A1A Half Marathon Wrap-up!
This was one of the best races and times we have had in a long time!
I will start with a trip down memory lane. But first……….
I decided to start Saturday morning with a soak in the hot tub!
The hot tub
Now, on to memory lane…..
This is the 11th Avenue Bridge. It is one of the few bridges here in South Florida, that turns instead of going up like a draw bridge. To the immediate left of this bridge, was a home owned by one of my fathers friends. He used to let me come over and crab off of his dock. Good times for sure!
The 11th Avenue bridge.
This is the Evergreen cemetery. It is the one of the oldest cemeteries in Broward County. Back when I was in high school, we used to jump the fence, which was lower than it is now, and have parties til all hours of the morning. The phrase was, we are having a party Saturday night…and everyone was dying to get in!
Evergreen Historic Cemetery
After driving around Broward County for a while, it was time to visit the Expo. As always, this Expo has just about everything you could want for running and fitness. We got our race packet, shirt, poster, sport beans, all in 40 minutes!
Expo
Expo
Expo
Lexus isle at the Expo.
Next, we took Marshall to his Aunt Rose Maries where he got to spend the weekend! After that, time to check into the hotel. When I went to get a hotel for this race, everything was booked, at least what was in our price range. So, we had to “settle” for the Ritz Carlton! The standard rate for this room was $599.00 per night……………unless……you have Marriott Rewards points! Since we use our Marriot credit card for everything, we have an abundance of points, so, 50,000 points deducted, and the room was free!! And what a room!
This has to be the best hotel room we have ever stayed at. Click on the link Ritz Carlton, just to look at the place. Below are a few pictures of our room and the view. As an aside, the service is unbelievable! Everything you want is a fingertip away!
The Bed
Bathroom vanity
The bathtub
The toilet room..with a phone………… and a TV in the bathroom!
The view from our balcony.
The view from the 7th floor pool deck.
After we settled in, we decided to have a few drinks on the patio overlooking the Intracoastal waterway. The Miami boat show was going on the same weekend, but we had our own private boat show!
Bridge opening…..
Sailboat.
A nice boat….
A real nice boat……
A really, really, really nice boat!!
After viewing our own private boat show, it was time for dinner. We decided to walk around to burn off a few drinks and ended up at the Quarterdeck Lounge. This is a place that as youngsters, we used to frequent. Maybe when you get older, you notice more, but this place was a dump. After waiting 20 minutes for service, and none ever came, and being subjected to a smoker who appeared to be in the final stages of some sort of death disease, we decided to eat elsewhere!
We walked around some more and ended up back at the hotel to see about getting dinner reservations. All booked up. We walked back down “the strip”, and ended up at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Looking at the menu, there wasn’t much that appealed to me, so we moved on. Eventually, we arrived at the H20 Cafe.
The wife used her phone to look up the reviews and most were positive, so, we decided to eat here for our Valentines dinner.
We were seated immediately and our waiter asked for our drink order. My current training drink is Jose Cuervo tequila and diet Sierra Mist. It is a zero carbohydrate drink and not as fattening as my normal Tequila Sunrise. Since they had no Diet drinks of any kind, we had to improvise. Tequila, Seltzer water, lemon, lime, and Splenda!
With the drinks out of the way, time to order food.
First was the appetizer, Cozze Posilipo….which is “Mussels in a light tomato wine sauce with red onions and a touch of fresh tomato and basil.”
Cozze Posilipo
Mussels in a light tomato wine sauce with red onions and a touch of fresh tomato and basil.
This was absolutely fantastic! I was tempted to get another order, but seeing the portion size, figured the dinner would be plenty!
Speaking of which, I had the NY Strip Steak and the wife had the Risotto Champagne. Both were outstanding! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are ever in the area.
New York Strip Steak
Risotto Champagne
Risotto with baby shrimp and asparagus in a champagne cream sauce.
The view of Fort Lauderdale Beach from our dinner table!
Time to head back to the room to watch the sunset and go to bed around 8:30 pm.
Sunset…
Sunset….
Nite nite……..
What is that sound? Ah, the alarm…..it is 3:00 am!!!
Remember that hotel service I mentioned earlier?
Can you send us up a pot of hot coffee?
Although it was 20 dollars, it was worth it!!!!! And, it arrived 10 minutes after the call and was fresh and hot!!
