Quick mid-week update....did my 14 mile run last Sunday ON PACE! Felt good, maintained a 9:52 pace over the 14 miles. As you may recall, I'm shooting for a 10 minute pace, but can actually do a 10:18 pace in the marathon and still PR by a comfortable margin. Did an 8 mile run last night after work - considering the hours I'm logging with the this new job, I was happy with that as well. This Sunday I'll do 18 - climbing the mountain baby! Don't expect to do it on pace the first time, just want to get the distance under my belt - will go for pace next time. Hopefully I won't be too zonked out to watch the Saints whoop the Colts!
Ciao!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
7 Weeks to Go!
As of tomorrow, only 7 weeks left before the Shamrock Marathon! Last Sunday I completed my 16 mile run, but had to walk a bit on the last mile. Because of that, my pace was over my goal, so I've still got work to do! In reality however, its not that unusual to struggle with a new (new this training cycle) distance the first time you attempt it. If you remember, I ran 10 mile runs 4-5 times and then did the same for 12 mile runs, all because I was working toward the First Light Half Marathon. I've noticed my pace is right on or even under up to 12 or 13 miles, then it falls off. I did make it to mile 15 (and a little beyond) last week before walking a tad.
This week is a "step back" week. I originally was going to do 12 tomorrow, but since I've done that distance so many times, I'll only "step back" to 14 miles - so that's the goal for tomorrow. Then a week from tomorrow, I'll bump it back up to 16 or 18. So my objective for tomorrow's 14 mile run will be to hit my target pace for all 14 miles.
Haven't reported on my weight in a couple of weeks. I have stayed within a half pound of 200 for the last 3-4 weeks. I need to get better about passing on the beer during the week! I've fallen off that plan a little - still way better than before, but still some room for improvement.
With starting my new job this past week, work has gotten hectic. I did manage to get in two 6 mile runs during the week, but need to work harder to get that third night of running in as well.
So...that's the update for now. Today's Song of the Blog is Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
It's starting to get close! The next several long runs are critical!
Ciao...
This week is a "step back" week. I originally was going to do 12 tomorrow, but since I've done that distance so many times, I'll only "step back" to 14 miles - so that's the goal for tomorrow. Then a week from tomorrow, I'll bump it back up to 16 or 18. So my objective for tomorrow's 14 mile run will be to hit my target pace for all 14 miles.
Haven't reported on my weight in a couple of weeks. I have stayed within a half pound of 200 for the last 3-4 weeks. I need to get better about passing on the beer during the week! I've fallen off that plan a little - still way better than before, but still some room for improvement.
With starting my new job this past week, work has gotten hectic. I did manage to get in two 6 mile runs during the week, but need to work harder to get that third night of running in as well.
So...that's the update for now. Today's Song of the Blog is Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
It's starting to get close! The next several long runs are critical!
Ciao...
Sunday, January 24, 2010
8 Weeks to Go!
Eight weeks from today I'll be in Virgina Beach running the Shamrock Marathon - woo-hoo! Last Sunday I did my 14 mile run as scheduled. For the first 12 miles I was comfortably ahead of my 10 minute pace - which is my goal for the 26.2 miles. The last two miles I fell off that pace, but still finished 10 seconds ahead of my overall goal time for the 14 mile run. I tend to run my long training runs at a slower pace then I do during the actual race. I think all the excitement and adrenalin of race day, plus having all the other runners around you, help you pick your pace on race day. So, I figure if I can maintain a 10 minute training pace over 20 miles, I should be able to be close to that (due to the excitement of race day) over the additional 6.2 miles as well. Don't think I'm being naive however about that last 10K, I know it's a bear - been there, done that. As I mentioned last post I believe, I can actually do a 10:18 pace and still PR by about 10 minutes - so I've built in a fudge factor if I'm having a bad day, the weather sucks, or whatever!
Today I am scheduled for 16 miles and once the weather clears this afternoon, I'll be on it! I'll miss most of the Colts-Jets game because that's when I'll be running; but I'll catch every minute of the Saints (Who DAT!) puttin' a whoopin' on the Vikings! GO SAINTS!
I start a new position at work tomorrow which will be much more demanding and will most likely cut into my personal (training) time quite a bit. Hopefully I can finish out my Shamrock training before things get too crazy at work in the new position! This will be a challenge for sure.
