Signed up for a half marathon

[SumoRunner]

I run a lot of races, 25 this year alone, but they're mostly short and only once or twice a year will I go for 10 or 15K. But this year I've had an especially good running year and I was able to get through a 14 mile training run last Saturday. That's the longest run I've done in I don't know how long. My spreadsheets only go back 15 years and I found none that long. Older records are in binders in a drawer upstairs and I haven't looked but just say it's been a long, long time.

So I signed up to run a half marathon on January 1st, the Hangover Half in Albany. The last time I ran one of those was 1988, 25 years ago to the day. It may take me over 3 hours, but I don't care. It's been a very good year and it's a statement to start off the new year in grand fashion.

 

[coffeelover]

That is so GREAT! You are an inspiration to all valvers!

 

[MarkU]

Congratulations. I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Good luck.
Mark

 

[Garserin]

Jack, what a great way to start the new year!!

 

[Terry45]

Way to go Jack! You'll do great I'm sure. I'm signed up for a 5K run on New Years Day in Kennesaw GA. Figured its a good way to start the year off right.

 

[ski girl]

Excellent! Smash it! Looking forward to hearing all about it, what's the course like?

 

[SumoRunner]

Excellent! Smash it! Looking forward to hearing all about it, what's the course like?

The course is relatively flat and rather convoluted. It uses multiple loops of the perimeter roads of the state office campus in Albany, NY. It is deep winter, often well below zero here on Jan 1st, and most other routes could be unsafe or impassible. This is always plowed and traffic free on Sunday morning.

It's part of the club winter series, 5 events over 10 weeks leading up to the club winter marathon in Feb. Each time there are two or three race distances to choose from. On Jan 1st the choices are 3.5 or 13.1 miles. It's certainly not new to me. I have run it 23 times but most often at the shorter distance, only 3 were the half marathon. Those however were in 1983, 84 & 88.

It was the first race I came back to after AVR in 1991 and have run it 16 times post-OHS. I shied away from longer races since the OHS, just because. It was training for the Cardiac Athletes team race in Baltimore this past October that got me in better shape this year. Usually I run one 15K in November and then back off the training after that. This year though, I've continued doing the longer runs, 8 weeks with 10+ miles each weekend, plus a second 15K race two weeks ago, then a 14 mile run last Sat.

 

[tprice54]

Jack, congrats on taking up the challenge! I will make a wish for "good" weather for you on 1/1/13....as we know, good is all relative in upstate NY in January!

 

[Rachel]

Great news Jack, so glad that your training program is strong this year!

I hope that the weather is decent for this and I really hope you enjoy yourself!!!!

Keep us posted.

Rachel

 

[ski girl]

Sounds cool! Ha ha ha. I was never able to run before OHS (two years ago, followed by a second OHS last year) so now I'm teaching my body from a base of nothing. In the past five months it has sprung on me one stress fracture, one broken toe (mea culpa), and two weeks ago one cuboid bone strain. However on Christmas Day I'm allowed back to short runs, building up.

My aim is our big fun run half marathon in Perth which somehow involves more hills than I thought Perth contained - end of August. I'll never have to run through snow though - but I might get splashed by a wave as I run along the beach . . . . Good luck with it!!!!

 

[SumoRunner]

I was never able to run before OHS (two years ago, followed by a second OHS last year) so now I'm teaching my body from a base of nothing. In the past five months it has sprung on me one stress fracture, one broken toe (mea culpa), and two weeks ago one cuboid bone strain.

An old timer weight lifting gave me advice a long, long time ago that has stuck with me for decades. "Start low, go slow." The simplest advice can sometimes have the deepest meaning. Apply that to pretty much everything you do and you can never go wrong. If you're a type A personality, unfortunately, you'll have to learn it the hard way.

 

[Mike1952]

An old timer weight lifting gave me advice a long, long time ago that has stuck with me for decades. "Start low, go slow." The simplest advice can sometimes have the deepest meaning. Apply that to pretty much everything you do and you can never go wrong. If you're a type A personality, unfortunately, you'll have to learn it the hard way.

Jack, I just had an AVR in August, was thinking running might not be the best way to exercise, given my age (60) and prothesis (cow). Maybe I should've asked for a deer heart???
But, it sounds like it hasn't slowed you down a bit! Congrats on the half goal!
And to ski girl, I agree with Jack, take it slow and don't increase the miles too quickly, that where the injuries happen. Good luck in Perth!

 

[tprice54]

MIke....NO!!!!!! Running with our cow valve is great! And age has nothing to do with it (just ask our friend Kodi). So, lace up those running shoes and put one foot in front of the other...!

 

[enkaynj]

Great, Jack.Keep us posted.

 

[Mike1952]

MIke....NO!!!!!! Running with our cow valve is great! And age has nothing to do with it (just ask our friend Kodi). So, lace up those running shoes and put one foot in front of the other...!

Ok, Tom, I'm sitting here in Washington state, waiting for it to get light enough to get out the door! Thanks for the motivation!

 

[spartangator]

Good stuff, Jack. Always the role model for us

 

[Bean Counter]

Great news! Looking forward to reading about it.

 

[RunMartin]

Good luck with your Half Marathon on 1st Jan

 

[jarno1973]

Nice way to kick of the NEW YEAR...Good luck!!

Running has never been my thing but since my OHS I have been getting into it more and more....I run at the local sports stadium and I remember when I could not go from walking to running and stay within my recommended heart rate range...I was slowest of all..now 6 months down the line I am keeping up with the faster guys (short legged Thai people that is but still)..Now able to do 4 km in 20 minutes and trying to go for 6 km in 30 minutes...I have set my mind on doing a half marathon in July..Hope I can keep the spirit and will keep on improving...I am slightly worried about my heart rate becuase it will have to be close to max. for a long time when running that long and far...During my shorter runs my heart rate is also very high (up to 185 bpm in the end) but I does not feel bad...I seem to be able to keep it at the high rate for quite a while without much problems and no signs of chest pain or anything..

 

[SumoRunner]

First, I do not know my max heart rate, never have, so I run by how the body feels. I monitor the legs, lungs and general feeling of fatigue. You're supposed to be more stressed in shorter distances. Since it is shorter, you push harder to get the maximum out of your body in the allotted time. So during races (I run about 25 races a year) I constantly ask myself, can I continue at this level of exertion for the remaining distance? On longer runs, if you push as hard as you might in 5Km, you will not last much beyond 5Km and the remainder of the race becomes a death march.

While I can run a single mile in 9 minutes (5:30/Km), I cannot sustain that for 5Km. I must slow the pace down to 6:00/Km. And for distances of 15Km and upward, I have all I can do just to go the distance, so it reduces to 12 minutes per mile (7:30/Km).