Run Saturday, January 3rd

Dave is coordinating a trail run for us for this Saturday, 1/3/09. It will be approx. 4 miles at the Prince William Forest Park. We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the 610 commuter lot that is behind Liberty Lanes to carpool to the park. We'll meet near the Mine Rd. entrance. Let me know if you plan on attending so we don't miss anyone.

Park Ridge 5K - March 21, 2009

Okay, I know we haven't even closed the books on 2008, but looking ahead to 2009, I'm excited to see that Park Ridge will once again be holding a 5K. (http://www.geocities.com/parkridge5k/). Most of us run for distance more than speed, so the 5K isn't what we live for, but....this has become a great bragging rights run. How great is it to say, "I placed 2nd in my age group"? Not ever going to happen for me in the Marine Corps Marathon, but with the Park Ridge 5K, I have hope of taking home a trophy. So, mark your calenders for Saturday, March 21, 2009.

Scheduled Run - Saturday 12/13 @ 8:30 a.m.

Join us at Rodney Thompson Middle School this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for a 4 mile'ish run through Augustine. Hope you can join us. Email me for more information/questions at karenegyud@gmail.com.

Blessings,
Karen

New Running Gear

Saw this in ESPN, The Magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUuwEq98ByM

As ESPN said, "At last, a way for joggers to work out in the fresh air. Other than, y'know, jogging."

LOL!

Update

It's been a crazy fall for running. HR had it's first "Turkey Trot" on Thanksgiving. I'm hoping that can be a tradition - unfortunately, I'm usually not in town, so someone else will have to carry the torch next year. It was pretty cold, but it made me feel a lot better about the extra pie I ate later in the day :)

I'm thankful the "race season" is over - although I know the Blue Gray Half Marathon is coming up on the 14th. I'd love to run it but I'm trying to limit races to Saturdays (Marine Corps will be an exception:). After the Richmond Marathon, I thought I would want to take off for about a month, but within a week, I was itching to get back out. It is nice to be able to run shorter runs though - 7 miles feels great!

I'm planning on a run 2 weeks from now - assuming nothing changes between now and then, we'll do a run on December 13th - probably around 8 a.m. and probably for about 4 miles.

Blessings,
Karen

Run - Saturday, Oct. 18th

Horizons Runners will have a run this Saturday, Oct. 18th at 7 a.m. We will meet at Rodney Thompson Middle School and the plan is to run 4 miles. Please let me know if you plan to join us - karenegyud@aol.com.

Congrats to Rich on his 1st Half Marathon finish in the Baltimore Running Festival last weekend and to Deb as well - although it was not her first 1/2 :).

On Saturday, I was wishing I had just run the 1/2. I did the full and I felt awful during the last 10 miles or so, but I did improve on last year's marathon time by almost 10 minutes, so I shouldn't complain...but I was hoping for better. As anyone who has done a race knows, the thing you race against the most is your past accomplishments. The Baltimore Marathon has a lot more hills than Marine Corps. I escaped injury free outside of a couple blisters on my toes, but that's normal for me. I will try and redeem my time by running the Richmond Marathon next month. Crazy - yes.

Here are some pictures :) (I'm the one checking my watch to make sure it's over!)

When Will We Run Again

Seriously, I have never known this many people with running injuries. I'm trying not to be paranoid that I'll be next, every time I lace up my shoes!

We are long overdue for a run, but scheduling one seems to be a challenge. I'm just a few weeks out from a marathon, so my Saturday's are currently filled with training runs. I will say there is a possibility of a run on October 4th, and if not then, definitely October 18th.

Dave Robertson shared a scripture the other day that I love - Psalm 73:26 - "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Updates

I hope everyone's running is going well. Due to various stages of race training and injuries, I don't have a run scheduled right now. I'm a little over a month away from the Baltimore Marathon and I'm feeling a little underprepared. I felt that way last time too, so I'm hoping it's just a normal mental reaction to the thought of running 26.2 miles.

I tried something new the other day on my long run (16...). I listened to a book. I've never done that before. The problem with a book instead of music is that it kept my mind more active - I prefer that daze or haze you discover after about an hour. Anyway, I haven't finished the "book" yet, but I will recommend it - "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami. He's a novelist from Japan. It's a journal of his training for the NY Marathon, but it's more like a memoir and talks about how he started running, some of the other marathons he's run, along with an ultra marathon and a run on the marathon course in Athens.

Dave Robertson runs the Northface Endurance Challenge 50 mile trail run in Great Falls, VA this Saturday. Please keep him (and the weather) in your prayers.

I hope to schedule a run in the next week or so - check back for updates or if you haven't run with us before, send me an email to let me know you're interested.

