Shamrock'd and Shamrock'n

7/9/10: Wow, I logged on today to write a blog entry for the first time in many months and saw the draft below. Why I forgot to complete and publish it, I don't know but here it is in all its practicality and lacking wit or charm. Wit/charm promised in my next entry. Enjoy.

Luck o' the Irish. I ran my third half marathon, the Shamrock'n in Sacramento, CA, on March 14th in personal record time. I set a goal to run 13.1 miles in under two hours and wound up "PR" ("Personal Record", serious running term, new to me) of 1:53:43.

Or was it not luck but, rather, my training efforts paying off? My two previous times were 2:12 and 2:16 so I knew going in to this that I'd have to work hard to shave 15 minutes off my time. Once again, I joined a group training program. This time with Fleet Feet Sacramento. We met every Tuesday night for speed workouts and Saturday morning for long runs. I took training more seriously this time than the previous two because I was financially invested in the training (since I paid a fee) and I had set a goal time months in advance.

This time around I also ate more. I didn't overeat. Well, actually, I gained a couple of pounds so I probably consumed more calories than I burned (which is certainly not necessary!) but my point is that I had more energy. Food really helps move the body along. Even on race day, I made sure I woke up early to eat a cup of oatmeal with almond butter and banana - and to drink my does of coffee, of course. I heard my coaches rave about the benefits of coffee/caffeine to runners -- increase blood flow, etc. I definitely noticed the perk! Are you looking for tips on fuel? Active.com just posted a great article on the best natural foods for runners.

In short, train, fuel and you'll improve or even PR!

7/9/10: The great feeling I had right after this race should have been motivating enough to continue to improve my technique, time, or whatever. As you'll learn in my coming entry, it was not enough and without reason.