The Runner's Bug

Saturday Sixer

2012-02-18T14:55:00.001-05:00

No, not that kind of Sixer! I got in six miles out the at NCR Trail today. The weather out was nice with a brisk breeze, sunny skies, and a relatively warm temperature out (They were salting the highway in anticipation of snow and ice tomorrow!).

I’ve mentioned the NCR Trail many times on here, but I can’t help but give it praise again. I just LOVE this trail. Today it was not as crowded as I anticipated it to be. Still, there were quite a few people out, and one of my favorite things to do is people watch while running. I got plenty of it today, minus the hassle of dodging them all.

The run itself was nothing spectacular, a simple long run in preparation for my impromptu half marathon next month. But the combination of weather, trail condition, and having a race goal, made for a wonderful run.

I'm Registered

2012-02-16T09:51:00.001-05:00

I came across a local half marathon that is run on my favorite trail, the NCR Trail. What a great way to kick start some running motivation, right? Well, unfortunately it's in less than 7 weeks. I debated over it. Could I vamp up in time? After playing with some training schedules, I decided to go for it. After all, I ran a half marathon only 4 months ago. I should be fine right? I guess we'll see! It's the 3rd Annual Back on My Feet Nikia's Nippy Nor'easter Half Marathon & Relay. Last year there were a total of 124 finishers.

While I'm not one to suck money from others, since this race is a fundraising event, they automatically created a personalize donation site. If you're feeling generous, have at it. I won't mind either way...

My Fundraising Site.

Happy 2nd Blogoversary

2012-02-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

I'm late by a few days, but February 10th made it two years that I've been blogging about running, life, and such.

It's been a great experiment and I hope to continue to blog/run indefinitely.

Oh, and I'm thinking of signing up for another half marathon soon. I think I need a race goal to motivate me. :)

Monthly Catch-Up

2012-02-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

If I have any readers left, welcome. It's been nearly a month of silence, so I figured I need to update everyone.

A. I've been on a CPAP/BiPAP for a month now and I'm still fighting to get affective therapy. The good news is I took to the machine easily. I have no trouble sleeping with it on, and actually find it soothing in the mornings. The unit I have tracks all my data and stores it on an SD card. The resourceful me found some software that can read this data, so I'm tracking my daily progress. Also, I'm feeling much better. I wake more refreshed, rarely take naps during the day, and overall feeling better.

Now for the bad news. It's not adequately controlling my apneas. I have central sleep apnea, meaning the somewhere along the link between my brain and lungs, the signal to breath sometimes stops. I typically have 2-3 periods of time where there is a start stop interval of about 15-20 seconds. I recently moved to a BiPAP, which is supposed to help, but thus far, it's not much better.

B. Our 10 day juice fast was condensed to a 7 day fast. It was going well and I was feeling great, but the taste of green juices started getting nauseating to both of us. I still enjoy the morning juice a few times a week, and am considering doing another 7-10 days, but modifying it with a lunch salad.

The good news, I lost nearly 10 lbs, and have only gained about 2 back since stopping the fast. I've cut out coffee/tea, fast food, and donuts. I'd say that I've been a vegetarian for about 85-90% of my meals, and many times, I'm eating vegan. I still like and have the occasional meat, but only sparingly.

The great news, my blood pressure has dropped significantly. Most of the time, I'm in a normal range, and that's with stopping the meds. Yep, I've been sans medications for nearly a month. If I have a fairly high sodium meal, then I've noticed it creep back up, but not to high numbers. I'm hoping that as I continue down this path, hopefully get the sleep apnea better controlled, and loose some additional weight, that my numbers will drop even more. Wahoo!

C. Now for the topic everyone *snickers, as I don't think hardly anyone but Jen reads this* comes here for.. running. Let's just say I've been keeping a minimum base going, and when I say minimum, I mean 1-2 runs per week. Things have been busy, it's been cold, and I've got no races on the schedule. Yup, I'm slacking it. There is no excuses, I've just been lazy.

When I do get out there, save for the cold weather, my runs have been going well. I'm still not tracking time, but I know I'm slower than normal. Mostly, my running has been leisurely jogging.

I so can not wait for spring to get here!

Back in the Game!

2012-01-07T17:33:00.001-05:00

I got a wonderfully refreshing 4 miler in this afternoon. I was timid of trying since my health of late, but I took it slow, steady, and had a fantabulous run!

Last night started the first night on my cpap. I felt fine this morning, but the data showed I still has a bunch of apneas. We'll see how it goes.

