10-Miler, here I come!

In a little over 24 hrs I'll be stepping off on my first 10-Mile running event, the Tower of Terror 10-Miler at Walt Disney World in Florida. I'm very excited, though I am a bit nervous heading into the event as my body is feeling rather run down these last few days. 

Anyone who wants to track my progress can sign up for live updates at:

http://live.xacte.com/towerofterror/alerts/

Or check me out on Facebook. Starting time for my corral is 10:23 pm.

Cool morning, hot run!

Woke up early this morning, and decided to take a run. Did a 5K in just under 34 minutes. It was nice and cool outside, but I sweated hard. I'm really trying to keep my legs in shape leading up to the Tower of terror 10 miler this coming weekend, but trying not to overdo it!

Kicking it up...

I kicked it up a notch last night, running 10.12 miles on a path through my neighborhood. I started out just after 7pm and did my first mile at a really fast (for me) pace of 9 mins 51 secs, then slowed down a bit and averaged around 11.5 mins per mile for the duration. It got really dark, really quickly and I soon regretted not bringing a flashlight or wearing more reflective clothing. Luckily traffic is very minimal in my area and running in the direction of oncoming traffic helped me avoid any mishaps. I had hoped to finish out a half-marathon distance of 13.1 miles, but with the darkness and late hour I couldn't justify 3 more miles. I hope to finish up a 13.1 miler before the end of the week though, to serve as my entry into the NerdHerd Banned Books Week 5k/Half Marathon virtual event.

The pain lies down...

After taking a short recovery break from my recent injury at work, I got out and ran today. I did a 5.75 run around my neighbourhood at a reasonably slow pace, averaging around 11:51 per mile. It wasn't as painful as I had expected, though the arch of my right foot is feeling a little odd...I must have been compensating for the injury to my left leg a bit too much. Tomorrow I'll be biking if all goes well, then later this week I'll be doing a 10-miler with a friend to test my readiness for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler which is now just a few weeks away! 

It never fails!

Fate is a cruel and winsome wench. Just when I really start advancing my mileage, and just 4 weeks out from the first of 3 major running/cycling events I'm participating in, I get injured. And not from running or cycling, from a stupid work-related training activity. On 9/11 I sustained a major injury to my upper left leg which has left me sore and stiff, and extremely bruised. Walking is uncomfortable, and running is painful. I've been trying to stay off it and rush the healing process but only time will tell. At this point I have under 3 weeks until I head down to WDW for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler...here's hoping I can get at least some running in this week and get back in the swing of things.

Pushing the limits...

Yesterday I set out on a run with the goal of doing at least a 5k. I ended up doing 9 miles...I just couldn't seem to stop! It was great and was just a mile shy of my upcoming RunDisney race. Now I know I'll be fine when I head down there, which helps a lot. Today is a rest day, tomorrow  I'm going to try for at least 10 miles, perhaps longer!

Happy Birthday Harry Potter 10k

Yesterday I ran a 10k (6.2 miles) as a part of a virtual race series put on by NerdHerd. It was a blast! Today I'm running in Elon and hoping to get in at least a 5k or better!

The Slow Bounce Back...

As some of you may have noticed, I've been a slacker during the month of August. The weather here has been awful, super hot and muggy with lots of nasty rain and thunderstorms. I haven't run since the month started and here we are closing in on September. So today I forced myself to get out and hit the ground running...heat and all. I went for a 5k run at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, NC...it was hot, muggy and I could really tell I hadn't run in a month. I did 3.26 miles at an average pace just under 13 mins per mile. I had to take a few walking breaks, but I think I did ok overall for my first day back.

I recently registered for a series of online races, wherein I run a 5k, a 10k and then a Half Marathon at my leisure. I send in my times and get recognized with an uber cool set of medals for participating. The group that sponsors the races, NerdHerd, gives all the proceeds to StupidCancer.org. A worthy cause, and since I'm out running anyway to prepare for my RunDisney events, I figured why not get something cool at the same time to continue filling my medal rack. I sent in my time for the 5k using today's run, and plan to do the 10k sometime in the next week or so if all goes well.

So, I have about 35 days until I head to Disney for the Tower of Terror 10 miler, then 7 days later I head to Washington, DC for the Ride & Run to Remember...I've challenged myself to run a total of 60 miles in September to help prepare myself. Hopefully I will meet my goal and be well prepared for these upcoming events!

