Well, we hit another milestone yesterday. Amanda and I started at Lamar and North Loop, ran down to the lake, across to IH35, back to the Pfluger Pedestrian bridge, then up Guadalupe and back to our starting point. Total distance was right at 15 miles. Last week I struggled to do 10, but I felt great after the run yesterday. Still today I feel good, a little stiff, but good.
The goal at this time is not speed, but total workout time. We will do 5 tomorrow morning, ten Friday and repeat the 15, 5, 10 next week. Then we will move to a 17 mile run for 2 weeks, and hopefully hit 20 miles by mid-November. That is when the serious training will begin. Once we hit 20, our goal is to spend less time walking and to increase the speed of our runs. My goal is to get to 9 minute miles, which I can do now, but cannot sustain, and to sustain that time throughout the race.
With this new milestone, I am feeling more and more ready for the race. Unfortunately, the time running takes away from blogging time, which means that my writings seem to be fewer and farther between. However, I will try to make the time to keep posting where I am, as I really appreciate all your support in my training.
Take time to check out my other blog, http://revmjq.blogspot.com/2010/10/musings-of-methodist-minister-luke-189.html, as well as the blogs of my running partner, http://amandastovall.blogspot.com/ and http://www.dishevelledstars.com/.
Showing posts with label Town Lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Town Lake. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Ten Miles!
Well, I set out yesterday with a goal in mind. I would run from the MoPac bridge to IH 35 and back, for 7 miles. I met Marianna a little after 6:30 and we started at 6:45. Our first mile was very brisk, at least by our standards. We probably did about an 11 minute mile. Then we did our minute walk, before continuing to First Street. We got water at First Street and said our goodbyes, then I headed for IH 35.
There is a hill, a big hill, seems to me to be the biggest hill in Austin, maybe all of Texas, which we face on Riverside Drive. Each week we run a little farther up the hill before settling into a walk, and we make a goal for a longer stretch the next week. Well, I started up that hill and could not remember what our goal was. I was on my own, so I could not confirm with Marianna. So, like Forest Gump, I just kept running. Next thing I knew, I was to the top of the hill! I was about to start walking, but felt so good that I kept the run going. When I got to the turnaround at IH 35, was still feeling so good about running up the hill that I forgot to turn. Next thing I knew, I was at Baby A's on Riverside! I continued running to Longhorn Dam, then walked across the narrow bridge. After that, I started running again, and did not stop until I was west of 35 again at a water station. I stopped for about 30 seconds to hydrate, then was off again. At that point I had completed my 7 miles, but I still had 3.1 to get back to the car, and I was feeling good. My next stretch was to the Pfluger bridge, which is at Lamar. I walked for a minute there and was now at somewhere between 8.5 and 8.75 miles. Now I was starting to feel the run, and was debating about walking the last stretch, which would have made me feel OK. I walked for about a minute and was going to keep on, when a lady passed me up. On the back of her shirt was written for me in big letters, "Why quit now?" I started to tear up and realized that I was going to beat the trail, so I started running. I ran for about 5 minutes, then had to walk for a minute. I was hurting, and not sure if I was even capable of walking back to the car. Then I realized that I was at Anderson High School and that at the end of the campus was my stopping point, so I started running again. After about 3 minutes I walked another minute, then ran the last stretch to the hydration station, where I cooled down, drank water, and basked in the knowledge that I had just run 10.1 miles, the longest distance I've run in my life!
I have to admit that I did nothing for the rest of the day yesterday, except drink Gatorade and water and watch TV. I could not have gone any farther, but I did exceed my goal. In fact, as I was driving home, I realized that the week before I had run a quarter marathon at 6.6 miles, and that yesterday, just 7 days later, I did 40% of a marathon. I am on track and even a little ahead of my goal. My next goal is to be at 15 miles by the end of September, which is a little ambitious, but possible none the less. February 20 will find me running 26.2 with pride, maybe not with the fastest time, but with the knowledge that less then a year before I struggled to run a mile.
Oh, and my timed mile last Wednesday was 10:35. My hope was between 10:30 and 11, so I was pleased with that. I start training with my marathon team in 2 weeks, and am pleased to know that I am ahead of most of them, a first for me.
So, until next time, "Why quit now?"
