JayKnight Life: Running, Reviews, Photos

Time: 1:51:34 Position 57 out of 374  I knew going into this one that it was going to be a challenge...but not because of the hills or heat. This time the rain was my nemesis. I looked at the forecast, like I do with every race, five days in advance it was a 100% chance of rain. 3 days out, 100% chance of rain. 1 day out, 100% chance of rain. So, I dressed accordingly: nothing heavy, a hat and shorts.     I got on the road and drove to Richmond in the middle of the night. At around 4:30 it starts to sprinkle, then rain, and then pour down on the highway. I had to slow town to about 50 mph in a 70mph zone. At that time, as I was trying to keep from hydroplaning.  I thought,..."Is this what I'm going to be running in?"       Long story short,...yes!        I wanted to do this race because I like NASCAR. I used to fall asleep on the couch on Sunday afternoons after church listening to drone of those engines. I have never been to a real race, but I thoug

 Finish Time: 1:48:28 (New PR)  Finish Overall: 101 out of 1424 runners  Gender: 71 out of 302 (men were vastly outnumbered) Age/gender Group: 17 out of 59 I don't want to say the race was awesome just because I walked away with a PR and still felt enough strength in my legs to do a happy dance. But I did get a PR. I Finished with an official time I'd 1:48:41 although Nike+ had me finished much earlier at 1:45. This all scares me. Because I know I'll want to beat that time. Then I'll want to beat that time. I just have to keep working harder and smarter ( not longer)to prevent a plateau or injuries.          Let's talk about the race     I woke up a zero dark 30. Actually, it was 3:15. I had packed the night before. I didn't used to put too much though for emphasis on preparing for a race the night before. Why? Because I did track in high school. All I did was wake up throw on my uniform, get my Gatorade ( now it's Nuun

     It's been a week since my crazy two race weekend.      There were a lot of factors that were in my control or anyone's control. One of those factors happens to be the weather. Why didn't I take a picture during the downpour as people huddled for cover? I know the answer to that. It started to rain after I did my warm up. So, I was in full race mode. I was trying to put my game face on. Plus, after a couple of phone battery issues,... I wasn't going to touch it until the race was done. I guess I was a little too cautious. A. If win for this race, my phone didn't die and my headphones didn't die or get lost. ( I'm still sad about my MeeAudio X7s- water proof and long lasting)      All of the things that I can control: Food, sleep, running gear, arrival time, parking were all on point for Nashville. But I kind of messed up on Knoxville. I wanted to make sure my family enjoyed this new city even though I was in a deep state of exhaustion. I did s

      Sometimes you have to test your limits. That's what this running thing is really all about, right?  After conquering a full marathon earlier this month,... I went ahead with plans to run two half marathons in one weekend. A lot of things could go wrong. But we don't focus in the negative, we expect and plan for the positive.      Let's focus on the half marathon weekend madness, the marathon weekend, the running tour of Tennessee, The Jekyll and Hyde Race weekend challenge.       Saturday, April 30th is Rock n Roll Nashville.        Sunday, May 1st is the Race 13.1 Knoxville race.       Same distance, similar terrain but very different experiences. That's why I call it the Dr. Jekyll and      Mr. Hyde weekend challenge. While the Rock n Roll series has become a mega event with thousands of runners, road closures, parking and traffic headaches... The race 13.1 series is the calm opposite. You can pick your packet up 30 mi