Now it was time to bathe, get dressed, and do everything else that you have to do before you head out to a race. We made a phone call to the valet, yes, it is mandatory valet parking, and when we got downstairs, our car was waiting for us! We even picked up a girl runner who was waiting for a cab, and we offered her a ride to the race.
Five minutes later, with a little “creative” driving, all routes to and from the hotel were blocked off and I had to navigate several cones, we were at the VIP parking lot, which is at the finish line. So far, so good.
Next we got on the bus and headed to the starting line, which is normally a 15 minute ride. Unfortunately, due to construction, several of the “usual” roads were blocked off and our driver seemed to have a hard time understanding what some of us locals were trying to tell her! Eventually, we ended up near the starting line, the driver pulled off to the side of the road, and we all got off and made our way to the start.
The Starting Line!
We only had to wait 20 minutes until the Star Spangled Banner was played on a saxophone. Then the wheeled racers were off. At 6:00 am, the race started. This race, unlike the Disney races or any other race we have run, is a mass start race. Everyone gets into position by markers for their projected pace. The only issue with this is that some of the slower runners, jump to the front of the line, which, later in the race, causes some runners, to have to weave around these other runners after you catch up to them.
In any event, I preferred this start as I only had to wait 6 minutes to get to the Starting line as opposed to the half hour or more at Disney.
As I started to run, I realized that I felt really good. I had no pain and also, no tightening up of my calves. I was running effortlessly, but still trying to keep a 13:30 pace. For the first nine miles, I never was slower than a 13:29 pace. The first 4 miles were run in an average pace of 12:55!
5K time:38:48, which is a personal best! The view of the 5K marker, which is now a castle instead of the previous sailboat.
5K castle.
Running along, at miles four and five, the sunrise….
Sunrise…..
Now it was time to focus on running. I was running at a consistent pace, 13:04 or so for a majority of the race. At mile 10, I finally had to urinate as I had been holding it for six miles! Miles 10,11,and 12, were my slowest miles. I was fighting a toe cramp in my left foot, as well as pain in my left hip. Luckily, those pains went away and to my surprise, and I didn’t know this until I looked at the tracker later, my fastest mile was my last! Mile 13 was at a 12:51 pace!
Here are the official and unofficial results:
Endomondo:
Distance: 13.27 miles
Duration: 2:57:09
Average Pace: 13:20
Official time:
| First Name | Last Name | Age | 10k | Gun Time | Net-Time | Pace |
| Eric | Van De Ven | 54 | 1:18:46 | 3:03:50 | 02:56:38 | 13:29 |
Not a personal best, but considering I was 15 pounds heavier than last year, I was only 2 minutes slower. And, no pain except for a little soreness.
Also, using the run/walk interval method and the low carbohydrate diet, I felt fresh after the race.
While waiting for the wife to finish, I took a few pictures of the beach and surrounding areas.
Fort Lauderdale beach!
More beach….
In the instruction manual of our new Canon camera, it says not to look at the lens if you are taking a picture of a bright object…like the sun!
The Bahia Mar hotel..
A cargo ship…that was probably at least a half a mile away. That zoom really does work!
Wishful thinking!
Almost there!
The finish line! I took this picture while running with the wife to the finish!
The best thing at the finish…ice cold low fat chocolate milk!!!!!!
Victory!!!
Now that the race was over, what to do? We got an extended checkout, so, went up to the room, rehydrated, and packed. We called the bellman and they took our luggage downstairs and held it for us. Meanwhile, we went to the pool patio deck and had lunch. But first, drinks!! Now that the race was over, carbohydrate fever! A Mojito for me and a Bahama Mamma for the wife!
Mojito and a Bahama Mamma!
A quick burger and Mahi Mahi sandwich..time to enjoy the view!
Bacon cheeseburger.
Mahi Mahi sandwich!
Bye bye Lauderdale…… 😦
This was a fantastic trip. No injuries and no drama..except for nearly missing the race! 😉
We are already planning for the race next year and it may be a 2-night stay this time!
Next race up….Disney Wine and Dine 2015!
Two weeks later……………………
This time two weeks ago, I was gearing up for what would be the worst race, performance wise, I have ever run. The good news is that I had low expectations entering the race to the extent that I didn’t know if I would finish. The fact that I finished is an accomplishment in itself!
