Week 6 ….running, aid stations and a tiger

I’m in week 2 of half marathon training for the PBC Half Marathon on May 3. This will be my second time running the fairly flat double loop course. I’ve started training with a plan developed by and amazing coach, my wife. She is newly RRCA certified, adding to her USATF certification. I’m the guinea pig in her new training plan development. I will be moving on to marathon training in the summer after this half is done.

Last week was getting some base miles in, and this week is a little bit more intense with some speed work. I did about 24 miles last week, and I’m on pace for 29 miles this week.  I didn’t do any speed work in my Savannah marathon training last year. So this is new to me, and so far been pretty good, but I’m only into day 2. I did 4×800’s at marathon pace this morning.  They weren’t too bad, but I do feel it as the day passes.  I’m off tomorrow before doing some longer distance this weekend.  I’m feeling good, and hoping it continues this way. I’m sure I’ll be more tired and more sore, as the speed work increases, but I’m trying to improve and do a sub-2:00 half in May.

This past weekend was the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach marathon and half marathon weekend.  Stat man ran the 1 mile fun run on Saturday night. He finished it in 6:21. He rocked it.

 

Stat Man finishing the 1 mile Fun Run strong!!

And yes, that is The Tiger from Clemson University at the finish line. We (the race volunteer coordinator arranged it, I just escorted him around) had him participate at the mile fun run and the 5k on Saturday night, and then he hung out and cheered all the runners on at the aid station I was managing. My local alumni group runs an aid station for this race.  This was my 2nd year doing the station with the boys, and we absolutely love it.  I don’t get to see many of the runners during the first loop of the course, as there are about 3000 runners that pass the aid station at mile 2. And they pass the station ALL AT ONCE. I got to spend more time cheering on runners during loop 2 (only 800 full marathon runners), and even got a chance to cheer on my wife and hand her a goodie bag.  If you’ve never been on this side of a marathon, I recommend it.  It was a great experience.

Cape Fear Clemson Club volunteers at marathon aid station

The Tiger supporting runners

And now back into training. More running to come, maybe some pool workouts, and I intend to throw in some weights.  Early morning runs will rule the weekdays, and then who knows what time the runs will happen on the weekends.  My wife is rolling into Full IM training after she completed her marathon this past weekend, and the IM training is much more time consuming with swimming, long bike rides, and even some Bricks.  So we will spend time reviewing the calendar every week to coordinate long runs and training schedules.   And with Stat Man playing baseball and Book Worm playing soccer, the schedule coordination will be extremely difficult.  But it will be worth it!

And as long as I get to see faces like this every morning, I’m good with whatever difficult workouts and schedule conflicts we must work through.

Breakfast Buddies. Love this guy!!

What will you be doing this spring?  Any big races? What is your training schedule like?