So much has happened in the last two weeks that I have not had a chance to post in several days. First, I must write about the Steamtown Marathon. I finished 2nd in 2:23:07 (a personal best by almost 2 minutes). I was pleased with my time, but I was actually disappointed in the overall performance. At the 19 mile mark, I took the lead and tried to pull away from the eventual winner. That decision turned out to be a critical mistake as I really bombed in the last 2 miles. Had I been more patient and waited to make my move, I think I would have had a better shot at winning and I believe my time would have been about 30 seconds faster. That "stupid" decision also cost me $1000. BUT, you live and learn. I think I am still learning a lot about the marathon, and I believe I am only going to get better.
Today, I ran a 5K in Fort Worth (The DO Dash). Although I think the course was a little short, I ran a personal best for 5K in 14:31. It was amazing--after doing all of my marathon training, racing a 5K seemed really short and easy. I came through the first 2 miles in 9:53 and felt awesome, so I really hammered in the last mile and ran a comfortable 4:37. With the way I have felt in the last few months of training and considering my recent races, I think I am really close to a major breakthrough. I feel as though I am right on the bubble of being in that arena of the truly elite.
Brian and Krista ran the 5K with me today, and after the race we cooked out hot dogs and watched the TTU/Kansas game. It was really fun getting to spend time with them. Although they do not live that far away from us, I feel like we rarely get to see them.
One last thing--My sweetheart, Stephanie turned 26 this week! I think she had a pretty good birthday. I love you Stephanie.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
26 Things I love about the Marathon
1. The Challenge--training for 26.2 and racing it takes a lot of perserverance and determination. Few things in life are more challenging.
2. Seeing the U.S.--I have run marathons in 4 different states. Signing up for a race is a good excuse to travel.
3. Cheers from random spectators--At races like Steamtown and Boston, the local newspapers print your name and bib number so fans call you by name when you pass by.
4. Post-race pig out--I love eating lots of junk food after a race. When you run 26.2 miles, you can pretty much eat anything you want.
5. Early race rhythm--The early miles always feel so easy. I usually feel like I could run forever.
6. My wife's marathon shirt--Stephanie has a shirt she wore at Grandma' Marathon that says, "Keith Pierce Rocks".
7. Seeing my wife (and other family) at the finish--It is great to see loved ones at the finish line. In the last couple of miles that is the only thing I think about and I start looking for them on the sides of the road as I come down the final stretch.
8. Pre-race bathroom adventures--One of the funniest things you see at the start of a marathon is all the runners headed for the trees to get rid of all their excess fluids before the gun goes off.
9. Aide stations--Whether it's the boy scouts, cheerleaders, or the Red Cross, it is always nice to snag a cup of water from a friendly face.
10. Race course entertainment--It's amazing how many people come out to their lawns and play music. I've seen people with bagpipes, trumpets, guitars or just their radios turned up real loud. Some good music always makes you go a little faster.
11. Pre-race pasta--Nothing like eating a bowl full of carbs the night before the race.
12. Post-race pain--Nothing like the soreness you experience after racing 26.2. But every painful step reminds you of your accomplishment.
13. The halfway point--Even though you still have 13.1 miles to go when you get there, it is always reassuring to know that you have made it "HALFWAY".
14. Mid-race energy gels--These little packets of gu give me an added boost and help me get to the finish line.
15. Riding a bus to the start line--Marathons that are point-to-point (Steamtown and Boston) provide free transportation to the starting line. It is always fun to listen to all the die hard runners on the bus ride.
16. Short shorts--The marathon is one of the few places in the world where I can where my shortest (yet most comfortable) running shorts with no fear of sticking out like a sore thumb.
17. The marathon expo--Most big marathons have an expo the day before the race where they sell running gear and other health/sports related stuff.
18. The wall--You know you are going to hit it at some point. It is humbling and scary, but once you get through it, you feel as though you have conquered the world.
19. Marathon photos--Even though I rarely purchase these, I love looking at how my expressions change throughout the course of a marathon.
20. Prize money--Although I have never really won much money racing, I am glad money is being offered for the sport. It is a small reward for lots of hard work.
