Foot RX Group Run – Saturday November 28, 2009 – 8 AM

Folk Art Center is at Mile Marker 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

This Saturday (11/28/09) Foot RX will have its group run at 8 AM.  Runners will meet at the Folk Art Center  (Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway). All abilities and paces are welcome! 

If you have any questions, contact Aaron.

Don’t forget to stop by Foot RX Friday 11/27/09 and Saturday 11/28/09 for huge savings on everything in the store.  Visit Foot Rx online at www.footrxasheville.com.

Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon 2009, Second Practice Run, Saturday August 15th, 2009

Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon

Update: Friday August 14th. We are still on and will leave from O’Henry Street on the backside of the Grove Arcade, where the race starts. We will head out at about 7:30. Hope to see you there.

It’s time to give the entire course a run through for a second time. We plan on doing this Saturday morning, August 15, 2009 starting from the Citizen-Times building, across from the Grove Arcade. We’ll be heading out around 7:30 AM at an easy pace (10:30 miles or so). Come out and run. We’ll and get familiar with the course and have fun. It goes by much faster with a group.

Here is a link to the course at usatf.org …

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=298950

Any interested runners are welcome to join us.

Half-Marathon Training Class, REI, Greg Walker, Wednesday August 26th, 2009, 7 PM

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There’s a free half-marathon class offered at REI (Biltmore Park) on Wednesday, August 26^th at 7PM conducted by Greg Walker, a former runner with Team Elite Powerbar and GU Sports.  It seems like a great event for runners considering a half marathon or for accomplished half-marathon runners looking for a better time (or a personal record).

Here’s what Greg will cover …

• Developing a training plan
• Race day fueling tips
• Race strategies (so important!)
• Hydration (special consideration with longer runs)

It’s free, open to the entire community and I commend Greg Jackson and REI for putting this on.  If you’re a first-time half-marathon runner you’re probably wondering about a lot of things relating to race day and you will have more anxiety as the race day gets closer.  A class such as this helps tangibly (with your physical preparation) and it helps emotionally (confidence).  If you’ve done a half-marathon or two and you’re just trying to get better I suggest this is a good place to start.

I started running half-marathons in 2005.  I just made up my training plan and I finished the first couple I ran but didn’t know where to go from there.  I wish I could have attended a class like this.  I think it would have helped me get focused.  I have 13 half-marathons under my belt but I can’t make this class because I teach my own class (non-running related) from 6-9 PM that day.

There are a few merchandise-related tangible benefits for those who attend this.  You will receive one 15% off REI coupon (applicable toward one full-priced item) and there will be performance food samples available.

If you’re doing one or more half-marathons this season I suggest this as a great event.  It may help you focus your training and preparation and you’ll meet other runners wrestling with the same pre-half-marathon consideration as you.

Registration is requested.  Please contact Ching Fu at REI.  Here’s how:  cfu@rei.com or call 828-687-0918.

Cheers.  13.1

Completed the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon Practice Run – August 1, 2009

Ken Miller and I did a practice run through the Citizen-Times Half Marathon course this morning.  We started just before 8 AM.  Temperature was in the low 60s and it was quite humid.  It was helpful putting the entire course into perspective in one single run.  I had experienced portions of the course in four different training runs in the past, but there’s nothing like running what you’ll run on race day.

We ran faster than I had anticipated, but it felt great.  I got a little hot after about mile 11.5 as we were running up Broadway in the sunshine.  The temperature had risen and I was generating my own humidity as the sun’s rays evaporated the sweat in my clothes.  We finished the course with an overall average pace of 9:17.  Below is a graph of our mile by mile pace.  The slowest was mile ten (uphill on Lookout) and the fastest was mile eleven (what goes up must come down — fast charge through UNCA).

Pace Chart for August 1, 2009 Practice Run

Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon, 2009 Practice Run, Saturday August 1, 2009

Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon

Now that I’ve done all parts of the new Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon Course for 2009, it’s time to give the entire course a  run through.  I plan on doing this Saturday morning, August 1st, 2009.  I’m starting from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce parking lot on Montford Avenue, just off I240.  It’s just about a quarter mile from the course start and finish at the Citizen-Times building, across from the Grove Arcade.  I’ll be heading out around 7:45 AM at an easy pace.  My goal race pace is 8:30-8:40 so I’ll plan on running this at around a 10:00-10:15 mile pace.

Here is a link to the course at usatf.org …

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=298950

Any interested runners are welcome to join me.

Tempo Training Run, Merrill’s Cove, Asheville, North Carolina, 7 1/2 Miles, July 27, 2009

Merrill's Cove 7.5 Mile Run with Big Hill Challenge at the End

Getting myself ready for the Citizen-Times Half Marathon with longer tempo runs, longer easy runs, a bunch of races, speedwork and some cross training.  Today I ran a tough 7.5 mile tempo run in Merrill’s Cove (where we live). 

Here’s a link to the course at USATF …

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=309694

I have run this many times because it starts and finishes at the entrance to our property.  I run just over 2 miles to Concord, turn around and return, passing home along the way and running to the top of Merrill’s Cove where Merrill’s Cove Rd. intersects with Rose Hill Rd.  You can see from the elevation profile in the image above it’s quite a climb.  The first four miles of this is my “bread and butter” run that I’ve done at least a hundred times.

