Time Flies

Didn't realize it had been almost two weeks since I posted anything on here, but now that spring sports are in full swing (even if the weather is very un-spring sport-like, an aside: the baseball team (my primary responsibility in the spring) played a game on Thursday and the thermometer never got above 38F. Those are great conditions to spend 4.5 hours outside.) my free time is a bit less free and greatly reduced.

The only thing I really have to report is that my spring marathon is now only 5 weeks away. The good news is that my 21.28, and just ask someone else who has run more than 20 miles just how much that 0.28 matters, went great. Yes I had to take a couple of walk breaks, but I'll probably do that in the race itself, but I felt pretty good in the last couple of miles - no drop off in pace - and with 5 weeks left I can still make some much needed gains in fitness. The not so good news is that my schedule is all jacked up from here on to race day with games, etc - I'm keeping my fingers that dry weather prevails over the coming weeks so the schedule will stay what it is and not be completely rearranged - so my training schedule will need to be in pencil, not ink.

Oh, and Saturday is a big day. Adding the color to the latest addition.

Who Watches...

Disclaimer: First and foremost, I am an avowed comic book nerd/geek/aficionado so please keep that in mind as you read this post. I make this disclosure to make you aware of any bias you might infer.

T and I did something unusual for us last night. We went to the movies. On a week night. After the matinee prices expired. Oh, and we paid full price to see the movie in IMAX. I'm glad we did. We saw, what I consider one of the best films I've seen in a long time and that has nothing to do with its subject matter or source material.

What did we see? Watchmen.

Now, go back and read the disclaimer again just for shits and giggles before you proceed.

I've never read the comic series/graphic novel (but I will shortly!) so my opinion isn't based on how well the story mirrored the comic, but I've been looking forward to this movie ever since we saw the trailer with The Dark Knight, and I wasn't disappointed. It is about much, much more than superheroes...in fact I think it's a stinging commentary on humanity in general. The characters are a real as they can be - yeah, they dress up in costumes to fight villains but when was the last time you saw a superhero unable to get it up unless they were in costume? - and have problems and inner demons and agendas to deal with. Yes, there are some very gory, graphic scenes that at times can be disturbing but it also peels back the veneer of the characters to show us those psychological scars that result from their time in costume and what the world has done to them.

It's a dark movie, but at the same time it draws you in and doesn't let you go. It keeps you riveted to your seat wondering what will happen next and at no point do you feel like "come on pick up the pace, get to the end".

The only bad thing about this movie? The chances of it seeing the award recognition that it deserves (I truly think it would deserve consideration for things like best picture, best director, best adapted screen play) is nil.

Bottom line if you're hesitating seeing this movie because you've had your fill of campy-men-in-costume-superhero-films put that notion out of your head. This movie is not that. It's more of traditional film noir, than it is a superhero movie.

Put it this way - over dinner last night after the movie, I looked at T and our friend who went with us and said "I'd pay to see that on the big screen again," and seriously is there a bigger endorsement than that?

As Requested

Sorry it took me so long to get this posted Lori...

Clarification

Since my post "Maybe..." I've had a discussion or two about places we want to live with people, and I've had a few questions concerning why I consider Oregon home, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to explain.

I have been a gypsy, for the most part, my entire adult life. Even if you factor in the four years in Oxford, Ohio, for undergrad the most time I've ever spent in one location is four years. That's right, since the age of 18 (that's 18 years if you do the math) I've lived in Ohio (4 years), Alabama (2 years), Tennessee (5 years - but 2 years in Pulaski and 3 years in Murfreesboro), Oregon (4 years), and now Michigan (3/4 of the way through year 3) and I've held 5 jobs not counting undergrad and grad school. I truly am a product of where I grew up. T gives me shit on a regular basis about the blue-collar-work-ethic that prevents me from calling in sick and taking mental health days from work, and she's right. It's a product of where I grew up and the example of going to work every day to provide for your family that I saw that instilled that in me. Mea culpa.

But, of all those places I've lived the only place I've felt like I've belonged has been Oregon. Way back in July of 2001 T and I took our only vacation to date. That summer we went to see her mother in Seattle, rented a car and travelled to Eugene. The week we spent there was amazing. I can still, to this day, remember at one point her mother looking at me - she probably noticed the goofy grin on my face - and saying "Kevin, you're a Pacific Northwesterner at heart...you just weren't born here." Two years later we moved there and my life really hasn't been the same since. Last summer when we were in Seattle for a quick visit it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders the minute we stepped off the airplane.

Friends came easier there...the things T and I enjoy doing in our free time flourish there...there are remote mountains, urban city life, an ocean and everything between in the borders of that state. There's really, really good beer. Professionally I hit my stride.

Those of you reading this in Michigan (or anywhere else for that matter) please don't think I'm disparaging your beloved mitten. I'm not. It too is a beautiful place with its own unique appeal. To you it is home, but for me it's just another place I've lived. A place that at some point I'll leave, hopefully to head back home.

Yep, you heard me. We've (okay I'm the one who suggested putting a timeline on it) got a 9 year plan. That amount of time will put me at 45 years old and I'm going on the record here and now: by age 45 our goal is to be living back in the pacific northwest, and ideally Oregon.

A guy has to have dreams, right?

That Time Again...

This is the next addition.  Halfway finished.

Maybe...

Today has been a good day.  Hell, this week has been a good week!

• Had a friend, V over for dinner last night.  Good company, good conversation, great food.  She brought her chocolate lab with her.  Everyone, including the pooch had a fabulous time.
• T and I have decided to take a vacation.  An actual vacation where we go somewhere and do something fun.  No continuing education meeting.  No races to run.  Idea for this was planted Friday night at dinner with a bigger group of friends.
• Looks like we'll have company on said vacation.  V, at least, is joining us.
• I had a great run today.  More on that later.

So, this vacation (as you can see the counter over on the right) has gotten T and I really excited.  It truly has become the light at the end of the tunnel for me since we decided to do it Monday night.  Where might we be going you ask?

Home.  

Yep, you heard me correctly, home.  We're going back to the PNW for just over a week.  Enough time to see T's Mom in Seattle for a few days and to spend some time back in Oregon.

Today's run was just what I've been needing.  As each mile ticked off it seemed as if a little bit more of the emotional baggage life has added to me lately just started falling by the wayside and it became easier and easier to run.  Maybe, just maybe, my running mojo (which just so happens to be a huge source for all of my mojo) might be returning.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

For The Record

I hate Wednesdays in January and February. Loathe them.

Why?

Well, I'm not a fan of 12 hour days. Wednesdays in January and February mean 8:30 a.m. - noon baseball practice, followed by the middle distance runners workout (usually around 2 p.m.), followed by track practice at 3:15 p.m. The really fun part is Wednesday happens to be basketball game day as well.

Now I only have to be here for the home games, but it seems like every Wednesday we've played at home. I cover the women's games that start at 6 p.m. if there is a double header or 7:30 p.m. if it's just them. Usually takes about 1:45-2 hours to play the game.

Makes for long days. But, at least basketball season is almost finished. Just need to make it to spring break in 3 weeks.

Could It Be That Simple?

First of all, to answer your question Cindi:

I'm still using Pfitzinger's 55 mile per week, 18 week plan (from the first edition of Advanced Marathoning) with some modifications.  My previous post showed how I'm switching the days of the week around and I've also switched some of the quality works based on this article.  I've taken the lactate threshold work and moved it into the last phase/mesocyle and moved the VO2 max-interval work into this phase/mesocycle.  Keep checking here for how it is going.

