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Marathon Training – Week 5

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Week 5 Training

Week 5 Training

This weeks training went well. Again, I crossed trained for 30 minutes on the bike on Monday and ran my scheduled runs. The main highlight of this weeks training was my 12 mile long run today.

I woke up to the sound of rain. I’m usually the first person to head indoors to the treadmill when there is inclement weather. I quickly looked at the radar maps to see if there was a slight chance that I could get out but it showed rain for the next two hours. I packed up my gym gear and as I was headed out of the front door it didn’t look too bad. I reminded myself that marathons don’t have rain dates and that I should ‘man up’ about getting wet! I’m so glad I did. Today’s long run was awesome.

I decided to start off on a familiar route through Langhorne Borough and reached a point where I usually turn left and head back in a loop to where I started. Today I decided to turn right. Having only driven this route before I knew it was a little hilly but you don’t factor that in to your regular commute. Running hills is slightly different. I have driven this route probably close to 12 years now and today was the first time I had a chance to really slow down and take in my surroundings. Today’s run was by no means my fastest 12 mile run but it was really one of the most rewarding.

Here is my Garmin file from today’s run – http://connect.garmin.com/activity/360906889

One of my favorite pieces of running gear is my trusty Garmin Forerunner 305. I bought it for my Birthday the year I started running and have used it 4-5 times a week for over two and a half years and over 3,600 miles. It records all my run data accurately. Recently I have had some trouble getting the watch to lock on to the satellites and I’ve had to stand outside my house for longer than I would like with my wrist in the air looking like an idiot (although many runners can probably relate). I’ve been prompted by the watch at least twice if I was indoors or had moved more than 100 miles since my last run. Nope, my house is still in the same neighborhood I was the day before. Also, I’ve been experiencing difficulty uploading my runs recently and it has been taking 2-3 attempts everytime to upload the data. I finally bit the bullet and upgraded this week to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

I’ve had two runs with it so far and it picked up the satellite signals with no problems. I also got a new heart rate strap to accompany this. It is very similar to the 305 but obviously there are some nice upgrades. I’m still investigating the watch but a good source for a review would be the DC Rainmaker blog. If you are interested in this watch here is a link to Amazon.com (full disclosure – I have an affiliate account with them) and I would recommend reading the reviews there too.

One new thing with this watch is that I am now able to upload my runs to all the sites I use without needing to boot up my laptop. Again, I will turn to the DC Rainmaker blog if you want to know how. I used this method for the first time today after my 12 mile run and I was very happy with it. It will be a little more practical on a day to day basis.

One thing I did notice this week was the wear on my shoes. I have used Brooks Adrenaline’s since August of 2011 and have worn the models from 11 to the current 13’s. I track my shoes in my running log and seem to get around 400 miles from each pair. I rotate my shoes between two pairs every other run and usually keep a difference of around 150 miles between the oldest and the newest. I’m now wearing two pairs of 13’s, one has reached just over 300 miles of running and the other around 125 miles. The tread on the oldest pair is pretty close to the point I would normally swap out which is a suprise as I usually can get another 100 miles or so out of my shoes. I noticed similar wear on the newer pair. I’ll be keeping a close eye on these and may end up swapping to a newer shoe around 350 miles this time around. I’m not sure if they changed any of the materials making up the sole of the shoe from the 12’s to the 13 model but I don’t think my running style is that much different than it was last year. We shall see. At least the 14’s will be launching soon and I’ll be definitely thinking about those come January at the Dopey.

My wife is also training with me for the Philadelphia Marathon this year. This will be her second marathon after the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon. She had a 9 mile run planned for her long run this weekend and it just happened to coincide with the Washington Crossing 15K race along the Delaware Canal Towpath (a place where we frequently run with the boys).

Washington Crossing 15K (photo courtesy of RunBucks.com)

Washington Crossing 15K
(photo courtesy of RunBucks.com)

It was an evening race and the weather was still a little warm. This was going to be my first race as a spectator and also allowed us to bring the boys along to cheer their Mommy. As you will see below we all got into the spirit of cheerleading and made our own special signs (although I may have helped Asher a little). The boys were surprisingly patient as we waiting at the finish line (although my iPhone battery was put through its paces entertaining the boys). Shari ran a great time and she looked god doing it. Below are some of the highlights from the race.

