Motivational Mondays: Best Racing Year Ever

It's not quite the end of the year yet, not quite time to do year-end recaps, but for me it is.

When I ran the Mission Inn Half Marathon on Nov. 14, I also completed the races I'll have run in 2010. It's kind of a downer to know that I won't race again until February but that just means I'll be able to focus on my next race, the Surf City Marathon on Feb. 6.

Anyway, I wanted to look back at the year I had in races. In terms of running, this has been the best year ever.

Feb. 7: Surf City Marathon

My first marathon! How superb it was to start the year off with a bang, jumping feet first into my first-ever 26.2-mile effort. I'd trained for the marathon so hard and did everything by the book beforehand. I was nervous, anxious, excited and worried about the race. The race itself went off without too many problems until I got past the Mile 22 mark. I hit the wall hard at Mile 23 and it felt like the last three miles took an hour. But I survived and shuffled across the finish at 4:42:26.

The whole race and the days leading up to it were very special moments to me. It sort of culminated all of what I'd gone through for the previous four years, from having weighed 308 pounds to having lost 120 to then having taken up running. I wore a bib on my back with an inspirational message I wrote and it really hammered the point home. I became a marathoner on Feb. 7, and that's something that nobody can ever take away from me.

Race report here.

Will I run this again in 2011? I am already registered! So, barring injury, this will be Marathon No. 3.

March 13: ARMC 5K

After having tackled a marathon, the thought of running a 5K seemed insignificant. However, this race was anything but. First, I wanted to get a more accurate read of the type of runner I was now. My only other 5K had been my first-ever race, back in 2008 when I was a newbie who didn't know what was going on. Also, I bet my brother, my more-athletic, in-shape, works-hard plays-hard brother, that he couldn't beat me in a 5K. We had a lot of fun talking smack before the race and we really did want to compete and beat one another.

I had one of my strongest performances here. Since it was only a 3.1-mile run, I went all out. I hit top speed and stayed there. I finished in 23:03 and beat my brother by more than one minute. I still talk smack to him about this race, and I know it eats at him. I've offered a re-match but he's scared; he just won't admit it.

Race report here.

Will I run this race again in 2010? Well, considering it was free, I'd like to. But I won't run it for speed. I'll save my thoughts on this one until I know it's going to happen but I'll probably be there one way or another.

March 27: Lefty's 5K

Another free race. I signed up for this mostly because it was free, reason enough to get me out there in the fierce wind and run. Also, I enjoyed the race because it was at a bit of a unique place. How often, after all, can you run on a NASCAR track? The best part of the race, bar none, was running on the track at the California Speedway. There were so many skid marks and tire marks on the course, it was unreal. My favorite memory of this race was running down pit row and seeing all the pit areas up close.

Race recap here

Will I run this race again in 2011? Not sure. If it's held again I might want to run it again.

April 19: Run Through Redlands Half Marathon

The challenge, should I have chosen to accept it, was to run a half-marathon in under two hours. I ran with Loper pal (and then-blog buddy) Angie since she also wanted to PR. It was a hilly course and the sun began to weigh on us the further we went along but that wasn't enough to stop a pair of determined runners. We each set a PR, each got under two hours for the first time and each were proud of our accomplishments. My year wasn't close to being over after this race but I believe this was my best performance of the year, that I ran my best race in April, in Redlands.

Race report here.

Will I run this race again in 2011? If I don't take a break after the LA Marathon, I might want to run this again.

May 1: Run For Rescue 10K

I had run my first marathon, shattered my 5K PR and gotten under the two-hour mark in a half marathon. But there was one more obstacle to tackle. I wanted to get under 50 minutes in a 10K. The Run For Rescue course was uphill for a good portion, making the task more difficult. Despite fretting about the hills, I got through them just fine and at the end of the race I knew I was close to a sub-50 minute finish. I was all but out of gas but still fought through and crossed the finish at 49:42. I even placed fourth in my age group!

What also stands out is that my daughters ran their first race afterward. It was called the Kiddie K but it really was just a loop around the parking lot. It was a fun experience for all of us.

Race report here


Will I run this race again in 2011? Probably not. The race was actually for a good cause and it's a small race but I don't know that I'll be up for a 10K in early May.