The last two weeks I have been slowly adding distance to my training runs. I am, for all intents and purposes, starting over as far as training for the A1A Half Marathon in February goes.
The first run after the Wine and Dine was the following Sunday.
- DISTANCE: 1.46 mi
- DURATION: 18m:43s
- AVG. PACE: 12:49 min/mi
I have changed the run/walk settings on Run/Walk Interval to 45 seconds run/50 seconds walk. As I get faster, I will change the settings, but for now, I want to get to at least 10 miles with these settings and stay in the 12 minute mile pace range.
The next run was this Thursday.
- DISTANCE: 3.29 mi
- DURATION: 43m:15s
- AVG. PACE: 13:10 min/mi
This run was at a slower pace, but getting used to the new settings is always a bit of an issue.
Todays run, Saturday, was the best so far since completing the Wine and Dine race.
- DISTANCE: 4.25 mi
- DURATION: 52m:54s
- AVG. PACE: 12:27 min/mi
I could have gone to five miles, but I had to return to the home as the wife had to leave. The good news about this run, is that since I started taking Potassium, my cramping issues seem to have been resolved. Also, I am only running with four bottles of water/Gatorade. That removes a little weight as normally I run with 8 bottles. Speaking of weight, I ran the Wine and Dine race at a staggering 251 pounds! Since we have returned, my weight has gone down to 239 pounds as of today. I am going to continue to run, cross train, and stay on the Atkins diet. The goal is to lose another 39 pounds by February.
The biggest issue for me, is that when I can’t train, I resort to poor eating habits, which adds weight very quickly. Dealing with the pain of injuries also is an issue as alcohol seems to quell the pain the best! Unfortunately, it is also responsible for a lot of weight gain!
I plan on two runs next week as it is Thanksgiving, then back to two or three runs a week. Short runs during the week and a long run on Sunday mornings. This is in preparation for the A1A race which unlike the Disney races, is in the morning…Sunday, February 15, 2015 morning to be exact! 🙂
The next update should be in two weeks barring something spectacular!
Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon 2014 (race day)
It would appear, that Thursday night dinner would be the high-point for this weekend!
Marshall was a bit Grumpy when he woke up this morning and wanted to “postpone the run until he was better rested”!
We loaded up and drove to Wide World of Sports for the Kids races.
The required picture under the ball at Wide World of Sports!
Marshall ready to run…..He is getting some last minute advise from his coach!
A few trips through the obstacle course, and Marshall was warmed up!
Marshall finishing. If he didn’t trip at the start, he might have finished first in his wave!
Marshall and EJ at the finish.
Now it was time to take Marshall to his grandparents. We got back to the room and ate and tried to rest.
As I was on a gluten-free and mostly low carbohydrate diet, I made six cheeseburgers before we left. They came in handy for race fuel!
We got ready and headed to the bus in front of the hotel at 7:00. We arrived at around 7:45.
We mingled with some friends and got a picture taken:
The air was crisp, temperature around 65 degrees, and a slight wind…..when we arrived at Wide World of Sports!
That changed.
Right around 9:45, it started to rain. Just a slight drizzle. It never stopped!!!!
On to the race……
I was using the backup phone wrapped in a sandwich bag. The apps running were: Endomondo, Run/Walk interval, and Winamp for music.
The Motorola wireless headphones were also used.
Mommy ready to race!
Yours Truly
And we are off………………………………
The Start
Right off the bat, I knew this would be a slow race. Between the large amount of participants, especially in the corral I was in, I knew I would be lucky to finish this race.
Mile Pace
Mile 1: 14:55
Mile 2: 13:33
Mile 3: 13:26 Fastest lap! But, problems developed!!! 😦
Mile 4: 13:56
Mile 5: 14:02
Mile 6: 14:13
Mile 7: 15:01
Mile 8: 14:41
Mile 9: 15:05
Mile 10: 15:31 More problems!!!!!!
Mile 11: 15:55
Mile 12: 16:11
Mile 13: 16:51
Endomondo: 3:13;20 Pace: 15:04
Chip time: 3:21:37 Pace: 15:23
Considering the conditions, and the fact that I weighed 245 pounds at race start, I guess I can live with the results.