Wheelin' and Reelin'

Got back in the saddle today, so to speak. I've been spending a lot of time running of late and had been neglecting my bicycles a bit...so today I went out to ride in Greensboro. I started out on the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park road, then veered off into Country Park and did their circular park road, then back into GCHNMP and finished up their loop before turning off onto the Yadkin & Atlantic Greenway. I took it all the way to the end, and then circled back the way I came. I had hoped to venture off onto one of the mountain bike trails, but they were all closed due to mudslides resulting from a heavy storm that ripped through the area yesterday. So I returned to my starting point and did another lap around GCHNMP and Country Park to finish out my ride. It ended up being 17.52 miles, although honestly it didn't feel that far...I could have kept going but I was back near my truck and really wasn't feeling the idea of re-riding the same circuit again. I really need to get up to Galax again and ride the New River Trail...it's long enough that I don't have to worry about riding the same section more than twice on any given trip.

Pushing the limits!

Today I woke up and decided I'd try a morning run...I've always run in the afternoon or late at night, never in the morning. It was still reasonably cool outside when I started, but my legs were feeling really stiff and sore. I trudged along at a nice slow pace for a mile and then locked into a pattern of walk .25 mile, run .75 mile for the duration. I challenged myself mentally to exceed my maximum distance to date with a goal of 6 miles. I ended up running 7.02 miles and keeping an average pace of 12:24 per mile...not bad if I do say so myself. I really felt like I could have gone a little further today, but my route brought me back by the house and I always have such a hard time going on after I see it sitting there, calling out to me with cool air conditioning and magical snacks of power. But sometimes giving into temptation is a good thing.

Today's run put me at 48.49 miles this month...with 5 days left I think I'll be surpassing the 50 miles per month mark, which has me smiling from ear to ear. I would have never thought a year ago that I'd be running 50 miles a month.

Tomorrow I plan on biking and then Sunday I'm planning to do both a run and a ride...we'll see how it turns out!

Moonlight Bootlegger 5k

Last night I ran a 5k trail run...in the dark. Yep, doesn't seem like the smartest plan but I had a great time. The course was challenging and well marked with glowing lights, and the moonlight was nice and bright. I ran it in a decent time I think, coming in at 35: 12 and placing 106th out of 216 participants. I placed 11th out of the 19 in my age group, which I don't feel too bad about...I was only about 10 minutes off the fastest guy. I hope to make this an annual event, as it was lots of fun.

Slow down, cool down.

After pushing myself just about as hard as I could during the last 7 days, I took a little break Sunday...I only rode 20 miles on my bike. No running, in an attempt to let my body recover a bit. Monday I went out for a 3.5 mile run around the neighborhood, but did no bike ride. Yesterday I slacked completely and did nothing but some walking during my regular workday...I regret that already, I missed my Nike+ Fuel goal for the first time in 9 days. So today I'm working a half day and planning on going for a run and a bike ride before heading out to see one of my favorite bands, Toad the Wet Sprocket, play a show. Still going to try and take it a little easy though, as I have the Moonlight Bootlegger 5k coming up on Friday night and I want to make sure my body has enough energy to complete it in good time!

Feel the Burn!

Today I continued with my stupidity, thinking "why would I need to take a rest day, I've only logged 50+ miles this week between my rides and runs?"

I took off after lunch for a quick mile run to keep my legs feeling loose and ended up doing 5.59 miles. I ran the first mile, then alternated walking and running every 1/2 mile for the duration. I think I probably would have gone much farther had I not wound up back in front of my house. I'm finding that running in my neighborhood (and biking for that matter too) is somewhat counter-productive, in that I run out of places to go without doing laps which I find to be inherently boring.

So, after a somewhat healthy dinner I decided to go for a bike ride to keep up the action and ensure I met my Nike+ Fuel goal for the day. I ended up riding 11.5 miles, which puts me at a total of 49.19 miles in the saddle this week. Add that to the 18.74 miles I've run and I'm just shy of 70 miles this week. I plan on riding tomorrow if all goes well, in hopes of surpassing the 75 mile mark for the week. I'm not sure my knees can take another run, but knowing me I'll probably do it anyway.

