It's exactly one month until the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon. The training has had its good weeks and its bad weeks, but more good ones than bad. Last week was a bad one because it seemed like I had something to do after work everyday. I got a run in on Sunday, then got to the gym on Monday and Wednesday. I went out to celebrate a friend's law school graduation on Tuesday, so there was no run that day. I did my Thursday morning run club at work and I did a 3 mile walk for the March of Babies with work on Saturday. That was a good time with coworkers and it was for a good cause that has a small relation to Running with Ryan. I wore my RwR shirt and had a few people ask about it, so hopefully it gave us some exposure. Still, only two runs during that week. Not my best effort.
This week has been "better" so far. I planned to run on Sunday, but it was perfect beach weather. I went down to the beach with one of my friends for a few hours then had fish tacos and a beer. No running after that. I came home Monday and got in a 4 mile run along the cliffs despite a tight hamstring making for a slow warm-up. On Tuesday my left leg was still very tight, but I pushed through for a 6 mile run on the cliffs and up the big hill. I switched it up and went to the gym Wednesday with some elliptical machine thrown in.
That brings us to today and one month from the half-marathon. I got up early this morning for my run club at work with no problem. We got a late start because the instructor was sick and couldn't run. Within the first half-mile I hit the edge of the sidewalk with my left foot and ate pavement, twisting my ankle in the process. I got up and walked a few yards and decided I could still run on it. I stayed at a slower constant pace, even dodging some obstructions in my path. I was able to finish the 5-mile loop feeling pretty good. I got back inside and did some post-run stretches, which is when the ankle started hurting more. By the time I had showered and dressed it was not feeling great at all.
The run instructor noticed my limping on the way out and asked what happened. I told her and she took a look at it. She said it is likely a sprain because of how I rolled it and where the pain was. She wrapped an ice pack around it and sent me on my way. Hopefully it starts feeling better as the day progresses and it doesn't end up being a sprain. I'm trying to stay off my feet as much as possible, so that should help. Tomorrow is an off day and I was only planning a short run on Saturday, so maybe it will be fine by then. We'll see. Either way the training will continue next week.
Please remember to check out my sister's blog at www.runningwithryan.net. Also please continue to send well wishes and any donations you can in honor or Ryan Elizabeth.
Love you Angel Ryan!
May 5, 2011
April 11, 2011
It's Official... My First Half-Marathon
I'm both excited and nervous about this, but I have officially signed up for my first half marathon. I will be running the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in San Diego on Sunday, June 5th.
http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
It's a big jump in race distance for me, but Running With Ryan makes it all worth it. I'm going to set a goal of 2 hours and 2 minutes, which would put me right around a 9:15 per mile pace. That is around my normal pace for 6-8 mile runs, so hopefully I can carry that over the full distance. I was able to run a much faster pace for the ACT Today! 10k earlier this month, but this race would almost double that distance.
I will be raising money for the four charities that my sister has chosen for Running With Ryan. They are Holden Uganda, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Molly Bears and For Your Tears. I can take donations locally, but if you're not in San Diego it will be easier to donate online or mail a check to the specific charity. Please remember to specify that the donation is in honor of Ryan Elizabeth Watts, so it will help Whitney track the progress of Running With Ryan. You can also purchase Running With Ryan t-shirts and the proceeds will go to these charities. You can find more about all of these causes on the Donate page at Running With Ryan.
Thank you everyone for any donations and/or encouragement you send. Every bit of it is appreciated.
Love You Angel Ryan!
http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
It's a big jump in race distance for me, but Running With Ryan makes it all worth it. I'm going to set a goal of 2 hours and 2 minutes, which would put me right around a 9:15 per mile pace. That is around my normal pace for 6-8 mile runs, so hopefully I can carry that over the full distance. I was able to run a much faster pace for the ACT Today! 10k earlier this month, but this race would almost double that distance.