There is a hill, a big hill, seems to me to be the biggest hill in Austin, maybe all of Texas, which we face on Riverside Drive. Each week we run a little farther up the hill before settling into a walk, and we make a goal for a longer stretch the next week. Well, I started up that hill and could not remember what our goal was. I was on my own, so I could not confirm with Marianna. So, like Forest Gump, I just kept running. Next thing I knew, I was to the top of the hill! I was about to start walking, but felt so good that I kept the run going. When I got to the turnaround at IH 35, was still feeling so good about running up the hill that I forgot to turn. Next thing I knew, I was at Baby A's on Riverside! I continued running to Longhorn Dam, then walked across the narrow bridge. After that, I started running again, and did not stop until I was west of 35 again at a water station. I stopped for about 30 seconds to hydrate, then was off again. At that point I had completed my 7 miles, but I still had 3.1 to get back to the car, and I was feeling good. My next stretch was to the Pfluger bridge, which is at Lamar. I walked for a minute there and was now at somewhere between 8.5 and 8.75 miles. Now I was starting to feel the run, and was debating about walking the last stretch, which would have made me feel OK. I walked for about a minute and was going to keep on, when a lady passed me up. On the back of her shirt was written for me in big letters, "Why quit now?" I started to tear up and realized that I was going to beat the trail, so I started running. I ran for about 5 minutes, then had to walk for a minute. I was hurting, and not sure if I was even capable of walking back to the car. Then I realized that I was at Anderson High School and that at the end of the campus was my stopping point, so I started running again. After about 3 minutes I walked another minute, then ran the last stretch to the hydration station, where I cooled down, drank water, and basked in the knowledge that I had just run 10.1 miles, the longest distance I've run in my life!
I have to admit that I did nothing for the rest of the day yesterday, except drink Gatorade and water and watch TV. I could not have gone any farther, but I did exceed my goal. In fact, as I was driving home, I realized that the week before I had run a quarter marathon at 6.6 miles, and that yesterday, just 7 days later, I did 40% of a marathon. I am on track and even a little ahead of my goal. My next goal is to be at 15 miles by the end of September, which is a little ambitious, but possible none the less. February 20 will find me running 26.2 with pride, maybe not with the fastest time, but with the knowledge that less then a year before I struggled to run a mile.
Oh, and my timed mile last Wednesday was 10:35. My hope was between 10:30 and 11, so I was pleased with that. I start training with my marathon team in 2 weeks, and am pleased to know that I am ahead of most of them, a first for me.
So, until next time, "Why quit now?"
Monday, August 16, 2010
Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Saturday morning I ran Town Lake with my Marianna (my sister-in-law) and her friend Jill. They are training for a half marathon in January and are both avid bikers. They ran from the First Street bridge to IH 35 and back. I kept going when we got back to First Street and went to the Pfluger bridge loop, which is by Lamar. I found myself walking some, which I don't normally do, but I think there were 2 contributing factors. First, I was talking while running. The second factor was the terrain. The parks around the house where I run are all flat. Town Lake, however, has several hills and a few ramps to get from lake level to street level. I think for next Saturday my goal will be to start at First Street, go to IH 35, then back the other way to MoPac, then back to First Street. I will walk the hills, ramps and steps, and run the rest to MoPac, walking from MoPac to First Street.
I found a great app for my Blackberry called Roadrunner GPS. It is a running and fitness tracker which works off the GPS on my phone. This app tracks my distance, mapping out the trail, gives me the total time for the workout, what my mile time is, average mph, and calories burned. It seems to be very accurate, and it should be a great help for tracking the progress of my runs!
Yesterday I rested. Well, I rested from running, at least. I preached about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his commitment to his faith, even being committed to death by hanging for doing what he knew was right. The scriptural basis was Luke 12:49-56. I believe there is a crisis of faith in our nation. There are many who say they are religious, but they do not practice that religion. Bonhoeffer lived his faith and died for his faith. According to the doctor that witnessed his execution, “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ... kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.” May we all be so submissive to our God and our faith!
This morning's run was 4 miles. My goal was 3, so it was good to go past it. However, my time was way off. Maline started back to work today, so we had to get up and get going earlier then we are used to. We hit snooze a few too many times, but we finally got up and took care of business. Tomorrow we have training with Moe, then running Wednesday and Thursday.
Until next time, Live, love, laugh!
I found a great app for my Blackberry called Roadrunner GPS. It is a running and fitness tracker which works off the GPS on my phone. This app tracks my distance, mapping out the trail, gives me the total time for the workout, what my mile time is, average mph, and calories burned. It seems to be very accurate, and it should be a great help for tracking the progress of my runs!
Yesterday I rested. Well, I rested from running, at least. I preached about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his commitment to his faith, even being committed to death by hanging for doing what he knew was right. The scriptural basis was Luke 12:49-56. I believe there is a crisis of faith in our nation. There are many who say they are religious, but they do not practice that religion. Bonhoeffer lived his faith and died for his faith. According to the doctor that witnessed his execution, “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ... kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.” May we all be so submissive to our God and our faith!
This morning's run was 4 miles. My goal was 3, so it was good to go past it. However, my time was way off. Maline started back to work today, so we had to get up and get going earlier then we are used to. We hit snooze a few too many times, but we finally got up and took care of business. Tomorrow we have training with Moe, then running Wednesday and Thursday.