Nancy gets out and runs around the same time I do.  She went out after the first four miles of my run and did a little over three herself.  It was a beautiful morning but very humid.

Deconstructing the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon – a 10 Mile Practice Run

Practice 10-Miler Covering About 8-Miles of the ACT Half Marathon

After running every part of the course in three different practice runs, I decided that I wanted to do a longer run to revisit portions of the course, but before doing the entire 13.1 miles in a single run.  So, I mapped out a nice 10 miler.

Here’s a link to my run at USATF …

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=306201

I parked in the lot of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce just off Montford Avenue and I240.  A good place to park within about a quarter mile of the starting point of the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon.  It’s a nice little warmup run to the Citizen-Times building right across from the back side of the Grove Arcade.  I started out and ran the race course four about 5.5 miles and then improvised because I didn’t want to cross Beaverdam because I figured if I go that far I’ll wind up doing the entire course.  So I took some detours and headed toward the end of the course, to pick up the trail on Edgewood, west of Merrimon.

I took Country Club to Dogwood and found my way to the top of the rose garden and headed back down to Kimberly.  I took Kimberly south to Edgewood and headed west across Merrimon to the intersection of Edgewood and Barnard, which is where I reengaged the course.

The pull up Broadway was tougher than when I did it a few weeks ago.  I was already 8.5 miles into this run when I encountered it and it was warm and sunny.

This is a good, tough practice run.  I probably added some extra hill work to it, especially with my detour on Country Club and Dogwood.  Great run, finished off with some Gatorade and a Latte with a Vanilla Bean Scone!

 

Deconstructing the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon – Part Three

Deconstructing the Citizen-Times Half Marathon - Part Three

This is the last segment of my deconstruction.  I had run miles 2 through 10 in my first two segments.  In this segment I ran mile 1 and the final 3 miles of the half marathon (along with some extra distance connecting mile 1 with where I left off before).

Here’s a link to what I ran at USATF …

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=302472

I reconnected with the final part of the half marathon course at the intersection of Edgewood and Barnard.  From there it’s a pleasant, fast cruise right into the UNC Asheville Campus and moderately downhill to the WT Weaver Blvd Trail.  From this point this is pretty much the former half marathon course (with one slight difference once you get back in town).  The run on the trail is nice and then you cross over to the west side of Broadway and start the gradual uphill pull toward I 240.  It doesn’t seem so bad when you’ve only run 4 miles before hitting Broadway.  It seems more daunting when you’re about 11 miles into a half marathon and encounter this.  But I think it’s physically and psychologically helpful if you practice this part of the course when you’re not fatigued.  Then come back and do a full trial run if you’re up to it.

I think the final 3 miles of the course are easier than the former course.  I like the fact that much of it is on quiet roads, away from traffic.

Deconstructing the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon – Part Two

Deconstructing the Citizen-Times Half Marathon - Segment Two

I picked up where I left off on segment one, at the intersection of Kimberly and Griffing.  Here is a link to what I ran today:

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=301450

The course heads north on Kimberly and for about three miles there’s nothing new as compared to the previous course.  We run up to Beaverdam, cross onto Elk Mountain Scenic Highway and enjoy a rolling run in and around the Country Club of Asheville.  Cross Merrimon and run around Beaver Lake and then we get into some new portions of the course, with some rolling hills and find our way into Woodfin, heading down Elkmont, generally downhill to Riverside.

But what goes down must come up.  When the course hits Riverside, it travels south a short distance before turning left on Lookout.  This is a long uphill pull — probably about 3/4 of a mile.  Although there are many little houses along this road, it feels remote.  During my run on a Saturday morning at about 8:30 I only saw one car, two human beings, one dog and one cat.

You’re rewarded at the end of the uphill pull with a great view from the northwest over UNCA and towards downtown Asheville.  Lookout turns into Barnard and intersects with Edgewood.  The course turns right at Edgewood but I went left to head back to my car.

If you’re thinking about running this, a good place to park is at Jones Park:

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Deconstructing the Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon 2009 – Part One

Deconstructing the Citizen-Times Half Marathon - Segment One

Today I ran what is roughly miles 2-5 in the 2009 Citizen-Times Half Marathon Course.  I did not do the first mile or so because it’s generally fairly routine downtown Asheville running.  Here’s what I skipped today:

First Mile of the 2009 Citizen-Times Half Marathon

I started around the intersection of Woodfin and Central, near the YMCA in downtown Asheville.  Here’s a link to a map of what I ran today:

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=301124

There are a few uphill portions of note, but generally I’d classify this section as relatively easy.  All of the turns through lightly-traveled residential areas make this a very interesting part of the course.  Some hill notes:

• There is a gradual uphill pull on Central after passing under 240.  Nothing terrible.
• A slightly more difficult, but shorter pull up Cherokee just before making the turn onto Canterbury Road North.
• A moderate but short pull up Oak Lane.
• A mild uphill pull on Macon.
• Long but mild uphill pull on Kimberly and Country Club.  This is comparable to the uphill section on Kimberly all the way to Griffing on the old course.  But the new course moves much of it onto Country Club and does not include the run up Griffing to the top of the Rose Garden.

I deviated off the course (to head back to my car parked near the (YMCA) at Griffing and Kimberly.  The course turns north, heading up to Beaverdam but I headed back down Kimberly.