I will be raising money for the four charities that my sister has chosen for Running With Ryan. They are Holden Uganda, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Molly Bears and For Your Tears. I can take donations locally, but if you're not in San Diego it will be easier to donate online or mail a check to the specific charity. Please remember to specify that the donation is in honor of Ryan Elizabeth Watts, so it will help Whitney track the progress of Running With Ryan. You can also purchase Running With Ryan t-shirts and the proceeds will go to these charities. You can find more about all of these causes on the Donate page at Running With Ryan.
Thank you everyone for any donations and/or encouragement you send. Every bit of it is appreciated.
Love You Angel Ryan!
April 4, 2011
ACT Today! 10k
I ran my first race for Running With Ryan and it was great. I participated in the ACT Today! 10k. It was the inaugural race for the group, which raises money to help military families that have children with autism. I felt like it was a good way to kick off Running With Ryan for me because Rob (my brother-in-law) is in the Army and it helps children of military families.
I was in bed early on Friday night so I could be up at 6am for the 7:30 start time. I got ready and put on my Running With Ryan shirt for the first time; that was a great feeling. I arrived at Mission Bay in plenty of time and made my way to the start line. I met up with my friend Ginger to give her her RWR t-shirt for the race. A little stretching, the national anthem and we were ready to run.
I started out with a normal pace, but quickly got warmed up. My pace picked up after about 0.5 mile and I made my way onto Fiesta Island. I was passing a few people and felt like I was making good time. I looked at my watch and realized I was doing a bit under my normal pace. It stayed that way until around mile 4 and I slowed down a little, but I was able to pick it back up. I started passing quite a few Marines, so that had my adrenalin pumping. I got back to Mission Bay and finished the last .25 miles with as close to a sprint as I could.
I crossed the finish line at 53:23, which is an 8:36/mile pace. That's at least 30 seconds better than what I normally run! I finished 17th in my age group, which I was quite satisfied with. (http://www.y-events.com/11today10k.htm) Ginger finished a little behind me, and we were both happy to finish our first Running With Ryan race. It's a good start with more to come.
Love you Angel Ryan!
I was in bed early on Friday night so I could be up at 6am for the 7:30 start time. I got ready and put on my Running With Ryan shirt for the first time; that was a great feeling. I arrived at Mission Bay in plenty of time and made my way to the start line. I met up with my friend Ginger to give her her RWR t-shirt for the race. A little stretching, the national anthem and we were ready to run.
I started out with a normal pace, but quickly got warmed up. My pace picked up after about 0.5 mile and I made my way onto Fiesta Island. I was passing a few people and felt like I was making good time. I looked at my watch and realized I was doing a bit under my normal pace. It stayed that way until around mile 4 and I slowed down a little, but I was able to pick it back up. I started passing quite a few Marines, so that had my adrenalin pumping. I got back to Mission Bay and finished the last .25 miles with as close to a sprint as I could.
I crossed the finish line at 53:23, which is an 8:36/mile pace. That's at least 30 seconds better than what I normally run! I finished 17th in my age group, which I was quite satisfied with. (http://www.y-events.com/11today10k.htm) Ginger finished a little behind me, and we were both happy to finish our first Running With Ryan race. It's a good start with more to come.
Love you Angel Ryan!
President's Day Run
I know this is a very late post for the date of the actual run, but I'm so far behind on my blogging that I wanted to get this one in.
I had Monday, February 21st off of work for President's Day. I was moving to my new place in Ocean Beach that weekend, so I had a lot to do. The weather wasn't great during the most of the weekend with some crazy rain and wind. I wasn't able to run on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, so I was expecting to have a rough go on Monday.
I slept in a little that morning, then walked to get coffee. It was slightly overcast as I walked around my new neighborhood, but it didn't look like any rain was coming. I just had a good feeling about running that day. After getting back home I ate a quick lunch and unpacked a couple of boxes.
I finally started stretching and preparing for the run. The stretching took a little longer than normal due to the days off. I stepped outside and the Sun was out in full force. It was just one of those good feelings. I started off towards the ocean with no route in mind. I got as close to the beach as I could without running on sand and just kept going. I ran towards Sunset Cliffs and things were feeling good physically and spiritually.