May 22: San Bernardino Mud Run

I didn't want to find a closer and better race than Camp Pendleton - and didn't - but rather I wanted for my daughters to participate in a Mud Run. The SBSD Mud Run had a children's 1K Mud Run and this was the main reason why I chose to run this race. The course was not as challenging as Camp Pendleton and the obstacles seemed to be just pure mud, mostly mud pits. It was a 5K so not a lot of running either but I still enjoyed myself out there and got plenty muddy. The kid's course, though, was a true 1K; the first portion mostly running and the last part the same exact obstacles we had to go through. Yvie surprised me with her determination while Kennedy cried through a lot of the race but still pushed through. In the end, we were all muddy and all proud of what we'd done.

Race report here

Will I run this race again in 2011? It's a pretty safe bet that we will. I don't know if I'll do the 5K but the girls ask about the Mud Run and seem excited about it.

June 5: Camp Pendleton Mud Run

The race that started it all for me. The bonus this year - I got to meet blog reader Anne (aka Tahoegirl) and her husband. The race was fun as always, perhaps made even more challenging because of my inactivity. I didn't run at all the week before to see if rest would help my ongoing heel issues. I didn't bother trying for a PR and I didn't come close to it. But that didn't diminish from the experience at all.

Race recap here

Will I run this race again in 2011? Yes, the only question is the date. I'm hoping for June 18.

July 25: San Francisco Marathon

The mother of all hilly runs. I took this one on head-first. I wanted my second marathon to be special, and this one certainly was. Mrs. LB and I traveled up to San Francisco and made a weekend out of it. This race had so many special moments, it's tough to narrow them down. The few miles I spent running on the Golden Gate Bridge were an absolute highlight of my running life. The hills, though, took their toll on me and the last few miles my legs were shot. However, I tried to finish strong and fought through the hill-induced aches. I finished in 4:37:51 as I bested my Surf City time by about five minutes. I also got to meet three blog buddies! Amanda of Fat Wuz Here, Katie of One Run At A Time and Jill of Run With Jill. And Mrs. LB and I had a fantastic weekend - how's that for a race experience?

Race report here


Will I run this race again in 2011? Even though I told my wife as I hobbled walked back to the hotel room that I would not run the full marathon there again, I am all but sold on the idea of running that race once more.

Oct. 17: Long Beach Half Marathon

I had already set a half-marathon PR earlier in 2010 but I wanted to beat it. I wasn't sure if I could but my previous PR was on a hilly course. Long Beach was advertised as "flat and fast" and it lived up to the billing. Despite sleeping only four hours, I was up for the race. My Garmin, though, was not. The Garmin was not reading accurately in Mile 3 so I stopped relying on it.

The loss of the Garmin made me focus on simply getting to the next mile marker. I enjoyed the beachfront path and the smell of the ocean. Once off the path and headed down the stretch, I knew I was close to a PR. I cruised into the finish but still wasn't sure what my official time was. However, a few minutes after finishing Mrs. LB sent me a text with my official time - 1:55:03!

Race recap here


Will I run this race again in 2011? If I run this race, I might run the full. Otherwise, I might just pass altogether.

Nov. 14: Mission Inn Half Marathon

I closed out the year with my local race, the Mission Inn Run. I'd run the 10K the last two years but opted for the half marathon this time (it's only been the second year the race has featured a half marathon). I wasn't feeling confident about setting a PR - and didn't - but I knew I had a strong race inside of me. I figured that if I ran strong and ran a good race, I would be happy. I did that and finished strong. My time of 1:56:20 is not my PR but it's still a time I was very happy with.

Race recap here


Will I run this race again in 2011? I'd like to. It's my local race so that makes it very appealing.

Motivational Mondays: My Race Bling

It's all about the bling.

Running marathons and half marathons, you are left with lots of things afterward - a feeling of satisfaction at job well done, some pain that will eventually dissipate and race pictures that may or may not turn out.

But easily the most rewarding benefit to running 26.2 or 13.1 is the race medal. There's something about the medal that makes you feel as if your efforts were worth it. Long after you've ran the race, after all the sweat and blood and pain has disappeared, a glance at the medal can bring it all back.

When I ran the Long Beach Half Marathon, I did so for the medal. Having already run Surf City Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon, I only needed to run the Long Beach Half Marathon in order to get my California Dreamin' medal and jacket.

Signing up for and running Long Beach was a no-brainer then. I had run two grueling marathons and felt that running Long Beach would help me complete my conquest of California.

After the Long Beach half, I was immediately given my race medal. But several minutes later I walked around looking for the place where I could get my CA Dreamin' medal. A helpful runner helped me locate the tent and pretty soon I was handed my bonus medal.