So how is it going you're probably asking?  Great.  Today's run was supposed to be 10 miles with 5x1000m at 5k pace with 2 minutes recovery.  I only managed 7.5 miles and the 5x1000m.  I was running on the indoor track at school.  1 mile = 9 laps.  Yep, I ran 68 laps around that damn thing today.  Hit my time on every one of those 1000m segments and got all 5 of 'em in a total time of 24:35.  Which just happens to be 48 seconds faster than my 5k PR time (long story:  my 5k PR is soft.)

But the question I really want to answer is the one in the title to this post:

I got to work early to get my run done.  I had to take stuff to shower and clothes for the day.  I didn't have time to take a lunch so I had to make a trip during the day.  I had the normal number of athletes needing to see me (with some new ones thrown in for good measure).  Work has been stressful here lately.  But today?  Not so much.  Mood was better.  Attitude was better.  Why?  My conclusion?

Because I ran.  Could it be that simple?  I think it might just be.

Change of Schedule

After much contemplation (or wasting time) I've decided to change up my running plan/schedule.  I know, I know, I'm 6 weeks into the training plan for Toledo and only have 12 weeks until race day but I'm not having a lot of success with the current schedule because it conflicts mightily with my work schedule.  It's too late (and too much food and beer yesterday) to make the change this week so I sat down and plotted out the next four weeks.  It now looks like this:

Monday - easy/recovery run

Tuesday - quality workout (intervals/tempo run)

Wednesday - OFF

Thursday - easy

Friday - OFF

Saturday - easy

Sunday - long run

Wednesday and Friday were the problems because I have to be at work earlier on those days - 8 am on Wednesday and 10:30 am on Friday so it leaves me less time to get my run in.  Wednesday it was damn near impossible and I always felt rushed on Friday (no comments from you people with regular jobs okay?  'cause this time of the year my Wednesday goes from 8 am until around 9 pm).

With these changes, and the fact that the weather is actually supposed to warm up this week I think I'll stand a better chance of success.  I'd better be successful because 12 weeks ain't that long.

Not As Bad As I Thought

I was pleasantly surprised to see my mileage numbers for January.  116.  While I was slogging through the month I felt very much like Sisyphus.  Missed a few runs (okay, more than a few) but at the end of the month things started to come together.  I had a great run outside on Wednesday, yes outside, and the sun was even shining.  Then being the geek at heart that I am, I looked at January 2008's total.  122.  Only six fewer miles.  Not too shabby...as long as the boulder doesn't kill me the next time it rolls down hill.

Obstacles and Excuses

I just want to state for the record:  I f*cking hate snow.  Snow is wonderful in the mountains where you can ski, snowboard, or snowshoe.  Snow is beautiful if the amount of snow pack determines how much water, and maybe even electricity your co-op can produce in the spring/summer when it melts.  It's perfect for getting kids out of school occasionally for that wonderful experience of sledding if you have a hill big enough.  I love that kind of snow.

The kind that currently blankets the area, that's the kind I hate.  We've had snow on the ground since the first part of December.  Luckily it hasn't snowed in the last 10-14 days substantially, however the daytime high temp hasn't even approached the thawing point so none of the snow on the ground has melted.  Running outside in the cold I can handle, slipping and falling on my ass not so much.

I'm tired of running on the TM.  Really, really freakin' tired of running on the TM.  I even enjoyed the run I did last week on the indoor track (9 laps = 1 mile and I ran a total of 5 miles) going around in circles more than I have running on the TM lately.

Combine all of the above I-hate-the-current-conditions-funk with real life getting in my way it would be an understatement of epic proportions to say I've had a craptastic week of running.

What do I mean by real life getting in the way?

• crappy days at work, be it you or your spouse or your friends that require company to commiserate with and beers
• said beers leading to horrible nights of sleep - or if you want to be technical you might be able to call it passing out
• having to work all day after the aforementioned crappy night of sleep, and being hungover
• deciding to consume approximately three days worth of crappy food in one day

Some of those were bad decisions on my part and some were things beyond my control, but they all converged to throw a giant monkey-wrench into my plans.

I just need to learn to make better decisions at certain times and to stop sabotaging myself.  'Cause Toledo is only 13 weeks away.

Inspiration

It's that time of year again folks. Every 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's Gym, and YMCA is filled to the brim with people chasing after that elusive creature that appears when the calendar flips over from December to January. You know what I'm talking about, New Year's Resolutions.

What does that have to do with inspiration you ask? Here's what...

People resolve to change their habits or lives and they choose January 1, as the day to start. Be it dire warnings from a health care provider or and example set by someone close to them that they want to emulate, that is inspiration and it comes in many, many forms.

Now, I'd like to state for the record that I'm not a fan of the whole resolution thing, but I do start each year with goals: run 1500 miles this year, get my weight down before the marathon in April, exercise better fiscal responsibility, etc, but I don't view those as resolutions.

However, I am taking some inspiration from some people. The last few months of 2008 I felt like I had no control over my schedule. I felt a day late and a dollar short all the time. I struggled to get my runs in, and in general felt over-freakin'-whelmed a lot of the time. So to take a quote from T, I'm taking action steps dammit!

I'm not making excuses anymore about not being able to get my runs in, 'cause we have a treadmill in the basement and if some friends of mine can do it, so can I. What is it (yeah, sometimes I ramble, but then I'm composing this at work and I keep getting interrupted) you ask?

I'm taking some of my inspiration from this friend. See the first line of the fourth paragraph about getting up at 4:30 a.m.? I'm not getting up that early, but a goal this year is to get all of my runs done before I go to work, even if I have to get up at 5:30, like today, in order to accomplish it. If she can do it, I can to...

So the whole point of this is that inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be the friend who gives up a successful career as an athletic trainer to go back to school because they feel that's where they can make the most difference. It could be the family member battling against that fucking disease cancer and trying to make the most of the life they have left. It could be the school teacher trying to reach the kids in their classroom. Hell, as far as I know I might even be the inspiration for someone.

The key thing though? It's not recognizing that inspiration is there, it's acting on it. So I am. Up early. Trying to learn new things that will allow me to make a bigger impact at work. Trying to just be a better version of me.

Memo

To:  All of the people who gave me crazy looks on my run today

From:  KP

I know, I know...I was a huge inconvenience to you by running in the street next to the curb in all of the space that is reserved for parked cars.  I know, if somehow you'd lost control of your car while you were a) lighting a cigarette, 2) talking on your cell phone, or III) eating and swerved 15 feet to the right you would have hit me.  Maybe.

I would love to run on the sidewalk, however until all of the goddamn lazy citizens of this fair West Michigan city see fit to clear the 3"+ of snow we got in the last 18 hours off their walks I'm going to take my chances with the cars that are 15 feet to my right and that I can see in order to avoid the ice that is lurking under the snow.

So there.  All I need now is the smiley giving the finger.

2008 Recap

Time for a little looking back on the year 2008 in running.  I know, I know exciting stuff.

For the year I ran 1344 miles which means I almost ran the equivalent of Grand Rapids to Salt Lake City, UT.  I was  just 10 miles short.

I averaged 25.7 miles per week.

My lightest week was 4 miles (Oct 27-Nov 4).

My highest week was 52 miles (April 28-May 4).

I averaged 112 miles per month.

My lightest month was 42 miles, November.

My highest month was 173 miles, April.

I increased my mileage by 19.7% over 2007 (you can see how my monthly totals look over the last few years in the chart up top) and I still managed to miss my goal of 1500 miles.  October and November killed me.

I ran the following races:

one 5k

one 10k - set a whopping new PR

one 8k

one 4 miler

one half marathon

and two marathons

...all in all a pretty damn good year running-wise.

A Little Background...

I often get quizzical looks when I tell people I went to college on a full scholarship. The looks are even more quizzical when I tell them I'm an Evans Scholar Alumni.

