ING Hartford Half Marathon: Complete
After starting in March of this year, I wanted to set (what I thought) was a semi-impossible goal: run a half marathon this year. After a few 5Ks and a cancelled 10K, today I was able to sock away basically the perfect-for-me performance on my first half marathon in Hartford.
We got in a bit early because we were concerned about the road closures. That gave me more than enough time to get read. I forgot, though, I didn’t have a coffee! We tried to go up to Dunkin Donuts in two locations but… alas, no coffee. How is this even possible? I took a few caffeine Sport Beans instead.
Got up to the starting line and I wasn’t as nervous as I usually am. The last two months of training have been complete trash. Work travel wreaked havoc on my training so I probably should have been a bit more nervous than I was.
Off the start, felt great. The first few miles were amazing. It really hit me that running is such a unique sport. Yes, there is a first place, second place, and third place. But all the runnings, logistical staff, and residents all support the runners. Even in little old Hartford.
I knocked out the first 5K at a pretty easy pace that was a lot faster than my race plan. I was lucky to really add to that over the next 7 miles or so. At about 10 miles, we were coming out of Elizabeth Park and I had to fight a little hard for those near 9 minute/miles. But I was able to hold it together and get it done. I fought by a few groups of people and tried to really turn it on toward the last mile.
I knew that I was going way faster than my race plan which had me getting in at between 2:15 and 2:20. I didn’t click my watch to the actual time until I only had about .75 mile to go. I realized I *might* be able to sneak away for sub-2:10 but I didn’t quite have it in me. I fought all the way down the hill and into the arches at 2:10:43. I was ecstatic with that time.
This was my first half marathon but I was really impressed with the race logistics compared to my other races. ING did a great job of getting the crowd excited, almost all of the water/Gatorade stations were well staffed, and there were a ton of signs and ING staff/volunteers at our disposal. My wife was also happy with the overall organization and it wasn’t too boring for her given they have a 5K and a Half Marathon. She had more than enough to watch.
This November I have a 10K and a 5 mile road race. Then I have a bit of downtime (will probably pick up a few small races) before what may be one of my A races which is the Ragnar in May in Cape Cod.
Thanks for everyone’s support while training, running, and organizing for this race!
Run, Run, Running
Well, its been a bit since my last running post but I think its about time to add some more.
Susan G Komen 5K in Hartford
This was my first ever 5K and boy was it fun. The race had thousands of people (which, later, people told me isn’t a good idea for your first 5K). I found myself trying to just get into a stride for the first mile because there were so many people of different skills and speeds. I got into my stride after the first mile but… I realized I’ve only been training on completely flat surfaces. So when I got to my first hill, then second, then third… I realized I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for hills. But, thankfully, because this was a Breast Cancer fundraiser with survivors all over the place creaming my time I felt like it was impossible to go slower than them.
My second big mistakes was that I didn’t really know the course before I started. This led me to thinking that we were coming into the finish line when we actually have another .75 mile loop to do. I was so defeated on that last loop… I gave everything I had way before that so it was a lot tougher than I wanted it to be.
I ended up finishing in an all out sprint with a final time of 34:57. My coach was happy, I was ecstatic that I even finished, but I went back to training.
A special note to everyone that helped me raise money for this cause: thank you SO much from the bottom of my heart. As a first 5K, I wasn’t even sure I was going to finish but I’m happy to have finished and supported such a great cause. We raised $670.01 and it all went to Komen CT!
GE Petit 5K
This was my next race but SO much hotter than the last one. Luckily, the residents of the area were super nice and put out sprinklers and hoses to cool everyone off. Before I did this 5K, my Coach at www.prsfit.com told me to essentially “run as hard as you can until you puke”. Well, thats basically what I did. I memorized the course before I left and it was relatively flat which helped.
I ended up coming in at 29:23 totally obliterating my previous 5K. This was my second 5K so I was so excited to kill my previous PR.
Moving Forward
My big “A” race as people call it is the Hartford Half-Marathon. I’m going to be working up to a 10K in August and then the half in October. So far its been pretty great. I’m hoping that the heat will give me an advantage so when it (hopefully) cools off in October I’ll be better prepared.
Also, today marks 197 lbs for me. I’m just so excited about this that I have to keep writing it down. I have 17 more lbs to go for my goal weight as given to me by my Doctor. I started this March and its just been a huge ride losing about 50 lbs so far. Between my exercise, lifestyle changes (brought on by The Best Life Diet), and perseverance I’ve been able to get into the best shape of my life. Thanks to my wife Jamie and my coworkers James for helping me push along when I’ve wanted to give up.