I know it sounds cheesy but when I put that medal on I felt like a champ. I was proud all over again of having run Surf City and San Francisco. Surf City was of course my first marathon and I broke my half marathon PR in Long Beach but I felt like I earned my medal in San Francisco. Long Beach was a breeze compared to that.

Regardless, each race was difficult and presented its own set of challenges, and to have them all brought together with one medal makes it special for me.

After the race I was lucky enough to spend time with Katie of One Run at a Time. We posed for celebratory pictures as she had done well in conquering her own half marathon.


I told Katie that since she did San Francisco and now Long Beach, she had to complete the series and run Surf City in February. Sadly, the California Dreamin series is going away, and Surf City is the final race in that series. I'm not sure why this is, but that's what's going on. I wonder if something new will take its place.

Anyway, the series for me also included San Francisco...

... and Surf City...


My beloved CA Dreamin medal

And the four medals I earned.


I like to think that I put a lot into running, into training for races, and into the races themselves. These medals will always serve as a reminder of the blood, sweat and tears that went into each mile out there on these respective race courses.

Long Beach Race Pictures

The race pictures are finally up!!

Here are pics of yours truly during Sunday's Long Beach Half Marathon.

"I hate my Garmin."

"Where is that stinking mile marker?"

"Have you seen the finish line?"

"I gotta keep up with all these speedburners around me."

"Grrr!!"

I still have to post pictures of my medals and my California Dreamin' Jacket. Haven't forgotten, just need to take some actual pictures of them.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the pictures. I'm not that crazy about my mouth being half-open but oh well. Not sure why there's no finish line photo. I even made a point to smile. Oh well.

Long Beach Half Marathon: Race Leftovers

Some things that did not make the race recap...

Medals And Jacket

I will blog about my medals and my jacket but I need pictures. So keep an eye out for a separate post on that.

Graphics

This is kinda cool. It breaks down the race in terms of a graphic.

Overall I did well but in my age group, I was ahead of about 73 percent of the rest of the 35- to 39-year-olds. That's good. All of these stats are good. I know I'm never going to be an AG champion but being in the top... well, near the top quarter is something to be proud of.

More Stats

The race web site provided some pretty cool and interesting statistics, a relative wealth of information. The statistics that most struck me were these:

The first 6.214 miles took me 54:31 to run, which is an 8:46 pace

The next 4.586 miles took me 40:16, an 8:47 pace

The last 2.309 miles took me 20:16, an 8:47 pace

That is consistent! At times it felt like my legs were churning as they do when I'm on the treadmill, which is to say that I was in the same gear, at the same speed, holding strong and steady. I know runners hate the 'mill but it's for reasons like this that I think it's a valuable tool. I've set the 'mill on a certain setting and have just lost myself in thought or music or whatever's rolling around in my mind.

What surprises me is that I wasn't able to gauge my speed because of the Garmin Gremlins, but I was able to keep going the same speed, and that speed was about 12 seconds under the 9-minute per mile mark. Score that as a pleasant surprise.

Fading Finisher

Remember when I said that it felt like many runners were getting past me during the last part of Sunday's race?

Check this out:
So I passed fewer runners than passed me. It wasn't a great feeling, seeing runners zoom past me, runners who had mustered up more energy and determination than me in the final portion of the race.

I remember one runner who passed me by somewhere in the final mile. She came up around my right and went past me and I told myself "stick behind her and you'll finish strong." Well, she was very strong and there was no way I could have kept up with her. It seemed like she was the norm and not the exception.

But that's fine. I just have to work on my finishing kick the next time out.

Lady In Yellow

Have I mentioned that it was exciting to see Katie A at the race? Well, if I haven't mentioned it yet, I was thrilled to have had the chance to run the same race as Katie, who was decked out in yellow for the race. Originally, she was supposed to run the full marathon but decided to run the half instead. I wanted to see her before the race but didn't, so I wasn't sure where she lined up exactly. Turns out, she was ahead of me, in Wave 1.

She romped through Long Beach as she ran an effortless 1:44:56. She chews up and spits out half marathons like they were grapes and Sunday was no different.

Check out her race report here.

Another cool graphic lets you compare yourself to another runner. Now, there is no comparison between Katie and LB...

KATIE >>> LB

... but I tried to compare ourselves during the race. Check this out.


