When You Least Expect It...

I had an interesting exchange with the AD yesterday. He'd just returned from the NAIA AD meeting and he'd run into the AD at the school were I was at for my first job out of grad school.

Mind you I was there from 1997-1999, a total of 18 months almost 10 full years ago:

AD: I ran into your guy "X" and he told me to tell you hello.
Me: Really, how is he?
AD: Doing good, he told me that they've got a new athletic trainer this year and that if he really thought about it, you were probably the best athletic trainer we had.

I was a bit shocked to say the least. I'm not sure if that means I did a great job or if all the people (who knows how many) that followed me were crappy.

I'm taking it as a compliment.

Stuck in My Head...

This song has been stuck in my head (in a good way) for a few weeks now.

"Until The End" Breaking Benjamin

Chorus strikes me...

Why give up?
Why give in?
It's not enough
It never is
So I will go on until the end

This is quickly becoming my mantra for my marathon training...I'm going to go on until the end.

Recommendations

I have two recommendations for you, one book and one movie.

The book: Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. It’s a great book, insightful and poignant as we get a glimpse into a year in the author’s life as she makes drastic changes in her life. I’m especially fond of the part of the book that takes place in India. I’ve recommended this book to a few friends and they have agreed with me that it is a very special book.

The movie: Once

WOW! Watched that last night…I was told it was a great movie after it was already in our netflix queue but man o’ man I had no idea is was that good! The soundtrack is pretty impressive as well!

Success?

Inertia -

1. inertness, esp. with regard to effort, motion, action, and the like; inactivity; sluggishness

March is finally gone. Normally I'm a big fan of March - March Madness, my parents birthdays, and let's not forget St. Patrick's Day - but this year with the house and everything else March seemed like a black hole that I wouldn't be able to escape.

So, starting yesterday with the arrival of April it was a chance to wipe the slate clean and get back on track. My goal this week is to get up and run in the morning. Yesterday it even worked out that I was able to put in a few miles with T.

Then today hit.

I. Did. Not. Want. To. Get. Out. Of. Bed. I managed to get up and get the coffee going to help T get out the door (she teaches early on Mondays and Wednesdays) but after she left I fired up the computer to make sure my workout was entered in my garmin and could feel the motivation to run slowly draining away.

Lazy-self: Damn that coffee smells good, you know you could have a cup and run this afternoon
Me: no, I won't have time
Lazy-self: come on, you can feel your stomach growling! Let's eat breakfast.
Me: No. I need to run

So I forced myself out of the chair to get ready for my run. I wasn't happy starting out on my run, but I was really glad I did it.

The nice thing about inertia? Every time you over come it, it's easier to beat the next time.

Wow.

2773.

That's the number of visits to this blog in the last year (the cluster map at the bottom reset on 3/29 while we were in Texas).

Wow.

Is what I put on here really that interesting?

It will be nice to watch the dots reappear on the map as people drop by though.

Listening

As you can probably tell from previous posts (mentioned being out of my routine) plus the running log/stats over on the right, I've been in a funk lately.

The month of March has been a bit overwhelming - moving, unpacking, the state of flux my life is in due to the weather and spring sports, etc - well, it all sort of came to a head on Friday.

Just felt off, like I couldn't accomplish anything, struggled to find the energy to care about not accomplishing anything.

Then I did something important.

You see, I am lucky to have people in my life that care about me. I heard the same advice from a few of them: start small, make a to-do-list of things I could accomplish that would put me back on the right path.

Turns out these are intelligent people. I just had to be smart enough listen to 'em.

You know who you are. Thanks.

Who Do I Run For?

During the last two years I’ve become an avid listener to the podcast Phedippidations. Produced by a middle aged, middle of the pack, slightly asthmatic runner (his words, not mine) in Massachusetts this podcast for runners of all levels has become a constant companion on my long runs.

Today on my run I listened to episode #135 entitled “Who Do You Run For?” and as I traversed the streets of Grand Rapids this Easter morning I began to think about that exact question. After spending the rest of the day completing tasks around the house I thought I’d blog about my answers. So here goes:

T – I run for my wife. I want to do to whatever I can to make sure my days on this planet are plentiful, but that’s not it. I run because she inspires me. Her own running impresses me to no end, because it isn’t easy for her. She battles her own body – asthma – on every run but she doesn’t quit. If she can push through that kind of thing to make the progress she has in the last year, then I surely can get my lazy ass out of bed and get my miles in. Thanks love for everything and then some.

My mom – because she can’t. My mom is battling, successfully at the moment, cancer for the second time. I wish I possessed even a fraction of the strength she faces her disease with. If she can deal with that, then I can among other things, quit bitching about the hills where we live now.

Friends – you know who you are, whether in the virtual world or not, all you encourage me no matter what your level of expertise.

Finally, I run for myself. It gives me a sense of control in my often-chaotic life. It reduces stress, it’s made me healthier (one of these days I’m going to find a picture of me from the summer of 2000), and most importantly it’s provided me a sense of community. I’ve mentioned the forum before (links over to the right) but it truly is a community of love and support. I run for myself because I want to be the best version of me I can.

Question?

I'll be the first person to admit that I'm not that religious, so I'm turning to anyone else out there in the blogosphere to answer me this question:

I know how Easter Sunday is chosen each year, it's the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox...which on the surface smacks of a Pagan type holiday/festival celebrating the return of the growing season to me...but if we are commemorating the death of Jesus Christ why isn't it celebrated the same day every year?

First Race Report Of The Year

This was the second year in a row for me running this race. This is one of the first races of the spring-like season here in Grand Rapids - approx 32F at the start and snow still on the ground in places isn't spring. Last year I had some issues with the race:

1) I was still recovering from a leg injury and hadn't been running very well or consistently.

