Bonk!

Normally, when you’re training for a December marathon in late October, you wouldn’t think that heat exhaustion would come into the equation.  However, we were just one degree below the official high temperature records on both Wednesday and Thursday.   Yesterday, I went for a mid-day 12 mile tempo run in 85 degree weather.  It started off fine.  The first four were at marathon race pace.  Then the wheels fell off.  I staggered home the last few miles, stopping at every water fountain along the way.  Oh well, chalk one up for experience.

 

The weekend weather looks much more kind.  I’m looking forward to our Sunday run.  There are a couple of local offerings for road races tomorrow: the Daisy Dash 5K and the Fight for Air 5K.  Anyone planning on racing these?

Double Down

No, not the protein and sodium-laden KFC "sandwich", but the unfortunate timing of events this weekend...  Now armed with kayak, I had decided to take part in the Challenge that is pure Folly put on by John's crowd at the county parks on Sunday.  Unfortunately, my wife and her sister decided I was also running the 5k race for the cure the day before - so it was with tired legs I dropped off my kayak at the Folly Landing to receive it's official handicap.

I'd be back there after setting my bike and running shoes up at the transition point within the county park at the South side of the island.  I managed to get into my boat without disaster and even started on time.  Despite the constant pull to the right the whole 3 miles down the Folly River, I reached the Island tip in just under 38minutes, getting out of the water in 27th place.  Kayaking is not the best preparation for running (neither is 5k the day before) so my legs felt like lead on the 0.7 mile run to the bike transition from the landing.  Things went better on the 9mile bike ride up to the northern end of Folly Island and I managed to pick up about 16 places thanks to my secret weapon: cross tyres on my road bike.

You would not have been very proud of my style on the final 3+ mile run up the beach to the pier and back, although I did manage to claw back another three places, finishing in 9th place overall with 1:38:58, 2nd in the Masters.  Kudos to Dirk deWitt who took over 8 minutes out of last years time to win in 1:27:18 and Heather Knight who finished 1st lady, an impressive second overall in 1:31:25.  More results here

Puns and Entendres galore

I started right behind the fast brothers, Upchuck and Waltz, looking resplendent in their matching "On The Run" outfits, in perfect conditions at the Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure on Daniel Island on Saturday morning.  Regretfully, although perfectly legal, drafting is of little use on foot, and my usual 5k tactic of "start as fast as you can and try to hang on" paid it's usual dreadfully disappointing dividends as I wouldn't see our Tuesday evening friends for dust once the first fleeting fifteen seconds had passed....

I did manage to stay in front of the remarkably rapid Romanian for almost a whole mile before that significant achievment proved equally fleeting...my pulse rate monitor sounding like the dive klaxon onboard a submarine as Cami sped past me on her way to the Masters title in 20:13

The weatherman won (again) in 15:06, with Jay just beating Karl to the line in 15:39 for second.  I was really impressed, however, with the effort the various running teams had made as shirts with clever slogans such as "Save the Ta Tas"; "The breast team";  "Mamas know breast";  "Save our magazines" (with appropriate pin-up pictures); "Breast foot forward"; "The Rack Pack"; and my particular favourite: "Stop the war in Our Rack". 

The cute pink socks I borrowed off the wife seemed rather pitiful in comparison to such clever entendres - still at least I would manage to beat the 21 minute mark - or so I thought until I checked out the results on line....
                                      ......curses........21:01

Race Day

Congratulations to Cami and Swaz for great performances at the Race for the Cure today. Perhaps the cool weather will keep those times speedy. I will be at the Folly Challenge working the finish line tomorrow. Hope you guys have a good run.

Autumn Among us...

Temperatures have been down - I turned the aircon off earlier in the week and was even putting the duvet back on the bed a couple of days ago... The last couple of mornings I've driven the wife mad with desire to work at 6:45am and it's been pretty dark.  

I called Gordon today and we made a less than democratic decision to START AT 7:00AM TOMORROW morning and until further notice?

I am happy to be back on my feet and will attempt to hang with you heroes for at least 3 miles....

A quick glance at the CRC's web page and it looks like there is almost a race every weekend from now till Kiawah. Anyone doing the Avondale race in October? There are several new upstart races as well as the standards - JI Connector, Race for the Cure, and Turkey Day Run. Yes, we are lucky to live in a running city. Beautiful weather last Sunday morning. Hey is it time to push the starting time to 7am?

IOP?

Anyone running the IOP? Looks like it will be nice morning. No Fat Tire at this unfortunately...but it is a 10k. Hope to see everyone Sunday morning if I can still move!