Shari with the boys before the start of the race

Shari with the boys before the start

The boys waiting at the finish line

The boys waiting at the finish line

My first race as a spectator. Any encouragement is good right?

My first race as a spectator.
Any encouragement is good right?

Shari at the finish line showing off the bling

Shari at the finish line showing off the bling

It was a fun experience and the boys were very excited for the whole thing. We were all proud of her and cheered as loud as only we can 🙂

Next week is the second step back week so my long run is going to be 9 miles. I felt good this week having upped my mileage a little. I feel good and after today’s run refreshed and looking forward to the week ahead.

Thank you for reading and have a great week.

Marathon Training – Week 3

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Week 3 Training

Week 3 Training

A pretty easy week. It was the first step back week in the program and the mileage is still low, lower than my base training. Perhaps next time I start a new program I will maintain my base until the mileage catches up. For now I will take the rest. Still it’s almost another 25 miles on the road to my Philly Marathon.

I checked the weather forecast (actually 3 forecasts) for Saturday morning. All three had lightening storms forecast so I took my run inside the gym and hit the treadmill for an hour. That was the only day I went off plan by running 6 instead of 5. Not such a big deal and I’ve not been so great on my diet this week for a number of reasons. Back on track for week 4.

In addition to the training I managed to get out on a bike ride with my youngest. I did an hour riding on the canal tow path just before my long run (6 this week). We met up with my wife and eldest son and I ran with them in the stroller so Sunday was very much a family day. Typically we run as a family on Saturdays and this will be more the norm as we approach the longer runs. My kids are great in the stroller but pushing them 8 miles is tough on me and that is a long time for them after a while. There’s only so much we can all manage (especially the guy pushing the stroller).

The little backseat driver

The little backseat driver

Next weekend we have some family plans we are doing so it looks more likely that I may be skipping the cross training on Monday and running Monday through Friday as I will need to take the weekend off. Not the best and if I feel like it is too much I will probably skip one of the run days. I’m back up to 11 miles come the long run so Friday looks likely that I will be up at 4am to squeeze that one in before work. I hope the weather cooperates this week as the temperatures in the morning are currently perfect for running outside. The sunrise is getting a little later so headlamp running may be back on the agenda soon.

I’ll have to do a blog post about my running in the dark gear as there is a little too much detail to go into in this weekly update.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. This years Philadelphia Marathon will be here before you know it and soon I’ll be making my dining reservations(!) for Walt Disney World in January. Lots to look forward to.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho…Off to the races I will go

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Today I started my training for the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon and the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’.  For the next 6 months through the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 9-12, 2014) I will be out there putting in the miles 5 days a week building my base until race day in Philadelphia (November 17) and then buckling down for the next 8 weeks until ‘Dopey’. As a reminder, the Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’ is 4 days of running and includes a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon…truly ‘Dopey’.

It's official

Going Dopey in 2014

It’s hard to believe that just 3 years ago I hadn’t run at all.  I actually reached 3,500 miles of cumulative running this weekend (since I started recording my mileage in September 2010).

My mileage total as of July 14, 2013

My mileage total as of July 14, 2013

Philadelphia was my first marathon back in 2011 and I was so nervous when I signed up. The feeling of crossing the finish line in my first marathon will always be with me. This year’s Philadelphia Marathon will be my 6th marathon and my third Philadelphia Marathon in a row. I have been in contact with the Philadelphia Marathon folks and may be a featured blogger this year. I’ll share the link if that does happen.

Completing my first marathon - Philadelphia 2011

Completing my first marathon – Philadelphia 2011

I am especially pleased that this year my wife Shari will be running with me for her second marathon. It should be a fun time. The crowds in Philly are really great and there are no real quiet spaces. It’s a great course. The first half takes you through the city, its neighborhoods and many of the well known sights. The second half of the race takes you along Kelly Drive up and back through Manyunk. The finish line is at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum (the ‘Rocky’ steps). Temperatures in the last 2 years have been ideal for marathoning. Cool to start and warming up just slightly through the morning but not too hot.