I got to the cliffs and the sun was out over the water and the waves were crashing into the cliffs. It was just amazing and peaceful. The music from my iPod just added to the feeling. Every song that came on just seemed right, and most of them came from a playlist I created while flying home to NC for Ryan's memorial service. Many of these songs will never mean the same thing for me as they did prior to November 23, 2010. Some remind me of that weekend and how tough it was, but others help give me comfort and peace. It was the latter that were playing on this day.
I just kept running near the cliffs and taking it all in. I wasn't getting tired, which was surprising with the days off. I finally decided to turn around and head back home. I kept to the cliffs as much as I could. I finished my run and just sat on the beach watching the waves. It was one of the best runs of my life.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
She is always with me, but it was just undeniable that Ryan was running with me on that day.
Love you Angel Ryan!
I had Monday, February 21st off of work for President's Day. I was moving to my new place in Ocean Beach that weekend, so I had a lot to do. The weather wasn't great during the most of the weekend with some crazy rain and wind. I wasn't able to run on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, so I was expecting to have a rough go on Monday.
I slept in a little that morning, then walked to get coffee. It was slightly overcast as I walked around my new neighborhood, but it didn't look like any rain was coming. I just had a good feeling about running that day. After getting back home I ate a quick lunch and unpacked a couple of boxes.
I finally started stretching and preparing for the run. The stretching took a little longer than normal due to the days off. I stepped outside and the Sun was out in full force. It was just one of those good feelings. I started off towards the ocean with no route in mind. I got as close to the beach as I could without running on sand and just kept going. I ran towards Sunset Cliffs and things were feeling good physically and spiritually.
I got to the cliffs and the sun was out over the water and the waves were crashing into the cliffs. It was just amazing and peaceful. The music from my iPod just added to the feeling. Every song that came on just seemed right, and most of them came from a playlist I created while flying home to NC for Ryan's memorial service. Many of these songs will never mean the same thing for me as they did prior to November 23, 2010. Some remind me of that weekend and how tough it was, but others help give me comfort and peace. It was the latter that were playing on this day.
I just kept running near the cliffs and taking it all in. I wasn't getting tired, which was surprising with the days off. I finally decided to turn around and head back home. I kept to the cliffs as much as I could. I finished my run and just sat on the beach watching the waves. It was one of the best runs of my life.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
She is always with me, but it was just undeniable that Ryan was running with me on that day.
Love you Angel Ryan!
March 6, 2011
Catching up
I've been absolutely horrible about updating the blog, but I promise they're coming. I have been doing the training, other things (traveling to NC, apartment searching, moving, etc.) have put me behind in some things and this blog has probably suffered more than anything else. I'll try to do some combined updates and have some announcements coming up in the next week or so.
Love you Angel Ryan!
Love you Angel Ryan!
February 15, 2011
Running with Whitney
I took the red eye flight back to NC on Wednesday night (unfortunately following UNC blowing a big lead against dook). As usual I didn't get much sleep (none of it solid) on the plane. I landed and suddenly had some energy when I saw my sister and niece for the first time in 5 months.
We went the The Little Gym in Clayton. It was awesome to see Natalie running around on the equipment (pictures and maybe video to come). She had so much energy. She loved the rings (and I guess just the swing in general). I liked seeing her do flips and rolls. Afterwards we went to the Bojangles drive-thru (mmmmm... sweet tea and biscuits). Back to my parent's house and I did a little work before laying down to take a nap (Natalie and I were co-conspirators on that one.)
Whitney and I had planned to run, but a couple of things were working against us. I had very little energy after the flight and was not very motivated after the nap. The weather also wasn't helpful. I've been spoiled with the Southern California sunshine. We decided to put it off until Friday when it would be warmer.
Whitney's sister-in-law arrived from Ohio (through all the snow and inclement weather) to see Whit and Nat. We ended up getting dinner from Smithfield's Chicken and BBQ (mmmm... more sweet tea, hushpuppies, and bbq). I think you may see a theme in these NC posts (and a detriment to my training). It was a low-key night in which I watched some TV and did some work before bed.