This article pretty much sums up what I went through in December of 1990***.

***edited to the correct year, 1990...simple typo.  It was December 1990.

A 26.2 Mile Journey Begins With a Single Step

Health Update:

Left hammie/glute are feeling much better after the second ART treatment.  Now that things are working like they are supposed to, the left leg is telling me I really need to strengthen it just a bit.  So I am trying.

Official Announcement

Training for the Glass City Marathon (Toledo, OH, 4/26/2009) began today.  Well, it officially kicked off yesterday but since that was a scheduled off day I thought I would announce it today.  I'm again venturing into this marathon training following the Pfitzinger 18 week, 55 mile plan.  So while the plan called for a week that looked like this:

Monday - Off

Tuesday - 7 miles with 10 strides

Wednesday - Off or cross training

Thursday - 9 miles

Friday - Off

Saturday - 4 miles

Sunday - 12 miles

I thought that easing back into it might be a bit more reasonable so I'm going with this:

Monday - Off

Tuesday - 5 miles (no strides, not sure how to do those on the TM)

Wednesday - 6 miles

Thursday - 5 miles

Friday - Off

Saturday - 4 miles

Sunday - 12 miles

And according to all available weather information it looks like I'll be running inside until maybe March.  There is currently approximately 18-20" of snow on the ground (so far Grand Rapids in just December has received over 40" of snow) and a nice mix of sleet/rain/ice coming Christmas eve.  Yay.

So wish me luck over the next 18 weeks and keep checking in to see how things progress.

But It's A Good Hurt

Remember this post?

Well off/on since then I've been having some left hip/glute/hamstring issues.  Finally broke down and decided to see someone about it, because it had gotten to the point that I was having to stop 5-6 times every run to stretch and then after the run I would have a lot of achy pain in that leg.

Had my first session of ART yesterday.  I did my research and it's legit.  Hell, if I could figure out a way for my employer to pay for the cost of the lower extremity course ($2190.00) I would attend one and acquire the certification/skill myself!

It took about 30 minutes for him to work on my glutes, adductors, and IT band and at one point I thought I offended him with my colorful language as he was digging into my glute/piriformis and asking me to move my leg.  But, the relief was almost immediate.  Driving home no discomfort that I normally get.  Sitting around the house last night no discomfort that I normally get.  My leg feels better today and I'm actually looking forward to my next appointment because I really think this is going to work and get me back running like I was last spring.

Yet Another One Has Past...

I started year #37 at 2:41 a.m. EST this morning. I actually looked that up too.

What a year #36 was...

I learned a lot about what truly makes up friendship.

I made some new friends, and there were some friendships that didn't make it.

I realized that none of us is getting any younger, and that scares me a bit.

I realized I need to work on making relationships better - including the relationships (or lack of one) with my siblings.

We bought our first house.

I ran two marathons.

I'm in a much better place starting this revolution around the sun than I was when I started the last one 366 days ago.

I've got good things on the horizon and I'm really looking forward to what year #37 holds for me, and the people I care about.

Speaking of people I care about - be you friend or family: Thank you for helping me be the best person I can. Without your presence and help, this journey wouldn't be possible, or nearly as much fun.

Breaking Tradition

I normally don't discuss things of a Christmas theme until later this week, but thought what the hell this would be fun to post.

From Kris's blog...also saw it on Maria's:

Holiday Meme

If you want to play along copy the questions on to your blog, post the answers, and then leave a comment here so I can go read yours.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper all the way.
   
2. Real tree or Artificial? I'm a purist.  Real trees and only real trees in this house.
   
3. When do you put up the tree? No earlier than December 11.
   
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime before January 1.
   
5. Do you like eggnog? Not really - but like Maria, I think the taste improves tremendously when you add a bit of whiskey.
   
6. Favorite gift received as a child?  The ones that stand out are group gifts to all of us, like the Atari 2600.
   
7. Hardest person to buy for? Easy...Mom and Dad.
   
8. Easiest person to buy for? Tonya.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.  It doesn't get displayed often, but we have one.
   
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail Mail.
    
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  A leather wallet.
    
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Around November 1.
    
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Buckeyes.
16. Lights on the tree? Of course!
    
17. Favorite Christmas song?  Blues Traveler's Christmas...It is on A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3
    
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home this year, but usually travel.
    
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Not sure if I could or not...haven't tried.
    
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Growing up, Angel...now?  Not sure.
    
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Again, purist/traditionalist here, Christmas morning.
    
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The blatant commercialization and the people who won't even acknowledge that Christmas is celebrated when it is might have something to do with a pagan holiday.
    
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Actually a light - Mom has some antique bubble lights she puts on their tree that are my favorite
    
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? If it's Christmas with my family - anything Mom makes.  If it's with Tonya's family - her mom's fudge.
    
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To have friends and family around us to celebrate with.

Success!

Four run scheduled last week for a total of 16 miles.

Four runs completed last week for a total of 16 miles.

One day, one week at a time.

Only 20 weeks until the next big race.

It Only Took 865 Days

An interesting thing happened last night.  Something that happens with regularity for most people.

T and I had dinner with friends.  That's right, you heard me correctly, I said we had dinner with friends.  Plural.  More than one.  People that actually live in the same city that we can see/hang out with on a regular basis.

Finally after struggling to connect with people here in the mitten (you can page back through previous posts for the specific details) I think we've finally turned a corner.  In the last two months we've met people that are really fun, and evidently either the deal with the devil is working or they genuinely think we're fun as well.

Maybe there's hope for us yet?

Safe Haven

I had some time to kill today...see, I had to be at work from 10:30 until around 12:30-1, but then I had a break until 5 pm when I needed to be here for the game tonight. So I had lunch with a friend. Great conversation. I had an errand to run, but that would only occupy about 15 minutes tops. So I needed some place to kill about an hour or so...

I chose to go to a place I always feel at home in, and killing an hour isn't the problem - the problem is being able to pull myself out of there in just an hour. Where is this magical place?

A bookstore.

Just roaming the aisles, pulling the occassional book off the shelf and reading a few pages before moving on to the next item that caught my attention. Not feeling any pressure to buy - not that I'm allowed to buy anything for myself, house rule: no buying anything for yourself before you birthday - but just browsing, losing myself in the myriad options and escapes that are before me.

Okay....

Just finished 3 miles on the treadmill this morning and the amazing thing is that it didn't suck and I didn't feel like I was going to die.  Slowed the speed down and watched part of "Spirit of The Marathon" for inspiration and the amazing thing?  I ran those 3 miles continuously, which hasn't happened on the treadmill for me in a long time.

A word about my last post:

I was only lamenting the number of miles I ran in November because that was the fewest miles in a month I've had since July 2006 when we moved across the country and I couldn't run for two weeks, and because the only limiting factor last month was the lack of motivation, not injury.

And We're Finished With That

Last day of November today...not sure where the month went but it's on to December tomorrow.

Oh, and I'm hopeful that whatever robbed me of my motivation in November stays in November.

42...that's right, 42 miles.   What an impressive grand total of mileage for November.

I really, really hope December is better.

Worth A Thousand Words?

T and I before the Gobble Wobble Fun Run Thursday morning, and yes the hat got quite a few comments.

We Have A Winner...

nice job EC.

7 Weeks Will Do That To You...

Just looked at the calendar:  this is the 7th week since Chicago.  The 7th week that I've pretty much done nothing.  The last 7 weeks has seen all of that fitness I had over the summer vanish like a virgin on prom night (bonus points to anyone who recognizes the movie).

