An Epic Weekend in Asheville

I left my legs and voice somewhere in the hills of Asheville, but it was well worth it. Greg and I, and eight close friends, headed westward on Friday afternoon, cars packed full with camping gear and other (not so) necessary spoils for the weekend.

Friday afternoon/evening was spent setting up camp and hittin' up the race expo, but most importantly we indulged in our pre-race meal at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Asheville. Delicious food in a delectable atmosphere...it was hard not to over-indulge. Afterwards we made way back to camp and had ourselves a campfire. The race crew, comprised of myself, Greg and my girlfriend Katie, made our way to bed relatively early. We knew we would be crawling out of the tent as the rest of the crew were making their way in.

It was an early morning, crisp and foggy. We made our way into downtown Asheville with a little more than an hour to spare before the race. We spent most of that time in the car, trying to avoid the "cold", but eventually got out to jog a bit and stretch a bit and get rid of any pre-race jitters.

Before I give you the run-down (no pun intended!) of the race, let me give you a few side notes about the week leading into the race. Earlier in the week, before attempting a mini "taper", Greg and I tackled two break-through workouts. The meat of the first was as follows: 3x 1200 at 10km pace, followed by 3x 2 minute hill-repeats, followed by 1x1200 at 10km pace. We nailed it. Started off conservative, but discovered some hot speed on the UNC track before heading to do hill repeats on Raleigh hill. Nailed 'em. We eeked out a few steps further on each repeat. We headed back to the track for the last 1200 and obliterated it. Confidence boost, engaged. The next workout, coming about 36 hours later was a 15km tempo run at marathon pace (MP). We were able to hold MP through some rugged trails and rough hills. After nailing these two key workouts so close together, we were stoked for a little rest and taper,  but most of all for what was to come for the weekend.

Back to the race--we approached it as a workout. Another tempo run at MP. We've been aiming for about 6:45 per mile pace (or a bit faster) for our MP runs. Our plan was to try and keep our effort consistent. We knew we were in for a HILLY run, so we approached it humbly with an open mind. We also kept it light-hearted and conversational for the most part, much to the dismay of some around us. We clocked a fast first mile, pulled it back a bit. In the second and third miles we were a bit disheartened after having to climb a couple mountains. No biggie though, this was just another workout. We tried to take in the epic sights, meet fellow runners and I'll  be damned if we didn't have a great time out there. We gave the volunteers our best hoopin' and hollerin', and did the best we could with the difficult race course. One minute we were cruising on a gradual downhill, round the corner and we were abruptly slowed to not much more than a walk by heart-breaking inclines. But, despite the climbs, despite having ourselves a little fun, and despite approaching it as a workout, we were clocking miles sub-MP. We knew from the course map that we were in for a few tough climbs in the last three miles, and they weren't lyin'. The hardest climb came soon after mile 11, it was the steepest and longest climb of the course. We put kept our cadence, effort and heads about us and flew up, dropping and passing fellow runners along the way. The last 1.5 miles were all uphill. Terrain-wise, they weren't the hardest, but they were the only miles that didn't go by quickly. But Gregor and I had each other and we pulled each other through like we've done through so many workouts.

We had one runner in our sites within the last half-mile. We reeled him in, and rounding the last turn to finish shoot, we passed him with a nice little kick. The best part of this all, Gregor and I finished together. To the right is a picture of our finish. Crossing the finish line we were both ecstatic. On a rough n' tumble race course, on our third tough workout of the week, we didn't race but still crushed our expectations. We finished  in 1:26:33 (6:37 per mile pace), good enough for15th and 16th overall, and 2nd and 3rd in the 20-24 age group.

Afterwards we enjoyed post-race refreshment, which included two free pints compliments of Asheville's Highland Brewing Company (don't mind if we do). We also stuck around to accept our commemorative medals for placing in our age group, which we're sporting in the second picture.

Next, we made a B-line for the French Broad River Campground to join the rest of our crew for a lazy day on the river. It was a weekend we'll all be wistful for in the future.