Problem one developed right after mile three. The insert inside my shoes, started to move and eventually, was crinkled up under my foot. I tightened up the laces on my right shoe, and that seemed to solve the problem, for that foot! The left shoe, however, was still having problems all the way to the end of the race. I tightened the laces three more times and it got better, but about every mile and a half, I had to stop, take off my shoe, straighten out the insert and re-install it. This cut into my time.
Problem two developed around mile 11. I get a warning that my battery is low in my headphones. Shortly thereafter, no headphones!! I managed to finish by counting on my fingers to forty for the run intervals and 50 for the walk intervals. At some point, it was quiet enough where I could hear the commands from the phone speaker. So could everyone else!
Problem three: While tying my shoes around mile eleven, I got a cramp in my left calf! Great!! The previous races “up north” I have cramped badly. This race I took special care to prevent that from happening. I was taking potassium, drinking a bunch of water and Gatorade, and doing everything to prevent cramping. The good news, was that when I got up to run, the cramps went away. The bad news, I had to adjust the insert three more times! Each time, I feared the cramps would return, but they didn’t. 🙂
After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed my bag and headed to the after-party. I met my wife and we decided that since I was shaking uncontrollably, we should go back to the warmth of our room! Once back to the room, I took a hot shower and then crawled under the covers!!
The aftermath………………………
As with all of these races, it is a battle between your mind and body. Your body keeps trying to find ways for you to go and lay down. Your mind says no. This year, the mind won as going into this race, I didn’t know if I would finish. After the race, I am pain-free. Nothing hurts and I could go out for a run today. I have never felt this good after a race. No pain in the shins, no pain in the knee or feet. I am actually quite surprised as after the race, due to the awkward running style caused by the failed insert, my left knee hurt. Sunday it felt fine and today, you couldn’t even tell I just ran one of the toughest half marathons in my life!
What’s ahead?
Depending on what happens regarding the wife, she fell at mile three, hurt her knee, and continued to mile 7, before finally surrendering to the pain, the next run will either be a local 5K and/or the A1A half marathon in February.
I wish to thank all of those who cheered us on at the event, and those that have wished us well on the blog, and Facebook pages.
Stay tuned……training resumes Tuesday! 🙂
Wine and Dine 2014 1/2 Marathon wrap up (Pre-Race)
Another race in the books!!!
This years race was one of the more enjoyable events, as well as the most painful! We will start off with the enjoyable part first!
Thursday:
We arrive bright and early to our hotel, the Caribbean Beach Resort. Checked in and then, got to the Pirate Room! Thanks Jen!
Now it was off to Epcot for the Wine and Dine portion of this trip!
I had to be careful as to which countries we ate at due to my gluten issue.
We started off in New Zealand, where I had the Steamed Green Lip Mussells. I forgot to get a picture! Next, we skipped around until we got to Morocco for some sangria. Which was the best sangria, hands down at the event. Then we went to France for the Braised Short Ribs and some Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Delicious!! Next, Brazil for Crispy Pork Belly and Black Beans. I had the Frozen Caipirinha…whatever that is!! It was very refreshing! We finished up the eating portion with a trip to Puerto Rico where I had a conch salad and sangria. We ended the Wine and Dine portion in Mexico where I had the third sangria.
Braised Short Ribs in France
Pork Belly and Black Beans in Brazil
Conch Salad in Puerto Rico
Bye Bye Epcot….for now!
We went back to the room, had a snack, yes, hard to believe we will still hungry, and then, to soak in the hot tub.
Time for dinner! Every time we visit Disney, we try to eat somewhere new. This trip, we went to the Contemporary Hotel and ate at “The Wave“.
Contemporary Hotel
The Wave
I started off with Steamed Florida Cedar Key Clams with Chorizo Sausage, Fennel, and Smoked Paprika, which was tremendous!!!
Steamed Florida Cedar Key Clams
with Chorizo Sausage, Fennel, and Smoked Paprika
That was followed by Herb-Salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin Caramelized Field Mushrooms, Organic Green Beans, Potato Mash, and Sauce Bordelaise. This was also delicious!
Herb-Salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin
Caramelized Field Mushrooms, Organic Green Beans, Potato Mash, and Sauce Bordelaise
For dessert…and this isn’t on the menu, Gluten-Free Carrot Cake!!! I also ordered a Chocolate martini. This was one of the best desserts I have ever had! If you are ever at the Wave, make sure you order this combination. I was almost tempted to order a “to-go” version!!