Raiders of the Lost (in the) Park

So this morning I decided I needed to go out and buy some trail running shoes. I've been doing some runs on the trails at local parks and after my experience running the Vineyard Stomp 5k I was getting a bit nervous about my footwear for the upcoming Moonlight Bootlegger 5k...so I went shopping. After looking around a bit at several stores I settled on a pair of New Balance 411v2 trail running shoes. They're stylish and felt good on my feet, and appeared to have all the rugged gripping devices I would ever need...and at less than $60 I felt they were just what I needed.

Now, I'm a sucker and a glutton for punishment. That's a given. So what do I decide to do after buying my new shoes? Break them in, of course. So I went out to a little wooded walking trail near one of the churches near me and went for a few laps. Clearly no one had used this trail in a while and I felt a bit like Indiana Jones coming through a cave filled with spider webs...I was covered from head to toe in webs by the time I finished a mile long run. Disgusted with the spiderwebs, and the generally boring terrain at this trail I packed up and rode a few miles down the road to Hagan Stone Park. I told myself I'd run a 5k along the Chatfield Trail, with which I'm fairly familiar. But, trying to be adventurous, I decided to run the trail in reverse from my past experiences. First mistake. I also decided that the rain wasn't that bad and it'd be ok running in the woods. Second mistake. Needless to say I got hopelessly lost at around the 2.5 miles mark and ended up coming out of the woods onto the service road. At which point the bottom let out. I got soaked, and ended up only getting in 2.75 miles, the last .25 miles of which I walked on pavement fearing damage to my new trail shoes. 

But, at least I got in almost 4 miles today. Hot, wet and bug-filled miles, but miles nonetheless.

On the road...by default.

So I finally broke down and bought an in-rail bike mount for my Toyota Tacoma. I'd been putting it off because Toyota wanted almost $200 for one that works with my internal bed-rail system. After much searching I found that Rocky Mounts made a compatible part an I got one ordered through the magic of Amazon.com the other day.

This morning I got it installed and hit the road intending to go for a trail ride. I arrived at Guilford Courthouse NMP and rode the 3 miles down to the trailhead for the Blue Herron trail...only to find it closed due to recent rains. So I rode another mile down to the Owl's Roost trail...same story. So I ended up doing 12.4 miles along the paved greenway instead.

It was a nice ride, but not what I'd planned...here's looking to drier weather soon!

Give me Fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire!

Been awhile since an update, lots going on at home and at work and I've been inherently lazy since returning from the beach. But, I'm back on the wagon so to speak and I've logged 7.2 miles in the last 3 days...a 3.1 mile run and a 4.1 mile run. And I've been tracking my daily activity with the Nike+ Fuel Band to help get an idea of my overall activity level from day to day. Of course, working night shift I feel I'm a little off my game, but I've met my goal of 3,000 Fuel Points for 3 of the last 6 days, only missing it by 39 points yesterday. I find the Nike+ Fuel Band to be very motivational...I keep up with it throughout the day and it reminds me to take the long route and actually move about a bit more as I go about my daily business. I have some time off coming up over the next few weeks and I hope to log a lot of miles both on foot and on the bike...plus I have the Moonlight Bootlegger 5k coming up on July 19th...very excited about my physical fitness prospects for July!

The Dog Days of Summer

The heat arrived a little too early for my tastes. Since I got back from the beach I've been inherently lazy, although I'm not sure that's the right word since I've worked every day...I just haven't done any formal workouts. I have however run several times at work, and in my opinion a short 10 minute run with all that gear on counts for at least triple that amount in running shoes. So I don't feel awful about my inactivity. I plan on running Friday, biking on Saturday and then running on Sunday if all goes well...and the weather cooperates. 

Beach Time!

Enjoying a nice beach vacation! I ran yesterday and found that my gps powered run tracker did not like the highrise hotels along the beach...so back to Nike+ for some of my tracking needs. 

Today I skipped the run and played a round of golf with my dad instead, and did lots of waking on the beach and various shopping areas. 

Tomorrow, I plan to run again!