Rocky at the top of the steps - Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rocky at the top of the steps – Philadelphia Museum of Art

I will then have 8 weeks between running Philadelphia and the Walt Disney Marathon weekend. In 2011 I had only 7 weeks between running Philly and the Walt Disney World Marathon. Having signed up for a second marathon before even finishing my first marathon you can only imagine the thoughts going through my mind if I would be able to do it. I did and even improved on my time from 7 weeks earlier.

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

I had been turned on to the idea of the ‘Goofy Challenge’ (running both the Half and Full Marathon) from my experience running alongside the runners during the 2012 Disney Marathon and thought I might be up for the challenge in 2013. I wanted also to return to Philadelphia in 2012 and see if I could improve on my marathon time. I worked really hard in 2012 and PR’d by over 6 minutes, breaking 4 hours in the marathon. For the ‘Goofy Challenge’ I was running to raise money for ‘Autism Speaks’ and was more concerned with completing the event than of any specific time goal. In addition to the Challenge I also ran the Family 5K with my wife. We also ran the marathon together (her first) and we took as much time as we needed and as many photographs as we could. It was a great weekend. I was able to raise just over $3,400 for Autism Speaks in the process.

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

This year’s Philadelphia Marathon should be special as it is the 20th Anniversary of the race. Philadelphia really knows how to celebrate and I am very much looking forrward to the event this year especially running alongside Shari.

They actually moved the Philadelphia Marathon weekend back a week this year as there is another event going on in the city on the usual weekend in November. That will be beneficial for me as it gives me an extra week to train for the ‘Dopey Challenge’. To replicate the race conditions I have modified my race plan to have 4 days of consecutive running from Thursday to Sunday for the last few weeks of the training so my body get used to the effort (or abuse) and it can adapt to recover more effectively. It will also help me know what I need to do in terms of fueling and recovery techniques going into the event.

I will be heading to Walt Disney World solo this year due to the logistics of racing all four days. It will be a little different not having the family with me but through the magic of social media I have made lots of great connections with fellow runDisney enthusiasts and will no doubt be meeting up on one or more of these days to share the experience. Don’t feel bad for Shari for not being with me, she is headed down to Walt Disney World the following month to run the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Princess Half Marathon’ and ‘Glass Slipper Challege’.

My training program is here if you are interested in taking a look. This is Hal Higdon‘s Marathon Intermediate 1 marathon plan for (Philly) and his 8 week multiple marathon plan modified so that there are four consecutive running days each Thursday through Sunday.

Again this year I will be running for Autism Speaks as a returning alum of ‘Team Up’. They are a great charitable foundation and do wonderful work.

I just completed hosting a virtual 5K to raise money for this years event and I am pleased that today it sold out. All 150 spots were taken. You can read about the event here. Everyone seemed to enjoy this event and I have had many kind comments from participants.  This has gone a long way in helping me reach my fundraising goals.

If you would like to help by sponsoring me as I run ‘Dopey’ please visit my personal fundraising page. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated.

I hope you some of you will follow my blog and join me on this journey to the finish line.

June 2013 – month in review

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June 2013 – Nike+ Summary

June 2013 – Nike+ Summary

A couple of days late but I’m on vacation so that’s okay.

127 miles this month. A pretty light month in terms of activities. Just one race, the San Francisco Half Marathon, which my wife and I ran as part of our 10th anniversary trip. That was a great race. You can read my recap here.

2013 San Francisco Half Marathon

2013 San Francisco Half Marathon

Whilst on the trip to San Francisco I did my Dopey run. There is still chance to sign up for the race as it is open through July 31st or until all the spots have been filed. Head over to the event page or my Facebook page to see some of the great photos that participants have been submitted.

Dopey and me in San Francisco

Dopey and me in San Francisco

I’m on vacation this week and so I’m taking advantage of the time to run with my wife and my boys. The weather is cooler than last year (i.e. not great) but it’s perfect for running and biking. I’ll take a little rest after vacation as my training for the Philadelphia Marathon starts in mid-July. Once that starts it is all go all the way to the finish line of the Dopey Challenge next January.

I did sign up for a couple of races which will be new ones for me this fall. The Cooper Norcross Benjamin Franklin Bridge Run (a 10K crossing the Delaware River between Camden, NJ and Philadelphia, PA) and the Trenton Half Marathon (crossing the Delaware River between Trenton, NJ and Morrisville, PA). It sounds like I like to run bridges, but after running the Golden Gate Bridge who can blame me?