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with a Chocolate Martini
After dinner, we watched the fireworks and the castle got “Frozen”!
Frozen Castle
We went back to the hotel and to bed! Day one was tiring!!
Friday:
Friday started off with a trip to the race Expo at Wide World of Sports. We had to get our race packets, bibs, run tracking, and a few supplies. Then, it was off to Animal Kingdom.
Marshall and Mommy at Wide World of Sports
Marshall and Daddy at Wide World of Sports
Marshall in the dugout.
Home plate!
Sports Expo
Off to Animal Kingdom…….
I finally got to see the walking tree lady!!
The Tree of Life
Marshall riding a dinosaur!
A large lizard…………
A lurking bat…..
Mt. Everest
After lunch at the Flame Tree Cafe, we headed back to the hotel. Had a few drinks, relaxed, then it was off to dinner.
Dinner was at the Flying Fish.
A Blood orange margarita
The only picture worth posting is the one above. The food was pedestrian at best. The service and mass confusion was also a contributor to an overall forgettable experience. With such high ratings, we surprised by the experience. Young Marshall did enjoy the mussels though!
Time to return back to the room and rest up….
Next post….Race Day!!!!
Race week..Wine and Dine 2014 is here!
It seems only a few short weeks ago, we moved into this house and now suddenly, it is 10 months later!
Time to pack up the tribe and head north to Disney for our third Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon. All of the packing is done, well, most of it, and thanks to our Mousekeplanner, Jennifer Upton, our upgraded room should be ready when we arrive early Thursday morning.
On the training front, last Saturday night was supposed to be a simulation run for the race. The temperature dropped into the 40s and I was painfully reminded, that surgically repaired bones do not perform well in the cold! Back in 2010, I was wandering aimlessly around Disney in one of the coldest times of the year. The result of that trip was surgery number 5 on the left knee! It was the beginning of the “floating debris” that has been accumulating in my knee. The end result is that the back half of my knee locks up……which is detrimental to running!
Saturday night, the same thing happened. I was able to work it loose, and continue to run, but, I decided to cut the run short at 4 miles. There was swelling in the knee, which has since subsided. I guess the voodoo doll is back from vacation!!
Prior to the 2013 A1A half marathon, the temperature dropped into the 30s, which for us native Floridians, is close to arctic conditions! The workaround was to put the cold/hot gel packs in hot water then apply them to my knees. That worked and there were no problems with either knee. Hopefully, as the temperatures are supposed to be in the high 50s, I shouldn’t have to use the gel packs, but I am bringing them!
The weight loss is coming along, but I will still be running at the heaviest weight, probably 235 pounds on race day, that I have ever run at. I’ll just have to make the best of it. I am going to run a conservative race and shoot for a 14 minute/mile pace. Anything faster than that will be a bonus.
My playlist is done and I have three hours and seventeen minutes of music. Hopefully, I won’t need it all!
All that is left is to make the trip north.
Thursday will be Wine and Dine day as we eat and drink our way around Epcot.
Friday will be race packet pick up, Animal Kingdom, and possibly Magic Kingdom. Park orders are subject to change…and most likely will! 🙂
Saturday is race day and starts with Marshalls race in the morning followed by a day of relaxation and then race prep and the race for Teala and I.
Sunday will be a day where depending on how we feel, either a visit to a theme park or, an early return home…hopefully uninjured!!!
Wish the team luck!!!
A funny thing happened……
On the way to running retirement! Pain free runs!
Since the last post, I got the results of the latest MRI and it is more of the same, torn rotator cuff, partially torn biceps tendon, but no torn labrum. So, an injection or two, and the left shoulder is returning to service.
Meanwhile, I have been training for the Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon. Since switching shoes to the Saucony Omni 13s, I have had no pain after any run. The mileage has been creeping up starting with one mile and getting to 7 miles last week. A brisk 3-mile run yesterday was also pain-free and the fastest run since I resumed training.
Saturday night is a scheduled 10-mile run to simulate race-day, then one more 3-mile run Tuesday, and that will be it for training.
