How is the training coming?

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If you were to stop me on the road and ask me how the training is coming I would first have to ask you to run with me because I am undoubtedly in the middle of one of them.  I would then have to ask you how far you want to run because when I start to talk it could almost always turn into a long run (or ultra if you ask my wife or kids)

A lot has been going on and I could go on and on about it, but I will keep it to just a few highlights.  Tomorrow morning will be my first drop back long run week of marathon training.  It is only 8 miles after the past two weeks being 10 mile and 11 mile Sunday mornings.  My daughters will once again be running with me, and may even go the entire distance (wouldn't that be awesome!)

Giveaway - CSN Stores $60 Gift Certificate

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I am sure you have heard of CSN Stores recently.  Up until a few weeks ago when they approached me to do this giveaway I had not heard of them, but lately they have been popping up all over the place.

CSN Stores has over 200 stores where you can buy anything from dining room furniture, cookware, or even fitness equipment and CSN Stores is going to give one lucky winner $60 to spend at any of their stores.

What must you do to enter?

1. Leave any comment (1 entry)
2. "Like" my Facebook Fanpage and leave a comment (1 entry)
3. Follow my blog and leave a comment (1 entry)
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment (1 entry)
5. Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment (1 entry)
6. Write about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment (1 entry)

This contest is open to US and Canadian readers.  The winner will be chosen by random.org on August 6th.  CSN is running this contest a few other places.  You can check out other CSN Stores giveaways at Ozrunner and Shut up and run just to name a couple.


Check back tomorrow and I will have some updates from my training and also some big news on my marathon will be coming some time this weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

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Too hot for me today - and it showed!

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I was not able to get out to run till after 9:30 this morning and I knew it was going to be disastrous.  The temperature at the start of the run was 84 degrees.  It was humid, and yet still very sunny.  The feels like temperature was 92 degrees.

I hydrated well, put on some SCAPE Sunblock, and hit the road.  If you haven't tried SCAPE I recommend that you do.  SCAPE sent me some to try out and I have to say overall I am impressed.  I did have a little trouble putting it on at first because it seemed to require a bit more for coverage than I am used to with other sunblocks. Once on I had the perfect test this morning with how well it would work.

The SCAPE Sunblock did not run into my eyes just like it claims.  I was sweating profusely by the time I got to mile 2 so if anything would run into my eyes that would be the time it would do so.  I wiped my face quite a bit to keep the sweat out of my eyes, but one thing I noticed was no stinging at all.  I almost always get some stinging in my eyes when I sweat this much, but this time I felt none.

First long run of Marathon Training

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This past Sunday marked the innaguaral long run of my marathon training for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon.  I am embarrased to say that this was only my second 10 mile run since the 2009 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Last November. Following the race last year I cut my miles way back and just have not been able to get my long runs back to where they were even pre-marathon training last year.

Last year before starting Marathon Training using Hal Higdon's Intermediate II Marathon Training Guide for the 2009 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon (My first 26.2) I was regularly running long runs up to 13 miles. This year I have built my shorter runs and started running 6 days a week (much more than I was running last year at this time) but my long runs have not been over 7.5 miles more than a few times.

Cross Country Time Trial

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If you have been reading my blog long I am sure you have read about my daughters.  Since they both started running they have been a regular and favorite subject of my blog.  Last year my younger daughter Payton killed it in Cross Country her freshman year, and both Payton and Ashlee did great this past Track Season.

Both Ashlee and Payton will be running Cross Country this fall and I am super excited.  As fun as Track is, Cross Country is still my personal favorite.  From a spectator's perspective it is sometimes harder to watch, but I think that is one of the things that find to be just that much more invigorating.  I sometimes get up to a mile run in just getting from one point to the other to cheer them on.

Days like this will come..... and go

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This mornings run was the worst 5 miler I can remember in a long time. I am fairly certain the reason is because I got less than 5 hours of sleep last night, however I have had low sleep nights that have not turned out this bad during the run.

It was hard getting up, it was hard getting dressed, it was hard drinking water, and it was really hard to get out the door and start to move in a running like motion.  This was one of those runs that I was certain I would give up half way through.  I do have to say that this is one of the good things about being on a training plan, if I was just running day to day based on feeling I would just now be getting out of bed.... and would no doubt be mad at myself, but with a marathon looming the motivation is there to get up and get these runs in no matter how bad they are.