Running the Golden Gate Bridge

Running the Golden Gate Bridge

Have a happy 4th of July.

A nice weekend and a change of scenery

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It’s been quite a fun couple of weeks. I got back from our anniversary trip to San Francisco on Tuesday and I had a few days at work before I had to head off for a short business trip to St Petersburg, Florida. Sure enough we didn’t waste a minute over the weekend as we tried to squeeze in as much as we could into the time we had available.

On Saturday I took part in the ‘Cycle Bucks County’ event for the second year. I had bought my bike (a Trek FX 7.2 hybrid) back in February 2012 and had riden it a few times on relatively flat terrain. What I didn’t expect when I turned up for the 25 mile ride (which at the time was the furthest I had actually riden) was how hilly Bucks County actually was. The ride had a net elevation of about 1,600 feet. I’d only ridden on the flat as I mentioned earlier. At one point in the ride last year as I struggled to get up a really steep climb (Wismer Way) I looked around to see people actually walking their bikes up the hill. I didn’t know that you could do that and I was killing myself trying to pedal up. Needless to say I joined the crowd and hopped off my bike to walk uphill (probably faster than I was actually cycling).

Ready to roll

Ready to roll

This year gave me a chance to revisit the ride and test my fitness against last year. I again had signed up for the 25 mile route (there was also a 50 mile, 60 mile and 10 mile family ride) and proudly wearing my Team GB cycling jersey (you have to look the part) I took to the start line. I couldn’t remember where the big hill was or what it was called and to be honest where I was going (I have to thank the kind guy in the minivan who told me where all the cyclist went as I was mid pack but had no visual to the riders ahead) and figured I had just run in San Francisco I must be able to do those hills.

A rare flat section

A rare flat section

Well…I found the hill and it again beat me but I think I got further up than last year and I was more than happy to jump off and walk up. No point in getting hurt for a fun ride. as I mentioned before there was almost 1,600 feet in elevation and this was pretty much an out and back course so as they say “what goes up must come down”. I’m not a big fan of roller coasters. I pretty much like to be in control of my speed and direction but let’s just say there were a couple of frightening moments as I plummeted down some of the hills at (according to my Garmin) over 31 miles per hour….WITH THE BRAKES ON!!!

Either I missed the rest stop at half way or there wasn’t one (there was confusion amongst the riders) so I decided to power on home back to the start/finish at New Hope-Solebury High School and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Bucks County (when I wasn’t holding on for dear life trying to slow down). Around mile 23 when I was close to home I had a feeling that I wasn’t going back the way I came been though I and a couple of other riders were following the temporary road markings. At mile 25 with no finish line in sight I began to worry I had caught up and followed the 50 mile riders. I think I had maxed out my comfort in the saddle around mile 22!!! Luckily I was wrong to be anxious and we turned into the school entrance from the opposite side to last year. The route was actually 27 miles this year. Either that or I had got lost somewhere and didn’t know it. Anyway, mission accomplished and I gratefully sat on the grass and enjoyed myself with some of the post race treats on offer.

Mission accomplished

Mission accomplished

Yes, I’ll probably be signing up for it again (unless I can convince my wife to let me do the Philly Tri next year).

On Sunday I had to take an evening flight for a business trip to St Petersburg, Florida. My wife and I both wanted to get a run in and have time to see the new Pixar movie ‘Monsters University’ with the boys so our solution was to run on the canal with the boys in the double stroller. We got up early to keep to a schedule and left the house pretty much around the same time we leave on a school day with the boys. We arrived at Cramer’s Bakery (our usual start and finish point) and got ready to set off. We hadn’t yet given the boys breakfast before we left although we had packed lunch for later in the day so as I set up the double stroller my wife ran into the bakery and grabbed some treats for the boys.

Wow, all I can say is that if you feed a kid a muffin you hear nothing out of them for at least the first 2 miles into a run. The trade-off I guess is that you cannot do that on every run or the stroller will get too heavy to push LOL but it worked for when we needed it. It was a fabulous if a little warm day to be running on the canal and it turned into somewhat of a nature walk as we spotted (as my eldest son correctly pointed out) herons and dragonflies, families of ducks and geese and at one point 6 turtles resting on a log. Nice.