2) There were so many people in this race and due to the course bottlenecking thanks to a couple of sharp turns in the first half mile it took almost the first mile to get in a rhythm. Plus this was the race I passed walkers, not being taking a walk break, after the first mile.

This year they split the race into two separate races, a men's and a women's race. This completely eradicated concern #2 from above.

My goal for the day was to use the race as a workout in my training for my first marathon. This week's quality workout was supposed to be 4x1200m at I pace (about 8:20/mile) so that was the pace I was hoping to maintain.

Mile 1: 8:09 felt pretty good, small slight hill in this mile plus the course turned sharply twice. Managed to make it without hitting any ice.

Mile 2: 8:22 this mile is pretty much a steady climb. Not a huge hill, but just steady. Felt pretty good at this point. I could tell I was working, but I was doing okay.

Mile 3: 8:01 downhill for the most part so I tried to let the hill carry me a bit. I got a shout of encouragement from the cross country coach at the college with about a half mile to go.

Finish: 25:23 which is a 25 second PR.

All in all I felt good at the end. Yeah, I could have pushed it a bit more, but for that day and what I was trying to accomplish (the workout) I feel it was a pretty damn good day. The PR is just a bonus.

First Of The New Year

Race that is, 5k tomorrow. I'll post to let all three of you reading how it goes. T is also running.

House is coming along, slowly. Unpacking is not easy when you both have to work all day like normal people. Hopefully we will get a lot accomplished this weekend.

All I got now.

That's All?!?!?!

100 days until the marathon. Holy shit. Might feel a bit better if the house hadn't gotten so in the way of my training.

Also wish I'd hear about the hotel. Starting to get a bit nervous that we won't have any place to stay.

Return To Normal?

Can someone please tell me when things will be back to normal? Please?

See, I'm a creature of habit - just ask T - I like routines, but between all of the house stuff, moving, unpacking, spring sports schedules being a we-hope-so-proposition at best, and daylight savings time I can't seem to find any traction.

Speaking of daylight savings time let me say the following: I'm not entirely against the idea, but I am against it starting this early in March! Sunrise isn't until after 8 am again here in Michigan!

I think that is a big part of why I'm having such a hard time getting up and running in the morning.

How many more weeks/days until the school year ends?

House Update

Yesterday was moving day. Counted it up the other night, since I met T in 2000, we have moved five times - with two of those moves being across country. God I hate moving.

However, we are in the house. Here are some before/after pics of what we did to the place before we moved in yesterday. More pics will follow once we have the time to arrange the furniture.

Playing Catch-up

Sorry folks about not updating more frequently, but life seems to think my schedule is something to toy with these days. Between trying to get the house ready to move in - made significant progress with the painting this weekend and hopefully, hopefully some of the new flooring will be put in at the end of this week, trying to train for a marathon (more on that front later), and T's attempt at becoming a stunt driver I've been run ragged.

Yes, T is okay, but she did hit some ice and roll the Explorer. She couldn't have been going too fast though since there wasn't much damage to it. Biggest thing was the engine getting screwed up because the car was upside down. It was fun getting the voicemail from the 911 people.

I think I might actually be crazy. You can see the countdown over there on the right counting down the days, hours, minutes until Grandma's Marathon. Well, Friday after I nailed down some schedule stuff for the fall I registered for the Chicago Marathon as well. That's right. I registered for my second 26.2 mile event before I complete the first, hence the crazy part.

Gotta run. More later.

Last Week

Many things have happened here in the great city of Grand Rapids:

1) We continue to have the living hell beaten out of us by Ol' Man Winter
2) We in fact closed on the house, so we have officially been home owners since Friday
3) We have purchased new floors to replace the less than ideal floors in the house - well, just the floors on the first floor. Upstairs is fine.
4) The new computer kicks ass.
5) Marathon training - had a pretty good week on that front. Ran 33 miles, and that includes missing a run on Saturday because of work and house related stuff. I've been over 30 miles every week but one this year. The treadmill has been a run-saver.

This week (week of the 11th) is my last week of basebuilding. Starting next week I get to add in some speed workouts. Fun.

It's Official

Well, it was official about 4:30 pm on Friday that is...we're the proud owners of a home now.

Did a bit of work there on Saturday after the game I had to cover, and then proceeded to get snowed/wind chilled in on Sunday...we have exactly one month until we have to move in, so the next few weeks will be busy.

Also, wanted to post this...thanks to the Federal government for returning the interest free loan we gave them in 2007, it was put to good use.



Yeah, you're seeing that correctly, and no I'm not some sort of underground hacker. Two computers. Yes, the one in the middle is a brand spanking new iMac.

Countdown

If all goes according to plan, in approximately 4 hours or so T and I will be home owners.

What A Beautiful Sight...

The gourmet market/beer store that we frequent ran a 10% off all beer last Saturday.

We stocked up, as evident in this picture of the beer fridge.

That's all that would fit in there right now. There is more being held in reserve.

House Pictures

If you are interested in seeing pictures of the house we are buying - closing tentatively scheduled for Friday, then go to T's blog. Here is the link to the post.

Numbers

January is behind us, so let's look back at the highlights of the month (in no particular order):

- visited a few open houses
- found a house to buy
- started that whole proces (I know, I know...I promised pictures, I just haven't really had the time. This weekend.)
- ran 23 out of the 31 days in the month, which actually worked out to 23 out of 26 scheduled runs. The treadmill has been huge in that department.
- totaled 122 miles for the month and I'm only 5.7 miles off pace to reach my goal of 1500 miles for the year. Missing those three days last week is what did it to me.

Anything else? Nope, not really.

Back later to talk about goals for February.