And so.... Marathon Training Commences

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I can't believe it is officially that time again.  I am very excited to start official marathon training once again.  After completing my first marathon back in November, the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, I kinda crashed and my mileage went down drastically. I have yet to get back to the to the long runs I was doing before starting marathon training last year.  I mainly blame a lack of a goal for this.

I had already decided some time ago that I would be doing the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon again this year - I had tentatively decided this when I crossed the 26.2 finish line last year.  I knew the time was getting close that I needed to select and start a training plan for this years marathon, but figured I still had a few weeks.  I started to question my timing when I came across Kym Klass' post yesterday on DailyMile saying that she was starting half marathon training for the Chickamauga.  I started getting worried that I was a little late.  This was confirmed further when I read Drew's post yesterday at Running Recon mentioning that his training for the Chickamauga was starting today.

New Distances

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Today marks new milestones for my two daughters.  They both took their long runs to new distances.  Their training has been going really good and so when their running schedules showed long runs of 5-7 for Ashlee and 6-9 for Payton I thought what better time than now to take them to the next level.  We also had a high school aged friend from the Tuesday Night Running Group running with us this morning that puts me to shame with distances and so we had the perfect opportunity.

The girls were not too happy when I woke them at 5:45, but this was kinda expected..... my body was also not too happy to be awoke at that time :)  We had planned to meet our friend at 6:15 so this gave us just enough time to get ready, hydrated, and out the door.  It was a cool 72 degrees, but really high humidity which was quickly evident as we took off.

Pearl Izumi SyncroFuel XC - A Great Shoe!

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It was nearly two months ago when Pearl Izumi contacted me and wanted me to review a pair of the SyncroFuel XC's.  At first I was a bit apprehensive because I have tried Pearl Izumi one other time about a year ago and didn't get past 7 total miles in the shoes before retiring them to the closet.  It turns out the reason I didn't get past 7 miles was because the shoes were too narrow and just plain hurt, not an indication on how good the shoes were.

I received the shoe and was anxious to give it a go.  This shoe is more of a neutral shoe than I have ever run in so I was cautious as I first laced them up.  When I received the shoes I had never ran off-road or on trails and this shoe is designed for trail runners.  I planned on taking it on the road first to see how it compared to what I was running in and then taking it to the trails to give that a go as well.

Peachtree Road Race 2010 - 48:29

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This past Sunday morning the 4th of July was my fourth attempt at the Peachtree Road Race, the worlds biggest 10k with this years just over 50,000 finishers.  The Peachtree is always a fun event, and always brings something new each year.  This year the something new was much more personal in that it was the first year my daughter Payton ran it with me.

The morning started much like the other Peachtree's I have run at 4:40 Sunday morning.  We had everything ready to go the night before so we could get up and out the door in 20 minutes when our neighbors (our ride) were leaving.  After about a 30 minute drive we found ourselves sitting on the Marta waiting to be whisked away to Buckhead and the start of the 41st annual Peachtree.  The weather was awesome, I think I heard that it was high 60's to low 70's at the start with some humidity.  The best weather for the Peachtree in 10 years from what I understand.

The Peachtree Awaits

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Tomorrow morning will be my 4th Peachtree Road Race.  I am looking forward to this race for a different reason than previous races.... I will be running it with my daughter Payton, and it will be both her first Peachtree and her first 10k race.

We both have time group "A" so we will be lined up right behind the Elite/seeded/sub-seeded groups.  Our official start time is listed as 7:30 just like the start of the race.

It is hard to believe that 3 years ago tomorrow was my first 10k race and my first Peachtree.  It is also some kind of a memory to think about my second one, just two years ago, that I had to walk.

Last year I ran the Peachtree and came close to setting a new 10k PR.  I am not sure if I will be able to set a new PR tomorrow, but I am not completely ruling it out.  All I need to do it get down into the 47's and it will be a new PR.  We will see....

I would like to write more, but am short of time.  I will write much more following the race.

If you are running the Peachtree tomorrow, good luck!  and don't pass me too quickly..... or at least without saying hello!

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