Also check out their Fender bass snowboard build and their Lethal Weapon Paintball build. The ETT team is just sick!

I almost left without the wind breaker and that would killed the run. It was a little windy and cold. It was 33 degrees when I set out. 2 miles from my house to the bike path. Then it was 8 miles running on bike trails with tree cover almost the entire way. I consumed 2 gels and about 40 oz of water. Mentally I was in great shape when I stopped for a sports drink and to use the bathroom. I was at 10 miles. I was there about 15 minutes before I set out of again.

The next 10 miles where going to be hard. I was freezing again after my break. Took a good mile before I was warm from my sweat and body heat. I hit the wall at mile 13 as I was expecting. I started to walk imagining I was taking the wall down brick by brick. I also ate a Snickers bar to keep the energy up. I was running around a lake at this point and the wind had to be 10 degrees colder. By mile 15 I was well past the Raccoon River area and starting the last 5-6 miles up a slow gradual hill. It hurt bad by this point. I power walked a few times up some of the short gravel hills. I was happy to be on gravel at this point. My ankles and knees were feeling the pounding that my 200+ body was doing to my legs. Upper legs felt great and at no time did cardio come into play. I was singing most of the way as my iPhone pumped out the jams.

At mile 17 I had to cross a freeway under construction. I got my shoes so caked with mud that it felt like someone has switch out my Nike Free Runs with cinder blocks. I had to stop and clear off the mud. Back to pounding the pavement as I entered subdivisions well into my 17th mile. At times I guess I did kind a fartlek as I ran at a decent pace then backed off. I’d pick objects out and kept switching quick then slow. It seemed to help my legs feel better.

I was getting excited but my lower legs were hurting. It was then that I just focused on breaking through the pain and keep going. Mile 18. Mile 19. Mile 20 and I was just a handful of blocks from home. I hit my house at about 20.79 miles. I was not stopping until I did 21 so I ran to the park and around the tennis courts.

The relay and solo open group all started together as we headed up into the woods about 1:00 PM. I was about mid pack as everyone settled into the single track. There is only enough enough room on the trail for one person wide so passing is difficult. I still managed to pass a few people.  About a third of way into the 2 miles my toe caught a root and I fell flat on my forearm and side. Two people passed me as one of them asked if I was okay. I popped back up embarrassed, scraped and a little bloody. I continued on.

I made the stream crossing with just a few jumps. I charged up the big switchback on the Roller Coaster trail. Not too much farther I was making the last corner and out of the trail on my way to the Hillside trail when I veered off the trail on the outside of a curve. To stop myself from heading over the burm and tumbeling into the woods I stiff armed a medium size tree. I was planning to just bounce off the tree and back on the the trail. Well, the tree was rotten. It snapped like a toothpick at the base of the tree. I went right into the wood on top of the tree and tumbled for a bit. As soon as I realized what happened two people passed me without a word. I jumped up and whirled around to try and make my way back onto the trail. Little did I know that I had a thorn bush between my legs. I climbed back onto the trail as the thorns ripped the flesh between my legs. Instant pain.

As I set back into my stride I looked down and my knee and inside thighs were bleeding. Both legs on the inside were also tore up from the thorn bush and my right knee cap had a nice big scrape. I am all for hugging trees but that was a little too intimate for my liking.

As I continued on I realized I couldn’t breath as my lungs were on fire. I have not felt like this in years. It was like my lungs were collapsed and I couldn’t take in enough air.  I saw Terra and the kids as I started to climb the Hillside trail. It is the longest climb of the route and I was hurting.

I finally reached the top of Hillside and set into cruise mode. I winded through the trails here which is a nice maze of turns and decending switchbacks. After Hillside we dropped out of the woods on to some pavement for the sprint to the starting line. I tagged Ryan and he was off for 3 laps of the mountain biking route.

After my daughter cleaned my wounds I took a quick photo.

Here is Ryan coming in on his first lap.

Slowly my lungs stopped burning as I waited for Ryan. The kids hugged me as I told Terra about the tree and thorn bush incident. My lungs still felt collapsed.

As I waited for Ryan to come around on his final lap I stretched a little. I was dreading the final 2 miles but I was happy everyone was spread out to allow for easier running. Ryan managed to come into sight and was running his bike. He flattened on the hills and had to run his bike with clippin biking shoes for the last quarter mile of so. Little did I know that when I took off he launched his bike, mad that he flatted, and it almost took me out. See the video!