The goal is a 13 minute/mile pace. The Wine and Dine has always been a problem race for me, between the crowds and cramping, I have never performed well there. I am hoping that will change this year. Moving to Palm City, it was apparent immediately, that somehow, there is more humidity here than back in Coconut Creek. This is evidenced every morning when everything outside looks like it just rained! The good news, is that I have as of yet, not experienced any cramps during any run. I am hoping that trend continues during the race, if so, I may kick things up during the last 5 miles of the race. I have also not experienced any pain, and by that, I many any pain, after any run. I suspect whoever was playing with the “Eric voodoo doll” has put it away for a while!
After this race, I will reevaluate everything, to determine if I will continue. Right now, it is a very good chance I will keep running. I am not sure about running the A1A race in February this year, as it is down in Broward, but who knows.
I will be posting the playlist next week and a final race-day post.
Stay tuned………………………………
The pain at wounded knee returns…………………………….
For those that follow this blog as well as my friends, you are all aware of my damaged left knee. For those that aren’t, the gory details can be found here: The Pain at Wounded Knee.
The long and short of it is, due to a botched surgery in 1998, I ended up tearing my ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus and cartilage. In other words, just about as bad a knee injury that there is.
A timeline for surgery has been established at roughly every five years. The last surgery in 2010 was extensive and, there was a piece of something, lodged in the back of my knee. On occasion, this piece would wander around and every once in a while, lock up my knee. A little massage and the knee was back to normal. This never occurred when running so, I kept running. Unfortunately, other issues have shown up like the massive stress fractures in both legs, the broken bone spur in my left foot, and recently, the partial tear of my Achilles tendon in my right leg.
Monday night while sleeping if you can call it that, as there are a whole host if things that go “bump” in the night around here, starting with the blood curdling scream from our son at 2 am, followed by Samantha massaging my bladder and then ending with Sophia with her big head and loud purr in my face at 4 am, the wife was somewhat surprised to hear loud screaming coming from our bedroom, from me!!
Whatever the wandering piece of debris was, it has now broken free from its mooring and wandered its way into the middle of my knee. I couldn’t move my left leg below my knee in either direction. The pain was intense and for those that know me, that is a lot of pain! After 20 minutes of massage, I was able to move my knee a little bit. Yesterday, it was swollen and very stiff. Today, it locked up on me at the gym….which I would expect if I was working out legs, not chest and arms!
In two weeks, I am attending my annual golf tournament in Sebring, Fl. This will be the 20th year for this event. The question is, “How am I going to play 100 holes of golf…when I can barely walk”? I could pay Dr. Baylis a visit, but he will say two things. 1) You need another surgery to clean this knee out. 2) Stop running. I can deal with the first statement, but not the second. He may also say something else which I do not want to hear, and that is, that the time has come, to stop prolonging the inevitable.
When I first saw Dr. Baylis in 1998, he told me then that if we were extremely lucky, we would be able to prolong the eventual knee replacement for possibly 20 years. If my math is correct, we are at year 16. Can another surgery be done to get to 20 years? When will it have to be done? That is the big question!
If I get the surgery done after Spring Lake, the 3rd week in August, it will take approximately six weeks to recover, depending on how bad things are. That will put me into October which would allow me 5 weeks of training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. Although I ran the A1A Half Marathon with virtually no training, at least the Wine and Dine was only two months prior to that race. It will be at minimum, 8 months since the last run if I start training in October. I could always defer the race until next year, but by then, who knows what will happen. I still have torn meniscus in my right knee to correct at some point in time. I could also just run with my wife at the Wine and Dine, and end the running career after that…………….
The next month will be very interesting so stay tuned!!
It’s that time………………………….
I am sorry it has been a while since I last posted!
We are almost done getting settled into the new home. We get our sectional next Monday! 🙂
Our home in the (954) is rented, so that will help with the added income. The boat is resting comfortably in the storage facility until a spot opens up at the community boat storage in our development. A few odds and ends, some touch up paint, and I will be done with both houses! A few hundred dollars in parts, and the boat will be tip-top. That means, that finally, I will be able to concentrate on work and running! 🙂
Speaking of running, it has been verified via an MRI, that I have some torn meniscus in my right knee as well as some type of cyst. This injury took place prior to last years Wine and Dine race. The good news, is that my doctor said as long as you can tolerate the pain, go ahead and run and bike! I am sure there will be a surgery somewhere down the road, but, at least now, I can train for the Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon in November. I am thinking of waiting for surgery until after February of 2015, as that, if I don’t sustain any more injuries, will be the A1A Marathon!
