Posts Tagged ‘Trail Nut Half’

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I won’t make this is a long-drawn out post with a bunch of excuses of what happened today. The Trail Nut Half Marathon just was not meant to be. It’s plain and simple: it should have been a DNS (did not start) based on how I felt all week, but considering that I was feeling better than I had the whole week I thought I’d give it a go.

But with temperatures already near 80 at the 9 a.m. race start (who starts a race that late in June anyway?), it just wasn’t going to happen. The heat and the humidity and being worn out from being worn out, I couldn’t do it. I made it down the trails for about 2 miles until we hit a road and I bowed out gracefully.

I’m not hanging my head low about this beyond the funny drawing I found for this post. I knew this might happen, but I had to see how I felt. So for $30, I got in 2 miles and a decent shirt and the knowledge that a race after a week of being sick shouldn’t be done. Now that this has pretty much become a rest week, it’s time for me to focus on what I want to do in marathon training later this summer and early fall. I have 23 weeks to go. It’s time for an all-out game plan for the rest of this month with building/maintaining a base and hitting it hard in July.

I think focusing on racing will take a backseat for a while. It’s distracting me. I may do some of what I planned on doing, but I’m not going to think about them until the week of. If I decide to sign up for a race, I’ll do it that week. I have had a great first half of the year with two PRs and a half marathon on a mountain, and that’s the success I want to build on.

It seems that whenever I get sick, I am knocked completely out. This week I had a chest cold come out of nowhere Monday during my trip to Ohio. It started Monday morning when I didn’t feel that great and then got worse later in the afternoon. By Monday night I didn’t have much a voice at all.

After 8 hours in the car Tuesday, I felt awful last night once I had a chance to relax. Then this morning I felt like a train hit me. After an hour or so of being up, I actually didn’t feel all that bad … but then I laid down on the couch and slept for almost 3 hours. For the rest of today I have felt so-so. I’m actually considerably better than about 12 hours ago, but certainly not well enough to run.

I have the Trail Nut Half Marathon on Saturday and right now I’m still planning on doing it. I was already taking a laid-back approach to this event and will probably be even more laid back now. I want to do this for experience, not a certain time or any sort of bragging rights other than it being a unique event. That being said, I won’t do anything crazy to jeopardize my long-term health.

I guess the good news in all this is that it’s happening now. There’s 23 weeks until the Richmond Marathon and “official” training will get under way in a month. So it’s much better to be sick now and get it out of the way.

About a year ago, I went to the doctor after dealing with various foot issues on and off since late 2007. It’s odd to read the post about the visit and see what didn’t happen. I didn’t do physical therapy; I didn’t run on the weightless treadmill; and I didn’t get any shots in my foot. I simply wore some insoles for a little while (that temporarily hurt the other foot) and the infamous plantar faciitis “slipper” on and off for a few months and that was it. That was all I needed to get through the summer.

Fast forward a year later and I’m in a completely different state of mind. At the time of the doctor’s visit, I privately considered giving up on long distances. I wouldn’t have had a problem doing that — I never ran any longer than 4 miles for the first two and a half years of running anyway. Now, I’m planning a schedule of races to do this year. I haven’t done this in three years. I’ve focused on the big picture races and rest — Shamrock, rest, Rock ‘n’ Roll Half, rest, repeat. Big picture is important — I’m completely focused on the Richmond Marathon in November — but it’s the smaller picture races that will make the big picture even more rewarding.

I’m almost scared to put this out there, but it’s part of my shell-breaking that I’m doing. Sure, some of these races might not happen for various reasons, but this is the plan through November in addition to what I’ve already done.

* May 8: Bella 5K Stroller Race in Roanoke
This will be a first for me — racing with my son. I’ve never done more than 2.6 miles with a stroller, so it’ll be the longest distance with him. My main goal will be to finish without tripping over a baby or two … I guess as far as time is concerned, I’m really just shooting for under 9-minute miles. While I can run any time with my son, I’m looking forward to the racing experience. That makes the entry fee worth it.

* June 5: Trail Nut Half Marathon in Bedford
Another first — an all-out trail race. I’m hoping to do more trail running this month beyond a mile or two to prepare for this. It will mark the third half marathon this year, all with increasing difficulty. From what I’ve heard about this race and what I know about these mostly single-track trails, I think two hours or so will be likely. I’m looking forward to doing something radically different so my focus isn’t on a PR, but rather just having a good time.

* July 3: Academy Mile in Lynchburg
There needs to be more mile races. It’s been three years since I did a 6:26 in this race. I’ll set my mind on this much later, but it would be awesome to be even faster. Maybe that weird goal of mine of running so hard I throw up will come true.

* July 17: Percival’s Island 5-Miler in Lynchburg
This is one of my most favorite races around this area. It’s flat; it’s fast. One of my best races ever came here in 2007, so I hope that I continue what’s happened so far in 2010 and nail it again this year. This race will be a good test of where I am with my speed and endurance and can help set the tone for the three months of marathon training that will follow.

* Aug. 14: Lynchburg Half Marathon in Lynchburg
Want to run a half marathon for $20? That’s all this race is. It’s also a very flat race, a rarity for this area. It’s hard to believe that when this race gets here that this might be the fourth half marathon of the year. There’s also a 5K that same day — I might change my mind and do that as a speed workout instead. We’ll see. No reason to rush on that decision.

* Sept. 25: Virginia 10 Miler in Lynchburg
This is a wish-list race that is dependent on marathon training. This very tough race is only $30 through the end of August, so I’ll decide by then whether or not this will happen. If you’re looking for a challenge and can’t afford some bigger-named fall half marathons, this is one to consider doing.

* Nov. 13: Richmond Marathon in Richmond
Marathon No. 2 — the big prize — is 192 days away. The countdown is officially under way.