I ran 4.2 miles with T on Thursday in the Gobble Wobble fun run (no numbers, no timing) and it about freakin' killed me.  We ran with some new friends and I felt really bad because I know that T and I were the anchor that slowed them down.  Then today we went out for an easy 4 mile run - intentionally chose the flattest route we could and we still only managed 3.6 before we were both ready to throw in the towel.  Did I mention that my heart rate was over 160 at one point during today's run?  I haven't felt this out of shape or struggled this much running in awhile...

so long in fact that when I got home I pulled up my running log from 2007 to check something.  Yep, I haven't felt like this sine June of 2007 after running the HM at the Flying Pig and struggling in a 5k here.  I didn't start making progress that summer until I slowed down and actually built some aerobic base - running easy paced runs between 11:00-11:30 per mile.  Runs that felt like a complete and utter struggle.

Well, guess what?  I'm back there so I'm going to try the same strategy, because I need to do something different to try and get back into the swing of things.  Training for Toledo/Glass City (still not sure if it will be a full or a half) starts on 12/22.  Need to get my ass in gear.

Winter Wonderland

The first significant snowfall of the year hit yesterday.  Nothing more than 1.5" but it made for interesting driving conditions in the morning.  I just hope it melts and we can see what little greenery there is left before the true winter hits.

More importantly that 1.5" of snow on the ground meant that in the short term running, for me at least, was forced in doors due to the fact that not everyone is as diligent as we are about shoveling/clearing the sidewalk.

Three ugly miles on the treadmill.  Not that I'm surprised they were ugly - I've run a whopping 8 times for a grand total of 34 miles so far in the month of November - but it always takes me a few runs to get used to running on the treadmill again.  No matter how ugly the miles were, or how hard they felt (I'm not even thinking of posting my pace) the important thing was I wanted to run this morning which felt really good.

Long Day

The desire to run has resurfaced.

I finally completed all of my scheduled runs for the week, after many, many, many weeks of trying. I only ran 20 miles this week, but every one of those 20 miles felt good.

I ran today with T...and no matter what the pace may be when we run together, I love running with her. It gives us the chance to talk...or not talk and just be...together.

My mood has improved (even T commented on that today while we were running) and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again after Chicago. It's only taken a month.

Another good one

6.27 miles this morning.  Luckily the crappy weather hasn't hit yet so it was only cool and windy instead of snowy.  Felt good running...feels like I'm rounding back into form a bit more with each run.

Did my exercises as well so I'm good for the rest of the day - and thankful that I don't have to stand outside at a soccer game!

Rant

*****Warning, the following post is rated R due to explicit language*****

When I ask a goddamn "Yes"/"No" question do not answer: not really, sometimes, maybe, sort of, kind of, etc. I want you to say "Yes" or "No". I will then ask more questions.

Trend?

Easy workout this morning...just did my hip exercises and stretched.  No run.  Unfortunately today maybe the last decent day to run for awhile.  Forecast for the weekend and much of next week:  highs in the 30s and maybe an inch of snow before tomorrow.

Love the midwest weather.

Finally!

6.3 miles this morning, and finally a run that felt good.

Leg circuits and everything else after work and before the cleaning of the house begins tonight.  T's father and his wife are coming for a visit this weekend.

Next

Now that T is done with her latest addition I need to find the time to go see Jay about my next project.

I don't want to reveal too much, but this one will be a more traditional style pin-up. Hopefully I can have it done over Christmas when my work schedule isn't as hectic.

Oh, and the next time I decide to drink that much on a Tuesday night would someone please slap me.

Whoaaaa....

Too many beers last night to run this morning...

I did, however, do all the other things on my workout schedule, I just pushed the run back to tomorrow.

Don't Want To Jinx it...

Two days in a row.

4 easy miles which felt much easier than the run on Sunday.  My leg didn't bother me hardly at all and even the strengthening stuff afterwards felt easier.

Wow...imagine that, things actually paying off?

Workout? Check

Saw the Mrs. off to work and then got my workout done.  That fifth time through the leg circuits wasn't fun, but I did it.

Oh, and it snowed last night.  At least it's only on the grass and cars, but still...fucking hate snow.

Accountability

Ok...I know people read this (or at least they point Firefox/Safari/IE7 towards this, if they actually read it or not who knows) so I'm enlisting y'all to hold me accountable, because it's become evident that holding my own feet to the fire hasn't really worked out all that well the last 2-3 months.

So, here is my workout schedule for the coming week.  My plan is to do as much of it as possible in the morning before I go to work (that way it limits the amount of procrastination) and post on here that the day's workout has been completed.  It shouldn't take me more than 20-30 minutes to do everything besides the runs.  If you don't see something by noon, feel free to fire away with the comments indicating I'm a slacker.

Monday

Mini-band hip routine

Leg circuits - week #2 of the cycle.  5 circuits.

Core

Foam roll and flexibility

Tuesday

Hip exercises

Mini-band hip routine

Foam roll and flexibility

Running - 4 miles

Wednesday

Hip exercises

Mini-band hip routine

Foam roll and flexibility

Running - 6 miles

Thursday

Mini-band hip routine

Leg circuits

Core

Foam roll and flexibility

Friday

Hip exercises

Foam roll and flexibility

Saturday

Mini-band hip routine

Hip exercises

Core

Foam roll and flexibility

Running - 4 miles

Sunday

Mini-band hip routine

Foam roll and flexibility

Running - 6 miles

Total planned miles for the week = 20

Maybe?

I think I've found one of the things contributing to my crappy mood lately, my feeling of stress lately...

I haven't been running.

Viscious cycle: no motivation so I don't run, I don't run so it kills my mood/energy level, I'm in a crappy mood so I don't have any motivation to run.

Plus, by not running I'm missing my favorite time of the year...the cool-almost-cold, grey sky fall days.

Must do better this week. MUST.

Unbelievable

I am pleasantly shocked by three results from election day yesterday:

- the state of Michigan voted to approve the medical use of marijuana.

- then the state of Michigan also voted to allow stem cell research.

These decisions by the people of this state gives me hope for the mitten.

The big shocker to me though, and an action by voters that just reinforces that the people of the Pacific Northwest might actually be more with it than the rest of the nation...the state of Washington approved a death with dignity initiative  becoming the second state to allow terminally ill people to control the end of their days.

Okay...enough election stuff.

Three Words For You

Dear State of Michigan,

After waiting in line, filling out the appropriate paperwork, having to tell the lovely older lady volunteer that the address on my voter card did indeed match my drivers license (the state issued sticker was placed on the back per the instructions), then waiting to use one of the four voting machines - which I ponder, is it really a voting machine when all it is is privacy screen with a Bic ballpoint pen for me to use?  I actually got a giggle out of the sign in the voting booth "Only used provided special pen"  - I would like to suggest you take a cue from 33rd state to enter the Union and allow us to vote by mail.

Send me my ballot in the middle of October, I'll fill it out, put it in a sealed envelope and return it no later than election Tuesday.  No line.  No confusion.

Clean Slate

What a difference 48 hours makes...

Friday:  I got to experience Halloween in our neighborhood.  Probably 125-150 kids/teenagers/adults at the door.  Enough people that we ran out of candy (6 bags T bought) and had to resort to handing out individual bags of fruit pieces we got at Costco, and then ran out of them!  Best costume?  Kid who was maybe 8-10 years old dressed as skunk.  Hilarious.

Saturday:  a lovely day of no responsibility.  Spent the day with T - had a leisurely breakfast, went to the mall, browsed a book store for a good hour, had lunch and then just relaxed around the house.

Sunday:  repeat of Saturday except after reading the Sunday NY Times/coffee we went for a run.  Felt great even though T ran me into the ground.  Followed that up with some simple stuff around the house, grocery shopping, and a nice quiet dinner here at home.

