MelodyLea-  Whoooot!! Way to go lady!!  Great time with all those hills.  Loved the pics. 

OC- you are right about the scenery.  Some of this run will be along the Wisconsin River and state wildlife area next to it.

Very, very glad the Honky Tonk marathon is next Sunday and not today.  Rain all day yesterday and today.   Current forecast for next weekend is cool & dry!

Run strong and safe.

Well... it has been a long time since I posted something.  Since my last real run (the Frederick 1/2 and 5K race in Maryland), I have started a new job at night, started taking classes full time in addition to family duties.  I was scheduled to run a full marathon this past Saturday in Baltimore, MD but realized that was not realistic.  Since I already payed for the run... I downgraded to a 1/2 marathon and told my wife to expect me in about 3hrs 15 min (15 min / mile).

With that said, I did everything you are not supposed to do before a race:  1)  I did not get any real training in.  I do not count 1 run in August and 1 here in September before the run.  2)  I had to buy new shoes so the 1 run I got in September was 4 miles in the new shoes and that was it for breaking them in.  3) I did not get to bed at a good time.  I had to work the night before and was in bed by 11:45 and up by 4:15 to head down to Baltimore.  4)  Fueling/ Water before the race- the night before, again, nothing proper.  In the morning it was too early so I had a smoothie and then a bagel before the race started.

I set myself up to fail.  So, I told my wife and kids to have fun at the festival... enjoy the sites and I will do the same.  I figured I should be able to finish it with a 15min / mile pace and I took a cell phone with me to text her my progress and take pictures along the way.  I got 9 photos and sent texts every mile I completed.  The problem?  I did not follow my running plan.  I am competative in nature and pushed myself.

The first mile was finished in 9:10, 2nd mile in 9:30.  At 6 miles, I was at 58 min +/- and then at mile 10, I was still ahead of the pace of 10min / mile.  The last 2 miles of the race are down hill (I forgot to mention the first 7 or 8 miles were pretty much up hill.) and it actually caused problems.  My knee gave me issues about a mile from the finish and I had to walk a couple of times in the past mile due to the knee. 

When it was all said and done, I finished in 2:15:10.  Considering this was my 3rd 1/2 marathon, I did not get a PR, but came close (PR was in May in Frederick).  The race was fun and the crowds were motivating.

Funny/ weird / good and not so good things?:

1) The girl at mile marker 8 with a large sign saying "Free Sex and Beer after the race".  She was very attractive and got a lot of comments from the male runners that I heard while passing her.

2)  The cones in the middle of the road caused problems.  More than 1 person tripped over them not knowing they were there.

3)  The bannana at mile 7 was a God Send!  The beer around mile 9 was a nice bonus from one of the spectators.

4)  The old guy walking down the road while runners tried to hop/ run around him.  That was not the funny part - it was the fact he was pushing a lawnmower and trimmer right in the middle of the course. 

5)  The finish line was awesome and having my girls at the finish line was absolutely wonderful.

First off, I wanted to say thank you for all you guys who welcomed me back after my time away. It's nice to be back. Well, I just finished 4.71 miles this morning. No coyotes...yay! It felt ok, but I didn't push it much. I'm having a hard time breaking out of my comfort pace. Still, I'm new getting back out on the road, so I going to chalk it up for a win to for getting up off the couch. I'm going to sign up for my running event in over a year...a HM next month. I'm really doing it just to finish and get motivated to train some more. My goal for this one, is to finish is less time than my last one. I'm really motivated by several of your posting out there. Keep up the good work everyone. Stay safe and strong out there. Happy running!

Did 30 minutes on the bike last night and my weights/core workout. Tonight was speed workout on TM at work. Two mile warmup (16:17), then 6 x 400 @ 5k pace (200 jogs), then 3 x 800 @ 5k pace (200 jogs), then .5 mile cooldown.

Linus.... Yes, using TM at work. I thought of calling local gyms to see who does service calls for TMs. Maybe I could just get mine fixed for low $$$, instead of junking it and spending a lot.      We were out with friends who know Caleb's family the other night. He has been to Boston a couple times for care, besides the local treatments he's gotten here. The cancer is aggressive. The "behind the eye" part is just one area of it. It has spread to other parts of his body, too.   He gets tired easily, but he still has a good outlook. That was what they knew for recent updates.

NHLA.... I would have thought you'd pick a tough, 4WD, good mileage, all-terrain vehicle...... like you!

Melody.... SO happy for you!!! Big congrats!!!

JustRunDan.... Sending good vibes your way for your 1/2. Best of luck!!

Coyote.... If you're running 13 miles during a taper week, I think you're READY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good running, people.

MelodyLea: Way to go on your HM. Happy to hear you felt strong at the finish. Loved all the Pics. You certainly don't look your age and the course was beautiful. Glad you had a good time.

Old Coyote: Happy training for your upcoming full this weekend. Finish strong!

NRDgirl: You must be really proud of completing your first Full. That quite and accomplishment. Hopefully I'll know what that feels like someday. Congrats!!

Linuscatch: Nothing better than going for a run and getting lost in though surrounded by God's beautiful handiwork. Love colorful autumn leaves.

Ericd3043: Nice job on finishing the HM with such a great time. Don't forget to enjoy the journey, not just the finish.

NHLA: I had to laugh at your run in with the deer. What type of dog do you have? My dog doesn't bark at the coyotes either. Guess they have some unspoken language that we just don't share. As for Coon Dog Day in Saluda NC...I had no idea. I'd LOVE to go but I'll have to celebrate with my own Walker Coonhound here in CA for the time being. I'll be back in school starting in Jan 2013. Maybe in a couple of years we'll make it back there for the festivities. Sounds fun!

jmsab23 Nice couple of runs and core work. Thanks, re:my 1st Half.

NHLA  What Marathon are you aiming for?

HoundMom Thanks so much! Re: "You certainly don't look your age"

Francessmom Thanks, re: my 1/2! I'm no expert, BUT I just got a handle on some knee pain that was a result of IT Band issues. The pain was right where you describe and I conquered it with a foam roller and frequent stretching. I invented a few stretches but also used several I found on the net. Google IT Band stretches.

I caught a head cold, boo hoo. Better now than a week ago though, so it's all good. Sniff sniff

6.66 miles 50 min. Night run.

Melody - Excellent HM.  Congratulations, that HAS to feel rewarding.

6.25 yesterday at a 9:15 pace, felt slow and heavy.  57 degrees, cloudy and windy, thought it was going to rain a few times but it held off.

Cheers All!!!  Run strong.