I was more relaxed the final lap. Lungs still burned but I managed to not fall, trip, tackle any trees, tumble into the woods or rack any thorn bushes between my legs the final 2 mile lap. Eventually I strided into the finish, launched off one of the boulders and clicked my heels in the air. Unfortunately my wife missed the photo.

Despite the bad luck it was a great event. I really wish we had more trail races in Des Moines. We certainly have a great single track system.

We waited for the awards ceremony and swag giveaway. I managed to pick up a few things from a local brewing company.

Great time had by all and I can pretty much guarantee a better time next year. I don’t know final time yet but I’ll post it when it is on the CITA website.

Here is a post team photo Terra took.

Here is an example of a three hours and fifty minute marathon pace race band I created as a test.

Create your own race pace band at http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/PaceBandCreator.cfm

What’s next for a running challenge? I have decided to focus on running an ultra marathon in 2012. Why not run a full marathon first you might be asking. It seems like the natural progression. A logical next step but not for me. I really like to run trails and I want to stick my finger in the eye of smug marathoners. Okay that last sentence doesn’t have anything to do with it. It really comes down to the trail and how much I love to run them. After all how much easier would a marathon be after doing a 50k or 31 miles. A lot in my book since running long distances is such a mental game for me. So that’s the plan. Go big or go home I guess.

April 2012 is the Chippewa 50k (http://www.frontrunnerusa.com/event/chippewa-50k-and-10k-trail-run) up in Wisconsin. It is an out and back route with a halfway cutoff of four hours and a final cutoff of nine hours. I have no time goals. I simply want to finish without injury and under the nine hours. Check out the map of the race from 2011.

Looking at my training for the rest of the year I want to run strong through the winter. I’d like to avoid the treadmill entirely and run outside. Rain, snow, and ice be dammed! Come January 2012 I will start the following 13 week 50k training plan.

Nothing on the weekly runs looks too hard for me right now. The money is in the weekend back to back runs. They are going to be really hard. The daily distance is just a minimum that I should be running according to the plan. I do want to run a personal marathon as part of this training so I will extend some of the longer runs. At least I can then say I have ran a marthon.

I have a few months before starting the above plan. Between now and then I want to try some of the mid plan weekly runs and see how my body holds up. I am committed and somewhat obsessed with running long distances right now. My mind is way ahead of my body at this point. With goals like ultras I don’t see myself falling back into my lazy ways then trying to shotgun a training plan.

If you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Don’t forget you can follow me on Daily Mile at http://www.dailymile.com/people/Husar#ref=tophd.

Last year was my first half. This year I had the advantage of knowing the route. I didn’t feel I was in as good of shape this year. I was hoping that knowing where the hills were and when to kick was going to help me out. I really did not know what to expect this year. I had to better 1:56:21 if I wanted ti PR.

I woke up early at 4:45 AM. I just couldn’t sleep. Nervous I guess. I ate two slices of bread with peanut butter, an apple, a glass of kool aid and a glass of water. Saturday I loaded up on pasta at lunch and dinner. I had popcorn at night while watching a movie. I hit the bed at around 11:30 and slept great until I woke.

I arrived downtown at 7:45 AM and loaded up 4 gels, my iPhone, and a long sleeve shirt. It was high 40′s and cool. After parking and walking to the starting line I decided to take my long sleeve shirt back to the car. I had plenty of time so I used the trek back to the car as a way to warm up. it was cold but I knew it was about to heat up as soon the race started. It was the right decision. After a few stretches I waited for the gun along with a few 1000 of other runners.

About a month ago I stopped running with my iPhone app telling me my pace. It was the best thing I ever did. The app now only tells me the distance. Since I have run this same half before I set the app up to tell me how far ahead or behind I was from last year. The gun sounded, or I guess it did because everyone started to move. After a minute or so I crossed the timing mats at start running. It was on!

After mile one I was forty five seconds ahead of last year. At mile two I was over two minutes faster. At the three mile mark I was 4:45 faster. Okay, alarms went off. Was I going out too fast? Was I going to bonk? How bad was this going to hurt at mile ten? After all these questions I did a quick check and asked myself, “How do you feel?”. I felt fine. I continued at my current pace. I didn’t know what pace I was running at but it was fast for me but it felt fine. Full steam ahead!

This photo is around mile 3. It is hands down the most awkward running photo I have ever seen. I am breaking off of the group to high five the family.

Some where around mile four the half and the full marathoners broke off from each other. Us wannabe half types continued on to a long downhill. But first I powered on the uphill and over the bridge. I passed a good number of runners on the uphill and that felt good.

