Eye Candy Marathons

With 44 days remaining in the countdown to my next marathon, I spent a good portion of the morning reading up on and looking at pictures of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah.  Of course, this is the location of my next race, the Hoka One One Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon.

I was chosen to represent @RunRevel as an Ambassador, which is quite an honor.  I am already in love with this race, and I haven’t even stepped foot in Utah yet.  Why?  I run with not only my feet, but majorly with my eyes.  I don’t listen to music when I run, not in races and not even while on training runs.  My focus is always on the “eye candy”.  The Big Cottonwood race looks to be one of the most beautiful races around.  With one of the most beautiful race courses, this race shapes up to be one that I will never forget.  42 days until my plane lands in Salt Lake City, and the picture taking begins.  I may even stop to take a photo or two during the race.  Maybe.  Yes, this is a downhill, fast course, but I won’t risk missing a BQ to snap a picture at this race.  There are millions of photos of Big Cottonwood Canyon online.  

Check out some of these photos I found.  How can you not fall in love?  I already have.

As a race ambassador, I can offer anyone who wants to run one of the Revel races a discount off the current registration price.  The next price increase is coming soon, so if you jump on board now, you can save money.  Let me know if you are interested, and I can hook you up with a discount.

The Revel Rockies race in Denver, CO is August 17th.

Revel Big Cottonwood in Salt Lake City, UT is September 13th.

Revel Canyon City in Los Angeles, CA is November 15th.

You can check out this race series online at http://www.runrevel.com

 

Persistence pays off

Well, I did it.  I got that twelve miler in yesterday late afternoon.  

Here’s how I survived the heat and humidity….

– two changes of shirt

– two bottles of gatorade

– three sweat buffs

-plenty of Body Glide (love this product!)

-two towels

-1 hour cool down followed by a cold shower

-relaxing on the couch for three hours

How do I feel today?  Contrary to how I thought I would feel, I woke up feeling fully recovered.  That’s what training will do for you.  I thought I was going to die, but I didn’t.  Persistence in training works.  Follow the plan.  Try to be smart about when you run, and how you run and survive it.  Give your body the rest it needs to recover, and by all means stay hydrated.  That is key!

So I feel good about the next long run already.  Training for a BQ attempt sure is different from regular training.  I know what’s at stake, and it keeps me more focused and positively impacts my routine.  I know I need to put in more work than ever before, so if I don’t, my BQ attempt will be lackluster, and I don’t want that.  I want to be ready on race day.  If that means sucking it up on really hot days, the that is what it means.  Boston doesn’t come cheap.  Especially for an aging dude that’s not in 100% good physical shape.  I don’t always watch my diet, and I should.  I have to keep focused on the prize.  Eyes on the prize, as they say.

As you step out the door during the dog days of Summer, remember that goal race.  Use that goal to get you moving.  Use that goal to better yourself, however or whatever that means to you.  Best of luck out there on the road.  As for me?  Two more long runs prior to Big Cottonwood.  An 18 and a 20 miler.  That’s all that’s left.  Well, that and about 100 other training miles between now and September 13th. 

Satan Called. He wants his weather back!

Man oh man.  I hate to complain, so I won’t.  I really don’t mind the heat, its the humidity that sucks balls.  Stanky, sweaty balls.  It’s not really fair when you can’t tell if you’ve dried yourself off enough after a shower, or if you’re already sweating again.  Ok, so I kinda complained some.  

I have finally figured out just how draining humidity can be.  I just don’t feel like dealing with it, especially on a run.  It’s harder for me to psych myself up for a long run, when I know the minute I step out the door I am going to start sweating before I even start my Garmin.  

But run I must.  I can get through it, I know I can.  Trying to get myself pumped for three four mile hill loops tallying the magical 12 miles I am looking for today.  The temperature is 86, the humidity is 90%.  I’ve got two bottles of Gatorade at the ready, and will be lubing up with Body Glide before I get my shoes on.

The dog days of Summer have arrived.  Just in time for the height of my Fall marathon training.  Trying to find a happy place about it.  It’s just hard to run when you feel like you’re wading in a swamp.