Fun in Forest Oaks

Last night I went for a run around the Forest Oaks neighborhood. It was relatively warm out at 79 degrees, and I had little sleep yesterday...I wasn't expecting much, but I knew I needed to keep plugging away since my week had been rather light on physical activity. I was surprised when I finished to find I logged my fastest 5k ever, averaging just under 12 minutes per mile and finishing the first 3.1 miles of my run in 36 minutes exactly. I was very happy with myself. I also weighed in yesterday at 162 lbs, which is my lightest weight in over a year...still a long way to go, but I'm pleased.

This morning I put the feet to the pedals and rode a nice long ride, finishing 16.05 miles in touch over an hour. I averaged 15.2 mph throughout the very hilly course I chose, and that's pretty good for me...especially considered I ran a 5k less than 24 hrs earlier.

This coming week I'll be exploring some new running locations while I'm on vacation, sadly the bike isn't going to make the trip...but that's one less excuse to run, so it'll be good for me.

Mud Run!

Well, not really a Mud Run, more like a trail run through nothing but mud. I ran the Chatfield Trail at Hagan Stone Park today...it's been raining a lot lately and the course was just one long mud pit. I still managed good time, with an average pace under 13 mins per mile over the 3.76 mile course. I've felt guilty for not running or biking so far this week, and for logging so few miles last week...I plan on running or biking again later today and then trying to run on Friday and Saturday. With my switch back to night shift, running on working days is going to be harder to achieve.

National Running Day 2013

In honor of National Running Day, I hit the pavement in the neighborhood after work for a nice run. It was hot, it was muggy, and the darkest clouds I've ever seen threatened to unleash their nightmares upon me. But I pushed onward and accomplished a first for me...I ran 3.54 miles. Without any walking breaks. This is the furthest I've been without using the Galloway run-walk-run method. I kept a decent pace, despite some massive hills along my route, and I'm very pleased with myself. If I can, I hope to ride tomorrow evening after work and then run again on Friday...pushing myself even further.

Wild Turkey Trail

Got out and rode today before the storms moved in. Hit the mountain bike trails at Lake Brandt with some friends from work and had an excellent time. We rode the Wild Turkey Trail off the Greenway, it's a 4.5 mile long intense mountain bike trail with some serious curves and hills. After reaching the end, we turned around and rode it again in reverse. All told with the cruise to and from the trail head along the Greenway, I logged a little over 17 miles on the saddle today. Not too shabby. This upcoming week is going to be hectic, I have a lot going on at work, so I'm not sure how much mileage I'll be able to get in...but I intend to do something everyday this week if all goes according to plan.

Vineyard Stomp 5k

I ran the Vineyard Stomp 5k at Stony Knoll Vineyard in Dobson, NC today. This was my first ever trail run, and boy was it harder than I thought it would be. A good portion of the course was through fields of grass that was about 4" tall, and at least half a mile was along a slope which angled left to right, not up and down. I placed 40th overall out of 80 runners. I was pleased I maintained an average ace of 13:22 per mile, completing the 5k in 41:28. 

Another National Bicycle Month Comes to an End.

Rode the mountain bike trails at Hagan Stone Park in Guilford County today to close out National Bicycle Month with a bang. And by bang I mean many bangs to my legs, arms and head. Nothing major, but those trails are cut very narrow and there are lots of low hanging branches. But I had fun, rose 5.33 miles of strenuous mountain bike trails at an average pace of 7.9 mph.

Tomorrow I'm considering running a 5k trail run in Dobson, NC....we'll see how it goes.

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

I missed out running the Alamance County leg of the Torch Run yesterday because I got stuck handling calls for service...so today after work I donned my Special Olympics Torch Run shirt and hit the pavement for a solo run. I did 2.69 miles at an average pace of 12:55 per mile. I ran for 12+ minutes solid followed by a short 1 minute walk, then repeated that until I was done. It was pretty nice out, despite the high temperatures. I'm thinking I may have to start running more indoors for a while if the weather keeps getting worse. In any case, if you don't support Special Olympics yet you should definitely start...such a worthy cause, I'm proud to be a supporter.

Memorial Day!

I hit the pavement (and dirt) around Guilford Courthouse National Military Park today on my Trek 4300 Alpha. I figured it would be nice to spend some time with nature while pondering the sacrifices of so many American soldiers who have given their lives in service to their country.

I rode a few miles on the greenway then ventured off road onto The Owl's Roost trail. This is one of the most challenging and intense mountain bike trails in NC. I had a blast! I then returned to the greenway for a few more miles, finishing up with a total of 17.9 miles in just under 2 hours. 

