Streaking Away From 50!

No, not that kind of streaking.

Run streak! For the first time, I'm trying out the whole run streak thing. Taking my normal 4 day a week training runs, and adding 5k's on the off days. It's been much different then I expected. I went in thinking that it would be too much for my old legs, and that I'd wear out quickly. So far it's been quite the opposite. My legs feel stronger, and my training times have held up, if not even improved.

Who'd have thought.

December 4th: 5.2 Miles 48:00  9:14/Mile
December 5th: 3.1 Miles 26:53  8:40/Mile
December 6th: 4.0 Miles 36:30  9:08/Mile
December 7th: 15.01 Miles 2:45:24 11:01/Mile
December 8th:  3.1 Miles 26:50  8:39/Mile
December 9th: 5.0 Miles  45:11  9:02/Mile
December 10th: 3.1 Miles  26:46  8:38/Mile
December 11th: 6.3 Miles  58:00  9:12/Mile
December 12th: 3.1 Miles  27:48  8:58/Mile
December 13th: 4.0 Miles  35:20  8:50/Mile
December 14th: 16.07 Miles 2:50:21 10:36/Mile
December 15th: 3.1 Miles  27:34  8:54/Mile
December 16th: 5.0 Miles  46:15  9:15/Mile
December 17th: 3.1 Miles  27:26  8:51/Mile
December 18th: 6.2 Miles  55:10  8:54/Mile

15 Days so far, with a 15 mile and 16 mile long run included. I'm pretty happy with the 10:36 splits for 16, better then the11:01 splits a week earlier for 15. I'm really happy with the 10K yesterday. 6.2 miles with sub 9 splits. My best time at that distance since I tore up my ankle last year.

Overall it feels like the daily running regimen is helping me with stamina, it's helping with consistency, and so far there's been no negative side effects that I can see. No soreness, not too tired, and my knees and ankles are holding up.

But wait there's more! I've finally added a little strength training into the mix. 2 to 3 days, before the 5K's I'll do upper body and core. So I feel stinger, it's helping with my weight, and I get to feel like a total fool picking up 35lb dumbbells next to the guys at the gym pressing 90 each. Whatever.

Not sure yet how long I want this experiment to last, want to go for 20 in my next long run Sunday, and that may require a rest day or two.

TGIF!

Marc

15 After 50

Does turning 50 make any real difference? Is there a sudden physical change that leaves you unable to keep putting one foot in front of the other?

Probably not. But that's the thinking that I've got associated with the new decade in front of my age. "50" seems old, even in my own head.

I was born in the 60's,the sandwich generation. The product of an era that thought 21 was old. Anyone over 30 was from another age, a generation gap that was a point of pride. "We" did things that were cool. "They" did things that were establishment. We never wanted to grow up, never wanted to be mature. Live hard and leave a good looking....

Oddly enough, all that shit lives on, in how I see myself, how I see my generation, and how I view my place in the world.

I want to feel young, I want to continue to feel active, to feel vibrant, to feel relevant. And for some insane reason, I've chosen running as a way of doing that.

So i've been running over the last 4 years, I've gotten 3 marathons in and countless miles of training, so by all evidence, I've got this. I can get my ass in shape for the next race I want to run. 50 is no different then 49.

But I still had to prove it to myself, and today was the day to do it.

And I got in my longest run of my 50's. 15 miles After 50!

It was an amazing day in Santa Monica, it was cool and crisp, and getting out there at 6:30 meant that the sun was just peaking over the horizon. I got the see the whole stretch of Santa Monica to Venice almost by myself, most of it before 8AM.

I got to find a pace appropriate for my age :) pretty much 11 minute miles for training is where I live now. I got to prove to myself that I can still do this, and I got to get home and rested before football starts at 10AM.

All in all a pretty good effort for an old man on a Sunday. An affirmation that my perceptions of myself as "Old" aren't necessarily reality. I can still move, and can still contribute, I can still get out there and do a little damage.

To be continued...

Running Away From 50 and into 2015!

It's December 1st, and I've already got a plan for next year...

So here's the plan. Three marathons in one year. And yes, that's the year 2015.

Publix A1A Marathon in Fort Lauderdale February 15th
SLO Marathon in San Luis Obispo April 26th
The San Francisco Marathon July July 26th

Each of these races has a special significance to me, and I'm running them all for different personal reasons.

1st Up!

Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon
a1amarathon.com

Why I'm Running: Crazy as it sounds, my wife has put up with me for 25 years. So to celebrate, we're  joining the crazy folks who offer the Run For Fun Cruises (runforfuncruise.com) and going away for a 7 day cruise. To kick it off, I'm running the A1A Marathon, and then hopefully collapsing at the all-you-can-eat buffet on board the ship and eating myself into a coma.

More about the trip: So excited to be getting away. We'll be running the Full before we board, and we'll be running as a group shorter 5K and 10K's at the ships stops. We'll get to meet some great new people, get away from the world for a while, and we'll be celebrating 25 years of marriage together. Pretty sure the odds were against us getting to 25 days, so it's a pretty big deal.

Next!!!

San Luis Obispo Marathon
SLO Marathon!

Why I'm running: I was honored to be asked to be a race ambassador last year, a job at which I'm not very good at. But nonetheless, I wanted to do it. Unfortunately my body didn't cooperate last year, and although I wanted to be up there with the team, I couldn't run and even ran into work scheduling issues and missed the entire event.  This year will be different!

This year they've asked me back, and I'm going to make it! I'm going to tweet, post, blog, and share with anyone who'll listen, asking them to get up to the event and run with me. I'm going to train within my limits and avoid injury.

More about the trip: Short drive from LA to SLO, but it's a beautiful location. I'm going to be in the best shape of my life, I'm going to have 6 months of prep and a full under my belt. AND I'M GOING TO PR.

And Then!

The San Francisco Marathon
thesfmarathon.com

Why I'm Running: Mostly because I'm stupid. I ran it this year. And all I can say is I finished. Had to walk, was over 5 hours, my worst time ever, and it HURT.

More about the trip: I won't be defeated so easily. I'm going back, and I'm going to run smarter, run faster, and finish under 5 hours. Plus I get to see Stephanie Berger, and that's never a bad thing.

I'll add a few Half Marathons and shorter races in along the way, but for now, this is my year coming up!

BRING ON 2015