Double Run Weekend

A great running weekend in Charlotte. Saturday was warm and sunny and 75 degrees, but not roasting. A great turnout for the 2010 Hit The Brixx 10K. I finished with a solid 56:31 and I was pleased with my effort. Slowly but surely I seem to be getting faster.

The race started and finished in uptown Charlotte, with a course than ran through 1st Ward and up 7th Street. Lots of fun and not too many hills.










The Marathon bars (all 4 boxes) were gone within minutes of me opening the boxes. When I first started racing with Marathon, I was doing all the talking...now people are coming up to me before and after races to talk about the Marathon bars ...I think the marketing strategy is working!

Sunday was 72 degrees, cool and windy a perfect running morning. For me, the Hendrick "Racing to Save Lives" race at Lowes Motor Speedway was about the cause and venue. A good turnout for the race and I finished the 5K in the top 10 - 4th in my age group with a 24:36 time. After running yesterday, I knew I would not be at full strength, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to run the track at this famous NASCAR Speedway. This race was a benefit for matching bone marrow donors with bone marrow cancer patients. These folks need all the donors they can get to treat the disease, so I was glad to participate.

Rock N Read 5K

Had a great time at the Rock N Read 5K - Marathon bars by Snickers were going like hotcakes this morning...and they fueled me to a cool 25:00 time for the 5K! Great way to start a Saturday! Here are some friends I made along the way...

Hot training day in NC!

Twitter Tom

Hey guys - follow me on Twitter!
Twitter: @UNCTom94

AJ gets sponsored by Marathon Bars - Fueled by Snickers!

Hey there - it has been a crazy spring and summer for me but I am trying to get things back on track.
I recently received a sponsorship by the great folks at Marathon Bars - fueled by Snickers. These are the best tasting energy bars on the market - and it isn't even close! Try one the next time you are at the store - you won't regret it!

AJ and the Ironman adventure

Over the past 18 months, Average Joe has made a journey from the couch to 5K and 10K races and triathlons of several distances. In early April, he completed the longest and most difficult - and most rewarding - part of his journey, the Ironman 70.3 New Orleans.

How do you get from the couch to spending nearly 8 hours on the race course? The journey is different for every athlete, but there are some common milestones. Each person who undertakes an Ironman race had a dream - a very large dream. Average Joe began toying with the idea as he pondered, "How far can I really go?" After completing an Olympic distance triathlon and two sprint distance triathlons last summer, Joe decided to reach for the stars and sign up for the Ironman 70.3 race in New Orleans.

Every race requires a training plan, and Joe began working out in November. With an April race date, it seemed like plenty of time to train for the race. Obviously, Joe failed to account for the "party season". Each November, the social schedule begins to fill up as friends and family watch football games together, Thanksgiving is next, with the hustle and bustle of office parties, neighborhood parties, family get-togethers following closely behind. Finally, Christmas and New Years arrives. Average Joe did everything he could to be "good" during this hectic season, but there were many workout skipped after these events.

January began and another obstacle raised its ugly head - the weather. No matter how dedicated you are, it is very difficult to get out of your comfy, warm bed at 5:00 am when the thermometer is reading sub 40 degree temperatures. Even with an indoor bike trainer, it is very difficult to train during the short days of winter. The weeks of January and February flew by as the training schedule demanded more and more effort.

March Madness began and Average Joe had something other than his favorite basketball team to sweat over. At this point, with the race on the near horizon, Joe battled another common foe for endurance athletes - self doubt. "Did I train enough?" "What about that swim split?" 'I skipped several workouts in December and January - will that hurt me?" "An Ironman? What was I thinking?!?!?" Joe worked hard to block all that negativity out - fear can paralyze you if you don't!

Race day arrived - a million thoughts bubbling in Joe's brain. Always prepare for the emergency - Joe had left his goggles in North Carolina in his swim training bag. Joe had used a checklist, checked and double checked his race bag - but something always happens on race day. Fortunately, the guy next to Joe had an extra pair. Thankfully, that was the only equipment issue of the day for Joe.

New Orleans set a Ironman 70.3 participant record with over 3,000 racers - Joe's age group swim start had 6 waves of the same age! Joe was excited about his first race in a wetsuit. Note to beginners: practice applying and removing your wetsuit at home! You do not want to learn at the transition area. Joe had practiced, but this race had a group of volunteers to help remove the wetsuits for the athletes. As Joe stumbled out of the water, a volunteer spoke to him in a foreign accent - with the confusion and the excitement - Joe couldn't understand her...until she promptly pushed Joe down and yanked his wetsuit off of him like a dirty old sock. On the bright side, getting the wetsuit off was the fastest part of Joe's transition all day!

Here are some things Average Joe picked up during his Ironman adventure:
Practice the swim - Joe noticed a bunch of participants were holding on to the side of the shoreline well before the first volunteer in a boat was near - not 50 yards into the race. Joe knows moments of panic happen, but some of these folks were not even hardly wet!

You see the strangest things during races - about 25 miles into the bike portion of the race a water aid station was staffed by about 20 men and women in long red dresses and flower hats. Some of the men were wearing heels! Joe appreciated the water, but that station left him laughing for the next few miles.