Greg and I are more stoked and motivated than ever. We've seen some of the damage that we can do but I think we both agree that we don't really know what we're capable of...time to re-evaluate MP?

What more could a couple of guys ask for after a dream weekend like that, you ask? Well, actually one more thing: Please help us to raise money for Chatham Habitat for Humanity. Every donation inspires us to run further and faster, and more importantly helps to build affordable housing in Chatham County, NC. You can donate by clicking this link: https://sna.etapestry.com/fundraiser/ChathamHabitatforHumanity/buildingphase/ Help us to build, help Chatham Habitat to build.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for building.

Until next time,

Wilbie

p.s. I'd like to give a shout out to our race crew Katie Knapp for putting up with our shenanigans. She's the best in the biz.

One Run at a Time

Gregor here, half way through our training plan for The City of Oaks Marathon.  Only 67 days left 'til race day!

It's been a fun past two weeks now that the two of us are back training together and school is in full swing once again.  While the training has been great overall for the both of us in the past two weeks, we've had to learn the hard way to approach each training run with an open mind and most importantly, to listen to our bodies over our minds.  This particular lesson was hammered home for the two of us last Thursday during a planned sixteen mile run, a run which would have served as our weekly long run.  Things started ordinarily enough, until a belly ache had Willbie curling over and a side stitch had me clutching for my stomach.  Eventually these woes passed and we carried on with our run.  After meeting up with the club cross country team for some company, our respective stomach troubles returned, at which time we should have just decided that Thursday wasn't our day and headed home.  However, we chose to carry on.  What seemed like eternities later, although it was only about twenty minutes, Willbie and I were slowly trudging along on the track in an effort to "regain our pace".  There was no pace to be regained at this point, however, as the energy in our legs had been long since depleted.  After 11.5 miles, and 1.5 mile from home, with our legs lead laden, we made the tough decision to finally call it quits, a decision that should have been made about four miles before this.

Although it was tough to put a halt to a run 3 miles short of completion, the two of us learned an important lesson, and one that was reinforced by the feeling in our legs the next morning: some days you just don't have it.  And by "it" I mean any bounce to your step.  In a long haul like the build up to a marathon, it's especially important to listen to your body.  Our heavy legs were our bodies' way of telling us that it just wasn't our day.   While it's never something to make a habit of, calling a run short in the interest of quality running is always a good idea, especially considering the fact that there is training to be done the following day, week, month, et cetera.

Overall the past two weeks have been great, despite this slight hiccup in our training.  We've got some quality runs coming up in the next few weeks including a 20k marathon pace run that I'm personally quite excited about.  We'll be sure to let you all know how it goes!

Til next time,

Gregor      

I LoVermont

It's been a busy but good few weeks! My family and I made our annual trip up north to New England for a family reunion. We spend the majority of the week in beautiful New Hampshire and Vermont. But, we do drive both ways so we get a taste of the better part of the East Coast.

On the running front, the trip was a mix of mundane treadmill runs, consisting of staring at myself in a mirror for over an hour, and some of the most invigorating runs I've been on in my life--the kind that remind your why you run. It's always hard to stay consistent and stick to the plan when traveling, so I always try to allow for a little flexibility. This is a trip I make once a year, where I get to see people I only see once a year, whereas I run almost every day. It's important to keep this in mind and not be too uppity about missing workouts. That being said, I think I only missed one run this time around and genuinely enjoyed the majority of them that I did get in. Vermont and New Hampshire both have extensive networks of dirt road that go through farms, residential areas and remote forests. These roads provided for some true rave runs. Just me and the dirt road. My biggest worry was crossing paths with a moose, which is an experience I would have welcomed. After those runs, I'm thinking of starting a dirt road campaign down south...

