Off to The Races

A few people have been asking, so here is a quick synopsis of the results for my last three races.

Run for the Pies:
5K (3.11 miles) on Saturday, June 14 – my 30th birthday. We came, we saw, we ate some pie. Oscar and I both beat our personal records (PRs), 19:41 for me (6:20 pace per mile) and he ran an 18:06 (5:49 ppm). Oscar finished 3rd in our age group and I finished 11th, so we both medaled AND were awarded pies. There were 1,167 runners and I finished 85th. Very cool race with lots of people. There was a huge afterparty at the Jacksonville Landing. I will definitely do this race again.

As a side note, my friends, Oscar and Erin, went WAY out of their way to make this a very special birthday for me. They took very good care of me and truly made it a great weekend.

Melon Run:
3 mile race on Friday, July 4. This was a pretty good race for me on a challenging course. I ran an 18:45, which is a 6:15 ppm and finished 26th out of 460 but was 4th in my age-group. My friend Dan and I ran the race together and he really helped push me through the tough parts. Afterwards, a bunch of the guys with whom I run got together and had a cook-out to celebrate the 4th. Overall, a really great day.

The Boilermaker:
15K (9.33 miles) on Sunday, July 13. I don’t even know where to start with this event. This was a giant race with about 12,000 registered, however, fewer than 10,000 finished, as I saw people pulling off the course with regularity. I placed 897 overall but, there was an error in the timing chips they used, so I’ll never know what my official times was for sure. My gun time was 1:08:20, but watch said I finished in 1:07:17 but the GPS on my watch said I went 9.42 miles and ran at a 7:09 ppm. The bottom line: No one knows.

This course was designed by Satan himself, with a steady incline for the first four miles. There was a point on the third mile where I looked up and could not see where the hill crested, just a stream of runners climbing the rays of sun. The climb was so tough, I closed my eyes (more than once) and kept chanting in my head ‘just keep your form.’ The last full mile was uphill and took everything I could muster just to reach the top of the hill. The last .33 was downhill, so everyone looked like great, finishing like a champion.

The most disappointing part of the race came at the 3-mile mark when I injured my foot. It seems I have plantar fasciitis, which feels kind of like a tear on the back of my arch/front of my heel. I don’t think this had too much of an impact on my race time, but I have been out of commission since then. I’m getting nervous and frustrated because my marathon training program starts very soon and the plan I am using has me running a 13 mile run the first week. As you all know, I have high-hopes for this marathon, so wish me well in healing up quickly.

Again, thank you to all of you who have contributed thus far – we’re up to $1,700! That’s really incredible, but we still have quite a way to go with 11 miles that need to be sponsored. Again, this money is going the American Heart Association to help fight heart disease and stroke, something that is near and dear to us all. Click on this link to make a donation and monitor my progress: Jake's Heart Walk Website

10 Questions with Jake Logan

I borrowed this concept from my friend, Oscar, who recently sent out an e-mail with a similar format. It seems my verbal incontinence translates to the written word, so if you want a short synopsis of all of this noise, scroll to the bottom of this posting that will sum it all up in 25 words or less.

Also, I am HALF WAY to my goal of getting miles for my run sponsored. Again, if you have the means or desire, grab one of the remaining miles. Jake's Marathon Challenge. Now, on to the questions:

Q1: I understand you’re not doing the NYC Marathon. Are you still doing a marathon and why not New York?
A1: Yes, I am still doing a marathon and it’s true, I am not doing the NYC Marathon. I blame Oprah for getting your hopes up. You see, when I began this journey, I decided my first marathon was going to be the biggest and most visible of marathons. It fit with my timeline, I have family and friends in the City, there would be lots of fan support. If you’re going to do a marathon, this is the one to do. The one caveat to all of this is that, even though there are about 40,000 participants, something like eight times that number actually tries to register, so they have to have a lottery. Taking Oprah’s advice and following the ideas of The Secret, (if you know me, you understand this is tongue in cheek) everything I said and did were as if I had already made in to the marathon. As my dear cousin Jenny would say, I was placing an order. What I learned is the following: Oprah is a sham, The Secret doesn’t work and I will exact my revenge on them both. My marathon partner and my sister-in-law also missed out but congratulations and good luck to my friend and supporter Kellie Cofer for making it in – I’ll be thinking of you…you shameless harlot.