So the part where the big yellow arrow is pointing to (away from the finish) is where I was when Katie crossed the finish line. Pretty awesome. She smoked my ass by 1.6 miles. To be fair, she had a five-minute head start since this measures from gun time. What would have been cool would have been for me to have started first and for her to have started in the second wave. She might have caught me up!

What's Next?

My next planned race is the Mission Inn Half Marathon on Nov. 14. I have to tell you, I think it's very cool that I can run half-marathons in such close proximity as these two and not feel worried. Not sure if I'll ever get to the point where I can run full marathons within four weeks of each other and feel great about it but all in due time.

Anyway, there is a tiny bit of an asterisk near that one. Because of soccer/work commitments, I may be in Salt Lake City on Nov. 14. Lots of things have to happen before that, and we'll find out by Sunday if there's even a chance of that happening. But for now, we'll have an asterisk next to that one.

If I'm not in the Beehive State on Nov. 14, I'm going to be in Riverside, running 13.1 miles.

I have to tell you, at times during Long Beach I made a deal with myself. I said "if you PR here, then you can just relax and have a half-marathon fun run on Nov. 14."

Of course, Katie believes in me, perhaps more than I believe in myself. She claims that I can PR there too, that if I focus on speedwork the next few weeks I can get an even faster time. I think she said 1:52 but I was fumbling for a nice way to say "You're crazy!"

Not one to pass up a challenge, I agreed that I would go for a PR then. Do I have buyer's remorse? No. I know there is a strong possibility that I do not PR then, but just as I would have been okay not doing so in Long Beach I know not setting a PR in Riverside will be fine. I do want to have a bit of a carrot to dangle in front of me. This is a crucial time coming up for next year's plans. With the Lopers, we will no longer be running under 10 miles. All of our runs will be double-digit runs. I will increase my weekly mileage because of that and I will also start to get in not just double-digit runs more often but runs of 12-15 miles. I've missed that distance! I like me some 15-mile runs, and between San Francisco and Long Beach, I only had one 15-mile run.

So I will be increasing my mileage with Surf City and LA marathons in the back of my mind. That's the ultimate goal, and getting in some speedwork now while increasing my overall mileage will help me become a stronger runner. And I like strength and I need more speedwork, so what a great combination.

Motivational Mondays: PR at Long Beach Half Marathon

For me, there was both promise and doubt heading into race weekend. The Long Beach Half Marathon was upon me and while I felt confident about testing myself at that distance, I was also worried that I hadn't done enough during my training to get the time I wanted.

Nevertheless, I was set to tackle the half-marathon challenge. I'd met up with Katie of One Run At A Time on Saturday night for a carbo-load dinner (her mom and uncle were with us as well) and that was a very enjoyable way to prepare for the race. The game I had to cover afterward was not, and thus I did not get to bed until close to 1 a.m. I'd set my alarm for 5:07 but I woke up often.

I got up, felt energized, felt ready to challenge myself. I pulled into the parking lot at about 6:15 a.m., plenty of time before the 7 a.m. start. However, I was unable to find either Katie or Tina before the start. With some 20,000 half and full marathoners, it was always going to be challenging.

At about 6:45 I gave up and decided to try and snare a spot close to the Wave 2 start. I was worried also that the course was too snug at times, and that it was going to be difficult to find room to move. Since we were herded like cattle at the start, being amidst the masses did little to quell my fears.

Wave 1 left, then I found myself walking to the start. Excitement had given way to focus as I had to ensure that I run a smart race at the start in order to give myself the chance of a PR. As soon as we crossed the start, I felt relieved about the crowd. There was plenty of room. Sure, it was crowded and I had to dart in and out of packs, speed past some runners, move out of the way of others, but overall it was not the crowd I expected.

Before I knew it, I was at Mile 1. I looked down at The Garmin and saw that I'd run it in about 8:20. It was a little fast but I figured better to have that extra time to play with. I did however try to slow down some in the second mile and I was a bit upset that I had slowed down too much. Mile 2 was 9:20.

I tried to run a stronger more consistent pace for the third mile and was anxious to see what my split was. I glanced at The Garmin and it read 2.90. I approached the Mile 3 sign, looked down at The Garmin and saw it was at 2.86. Figuring I read it wrong the first time, I looked ahead. A little bit later I glanced at it again and saw it was at 2.89. There was no way. I had been running a lot farther than that.

I hadn't given up yet on The Garmin but I was sure glad I had The Polar with me, my Polar F4 heart rate monitor. I'd started it just before the start line and once The Garmin started acting up, I switched from the heart rate to stopwatch display.