In other news, Jen and I have started a juice reboot. More to come, but basically we're ingesting nothing but fresh juiced fruits and veggies, and water for the next 10 days, or more. So far things are going well and I'm feeling great. Lengthy, novelesque post to come. Until then "Come back when you can't stay so long!"

2011 Goals Check-in

2012-01-03T09:18:00.001-05:00

I'll be posting a more comprehensive review of 2011, but until then, here is how I measured up against my 2011 goals.

A) Complete my first marathon. Heck yeah this was a success! Not only did I complete it, I did it well and went on to complete my first half marathon too!

B) After the marathon, I would like to increase my speed. Mixed success. Shortly after the marathon, I did increase my speeds and actually ran an awesome 5K, but the second half of the year saw slowing speeds and ending at a crawl.

C) Support and encourage my wife in her running quest, and hopefully run the Army 10 Miler with her. No go. The wifey put running on hold and has instead been doing Zumba. While I can't directly support her in Zumba as I can in running, I've done what I could.

D) Run a variety of race distances. Success! I've ran my first marathon, first half marathon, first 5 miler, second 10 miler, and a 5K. Not to shabby for variety.
E) Incorporate more cross training. No go. I did little to no cross training in 2011. YUK!

F) Stay injury free. Mixed success. While I did have a couple of injuries, I've recovered from them fairly quickly by being cautious and taking the much needed time away to recover. I was able to run my first marathon and walk away with virtually no ill effects. The next day people couldn't believe I ran a marathon and was walking around just fine.

Two successes, two mixed successes, and two no gos. Not too bad for the year!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T13:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!

I don't have much to report. I've still not gotten any runs in. I had hoped to start doing some short jogging as I'm feeling somewhat better, but work has been hectic and by the time I get home, I'm wiped out.

Since my last post, I've attempted a CPAP titration, had to stop in the middle because I could not breathe, caught a rough cold, that turned into bronchitis, gotten better, attempted and successfully completed another CPAP titration, and am no waiting to hear the results and get my Rx for a machine/mask.
Wow that was a long sentence!

I have been feeling somewhat better, but I'm anxious to start treatments and start feeling better.

In the mean time, the family and I are heading to Oklahoma for the Holidays. We fly out Christmas Day and return on January 2nd. I'm taking my running gear and hopefully will get some runs in with my sister. I'm sure she's far above me at this point but I always enjoy running with her.

If I don't post before, have a wonderful holiday season and I'll catch ya on the flip side!

What I'm missing lately

2011-12-08T19:06:00.001-05:00

I miss the "good fatigue" that comes with finishing a hard run and knowing you gave it your all.

VS

I WISH I was missing the "bad fatigue" that comes with deprived oxygen from sleep apnea.

I’m a Sleepy Sleeperson!

2011-12-06T18:17:00.001-05:00

The good news…. my thyroid is fine. The extra testing came back normal. The bad news…my sleep study identified I have moderate sleep apnea with slight hypoxia (my blood oxygen level hit 89% and the normal range is 90% and above). I’m not sure if that 89% was an average of the entire night or just at one point. So now I’ve got to schedule a CPAP titration and prepare to start wearing something on my face all night. Ugg! But then again, if it kicks this fatigue away, then I’ll happily wear it. Isn’t it basically forced air into your nose and mouth? I LOVE sleeping with a fan doing that anyway so maybe that was my body/subconscious trying to attempt a crude version of a CPAP. In the end though, is this going to solve my problems? Who knows. I sure hope so!

There’s not much to update about exercise. I haven’t done any running since last weeks poor two miles. I did get some cardio and strength training in at the gym. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, but I’ve been too busy to get back and frankly I’m too wiped out to do much of anything. The fatigue is still around, it comes and goes, and is keeping me very tired by the end of the day.

I’m also not at the office this week, I’m taking a blueprint design review course, and yeah, it’s kicking my ass too! I have NO experience with reading blueprints, so this is all new to me. The instructors are like a German Olympic gymnastics judge on a bad day. After lunch, one group walked in literally one minute past time. The instructors broke out Hawaiian skirts and leis and made them wear these for an hour. Something about being on “vacation” and not taking the course seriously. Good thing it wasn’t me!

But I digress (I always love using that term!). Getting back to running, I’m hoping to get these damn health issues sorted out and back on the road. I’m itching for another experience run somewhere before Winter fully sets in. YUK!

Turkey Trot "Race" Report

2011-11-29T08:54:00.001-05:00

On Thanksgiving the family and I participated in the Green Valley Turkey Trot. I ran five miles. Jen and the kids walked a 5K. Barring my recent health junk, it was a great event. Plus we all went into turkey dinner with a calorie deficit. How great is that?

