Running the States

Tag: marathons

  • Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Weeks 6 + 7 + 8 + 9: Working the core, Phoenix Pride Run, Catch-up with DC Happy Feet

    Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Weeks 6 + 7 + 8 + 9: Working the core, Phoenix Pride Run, Catch-up with DC Happy Feet

    I spent part of this week recovering and catching up after a long weekend in Phoenix last week. Last Saturday, I ran the Pride Run (half marathon) and crossed state number 13 off my list (Wooo Arizona! — Hope to have a race recap up shortly.). And then afterward, I attended an old high school friend’s wedding (I love celebrating love). It was a good day — it was a good several days, actually. The weather in Phoenix was gorgeous, the race went well, the wedding was perfect, and I gained 5 pounds (i.e., I ate too much, drank too much, and was way merry).

    I’m back home now — back to focusing on training for the Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon (and trying to lose those 5 lbs. I gained).

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  • Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Weeks 2 + 3: ups and downs

    Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Weeks 2 + 3: ups and downs

    Some days, your training just rocks — you’re hitting your mileage goals, your nutrition is on point, you even get in a little cross-training. 🙂  You feel great!

    And then some days, you just suck.

    Week 2 of training was the former.  Week 3 of training was the latter.

    Oh well.  What can you do…

    You win some, you lose some.

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  • Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Week 1: And so it begins… again

    Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon Training – Week 1: And so it begins… again

    I’m heading for the hills of Kentucky and West Virginia this June for the Hatfield-McCoy Double Half Marathon. The races take runners through the historic sites following the Hatfield-McCoy feud in Goody, Kentucky and Matewan, West Virginia.

    Because the halves are back-to-back, I’ve decided to do a full marathon training program. It’s an 18-week program, which means week 1 started last week. It totally snuck up on me. Wintry weather here in the DC area + car issues made it difficult to get most of my runs in this week.

    So yeah. Basically, I am off to a great start so far…

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  • Going to Phoenix! Congrats to the marathon qualifiers! Woooo USA!

    Going to Phoenix! Congrats to the marathon qualifiers! Woooo USA!

    An old high school friend called me the other day to invite me to her wedding. The festivities will be in Phoenix, where she and her fiancé live.

    I’m excited! It’s been years since we’ve seen each other, and I’m looking forward to catching up with her and a few other old high school friends that don’t live in the DC area anymore. It’ll also be my first time in Phoenix!

    And since I haven’t done a race in Arizona yet, I figured maybe I’ll run if there are any races taking place in the area that weekend. Well, turns out there is one — the Phoenix Pride Run Half Marathon. It’s at 6:30 a.m. on the day of the wedding (April 2).

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  • 2016 (Half Marathon) Race Schedule

    2016 (Half Marathon) Race Schedule

    Here it is. My 2016 race schedule. Well, tentative race schedule.

    I think if you’re trying to run in all 50 states, or is someone that just enjoys participating in races, you’re constantly thinking about which race/where to go/what to run next. I’ve been thinking about my 2016 race schedule since January 2015 (and I already have 2017 and 2018 in the works). I’m a planner. I also love to travel, and in order to make that work with my limited vacation time, I have to plan in advance.

    My parents are going to Cambodia in November, and I’m hoping to join them for a week. Afterward, I’ll probably split and head solo to Thailand for a bit. This trip will eat up at least a couple of weeks, and so I won’t have as much free time for domestic travel this year, which means I won’t be able to cross off as many states as I did in 2015. No worries though, I’ll just make it up in 2017. 😉

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  • Lessons learned from running 8 half marathons and 1 full marathon in a year

    Lessons learned from running 8 half marathons and 1 full marathon in a year

    Happy New Year, guys! I just got back from my first run of the year — a short 3-miler on the treadmill.

    Today’s run was the first in a while. I spent most of December giving my knees a rest (trying to heal the right knee). I think the break worked (along with a lot of foam rolling) — the knee isn’t as sore anymore. Hopefully it stays that way. The injury made me reflect on what I did wrong and things I’ve learned over the year.

    I put in a lot of mileage in 2015 — I started keeping track, but got lazy around October and stopped. So I don’t know exactly how many miles I ran. What I do know: I ran eight half marathons and one full marathon, plus four months of marathon training with 30-40 weekly-mile averages. There are things I definitely could have done better to make the races go smoother and to avoid the minor injuries I experienced. So, following are some lessons learned from the year.

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  • Upcoming Races: Strip at Night, Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    Upcoming Races: Strip at Night, Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    It’s been many many years since I’ve been to Las Vegas. The last time I was there, I was 25 — prime partying age. But unfortunately, I just could not hang. I was visiting a couple of friends. It was August — so hot. The desert heat and time difference made it difficult to keep up with my buddies. I even fell asleep in a strip club. Seriously. When I woke up, I was alone on the couch, while my friends were all taking shots at the bar.

    I’ll be heading back to Sin City this weekend. Maybe I’ll try to redeem myself while I’m there. But what I’m really hoping to do is PR at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon (aka Strip at Night).

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  • Race Recap: 40th Marine Corps Marathon

    Race Recap: 40th Marine Corps Marathon

    “Running strips life back to the bare essentials. When we challenge ourselves, it breaks down barriers. It brings us back to our essence and peels away the layers of ego we surround ourselves with. Many a grown man or woman will cry during or when finishing a marathon: long regarded as the ultimate achievement in the running world. Emotions flow freely, the struggle is obvious and most of the competition is with yourself.” -Grahak Cunningham

    I survived my second marathon. The experience was as incredible as the first.

    I’ll be honest though. I was a bundle of nerves the days leading up to the race. More nervous than I was last year. You would think that having already done the Marine Corps Marathon once and knowing what to expect from the course, I would be less nervous. But nope.

    I actually think knowing what to expect is what made me nervous. I was anticipating bathroom breaks, long lines at the porta potties, leg pains during the run, and possibly hitting the proverbial wall.

    Also, my expectations were higher this time around. Last year, my only goal was to complete the race. I just wanted to cross the finish line without injury.

    This year, I wanted a better time — not only a better time, I wanted to beat Oprah’s time (4:29). I was also hoping to avoid going to the bathroom. I did not achieve either goal.

    But that’s ok. The race went well, and overall I am happy with how things turned out.
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  • Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 17 (Awesome colleagues, recipe for crispy sweet potato roast)

    Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 17 (Awesome colleagues, recipe for crispy sweet potato roast)

    So, I get back to my desk on Monday from a 1.5 hour-long meeting, and my colleagues walk up to me with cake and a card.

    I’m all like… “cake?? For what? My birthday was in June!”

    Turns out the cake and card was to wish me luck on the Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday.

    I have awesome colleagues.
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  • Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 16 (Reevaluating marathon goals, Across the Bay 10k)

    Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 16 (Reevaluating marathon goals, Across the Bay 10k)

    The Marine Corps Marathon is in 10 days. Ten days!?!

    These last four months of training have seriously flown by. I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish during this training season — waking up at 4 a.m. to run before work, consistently hitting the gym after work, and keeping up with my long runs, even when it meant doing them on a treadmill.

    I’ll be honest though. Despite all of that, I’m not sure if I’m really ready for the race… physically or mentally.

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