Day 1,280: The Peachtree Expo

This year you had to pay an extra fee to have your Peachtree 10K race number and packet mailed to you. Since I work near the expo site, I decided to pick up my race number today.

Generally, race expos are pretty fun -- there are plenty of free samples of things, drawings to enter and neat gear to buy.

I didn't get out of there without paying $20 for a red New Balance technical shirt. I picked up a couple of reusable grocery bags and even got a mini Moon Pie.

This afternoon I spent most of the time analyzing my split times for recent races, fast training runs and even previous Peachtree 10Ks.

I guess it's hard to tell how well you'll do until you're in the middle of it. Like many races I don't plan on working too hard although those are the times that I end up with good race times.

I'm definitely ready for the race, the only thing that remains now is to have fun through it.

Light run today, hopefully this week's long taper will help!

Time: 9 a.m.
Temp: 73 degrees
Gear: CFSST (Green Dash 5K), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26/B.

Day 1,278: The next 100 days

Today I noticed on the Bank of America Chicago Marathon's website that the race is a little more than 100 days away.

Unlike in January when I decided I would run in the ING Georgia Marathon, Chicago seems so far away.

I feel like my conditioning is just as good as then, if not better. I think the main thing is that I won't know until race day whether I've truly prepared for the race and who knows what wrinkle will be created, like getting leg cramps at Mile 15.

Despite this, I feel like my focus is pretty good. All of my training now has the race in mind. I'm still planning on running several races in between now and then, including Sunday's Peachtree 10K, the July 31 Rock'n'Roll Chicago Half Marathon and possibly the Sept. 6 US 10K Classic.

But I won't be specifically training for them, although each race likely will help my overall conditioning and mindset for the marathon.

So who knows? Who knows if I'll be able to do long runs in Atlanta's very high heat. But I will give myself every chance to cross the finish line -- in 100 days.

Day 1,277: Over jet lag

The last few days I've had some kind of jet lag and have been rewarded with waking up to extremely hot temperatures when I go out to run.

Today I was able to wake up earlier for once and the temperature was much more mild, with a nice breeze in between.

I've been holding myself to a pre-race taper, even though the Peachtree 10K is more of a race that's a reward for running instead of a regular race to run.

I've crossed 900 miles for the year, but now my only goal in mind is being able to finish the Chicago Marathon strong this fall.

Time: 8:15 a.m.
Temp: 73 degrees
Gear: CFSST (Patagonia), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26/B.

Replacing bike brake pads

Yesterday when the fiancee and I went out on bikes to Jake's Ice Cream, I noticed that my rear brake pads on my Trek 7700 FX were clear to the nubbins.

I remember I'd replaced them before, although I couldn't find any notation of it in this blog or anywhere.

I'd hoped to get a run in using my trip to Atlanta Cycling as an errand but I couldn't find my old Cannondale hex wrench tool, so I couldn't remove the brake pads. Just as well because the pads still on the bike helped serve as a guide as to proper placement of them when it came time to taking them off.

So I drove to Atlanta Cycling and bought brake pads. I bought a set of Bontrager Linear Pull Brake Pads for $14.99, a pretty good deal. Just buying the pads themselves (you can pull out a pin on the pad assembly and slide the new ones in) cost the same price.

A new hex wrench tool cost me $11.99. I was in business.

I came back home and used the hex wrench to unfasten the brake assembly. When it's in place it's impossible for me to remove the rear tire. Once un-hexed, it was a snap to pull off the brake pad assemblys. All I had to do was unhex it and make sure I kept track of where the washers were.

Then I put on the new ones, making note of where the old pads were in relation to the tire.

This ultimately didn't seem to matter as I used the tire itself when I put it back on as to where I should properly place the brake pads, tightening them along the way.

Finally I rehooked the brake assembly and made sure the brake pads were properly spaced apart from the tire (and not rubbing against it).

A short spin around the neighborhood served as a test of the new brakes and made me feel extremely handy today!

Day 1,273: Back in Atlanta

Despite running where you could see the sea in the distance, I enjoyed coming back home and running on familiar routes.

The heat hasn't seemed to be a problem yet -- maybe I brought some of Hawaii's famous trade winds back with me.

My run Friday was pretty brutal. I usually don't run very well after I get off an airplane, but of course I had to continue the streak!

Today we ran out along the Spring Street course. I feel like I'm still acclimated pretty well to Atlanta's famous summer heat.

Today I also bought a 70-ounce Camelbak for my marathon training runs. I used one to pretty good effect in 2000 when I trained for the Portland Marathon.

And I must wait until Friday to go to the Peachtree 10K expo to pick up my race number. My number is in Group A and I can't wait to run in this year's race!

Time: 10 a.m.
Temp: 79 degrees
Gear: CFSST (Champion C9), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26/B.

Day 1,271: Back in Kula

KULA, Hi. -- Today I ran down from the mountain, via the Kula Highway and Lower Kula Road to the Holy Ghost Church.

A man was just opening the church up, so I got to see inside. Despite its small size, it looked pretty spacious. I counted four sets of nine pews that easily could seat six each.

The view was pretty wonderful. On the way back the hills didn't seem to be that big of a problem and although I told myself it would be fine to walk up the hilly (220 feet elevation gain in six-tenths of a mile) road back to my grandmother's house, I found myself able to handle the pretty technical hill.

I was able to accelerate on the very last bit and even though I scaled their hilly driveway, I still was huffing and puffing a little.

But now I'm glad I did it! It was an excellent way to close out a sad but good trip to Hawaii.

Time: 6 a.m.
Temp: 65 degrees
Gear: CFSST (Patagonia, red), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26/B.

Day 1,270: Running in Honolulu

HONOLULU -- I was planning on running in Maui but I had enough time in the morning to give myself another nice run in Honolulu.

I started out going down Nuuanu and then I turned on Vineyard instead of School Street. I extended up past Wyllie but then came back and then went back up the Pali to Country Club Road.

Even though it was a little later than I'd been used to (after 10 a.m.), I feel my heat acclimitization from Atlanta helped.

Saw a wonderful golf course with some kind of Japanese-temple looking lodge.

Time: 10:20 a.m.
Temp: 75 degrees
Gear: CFSST (Champion C9), shorts, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26/B.