We may not have accomplished much (I know I didn't touch the grading I've got to get done by tomorrow) but I don't really care.  It was probably the best weekend I've had in a long time simply because I got to spend it with T.

UPDATE

the most recent addition...for Chicago.

and a phenomenal t-shirt that T bought for me:

That's right...Save Second Base.  It's a breast cancer awareness t-shirt.  On the back it says "If You Love Them, Check Them".  A great cause to support. 

Under the weather...

Okay...it's the last day of October and wow, do I hope that November is better!

Running update:  uh, there really isn't one.  Ran a whopping 55 miles in October (and 26.2 of those were in Chicago) and I'm now 25 miles behind my goal of 1500 for the year.  Not sure if I can make that up or not, but we'll see.

Personal update:  wouldn't you know it but T brought home some sort of virus and now we're both feeling less than 100% - yet another reason I'm hoping November is better.

Lastly...Here is a link to one particular post of a blog I read (feel free to poke around and read her other stuff, it's quite entertaining!) that I think makes a pretty damn good point.

Not The Best Start

Tuesdays aren't a favorite here...T has an 8 am class which means a 5:30-5:45 am wake-up.  Normally I get up with her, but for some reason I stayed in bed this morning and forgot to set an alarm for me...

I'm not going to be late for work or anything but I didn't get my arse out of bed with enough time to run this morning.

Great way to start that new training plan.

If things go well today though I might make it home early enough to get the run in on the treadmill before dinner.  Maybe.

Forward

Regrouping is done.  Toledo, here I come.

I've got a plan in place and part of that plan is to address some holes in previous half marathon/marathon preparation attempts.

The real question is will it be like previous attempts or will this one truly be successful?

I'm hoping for the latter.

Closure

I've taken this past week off from running completely.  Zero miles.  Helped some people have a great weekend/race here in Grand Rapids, but besides that I have pretty much been a lazy slug since Chicago.

And it's what I needed.

I looked at my training log and I think I can safely say that a fall marathon was probably not my smartest move.  My training seemed off after Grandma's and I struggled to hit the same paces that I was cruising at before June.  Then I got sick which took another chunk out of my training.  I struggled all fall to get my feet back under me, plus I still haven't addressed some areas that will show dividends in if I improve in:  such as flexibility, core strength, etc, etc.

So I'm closing the books on a less than stellar few months and putting it behind me.  Time to look forward and build a solid foundation so I can get myself ready for the next big race.  What will that be?  I'm pretty sure I know when it will be, but not what distance yet.

A warm one...

The weekend started out great thanks to Oache’s hospitality – nice dinner once we got to the Chicago area and great beer, always great beer. 

Headed into downtown on Saturday to hit the expo and meet up with everyone else.  We managed to see our friend Jessica who was running her first marathon with Team In Training at the expo, snap a few quick pictures and then headed in to get my packet/goodie bag.  Holy big crowds in the Nike portion. 

Biggest challenge at the expo was figuring out how to get to the restaurant where we were meeting the rest of the 30s gang for dinner.  Managed to make it almost on time…fabulous food and great company.  We personally got to see Voodoo try and regain his Clydesdale status with one meal.  Said our good-byes and headed back to the train station to make our way back to the ‘burbs, only we had to wait for an hour for the next train.  Finally made it back to Casa Oache with enough time to get my stuff together and get some sleep. 

The train ride in to the city was uneventful and provided quite the opportunity for people watching.  We walked over to the hotel where the rest of the crew were staying and then headed over to the start area…Holy mass of humanity. 

It was interesting to see people next to us in the open corral with bib’s that indicated they were supposed to be way up ahead with the rest of the speedy folks.  It was also interesting to see the jackass sitting down in the middle of thousands of people – I know he was trying to stay off his feet, but how he didn’t get trampled as people tried to move forward is beyond me. 

Last words of encouragement were exchanged between Maria, her brother and sister, and I and then we were off… 

I missed the first mile marker but I felt pretty good.  Made sure not to go out too fast.  I followed the advice of Baggs and took a bottle of Gatorade with me and I’m really glad I did.  The first two water stops were a madhouse of people, plus the race was still congested from the start but I was able to somewhat navigate my way through – one guy cut in front of me so hard I actually stepped on the back of his leg and almost went down…about five strides later another person did the same thing but I was able to miss them.  I blurted out pretty loudly “SERIOUSLY?!?!” and a woman moving past me on the right looked around.  I said “not you” to her and her reply?  “I know, I saw the other guy as well!”  The one thing both of those asshats had in common?  Wearin’ their iPods. 

I was still making good progress through about mile 9-10.  I was starting to feel the heat though, and made the mistake of not drinking enough water at mile 10 when I took my second three shot blocks – all the Gatorade and the blocks, and the heat made my stomach less than 100%. 

I saw T, Brandy, and Maria’s family at mile 12-ish, stopped for a few minutes and then pushed on.  I crossed the halfway point in 2:18:56, well off the pace I’d hoped.  It was about this point that the sun really started bearing down on us.  I was doing the best I could but could tell that I’d need to slow down a bit more to make sure the wheels didn’t completely fall off. 

Around mile 16 I noticed that the “Moderate” warning level had been changed to “High”.  I walked a good portion of mile 17 then tried to push on from mile 18-20.  From there I pretty much alternated running a mile and walking a mile and I was trying to figure out in my head which miles to run/walk so that I’d run the last one in to the finish. 

As I approached mile 26 I got ready to push to the end.  See I wasn’t going to walk any of mile 26 for one reason:  the name on my bib.  As a tribute to duckgeek’s nephew who tragically lost his life last week I inscribed “Mitch #10” on my bib, and since the race didn’t put the runner’s name on it I only had “Mitch #10” on there…every time someone from the crowd or aid station would look at me and say “doing great Mitch!”, “going strong Mitch”, or “Almost there Mitch” it would push me on a bit more so there was no way I wasn’t going to finish simply because I wasn’t just running for me, but I was running for Mitch as well. 

About a half mile from the finish I saw T and Brandy again and they gave me the update on Baggs and Maria and then I pushed on to the finish. 

It wasn’t the day I’d hoped for, but the fact that I was able to persevere and finish is a big accomplishment. 

Thanks to everyone for the texts/emails/phone calls checking in…it meant a lot.

I'm planning on taking the next day or three and breaking down yesterday and my training leading up to it so expect to be bored with all of that.

Our tribute to Mitch...

2...

2 Days, 11 hours...

I've been trying to do this post for the last two days, but due to internet issue (damn Team in Training website) I wasn't able to get the link until now.

This webpage is for a friend of mine.  She's running Chicago this weekend and it will be her first marathon.  In and of itself that is a big deal...but what she is trying to accomplish is an even bigger deal.

I know times are tough but if you're reading this and your life has been touched by that goddamn scourge of cancer do what you're capable of...

it's touched us all in one way, shape, or form.  I'm really looking forward to watching her cross the finish line and join the club.

4...

Days to race day (well 4 days + 23 hours according to the website) and 4 miles this morning.

Perfect conditions this morning...great temp, nice sunrise, all in all a good run.

More incessant weather checking:

now the forecast is calling for a low of 60F overnight and a high of 77F on race day.  Uh, forecast people?  I liked yesterday's better.

5...

And it begins.  Just checked the weather for Chicago on Sunday.  Guarantee it won't be the last.

Currently www.accuweather.com says:

Saturday overnight low of 46F with a late shower possible.

Sunday high of 60F, rather cloudy with a bit of rain.

We'll see what it says tomorrow.

Time to make the lists.

6...

Things are steadily moving towards race day...was supposed to run my last double-digit run before the event today, but as for most of the week that uhm, didn't go according to plan.