Friday morning brought T-Mart biscuits and play-time for Natalie. Whitney's friend Marcia came down from Garner with her daughter Maddi. One of Whitney's friends from high school (well actually I guess it was as much middle school as high school) brought her two daughters over too. The girls colored, dressed up as princesses, watched some cartoons, and played outside. I cooked lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches) for the entire crowd. Later in the afternoon it was nap time.
After all the guests left, Whitney and I finally got a run in. It was a 4-mile run around Dunn. It was pretty cold to me, but Whitney thought it was warmer than what she has been used to. That shows the difference between our current climates.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
That night was dinner at the bowling alley/arcade cafe with mom, dad, whitney, beth, jeffrey, aunt cookie and natalie... Guess who was the center of attention at that one (especially in her squeaky shoes). After the food was done, it was off to the arcade. Natalie ended up with quite a few tickets thanks to Jeffrey. She of course didn't want to leave, but it was really close to bed time. Nothing exciting after getting home. I crashed pretty early.
Saturday was family lunch at my grandparents' house. I got there early to help my granddad with the cooking. He was a lot further along than I expected him to be when I got there, but I manned the grill at the end then chopped the BBQ. We all ate lunch and hung out for a while. Then the UNC game came on and my food coma started to kick in. I ended up with a quick nap during halftime, but caught the end of an ugly win. I'll take it.
I started feeling a little sick (cold and flu type stuff) before we got back to my parent's house. So I took some medicine and took a longer nap. Dad and Natalie also laid down for a nap, but Whitney and mom went to Smithfield for some shopping. I woke up from my nap much later than intended, but dad and Nat were still asleep too.
I finally got up and motivated to shower then headed to Garner to pick up my friend Billy. We drove up to our friend Gary's house in Raleigh and hung out for a while. It was the first time all three of us had been able to get together since October (which was a wedding, so not the normal hanging out situation). I got back home a little later and went straight to bed.
Got up in the morning and went for a 6-mile run with Whitney. We ran down to the trail that used to be the railroad track, then ran the trail out to the country (I think it's technically in Erwin.) It took me a while to get warmed up in the cool morning weather, but the sun came out and helped me out.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
After the run I had to shower and pack for my flight back to San Diego. We drove up to Raleigh to run some errands and grab food at McAlister's Deli. We went out to the fountain to let Natalie throw some coins. She was pretty entertained with that. Then it was time to get back in the car and go to the airport. I said my goodbyes to the family and went into the airport. It's always tough to say goodbye to them, but I am very thankful for the days I got to spend with them.
Love you Angel Ryan!
We went the The Little Gym in Clayton. It was awesome to see Natalie running around on the equipment (pictures and maybe video to come). She had so much energy. She loved the rings (and I guess just the swing in general). I liked seeing her do flips and rolls. Afterwards we went to the Bojangles drive-thru (mmmmm... sweet tea and biscuits). Back to my parent's house and I did a little work before laying down to take a nap (Natalie and I were co-conspirators on that one.)
Whitney and I had planned to run, but a couple of things were working against us. I had very little energy after the flight and was not very motivated after the nap. The weather also wasn't helpful. I've been spoiled with the Southern California sunshine. We decided to put it off until Friday when it would be warmer.
Whitney's sister-in-law arrived from Ohio (through all the snow and inclement weather) to see Whit and Nat. We ended up getting dinner from Smithfield's Chicken and BBQ (mmmm... more sweet tea, hushpuppies, and bbq). I think you may see a theme in these NC posts (and a detriment to my training). It was a low-key night in which I watched some TV and did some work before bed.
Friday morning brought T-Mart biscuits and play-time for Natalie. Whitney's friend Marcia came down from Garner with her daughter Maddi. One of Whitney's friends from high school (well actually I guess it was as much middle school as high school) brought her two daughters over too. The girls colored, dressed up as princesses, watched some cartoons, and played outside. I cooked lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches) for the entire crowd. Later in the afternoon it was nap time.