Our Disney Guru, Jennifer Upton has already secured our rooms for the W&D, so all that remains is training. 🙂
I think I have found a suitable gym nearby, but if not, a Golds Gym is opening up in May right over the bridge. Time to build a little muscle, then start the running portion of my training program. I will also be continuing the Atkins diet all the way through the A1A Marathon.
Stay tuned……………………………………………..
It has been a long time……………………………………………..
It has been over three months since my last post!
Something unexpected happened during the training for the A1A Marathon. The first of which, was, we bought a new house!
The 125 mile daily commute for the wife and the two hours of my day being absorbed by taking Marshall back and forth to school, were beginning to wear us out. We were looking for a home for nearly six months, and finally, found one that was suitable in Palm City. We are very close to the water and the schools are some of the best in the State for Marshall. We don’t have a pool, but do have a hot tub!
We closed on December 30, 2013. During the last month and a half, I tore out the trim, had all of the walls textured, added new flooring, and painted the new home. Meanwhile, I still had to get the old home ready to move. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate in 15 years! We did the big move the 25th of January. We are almost settled in and the old house is almost ready for renting.
Marshall loves his new school and riding the bus……….which picks him up and drops him off right in our backyard!!! I get 2 hours of my life back!!! The 2 hours driven by my wife back and forth to work has been trimmed down to 14 minutes………with traffic! Not to mention, this place is paradise!
Since the last race, my right knee hasn’t gotten any better. I ran a total of three miles in the last three months. Fortunately, all the work and running around to both houses has kept the weight down. Race day weigh in was 228 pounds. And now…off to the race…..
Saturday: We went to the old house to set up the pull out couch/bed and then, went to the Expo which was at the Fort Lauderdale Convention center. As usual, the traffic was brutal even at 10:30 am on a Saturday. Once we got in, the Expo was great and we collected the most swag ever at an Expo!!
Next we went back to the old house to move a few things then to lunch. A little boy came to the house and started playing with Marshall….three hours later and no lunch, we took Marshal to his Aunts house and we went to Carrabbas for dinner. I had the usual “Johnny” and the mussels with a couple of glasses of Sangria!
We went back to the old home and went to bed watching “Interview with the Vampire” dvd on the laptop. In what seemed to be 10 minutes, it was 2:49 am…..time to get up!
Raceday: I got up and took a hot bath. The wife had breakfast, then took a shower. We got dressed and drove to the VIP parking lot. The VIP parking lot is at the finish line of the race, so you don’t have to lug a bunch of stuff to the UPS check-in, then retrieve it after the race. The Durango had all of our “post-race” supplies! 🙂
The only issue I have with this race is the restrooms…or lack of them. For some unknown reason, the City of Fort Lauderdale doesn’t open up the beach and convention center restrooms, so you are left with a bunch of port a potties, which even under the best conditions, are not something you want to deal with 15 minutes before the race!
The singing of the National Anthem
Speaking of which, this is the first race I feared I would experience a “fecal encounter of the worst kind”! I had my usual elimination at the house and felt that would be it. On the way to the parking lot, I felt the sensation of an impending explosion. I made it to the port a potty in the nick of time and thought I was done. When we got near the starting line, I felt the “feeling” again and had to wait in the lines for the port-a-potties at the starting line. I go in the potty and no toilet paper!!!!! Back out to a different line. I entered another potty, did what needed to be done, came out to hear “5 minutes to race start”!!!!!
The race:
As I had done no training to speak of for this race, I wanted to take it easy and shot for a 13 minute/mile pace.
Mile 1: 12:46
Mile 2: 12:46
Mile 3:12:57
The sails at A1A and Las Olas Blvd, the 5K marker
Mile 4: 12:19
One of the few things I will miss about Fort Lauderdale, the morning sunrise on the beach!
Mile 5: 12:52
Mile 6: 12:31
Mile 7: 13:01
Mile 8: 13:12
Mile 9: 13: 21
Mile 10: 12:58
Mile 11: 12:59
Mile 12: 13:07
Mile 13: 13:48 There is an extra tenth of a mile here!