My mileage has settled for now in the 50-60 mile range but will take a bump in the coming weeks up into the 70s. I went for my first true long run this passed weekend a bit under the weather. I went out for 16 and some change, running loops in and around Chapel Hill/Carrboro and including as much trail as I could. I held up OK but didn't have much pep in my step by the end. I sported my new American flag running shorts in spirit of the last day of the Olympics and the Men's Marathon that took place that morning. Meb Keflezighi, American runner, took 4th and I have a hard time not considering the fact that those shorts might have had something to do with it...shout out to my cousin for hooking those up.

I'd also like to give a shout out to my partner in crime, Greg Allison, for turning the big 21 this passed week. I'm completely stoked for him to join me down south this coming Friday.

Stay tuned.

Wilbie

First month in the books

It's hard to believe it, but the first four weeks of our training plan have already whizzed by. Gregor and I devised our secret plan before he headed northward home during the last week in June. Before he left, we were running together most days, building slowly so that we would be ready for the start of our plan. We have both dealt with some nagging pains and little injuries in the first few weeks of training. But, we dealt with them responsibly by taking time off, which is one of the hardest things to make yourself do, and we're stronger for it and will be better for it in the long run (pun intended).

I have no problem at all with running alone, in fact I enjoy it most days. But I will say I am stoked to have my training buddy back down south in a few weeks to tackle some of the monster miles we have planned. It would have been nice to have him this week too, when I attempted my first true track workout since April. In the early stages of introducing speed, we have been using fartlek-type intervals and some tempo. For instance a typical fartlek interval workout would be: 8 miles with the middle 20 minutes going 1 minute hard, 30 seconds easy recovery. It's a way to get your legs movin' without stressing about splits, intervals, and all the other mental games the track plays with you. But this past Wednesday, it was time to hit the track and leave behind whatever pent up animosity I have towards it. The workout was 12x400 at 5k pace, with some warm-up and cool-down to reach 7-8 miles total for the run. 400s or quarters might seem preferable to a longer interval, but if you're doin' em' right, they are equally brutal. And if you're doing 12, it begins to be a test of endurance as well. I ran them all in 77-81 seconds, a little too inconsistent for one-lappers, but as an inaugural battle on the track, I'll take it. My coach used to say that if you fade more than five seconds from your first rep, then chances are you're probably done and you're at the point of diminishing returns from your workout. But, my first rep was 78, so I stayed in my range. I did have the excellent company of my parents at the track, both of whom are training for the City of Oaks half marathon and who insisted on meeting at 6:30 AM. A little early for my liking, but it's always nice to have someone out there hurting with ya!

Speaking of hurting, I also ran my first true trail race on Saturday AM. I warmed-up with a 4 mile run to the race site and warmed up even more during the 6k race. It was the Race to Sustainability, celebrating local businesses and their sustainable efforts. Cool stuff. It also utilized the underused Carolina North Forest, an awesome and too often forgotten network of trails running through the heart of Chapel Hill. See more info about the race here: http://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=9363 The race didn't start til 9, which is a bit unusual but I'm all for a relaxed approach. But this did mean muggy, hot, sweaty humidity. I do a fair amount of running on trails but I guess most of it is pretty easy running because the race hurt. My garmin clocked 3.95 miles for the race, so it was a little longer than 6k. I ran in the front pack of four for the majority of the race. It consisted of two youngsters, an older ripped-up dude, and myself. The majority of the race was ran on single-track trail, so we were running single file, making it hard to pass. The older, ripped-up dude flew by us all at about the 2 mile mark. At this point I was right behind one of the young guns. He seemed content leading, so I let him lead knowing I would have to make a move around at some point. With about a mile to go the youngster was fading and the trail widened so I decided it was time to go. Much to his dismay, which he made known, I skirted around him and made a decisive break-away. I knew I had to pass and go if I wanted to hold onto 2nd. I ran hard and the last mile ended up being the hardest, which may have worked to my advantage in holding off the two young guns. I finished about 30 seconds behind the older, ripped-up dude, and in retrospect I probably should have gone with him when he passed, but easier said than done. In addition to it being my first trail race, it was the first Race to Sustainability as well. It was a fun event and a great start to the weekend.

