Improvement!

My Garmin reads 2:10:03 - I'm still waiting for the official chip time, but it appears I finished well ahead of my previous half-marathon pace. Good news!

One thing I learned about Chang's - it's CROWDED. I spent most of my pre-race time waiting in line to use the restroom and most of the race dodging people. I had a great time, though.

My splits look like this:

Mile 1 - 10:12
Mile 2 - 10:00
Mile 3 - 9:56
Mile 4 - 9:52
Mile 5 - 9:54
Mile 6 - 9:33
Mile 7 - 9:28
Mile 8 - 9:34
Mile 9 - 9:51
Mile 10 - 10:05
Mile 11 - 10:02
Mile 12 - 9:52
Mile 13 - 10:21 (not sure what happened here)
Last .1 - 9:09

I was happy that I ran a mostly steady, controlled race. I would have liked to keep myself in the 9's through mile 11, but I'm pleased with how I did.

UPDATE: Final chip time - 2:10:02.

Next up: NYC Half Marathon in March!

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I've got Muscle Fever

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), also sometimes called muscle fever, is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

Earlier this week, I decided it might be a good idea to start lifting weights. I guess I figured wrong, because my muscles are killing me. I only did a few upper-body exercises, but the last two days have been torture - it even kept me from getting a run in tonight. I'll have to make it up tomorrow and push my long run (which, at six miles, isn't so long anymore) to Sunday.

I'm sure there's a place for weight training in this new active lifestyle. I just hope it doesn't hurt so much next time!

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I'm a bad blogger

I've neglected this blog way too much - no more! Some updates:

-Full marathon plans are kaput. A few weeks back, I set out on a 17 mile run and, after 14, each step felt like a little slice of death. Too much, too fast? I think so. My new plans include running the P.F. Chang's half and keeping my new, healthy habit afloat.

-I've lost 20-23 pounds (depending on the day) during my training. This is good news! Must keep it up.

-For Christmas, my wife gave me a Garmin GPS watch which, in one week, has completely changed my life. Not kidding. The ability to track my heart rate and pace was immediately useful.

That's about it. Fundraising for BBBSAZ is winding down - I'll keep this blog going to talk about all my future running endeavors.

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