Welcome to the 2:15!

It's official now: all you runners are part of the fastest pace group in the half-marathon. We hit two major points today: the water stop, which will be the social point for our remaining months on the trail, and we had our first post-run cocktail!
It was pretty hot this morning, and we had a little shorter run because of it: by the Giant Nerd Watch, we ran 3.88 miles in 42:43, or an 11:00 minute per mile pace. Very solid run. We kept together in a nice tidy pack, we shared the trail, and we ruled the parking lot after the run.
Your homework during the week is important for race day: we're building the base for our longer runs now. It's hot, so do your running in the mornings or indoors - the treadmill is a dreadful invention, but it beats heatstroke. Swimming, biking, tennis, salsa dancing...all good cardio training and fully acceptable alternatives to one of the day's runs.
I'll be gone next weekend, celebrating the Fourth of July with my family in Iowa. It's the annual Dunlap Firecracker ~5k. I say 'about' 5k because running from the park to one edge of town, aroud the care center, across town to the John Deere dealer and then back to the park is still less than 3 miles. Then we eat fried things and watch the parade. It's my grandmother's 90th birthday party on Saturday, then the other grandmother turns 86 on Sunday.
Spend a safe holiday with your loved ones, and I'll see you back on the 12th!

What's with all the hills?

Week four, already?

Sunday's run was the last of the challenging ones: we ran 3.3 miles in 35 minutes, or about 10:30 pace, a little brisker than last week. Your homework is paying off!
The reason I say it was the last of the challenging runs is that from now on, we'll hit the water stop. The first mile and a half are hills - both up and down, and once we cross under the railroad trestle we're done with that nonsense. A little detour under the streets we cross but that's it for the steeps - it'll be back to our beloved flat, level, smooth surface!
The six am start time is a little cooler, isn't it? I hope you enjoyed yourselves, and that you'll be ready for next Sunday - to celebrate our distance achievement and the magic water stop milestone, we'll celebrate with mimosas - one of the Running World Approved post-run cocktails. Look it up!

Week Three - in the bag!

Good job runners!
Thanks to Fearless Leader Erin's secret shortcut, we had a nice little run in the park. And in the wash. And under a bridge, like trolls looking for plump Billy Goats Gruff. And always up a hill!
The new course information is out, there's links on previous posts that show the route. Tim Kelly told us it's flat, so the whole idea of a hill is anathema. However, I know something: hills build leg strength. It's a good idea to get some hill work in as part of your homework. I have a nice route by my house that gives me a mile warm up then some laps on a nice little hill.
So where are we?
Today, we ran 2.66 miles in 30 minutes, for an average pace of 11:16 per mile.
(by the way, that's another 1/10th of a marathon, with a 5 hour estimated finish time- did you know you had that in you?) It's hot, we're still on soggy tired desk-bound legs and it's EXCELLENT work. The marathon is in December. Now is the time to the basics down, the time to train your mind. The body will come along with whatever the mind tells it to.
We will be back to 6 am next Sunday, looking for more billy goats!

This just in!

The new course for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon:
http://las-vegas.competitor.com/event-info/course/

Interesting U-turn at the start!

And this comes to us from the KVBC website:
Marathon course

June 7: Week Two

What a beautiful morning for a run!
Today's 25 minute run covered 2.25 miles, for an 11:13 minutues per mile pace. The first part of the course is the hilliest: our giggle runs are now covering the hardest part of the whole thing - ha ha, some giggle!
I talked to some of you about ways to carry water, we examined the assortment of socks available, and I saw a couple of people trying on shoes. Good for you, you're getting the equipment part covered.
Everyone said they did their homework - 20 minutes of exercise a day- so either everyone is on board, or you're all fluent liars. I'm a blend of both I'll confess.
Once again, thanks for coming out. We'll be back at it next week at 7 am again, then we'll move back to the 6 am start time.

See you then!
Ryan the Terrible,
Fearless co-leader,
the Flying 2:15

Week two: 25 minutes

Be ready for another fun Sunday morning: same time, same place, shorter distance. We'll be running 25 minutes, which will get us down the path a little bit. It's going to be a little cooler and a little windier, but we shall overcome!

Day One!

Welcome to the Flying 2:15, the fastest runners in our pace group!

We plan on running a half marathon together in December, in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. That translates to a 10 minute, 18 second mile, or a little faster than 6 miles an hour. Your car at idle is probably faster than that, so no worries about us! We have a lot of time together to take baby steps toward the starting line. I'm glad to see so many familiar faces, back for more, and especially glad to see the new faces.

Today's run was a good way to get a feel for the course and the group. We had a nice 2 1/2 mile run on our first half-hour together, and we found out a couple things: it's hot at 7 am. It's thirsty work, this running. I need good shoes.

7 am will be our start time for the next two weeks, then we'll move back to 6. That'll cool things off a bit.

Water? yup. We'll have water along the trail, every two miles. It's not a bad idea to get something to carry water if you find yourself drinking more: but wait a little bit before getting carried away with a water belt. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll adapt and your body gets used to running.

Good shoes keep you in good shape. Spend some time, spend some money and get properly fitted shoes that are right for you. Are you a pronator? a supinator? Do you heel strike? Do you have high arches? We have several dedicated running stores to assist you in making good shoe decisions. And socks? that's a fun task, finding the right ones. In three years of running, with a marathon, three half marathons, several 10k races, countless 5k races, and over 1000 miles running on Sunday mornings, I have had no blisters. I also have a lucky running hat, but good socks and shoes take most of the credit.

We'll be spending a lot of time together, so come ready to talk and make friends. Erin Tasko and I will be your co-Fearless Leaders, and there will be treats along the way: we have secret shortcuts, magic jelly beans, apple pie for Thanksgiving, a possible kidnapping, and the famous post-run libations.
Do your homework, tell people you're training for a half-marathon - and remember, you already ran 1/10 of a full marathon this morning! How hard can it be?

Thanks!

Ryan Young
aka Ryan the Terrible (and you'll soon realize why!)