Help Me Run For Breast Cancer
(I’ve emailed this to close friends and colleagues. I’m hoping that, with social media, a few more my “digital friends” will help too.)
Its extremely rare that I would ask for help in my fundraising efforts so I’m hoping that you’ll read this email.
In my quest to get fit and lose some weight, I’ve been looking to run a 5K race. After a little inspiration from my colleague James Elwood, I’m going to be running the Komen 5K Run for Breast Cancer this coming Saturday, June 4th in Hartford. As some of you may know, cancer in my side of the family is an unfortunate common occurrence. The cancer fundraising organizations hold a special place in my heart as does Feeding America. Because the race is on Saturday (only 5 days away), I’m hoping I can reach my modest fund-raising goal.
I’ve decided to raise $250 dollars but would love to raise more. I’m hoping that, if its right for you, you can help me by donating towards my goal. Susan G Komen has a webpage specifically for me. Go to http://transaction.komenct.org/goto/kyledaigle and click on “Make a gift” on the right hand side. Any size donation will help me reach the goal by this Saturday.
I want to thank you in advance. Please feel free to share this with friends and family if you think it’ll be right for them. You can look at this blog for an update about my efforts after the race. I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
How to Start Running: The Molasses Method
A lot of my co-workers have been asking how I’ve started running again. Aside from working with my coach, I’ve been working on my own running plan.
I hypothesize that most “unfit” people who start running completely overdo themselves (I can say this because I was one too). You go to the gym, choose a number of miles you want to do, and turn up the treadmill to some speed you equate to running. For the first minute, you feel like a champion. After that, you feel like death.
I think, personally, the Couch to 5K program (C25K) is overdoing it for a completely beginner runner. Especially if you’re a digital worker like myself, after doing five 90 second runs ends up teaching you the wrong thing.
I started off by doing a Nike + Walk to Run program. At first it seemed like a joke: I was walking pretty fast but I was becoming a little bit breathless. I thought the only way that I could get fit was just by running right away. What that doesn’t address is the mental side of things: if your running workouts are horribly painful or you get an injury you are unlikely continue your plan.
If the goal is to get in shape, you need to make a life long change. You can’t think that you’re going to start running a 5K in a month and then keep that going forever. I’ve taken my experiences and put them in this “Molasses Method”.
Please note: I am not a fitness professional. Please check with your doctor before starting any exercise or diet plans. These have worked for me but results may vary.
The main points of this plan are:
- Focus on getting fit: not a mile number.
- Don’t push yourself to the point of huffing and puffing.
- Make incremental improvements that you can keep doing.
If you have some running experience or are doing something now:
Focus on keeping your perceived exertions. Thats a fancy way of saying “how you feel while you’re running”. The gold standard is you should be able to talk while running. I’ve personally found this near impossible. But I think a good way to explain it is that you shouldn’t be huffing and puffing for breath. You may have a pretty standard breathing cycle but you shouldn’t feel out of breath at all. If you feel yourself gasping every few breaths, you’re running too quickly. (Note: slow might feel REALLY slow if you’ve been over-doing it).
If you are a beginner and haven’t done any running:
Start off with a simple plan like the following. You should have a rest day between the runs. Please note that I’m not using weeks, I’m saying stages. You can stay in a stage until it feels comfortable. It shouldn’t be “easy” but it should feel doable.
Stage 1 (3 times a week): walk 5, run 1; repeat 4 times
Stage 2 (3 times a week): walk 6, run 2; repeat 4 times
Stage 3 (3 times a week): walk 6, run 3; repeat 4 times
Stage 4 (3 times a week): walk 6, run 3; repeat 4 times
Stage 5 (3 times a week): walk 6, run 4; repeat 4 times
Stage 6 (3 times a week): walk 4, run 4; repeat 4 times
Stage 7 (3 times a week): walk 2, run 5; repeat 4 times
Stage 8 (3 times a week): run 5, walk 1: repeat 4 times
The focus with all plans should be time running and NOT distance. You want to focus on staying in your aerobic zones where you will get the most benefit from cardio. One person doing this plan may get do 3 miles while you may only get up to 1. Its OK. The goal is to get personally fit.
Let me know how you think these tips work for you and what your personal experience has been. For me, these plans have been do-able and I’ve seen some great benefits.