At about Mile 3 and change, I took my first GU. I had four packets with me but wasn't sure if I would take all of them. I was about 25 minutes in and I did feel a little strange taking one but figured I'd best stick with my plan, so GU I took.

I'm not sure what brought them upon but the mental demons were out in full force.

"You shot too high. No way you're gonna do it." "Just run at a comfortable pace from here on and forget about the PR - that way you won't be disappointed."

I did my best to fight them off, those mental demons. I tried to keep focused on whatever was in front of me, be it a runner or group of runners, the street or the people on the sidewalks.

Also, it was nice having some scenery to keep me distracted from what was going on in my head. I remember reading how the course for the half marathon was 100 percent along the shoreline but that doesn't necessarily mean a 13.1 mile beach path. Off to my right at around 3-4 miles are what looked like oil rigs. It said "along the shoreline" not "along the beach."

We got to an area where there were some restaurants on one side and a lot of boats on the other side, and I inhaled the unmistakable aroma of fish.

All along, I felt strong, though, felt good, regardless of what the mental monsters were trying to convince me. I got to Mile 6 at about 52 minutes, which was right around the time I wanted to be at. At Mile 7 I was just under an hour and that's when I was thinking that my PR was possible. I figured, if I ran the next six miles in about the same time as I'd run my first six miles, I'd be fine.

The course took us to some familiar territory. In 2009, I ran along the a paved path on the beach with my brothers on two occasions so that brought back some good memories of those runs.

Once I got close to Mile 9, I decided I'd take another GU. I'd taken GUs at Mile 3 and 6 or so, and even though I wasn't exactly craving one, I wanted to stick to the game plan of taking GUs every 25-30 minutes or so. I walked a little, caught my breath and took off once more. I had given up on The Garmin's help. As Katie later said, the Garmin Gremlins got the best of the device.

We ended up spilling off the beach path and onto the street. I saw the Mile 10 marker up ahead. I reached it at just under 1:27, which still had me on track to PR. I figured even if I couldn't hit the high gear, if I just ran a little better than a sub-10 minute pace the rest of the way, I'd PR.

I felt empty, though. I felt like I was moving as fast as syrup running down the side of a bottle. I tried to pick up the pace, but there wasn't much there and what was there was tough to maintain. More runners passed me by than I was passing. But my watch told me that I was doing fine. Mile 9 took me roughly 8:30 or so, as did Mile 10 and 11. I had to do quick calculations in my head so it may have been more or less.

At the Mile 11 sign, I stopped, walked for a bit and took my final GU. I really didn't feel like taking it but I wanted to stick with the plan. I didn't want to not PR and then use that as an excuse. When it came time to run once more, I wanted to run hard, fast and strong the rest of the way.

I wasn't quite feeling it, didn't have the afterburners going then but I pushed myself. I figured the pace that seemed slow to me was stronger than I thought so as long as I would get in some bursts of speed here and there I'd be good. I also reminded myself that I was here, I was in the throes of a race and that I had the PR in front of me. All I had to do was get it.

I got to Mile 12 at around 1:47 and figured that even a 10-minute mile-plus would get me my PR.

There was a gift waiting for us close to the finish. The course suddenly went downhill. Not sure what was going on with that but I didn't care. All I saw was the street slope downward and knew that a PR was mine. I raced down, picked up the speed and felt my legs respond. Up ahead, I saw the Mile 13 sign, and then just past that the finish line.

I sprinted. My legs didn't have much left but I didn't want to leave anything in them. I churned and churned. The time read 1:59:xx but since I started in the second wave, I knew that I was going to set a PR. I crossed the finish line, raised my hands, smiled and made sure to not look at my watch until I was well past the finish line.

Shortly afterward I talked to Mrs. LB who congratulated me on the time. She forward me the text-message alert that read my official time of 1:55:03. I was ecstatic with the time. Hobbling around after the race, I knew that I had earned my time.


Eventually I got my California Dreamin' medal and found Katie and her mom. Katie had also run the half marathon (she came in at 1:44:56!) and we swapped our stories and just relaxed for a while.

All in all, quite an enjoyable time in the LBC.

Eve Of Long Beach Half

Why can't I relax?

Friday night before a big race on Sunday is the night you're supposed to get your sleep in. You might not get much sleep the night before the race but the Friday night before isn't supposed to be much of a problem getting to sleep.