How do you deal with heat and humidity during your runs?  Any special tips or tricks to help beat the heat?  Please share.

City of Oaks Marathon and Half- Raleigh’s Finest

That’s right!  Just 100 days away today, our local marathon and half will once again provide some of the finest views on an awesome course.  

In 2013, I achieved my Personal Record for the marathon distance on this beautiful and challenging course.  Still to this day, I am trying to figure out what I did right that day to bank that 3:32.  This race is neither considered flat or fast, as it contains some difficult rolling hills.

When online registration for this years event rolled around, I knew that I wanted to go back.  I also knew that because I had already signed up for a few marathons during the Fall season, that I probably shouldn’t add another one.  I debated it for a few days, until one day the race offered a one day discount, and I had to make a quick decision.  My son actually helped in the decision making process.  Fresh off of watching my older son complete his first half marathon in Hilton Head, my younger son asked if he could run the City of Oaks Half, as his first race at the 13.1 distance.  Decision made!  Of course I said yes, and decided to register for the Half with him.  I want to run with him, pace him, and be at his side when he finishes.

I have already got him set up on a 16 week Half Marathon training plan, which he has already started.  He is excited, and so am I.  In 100 days, I will be toeing the line with my 16 year old to run through Raleigh and and watch as he has his first (of many I hope) Half Marathon finisher medals placed around his neck.

Look out City of Oaks, this time it’s going to be a family affair!

 

REVEL Race Series Ambassador – I am a REVELer

I am proud to announce, and excited to begin another ambassadorship with an extremely popular and brilliantly run race series.  REVEL Race Series is known for fast, beautiful and downhill races with amazing amenities.  

When looking for a new vacation race several months ago, I read about the Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half in Cottonwood Canyon south of Salt Lake City, Utah.  It didn’t take me long to make the decision to register for this event!  It’s fast, it’s beautiful.  This race is unique as it starts at a high altitude, and descends down through Cottonwood Canyon.  It offers a great chance at qualifying for Boston.  My fastest marathon time is just seven minutes shy of my Boston Marathon qualifying time, so this race naturally became my BQ goal race.  

A few months later, I saw the opportunity to become an Ambassador for this race series.  Naturally, I applied.  Recently selected to the team, I couldn’t be happier to help promote this awesome race series.  Great locations, beautiful courses, amazing swag including one of the biggest finisher medals I have ever seen, and charity supporters are some of the reasons why I applied.  

 

I will provide much more information and even provide you with a race discount if you check out this race, or one of the others in California or Colorado, and decide to run one.  I would love to have some company this September!  I am adding the race in California and in Denver to my “must run” list.  Check them out online at http://www.runrevel.com.  

Follow them on Twitter:  @runrevel. They are also on Instagram and Pinterest.

This race series offers races in beautiful canyons, fast Boston-qualifying courses, with a huge emphasis placed on the runner experience.  Great customer service, great refund policy, awesome shirts, medals and free photos and videos.  Free photos?  What?  Yes, free race photos and personalized video from your race.  High quality races, and top notch fun!  

If you have any questions about how to REVEL, just ask.

Don’t you want to run here? I can’t wait.

 

I have some awesome running news!

Big news to share on my blog tomorrow…..  

In the mean time, I will share a few photos that surely will inspire, and serve as a reminder that this is where I will be in just 51 days!

Running here…..

And REVELing here…..

……and going for a BQ!

….Big News, Big, big Cottonwood news…be sure to stop by my blog again tomorrow for the big REVE(a)L!

All American Ambassador

http://www.fortbraggmwr.com/allamericanmarathon/registration/

I got got some really great news today!  One of my favorite marathons thus far in my marathon career has chosen me to be an Ambassador for the 2015 race.

The race this last May was the inaugural event, and I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it.  They will be returning stronger, and more popular than ever I am sure, so don’t miss out on early registration, which can be accessed with the link above.  

The race date for 2015 is March 22nd.  

More to come, as I will be sharing my Ambassador experiences with you.  Who knows, I may even be allowed to offer special discounts or goodies along the way.  Details to follow.  Hold tight!