Until next time, Live, love, laugh!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Water 2 Wine and Walking With my Love
Last night we had a wonderful sushi dinner at Midori Sushi, then visited Water 2 Wine's North Austin location (http://www.water2wine.com). If you are a wine drinker in Austin, this is a place you must visit. They are a winery which imports grapes from all over the world, then create their own wines. There are numerous varietals and regions represented, as well as what the owner refers to as styles of wine. In addition, you can make your own, at least in a token way, which allows you to be involved in the process by adding yeast, tasting along the way, and in the end, designing the labels, bottling and corking.
We probably tasted 7 wines, and found 2 which we especially liked, but our favorite was the Rattlesnake Cab-Shiraz, with the Italian Pinot Nero running a close second. A bottle of this sells for $21.95, but you can make a batch for $369, which makes about 2.5 cases, meaning you have a custom wine with label for about $12.00 a bottle. Keep checking back, as I hope to have a Boys & Girls Club fund raiser here in the Spring.
I did not run this morning, choosing instead to walk/run with Maline and Rufus. Note to self: Basset Hounds run very slowly!
Ladybird Lake Saturday morning at 6 a.m. Let me know if you will be running with me!
And remember, when in doubt, add more wine!
We probably tasted 7 wines, and found 2 which we especially liked, but our favorite was the Rattlesnake Cab-Shiraz, with the Italian Pinot Nero running a close second. A bottle of this sells for $21.95, but you can make a batch for $369, which makes about 2.5 cases, meaning you have a custom wine with label for about $12.00 a bottle. Keep checking back, as I hope to have a Boys & Girls Club fund raiser here in the Spring.
I did not run this morning, choosing instead to walk/run with Maline and Rufus. Note to self: Basset Hounds run very slowly!
Ladybird Lake Saturday morning at 6 a.m. Let me know if you will be running with me!
And remember, when in doubt, add more wine!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Still on a High From Yesterday
I felt like Forest Gump. I ran with a goal in mind, and when I got there, I set another goal a little farther. It just felt good to run! In the end, I was not winded, not breathing heavily. In fact, other then sore feet, I was ready to keep going.
This morning we worked with Moe doing a lot of upper body and ab work. I always complain when we do that, but feel good afterward. The best part of the workouts, though, is not getting winded. I get a little short of breath when we do sprints, but recover easily. Between weight loss, running goals being met, and increased stamina, I feel the best I've felt in years!
Tomorrow I will walk/ run with Maline and Rufus. Saturday will be my next real challenge. I plan on doing all of Ladybird Lake. I will run the first 5, then walk and run as I am able. My goal is to be able to run the entire 10 miles by October 1. Anyone who wants to join me, meet at 6 a.m. in front of the Long Center!
By the way, if you are looking for someone to help you get in shape, I strongly recommend Moe Harris at Elite Fitness (http://www.austinelitefitness.com/index.php/). He has worked wonders for us. He challenges and encourages at the same time, which is a tremendous help.
Till next time, Run, Eat, Sleep!
This morning we worked with Moe doing a lot of upper body and ab work. I always complain when we do that, but feel good afterward. The best part of the workouts, though, is not getting winded. I get a little short of breath when we do sprints, but recover easily. Between weight loss, running goals being met, and increased stamina, I feel the best I've felt in years!
Tomorrow I will walk/ run with Maline and Rufus. Saturday will be my next real challenge. I plan on doing all of Ladybird Lake. I will run the first 5, then walk and run as I am able. My goal is to be able to run the entire 10 miles by October 1. Anyone who wants to join me, meet at 6 a.m. in front of the Long Center!
By the way, if you are looking for someone to help you get in shape, I strongly recommend Moe Harris at Elite Fitness (http://www.austinelitefitness.com/index.php/). He has worked wonders for us. He challenges and encourages at the same time, which is a tremendous help.
Till next time, Run, Eat, Sleep!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Back to the Grind
OK, so I did not do as well as I should have during vacation. I ran 3 times, worked out once, climbed one mountain and walked around museums a few days. I managed to lose a half pound during my time away, but had a very difficult time getting into a routine. So this morning I started back. Maline and I worked with our trainer for the first time since being back, and officially kicked off our "Back to the Grind" phase. The workout was tough, but good. What felt best, however, was being done with it and knowing that I could pick up where I left off.
Tomorrow I start back to the running regiment. My goal is to be to 5 miles by the end of next week. August we will start our team marathon training, which will be a tremendous help. And I look forward to a run around Town Lake Saturday morning.
By the way, I am researching best running shoes. I would live to get some feedback about possibilities.
Tomorrow I start back to the running regiment. My goal is to be to 5 miles by the end of next week. August we will start our team marathon training, which will be a tremendous help. And I look forward to a run around Town Lake Saturday morning.
By the way, I am researching best running shoes. I would live to get some feedback about possibilities.
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