Fartleks, Negative Splits and Summer Solstice

Week 20- complete.

Total Miles- 35.48

Long Run- 8

Attack Dogs- 1

With summer officially here I feel this was a modest start for me. It stayed in the 95 to 100 degree Fahrenheit range for the whole week with lows in the 80’s at night. The air is thick with a combination of good old southern humidity and the perpetual campfire smell from some raging forest fires in southern Georgia.  I had a fun run during the week messing with fartleks, that “speed play” that makes your heart pound and your legs twitch after you slow down to pace. What I didn’t expect was the unintentional fartlek that I would perform a longer run the next day.

Running through an area called Bonabella I hit some streets with low traffic and small inclines that drop into the marsh. Somewhere around mile four I was confronted by a charging, barking dog running full tilt with a growl.  I thought oh he is just warning me, nope guess not, electric fence electric fence, oh crap nope, owners screaming with a fear that they might be sued again, oh shit, this dog means business, run! I waited to he fully committed so I could make him have to corner real hard on the street and I could drop into high gear and see if he is faster than Vegas (my aging pup) or Riley ( Jessie’s young over energetic pup). He took a swipe at my ankle but I was kicking pretty hard at that point, when I looked back I was laughing at him and I think I pissed him off a little more. I looked at my Garmin to check the pace and it was all over the place. When I looked up I realized I was at a dead end and the dog knew it. I don’t think the dog owners ever run because the dog wasn’t sure as to what I was doing just running. After I looped around the dead end sign I had a couple yards on him and when made a break for it he figured he was too out of shape and it was way too hot to give chase.  I thought it was an inspired fartlek and I laughed it off until the neighborhood kids came rushing down, “hey mister are you ok, did he get you? Did that dog attack you?” that was a close one, that dog has definitely bitten before.

The run after that was the first time I hit a negative split. I thought I was subconciously sand bagging the first four but after checking out Garmin’s Training Center log I see I simply hit my stride on the second half. I’m liking it, up until the point where cold showers and baths are needed. I have taken to watering the garden after every run and thoroughly soaking myself (along with some raunchy running clothes).

I’ve been checking out some other blogs and my little sister has an amazing marathon story. Check that out as well at http://learningcurvesscoliosis.blogspot.com after thinking over it, I am behind the curve here, my parents have several marathons completed and have moved on to the 50K, my sister, my aunt, my uncle. Better get to work eh?      

Random Perspectives from the Road

Where it all began....

I have decided to attempt a documentation of  my training for my first marathon. That's right the 26.2 sticker you see on the rear windows in the traffic in front of you. The lonely runner as you fly by in the comfort of your vehicle, the neighbor who makes the dog bark at 5 in the morning, that annoyingly chipper skinny office mate who eats everything in sight and complains they are still hungry. You, me and everyone else who has set out on the road to completing one more thing on the bucket list.

Since the Rock N Roll Marathon has set it's sights on Savannah, I just had to make it my first along with the city. I run these roads everyday, so why not push it to the next level. This is my disclaimer, probably not to be repeated again, I cannot claim to be a newbie runner nor can I claim to be an elite one. I have always ran and, god willing, I always will. My longest race to date is the half marathon, that 13.1 sticker (fyi- i don't put stickers on my car) that signals I am half way there. I am very athleticl, mid thirties, and a glutton for punishment. (edited due to comment) That being said, I hope little blog this holds a little more philosophy than a simple runner's journal.

Although runners are by nature individual athletes, the community is like one really big awkward team. That or we accept the fact that there is a little crazy in all of us when we hit a black tar paved road when the forecast calls for 100 degrees, 90% humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Savannah's running scene has grown substantially since I moved here over a decade ago. There are some things you should know if you run in Savannah. We wave, yes at strangers, especially when you pass a fellow runner, sometimes we even talk,  and sometimes we yell out encouragement to people we have never seen or will never see again. Yes it's considered rude not to wave but worse, there is a difference between running and being a runner and runners' know it. We run for fitness, we run for charity, we run for fun!

So starts week one of a twenty week training regiment. To kick it off my girlfriend and I hit Fleet Feet Savannah for a new pair of kicks. We both were filmed on the treadmill to have a look at both our gaits. We opted for the Saucony's that were just discounted as floor models. (Hey- I run because there is no membership fee, gym hours, parking issues, etc, etc, etc... You know you're frugal at times too.) There is only one thing to do with a pair of new running shoes-get them dirty!

So as not to ramble, I hope to share some of the oddities of the road in the SAV, some of the insights after being in my head for two hours, and maybe just maybe some of the best runs of my life. So stay tuned, let me know if your watching, and please check up, I may be lost out there somewhere on the road.