Blessings,
Karen

Next Run - August 16th

On Saturday, we'll be venturing up the Prince William Forest Park to do about 13 miles. We'll be leaving from the Starbucks parking lot on 610 at 6:15 a.m. If you would like to join us, please email me at karenegyud@aol.com so you don't get left behind. :)

Running has been fabulous over the last couple of days. I felt like it's been God's special gift to me. With marathons coming up in the next few months, there's not much room for excuses, so even as the humidity rolls back in, I know I'll have to endure running in the less than favorable conditions. That said, I am so thankful for this last week of weather!

Article on Ryan Hall - Olympic Marathoner

This is a great article about Ryan Hall who will be running the marathon for the US in the Beijing Olympics.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-473--12789-7-1X2X3X4X5X6-7,00.html

Next Run - August 2nd

Our previously scheduled run at Spotsy Battlefield has been moved to Saturday, August 2nd. To plagiarize my previous post...We will meet at the Courthouse Road commuter lot at 6 a.m. and will be driving down to the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield for an approx. 7 mile run (loop). Dave Robertson will navigate for us. :)

The weather forecast continues to call for hot and humid weather, which shouldn't be a surprise for our area. Stay hydrated!

Next Run - July 19th

Our next run will be this Saturday, July 19th. We will meet at the Courthouse Road commuter lot at 6 a.m. and will be driving down to the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield for an approx. 7 mile run (loop). Dave Robertson will navigate for us. :)

Weather forecast calls for a great week of running. I was thrilled to do more than 3 miles this morning - hopefully it's a good sign for me getting back on track with my training.

Let me know if you plan on joining us on Saturday to make sure we don't leave you behind.

Saturday's Run - HH Poole - 6:30 a.m.

This Saturday we will meet at HH Poole for a change of pace. We will also meet 1/2 earlier, at 6:30 a.m. to avoid a little more of the high temps of July.

We will be focusing on the hill that HH Poole sits on and possibly a few runs around their track. By the way, HH Poole is the middle school that is on Eustace Road.

We will meet again on July 19th, but not on July 26th. Next week will be a "field trip" to one of the local battlefields for a 5-7 mile run. Details to follow next week re: meeting time (6 a.m.) and location.

My training has been HORRIBLE recently, so I'm looking forward to some accountability to get me out and running some distance again!

Schedule Change

Hill workout and group for tomorrow has been postponed until Saturday, July 12th. More info to come...

June 28th - Hill & Speed Work

Our next meeting will be on June 28th and we will be doing hill & speed work. We will probably meet at a different location, so make sure to check back for details.

Check out this article for a fun looking 5K. It's sold out for this year but may be one to add for the calendar next year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303193.html

I finally have a GPS for running - I've been actively searching craigslist for a used 205 or 305 and got a great deal on a 305 - although it's essentially a 205 because it didn't come with the heart monitor stuff. I have to admit that I love gadgets and this one in particular is awesome. I love that I can know what my pace is in real time. I was surprised at how slow I run up the hill on Mine Road, but I was also thrilled to see how fast I run down Northampton. I'm also looking forward to being able to run a trail and know how far I've gone - always tricky to figure that out when you can't do the mileage with your car. :)

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Blessings,
Karen

June 14th - Next Run

It's hot! Too hot for the faint at heart to run. Hopefully it will cool off by next Saturday. I wimped out of running this morning - it was foggy and I was genuinely concerned about safety - but I think the humidity probably had a little more influence.

Run this Saturday, May 31st

What better to do on the last day of May than to run a few miles? Join us this Saturday at 7 a.m. in the Rodney Thompson Middle School parking lot.For those who aren't quite up to the 5 mile mark...if you're at 3 miles, I know you can do 5 so come on out!

Great thought for the day - it won't be long before we will be meeting in our church parking lot to head out for our runs :)

By the way, last Saturday, I ran the path from Gravelly Point to Rosslyn and around Roosevelt Island. I'm jealous of those who live in No VA or DC who have easy access to such great running. While I enjoyed the run, I got to follow it up with a 2 hour traffic jam trying to get back home.

Blessings,Karen

Healthy Lifestyle Expo - Marine Corp 1/2

This Sunday is the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg. There's an expo in conjuction with the race at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center (where they're doing packet pickup). It's free, even if you're not running in the 1/2.

Here's more info - MCM Healthy Lifestyle Expo

Next Run - Probably May 31

Typically, the next run would be May 24th, but as that is Memorial Day Weekend, I think I'll postpone to the 31st. Check back though - it may still change. :)



Here's the elevation chart of our last run through Augustine, courtesy of Danielle's cool Garmin GPS.




It makes the run look very impressive, but it's actually a great run - nice gentle hills.



Karen

Next Group Run - May 10th

Our next group run is scheduled for May 10th.


The registration opened today for the Marine Corps Marathon. I thought for sure that I would run it again this year, but I think I've decided to skip it and run 2 marathons (Baltimore & Richmond) instead. Am I insane? What is this sickness? I have a friend who is training for her first marathon this fall (Chicago). I already told her that she'll be hooked and want to run another. The whole time I was training for the Marine Corps last year, which was my first, I thought, "run one and done!" While I was running it, I thought "I'll definitely run another marathon."


