Lewis and Clark half marathon vs. Hurricane Ike

I'm finally dry enough to reflect on one of the worst possible running conditions I've experienced thus far. Kevin Cadiuex, Dan Carmody, Chris Long, and I awoke at 5am to heavy winds and heavy rain to drive to the start line of the Lewis and Clark Half marathon in St. Charles , MO. Although wearing trash bags, as soon as we got out of the car we were immediately soaked to the bone. Here is a fellow runner's video that will give you an idea of conditions at 6:30am.



The race started 20 minutes behind schedule because the police were understandably late due to working a multitude of traffic accidents. Once we started, people were weaving in and out of each other like salmon spawning upstream. It took about 3 miles to find a nice groove. This was about the same time Dan found a new gear and took off. Kevin and I stuck togeter as CTLong was shortly behind. Thanks to the crazy volunteers who braved the storm to pass out water and shouts of encouragement...they were amazing! At mile 6 we heard familier cheers from Maria and Nicole which gave us a nice pick-up before the most difficulte part of the run crossing over the Missouri River on i370 bridge with wind gust of 40 mph and rain falling sideways pecking at our faces. After the bridge we were informed of a course change due to flooding. A mile later we found out the race was cut short to 10 miles. It was disappointing to not actually finish the half marathon but looking back it was an awesome experience with great buds. Thanks again to Maria and Nicole for picking us. Much better than riding a cold wet bush back to the car.

Here below video doesn't really depict the force of wind, rain, and flooding but will give you an idea of the conditions.

How did I finish? Not bad for the conditions…1:31:06 which is a 9:06 / mile pace.

Running in the rain

Today was the first part of my training where I was challenge to take the day off. I waited until about 7:30pm and the voice in my head told me to get my butt out there. After the initial shock of chilly pouring rain, I actually enjoyed the 4 mile run. Who knows, race day could be rainy so I better be prepared.

Things I've learned:

1. Wear a hat (preferably polyester) to keep water off your face
2. Wear as little of clothes as possible
3. If you have to wear a shirt, make sure you Vaseline, band-aid or bodyglide your nipples to prevent chaffing.
   
4. Don't waste energy by dodging puddles (you are running in the rain and should expect to be wet)
5. People will think you are crazy which is kinda cool
6. The air you breath is refreshing
7. The shower afterward is amazing
8. Stuff some newspapers in your shoes afterward to help soak up the water
   

Running is a pain in the foot

My left foot is acting up. I'm experiencing a dull ache on the bottom of my foot after runs and first thing in the morning. After some web searching, I believe I found the culprit (plantar fasciitis). Maybe I'm jumping back into running too fast, maybe I'm not properly stretching, or maybe it's time for new shoes. At least I'll fix at least 2 of the 3 problem areas. My new asics Kayano XII are in the mail and I stumbled across an Achilles Tendon Stretch and Plantar Fascia Stretch via runnerworld.

Running Tips

It's always a good idea to review the basics. My favorite is tip #35.

100 Beginner Running Tips via Complete Running Network.

Late Summer / Fall Race

It's time to get off the couch and get moving again. I'm committing to a fall race... just not sure if it will be a half marathon or the full. Any takers for the Lewis and Clark Marathon/Half Marathon on Sunday, September 14th, 2008?

Sarasota Half Marathon Results

I'm a little late on the race update, but I did complete the Sarasota Half marathon. My overall chip time was 1:55:09 which put me at 402nd out of 1963 participants. It was a very enjoyable run especially crossing the Ringling Bridge at sunrise and meeting Maria and my parents at the finish line.

Sarasota Half Marathon Sunday March 2nd, 2008

I've signed up for the Sarasota Half Marathon. Maria and I are pretty excited to fly down to some warmer weather and visit my parents who have migrated south for the winter. Besides the run, we hope to visit the beach and the links. We like trying new places to eat/drink and Sarasota has tons to choose from. Some of our favorites include The Daiquiri Deck, Freds , and The Broken Egg.

Half Marathon Course map