What's Up?

Well, I'm still running... and biking... and swimming even.

I just ran a 5k downtown two weeks ago setting a PR of 23:57. That's a good 70 seconds faster than my previous best, but I really think I can do better. I started out way too fast with the first mile going by in 6:49. From there on I was slowing gradually all the way to the end. I really think I could have pushed it a little harder in the second half as well. Anyway, come May 6th we'll see just what I can do.

My next goal is to run a good race at the 2006 Knotty Pine 5k durning the Pine Tree Festival in Swainsboro on the first weekend in May. Since running Disney and even more so since Tybee, I've been doing mostly speedwork in my runs. Most of it has been tempo runs and I done a few interval and fartlek runs as well. I haven't been putting in nearly as many miles but I'm trying to make every run count. I've mostly stopped running "easy" runs, instead focusing on more "quality". I'm running only about 3 times a week but now but I've been doing a lot more riding than last year.

Along with running a good race in Swainsboro, I want to do at least two good sprint triathlons this year. I did two last year, but my swimming was so poor I hardly had anything left once I finally made it out of the water. I want to learn to swim well enough to leave the water without feeling totally spent. So I've been trying to learn to swim "correctly". I've been reading a book called "Total Immersion" that deals with learning how to swim efficiently with a proper stroke technique. I'm seeing some results but I'm still a little skeptical. We'll see how it works out.

Right now I'm looking at doing two triathlons in Jacksonville. The first one on May 13th and the second on July 8th. These are part of a series called the Beaches Fine Arts Series Triathlon (BFAST) which feature a 1/4 mile ocean swim, an 11.5 mile bike and a 3 mile run. I had considered doing one on Hilton Head Island on April 22, but decided that 66-degree water was just too dang cold for this poor wetsuitless boy.

Finally, I'm planning to run the Marine Corps. Marathon in Whashington D.C. on October 29th. We hope to make another mini family vacation out of it and stay for several days after the race to tour the capital and see the sites.

Well, that enough for now. Here's some links to some of my recent workouts and the race. Of course you can always check out any of my GPS activities my going to tripphoward.motionbased.com.



2006 March of Dimes Shamrock 5k (23:58)
Splits:
Mile 1 6:44 (went out way too fast)
Mile 2 8:06 (slowing down)
Mile 3.1 8:52 (slowed down too much)
I could have (and should have) pushed harder for the second half of the race.


Interval Run at lunch (six 1/4 mile repeats with 2min rests.)
Splits:
1:35
1:35
1:32
1:42
1:54
1:52


32 Mile Ride at HAAF
Average Speed 18.5mph