In preparing for the Whiskey Row Marathon in May I have added a lot more trail and hill work to my weekly training regimen. A great place to get in miles of trails and some very tough hills is the San Tan Mountain Regional Park which at this time of the year is a beautiful place to run.

Happy Running :-)

On February 2, 2013 I competed in my first full marathon, the 8th Annual Sedona Marathon. I placed 134th out of 258 runners with a pace of 11:20 and finish time of 4:57:06.

The Sedona marathon was a very challenging race that pushed my mind and body very hard. The combination of steep hills and trail race on a dirt roads make it one of the hardest marathon’s in the country. I ran very strong up through about mile 20, but the last 6.2 miles were a real test of my physical and mental game. I learned a lot about my resolve to set out and complete a goal. Running in the beautiful red rocks of Sedona with very cool people added to the amazing experience.

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My wife also did an amazing job by completing her first 1/2 marathon in 2:38:46.

With my first marathon under my belt, tomorrow starts the training for my next marathon, Whiskey Row Marathon on Saturday, May 4, 2013. From the course description:

This out-and-back course is considered one of the most challenging in the United States. Starting at 5,280 feet, the elevation increases to 7,000 feet over the first seven miles, then down to 5,600 feet at the 13-mile turn around. The course is paved road for the first and last five miles, while the rest of the running route is a trail race on a dirt road maintained by the US Forest Service.

Happy Running :-)

For the past 6 months I have been running with Luna Sandals. Lunas are amazing minimal running gear, giving you as close to barefoot feel you can get with some foot protection.

Running with the Lunas has really helped me perfect my running technique, specifically my 1-2-3 landing.

Unfortunately, with my improved technique and the 45 mile plus weeks I have been putting in on the road and trails they are not holding up to the challenge with the laces start to fray.

I decided I need footwear that would hold up the long runs, but still give me that minimal running feel. I settled on the New Balance Men’s MT00 Minimus Zero Trail Running Shoe based on great endorsements from Anton Krupicka a serious ultra runner.

I have clocked about 50 miles on Minimus double zeros and I am very happy with them. There has been a little chafing around my big toe, but nothing that Bodyglide Balm can’t solve.

I have to say bye to my Lunas for my daily running, but I will still wear them for comfortable walking sandals or the occasional warmup runs.

Happy Running :-)

In 48 days I will be competing in my first full marathon, the 8th Annual Sedona Marathon February 2, 2013 in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. My wife will also be there running her first half marathon.

The nervousness combined with excitement is building everyday which is helping to motivate my daily training runs. I started my serious training preparation on Nov 1 and I have logged over 232 miles with average pace of 9:00 per mile. I am feeling very confident and comfortable running 15 plus mile long runs at least once a week. I am up to 45 mile plus weeks which I will hold that through the rest of December, then tapper down a little going into the run on February.

Happy Running :-)