Nature. Turtles on a log.

Nature. Turtles on a log.

Keeping our eye on the clock we quickly finished our run and loaded up the car to head to an 11am showing of ‘Monsters University’. What a great movie for parents and kids alike. I remember seeing the original movie with my wife in the days before the kids but I really had fun watching it with the boys. In fact we were cheering and laughing together. It was great. After the movie my wife and the boys headed off to the community swimming pool and I showered and headed off to the airport.

Our friends Mike and Sully from this years Walt Disney World Marathon

Our friends Mike and Sully from this years Walt Disney World Marathon

I arrived in St Petersburg late on Sunday night and planned to run and explore early the next morning. Two things were immediately apparent on Monday morning. First, the sunrise was almost an hour later than at home and secondly it was way hot and humid. I got to see a beautiful sunrise as I ran along the bay, taking in the pier along the way. It’s was fantastic to see all the wildlife and the activity by the water. It was hot and I very much appreciated the view but it looked better inside with air conditioning.

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

Sunrise in St Petersburg, FL

That night as I was walking to the restaurant I had chosen for dinner I passed by a Kilwins’. This is a chocolatier and ice cream parlor chain that my family and I visit when we are in Sarasota, Florida. Well, I had to take it for the team. There was no one else around to help so I had a nice portion of St Peter’s Mud for everyone who couldn’t be with me (chocolate pieces in caramel)….yum!

St Pete's Mud from Kilwins'...it would have been rude not to try

St Pete’s Mud from Kilwins’…it would have been rude not to try

So…this meant I had to run to earn my calories back for the next day. On Tuesday I had arranged an 8am meeting so I had to get up earlier than the day before. This actually gave me an opportunity to try to beat the heat. Although the bayfront trail was lit I still put on my headlamp for the unlit areas I was running and headed out for another run. Even without the sun it was still really hot and humid. I ran a nice relaxed 5 miles like I had the day before except this time I ran past the pier and headed out further amongst the houses along the bay. Very pretty. I made it back just before sunrise and had breakfast, showered and packed my suitcase in time for my 8am meeting.

I plan on taking a couple of days off when I get home as we will be down at the Jersey Shore all next week for The July 4th holiday and I want to be rested well so I can enjoy some long runs early in the morning and with my wife and boys as well as some bike rides. I’ll earn my calories for all those boardwalk treats next week. Something I’m very much looking forward to.

I run for health, fun and to be able to have the energy to spend a week with my two wonderful boys.

Life is good 🙂

May 2013 – month in review

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May 2013 - Nike+ Summary

May 2013 – Nike+ Summary

115 miles this month. I have learned this month that looking just at the numbers does not tell the full story.

I started the month with high expectations for achieving a PR at the New Jersey Marathon. I was just coming off a PR in the Atlantic City April Fool’s Half Marathon which I thought would be a pretty similar terrain being by the shore and I had definitely put in the miles of training.

As you can read from my race recap things didn’t go according to plan. I didn’t achieve my PR and felt fatigued. This manifested itself about 10 days later when my body just ran out of juice. Rather than be in a funk about why I hadn’t achieved my goals and looking for a dozen reasons why I felt bad I took the time to look at how I got here, what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. It basically came down to quality vs quantity. I took a couple of days off and readjusted my goals and my training. Hopefully going forward the changes I am planning will pay off. You can read about that here.

This month I launched a Virtual 5K run to raise funds for Autism Speaks for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend where I am running in the inaugural Dopey Challenge. So far the reception to this has been great. Many people have signed up and the first 100 medals have been ordered. I encourage you to sign up and participate if you can just for the fun of it. Remember, if you fully participate and post a picture of Dopey on your run you may be eligible for one of the prizes. See this post for details.

I have my Dopey ready for my run

I have my Dopey ready to run

At the end of the month we celebrated Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer. It was a fun weekend as I got to spend a lot of time with the family and celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary. You can read about that here.