Blow me down - Halfway through the bike portion, Average Joe was on pace to turn in a sub 6 1/2 hour race, when the winds came up. Pedaling into a 30 or 40 mph headwind for almost two hours can't be simulated. The winds were so strong, they were blowing the bikers who had the very expensive disc wheels around like kites. Joe watched in horror as he saw a biker go from the right lane into the oncoming traffic in a split second. Luckily, there was not a car at that point in the road and the biker pedaled furiously to get back on the right side of the road.

Roadkill avenue - Joe saw more dead animals on this race than any other race. A crow, several snakes, another bird, a lizard, a vulture, possum, a wart hog and a baby alligator. According to some locals, when you travel 50 miles in the Louisiana countryside, you see that sort of thing.

Gave all I could - Joe has never seen a race where the bikers got off their bikes and began to walk - while on the course! Joe also saw whole groups of racers walking during the run portion of the race. The conditions had obviously sapped all of their strength and they were strolling like they were taking a walk in the park. That is part of what draws people to triathlons - the community and the friendships. We all push ourselves to our limits, and we know exactly the kind of pain our neighbor and competitor is feeling.

Chad - A fellow Ironman finisher and friend gave me some words of wisdom as I was heading down to New Orleans. Here are some words to race by:
The training is over, the only question now is if you want it bad enough.
Rest (lay around) as much as possible the day before the race.
Eat more breakfast than you think you should.
You have all day to finish.
Your medal will look just like the guy that came in second. 

When you cross the finish line, act like you won even if you are dead last.
The pain is temporary, but the pride lasts a lifetime.

The race went well, and Joe finished in the middle of the pack. What a feeling of accomplishment as Joe crossed the finish line with his family cheering him on! That feeling made all those long workouts worth it. The dream had become a reality - Average Joe had become an Ironman!

Average Joe takes a Hike

Charlotteans are hot!! In September, they are also usually humid, sweaty and generally miserable if they spend any time outdoors. So, if you ran in a store to run an errand or grab a bite to eat and your car thermometer registers some absurd triple-digit number, then head west! And fast! Less than three hours away, the Blue Ridge Parkway is calling you!

Charlotte is a quick trip from several great mountain retreats. Asheville and Boone are an easy drive and you can access a wide variety of trails, hikes, and scenic vistas. Of course, you can ride your bike on the Parkway and take your dog on hikes (just keep your pooch on a leash and clean up after him). Average Joe spends as much time as possible in the mountains, so let me suggest a few good hikes.

Asheville area – Asheville is well known as a tourist destination, so make it a weekend and see it all. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, nearby sights include Craggy Gardens, the Folk Art Center, Mount Mitchell and the Mount Pisgah summit. Here are three hikes for hikers of all levels to enjoy.

Easy – for a quick leg stretcher, try the Craggy Gardens trail at mile marker 364. At just under a mile, even small children and older grandparents can enjoy the beautiful plants and cool air.

Moderate – Average Joe loves to combine two of his favorite activities – eating and hiking! If you want a great picnic spot, head up the Parkway to mile marker 339 and the Crabtree Falls Loop trail. This two mile hike won’t disappoint. The trail is a loop and the Crabtree Falls are just past the halfway point. They have picnic tables and several great places to take pictures. You can even get in the water if you want to sample the cool stream.

Strenuous – Many to choose from in this area, but the 7.5 mile Mountain to the Sea trail that starts at the Folk Art Center (MM 365) is a great hike to get your blood pumping. This is a point-to-point hike, so plan your logistics accordingly. Pick up a map at the Center and pay attention to the signs on the trail – you can use this trail to walk all the way to the coast!

Boone area – This area of the Blue Ridge Parkway has so much to offer. In one day, you can shop in Blowing Rock, see Grandfather Mountain and eat dinner at the famous Daniel Boone Inn located on the Appalachian State University campus in Boone! There are plenty of activities for the whole family. Here are some local hikes to enjoy.

Easy – Moses H Cone Memorial Park at mile marker 294 spans over 3600 gorgeous acres. With nature trails, horseback riding, arts and crafts or just sitting on the expansive porch in a rocking chair to take in the view, the Cone house and park are easy to get to and hard to forget.

Moderate – At mile marker 297, Julian Price Lake is a fantastic place to spend the day. A 2.3 mile loop around the lake allows for constant changing views. You can take a hike, have a picnic, rent a boat, do some fishing or do some people watching. Price Lake has plenty of parking and is so close to the Moses Cone Park, you could easily do them both on the same day. 

Strenuous – The Boone Fork trail at mile marker 296 is challenging, but offers plenty of variety. This 5 mile trail wanders through the forest, crosses a stream and passes through a huge open meadow. A walking stick is helpful on a hike like this one. 

Average Joe could go on for hours about his favorite hikes and sights in the North Carolina mountains, (He hasn’t even mentioned Mt Mitchell, Linville Falls, Flat Rock Mountain or Grandmother mountain…) but that would defeat the purpose! It is your adventure that awaits! Plan a day trip or a weekend, pack your bathing suit and comfortable tennis or hiking shoes and head to where 85 degrees is considered a heat wave. Here are some great websites to help you get started:

www.virtualblueridge.com

www.nps.gov/blfi

www.blueridgeparkway.org

www.highcountryparkway.com