All for now...except the song for today! Today's Song of the Blog is Swingin' School by Bobby Rydell - an oldie but a goodie!
I'll report out on how my 16 mile run went later!
Ciao - keep runnin'!
Today I am scheduled for 16 miles and once the weather clears this afternoon, I'll be on it! I'll miss most of the Colts-Jets game because that's when I'll be running; but I'll catch every minute of the Saints (Who DAT!) puttin' a whoopin' on the Vikings! GO SAINTS!
I start a new position at work tomorrow which will be much more demanding and will most likely cut into my personal (training) time quite a bit. Hopefully I can finish out my Shamrock training before things get too crazy at work in the new position! This will be a challenge for sure.
All for now...except the song for today! Today's Song of the Blog is Swingin' School by Bobby Rydell - an oldie but a goodie!
I'll report out on how my 16 mile run went later!
Ciao - keep runnin'!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
9 Weeks to the Shamrock!
Tomorrow will mark 9 weeks to go in my countdown to the Shamrock Marathon. My long run tomorrow is scheduled to be 14 miles - and the weather looks perfect!
Last Sunday I ran the First Light Half Marathon and while it was very cold, I was happy with my results. I finished in 2:02:04, which equates to a 9:20 pace. My goal for the Shamrock is first, to PR, and second, to maintain a 10 minute pace. My current PR for a marathon is 4:41:11; which was on a course with hills between miles 10 - 19. The Shamrock course is nice and flat, just one overpass. A pure 10 minute pace for 26.2 miles comes out to a finish time of 4:22:12, so that would obviously be a PR for me. Allowing for a bit of a fudge factor, shooting for a finish time of 4:30:00 would require a pace of 10:18 - which if my training stays on track, should be doable.
I have included a running "lesson" in a while, so let's re-cap what we've covered one more time:
1. It takes determination
2. It’s a major time commitment
3. You can’t control the weather
4. Have a goal
5. Get motivated
6. Have a reward system
7. Invest in good running shoes
8. Stay healthy
9. Have a support team
10. Don't chafe me Dude!
11. Run safely
Lesson # 12 is Don't Peak Too Early During Training. Ideally, you are a year-round runner, so when you start your training in Week #1 you are not starting from scratch. As mentioned earlier, most marathon training schedules start either 16 or 18 weeks before race day. It's okay to train longer than 16 or 18 weeks, which is what I am actually doing this year for the Shamrock. The important thing however is that you don't max out your long (or longest) runs too far in advance of race day. You want to finish your long runs about 2 weeks prior to race day. So if your longest training run is 20 miles, do that 2 weeks before race day and then start to taper down and rest for the big day. If you run a training run of 20 miles 2 or 3 times, that is preferable, but still time it so your last long run is two weeks before the race. It is imperative that you walk up to that starting line on race day, well rested and well fueled. Seems obvious, but juggling your running schedule, especially your long weekend run, around everyday life and the weather, can be hard some times.
Today's Song of the Blog for your running pleasure is The Boys of Summer by Don Henley.
I'm starting the hard part of my marathon training cycle now, or as I refer to it, "the second hill". I'm halfway there, and my training goal is to do 2 or 3 20 mile runs. Stay tuned - I'm on the home stretch!
Ciao!
Last Sunday I ran the First Light Half Marathon and while it was very cold, I was happy with my results. I finished in 2:02:04, which equates to a 9:20 pace. My goal for the Shamrock is first, to PR, and second, to maintain a 10 minute pace. My current PR for a marathon is 4:41:11; which was on a course with hills between miles 10 - 19. The Shamrock course is nice and flat, just one overpass. A pure 10 minute pace for 26.2 miles comes out to a finish time of 4:22:12, so that would obviously be a PR for me. Allowing for a bit of a fudge factor, shooting for a finish time of 4:30:00 would require a pace of 10:18 - which if my training stays on track, should be doable.