Sunday Cruise

Did a nice 6.3 Mile bike ride after work today...average pace was 14 mph. Not too shabby. I had to cut it short because one of my dogs escaped his fence and was found wandering the neighborhood. Silly dog. But I did get to wear my awesome new National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial jersey...so that was a plus. I'm planning a nice long ride on the mountain bike tomorrow in Greensboro....hopefully the weather will cooperate.

After work run

Did a nice long 11.5 hr shift today, so I took it easy and did a short 1.75 mile trek around the ol' neighborhood this afternoon. I kept a decent pace under 13 mins per mile, so I'm pleased with that. Looking forward to biking tomorrow and wearing my new National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial bike jersey from National Police Week. A huge amount of thanks to Alex at the NLEOMF for helping acquire it for me despite my being unable to attend the festivities during Police Week this year.

In other news, I've decided to register for a Duathlon in September. It is a 40k bike race/5k run in Ramseur, NC. Anyone interested in checking it out can hit their website at http://triviumracing.com/events/tri/2013/ramseur.html I'm also looking into getting some time off so I can run in the Moonlight Bootlegger 5k that's being held in Pleasant Garden, NC in July...it looks like a lot of fun, what could be better than whiskey and running? http://triviumracing.com/events/run/2013/moonlight-bootlegger-5k.htm

Greenway Run

Hit one of the Greenways in Greensboro for a run today between thunderstorms. I managed a new distance record for myself since I started back running, doing 4.42 miles at an average pace of 13:06 per mile. In all fairness I took a 10 minute walking break around the 3.65 mile mark, but I that was at a point on the trail where the pavement was very wet and slick and very steep. Rather than break my neck I did it at a leisurely and safe stroll. But I'm pleased with my overall results. Mile 1 was done at 11:29 per mile; mile 2 was done at 12:29 per mile; mile 3 was done at 13:19, mile 4 was done at 14:47 per mile; and the last .42 mile was done at 12:53. Had it not been so slick I think if have been well under the 13 minute per mile mark rather than right on top of it.

Tomorrow is a rest day while I go protect and serve...then a planned run for Saturday and a ride for Sunday.

Hump Day!

Took to the saddle today and did a leisurely 13.68 mile around my neighborhood. It was a little warm out, so made sure to hydrate frequently...this resulted in a slower than normal pace, but not by much.

Tomorrow is a running day, provided the weather holds out. 

In related news, I got my first donation for the 2013 Ride & Run to Remember the other day. I'm now at 1% of my goal....if you want to donate, make sure to click the donation page link to the right! Thank for the support!

Today's run was brought to you by the letter...

P.

P is for Pain. Lots of knee pain after today's 3.02 mile run. Not sure what happened, my pace was a little slow at 13:12 min per mile, and my knee was really aching with each step. Maybe it was the fact I worked all day and tried to run afterwards for the first time...who knows. I plan on doing a short run tomorrow evening, then biking some on Thursday if the weather is nice. Hopefully I can get my pace back up a little next time...I really felt like I was keeping good time today, I guess I'll have to be more mindful in the future.

Rainy Sunday Ride

I'm a sucker. I so wanted to ride today, but the weather just didn't want to cooperate. Rain, thunder, and lightning abounded throughout the day. But I'm a sucker, remember? So what do I do? I got out on my bike anyway. In the rain. And the thunder. And the lightning.

Despite the horrible weather and many near misses with death, I managed to do a little over 14 miles in just over an hour. That was a nice average pace of 14 miles an hour over some pretty intense hills and awful weather conditions. As usual, my rear end gave out long before my legs and brain. I've concluded that distance biking is more about butt conditioning than anything else.

I plan to keep doing Sunday bike rides while focusing on running during the week. 

And the rain came down...

