Running Towards Fitness

Personal Awareness
The ancient Greeks used to believe that a healthy mind and a healthy body not only went together, but were both critical for happiness and a successful life. They were also intertwined, meaning that a weakness in either area would affect the other. When I started this transformation I was overweight and full of excuses. And by overweight I don't mean just a few pounds - I weighed over 70 pounds more than I do now. I finally took my life into my own hands and started exercising. At the time, I had no idea where it would lead - to a stronger body, a happier, more nimble mind, and a chest full of race medals. Healthy mind, healthy body, indeed! It hasn't been easy, or without issues, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

800m Circuit

You know the drill by now. We meet at RunTex and run to Austin High - today was an 8:34 average pace with a slight negative split. I was able to keep to 4/4 breathing for the first mile again, which is a good sign. There was ...

Tempo Run

This did not go entirely to plan. This past week has been wet, rainy and damp. That means that the trail is slippery. Today started out well, we did a two mile warmup run and then our drills, then headed out for a nice tempo run. ...

Rainy Day Blues

I forgot a point that I was meaning to make on that Wilke post. As we started running backwards up the hill, it started to rain. It continued off and on for a bit, and then started raining in ernest as we headed out for the ~3 mile ...

I have a new curse word…

... and its name is "Wilke." That was, without a doubt, the hardest hill workout that I've ever done. Probably the hardest workout. Possibly the hardest run, and yes, I include the marathon. Sure, its short. A mere 250 meters or so. But that doesn't include ...

700s

Today was a lot of fun. It seemed relatively easy since its sandwiched between two hill workouts as well (I've heard that next Tuesday's is the hardest workout by far). We ran out to Zilker park, near the soccer fields, at an 8:50 pace. Did the usual drills, and ...

Ouch…

Actually, it took me long enough to write this that I'm really not very sore. I sure felt like I would be, though. This morning I got up at 5 (after driving from New Orleans to Austin the afternoon before) and pulled on my running shoes. I ...

800m Circuit

When I got to RunTex this morning, I was still tired - both from a relatively late night last night, and from Sunday's race. Pushing that extra few percent really does take it out of you. Did some pre-run stretching, focusssing on my ITB since it had been ...

Just some 400s

Today was pretty light since many of us are doing the ABIA 5K on Sunday. We did the standard run to Austin High. I started out slow, I know I did, but the first mile went by in 8:05. We did slow down a little bit on ...

4 Mile Tempo Run

So this time, in run camp, we ... didn't go to AHS. Yeah, I know. Anyway, I get to RunTex a little before 6:00 as always, and do a little stretching. The night before I had taken a hot bath to help relax my calves, but afterwards I didn't ...

1000m Intervals

The good news is that my times today were pretty consistent. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We started out as usual by meeting at RunTex, doing a little stretching, and running over to Austin High. It was raining a touch, but nothing too bad, just a ...


About

I'm Richard Stanford, a fit, happy runner. Of course, that wasn't always the case. Dip into the archives to follow my progress from couch potato to sub-four hour marathoner.

I also like to cook, write, code, and play with power tools...

Personal Records

DistanceRaceTimePace
Marathon2006 Freescale3:54:078:56
20 Miles2006 RunTex3:00:089:00
30K2005 RunTex2:42:448:45
Half M2006 3M1:42:577:51
20K2005 Decker1:40:428:06
10 Miles2005 Pervasive1:20:138:01
10K2005 Dublin Dr Pepper48:437:51
5 Miles2005 Turkey Trot37:017:24
5K2005 Margarita Run22:327:15
4K2006 Fila Relays17:247:15
1 Mile2006 Congress Ave6:236:23

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November 9th 2008
Tags: Running

One Comment

2008 Marine Corps Marathon (long)

I'll say its long - 26.2 miles when you haven't run more than about 16 all year is way too long! Let me recap my training schedule for the last two months, just in case you haven't been paying attention (or I haven't been posting it): September 6: 60 mile ...
November 9th 2008
Tags: Running, Races

No Comments

2008 Gazelle 10 Miler

It was great getting to see everyone today. I wasn't sure that I would race - hell, I knew I wouldn't race, I wasn't sure I'd even bother to show up. Packet pickup had come and gone without me, and I was out 'til late last night getting ...
October 26th 2008
Tags: Running

3 Comments

2008 Marine Corps Marathon (quick)

Turns out that yes, I was ready. Kinda. This was my first marathon since I started triathlon and the cardio benefits really showed - my breathing was always under control and my HR stayed low. My legs were really feeling the fact that I only ran ~25 miles in the ...
October 25th 2008
Tags: Musings, Running

One Comment

Am I Ready?

Tomorrow morning, at 5AM (EST of all things), my alarm will go off. It will go off again at 5:15, 5:30, and 5:45, just to make sure. And its not just one alarm, its a combination of the hotel clock radio, the wake-up service, and my iPhone. I think that, as ...
October 22nd 2008
Tags: Workouts, Swimming

2 Comments

Swim Clinic

My swim times have been, well, let's be nice and just say "abysmal." That's fine for now - at the beginning of the year I could barely make it to the other end of the pool, and just a couple of weeks ago I did a half Ironman. ...
October 5th 2008
Tags: Races

4 Comments

2008 Longhorn Ironman 70.3

Wow.  That was the hardest thing I think I've done - certainly including my first marathon.  The big difference was that I went into this knowing that - if I made the cutoffs - I was going to finish.  No question. And I did - some 45 minutes slower than I'd ...

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Famous Marathon Times

RunnerTimePace
Al Gore4:58:2511:23
Oprah4:29:3010:17
P. Diddy4:14:549:43
Sarah Palin3:59:369:09
Will Ferrell3:56:129:01
George W. Bush3:44:528:35
John Edwards3:30:188:01
Carrie Sapp3:29:067:59
Boston Qualifier3:10:597:17
Lance Armstrong2:59:366:51
Gilbert Tuhabonye2:23:075:28
Paula Radcliffe2:15:255:10
Paul Tegat2:04:554:46
Haile Gebrselassie2:03:594:44

People I Train With

Alex - Addicted to Exercise
Carrie - Tri to be Funny
Erine - Thousand Miles
Frank - Running Blog
Gilbert - Gilbert's Gazelles
Jay - Leotian Blog
Mike - BROTH