I did run though, and like I told someone a few days ago, the hay is in the barn now.  I can only take away from my preparation in the last week, not really add to it, because as an astute Kickrunner friend mentioned not too long ago - there is no cramming in running.

I did get the chance to put the shirt I'm wearing on Sunday through a practice run and it is going to work perfectly.

Oh, and to those of you who struggled through the Twin Cities Marathon today (Brandy, Dom, and Cindi especially) great job...oh, and Cindi?  Welcome to the club.

8...

8 days and 15 hours as of right now (according to the Chicago Marathon website) until the race, and let me tell ya it's been a stellar week in KP-land.

Between real life getting in the way and a dark cloud of lethargy settling in over me it's really put a crimp in my running plans.

Look over to the right there...see that running log? Anything stand out? That's right! Even if I had gotten around to log the run I did on Wednesday then it would list one run this week. That's a taper alright.

The only positive thing right now is the shirt that I ordered arrived yesterday, so I'll be able to give it a test run on Sunday when I get my last double digit run in before the big day.

This weekend has to be better.

11...

Ugh...hate Tuesdays.

See, the other half teaches an 8 am class on Tuesdays which means a 5:45ish a.m. wake-up.  It seems like here lately I haven't been getting home from work on Monday's until around 8:00 p.m. so by the time I eat, unwind from the day it's 9-9:30 which means I don't have a lot of time to prep for the class I teach on Tuesday morning if I want to get a decent amount of sleep.  So I end up doing the prep in the morning, which makes it hard to get my scheduled run in, etc, etc, etc.

Plus I just finished grading the first exam from said Tuesday class, and I'm not sure I'm reaching everyone in the class.

So, thanks to me being a lazy-ass and not getting prepared over the weekend I have to shift my running schedule around again this week.

At least I have firm housing arrangements for the marathon weekend.

12...

Busy week at work, especially this weekend since it's Homecoming but thankfully things are easing up in the training plan.

Starting to take care of some of the logistics for Chicago, verifying that the offer to stay with friends is still valid being at the top of that list.  Plus the week after Chicago is the Grand Rapids Marathon weekend and some friends are coming to stay with us so we kind of need to get the house in order.

Oh, and I'm hoping the fall like weather we're starting to experience sticks around...my favorite time of the year.

Recap

So I'm sitting here with 13 days until Chicago...

last week's running looked like this:

Monday - off

Tuesday - 8 miles with 5x600m at 5k pace (8.1 miles in 1:19:37)

Wednesday - 2.6 miles in 31:02 with T at the end of a busy day

Thursday - off

Friday - 4.3 miles in 44:44

Saturday - 8-15k race/time trial (5.5 miles in 48:18)

Sunday - ran 8 miles with T.  Was supposed to do 16, and I planned on doing the first 12 with her and then finishing up on my own, but she developed a blister at 8.2 that prevented her from running so ended up walking the 4 miles we had left home.

For the week that is 29 miles.  Plan had called for 39 so I was a bit off but at this point I'm going to Chicago with the training that is already in the bank.

The upcoming week has a workout in it that really has me scared: 3x1600 m at 5k pace.  That's 3 mile repeats (okay so a mile is 1609 meters but that is just splitting freakin' hairs dude) with 2 minutes recovery.  That is going to kick my ass.  But the saving grace is this - that's the last hard workout before race day, so I just need to suck it up and get it done.  Wednesday morning.  I'll let you know how it goes.

A Trend Maybe?

Every time I turn around this same workout is on my training plan (Damn you Pfitzinger!!!!): 8 miles with 5 x 600 m at 5k pace. Today was the fourth time I've completed this workout, so here are my paces for the 5x600 for each of those, keep in mind that my goal pace is between 7:40-7:50:

8/13
7:38, 7:38, 7:46, 7:48, 7:44

8/26
7:43, 7:33, 7:40, 7:46, 7:55

9/10
7:33, 7:48, 7:42, 7:46, 7:56

9/23
7:48, 7:48, 7:44, 7:50, 7:41

Much more consistent effort/paces today. Maybe this training thing is paying off?

Oh, and to all of you out there (although probably not reading this) that added to my level of frustration yesterday? Thanks. 'Cause I think it fueled today's run, but next time I'd appreciate it if you'd stay the hell away from me. Okay?

Simple Things

It took maybe 5-10 minutes but going through my contacts and cleaning out the ones I don't need anymore (e.g. people previous jobs, people I haven't talked to in awhile, don't need to talk to anymore or more importantly want to talk to anymore, old email addresses that have been updated) really did make a difference.

101,376

101, 376.  That is a big number.  What is it you ask?  How many feet I ran yesterday.

19.2 miles x 5,280 feet/mile gives ya 101,376.  Sounds impressive, right?

Last 20 miler...okay so I stopped short yesterday, extenuating circumstances!...before Chicago, and now I have some what of an idea for a goal time/pace for that race.  But first, yesterday's run:

I got started a bit later than I wanted to, but the delay was worth it because I got to run the first 5 miles with T.  

11:33

11:23

11:18

11:18

12:50 (bit of a walk break in that mile)

First 5 miles - 11:28 avg (which is exactly what she is shooting for, I think, for the Grand Rapids HM)

She turned around for home and I kept going north on the trail:

10:23

10:38

10:37

10:34

10:22

10:24

10:30

10:40

10:36

10:51

Average pace for those 10 miles:  10:33

Now I started running into some difficulties.  Remember me saying that I started later than I wanted?  Well, as a result with 5 miles to go it was after 12 p.m. and the temp was over 70F and the sun was beating down on me.  Last 5 miles:

13:16 (bit of walking)

10:57 (ran out of water here)

11:04

13:05 (more walking...called the run off shortly after this mile)

Average pace for the last 5 miles:  11:20

All together I ran 19.2 miles in 3:35:07, which is an 11:11 pace.  Now, my goal for the run was to keep my pace between 10-20% slower than my marathon goal pace.  IF my math works out that means I should have been between 10:27 and 11:24.   Yep, met that goal.  So that means yesterday's run, while there were things I should have done better/different (and I will on race day) it was a unqualified success, as was the whole week of running.

You Decide

Read this first.

Just another athlete who can't deal with the passing of time and their career?  Or is it a man trying to draw attention to a scourge that has changed so many lives in a way that only he can?

Almost Afraid To Say It...

A wonderful morning for a run today.  Low 50s when I started and the sun just peeking over the horizon.  Ran the hilliest route I have - South from the house, turn East into downtown...all the way through downtown, past work, turn north until I hit Leonard St. and then due west until I get back to the house.  10 miles total.

Some big uphills, some big downhills.  Managed that 10 miles in 1:41:14 (10:07 pace and a 142 average HR) which is a damn good time/effort considering everything I've been dealing with here lately.

That's three great runs this week.  Almost afraid to talk about because I don't want to jinx myself.

Really?

Big steps today:

1) I ran. In the morning. Second day in a row.

B) I did the workout my training plan called for.

III) The workout felt great.

10 miles. Now I just need to get my ass to work. I have a class to teach in an hour.

Quickly Approaching

26 days...not a lot of time.

This is the last big week of mileage for me and the last 20 miler before Chicago.  I think I finally have a handle on things in real life enough to get into a routine of running, work, home, etc.  Just wished it would have smoothed out about two weeks ago.

I'll use this week as feedback so I can start setting some goals for the race in Chicago.  As soon as I get those figured out I'll be sure to pass 'em along.

Luck

Good luck to a fellow runner and blogger tomorrow. She's running the Maui Marathon and going for a BQ time.

Kick ass Frayed Laces.

About Freakin' Time!!!

