MapMyRun

I love my Nike+ monitor, but the other day I was wondering how accurate it really was. I didn't feel like going to the gym to run on the (itty-bitty) track. Seriously, 12-13 laps per mile can make you dizzy. I feel like a hamster running in a ball when I run there.

Anyway, I found this site Map My Run. It allows you to, er, map your run by clicking on the map to indicate your route. Then it will calculate the distance for you. It seems pretty powerful and does say something about integration with the Nike+ monitor, but I haven't gotten that far yet. So far I used it to make sure my monitor was calibrated properly. It said I was running about 2.5 miles during my regular workout and Map My Run confirmed that distance.

Now I've been using it to devise a new route that adds a little length. Last time I tried to diverge while I was out running, I almost got lost and ended up climbing a rather large hill to get home. Thankfully, Map My Run has a topo feature as well so as long as I plan the route before I go, I shouldn't face that challenge again, unless I want to (doubtful!)

Race Wrap-up

I did it! The 5K was fantastic. I finished in about 37 minutes - a 10:50 ish pace. Not bad for the first time around.

I really had a great time - the actual run was tough, but I really enjoyed the whole event. It was fun to run with other people and Ernest was a terrific wing man. :) I was honored to meet Olivia's mother and father - I'm glad we were able to raise some money in her memory.

It was so cool to have my whole family there (except my brother!). At the end of the race, I was really dragging and it ended on a small incline. My dad was there and helped me run the last leg. Thanks, Dad!

The run was actually 5.5 K - much to my surprise. I always figured races were really accurate, but I guess not. I even thought that maybe my Nike+ monitor was not calibrated properly. This past week I tested it out and it is definitely accurate so I actually ran 3.44 miles - .34 miles more than I expected to run.

So, what next? I had promised myself a week off after the race, but I didn't really take it. I definitely took it easier this past week, but I couldn't just do nothing. I don't want to fall out of the routine I set.

I decided that I want to run another race, so I looked around a bunch and found this one:
Lacamas Lake Half Marathon. They have a 4 mile race, which is just slightly more than I ran last weekend.

I'm trying to figure out how to get my pace higher (run faster). This week, I started doing some strength training workouts in addition to the 2.5-3 mile runs. I'd like to do two strength training workouts + 2-3 runs per week. The days I do strength, I'm going to warm up with a 1 mile run that I run at a faster pace then usual. Hopefully that will help me get a feel for a faster run. We'll see!