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.

Alright folks, 11 Days left until I hit the pavement for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 2012 Ride & Run to Remember! I'll be doing the full 54 mile ride this year, thanks in part to J&L Bicycle Company (now closed, sadly) who helped me acquire a very nice Jamis road bike for the event. My fundraising is now at 76% of my goal, so I still need help. I'll be publishing a practice ride this weekend if all goes well weather wise. Thanks again for all the support, and don't forget donations are still needed at http://support.nleomf.org/goto/cplrahenderson

I have been thoroughly lazy in posting to my blog this year...mostly because I've been anything but lazy in the rest of my life. Right now I'm juggling a full-time rotating patrol schedule, being a full-time student in my final semester of undergrad work at Guilford College, being a field training officer, finishing my clinical evaluations for Drug Recognition Expert certification, maintaining a new house and keeping my lovely wife happy. Add in trying to train for the upcoming Ride & Run to Remember and fundraise for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and I've got quite the full plate.

But, just to catch everyone up...I've been doing a bit of indoor cycling to keep up my stamina while it's been so hot outside, and I've been trying to hit the gym to get some swimming time in at the lap pool. I also just bought a new Jamis 8 speed performance road bike for this years ride...hopefully I'll be a little faster and have a little less trouble with the hills this year compared to last when I rode my Trek mountain bike.

I plan on hitting the pavement this upcoming weekend for a nice long ride and I'll post some stuff more regularly heading into the ride in DC.

Don't forget to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by heading over to http://support.nleomf.org/goto/cplrahenderson today!