Unless you're me of course.

Funny thing is, I seem to do well when I don't have much sleep. Now, I'm not talking sleep-deprived but I can sleep a couple of 4-5 hour night's sleep and then knock out a strong run. At this point, that's what is going to have to happen.

Anyway, here's the latest update on the race. I'm feeling better and better about my chances to do well. I'm not banking on a PR by any means but I do think I'll give my current PR a run for its money, if nothing else.

I'm going to update you either way as soon as I can after the race. I'm trying to send a test email post to see what happens but so far nothing. If I can do that then I will send something a little longer, otherwise it will be just a "I'm done, my time was" update.

not sure how many of you will be around Sunday morning anyway...

I also hooked it up so where it will post updates to my Facebook account so if you're my FB friend hopefully it will send updates a few times during the race. We'll see how that works.

I'm heading to the expo on Saturday afternoon and then am meeting up with Katie of One Run At A Time. I met her in San Francisco, the day after the marathon. We're switching roles; instead of her doing the half and me doing the full as in SF, she's doing the full and I'm having the relaxing, kick-back half... well, I gotta admit I was a bit envious during SF that she was only running half the distance as I was and that she didn't have to run through all those hills like I did. Anyway, Mrs. LB and I are meeting up with her and her mom so it should be pretty fun.

So that's it then I guess. Unless that stupid e-mail test post comes through, I'll be running my race Sunday and then we'll see what happened.

Thanks for all your support. It really does mean a lot.

Long Beach Half Marathon: My PR Plan

I've been excited about Sunday's race for a while now, since I registered. But now that the race is just a few days away, I've got another feeling coming in.

I'm nervous.

And you know what that means? I'm ready. Ready for the race. Prepared for 13.1. Set for chasing a PR.

If it's Thursday and I'm not nervous about the weekend, that means I don't have a race coming up. It's just a fact of life. I get nervous about races. I know I'll finish the race, that much I've learned in the two-plus years I've been racing, but the nerves don't go away. Maybe that's just how I handle things. So I wanted to blog about my race plan here in order to try and quell my nerves and try and really picture the race.

According to the Long Beach Marathon Web site, the half marathon course "is flat and fast and runs 100 percent along the shoreline."

Key word: flat.

Of course, my half marathon PR was on a hilly course, so I'm hoping since I don't have to account for hills that I will be able to run a strong and consistent race. I'm trying to PR, which means a finish of under 1:56:58. I think the strategy that will work best for me will be to run some strong early miles and try and maintain that throughout the race. That's what normally works for me as opposed to trying to pick up the pace late, which doesn't.

The carrots I'll be dangling in front of me are the split times at the 5K, 5-mile, 10K and 10-mile marks. I hope to hit splits of...

5K - 27:02-27:36
5m - 43:30-44:30
10K - 54:04-55:19
10m - 1:27:00-1:29:00

To be honest, that does not seem unreasonable. I have run at that 10K time during training runs before. In fact, whenever I crack the six-mile mark I generally think to my worst 10K which I did in 56:01 and see how I compare to that. Of course, the challenge is to run seven miles beyond that and maintain that pace. By mile 10 I'll be able to know if a PR is realistic or not.

By the way, the above times are between an 8:42 and 8:54 per minute pace.

In Redlands, my plan was to get through the hills strong, which I did, and then finish strong, which I mostly did. I seem to remember the last mile taking a long time. I knew my flat miles would have to be strong no matter what, and they were, but that was a bit of pressure for me. This time I might be able to relax more and focus and hopefully that will translate into a strong, consistent pace.

Physically, I'm recovered from my fever. I had a strong four-mile run on Wednesday and am ready for one or two final training runs before the real deal arrives. I got a plan, but will I get a PR? We'll see on Sunday if I can follow through on my plan.

Another Challenge

The last couple of days have been trying physically.

In the last 48 hours, I've ran 10 miles, laid in bed for hours, felt my body temperature rise and fall like a yo-yo and, for good measure, vomited.

Nothing like a good little illness to prepare for the Long Beach Half Marathon.

I am feeling better though. As of Monday night, I no longer have a fever. My headache is still lingering but I'm wondering how much of that is due to me not having stepped outside of my house for one second on Monday.

My plans for a PR might have gone out the window. I'm not giving up hope on them and in fact this little bit of rest time might be good in that I was off my feet for nearly an entire day. My body overall was a mess but my feet were not being put into use so that counts for something, no? I know, it's a reach but I'm trying to find a silver lining here...

