Saturday, September 10, 2011

Take that Portland!

For some time now I have been trying to run Portland Ave from beginning to end.  On every training run, each longer than the previous, I would take on Portland, right from its start at the Stone Arch Bridge and run half the distance planned for my run and not having reached the end, i'd turn around.  Every time I wondered how close I was to the end.

About a month ago, I went for a 21 mile run and still did not make to to the end by the time I had to turn around.  So as soon as I got home, I went onto Google Maps and got the answer I had been searching.  Running from home to the end of Portland and back would take 24 and 1/2 miles.

So on my next long run, I enlisted my friend Mike (after some negotiation on distance and route) and we decided to tackle the challenge.  We left at 4:00AM and reached the end of Portland by mile 12.27.

I couldn't help it.  At that point I said out loud: Take that Portland!  That line had been in the works for months.

We made the entire run in 3:49:15 at a comfortable 9:33 min/mile pace.  Not only that, but we made it at a very, very consistent pace.  I aways get a kick out of that.


Monday, September 5, 2011

Gold Medal Challenge

Well, I didn't make it this year to the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon.  This is the very fun and very fast indoor Marathon that is held at St Olaf College in Northfield, MN.  There are only 44 spots and a lottery is used to draw up runners.  Not only I didn't make it, but I got spot 20 of 21 runners in the wait list.  Pretty much no chance of running it this year.  Pitty...

My friend Scott was trying to convince me to run the Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon on February 13.  I am just not sure that it will be held...  Their website is still showing data for last year and the race director did not reply to my email regarding next year registration.

So looking for alternatives I stunbled across the Gold Medal Challenge.  This event included a 1/2 marathon on Saturday followed by a full marathon on Sunday (Jan 21-22).  Both are held at the  Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.  Seems like a good replacement for Zoom! Yah! Yah!

It will also be good training in preparation for the Milano City Marathon in Milan, Italy, for which I already signed up and around which Sharon and I will be building our vacation next year.

I was disappointed about not making the list for the Zoom! Yah! Yah!, but it seems are already looking up!