Route Research Done

Google Earth is the sh!t!  I knew it could do some cool stuff, but these were scans to PDF's I imported and registered.  My whole trip is in all it's three dimension glory.    Heck I've even been scouting my campsite for the best views on my route.  Much more coming.  

Backpacking Trip

Been planning my backpacking trip for later in July.  Wasn't able to do the whole Art Loeb Trail due to a logistics issue, but I have a good alternative.  As I get closer I'll post my gear and routes.  Stay tuned! 

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!  

First Month - Bike and Run to Work

Well I've just completed the first month of my Bike and Run to Work Challenge.  I logged 80 miles ether jogging or biking to work.  That included a business trip for three days and a few rain days.  I average about 215 miles per tank in my Jeep which was last filled on 21 April for $62.42.  Simple math says I saved about $23 in gas.  I'll take what I can get.

What I'm really getting out of this is the health benefit of jogging and riding.  According to my CLIF 2 Mile Challenge tracker I've saved 73.6 lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Not sure how much (if any) weight I've lost, but I have inadvertently increased my average pace.  I like to sleep, but don't like to be late to work.  Made for some quick runs!

During this I found out about the CLIF 2 Mile Challenge.  I've signed up and chose to support "Red Team" which is:

Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a network of more than 500 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, and professionals working together to advance the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) movement in the United States. SRTS can provide a variety of important benefits to children and their communities, including increasing physical activity, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing neighborhood safety.

I'll give another update next month.

Ready for The Run for the Dream Half Marathon Williamsburg Virginia

Just a few more days to go and I'll be hitting the road to take part in this years first 1/2 Marathon.  This weekend is the Run for the Dream 1/2 in Williamsburg, VA.  Looking forward to the race as it's the inaugural event.

We may camp or hit a cabin the night prior to.  Just to make it easier the day of the race.  Ether that or I'll just drive up that AM. All depends on weather and whats going to be easy for the group I'm running with.  Wish me luck!

Human Powered!

Well I'm 12 days into my Bike and Run to Work Program. So far I've put about 67 miles behind me. Those miles include my workout runs as well. It's a pretty good feeling to see how the miles pile up each week. This weeks output will probably be a little low. I'm in Arizona for work and I pretty much need to drive everywhere I go.

Thought of trying to get a few geocaches in, but they're also limited in the areas I have access too. :-(

Well so far I've saved $108.54 in vehicle operating cost. That's about the exact cost of my Maxpedition Falcon II backpack. Nice how things like that work out. I'm also doing my review on the pack. Our relationship started off a little rocky, but I'm really starting to like it.

Swim, Bike and Run = Triathlon

Is that the recipe for a Tri?  Sure is!  I havent done one of these in about 10 years.  A buddy of mine in Hawaii has been bitten by the bug and we're eyeballing the DC 5150 this June.  We've recently made it a custom to do a distance race together no matter where we are.  We linked up for the 2010 USMC Marathon and virtually trained with one another all while 3000 miles apart.  This year we're on tap for the Rock and Roll 1/2 and the Honolulu Marathon (2012).  We're going to add this to the mix.  It should be a good time.  He just finished his first Tri (ANA Lanikai Triathlon) so he's got all the gear and is ready to rock. 

Bike and Run to Work (BRW)

This week I started running or biking to work on a regular bases.  I call it my BRW campaign!  The weather is getting really nice and my "pre-Cash for Clunkers" heap sucks down about 11 gallons to the mile so the choice was simple (see my gas log).   I'm going to try this for the next month and see how many miles and money I can rack up. 

A co-worker of mine has commuted 187 miles so far this year.  That's pretty impressive plus that equals almost a whole tank of gas for me.  A few data points I pulled off the web.  This bike to work calculator says I can save $1.62 per day biking to work.  This Cliff Bar 2 Mile challenge says for every mile you bike instead of drive you reduce your carbon footprint by one pound of carbon dioxide.

Run for the Dream Half Marathon Williamsburg Virginia

I just registered for the inaugural "Run for the Dream Half Marathon" being held on May 22, 2011 in historic Williamsburg, Virginia.  I'm hoping it will be a start of a good thing in the area.  More importantly are the charities this races benefits.  It also shows close ties the military has with the local community.

Proceeds from the Run for the Dream will benefit An Achievable Dream, 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 will also benefit the Wounded Warriors Programs, dedicated to assisting and advocating for the severely wounded, ill and injured members of the armed forces and for their families.  More detailed info on those two charities below:

The Wounded Warrior Programs provide individualized support to this unique population of soldiers who were injured or became ill during their service of our country.

Wounded soldiers in this program are eligible for a wide array of benefits to aid in their recovery, both physically and financially. The organizations help veterans and their families become connected with these benefits, no matter where they are located or their previous status in the armed forces. Recovery and rehabilitation is not constrained by timelines in the program and soldiers receive individualized support for their specific needs.

An Achievable Dream has a 15 year relationship with Fort Eustis, the Army base in Newport News. Each morning, 15-20 troops spend the first two hours of their morning at An Achievable Dream Academy. Each soldier is assigned to an elementary school class on a four to six-month rotation. During that time they build close relationships with their students and serve as positive role models, working with them on character development and academic motivation. Many An Achievable Dream graduates have gone on to serve in the military.

Also visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

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