Finally, based on a little encouragement, I am venturing into uncharted territory. I have basically been running using Jeff Galloway’s Run/Walk Method since February 2011. It has served me well and got me through 5 marathons. When I revisited what I had been doing as discussed earlier I noticed that although I was putting in the miles I was not getting any faster and all my runs were pretty much the same. Ultimately I want to improve on my marathon times going forward and during the New Jersey Marathon even my walk breaks didn’t seem to help. I am currently reading Pete Pfitzinger’s book on Advanced Marathoning and although I do not expect I will train at that level or follow his plans I am looking to change up my running experience.

Over the last three runs I basically threw caution to the wind and did not use the Galloway Method. I ran a 6 mile easy pace run, a 5 mile tempo run and this morning I ran 10 miles without stopping. These are the furthest distances I have run non stop. That sounds silly coming from someone who has run 5 marathons (including a Goofy Challenge) but I want to see what I can achieve. I believe somewhere out there is a 3:30-3:45 marathon that I can run. It’s worth a try. I’ll be watching carefully how my body reacts and I am open to using Galloway again in the future if I think it will be beneficial. I already plan on doing something like that during Dopey just so I can survive the event!

Looking at the last 3 days of runs it seems to be working so far and I feel okay. Judging from my splits over the last 3 runs my average pace is already that bit quicker. We will see what the future holds I guess.

6 miles easy pace - 5/29/13

6 miles easy pace – 5/29/13

5 miles Tempo run - 5/30/13: 1 mile warm up - 2 miles at tempo with 800m recovery - 1 mile cool down

5 miles Tempo run – 5/30/13:
1 mile warm up – 2 miles at tempo with 800m recovery – 1 mile cool down

10 miles long run - 5/31/13 - miles 1-5

10 miles long run – 5/31/13 – miles 1-5

10 miles long run - 5/31/13 - miles 6-10

10 miles long run – 5/31/13 – miles 6-10

Speaking of future plans, I have a 5K coming up this Sunday (June 2nd) which I will be pushing my two boys in the running stroller again…no PR there 🙂 and on June 16th I will be running the San Francisco Half Marathon with my Wife. I then have the 25 miles Cycle Bucks County event on the 22nd. Lot’s to look forward to. June should be a pretty low key month as the training for this year’s Philadelphia Marathon and January 2014 Dopey Challenge start in earnest in mid-July.

See you on the road.

Family time and relaxation – Memorial Day 2013

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Everyone has their own way of relaxing. Some people like to sleep in late, some like to sit by a pool or spend time at the beach. What do we do as a family? Well, we run 🙂

In addition to being Memorial Weekend and the official start of the summer season this weekend my Wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We kicked off our celebrations with a nice dinner at P.F. Chang’s which meant we had chalked up an extra couple of miles mid-week to save our calories for our anniversary dinner. Luckily for us that we did as we were given a free dessert by our waitress for our anniversary and just a few minutes later another free dessert. I like that place for some reason. I could taste the miles with every bite. Ha!

Celebrating at P.F. Chang's

Celebrating at P.F. Chang’s

With our kids staying overnight at my in-laws we started the weekend with a 10K run in Tyler State Park to celebrate our 10 years. The weather looked a bit iffy overnight but we lucked out and started running as the clouds cleared and got some magnificant sunshine. It was nice to run with Shari in the park as we both train there but we have never run together there as someone is always at home with the boys.

10K celebrating 10 years:

10th Anniversary 10K

10th Anniversary 10K

10K run - great start to our day

10K run – great start to our day

After the run we headed over to the Newtown Athletic Club where I had a massage booked (a birthday gift from Shari that I finally got around to using). When asked by the masseuse what type of treatment I wanted I told her that I was a marathon runner and she should use her judgement but I wanted to be able to run tomorrow. I think she went easy on me but it still hurt…but it was a good hurt I think. It was nice and relaxing and I felt refreshed once it was over.

After lunch together we picked up the boys and got together with some friends so all our kids could play together for the evening. While we were at our friends house my friend Mike suggested I look into reading the book ‘Advanced Marathoning‘ by Pete Pfitzinger if I wanted to look into increasing my speed which I had been discussing recently. I look to Mike for advice as he is a long time runner and still a great competitor and he is patient enough to listen to all my questions. We’ll see how this works out.

On Sunday we let the kids sleep in and took our time to get going. We headed to Yardley to run the Delaware Canal with the boys in the stroller for a family run.

