Inaugural Run for the Dream Half Marathon Review

One thing I now know!  Williamsburg has a lot of rolling hills!  Last weekend I had the opportunity to run in the inaugural Run for the Dream Half Marathon held in Williamsburg Virginia.  I was very happy with the experience and here is feedback about the event:

This event spanned the etire weekend with two races.  An 8k on Saturday (21 May) and the 1/2 Marathon (22 May).

Proceeds from the event benefited "An Achievable Dream", which is a nationally recognized K-12 school dedicated to the belief that all children can learn and succeed regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds, and that education can break the cycle of poverty.

The race also benefitted the Wounded Warriors Program, which is dedicated to assisting and advocating for the severely wounded, ill and injured members of the armed forces and for their families.

So running for two good causes made it even more of a pleasure hit those hill's I'm going to talk about.

I participated in the 1/2.  

Packet pickup was at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center.  It was an easy stop and they had just the right amount of vendors to load up on free gear, taste test and GU for the race.  The race shirt was a short sleeve moisture-wicking tee that was pretty nice. I had noticed from studying the map earlier in the week that they had a "ton" of water stops planned.  So I decided to not go with my Nathan fuel belt and picked up a SpiBelt to run with instead.  (Review coming soon) I was in and out in about five minutes. My kind of packet pick-up!

The start was very relaxed.  It didn't feel like a race at all even though they had some top runners from the region trying to establish primo times for this inaugural event.  About 2000 runners were present at the start.  Several shuttles were running from the visitors center where the bulk of the parking was to the start line.  Or your other option was to be dropped off.  The finish was about a 1/2 mile away in the William & Mary Track and Field Facility (aka Zable Stadium).  I was fortunate enough to be dropped off so I didn't experence the shuttles however I didn't hear anybody complaining about them during warm-ups.

And promptly at 7:30 am we were off!  To my surprise about 1/2 mile into the race I found myself in Colonial Williamsburg.  It was very cool needless to say.  Flanking us was the old courthouse and armory all while we were being cheered by people on bikes and locals all along the way.  It was a great way to experience all the sights.  

The race opened up to some rolling hills along some of the major roadways to Williamsburg. Down to a turnaround point near the water. Around the eight mile mark a steep hill presented a little challenge, but the motor was running fine with all the waterbreaks supporting us.  The hills did challenge many runners and I saw a good number walking past the 8 mile mark.

The end brought us back into the rear area near Zable Stadium.  A quick run up the hill and a 1/4 mile around the track and your done!  13.1 in the books - for me this was a PR.  Not sure if I was jazzed up from posting a good 10 mi time or what, but I felt compelled to push it.  

The after festivities included two beers, a bunch of food and live music.  It was a great time and again very relaxed atmosphere.  My family was able to find me quite easily and we enjoyed the rest of our day hanging out.   

When its all said and done I would definitely do this run again.  I just wish I took advantage of the free Bush Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg tickets.  Next time I'll spend more time and make a full weekend out of this event.  You won't be sorry if you do the same.  Enjoy!  

Garmin 405CX Review

Usually I'm at the forefront when it comes to gadgetry, but for some reason my GPSR's upgrade cycle is a little behind schedule. I've just upgraded from the Garmin Forerunner 205 to the Garmin Forerunner 405CX with Heart Rate Monitor. The 405cx has been out for some time, but it's been out of my price range until recently.  I was able to sell my 205 for a great price on eBay making the upgrade very much worth while.

I logged over 1000 miles with my 205 and cannot seem to run without a GPS these days.  I love the data it provides. The 405cx provides me with all sorts of data both while its being used and after the run.

First impression: The learning curve to use the device was a lot compared to my 205.  The 405cx is a little more involved because needs to be paired with the heart rate monitor and you have more options to configure in the training mode.   Several other reviews stressed the importance of reading the instruction manual and what can I say.  They were right.  I did the typical thing and just started playing.  Spend five extra minutes with the manuals and you'll be able to navigate the device like it's second nature.  It becomes really intuitive once you understand the main functions of the bezel. I now take advantage of the training options I didn't' with my 205.

The construction: I've only had it a few outings, but the construction seems to be what you would expect for this device.  It's IPX7 compliant so you can run in the rain without worry.  The heart rate monitor is constructed well and is not to noticeable when I'm running.  Once you get a good sweat going the electrodes are pretty accurate in measuring your heart beat.  The ANT+ wireless module is absolutely amazing in itself (on OS X).  My device transfers data when I get within about 10 feet of my computer and pushes all that data to my online log.  It also works well with Daily Mile if you desire the social aspect of sharing GPS data.  I'm a little concerned with the battery life.  It's rated at eight hours of receiving and two weeks on standby.  Running I should be ok, but hiking may be another area where I may need to find an alternate GPSr to capture my data.  Bottom line is it's going to last if it's take care of.