The weather here in NC has been so bizarre this year. Yesterday it hit 90 degrees so I stayed inside and worked on re-finishing an unused bedroom into my music/relaxation room. Today the temp only reached 72 degrees, but there has been a series of nasty thunderstorms rolling through the area. I managed to squeeze in a 3.3 mile run between storms, so I don't feel too bad about myself right now. I kept my pace under 13 minutes per mile, averaging 12:36 per mile. I maintained as close to a 5:1:5 run:walk:run ratio as possible, running for 5 straight minutes then doing an even paced walk for 1 minute before returning to a run for 5 minutes. There were a few times I went over on the running phase by a few seconds, but I stayed tight on the walking phases and really made sure I didn't go over the 1 minute mark. I think this ratio is pretty good overall, and I think I'm improving. I don't feel nearly as winded today as I did Thursday, but then the temperature was quite a bit lower today too. I plan on doing a nice long bike ride tomorrow if the weather cooperates to keep my cycling up to snuff while I continue to improve my running skills.

Keep on running, just keep running...

Ran 3.03 miles today after dinner. It was a little warm outside at 80 degrees, but not so bad in the shady areas of my neighborhood. I kept up an average pace under 13 minutes per mile with my run/walk method...I'm pleased with this and hope to be able to maintain it as I continue to increase my mileage. I plan on trying a 5 miler this weekend...here's hoping for nice weather.

On a different note, I've been mixing it up between logging bike rides with MapMyRide and runs with Nike+. My last two runs I've had to log with MapMyRide because my Nike+ sensor has been acting up since I bought my new shoes...either New Balance shoes have an anti-Nike+ feature or my battery has finally died in my sensor. I plan on getting a new one tonight if all goes well, let's hope that works for a while. I really like logging my runs with Nike+ because their webpage really keeps up with my progress over time a lot better than other options. My only complaint is that they don't seem to have a feature to allow me to manually input runs from where my sensor was messed up.

Meanwhile, here's a horrible photo from my first ever 5k run several years ago in Burlington, NC.

National Police Week

It's that time of year again, National Police Week. Each year, thousands of Law Enforcement Officers from around the US gather this week in Washington, DC to honor their peers that have died in the line of duty. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial bears the names of every Law Enforcement Officer killed in the line of duty since the founding of our great nation, and each year it continues to grow...it is the only permanent monument in our nation's capitol which has new names added to it yearly.

In an effort to help fund the addition of new names yearly, I will be heading to DC in October for the Ride & Run to Remember, a bike ride and 5k to help raise awareness and funding for the memorial. This will be my 3rd year participating in this fantastic event. Please help me by clicking the link below and making a small contribution...every dollar counts. Help honor those that Protect & Serve our communities each and every day, and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

http://support.nleomf.org/goto/RHenderson

 

New Kicks, new route!

Today I bought a new pair of running shoes (thanks mom!). I went with a pair of New Balance 1260 V2 as they were the most comfortable...and comfort is what we care the most about, right? I took them out for what I thought was a leisurely paced run around the neighborhood...turned out I was going a bit faster than I thought. I did 1.75 miles at an average pace of 12:34 per mile. That's pretty good for me. If I can maintain something similar I should be able to do my 10 miler in October in respectable time.

I plan on taking full advantage of this weeks vacation and getting a bit of work done around the house, as well as either running or biking each day.

The Galloway Method

So I'm taking the advice of my running friends and starting on my training plan for a half marathon. I'll be using the Galloway Method, which was developed by Jeff Galloway. He's the official running coach for RunDisney and has a lot of good information for both beginning and experienced runners. He uses a run-walk method which emphasizes short walking breaks early and often to allow the body to maximize muscle efficiency. I started today with a short 1 mile run during which I walked 2 minutes spaced out evenly in the 12 minutes I ran. While today I didn't use much rhyme or reason to my walking breaks, this weekend I'll be doing a much longer run and hope to do a 2:1 run:walk ratio. That means I'll run 2 minutes and then walk 1 minute throughout the run. By the time my next official event rolls around in October, I hope to be doing a 5:1 ratio.

 

Another RunDisney Event in my future!

I may just be an idiot. We will certainly find out in October...not only will I be doing the Ride & Run to Remember in Washington DC the second weekend, which includes the metric century bike ride on Saturday and a 5k run on Sunday, but now I will be running a 10 miler the Saturday before that. I've officially registered for my 2nd RunDisney event, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler at WDW in Florida. The Event is October 5th, which is just one week before I head to DC. Is it too much for my body to take? Only time will tell. Right now I need to step up my training for both events...if only the weather and my work schedule would cooperate.

Expedition Everest Challenge!

