Runners’ Blog
October 3 was a race day - The DRC 5K/15K.
Ok, the distance we ran was only 5K (about 3.1 miles). But in terms of simulating the conditions of a real race, it was invaluable.
The weather was nice and cool and it was just a picture perfect day for running. Key was to maintain a steady pace and not get overly excited and run faster than you normally do in training. Finished with a time of 28 min 05 seconds.
An interesting statistic. Just to show age is no barrier, the top finisher was aged 42 and finished with a time of 16:42. Second place finished was aged 52 and finished in 17.3. A 71 year old finished in 26.2 and a 79 year old finished in 26.4!
Couch to Half.
Yes, thats the name of the Dallas Running Club (DRC) training group Iam part of!
The Marathon program has been a major source of fundraiser across many Asha chapters over the years, raising millions of dollars. I have been volunteering at several of these marathons over the years (cheering folks, handing out water at water stops, as a camera man - you name it). Those had all been wonderful experiences.
This fall I finally summoned up the commitment to run the half-marathon, thanks to all the gentle prodding and great encouragement from other seasoned Team Asha runners. Its one of the best decisions Ive made as far as helping my own health is concerned. The training program has been great so far. All of us in our group have hardly run formally prior to this (hence the term Couch!). We started with just an 8 minute jog in week 1. We are midway through the program now, and touched 7 miles last week. Can’t believe it!
Getting in the weekly runs in preparation for the long run on Saturday, focussing on pre-run and post-run stretching, taking care of the diet and hydration, getting the right running gear - there were so many tips that the coaches have passed on that have proved invaluable as we try to stay injury free.
The fact that all of us look forward to these runs is a testament to the effectiveness of the program and the enthusiasm of the coaches.
So far so good. We are on target for the White-Rock Half Marathon in December.