One of the reasons I love being signed up for a marathon, or any race for that matter, is that it gives me incentive to train. It's the power of having a goal set before you. In the other Life Group that I am a part of (Got Life? - meets Wednesdays at 7:15, awesome group!), we are studying Acts. This week we are focusing on Acts 20-21 which includes the great passage from Paul (20:24), "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Wow. talk about positive goal setting! I'm challenged to examine the course my life is on.

Great Weather - Beginners Clinic

Finally, we're getting a string of great days for running. I'm hoping the weather will carry into Saturday morning for a change.

Congrats to Dave & Danielle for their finishes of the Charlottesville Marathon. I did the half and was very relieved that I only had to run 13.1 miles of those hills! It was a very beautiful course and I would definitely do it again. It was a very friendly group too. It was nice not to be as crowded as you are for Army 10 miler, Marine Corps, etc.

For those who are looking to start running, or want to run a distance race for the first time, stay tuned to the blog as we're going to schedule a running clinic in the near future. Let me know if you're interested (karenegyud@aol.c0m).

Next Run - Saturday, April 26th

The next run of Horizons Runners will be Saturday, April 26th. We'll meet at Rodney Thompson Middle School at 7 :00 a.m. and set out for a run - I'm thinking we'll aim for 5 miles.

Good luck to Dave Robertson & Danielle Fulwood as they are running the Charlottesville Marathon tomorrow.

Also, congrats to Danielle for winning her age division in the Park Ridge 5k last week!

If you'd like an email when a run is scheduled, send me an email at karenegyud@aol.com. Otherwise, you can keep most up-to-date by checking this blog.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Karen

Park Ridge 5K

The Park Ridge 5K is tomorrow and I hope any runners out there will considering coming out to support on of our local schools. I think this is an awesome fundraiser. (Park Ridge 5K) The race starts at 7:30 a.m., but if you haven't registered, you'll need to get there a little earlier.

I ran about 8.5 this morning, trying to get ready for the 1/2 that I'm running next week. I think I feel less prepared now because my knee hurts. I think that will be my longest run before the race, so I think this will go down in my history as the least preparation for any race. I'm curious to see how I'll feel and about mile 10.

Hope to see you tomorrow at the 5k and happy running!

Blessings,
Karen

Run Postponed

Due to schedule conflicts and a bad weather forecast (mostly the schedule though - I'm trying not to be too much of a wimp when it comes to weather), I need to postpone the run that was scheduled for Saturday. I think the best thing to say is that we can all meet up the following Saturday, the 12th, for the Park Ridge 5K.

Sorry for the late notice!

Blessings,
Karen

April 5th - Next Run & Goal Setting

Our next run will be on Saturday, April 5th at 7:00 a.m. We will once again meet at Rodney Thompson.

I loved our run yesterday - it felt good to get some mileage on my "winter" legs. I'm also excited about the fellowship and opportunities of our running group.

Thank you Danielle for letting us know about the upcoming Park Ridge 5K on April 12th. This is a great opportunity to participate in a 5K, and support our local schools.
Park Ridge 5K

Also, somewhat locally, the Charlottesville Marathon and 1/2 Marathon are coming up on April 19th. Charlottesville Marathon

Unfortunately, many races are held on Sundays. I hate to advertise for people to miss church, but one of the best spring races in our area is coming up on April 27th - the GW 10 Miler. They close down the GW Parkway for this race. It doesn't get much prettier - or flat :).

This fall, there are plenty of marathons and 1/2 marathons to pick from in our area - the VA Beach 1/2, the Baltimore Marathon & 1/2, Marine Corps Marathon and the Richmond Marathon.

If you've never run any distance race before, I encourage you to join the fun. Registering for a race is a great way to keep your running on track.

Happy running!

Karen

First Run Scheduled - March 22nd (revised date)

If you enjoy the camaraderie of a group run, come join us for the inaugural run of Horizons Runners. We'll meet at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 22nd at the parking lot of Rodney Thompson Middle School. We'll have a short meet & greet and devotional time and then set out for a 3-5 mile run. At the end of the run, we'll grab coffee at the Daily Grind (optional).

My hope is to schedule a run at least 2 times a month and the runs will vary in length. Ultimately, I'd love Horizons Runners to have a run scheduled every week, but that's a future goal and not something I can do right now :). Depending on interest levels, we'll schedule runs in other places too, like the Mt. Vernon Trail and the C&O Towpath. Some of us plan on doing some marathons and 1/2 marathons later in the year, so we can organize some training for that as well.

If you've never done a group run before, don't be intimidated. I've done a few and there are always a wide range of "talent" levels.

I'll use this site to post the schedule of runs and other information that will be of interest to those of us who love running...or at least like running :)

If you have any specific questions about the run(s) that are not addressed here, please email me at karenegyud@aol.com.