Q2: So, which marathon are you doing and what is this business about having a partner?
A2: Marathon partner, wise guy. I’ve become friends with one of the guys who I was running into at the races. His name is Patrick but I call him Oscar. We do our track workouts together and sometimes other runs. I asked him to think about joining me and after careful consideration and running a full background check on me, he agreed. He’s much faster than I am, but this is a pretty good partnership. As far as what marathon we’re running, he and I sat down Thursday night and studied our options. We considered Charlotte, Miami, Austin and many more. I lobbied kind of hard for the Flying Monkey Marathon near Nashville (It’s through a giant state park and there are actually Flying Monkeys that may glide in and try to tackle you. How freaking great would it be to have a story like that – and as you well know, I will make GREAT sacrifices in order to have a story like that tucked away). In the end we found our race – once we looked at all the vitals, we both just FELT like it was what we needed to do. So, about six months from now, we’ll have finished the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis, TN. We wanted a big race (3,000 in the marathon, 8,000 in the half), that was well organized and on a relatively fast course so we could get good times, had good weather probability, we wanted to do it this calendar year and space it in between some other really big races we wanted to do. It was the perfect fit. We slept on it and both registered the next day. Hooray for us!

Q3: Why are your answers so damn long-winded?
A3: Have you met me?

Q4: You mentioned you wanted to get good times. What is your goal for this race?
A4: The goal I’m sharing is to go under 3:30, which would be 8 minutes or less per mile. I have a different time I am kicking around, but that’s no one’s business. I’ve heard too many stories from runners I respect who thought they would race the whole thing and hit the proverbial wall, so I am comfortable saying I want to go under 3:30. Oscar is going to try and go under 3 hours, which is seriously hauling butt.

Q5: So, when do you start training and what system are you using?
A5: In truth, my training has already begun. Today was a long, easy day. I did nine miles and experimented with step-down workout. I began kind of slow, with about an 8:40 mile, then cut 10 to 15 seconds off per mile. The last two miles of this workout were a 7:30 and a 7:15. I really enjoyed this workout. It’s supposed to teach my body to finish strong. I will begin a specific marathon program in August that’s from the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training, or FIRST. There are two different training programs from FIRST, but I haven’t decided on which one to do for sure. There are three basic workouts, and interval workout on the track, a tempo or threshold run and a long run. I’ll be mixing active recovery days in as well. That’s just so very much more than you want to know.

Q6: You mentioned something about Memphis falling between some other races. Anything cool?
A6: Actually, yeah. There are some very cool races I am planning on doing. They’re all tentative at this point depending on what happens in my world, but check this out:
June 14 – Run for the Pies, 5K, Jacksonville. If you manage to finish under 20 minutes, they actually give you a pie. That’s a stretch for me, but stranger things have happened.
July 4 – Melon Run, 3mi., Gainesville. This is one of Gainesville’s oldest races. The men and women run the same course, but in different directions AND the top three or so finishers in the age group win a watermelon.
July 13 – The Boilermaker 15K, Utica, NY. This is one of the nation’s largest 15K races – and has been called the best, in part because it finishes at a brewery and has a pretty great after-party, but also because it’s a challenging course that is literally lined with cheering spectators.
Aug. 8 & 9 – Tour de Pain, Jacksonville. This is actually three races in less than 24 hours. It starts with a 4 mile beach run at twilight on the 8th. On the 9th, they have a morning 5K and an afternoon 1 mile race. Ouch!
Sept. 27 – Expedition Everest Challenge, Animal Kingdom, Disney World. This race starts with an obstacle course, has a 5K, then a scavenger hunt all in Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Word on the street is that the after party will be pretty clutch.
Nov. 14 & 15 – Ragnar Relay, Clearwater to Daytona Beach. Many of you are familiar with the Hood to Coast relay, well; this is the Florida version of that race. Me and 11 of my friends are going to run from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean (191 miles) in less than 24 hours. This means we’ll have to do about 16 miles each in several legs, running under 7:30 seconds per mile. How great is that!
Dec. 6 – St. Jude Marathon, Memphis TN. 26.2 miles through the downtown area.

Q7: Wow.
A7: I know, right!

Q8: What was eight for?
A8: Eight? Eight? I forget what eight was for.

Q9: Wait a minute, isn’t the Run for the Pies on your 30th birthday? Isn’t there a better way to spend this auspicious occasion?
A9: Indeed, it is on my birthday and yes, I can think of a few other ways I would like to spend this day. If I had my long since estranged druthers, I would be sitting in the bleachers in Wrigley Field, having a giant, giant beer and slowly finding myself in the cups.

Q10: Are you freaking out about turning 30?
A10: No, this will be the best decade of my life. I believe my life will come together this decade and be better than I could have imagined just a year ago. (An alternate answer would be: Yes, I’m freaking out! I want to strap some fruit-striped gum to my hands and go play in traffic until I find a tan flavoured Toyota Camry that can just end it all…but that’s more depressing than I like for this blog to be, so…let’s stick with the first answer.

Short Synopsis:
I didn’t get into the NYC Marathon and am running the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis instead. Please donate to my Marathon Challenge.

1993

When I think back to high school, I fancy that I was a runner. So, I found my high school records and looked up my times. The shocking reality (to me, at least) is that during my sophomore year, I was a runner, indeed. The rest of the time, I guess I just ran some? It was a sad realization that I took my running seriously for only one year.