Ready for a run

Ready for a run

We bought this stroller last year to take the boys out together with us when we run. It’s a great piece of equipment for us. My boys however are growing quick and are testing the weight limits of the stroller and pushing this gives me a pretty good workout (I can still feel my triceps two days later). Luckily the Delaware Canal Tow Path is nice and flat and we managed 8 miles together. The boys were awesome and Shari and I pointed out the wildlife as we ran. Funny thing happened within the first few minutes in that my GymBoss timer (I use for the Galloway method) flaked out on me. Rather than stop and fiddle around with everything on the run I just went with it and ran without my usual intervals. Did pretty well running the first couple of miles pushing over 100 pounds of boys without needing to stop. Something else to work on I guess as I take this time to work things out before the marathon training starts in July.

Family stroller run:

Family stroller run

Family stroller run

When we do the Canal run we park at Cramer’s Bakery in Yardley so we have a place to grab a cup of coffee when we finish. With the boys we promise them a treat from the bakery if they are good during the run. It’s amazing how good boys can be when you promise them a cupcake or a brownie. Anyway, we finish up the run and park the stroller at the bike rack next the bakery, choose our treats and sit outside the front of the store to eat and drink before heading home. As you can see by the photo below Asher must have worked hard during the run as in addition to his brownie he needed to take Shari’s bagel…he needed the carbs I guess?!?

Parked outside the bakery post run

Parked outside the bakery post run

Enjoying post run treats

Enjoying post run treats

So how far did you run kid?

So how far did you run kid?

So, how do you follow two days of family runs? You get up at the crack of dawn on a holiday and head out for a bike ride. I got up at 5am on Monday morning, hitched my bike to my car and headed out for my first outdoor ride of the season.

The bike rack is back on the car. It will be there for the summer now.

The bike rack is back on the car. It will be there for the summer now.

I headed out early to the canal path where we ran yesterday. It was a little cooler than I had planned but other than really cold fingers I was pretty much appropriately dressed. I wore my new Team Great Britain cycling jersey for this ride. The ride itself was fine. 20 miles from Yardley to New Hope and back. It felt good. I have a 25 mile ride in a few weeks on a very hilly course and while this was flat it was still a good test for going long. I’ll deal with the hills when I get there. Below is the ride summary.

Yardley to New Hope ride:

Ride route from Yardley to New Hope and back

Ride route from Yardley to New Hope and back

I finished my ride and got back home around 8.15am so Shari could go out for a run. The boys were still asleep when I got home so I had a nice cup of coffee and a bagel with peanut butter and honey. Now that was a treat.

Wearing my new Team GB jersey

Wearing my new Team GB jersey

Micah - who wore it best?

Micah – who wore it best?

Once Shari got back we got the kids, our picnic lunch and headed out to the Philadelphia Zoo for the afternoon before heading back for a family barbeque.

It seems like we did a lot with all this running and biking but to me it was a great relaxing weekend and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂

Hope you all had a good holiday weekend too.

Also, as a quick reminder, now that Memorial Weekend is behind us here’s an activity for next weekend (and through July 31st). Great fun for a great cause with great prizes. Check out the great medal too. Everyone who enters receives this specially designed medal!

"Where's Dopey" Medal

“Where’s Dopey” Medal

As it is a virtual run you can run/walk this 5K anywhere in the world before July 31st.  You can head over here to sign up. Don’t forget to send your photographs in to be eligible for one of the prizes.

It takes two…

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Okay, so I am a bit late posting this for Valentine’s Day but still worth a thought or two.  Here is an article that appeared on the Huffington Post site last week.  You might recognize a couple of people (hint….Picture ’26’).

Although the article is very general it does highlight a good point.  Since Shari and I started running we have to juggle our training with our commitments to work and to our family.  Many times when I was training for my first marathon would I get up at 3 a.m., strap on a headlamp and do 18-20 mile training runs so that I could get back in time before Shari had to head out for work.  Even now I do the ‘early’ shift at the weekends, getting up at 5 a.m. or earlier so I can get my work out in be back to look after the boys or take them to an activity so Shari can work out and we don’t lose our day or time with the boys.  In fact last year we splurged on a quality running stroller so we could take the boys with us on our training runs so neither of us had to miss out.  We put at least 50 miles on the stroller together (although I was the one pushing it and getting the extra workout).