I have included a running "lesson" in a while, so let's re-cap what we've covered one more time:
1. It takes determination
2. It’s a major time commitment
3. You can’t control the weather
4. Have a goal
5. Get motivated
6. Have a reward system
7. Invest in good running shoes
8. Stay healthy
9. Have a support team
10. Don't chafe me Dude!
11. Run safely
Lesson # 12 is Don't Peak Too Early During Training. Ideally, you are a year-round runner, so when you start your training in Week #1 you are not starting from scratch. As mentioned earlier, most marathon training schedules start either 16 or 18 weeks before race day. It's okay to train longer than 16 or 18 weeks, which is what I am actually doing this year for the Shamrock. The important thing however is that you don't max out your long (or longest) runs too far in advance of race day. You want to finish your long runs about 2 weeks prior to race day. So if your longest training run is 20 miles, do that 2 weeks before race day and then start to taper down and rest for the big day. If you run a training run of 20 miles 2 or 3 times, that is preferable, but still time it so your last long run is two weeks before the race. It is imperative that you walk up to that starting line on race day, well rested and well fueled. Seems obvious, but juggling your running schedule, especially your long weekend run, around everyday life and the weather, can be hard some times.
Today's Song of the Blog for your running pleasure is The Boys of Summer by Don Henley.
I'm starting the hard part of my marathon training cycle now, or as I refer to it, "the second hill". I'm halfway there, and my training goal is to do 2 or 3 20 mile runs. Stay tuned - I'm on the home stretch!
Ciao!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
First Light!
Tomorrow morning is the First Light Marathon here in Mobile - or Half Marathon for me! It will be very cold (for around here) - temps at race time will be in the 20s, possibly in the teens with the wind chill - brrrr! I'm basically using this as another training run for the Shamrock, so am not overly concerned with my time. I will probably motor along at about my normal 10 minute pace for this distance and finish a little over 2 hours - we'll see! I'll give you a full report tomorrow!
Cheers,
Tim
Cheers,
Tim
Sunday, January 3, 2010
11 Weeks to the Shamrock Marathon!
Wow- time is flying by; cannot believe I'm down to 11 weeks to go already! I have not run a whole bunch in the last week or so for two reasons: 1) too much company and too much fun over the Holidays, and 2) my sciatic nerve is acting up and limiting my time out on the road. Between my last post (2 weeks ago) and now, I did manage to get in a 3rd 12 mile run - so I feel ready for the Half Marathon next weekend - assuming my ba-hootie quits hurting! This past week I only ran 4 miles on Wednesday and then rested (deliberately) for 4 days - went out today and did 6 miles. The sciatica felt a little better, but very much still there. I've been treating it with a product called "BioFreeze" which helps a lot. I'll probably do a short (4 miles) run Tuesday or Wednesday and then rest until the Half Marathon next Sunday. I really need to start ramping up my miles for the Shamrock right after the Half Marathon, so don't want this sciatic nerve thing to prevent that.On the weight front - last blog report I was at 198. Since then I jumped back up to 200, then, believe it or not, over the Christmas weekend lost 1/2 pound and weighed in at 199.5 the Tuesday after Christmas.
Now that we are into the new year, I thought I'd post my running results for 2009. At the top of this post is the chart I keep throughout the year. My annual miles have dropped a little bit the last two years, the peak was 2007 with 779.4 miles, but I don't view this year as a significant change.
Okay - enough for today. Hope you read my post about the St. Jude Benefit Run - I'm very excited about it!
Today's Song of the Blog is "Soulful Strut" by Youngholt Unlimited. This is not a hard driving rock and roll song, but I have several songs like this on my MP3 that I refer to as "mid-mile songs" - just to keep the beat going once you settle into your run.
Ciao - stay warm, keep running!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
St. Jude Benefit Run
I'll take a brief respite from my normal marathon training posts to share with you this letter that I have sent out to many of my friends and family members. The chart I refer to at the end of the letter is a pictorial of the run from Memphis to Mobile and will track my fund raising activity.
December 30, 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
It is not my nature to be on the "asking" side of a fund raising campaign, in fact, I can honestly say that this is the first one I have ever been involved in. Normally it's me writing the checks, it seems! However, this cause is special and has my full attention; hopefully you'll join me in this worthy cause.