After perusing the Venice High School Cross Country record books from 1993, I remember much more clearly now. All Boys’ Cross Country races were three miles in that day and in the first race of the year, the grueling Venice Invitational, I bonked (hit the wall), finishing with a 20:35 and sixth on the team. I was embarrassed and relegated to JV for one race and that’s when I began to take the season seriously. Over the course of the next eight weeks, I cut a little more than three minutes off my time, to finish with 17:33, a 17:28, then in my last Cross Country race ever, I set a personal record (PR) of 17:24, or 3 miles at a 5:48 per mile pace.

After my sophomore year, I unceremoniously quit. Friends, girlfriends and my job were all more important to me at the time. Our high school had a fairly good reputation for distance runners, including the state Cross Country record holder (14:05 – crackhead time, if you ask me). I was less than one minute shy of making the all-time VHS Cross Country team and I had two more years of school and puberty in which I could accomplish this feat. Alas, likening myself to Cher, if I could turn back time…

For months now, I’ve been running a comparatively pedestrian 5K at 21:42 (6:59 per mile pace). I have, however, adjusted my standards and expectations for the old-man I have become, complete with a smattering of grey hairs. Today is exactly one month away from my 30th birthday and there is nothing to do here but look forward and set expectations based on the present. My first goal in this brave new world of mine is to see if I can break 21 minutes on a 5K and I’ll put that to the test this Saturday in Tallahassee. There’s a trail run at Wakulla Springs State Park, which may be a slow course but I’m ready for the challenge. Wish me well.

Again, thank you to all who have contributed to my Marathon Challenge or cheered me on thus far. It’s thrilling in that we’ve raised nearly $1,100 for such a great cause – it’s a little daunting, however, $1,100 is less than half way the $2,620 goal. If you can sponsor a mile, great – please click on the Marathon Challenge Website and reserve your mile. Certainly, every bit will help, so donate what you can if you can. Again, thank you so much for all the support and encouragement so far.

The Challenge

Once again, I am raising money for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, but this year is going to be a little bit different: Instead of doing our non-competitive 5K, I’ve decided to run The New York City Marathon for the cause. Heart Disease and Stroke are aggressive killers, so I have set an aggressive personal goal in running 26.2 miles, as I’ve never run more than 14 miles. It bears to reason that I’m also setting an aggressive fundraising goal. I want to raise $100 a mile, so for 26.2 miles, that’s $2,620.

I’m raising this money to fight our nation’s No.1 killer and I’m asking for your help. I am looking for 26 sponsors at $100 a piece. If you sponsor me, I will run the mile you sponsor for you. So, for the race, I will write your name on my arm and as I pass into your mile, I will be thinking of you or the loved one you choose. That’s right – I’ll have you in my thoughts for the entire (God willing) 7 to 8 minutes. As a side note, if I get sick on your mile, you have to pay double.

I know $100 is a lot of money, so if that amount is just outside your budget, maybe you can find someone who will split this amount with you and together you can sponsor a mile. If you can’t sponsor a mile, any amount will do. Also, if you want to sponsor more than one mile, I’d be thrilled.

I have committed to this intense training process because of how strongly I feel for the live-saving work the American Heart Association is doing. I’ve set my sights on the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3 and although the race is just under 200 days from now, my training has already begun.

Please click on this link: Jake's Website to make an online donation today to be a part of the American Heart Association’s efforts to raise $1 million dollars in one day. Save my link on your favorites to monitor my progress toward the goal of $2,620. If you are uncomfortable making an online donation, please send a check made out to the American Heart Association to my home address at:

Jake Logan
4972 NW 45th Rd. #104
Gainesville, FL 32606

I plan on sending several e-mails out detailing the trials and tribulations of the training process, which promise to be entertaining enough in their own right to warrant a $100 donation. Also, there is some talk of a website with pictures and the like, so we’ll see.

Again, thank you so much for your support. If you donate, shoot me an e-mail back saying what mile you want and why so I can reserve your space right away.

Off And Running

It’s been less than a week since I launched the Marathon fundraising campaign and we’ve already raised $620! There’s still another $2,000 to go, but this is an encouraging start.

Thank you to the following people for their generous donations: Cindy Coto, Dawn Hall, Nate & Paula Wolf (mile 1), George Logan, Karen Kayir (mile 7) and Max Logan (out of his allowance, Max has the final .2). I donated personally and think I’ll take the 5th mile. Additionally, I have verbal commitments for miles 9 and 6.

When I get the opportunity to add to this, I will talk a little more about my history as a runner and what got me going again, but I wanted to send a quick thank you to those who got this campaign rolling and to encourage others to join them and reserve a mile of their own. Click on this link: Jake's Website to donate to my website and monitor my progress.