Channeling the Mountains

As I take a few breaths before heading out on my long run of the week, my mind wanders….

I am getting prepared for my next marathon.  Marathon #14 will start high above the ground I stand on now.  The ground that will be underneath my feet during my final 8 weeks of training.  There is no preparing for altitude here at home.  I have to trust that with my hill training, my increased downhill pace will get me out of the clouds quicker than I can get out of breath.

Eight weeks from now the race will be over.  An epic event, starting at the Brighton Ski Resort in a Utah.  My thoughts everyday revolve around those mountains.  I cannot wait to see them, I cannot wait to run down Cottonwood Canyon.  

Focus…  Focus.  Even though these hill workouts are really killing me, I have to think of those mountains, and the reason why I am putting myself through extra pain now.  It will all be worth it in the end.  Even if I don’t run the race of my life, I get to enjoy the beauty all along the way to the finish.

If you’ll excuse me, I have some hills to conquer on my run today.  Happy running to you all!

 

Rock ‘N’ Rebellion Half Marathon Preview

Fall is a great season for running, and in the Raleigh area there are tons of races to choose from.  RunRaleigh Races’ Rock ‘n’ Rebellion Half Marathon, is one of the best!

The course has changed just a bit from previous runnings of this event, and has even undergone a complete name change.  RunRaleigh Half, as it used to be called, was first run in 2012.  Due to a Rock ‘n’ Roll event debuting in Raleigh this year, local race director, Paula O’Neal, had to move her mid April event date, as Competitor Group was given her race weekend.  They sort of pulled the date away from her to accommodate this non-local for profit series.  

With its new date, the first weekend in October, the newly named, Rock ‘n’ Rebellion offers runners a picturesque course through Raleigh and its greenways.  The course is challenging, yet very doable even for a first time Half Marathoner.  With a starting location at Cameron Village, in downtown Raleigh, runners are treated to ample parking and plenty of room to spread out with family and enjoy the post race festivities including food, drink and a beer garden with DJ cranking tunes.

It’s a great event, one that I highly recommend.  I’ve run it three times, and look forward to going back for another dose of fun this October 5th.  I will be a pacer at the event this year, and really look forward to that.

Check out the race website here:  www.runraleighracing.com. 

…I Need A Vacation

What I am in serious need of is decompression time.  Time to sit, time to ponder and not have any obligations.  Time to do things for myself, and enjoy the things that mean the most to me.  That means family, that means running…. and cooking, hiking and breathing in the clean air.

I haven’t been on vacation since March.  Contrary to popular belief, even though I was at the beach last week, I worked about 46 hours, and barely had time to even see the ocean.  

What I need is some serious time in the mountains.  Time away from the terrible, oppressive heat and humidity.  It makes me think of the many times I have been to the mountains, and had the most relaxing vacations.  I’ve rented cabins or homes mostly, because we like to have the space to spread out, and also be able to cook.  A fully equipped kitchen is a must while on vacation.  I know, some of you may be saying, “there is no way I am cooking on vacation”.  I love to cook though, so I find it a necessity while on vacation in the mountains.  I would much rather cook than go out to eat constantly.

What I look forward to are the crisp, cool mornings.  A nice run, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.  A good hike with family.  Taking pictures.  

Yeah, now I’ve got myself all worked up, yearning for the day this a Fall where I will be able to get away and enjoy “me time”.  Family time.

Luckily for me, I have time away planned for September.  A few months back I signed up for a Half Marathon in the Great Smoky Mountains.  This will be the weekend following the Big Cottonwood Marathon (another mountain getaway, yeah!) so extending my vacation to a full week and a half, and including two runs will be just amazing.  Vacation Races has several great National Park Half marathons on their event list, so check them out.  I am really excited about it.  I am now in the process of finding the perfect cabin to rent for a few days so that I have time to relax while in Tennessee, as well.

While I am enduring long, tedious training runs in the North Carolina heat of Summer, I guess I just have to dream about my upcoming vacations, and hold tight, knowing that they will be here before I know it.  

Do you run while on vacation?  Maybe you plan your vacations around a race?  I like to be able to do it all while on vacation.  Relax and run.  How about you?