By mile five I was way ahead of last year. Over five minutes in the bank. I thought to myself that all I need to do is control the pace, ride this out. I told my self that I felt good.. I was drinking at every water station but I was not sure how much I was getting in my mouth. I need to work on running and drinking from a Dixie cup. I took gel 30 minutes before the race, then at mile three, then at mile seven.

I was getting close to another bridge and I knew mile 10 was just ahead. After mile three I started to notice this one girl that was running with me. She’d pass me then I’d pass her. She would stop for water and I would snatch and keep going. She’d catch up. Around mile 9 I looked over and said, “I just can’t lose you.”. She looked a little shocked so clearly I was the only one that noticed our little competition. After my comment she knew it was on and we continued the game of her passing then me passing. I enjoyed the competition. To be honest it kept me pushing myself.

Around mile ten I saw the family again. The kids ran with me for a bit. I had side pains between mile eight and nine. By the time I saw the kids the pains were gone. Here is a photo at mile 10. All smiles!

I started to notice that my iPhone GPS was off. It was reading off the miles way before I reached the mile markers on the route. This started to worry me. Was I really eight minutes ahead of last year? Maybe not since the GPS and the markers were so different. I started to worry.

Around mile ten and eleven I lost my running competitor. She stopped at a water station and never managed to catch back up this time. I looked around and she was no where to be found. I was the victor! Time to bear down and drive for a PR. I had no clue where I was in time. But I did know I was hurting. I just told myself, “Two miles to go. Two miles to go!”

There was a nice hill at mile eleven and I again passed everyone in my area. I tried to stay strong. When I kept my head up I felt like I was flying. When I looked at my feet I felt like I was going so slow. I did not look down anymore.

I finally rounded the last turn and headed north to the finish line. About two blocks away I put the hammer down. It was more like a ball peen hammer than a sledge hammer but I dropped it just the same. I cruised across the finish line almost six and a half minutes a head of last year’s half marathon. I was spent and my feet hurt. I immediately tightened up in my legs. I met the family, ate a pulled beef sandwich, water, and a banana. After a little bit I grabbed a beer and went to get my final results printout. Final official result was 1:48:56. I was really happy!

Splits for average pace were as follows. Keep in mind that my GPS said I ran 13.77 miles. I am guessing that my GPS was off since this was a Boston approved course. Thus splits have to be off as well.

1 8:40
2 8:49
3 6:52
4 8:00
5 8:17
6 7:46
7 7:18
8 8:03
9 8:03
10 8:11
11 8:16
12 8:00
13 7:39
14 6:16

I am on my 5th beer as I sit in the theater room watching Sunday football. Feet still hurt but legs don’t feel too bad. To be honest I have no idea how I will ever finish a full marathon. Maybe I’ll skip the full and go for a 50k trail race in 2012.

I have also added a widget to the side bar that shows my last run. Feel free to send some encouragement my way. I need all I can get!

I am not a runner and I am doing this purly to test myself. I found an 18 week program online that I am following. I am jumping into it at week 4. I have been doing a little running and some long biking so I hope I can hang. If I can get through the next 4 weeks without injury then I think will be on my way. I have to lose some weight if I am going to make the full 26 miles. Keeping to the program below and reducing a few foods/pop I really don’t need anyway should do the trick.

I just weighted myself and I am 220. Yikes. That hurts! I am setting a goal weight of 204 by race day. Although I will be just happy to finish without injury I have set a goal of 4:10 for my final time. I don’t have a clue if that is possible but that is what I am shooting for.

I will most likely revive my fitness site I put together in 2010 to track my daily progress over there. Right now the site is disabled but it should be back up later this week. I will also post a weekly update over here that recaps my progress.

Consider this my official bid for my first (and only!) marathon. I am looking forward to the challenge! Here is the marathon training plan I am following. I have started this at week 4.

I have big plans this summer to ride my bike from my house in Iowa to my home town in Wisconsin. It is about 450 miles and will take me 5 days minimum to complete. I have planned my own rout and have already posted the plan. It is going to be a pretty crazy adventure. So if you want to follow the folly then Pirate Velo will have all my biking updates there now.

Since I now have Pirate Velo and Husarography going I have added links in the sidebar for the RSS feeds. This will help you keep up to date and save you from trying to visit all three sites.

Here you can see Noah and I taking it for a spin. It fits Noah like a glove and he thinks it is “pimp”. I am guessing he will be the primary rider.