21. Prestige--Only a small percentage of Americans can say they have run a marathon. It is a great honor to be one of the few.
22. Marathon medals--Everybody gets one but it sure is fun to collect them.
23. Marathon bib numbers--My garage wall is covered with numbers from races throughout my career. I love adding a new one to the collection.
24. Post-race orange juice--Nothing tastes better to me after 26.2 than a bottle of OJ.
25. Race posters--All the good marathons print a commerative race poster. I hang these up in my classroom at school.
26. The finish line--There are a lot of things in this life that feel really good. One of the best feelings is crossing that line. . . . . AND WALKING.
2. Seeing the U.S.--I have run marathons in 4 different states. Signing up for a race is a good excuse to travel.
3. Cheers from random spectators--At races like Steamtown and Boston, the local newspapers print your name and bib number so fans call you by name when you pass by.
4. Post-race pig out--I love eating lots of junk food after a race. When you run 26.2 miles, you can pretty much eat anything you want.
5. Early race rhythm--The early miles always feel so easy. I usually feel like I could run forever.
6. My wife's marathon shirt--Stephanie has a shirt she wore at Grandma' Marathon that says, "Keith Pierce Rocks".
7. Seeing my wife (and other family) at the finish--It is great to see loved ones at the finish line. In the last couple of miles that is the only thing I think about and I start looking for them on the sides of the road as I come down the final stretch.
8. Pre-race bathroom adventures--One of the funniest things you see at the start of a marathon is all the runners headed for the trees to get rid of all their excess fluids before the gun goes off.
9. Aide stations--Whether it's the boy scouts, cheerleaders, or the Red Cross, it is always nice to snag a cup of water from a friendly face.
10. Race course entertainment--It's amazing how many people come out to their lawns and play music. I've seen people with bagpipes, trumpets, guitars or just their radios turned up real loud. Some good music always makes you go a little faster.
11. Pre-race pasta--Nothing like eating a bowl full of carbs the night before the race.
12. Post-race pain--Nothing like the soreness you experience after racing 26.2. But every painful step reminds you of your accomplishment.
13. The halfway point--Even though you still have 13.1 miles to go when you get there, it is always reassuring to know that you have made it "HALFWAY".
14. Mid-race energy gels--These little packets of gu give me an added boost and help me get to the finish line.
15. Riding a bus to the start line--Marathons that are point-to-point (Steamtown and Boston) provide free transportation to the starting line. It is always fun to listen to all the die hard runners on the bus ride.
16. Short shorts--The marathon is one of the few places in the world where I can where my shortest (yet most comfortable) running shorts with no fear of sticking out like a sore thumb.
17. The marathon expo--Most big marathons have an expo the day before the race where they sell running gear and other health/sports related stuff.
18. The wall--You know you are going to hit it at some point. It is humbling and scary, but once you get through it, you feel as though you have conquered the world.
19. Marathon photos--Even though I rarely purchase these, I love looking at how my expressions change throughout the course of a marathon.
20. Prize money--Although I have never really won much money racing, I am glad money is being offered for the sport. It is a small reward for lots of hard work.
21. Prestige--Only a small percentage of Americans can say they have run a marathon. It is a great honor to be one of the few.
22. Marathon medals--Everybody gets one but it sure is fun to collect them.
23. Marathon bib numbers--My garage wall is covered with numbers from races throughout my career. I love adding a new one to the collection.
24. Post-race orange juice--Nothing tastes better to me after 26.2 than a bottle of OJ.
25. Race posters--All the good marathons print a commerative race poster. I hang these up in my classroom at school.
26. The finish line--There are a lot of things in this life that feel really good. One of the best feelings is crossing that line. . . . . AND WALKING.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
GRE
I registered for the GRE Thursday. I will take the test on Sat. November 1st at 8:00 a.m. I have already started studying for it. I need to do a lot of math review, seeing as I haven't had a math course since I was a Junior in high school. I'm not sure what graduate degree I am going to pursue yet, but I have some ideas. More to come on that later.
I run Steamtown one week from today. Hopefully, I am in as good a shape as I think I am.
I run Steamtown one week from today. Hopefully, I am in as good a shape as I think I am.
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