Ocean City, NJ - July 2012

Ocean City, NJ 2012

But there are those rare occasions when we do get to run together.  Seldom do we train together (as we are always on different training plans) but we have and do try to find races where we can run together.  Yes, there is the odd race where we want to PR and we decide ahead of time to run our own races, but we try to find races where can run side by side for the entire length.

As well as being good fun (we are known to ham it up for photographers just a bit) it does offer that rare time when we get to spend time together not watching TV or a movie and away from social networking and we are really doing something together as a couple.  Okay, so we are lucky that we both like to run and I’m sure that it would be different if only one of us was interested but it sure is great to share in the experience with someone who shares your life.  They just get it.

Last year Shari and I ran the LiveStrong 10K and the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon together to see if we could do it based upon our different running pace and we did it.  I sometimes push the pace but Shari can hang with me so that is good.  It also allows me to take some races easier as a PR is not the be all and end all for me.  We also ran the Hershey Half Marathon together and of course the Walt Disney World Marathon together.  I guess we help push (or drag) each other along.  I was a little under the weather at Hershey and Shari got me to the finish (she killed me on the hills that day) and she admitted it was good to have me run with her during her first marathon (although there were a couple of times when she put both earphones in and ran on the opposite side of the street!!!)

Hershey Half Marathon - October 2012

Hershey Half Marathon 2012

Bottom line…the best thing about running is that I have a partner who can stick with me, share the highs and lows and put up with my incessant chattering with fellow runners.  At the end of the day we stay healthy together and spend what really is quality time together.  Hopefully in the process we are setting a good example for our boys.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

The meaning of life…surely it’s all about the pancakes!!!

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Today is National Pancake Day.  Since I started training for marathons I live for pancakes.  They are my long run treat.  Today was only a 3 mile run but who am I to argue with a national holiday.  Pancakes on a weekday???  Yes please!!!

So heading into work this morning Shari suggested I take the boys out to IHOP after school (I was on pick up tonight).  I had planned on bringing them home as I was flying solo tonight but there were pancakes involved so I took a risk and headed to school unprepared (no diaper bag) on my own (Shari was out with her sister) and with none of our usual tricks to keep the boys occupied (iPod Touch).  Yep…it was kind of like playing Russian Roulette with ‘ALL’ the bullets.  I was more than a little apprehensive, but as I said there were pancakes involved.

Surprising it went well.  It was probably IHOPs busiest day of the year (a free stack of pancakes per table).  Both boys always seem to eat well there.  Micah is the type of kid who orders chocolate chip pancakes with a side of broccoli.  He’s my kid for sure.  Asher is just happy with scrambled eggs and pancakes.  They are good eaters and I feel like I get my value for money with these kids (ha ha).  As you can see from the pictures below it was good fun and I made it under my daily calorie budget and the boys came home fed and relatively clean.


Me with Asher at IHOP

Me with Asher at IHOP

Micah patiently waiting for his 'Funny Face' pancake.

Micah patiently waiting for his ‘Funny Face’ pancake.

Thinking about my penchant for the pancake I started thinking about how much my lifestyle has changed and not just because of the kids.  It was my birthday yesterday and I turned 41.  I feel like I am much better shape now than I ever was in my teens, twenties and thirties as I am running 5 days a week.  As long as I track what I burn in calories when I run I can treat myself somewhat guilt free.  I am much happier.  I am much healthier.  I was just looking at pictures of me before I started running versus pictures of me at Disney last month for the Goofy Challenge.  Not only do I look different on the outside, I am different on the inside.  Whether it’s a true runners high or just a pancake high it is hard not to say that sticking with it, training for my first 5K then my first half marathon, first marathon and beyond has all been worth it.

July 4, 2010 - a month before I started running

July 4, 2010 – a month before I started running

January 11, 2013 - relaxing before the night before the Goofy Challenge

January 11, 2013 – relaxing the night before the Goofy Challenge

All the miles, all the effort, sometimes it hurts but the rewards are there to see.   Thank you IHOP for my free stack of pancakes.  I will be back soon but first I have to earn my pancakes.

See you on the run 🙂