Today was the first day I've enjoyed running in about a month...really enjoyed it.  It didn't feel like a struggle to get out the door, I didn't keep finding things to do to delay leaving...

Created a playlist of some of the band from San Francisco and took off.  And it was a quality workout - 5 x 600m and it felt good to run hard, run fast.

Now I just gotta see if I can carry this over to tomorrow.

Four Weeks, Five Days

33 days to Chicago.

Hope to god this one goes better than Grandma's!  And yes, I'm starting to freak out a bit.

Two In A Row

Take that motivation!!!

Wonderful run with T after work tonight.

Fine, I'll Show You

Yet another fun, frustrating day at work on Wednesday, and another day without a run.

So I'm standing at the field waiting for the soccer game to start and I call T to fill her in on my day...while we're talking I decide that for dinner I wanted to go and eat completely unhealthy bar food and drink beer. Then I made the following comment to her:

"You know what, if my motivation and body are going to betray me, I'll just look 'em in the eye tonight and say "Fuck You"...wings and beer it is and I'll get up and run tomorrow."

And I did...nothing like eating 10-15 boneless chicken wings (various sauces) and drinking two large draft Oberon's and getting up and running. I might not have run far or that long (3.5 miles in 37:29) but I ran.

If, no when I run tomorrow that will be two days in a row. Add that to a run on Saturday and I've got a streak going.

Lost, Please Help

Motivation to run.

If found please contact me on this blog.

Thank You.

Recapping a Wonderful Week

Can you detect the sarcasm there?  Okay, so it wasn't that bad...

Ended last week on a high note, a great 20 mile run, so I was hopeful that this week would build on that...well as evident in my last post, uh, not so much.

Had a great workout on Tuesday (8 miles with 5x600 m at 5k pace) but evidently that effort emptied the tank, or I need more time to recover now (probably the latter), so I ended up skipping the 11 mile midweek long run scheduled for Wednesday.  Managed to eek out 4 miles on Friday then had a great time with T on her long run (8 miles)...an aside:  she is totally going to do great on 10/19 when she runs the Grand Rapids Half Marathon and I can't wait to cheer like a madman for her when she crosses the finish line...and then set out to do 17 today.

Someone remind me not to eat only protein the night before a long run...and to drink more than 8 oz of water if I'm going to be standing outside in near-90F heat covering a soccer game.  Not my two best moves before a 17 miler.  But, I did manage 10 miles today.

So in summary for August that's 143 miles.  Third highest monthly total for 2008.

For 2008, with four months left I'm at 1064 miles for the year (at this point last year I'd logged 723 miles and I'm only 58 miles less than I ran all of 2007) and 60 miles ahead of the pace I need to meet my goal of 1500 for the year.  So I probably shouldn't complain too much.

What I am going to do over the next 6 weeks as I get ready for Chicago is scale my mileage back a bit:  I'm focusing on the quality workouts - speed workouts/intervals/tempo runs and my long runs and everything else is going to be in the 6-8 mile range and run at easy paces so that I give my body a chance to recover.  I'm also revising my goal for that Sunday in October, but I'll save that for another post.

Happy Labor Day everyone...off to drink some beers!

Frustrations...

Remember this post?  Well I left out a part.  Seems that in addition to the blood work being positive for strep it also showed a reactivation of the Epstein-Barr Virus, better known as the virus that causes mono, that could have been a result of the strep or just an appearance on its own.

But, see the thing is, I've never been diagnosed with mono.  So after long conversation with my Doc, she thinks I either had it and went undiagnosed or I've been exposed to it through work...I am around a lot of sick kids through out the year after all.

It fits with the other pieces:  feeling worn down, feeling constantly tired no matter how much I sleep, need extra days to recover from runs, etc.

Now I just gotta figure out a way to successfully train for Chicago with this, 'cause I can't get a refund!

Or maybe I'm just looking for a reason why my running has fallen off here lately...not sure which.  All I know is it feels like for every step I take forward I end up taking two backwards and it's really starting to frustrate me.

Restart

First day of classes so my schedule is back to normal: teach Mon/Thurs/Fri at 10:50, be at work Tues/Wed by 11:30-12:00 pm. Arrive home sometime between 6:30-7 pm.

August hasn't been the best month for my Chicago training, although I have managed to still run 113 miles with this week to go, with being sick and crazy work hours. I did, however, complete my 20 mile long run yesterday!

So, I'm taking the chance to reset, ctl-alt-del if you will, and get back on to solid ground with my running, 'cause I've only got 7 weeks until race day.

Also using today to start over on the 100 Push Up Challenge (the link is over on the right). We made it to week three before things sort of went sideways so we redid the initial exhaustion test on Saturday and started Week 1, Day 1 today. Initial exhaustion test I did 30. I'll keep you informed how I do at the end.

Hopefully now that things are back to normal I'll finally be able to get some of the things posted on here that have been bouncing around my head for the last two weeks.

Have a great Monday folks.

Thanks...

To CO and EC for chiming in on my last post.

Guess I've grown weary of the US media hype machine and what it is doing to Phelps - not trying to diminish or detract from his accomplishment at all.

Plus, from my own personal experience, and that includes being around some of the best swimmers in the country and others while I was at Auburn, for the majority of swimmers you taking 'em out of the water equals total disaster. They do not do well on dry land.

Thoughts, Discussion, Controversy?

I'm still a bit behind from work ramping up from zero to 100 mph in the span of 2-3 days but I wanted to finally get this posted.

For discussion:

Here is a great article/opinion piece by Amby Burfoot about the Olympics and the topic du jour: Michael Phelps and his amazing medal feat.

Here's my opinion - Phelps is a great swimmer. Swimmer. Is he the greatest Olympic athlete? Not a chance in my book. Who might be? I'm sure everyone could offer forth suggestions, but see Mr. Burfoot's blog entry above about "the real games".

One person I suggest? Emil Zatopek. 1952 in Helsinki he did something that will probably never be repeated. He won the gold medal in the 5000, 10,000, and the marathon. In one Olympics. Google him and read about how that marathon in Helsinki was his first, and how he decided to run it at the last minute.

Feel free to discuss. I gotta get back to work.

At Least I Know Why Now

After struggling through the last week to 10 days feeling tired and unrested no matter how much sleep and struggling through quite possibly the worst run I've ever had on Saturday I at least now know the reason for my malaise: streptococcal pharyngitis.

So no wonder running as been so difficult lately...at least it's better than the alternative. After the rapid strep test came back negative did a blood draw to do a more thorough strep test and a test for mono. Had it come back as mono that pretty much would have ended any chance of running Chicago.

Just need to take care of myself the next few days and take my antibiotics.

Reason #45,721

My wife may be the coolest ever. She did this to commemorate my first marathon:

Saturday Recap

Streets of Fire 8k

First time ever running an 8k race so no matter what my time, it's a PR.  Sure.  Right, Im claiming that performance as a PR.  Worst race I've ever run.  Not sure if it was the heat, time of day (race didn't start until 6:30 pm), course, or me but that was not a good race.

Mile splits:

Mile 1  7:48

Mile 2  9:21

Mile 3  9:20

Mile 4  9:00

Mile 5  9:07

Total time:  45:18  (which is over 9:00/mile)

As you can see from the pic the course was hilly.  Those hills from just after mile 1 to almost mile 3 drained me.  Then on the way back (course was an out/back) on the downhill my left hip started to let me know it wasn't very happy with me.

The schedule had a 20 mile long run on it today but after getting up and taking about three steps I realized that running 2 miles might be a challenge let alone 20.

Only bright spot of today is that since we're doing pre-season physicals at school I'll be able to have our team doc look at my hip.