Endomondo Final time: 2:54:10 Pace:12:58
Official time: 2: 52: 57 Official pace: 13:12
Looking back on last years event, which was my personal best run, the time was 2:46:24 and a pace of 12:42. Only 6 minutes slower with no training!!
Back to the Durango for a snack and to wait for the wife to finish.
Left over steak and lobster for a post-race snack!
The race medal and a Redbridge beer to celebrate!
The aftermath:
Aside from a massive blister on my right side pinky toe, no injuries to speak of. The right knee actually feels better today than it did before the race. The left knee is fine as well. The bone spurs in both feet are a little sore and my quadriceps are also a little sore, but two trips to the hot tub and all is well.
The diet for this race was low carbohydrate as the two previous races have been. I had no fuel issues and ran across the finish line! The only thing different in this race from the others, was that I consumed three bottles of Gatorade two days before the race, drank more water than I thought was possible prior to the race, and then, at the race had at least two cups of water at every water station. I had five bottles of Gatorade on my fuel belt and ran out at mile 12. At the expo I picked up this handy key holder, so I can add another bottle to my fuel belt which will make 7 total. At the next race, all will be filled with Gatorade.
After the cramping issues of the last two races, I decided to over-hydrate to try to prevent it from happening this race. That strategy seems to have worked as there wasn’t a hint of a cramp the entire race.
Some have said shoes don’t make much of a difference. For me, they do. Since switching to the Saucony Omni 12 shoes, I haven’t had even a slight bit of pain in my shins! My knees don’t hurt, and, these shoes seem to wear much better. To bad they are too small! Walking around in the 4E sized shoes, then switching to the 2E race shoes, there was an immediate difference!!! That is what accounted for the blister on my right toe. I will be looking into getting a stability shoe in size 4E that doesn’t weigh a pound each!
The next two weeks will be spent finishing off the two houses and then training will begin for the next race, hopefully in April. We may also run the “Halloween Half” in Stuart, then the Disney Wine and Dine race in November. For 2015, if all goes well, I will run the A1A Marathon! Really…I will! 🙂
The wife had asked me prior to the race, if I was going to turn for the half, or go straight for the full marathon when that point came in the race. As I approached that point, I was tempted to go straight, but brains seemed to have triumphed brawn and I went for the half. Could I have run the full marathon? Possibly………but looking at some of the people finishing at the 5-hour mark, perhaps not quite yet!!
All in all, I am very pleased with the outcome. I made the run in a respectable time, and when they announced my name crossing the finish line as a marathon finisher, I had to yell “No…it is only the half”, which was kind of funny! The wife finished the race, with no training either, and experienced no major injuries. Great job honey!!! 🙂
Maybe it is the beach or the fact that this is our home track, but if they had a race next month, we would run it! It is so far, my favorite race!
Now that the move is complete, I can get back to blogging and hopefully some fishing as the boat is the last thing left to move!
On to the next Race!
It is three days after the Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon. Looking back on this race, there is good and bad. I’ll start with the bad first.
Bad:
- I didn’t get the finish time I was looking for.
Good:
- I got to see my son run his first race!
- My wife showed a lot of guts just to finish this race. I am very proud of her.
- I managed to survive the race with no new injuries.
- All of the modifications, except one worked to perfection.
- Another medal!
The only issue during the race was dehydration. That was caused by more than likely, loss of salt. My black running shorts were almost white with salt stains after the race. During the coming weeks, I will change the diet a little bit to prevent this from happening.
My next scheduled event, there may be a 5K or two in between, is the A1A Marathon. You will notice, there was no “1/2” in front of that word!
The gang in Fort Lauderdale are feverishly working on this years medal. And what a medal it is!
I can’t wait to run this race!
Training will begin or should I say resume, after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, I may have to revert to my old high school football days and start “two-a-days”, aka, two trips to the gym for some extensive low impact cardio training to lose weight. I need to shed roughly 30 pounds by January and then settle into the last 10 pounds, the month leading up to the race. That will be roughly 40 pounds of weight loss.
The “diet” will be just a standard healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, meats, in moderation. The family will have to live with the effects of a lactose/fructose intolerant individual, but it will only be for four months! If I can take it, so can they! 🙂
I’ll start the food diary next week and post daily to chart my progress.
Stay tuned…this should be a hoot!
Eric Van De Vens Blog 