After all the guests left, Whitney and I finally got a run in. It was a 4-mile run around Dunn. It was pretty cold to me, but Whitney thought it was warmer than what she has been used to. That shows the difference between our current climates.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
That night was dinner at the bowling alley/arcade cafe with mom, dad, whitney, beth, jeffrey, aunt cookie and natalie... Guess who was the center of attention at that one (especially in her squeaky shoes). After the food was done, it was off to the arcade. Natalie ended up with quite a few tickets thanks to Jeffrey. She of course didn't want to leave, but it was really close to bed time. Nothing exciting after getting home. I crashed pretty early.
Saturday was family lunch at my grandparents' house. I got there early to help my granddad with the cooking. He was a lot further along than I expected him to be when I got there, but I manned the grill at the end then chopped the BBQ. We all ate lunch and hung out for a while. Then the UNC game came on and my food coma started to kick in. I ended up with a quick nap during halftime, but caught the end of an ugly win. I'll take it.
I started feeling a little sick (cold and flu type stuff) before we got back to my parent's house. So I took some medicine and took a longer nap. Dad and Natalie also laid down for a nap, but Whitney and mom went to Smithfield for some shopping. I woke up from my nap much later than intended, but dad and Nat were still asleep too.
I finally got up and motivated to shower then headed to Garner to pick up my friend Billy. We drove up to our friend Gary's house in Raleigh and hung out for a while. It was the first time all three of us had been able to get together since October (which was a wedding, so not the normal hanging out situation). I got back home a little later and went straight to bed.
Got up in the morning and went for a 6-mile run with Whitney. We ran down to the trail that used to be the railroad track, then ran the trail out to the country (I think it's technically in Erwin.) It took me a while to get warmed up in the cool morning weather, but the sun came out and helped me out.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
After the run I had to shower and pack for my flight back to San Diego. We drove up to Raleigh to run some errands and grab food at McAlister's Deli. We went out to the fountain to let Natalie throw some coins. She was pretty entertained with that. Then it was time to get back in the car and go to the airport. I said my goodbyes to the family and went into the airport. It's always tough to say goodbye to them, but I am very thankful for the days I got to spend with them.
Love you Angel Ryan!
February 14, 2011
Last day before trip to NC
Work has been crazy this week because of the upcoming trip. I have two days in which I'll be "working" from NC. That really means I'll be spending time with my sister Whitney and playing with my niece Natalie. So I was hoping to get in a really good workout prior to the traveling and inevitable fatigue... on to CrossFit Invictus.
This week's class was a little different than last week's. The owner of the gym was leading this class with help from one of their national running coaches. There was some running and stretching exercises to start out; then the squats and lunges began. They taught us proper squatting technique, then it was quick squats and lunges to all sides.
Next we formed groups of three for "relays". These started out with 10 jumps onto an 18" box then proceeded to a suicide run. It finished with 10 squats while throwing a 12 pound medicine ball up to a 10-foot line on the wall. Then we tagged in the next person in our group. This went on for 18 minutes (at least we were told it was 18 minutes, but it felt like 30.) I ended up getting four reps in with the breaks in between. It was still tough. That ended the workout, and I came home to pack for my trip.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
Love you Angel Ryan!
This week's class was a little different than last week's. The owner of the gym was leading this class with help from one of their national running coaches. There was some running and stretching exercises to start out; then the squats and lunges began. They taught us proper squatting technique, then it was quick squats and lunges to all sides.
Next we formed groups of three for "relays". These started out with 10 jumps onto an 18" box then proceeded to a suicide run. It finished with 10 squats while throwing a 12 pound medicine ball up to a 10-foot line on the wall. Then we tagged in the next person in our group. This went on for 18 minutes (at least we were told it was 18 minutes, but it felt like 30.) I ended up getting four reps in with the breaks in between. It was still tough. That ended the workout, and I came home to pack for my trip.
MichaelNorris's Activities | RunKeeper
Love you Angel Ryan!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)