The Challenge

No, not Seinfeld's The Contest or this, but I have challenged myself to see if I can do something during August.

I've challenged myself to spend no money, zero, zilch, nada, on non-necessities and things that are not already budgeted.  I mean, the bills do have to be paid after all.

See I'm quick to buy a magazine to read one article, or to grab that book that I've been meaning to read instead of seeing if the library has it (and we have a library branch about 0.25 of a mile walk from the house), or wait that shirt is on sale it's a good deal so let's get it.  So I'm trying to exercise some self-control this month.

I'm not sure I'll be able to do it.  The first few days will be easy but not sure how week #3 or #4 will go, but I will give updates as the month progresses.

Two Forward One Back

Another good run yesterday.  More leg soreness last night and today.  Different leg, different location but still same result; missed run.  The same run I skipped on Wednesday gets skipped today so I can be ready for the 8k race (instant PR since it will be the first 8k I've ever run) tomorrow night.

End of the Month

Where the hell has 2008 gone?  July is over as of today, and with it, my time off for the summer.  When the calendar flips over to August it means back-to-work time for me.  At least I have almost two weeks to ease myself back into it before preseason soccer starts on the 13th.  Classes start on the 25th.

So, July.  Not a bad month running wise really.  Thanks to the trip to Cincy and my inability to stay on my feet last weekend I missed 6 out of 22 scheduled runs for the month, which means I completed 73% of my training plan this month.  Not great, but not horrible either.

I ran a total of 137 miles this month.  That is 921 miles for 2008.  Only 579 miles to meet my goal for the year.

I'm actually looking forward to August.  Last year August was the month I ran the most miles in while dealing with all the aforementioned back-to-work/school issues.  Hopefully this year will be similar.

Little Things Add Up

Dear Left Hamstring/Glute complex,

I'm sorry I've neglected you over the last few weeks.  I know I've been asking more of you since we started strength training again and the mileage for Chicago has increased and you've been trying to tell me in your own way that you were being neglected but did you have to make such a scene today?  All I wanted to do was run an easy 6 mile recovery run.

I promise that the stretching I did today won't be a one-time thing.  I'll do my best to pay more attention to you and stretch, foam roll, warm-up even if you'll just calm down and let me run tomorrow.

Thanks,

KP

...and He's Back!

I ran an uneventful 12 miles this morning and the ankle/shin was not a problem - in fact didn't bother me at all.

I mentioned this is a post over on KR but not too long ago a 12 mile run would have been a major undertaking for me.  I would've needed some extra time to mentally prepare for the run, I would take some Clif Shot Blocks/Gus/gels/etc for some food during the run, and most likely I would have been a zombie the rest of the day.

Today I just got up, had a snack (Clif Bar, okay I like their stuff) got dressed and I was out the door.  It was just another midweek run in this training cycle for Chicago.

I guess I am actually making progress in this absurd pastime of mine.

*%!&#*

Today's schedule 18 mile long run has been cancelled due to a mishap while working in the front yard.

T and I were cleaning out the flower beds in front of the house and planting some new things.  I had completed digging out the flower bed for the new plants, went to step out of the 5-6" hole I had dug across the flower bed and some how managed to not notice the largish vertical support for the front of the flower bed.

Landed in a heap in the front yard screaming profanities.  Neighbor from across the street came to check on me.

My left ankle/shin is bruised and sore from about midshin down to my ankle.

Luckily it doesn't really hurt to walk today, but no running until Tuesday at the earliest I've been told by my in-house health care provider.

Something To Ponder...

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame someone else."

Steve Prefontaine

The Dark Knight

That movie may be one of the best four or five films I've ever seen. No matter what the genre.

Ledger deserves the Oscar nomination if he gets it...and he deserves it for the performance not out of sentimentality over his death.

So Far So Good

It's only Tuesday and I've accomplished more yesterday and today than I feel like I did all of last week. Good workout yesterday (and accomplished some things around the house) and a great run today.

Now, off to see The Dark Knight at the local IMAX theater.

Do I Have What It Takes?

The idea of self discipline generally, and do I possess it specifically, has been bouncing around in my head over the last 2-3 weeks…basically since I’ve started training for the Chicago marathon in October.

As I sat and looked back at how things were; what I did right, what I could do better, what did I need to completely overhaul, leading up to Grandma’s Marathon I kept asking myself do I really have the self discipline I need to train successfully for this 26.2 mile race on October 12.

My schedule is about to get busy again as fall sports return and classes start shortly after. I haven’t had the best results dragging my sorry ass out of bed this summer, and do I expect a giant switch to be flipped come August 13th that will magically make getting up at 6 a.m. (or earlier) to run and exercise easy in addition to putting in 10+ hour days?

So I began to debate self discipline in my head. Do I have it? Better yet what is it really? What can I do to increase it?

Maybe I am self disciplined and events of real life have gotten me off track and in a funk (no nothing horrible has happened like a death in the family or the loss of a friend – just normal things like spending most of the month of June traveling and spending most of a week in July in Cincinnati with family and friends) and I just need a bit of a kick in the pants to get myself back on track.

Then I started asking myself what that kick in the pants might be…and I came back to self discipline.

Chicken? Egg?

I’ve gotten some ideas, some new things to try. I’ll let you know how I do.

Right now, I need to go cook dinner.

How Many Does It Take?

Question: How many trips to Home Depot does it take for a new kitchen faucet to properly installed?

Answer: Three, but only two were really needed, and that doesn't include the trip about a month ago when the faucet itself was purchased. It also doesn't take into account the trip tomorrow to return the items purchased (and not needed) during trip three today.

At least three hours after starting the project it was done, and the new faucet does look good.

Back To Normalcy

Only a few weeks left in the summer, well at least my part of the summer where I get June & July off from work. Just back from a visit to Ohio - spent Saturday night with friends in Toledo and then made our way to my family in Cincy on Sunday.

Returned to the great state of Michigan yesterday.

Now just have to get a few things accomplished before it's time to punch the ol' time clock again in a few weeks.

Commemorating

To mark recent accomplishments.

Yellow one is for Madison Half Marathon.
Orange one is for Grandma's Marathon.

Music

a band from Grand Rapids...waiting for this song to be available for purchase. Enjoy.

Once More With Feeling...

Ever wish life, as an adult was like it was when you were a kid? Ever wish for a do-over? Or wish you could yell “car” and everything you were doing would be put on hold for a second or two until it was safe again?

Kind of how I’ve been feeling since mid-April. Thanks to a hectic spring sports season, the end of the school year, training for my first marathon, traveling to see some friends (and run a half marathon with ‘em), traveling to see family, family health issues, friends struggling with life changing issues, dealing with my own issues I just wanted to call “time-out” for about 3-4 days and just hide from the world.

Then I ran Grandma’s Marathon. Things are different now. I came out of that weekend with a whole different perspective on everything that had been weighing me down. I realized as I ran the last 1.2 miles that day that I can deal with anything if I focus and push forward. Focus and determination, and support from the people that love and care about you (another thing I realized that day – I’ve got a lot of people that care about me, some where there physically for me that day, others there in spirit) will empower you and help you accomplish your goals.

Friends are still dealing with serious issues in their lives, as I’m sure I will again at some point, and I hope that I can be like T and the rest of the 30s gang* that were there for me on June 21: screaming my head off cheering them on as they battle to cross the finish line, and even if the friend can’t hear me they will know I’m right there with them.

*the next time someone rolls their eyes, gives me the “oh-my-god-friends-from-the-internet-is-creepy” look, or says they aren’t real when I mention these people I may come unglued. Just because they don’t live down the street from me doesn’t mean they aren’t real friends for fuck’s sake. Some of them are as much a part of my life as the friends who give me those looks.