The last time I ran while at the beach, it didn't go so well.  I learned a hard lesson.  Running after lounging in the sun all day, not a good idea.  The water I had with me was used mostly to cool myself down, and I quickly dehydrated and overheated.  This time I was ready.  This would be a part of my vacation routine as much as sun tanning at the beach would be.  It also revealed to me just how important a part of vacation that this really is.  These became my guidelines/rules for running while on vacation.

  First, know the lay of the land, or be strong enough to get back.  Know where you are going.  Being adventurous has its place, but the further you get away from home base, the trickier it can be to get back.  I'm not saying don't go off the beaten path, but a little planning and preparation can help you avoid making an emergency phone call to family or friends, trying to describe where you are. 

   Get up early and go.  This counts doubly in the summer when the heat can break you.  Bring fluids, bottles, whatever.  There are many helpful suggestions online to help you be hydrated in the summer, but it will be more effective without noontime heat beating on you.  Besides, this is vacation, there is a lot to see and do and that does not include running by it, unable to stop and take part or admire it.  If you can, get out at or before sunrise.  Getting this done early makes the rest of the day wide open for you.  There is no need to try to fit it in, in between events, trips, or excursions.

  Running on vacation can give you an opportunity to break the routine of running itself.  Too often the places you run can become routine and perhaps boring.  You now have a chance to run along the sea, feeling the ocean breeze in your face, or along the waves, avoiding the tide.  If you are on a cruise, some boats have a small running track.  This was my experience a few years back.  Even though the track was small, you wouldn't notice it.  The open waters make it feel bigger than what it is, and the movement of the ship adds another change to your routine.   If you are out in the mountains, trail running provides an experience that is fast becoming a lost opportunity in urban and suburban territories. 

  My past experience of running while on vacation was a very uplifting experience, and actually improved my enjoyment of the time, and I will use any time away as a time to get the sneakers on and break my old routine again.  If this post seems like a lesson, I can't help it, I'm a teacher, however, this is a lesson I had to learn myself, and I just can't help but share it.

  Next post, thoughts on Baltimore Marathon 2009 and 2008.  

Some people are just built for running.  I see them every day, especially as I plod along, looking so natural as I feel uncomfortable in my own skin.  I'm what one may call a larger person.  I'm not as big as I once was, but I still fall under the Clydesdale classification of runner.  I put more stress on my body, I wear through sneakers faster, and the asthma that plagued me in high school is still around.  

I was running earlier tonight and around mile 7 I was going up a steep, winding, dark hill. Near the top a couple was walking their dog. They saw the flashing lights on my shoes and wrists and, when I got close to them, the woman said, "We were trying to figure out what you were."

"I'm a runner."

I have a complete lack of energy today.  I know it's because I have not been eating like I should be to maintain the energy levels I need.  Right now I do not have the brain power to write why this happened, and how I am going to remedy it. Believe me, when I do, it will be a good one.  I will just leave you with this: copious amounts of coffee, is not the answer. 

-RunningRob

http://www.rainysoul.net/~mforde/blog/index.pl/2010/03/22#nychalf2010

2010 NYC Half Marathon --

Yesterday was my best half marathon yet. As I stood in the corral waiting for the race to start, the chill in the air was a welcome change from the heat and humidity of last year's race. The decision to move the race from August to March was a good one. The course is definitely a fun one. It starts with an 8 mile loop around Central Park before exiting onto 7th Avenue. From there, the route goes to 42nd street, through Times Square, and out to the West Side Highway where the course finishes near Battery Park.
I started out with the goal of beating my time from last year. As long as I did better than 1:51:49, I'd be happy. I was hoping I'd finish within a minute or two of the half marathon PR I set back in January, but I wasn't counting on it.
As I ran I looked at the split times, and roughly gauged how I was doing, trying to stay on target for something close to 1:37 finish, but primarily making sure I was doing better than last year's 1:51. At mile 8, just before exiting Central Park to head to Times Square, the clock time was about 59 minutes. I realized that the winner of the race was about to finish, if he hadn't already, and I hadn't even made it out of the park.
This year's splits were much better than last year's.

split	2009	2010
5K	0:23:22	0:23:22
10K	0:47:32	0:46:09
15K	1:14:45	1:07:59
20K	1:46:09	1:29:28
final	1:51:49	1:33:26

This is the first time I've run negative splits. What really amazes me is that not only was the second half faster, but every 5K split was faster than the previous. There was an excitement exiting the park. There was an amazing rush turning the corner onto 42nd street. The crowds were great, cheering every runner as we passed by.I remember around the mile 11 marker realizing I had a chance to PR, estimating my time at about 1:36, and picking up the pace a bit. I started passing people left and right. One runner saw me and yelled, "Go, man! Go!"

Out of about 15 to 16 thousand people that signed up, 11,493 finished. I finished in 895th place; far, far, behind the winner who took home $20,000.

Universal Sports had a live telecast of the event. I set the DVR to record it before I left, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. It likely focused primarily on the professionals who ran, including the Marathon world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie.

This was a great race on a great day.

--RainySoul