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Sunday, December 02, 2007

Turkey Trottin' and More ...

I mentioned before I left for vacation that I had shifted some of my running plans. Instead of pursuing the local marathon, I was going to Florida to visit family. Instead, I entered a 10K in Clearwater, Florida.

It was a great run. I had been debating whether I wanted to "take it easy" or try to pursue a personal record. This was my first run ever with my mother so I wanted to spend time with her and just enjoy the event. The event apparently broke some of its own records as there were over 16,000 people in attendance! I don't know how many ran the 10K but the majority were lined up for the 5K.

We edged our way to the start line and my mother told me to just go ahead and try to run hard as she didn't think she'd be running it fast. We started out and the crowd surged at a 9-minute mile pace so I told my mother (who was targeting an 11-minute pace) that she needed to slow. Then I broke away.

I was confident that I could accomplish a personal record. All I needed to do was run 9-minute miles and I already did that two weeks prior at the half marathon. So, I surged forward.

The first 2 miles were right on schedule but then something I hadn't factored took effect - the same thing that slowed me on the ING marathon. The heat! It was a cooler day for that area (probably high 70s as opposed to 90s) but also very humid, and at mile 2 I was really feeling both. So I slowed down a bit and shifted to closer to a 10 minute pace. I then realized it wasn't going to be a PR race so I focused on hydrating well and then toyed with the idea of waiting for my mother.

I finally decided to press on. I had a solid mile 2 - 4 but at mile 4 the wheels came off. Almost seems psychological - this race was half the distance of my half marathon but still about the same section is where I struggled. I pushed forward and didn't stop. The steep hill just before the end was cruel joke as this is supposed to be flat Florida, but fortunately it didn't compare to any of the hills I've grown accustomed to in my local training. I surged to the finish line and kicked into a sprint and crossed over.

I ended up averaging a 10:20 minute pace for the race. I circled back to the women's chute and waited for my mother, when my dad called from the stands. I told him I was waiting and he said, "She already finished!" When I finally caught up with Mom, it turns out she had caught up to me and was just about 30 seconds behind me. She said she was going to call out but didn't ... we might have crossed the finish together but all in all we both had a great experience.

Of course the real fun came after when we returned home and had some of Mom's great Thanksgiving Dinner ... turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and dessert was a peach cobbler.

After this we went to Sebring to see my wife's parents, where we got to swim in the heated pool and I was able to shoot a few games of pool. I've always been a huge pool fan and even studied under a world straight pool champion as a teenager but just haven't had much time to shoot lately. My wife and I also had a date on Ft. Lauderdale beach - a night at the Bahia Mar.

We went down to Las Olas and ate at a fabulous Italian restaurant (Cafe Europa). We shared an antipasto salad and had a pizza that was a thin crust with olive oil and cheeses, topped with pricutto. On top was fresh (not cooked) arrugula that we drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. It was delicious!

We return home and wrapped up the week (we took the trip from Tuesday to Tuesday to avoid the holiday rush) and now I'm preparing for a week on the road for my software company ... a few days in California (San Francisco) and New Jersey (near Newark). Friday is the company party ... an exciting event because last year this time of year we had around 5 full time employees, where this year were are over 35!

I'm planning on focusing on more vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins on the trip. I'll be doing mostly body weight exercises - Hindu squats and push-ups and bridges and might get in a short run or two. This is the phase where I focus on muscle building and shedding fat, then I'll pick up the long runs again next year and see what events make sense.

Still going strong just lots to do as the year draws to an end, so I appreciate everyone's patience as we continue to build and grow the site.

Warmly,

Jeremy Likness

posted by Jeremy Likness | 10:01 AM | 0 comments



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