So, I know you are wondering "What about Lance?" Does he just mope with me? Well, actually Lance was spontaneous this weekend and decided at the last moment to go run a marathon. I was scheduled to teach at the gym that morning, so I didn't make the trip. I have warned him the first few races he runs and I have to be a "crowd member" may not be the happiest days, but I'll get used to it :) His race report is below. Way to go, Lance!
Lance's Report:
After logging just 1 mile since shutting down the body down since December 22, 2009 with a bad case of plantar fasciitis, I decided to give it a go at a race. It was the Red Nose half and full marathon races in Columbus GA. Thursday before the race, I decided I would just go out and see how far I could run without any training. The race was free so I had nothing to lose other than some useless pride about how long it might take to finish the race. I had no expectations and was just happy to be out there capable of running, especially with Lacey’s recent bad news with the stress fracture and hip arthritis. I figured I would start with the full marathon runners and just run until I felt like stopping.
It was a brutally cold morning with temperatures in the teens and with a strong wind, that I am sure had the wind chill temperature in single digits! I knew if I still had a nose after the race that it would surely be a red one just as the race name implies. Just a few steps into the race, my feet felt like bricks of ice and tried to run in a pack of runners to help shield me from the cold wind. The first few miles went by slowly and painfully but as the sun began to rise, I really started to enjoy the lovely surroundings the course offered. It was a run that went along some river in Columbus GA and you even crossed over a bridge and ran part of the race in AL. There were no spectators and very few other people out in this chilly weather but every 2.5 miles, there would be a small crew of people out with cups of water and Gatorade for the runners. They were all very friendly and encouraging.
So how far did I end up running you might ask… Well, I finished the half marathon race portion and felt like running more (crazy I know). I had no idea and really did not think I would finish the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon course. I knew there were numerous places along the route I could just stop and call it a day, so I just kept running until the tank was completely empty, fumes and all. I ended up totaling 22.95 miles for the day. A very nice training run done at a very slow pace but with all things considered, it was a very productive and rewarding day. The next race on my calendar is the Auburn Classic Half Marathon this coming Saturday. Again, another one with no expectations and I will be just going out having fun running and enjoying the fact that God has blessed me with the health to do something that is at times rather challenging.
So this weekend helped kick start my 2010 running adventure, where my goals are to run a sub-18 minute 5k, a sub-40 minute 10k, qualify for Boston with a 3:10 marathon, and just finish my first 50 mile and 100 mile races. All of this will pale in comparison though to March 12, 2010 when I finally get to call the amazing woman in my life, my wife (who by the way already ran the Boston Marathon and beat me in the only race we ever ran together)!
It was a brutally cold morning with temperatures in the teens and with a strong wind, that I am sure had the wind chill temperature in single digits! I knew if I still had a nose after the race that it would surely be a red one just as the race name implies. Just a few steps into the race, my feet felt like bricks of ice and tried to run in a pack of runners to help shield me from the cold wind. The first few miles went by slowly and painfully but as the sun began to rise, I really started to enjoy the lovely surroundings the course offered. It was a run that went along some river in Columbus GA and you even crossed over a bridge and ran part of the race in AL. There were no spectators and very few other people out in this chilly weather but every 2.5 miles, there would be a small crew of people out with cups of water and Gatorade for the runners. They were all very friendly and encouraging.
So how far did I end up running you might ask… Well, I finished the half marathon race portion and felt like running more (crazy I know). I had no idea and really did not think I would finish the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon course. I knew there were numerous places along the route I could just stop and call it a day, so I just kept running until the tank was completely empty, fumes and all. I ended up totaling 22.95 miles for the day. A very nice training run done at a very slow pace but with all things considered, it was a very productive and rewarding day. The next race on my calendar is the Auburn Classic Half Marathon this coming Saturday. Again, another one with no expectations and I will be just going out having fun running and enjoying the fact that God has blessed me with the health to do something that is at times rather challenging.
So this weekend helped kick start my 2010 running adventure, where my goals are to run a sub-18 minute 5k, a sub-40 minute 10k, qualify for Boston with a 3:10 marathon, and just finish my first 50 mile and 100 mile races. All of this will pale in comparison though to March 12, 2010 when I finally get to call the amazing woman in my life, my wife (who by the way already ran the Boston Marathon and beat me in the only race we ever ran together)!
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