I hope to run on Wednesday, a short 3-4 mile run. If anything, I wasn't going to run a ton this week anyway. I had hoped to run either Monday or Tuesday, then run something with a bit more intensity on Wednesday and then another run on Thursday and that's that. So I'm not going to miss out on many runs this week.

I do think I will be okay to run Sunday. If I get under 1:56:58, I will be happy. If I don't, I will be happy. I just like racing, like the atmosphere around big events like this and like the fact that I can participate at all.

That doesn't mean I'm giving up hopes of a half-marathon PR. After all, I fully intend to run a strong race at the Mission Inn Half on Nov. 14. So even if I do get a PR on Sunday, it's only going to last less than a month anyway.

Well, those are my plans anyway. And they tend to change often so we'll just let this week play out and go from there.

Motivational Mondays (Oct. 11)

On Sunday I will run my third half-marathon. The Long Beach Half Marathon will be a special race for me because it will conclude my California Dreamin' Racing Series, which means I'll get a jacket and special medal. Having ran the Surf City Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon, this race was almost a no-brainer in order to get the jacket and medal.

But this race isn't special just because of that. Like all the other races I run, this race is special because I am participating. For me, showing up and running the race is a victory.

It's been right around three years now that I completed my 120-pound weight-loss journey, and about two years now that I became a runner, but I never take anything for granted. In some ways, it feels like just yesterday that I was wearing XXL shirts and size 44 pants.

When my wardrobe featured such clothes, I never thought I'd run a race. Never thought I'd run a marathon. Or a half marathon. Or a 10K. Or a 5K. Or a mile. Or anything.

In 2005; after my first marathon, in Feb. '10

Now, distance running is part of my life. It encompasses so much of what I strive to do and what I try to emulate in my life - perseverance, determination, motivation, grit, mental strength... so many things that I can and try to carry over to my personal and professional life. And I get a nice set of runner's legs for no extra charge.

Still, what running races reminds me the most is that I have come a long way, and I know that if I can get to the start line of a half marathon for the third time, that there are others in a similar situation that I was at who can do so as well. All you have to have is a little faith in yourself and a little determination.

Crossing the finish in San Francisco; in 2004

So when I set out to conquer Long Beach and try to get my PR, I will walk away with my glory no matter what time I finish in.

Motivational Mondays (Oct. 4)

For the first time in nearly two months, I will have a race coming up. The Long Beach Half Marathon will sort of kick off a bit of a racing spree for me. I'm running that race on Oct. 17, and then will run another half marathon, the Mission Inn Half, four Sundays after that, and then the Loper Classic 15K three Sundays after that. So in a span of about seven weeks I will run three races.

Races are exciting and enjoyable, definitely memorable, but what I've learned is that the work you put during training, in the weeks and months leading up to the race, is what can make or break the race for you.

Long Beach will be my third half-marathon ever. What happened to me before, during and after Half No. 1, the 2009 Run Through Redlands, and Half No. 2, the 2010 Run Through Redlands, is a pretty clear indicator that your training can make the race a success or destroy it for you.

Prior to my first half-marathon, I'd never run the distance before. I'd only run two runs of 10-miles plus, a 10-miler and a 12-miler. I was running at the most 20 miles a week. I didn't know about hydration, about proper pre-race fuel, about fueling up during races, about pacing. I was determined to finish, as determined as ever, and that carried me a long way. It carried me right up until the finish line, but I was about to collapse at the end. I drank only water, took no energy gels and did not eat anything during the race. It took me quite a few days to recover from the race.

Prior to my second half-marathon, I'd already run a marathon. I'd run double-digit mileage runs most every weekend for the six months before the race. I knew about hydration - got me a little fuel belt - and was properly versed on energy gels - GU was, and is, my gel of choice. I was running regularly, about 30-plus miles a week leading up to the race, and did well to eat the right things not just before the race or the days leading up to it but in general. During the race I paced myself early on, ran at speeds I felt comfortable maintaining, took walk breaks, ate and drank my Gatorade at the proper times and did well to break my previous time. After the race, I felt great and ran another 30-mile week after the race.

My time dropped from 2:14:50 to 1:56:58 from the first race to the next.

Regardless of the time - and time really is not the end-all be-all measuring stick for race performance - I had a far better experience with the second race. My training was better and I was a more knowledgeable runner.

