GT350H

Just got back from Kentucky Speedway - did the "King's Experience" level of the Richard Petty Driving Experience (used my American Express points!). What a blast. After getting fitted for driving suit and helmet and about a 30 minute safety/mechanical class (some people have actually lied and got into the cars not knowing how to drive a 4 speed), we were strapped in to real NASCAR stock cars (a mixture of older Sprint Cup cars and a few new Car of Tomorrow versions). Mine was actually a Ch*vy Monte Carlo with Navy sponsorship. Had to wear the HANS device which really limits your peripheral vision as you only have a few degrees available to turn your head from side to side.

After verifying you have brake pedal pressure, the car is fired up and you roll out of pit lane solo, following an instructor in another car who drives the correct race line. You goal is to maintain a 3-4 car length distance behind the instructor and follow his (or her!) line precisely - the better you follow the line the faster they will let you go. While during the orientation, we were told that there were cones entering the banked (14 degree) turns showing where we should let off the throttle, by about the 2nd lap this became unnecessary as the instructors apparently were not doing so - in order to maintain the following distance you had to keep it to the floor all the way around the track!

The first session was 9 laps (1.5 mile speedway). Afterwards, a data log was used by the instructors to give feedback and advice for the next 9 lap session. I had no corrections to make, and in the second session hit a max speed of 144 mph, leaving me with a podium (3rd) finish among the day's group.

The faster you go the more steering input is required in the turns as the cars wants to go toward the wall due to the centrifugal force. Even with power steering I can see how tiring running 400-500 laps would be - no wonder Mark Martin has a daily workout routine!

The Experience is coming to Talladega in August - you can get a ride along (3 laps) for about $100 - or do a Rookie, King, or Racing experience - not cheap, but definitely worth it to do at least once - run your car and house payment through your AMEX card and start racking up those points!

Met Eric P. to do the Cotton Row 10K course at 5:45. 3 hard days in the last 4 after coming off an injury does not make for great times. Including one stop for traffic, ran the course in 45:56 (7:24 AVERAGE).

1: 7:40.84
2: 7:05.35
3: 7:22.35
4: 7:34.50
5: 6:57.17
6: 7:35.18
0.2 : 1:41.33

Met Carl S. at Sherwood for some short intervals at 6AM. I warmed up for 1.5 miles, then did 2 miles worth of intervals (2x200 and 7x400) then cooled down another two miles (my hip was feeling a little sore).

200 : 0:38
200 : 0:37

400 : 1:24
400 : 1:21
400 : 1:24
400 : 1:24
400 : 1:24
400 : 1:28
400 : 1:22

After a 4 week hiatus, was able to meet the Athens group for another early Sunday AM 10 miler. Weather conditions were perfect. Definitely felt the lack of training (now having missed 13 weeks out of the last 26), and was unable to keep up with Carl and Eric. Middle miles were a little faster than when I last ran the course. Overall I was actaully faster than 4 weeks ago which is encouraging. Sore when finished, but not overly so.

Total for 10 miles was 1:15:10 - 7:31 per mile average.

Splits were:

1: 8:26
2: 7:12
3: 7:02
4: 7:10
5: 7:16
6: 7:19
7: 7:26
8: 7:38
9: 7:53 (fading)
10: 7:46

Met Cheeseburger at UAH and ran 5 miles around the campus and adjoining neighborhoods. Made sure every mile was faster than the previous one (thank goodness I only did 5!). Calf was OK, hip was a little sore afterwards.

Overall 37:38 - 7:31.5 per mile pace

Splits:

8:09
7:42
7:31
7:15
6:59

Did 4 miles at UAH at lunch today - calf was OK, hip was OK, quads were very sore - maybe from inactivity. Averaged 7:04.

Splits:

1: 7:18
2: 7:11
3: 6:53
4: 6:55

After missing 2.5 weeks because of my annual calf strain(!) I got my first decent run in. Made it to 3.09 miles before it started to tighten up again. Splits were: 7:45, 7:10, 7:05. Then I had to walk back to the start - man what a pain! Cotton Row 10K is looking doubtful...