I polished off the 50-mile week with a 13 mile long(ish) run. The reason I include "ish", is because they will become much longer all too soon. I'm happy with where I am at this point and how I'm progressing. I can feel my running legs coming back and I'm beginning to recover quicker. Good stuff all around, though, this is still the building phase.

Peace,

Wilbie

Let's get this show on the road!

Welcome to The Building Phase! We are delighted that you've made it this far to see the bare bones of our archaic blog. We promise to make it more colorful and less of an eye-sore soon!


To get you up to speed we are going to start off with a Building Phase Q&A. This will explain the ins and outs of our initiative, and explain to you how you can be involved!

The Building Phase Q&A

What is The Building Phase?

The Building Phase is an initiative to be active in the community through an active lifestyle. Specifically, through the “building phase” of marathon training, we will also work to “build” at Chatham Habitat for Humanity by raising money and hosting regular work site days.

What is our rationale?

Through the process of raising money for the 3 Ring Cycle, a great ride put on by Chatham Habitat in early summer, and through working with Habitat in different capacities, we realize our ability to inspire people and to raise money for the great cause that Habitat is. When we decided to run this marathon in the fall, we saw it as an opportunity to be active in our activeness. We are spritely young men with the ability to rally and inspire, why not run for something bigger than ourselves?

How will The Building Phase work?

We, both experienced athletes, are training for the City of Oaks Marathon that will take place on November 4^th, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is our hope that as we build in our training we can help Habitat build as well. The Building Phase will support Habitat two-fold; through donations and through work site days.

Donations can be made in two ways: in the form of a flat payment or in a recurring format. Our original idea was to have people sponsor per mile of training/racing we do, but this would become a bit complicated and cumbersome. To ease the process, and because we do still like the idea of being sponsored per mile we run, we have outlined some suggested donation tiers based on our training plan. If you would like to check-in weekly, every other week, or monthly and donate based on our progress, then by all means do! We hope that if you decide on a flat donation that you will still check in for our weekly blog posts.

At this point (7/23/12) we are entering week 4 of serious training out of an 18-week training plan. Each week ranges from 43-85 miles. Suggested donations will be dependent on these ranges. Here are the totals as it stands now:

Week 1	43-53
Week 2	49-61
Week 3	44-58
Week 4	44-56
Week 5	46-60
Week 6	52-65
Week 7	50-62
Week 8	60-81
Week 9	61-73
Week 10	50-62
Week 11	60-81
Week 12	64-85
Week13	50-62
Week 14	60-81
Week 15	67-80
Week16	60-70
Week 17	60-70
Week 18	60-70

So, at the minimum it will be 980 miles and at the maximum it will be 1230. If we were to conquer the minimum mileage of 980, which is nothing to sneeze at, then here's what suggested donations would look like:

Mileage	Donation per mile	Total Donation
980	5 cents	$50
980	10 cents	$100
980	25 cents	$250
980	50 cents	$500

And if we hit the maximum of 1230 miles, then it would look more like this:

Mileage	Donation per mile	Total Donation
1230	5 cents	$62
1230	10 cents	$123
1230	25 cents	$308
1230	50 cents	$615

All of the total donations are approximate and merely suggestions. Every dollar counts, every dollar helps.


As for donating time on the work site to the cause, at this point we are planning on hosting a handful of Saturday work days. There will probably be one or two in September, two in October and one in Novemeber. We are working on getting the dates finalized for those work days. But, we anticipate those being fun events and they are a great way to be involved with The Building Phase. The time we put in on the work site is just as valuable as the money we raise.

We appreciate you taking the time to read our long-winded explanation of our initiative. Now, it's time to get the ball rolling! You can be expecting blog updates about how the actual running is going in the next week. We are both finding our running legs and gaining fitness at this point.

To make a donation you can follow follow this link:

 https://sna.etapestry.com/fundraiser/ChathamHabitatforHumanity/buildingphase/ 

We appreciate your support and so does Chatham Habitat for Humanity. Thanks for being a part of The Building Phase Team!

Gregor and Wilbie