Now with two marathons under my belt and the successful half marathon behind me as well, do I expect another drastic PR? Of course not. Am I a better runner now than I was in April? I'd like to think so, but then I'd like to think that I'm constantly improving and developing as a runner, which equates to being a better runner.

Does that mean a PR is a slam dunk then? Hardly.

Just because I did well to get my sub-2 hour half-marathon doesn't mean I can just relax and reach that again. In fact, it means I need to work harder. I can't slow down now. I can't regress and feel satisfied. I've got to work harder.

I'm never going to win a half-marathon or place in the top three. I get that, so I'm not trying to act as if I'm some Olympic runner. But I work hard to top myself, to improve myself and to keep moving forward. And I need to prove that once more to myself, both in my training and during the Long Beach Half Marathon.

If I PR, great. If I don't, fine. As long as I give it all I've got, both during my training and the race, I'll be happy.

Long Beach Half Marathon: Goals

I'm about three weeks away from my next race and I haven't been blogging much about it. I think I didn't want to blow it out of proportion but now it feels like I've just ignored it altogether.

My next race of course is the Long Beach Half Marathon. It's going to be an exciting race for several reasons, one of them being that I'll know several of the other participants there that day, in either the half or full. Several Loper friends, blog buddies and just assorted friends are taking part in the race so it should be an exciting and memorable day.

As far as my goals go, I do want to PR. I want to accomplish that much. Given my past, though, I will not be disappointed if I do not PR. Two years ago running 13.1 was a dream, four years ago it was something I did not think possible and five years ago... well, I was a much different (larger) person back then. That all puts in perspective of course.

Still, I think that helps ground me somewhat and helps me relax and focus on the goal at hand. I've been doing strong recently in my runs. I have been doing speedwork and had an awesome speedwork session on Friday. I've been doing a lot of miles in under nine minutes on my regular weekday runs, and that's encouraging.

Now, my half-marathon PR is 1:56:58, which is a pace of 8:55 per minute. I think I can shave off 5-10 seconds per minute, which means a finish time of between 1:54 and 1:56. It might be close and I might miss out on it but I do think I have some things in my favor.

* Speedwork. I wasn't doing much of it before Redlands. Even though my mileage was higher before Redlands - I was knocking out 12-15 milers each Sunday - my speedwork is helping me get faster.

* Determined. I always feel like I am more determined the more races I get under my belt, so I think I'm more determined now and that's going to make the difference.

* Course. The biggest factor is the course. Redlands was hilly and Long Beach is not. It's flat save for like one hill maybe.

We'll see if all of these factors work out in my favor or not. Whatever the case, I'm going to have a lot of fun trying to chase my PR.

Playlist enhancer: BRMC's Aint No Easy Way

In case you didn't get your fill of videos yesterday, I figured I'd try and help you sort out your choice of music.

I've become very fond of this song. It's called Ain't No Easy Way by the group Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I was introduced to the group recently and I've become a big fan of their stuff.

This song is fairly short, about 2:30 or so, and normally I would prefer something longer. Sometimes it's nice to know that when a song is over I will be onto the next mile, so if I'm at say 4.56 and a longer song comes on, I know that once the song is over I will be at mile 5.something. This song won't get you to the next mile unless you are almost there (or incredibly fast), but that doesn't matter with this song. It brings energy and gives you a quick jolt of it.





This song will definitely be on my Long Beach Half Marathon playlist, it's just a matter of whether I'll use that energy jolt early or late.

LB Officially In The LB

It's official.

All along, I'd been planning to run the Long Beach Half Marathon. On Monday, I made it official. I registered for the race and will run it Oct. 17.

Even though it was a rather small step - it took me a few minutes and was worried when my card was declined but then realized it was because I didn't enter the proper expiration date - it's still huge. It could have been so simple to just say "forget it" and move on. After all, the Mission Inn Half Marathon is $40, half of what I paid for Long Beach.

But I took the leap. I followed through with my goal, and I'll be out at Long Beach, running my second 13.1 of the year, third overall.

There is a great sense of finality when registering for a race. It's one thing to put a race tentatively on the calendar but quite another to pay for it and cement it on the calendar. Now it seems real. Now I can focus on the race, plan out my upcoming weeks, hit the speedwork hard, study the course, figure out the pre-race logistics... all quite exciting and motivating!

So I'll be bringing you quite a bit on the Long Beach Half Marathon from now until I run the race, number eight of 2010. That alone makes it a motivating event.