Most of us are familiar with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; if by chance you are not, I encourage you to visit its website at http://www.stjude.org/. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Unfortunately, too many of us are also familiar with a child who is suffering from cancer or another catastrophic disease. My niece and her husband, Erica & Jere Robinson, are living this nightmare right now as their younger son, Sam, battles brain cancer. While Sam is not being treated at St. Jude, there are thousands of children just like him that need our help. You can follow Sam’s progress at Erica’s blog: http://ericarobinsonphotography.com/samsblog/
I will be participating in the inaugural St. Jude Memphis to Mobile Run and I will be running in honor of Sam. This is a fund raising event for St. Jude and every dollar raised goes directly to the hospital. In order to participate in this event, I need to raise a minimum of $2,000, and I need your help to do it. I actually hope to raise at least $4,200, which comes out to $10 a mile. I am calling my own fund raising efforts the Sam-A-Thon and its slogan is “420 miles, 4 days, 1 great cause!” The run will start April 29th, 2010, and will begin in Memphis, running around the clock in relay teams; we will arrive in Mobile four days later on May 2nd. The race will culminate at Battleship Park and conclude with an end-of-run celebration. Runners will be divided into two teams and each team will run for eight hours before turning it over to the other team. The “off” team will then rest for eight hours while the other team is running. Run, rest, repeat for four days – sounds like fun! I may have a catastrophic illness by the time the run is over!
Cancer is a terrible disease, even more so, it seems, when it invades the body of a child. Please join me in this fight and in support of a wonderful hospital that is saving lives every single day. We may not find a cure for cancer today, but maybe the cure will be found in time to save your child, your grandchild or another loved one. No donation is too small; all are fully tax deductible and all are greatly appreciated. Please consider writing the check today while you are thinking about it, and please make it out to St. Jude on The Bay. You can mail your check to me at 3103 Riviere du Chien Loop E., Mobile, Al. 36693. If you prefer, you may also donate via PayPal by sending your payment to my account name: Tim1717@comcast.net. There are also some “corporate sponsorships” available with associated benefits - if you are interested in learning more about those, please contact me. So you can track my fund raising efforts, I’ll be updating the enclosed chart periodically on my Face Book page.
With your help, we CAN beat cancer. Sam and I are both counting on you!
Thank you!
Tim Mahoney
Tim1717@comcast.net
Dear Friends and Family,
It is not my nature to be on the "asking" side of a fund raising campaign, in fact, I can honestly say that this is the first one I have ever been involved in. Normally it's me writing the checks, it seems! However, this cause is special and has my full attention; hopefully you'll join me in this worthy cause.
Most of us are familiar with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; if by chance you are not, I encourage you to visit its website at http://www.stjude.org/. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Unfortunately, too many of us are also familiar with a child who is suffering from cancer or another catastrophic disease. My niece and her husband, Erica & Jere Robinson, are living this nightmare right now as their younger son, Sam, battles brain cancer. While Sam is not being treated at St. Jude, there are thousands of children just like him that need our help. You can follow Sam’s progress at Erica’s blog: http://ericarobinsonphotography.com/samsblog/
I will be participating in the inaugural St. Jude Memphis to Mobile Run and I will be running in honor of Sam. This is a fund raising event for St. Jude and every dollar raised goes directly to the hospital. In order to participate in this event, I need to raise a minimum of $2,000, and I need your help to do it. I actually hope to raise at least $4,200, which comes out to $10 a mile. I am calling my own fund raising efforts the Sam-A-Thon and its slogan is “420 miles, 4 days, 1 great cause!” The run will start April 29th, 2010, and will begin in Memphis, running around the clock in relay teams; we will arrive in Mobile four days later on May 2nd. The race will culminate at Battleship Park and conclude with an end-of-run celebration. Runners will be divided into two teams and each team will run for eight hours before turning it over to the other team. The “off” team will then rest for eight hours while the other team is running. Run, rest, repeat for four days – sounds like fun! I may have a catastrophic illness by the time the run is over!
Cancer is a terrible disease, even more so, it seems, when it invades the body of a child. Please join me in this fight and in support of a wonderful hospital that is saving lives every single day. We may not find a cure for cancer today, but maybe the cure will be found in time to save your child, your grandchild or another loved one. No donation is too small; all are fully tax deductible and all are greatly appreciated. Please consider writing the check today while you are thinking about it, and please make it out to St. Jude on The Bay. You can mail your check to me at 3103 Riviere du Chien Loop E., Mobile, Al. 36693. If you prefer, you may also donate via PayPal by sending your payment to my account name: Tim1717@comcast.net. There are also some “corporate sponsorships” available with associated benefits - if you are interested in learning more about those, please contact me. So you can track my fund raising efforts, I’ll be updating the enclosed chart periodically on my Face Book page.
With your help, we CAN beat cancer. Sam and I are both counting on you!
Thank you!
Tim Mahoney
Tim1717@comcast.net
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