Data:  What can I say.  I'm a data nut when it comes to running, hiking or whatever I'm doing.  I love reviewing the pace, elevation, speed and geographical information that a GPS provides.  This one gives me the added benefit of a heart rate monitor and programs my splits.  Tells me I need to run harder to get into the higher levels of my aerobic zone.  In the graphic you'll see a snapshot of what Garmin Connect will look like when you transfer data from the device.  It's enough for me right now.  You'll see you can download KML and GPX formats to integrate into Google Earth or any GIS projects you may be supporting.  Elevation data is available too.  This was a pretty flat run, but you can see the bridge I ran over at the beginning and end.

Overall:  I may be impartial because I just bought the 405cx, but with a 1000 miles logged with my 205 I can say it's a welcomed upgrade.  The forerunner series GPS's are my favorite for running and this is primarily what I bought this for.   As of now I'm happy with my investment.  It's money well spent for your beginner to intermediate cardio junkie like myself.  

Garmin 405CX Upgrade

We'll after several years of using my very reliable Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS it seems it's time to trade up for this seasons activities.  I logged nearly 900 miles on the unit in just a few short years.  It never "once" reported a bad track.  Also contrary to some of the reporting it worked quite well with OS X.

Next on the wrist is the Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS with heart rate monitor. Hoping to have the same reliability and dual use my 205 had with the added benefit of a heart rate monitor for my runs. I also prefer the smaller form factor.  I bought it on eBay at a really good deal.  Whats even better is my 205 is going for a great price on eBay too.  I'll post a review soon!

Rainey Gut Loop

I'm a big fan of running off-road both with my feed and my Jeep.  This time I was on foot at First Landing State Park.  The park has a good network of trails I plan on exploring all summer long.  This was a new trail called Rainey Gut Loop.  I had not run this before, but connect to the other 11 miles of trails I know pretty well.  That give's me 14.2 miles of known trails to run on a moments notice.  Best thing is I know where all the water is and have a good lay of the land to go kick out some longer runs off road.  Time to get cracken.  I'll pull a 20-miler here in the next 45 days. That's Friday, June 4, 2010

Lil' Ass Kicker

I'm catching up on a few run post.  This one was my typical Million Dollar route, but I changed the name a little to call it the "Lil' Ass Kicker".  It was HOT that day (Apr 6th).  I felt it a lot during the run.  Was pretty tired toward the end and took a few days (prob too many) off after this one.  I need to get it into gear.

2009 Activity Stats

A big increase over last years stats, but I had my GPSR the whole time this year. Plus I started distance running on top of hiking and geocaching.

Count: 54 Activities
Distance: 291.64 mi
Time: 46:07:11 h:m:s
Elevation Gain: 4,584 ft
Avg Speed: 6.3 mph
Calories: 42,954 C
Avg Distance: 5.40 mi
Median Distance: 5.31 mi
Max Distance: 20.40 mi
Avg Time: 00:51:14 h:m:s
Median Time: 00:50:57 h:m:s
Max Time: 02:17:51 h:m:s
Avg Elevation Gain: 255 ft
Median Elevation Gain: 214 ft
Max Elevation Gain: 766 ft
Elevation Loss: 4,791 ft
Avg Elevation Loss: 266 ft
Median Elevation Loss: 208 ft
Max Elevation Loss: 757 ft
Max Avg Speed: 11.5 mph
Max Speed: 22.4 mph

Checking the Waves

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Checking the Waves

Weather: 70F Partly Cloudy Humidity: 30% Wind: SSE at 12 mph.  Distance 7.02 miles in 1:07:16.

Little mid-day workout.  Ran down to the Oceanfront to see what was happening with the Shamrock Marathon.  Not much at the south end, but I did see the tent and stuff over by King Neptune.  I think the event held a short course today, but I'm not sure.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for $1,000,000 Run

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for $1,000,000 Run

Weather: Partly cloudy, 55 deg, wind out of the N with gust up to 15kts. Distance 6.4 Miles - 01:02:14

Was a good run. Starting to add some miles to my standard 5mi jog. Legs were a little tired early, but they kicked in at the 2.5 mile mark while running on the beach. Bumped it up at the end to about an 8min mile pace to finish strong. Felt great at the end.

Note to self: Check the tides with your new "fancy dancy" watch that has tidal data on it. Running on the beach at high tide is a PIA.

I call this the million dollar run because I run to the first house I can find that's worth that much and come home. Usually to Sand Bridge and back. I need a good stretch.

2008 Activity Sats

Count:
21 Activities
Distance: 219.23 mi
Time: 37:40:16 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:275 ft
Avg Speed:5.8 mph
Calories:32,416 C
Avg Distance:10.44 mi
Median Distance:10.14 mi
Max Distance:26.43 mi
Avg Time:01:47:37 h:m:s
Median Time:01:40:12 h:m:s
Max Time:04:43:15 h:m:s
Avg Elevation Gain:137 ft
Median Elevation Gain:137 ft
Max Elevation Gain:265 ft
Elevation Loss:612 ft
Avg Elevation Loss:306 ft
Median Elevation Loss:306 ft
Max Elevation Loss:328 ft
Max Avg Speed:17.1 mph
Max Speed:153.7 mph