Sunday, March 16, 2008
And just like that 12 weeks of training and in a matter of 24 hours it all pays off. The weekend began on Friday with a trek down to Virginia Beach where the weekend's festivities would begin. The alarm went off at 6:40 on Saturday morning.
A bowl of oatmeal, a banana, and a glass of Gatorade before we hopped into the car and headed to the oceanfront. The 8K began at 8:00 am and 44:41:90 later the first leg of the Dolphin Challenge was complete. We repeated the same drill on Sunday but an hour earlier. The half marathon started at 7:00 am on a cold, wet morning. The furthest I had run during training was 9.25, but I figured with the adrenaline and the atmosphere, I'd have no problem getting through the last four miles. There were water/Gatorade stops about ever other mile and then at mile 10 there was a gel stop. After taking one, I felt a second wind at about mile 11 and pushed myself through the end. As my first half marathon, I didn't really know what to expect, especially after an 8K the day before. Before I started I had 2:00:00 in my head as a target time. In the end it was 2:00:21. I am very pleased and will work to beat these times next time.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The first leg of the Dolphin Challenge has been completed. In today's 8K I completed it in 44:41 (9:00 pace).
It was a bit slower than I expected and wanted, but considering there is still a half marathon tomorrow, I guess it is good. I did feel much better than last year, but I chalk that up to better training and the fact that the whole time today, I thought about tomorrow's race.
Monday, March 10, 2008
He was a big fan of the show, so he decided to stop by. Okay, the amazing part. The hosts, along with callers, were polling the SEAL about things he'd done - most I couldn't even fathom. The topic came up about different ways SEALs are deployed into an area - sea, air and land. When by air they often jump at 35,000 feet and they don't open their parachutes until around 3,500 feet - no mistake in the number of zeros. Jumping at 35,000 is like walking out of commerical airline, at cruising altitude and falling 31,500 feet. Okay, if you're not impressed yet, that fall can take them up to 15-20 minutes. Still not impressed, well I am. Of course there were many other impressive things, but seriously, consider those stats. Friday, February 29, 2008
This week I began my 37th year of life. At the same time another is beginning as latest addition to my family grows. A measurement this week put him/her at 13.3 cm or just over 5 inches. This made me realize how great life really is. If you step back and clear your mind of the day to day distractions and much of the overall foolishness in the world today, you will see the simplest things are what makes it all worthwhile. Cherish family, friends, and accomplishments from your past, present and future. Life is what you make of it!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
I've spent years training for referee fitness tests, but I have found that running race training is a whole other level. Don't get me wrong, referee training at the highest level is extreme, but I feel now I need to be more committed on a daily basis - balancing life, training, and diet. Okay, maybe it's because I'm getting older or perhaps I wasn't as committed before as I should have been.The Dolphin Challenge is a 8K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. Last March when I decided to do this, it was motivated by the adrenaline and feeling of accomplishment after my first race. As the months went by, the insanity set it. Today, the adrenaline is pumping again and I know I'll be ready. There is a Whale Challenge too, 8K and a marathon. Ask me in 22 days on that one for '09.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Do you see the countdown on the right?
After 13 years of refereeing (including three in MLS), watching my wife and mother-in-law run marathon after marathon, I decided my new pastime would be running. Once our second child was born, my wife decided marathons were her thing. Now, after our third was born and a fourth on the way, she continues to amaze me with her extreme dedication to running.
About a year and a half ago, I decided that my professional referee career should end so I could refocus on family and my career. Letting go something you've worked so hard to achieved isn't easy, but in time I was able to accept it and now know it was a smart move.
Okay, so back to the count down on the right. Not only did spending more time at home cause number four, but I also ended up catching the running bug. Almost 10 weeks ago I began training for my first half marathon. The days are numbered until the race, but after my longest run to date yesterday (9.27), I AM PUMPED!
Ben Jones, Just Do It will be motivated by my passions for family, work, running, soccer refereeing, technology, and more. Come back often, or subscribe wherever you see the feed logo
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