On a whim, I decided to go visit a friend at Walt Disney World this weekend. After seeing his impressive rack of Disney running medals, I decided I should get in on the action. It so happened that this weekend was the Expedition Everest Challenge, a 5k race with obstacles and a puzzle/mental challenge at the end. I found out and I was so psyched! I went over to the registration expo on Friday, only to learn the event had been sold out for months. Enter Mary, my new hero at RunDisney. She managed to pull a few strings and I got in and was able to participate last night...and I say last night loosely, as I am just getting back from the event. I did pretty well I think in what was only my second 5k ever. The extra mileage for the obstacles and mental challenge took the 5k up to a 4.95 Mile event...wasn't expecting that! But I had a blast, and I plan to do more RunDisney events in the future. A ton of thanks again to Mary and of course my pal Justin, who played host to me this weekend. It was hard to get good photos, as it was a nighttime event and as great as apple products are, they still don't work well in the dark....but here are a few anyway.

Torrential downpours, heavy winds and lots of lightning have kept me indoors on my day off. I really wanted to get out and ride, letting the open road help me divert my thoughts from the goings-on in and around Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Officer Collier, who gave his life in service of the safety and security of others. This is why I ride in support of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, so that others never forget the sacrifices our men and women in blue make every day to protect and serve. 

Dark clouds and cool breezes

Managed to hit the pavement after work for a nice little ride. I did 9.15 miles in around 35 minutes. The temperature was a pleasant 72 degrees, the skies dark and ominous clouds threatening rain at any time, and the breeze was cool and refreshing....all in all it was really nice. Took a new route for the 2nd leg, hitting two of the major roads in the area...good hills both up and down, but I don't think I would enjoy riding those roads any time other than late on a Sunday...too much traffic other times.

Round and round...

After spending most of the day at work, I came home and got in a nice long road ride. I broke out the Jamis road bike and hit the scenic lake loop near the house. I did several laps and explored some side streets to up my mileage. Total for today was 12.3 miles in 51 minutes. It felt good to get up some real speed and to break the 10 mile hurdle for the first time this year.

Forest Oaks Downhill Course

Did 7.3 miles this evening after working a 12 hour day shift on Patrol. It was nice, with several large hills both up and down. I found a nice large loop around a local lake which I plan to add to my regular riding schedule. Tomorrow is a rest day, although I may cycle some anyway...once I get going its hard to force myself to take a day off.

Sheepdog

Today I spent my efforts playing sheepdog...no energy left when my shift was over, so no biking or running this evening. Hoping to hit the pavement again tomorrow evening if all goes well. The weather here has made a turn for the better, let's hope it lasts!

Forest Oaks Uphill Climb!

After spending most of the day working on my basement, I got out this afternoon for a nice long ride. I did over 7 miles in around half an hour on a very hilly course through my neighborhood. I chose to ride my Trek mountain bike again today, despite doing a paved road course. I feel like I get a better full body workout when I ride it compared to the Jamis road bike. Hopefully the weather will settle in for the spring so I can keep up the pace on my outdoor training.

Trails and Tribulations

Hit the ground wheeling today! Went out to Northeast Guilford Park with some co-workers today for a mountain bike trail ride. I had a blast, though it was tough going at times. The hybrid tires I have on my bike currently are not quite up to the task on wet leaves, extreme roots and rocks, and mud...lots of mud. I did about 3.55 miles in around an hour, it was a great full body workout!

Spring Training

Spring Training is upon us! I'm officially registered for the 2013 Ride & Run to Remember in October. This year I'll be riding the 55 mile bike ride on Saturday, October 12th...then running the 5k on Sunday, October 13th. I'm a Road Warrior!

I'll be trying to keep my blog up to date and full of interesting stuff as I work towards this monumental challenge. I've already gotten back in the gym and done some short treadmill runs and stationary bike rides, and I've begun swimming laps as well. Hopefully the spring will actually get sprung at some point soon and outdoor activities won't involve heavy winter clothes and freezing toes!

This year my fundraising goal is $1,000. I'd love to hit it early on, so I plan on organizing some fundraising events in the next few months to help me meet my goal. I'll keep everyone posted on those here. In the meantime, feel free to drop by www.nleomf.org and look for the Ride & Run to Remember icon...you can search for my name (Henderson) to check out my donation page. I'll post a direct link here soon.