Marathon Maniac

Runner’s World reported that Larry Macon, a 64 year-old lawyer, ran 105 marathons (or longer races) in 2008. That’s two marathons most weekends, not to mentions his five three-marathon holiday weekends. His Guinness World Record may stand for a while. This is way beyond obsessed.

Gotta run…

Marathon de Savoie

Husband and I were looking up alternative marathons to run because we may have a scheduling conflict for the Lausanne Marathon. Husband discovered the Marathon de Savoie. Sixty-two people ran it last year. Finishes were spread out over 2 hours and 13 minutes (that’s more than 2 minutes between runners). I saw the pictures; looks like every participant ran alone, with virtually no spectators. I don’t care if it has a flat course with a cheep registration fee and I would likely win my age group. I veto that one. Sounds like “The Loneliest Marathon in the World” to me.

Gotta run…

Followers

One of the 12 year old campers saw me come back from a run and asked if he and a buddy could go running with me some time. Son 2 and I took the boys on a 5K run and wore them out. They haven't asked to run with me again, but the 7-9 year old girls in my room (I'm a counselor this year) have been begging me to take them running. I think we'll just do laps around the soccer field. I'm looking forward to it.

Gotta run...

Shoo fly

I'm at summer camp again. Moments of free time are few and far between, but I did find time to run one afternoon. In no time I had attracted a cloud of flies. You wouldn't know it, but flies have amazing stamina; they followed me for miles. I tried everything to get rid of them. I swatted them, I ran in zigzags, I stopped abruptly and changed directions, I slowed down then suddenly sprinted. I finally gave up and let them tag along.

Gotta run...

Necessary tweaking

Smart Coach had me give a reference race time in order to personalize my marathon training plan. I typed in last year’s half-marathon time and it spit out a projected marathon finish in 3:36 (with corresponding training paces). I don’t think so. I modified my data, giving my very disappointing April 10K time as a reference. The new plan has me shooting for a 3:55 finish. That’s more like it.

Gotta run…

135 miles, 130 degrees, 60 hours

I first heard of the Badwater Ultramarathon when Husband bought me the DVD Running on the Sun (or Running for the Totally Insane). The race starts “in the bowels of Death Valley” and ends 135 miles away “high on Mt. Whitney.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s held mid July when temperatures sore. Competitors have 60 hours to complete the race. I highly recommend this entertaining documentary. My favorite part? It’s a toss up between the scene where the woman in Great Britain is talking about her training (the camera pans back to reveal that she is dragging a tractor tire to simulate extreme conditions). Or there’s the scene where one runner is hallucinating as she runs through the second night of the race and keeps dodging other runners (there is no one in sight).

Gotta run…

Eric Liddell

What more can be said about Eric Liddell who ran the 400 meters in 47.6 seconds, breaking the world record and winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics on July 11 1924? Just that 85 years later he is still remembered and continues to be an inspiration to many. Here's the race scene from the movie Chariots of Fire.

Gotta run...

Bolt

(CNN) – Triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt set a new meet record in Lausanne [Tuesday evening] with a stunning run over 200 meters of 19.59 seconds despite appalling weather conditions.

I have a plan

Husband and I have pretty much decided to run a marathon this fall. If we want to be ready for the Lausanne Marathon, our 16-week training schedule begins today. I entered my info in Runner’s World Smart Coach and got a customized plan that includes a weekly short run, a tempo run or speed work, and an easy long run (up to 32 kilometers). Four days a week I can choose to cross training or rest. Sounds doable. Today I go for an easy 5K run, tomorrow I rest.

Gotta run…

A few of my favorite things, 4

On long summer days I enjoy getting up early to run before it gets too hot. When I get home, I go straight to the back yard and eat a few handfuls of wild strawberries or whatever else is ripe, like the neighbor’s raspberries. After that I fix a fresh cherry smoothy or maybe an ice-coffee. Then I still have most of the day ahead of me to get all kinds of things accomplished.

Gotta run…