We missed the pre-registration night so we decided to get there as soon as registration opened the morning of the run. So we got there, paid the entry fee(donation) and got our shirts. But wait! no bib? Nope, there was no bib, no official time, and no starting or finishing line! Although we weren't aware of the latter until race time.

So there we are with about 45 minutes to kill before the run started. Since it was a local race, one of the local Zumba instructors (not Jen's) was leading some warmup routines. Of course, since Jen's become the resident Zumba expert, we sat around critiquing her routine and trying to stay warm. Then about five minutes before the run was to begin, the run director started making some announcements. Once he was done, everyone just started heading down the road. No official gun start. No official starting line.

I took off at a slow pace with a planned 1:30/1 interval. Shortly after starting, I ran into some of my Fleet Feet Friends but they were doing a different interval so I didn't stay with them. The run was through a nice area with rolling hills and pretty homes. One large 5 mile loop.

Normally, it takes about a mile for me to settle into a breathing rhythm and get into "the zone". I never settled in on this run. I felt perpetually in that awkward first starting a run feeling, and I was tired as heck from the get go. The run was nice, relaxing, and a friendly atmosphere, but I struggled with my energy and ended up not having a good run. I finished, but with several extra walks. It was by and far the worst "race" I've done these last two years. Still, I finished in just over one hour. There was no finish line. No definitive finish. It just sort of ended at the same corner as it began.

After finishing, I found the family and we headed home. I was tired and feeling rather crappy. We got home and had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving at home with Wii games, movies, and yummy food.

HEALTH UPDATE:

Yesterday I had a followup visit with my doctor. My blood pressure has been excellent so that's good. But we discussed in depth (well as in-depth as can be with an always rushed doctor that sees patients for about 15 minutes tops!). We discussed thyroid issues and he explained some of the things I wasn't clear on but he also ordered some further thyroid testing at my request. In addition, he ordered a sleep study because I'm a heavy snorer and he thinks the fatigue may be sleep related.

I did get a 2 mile run in yesterday before heading to the doctors. It wasn't great, nor was it even good, but I got out there. The weather was in the upper 60s/lower 70s and it was a gorgeous day out. I tried enjoying it, but the struggle of no energy was enough to classify it as a crappy run. I sure hope things get cleared up soon.

2011-11-23T13:50:00.001-05:00

This morning I had my Occupational Health physical at work and everything checked out ok, except the fatigue issue. The nurse practitioner there gave me some good advice for dealing with my general doctor, plus she said it was probably a good idea to find someone else. Since I ate this morning, and they needed me to fast (wasn't aware of that) I have to go back on Monday for blood tests. I've also got a followup with my general doctor. I fully intend to push the other thyroid testing with him. So other than the fatigue, things are decent. Well enough to hit pavement again. Yay!

So tomorrow's planned 5 miler is on! This will definitely be the last race of the year and I've got no clue how it will go. Slow, steady, and fun is the plan. I'm not even sure if they talley results as I've not found previous years results anywhere.

On a somewhat different note, I came across a link for the Blue Ridge Marathon and I'm quite intrigued. It's at the end of April so I'd need to start training for it soon if I decided to do it. It will also be one hell of a marathon. It goes by the slogan "Americas Toughest Road Marathon", and takes you up and back down two mountains! You heard that right, MOUNTAINS, not hills! To give you an idea of how tough it is, the winner last year ran it in 2:42. It will throw my 2012 goals off, and likely I could get a DNF on the course, but for some reason, I'm interested. Go for it in 2012 or plan for 2013?

Mystery Solved! Well, Maybe.

2011-11-22T08:36:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately I didn't get a run in like I planned. In fact I've not run in two weeks. This health issue is really kicking my butt. I'm fatigued all the time and hitting pavement is the last thing on my mind, although I'm missing it terribly.

As I mentioned before I had some blood tests done and the results were being mailed to me. Well once I got them I scrutinized everything and came across a discrepancy. My Thyroid (something I've suspected all along) TSH level was fairly high. Now there are several different thyroid hormones, but only this one was tested. In doing some research the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists have made recommendations to change the standard scale for this test, tightening up the "normal" range. According to their newer (2003) guidelines, I'm in the Hypothyroidism range. According to the lab that ran the test, I'm not. Given that I'm exhibiting many of the symptoms of Hypo. and my level was fairly high, I'm pretty confident that this is what it is. Yet, I'm struggling with the Doctor. His stance is that I'm normal. I have a followup on Monday and plan to come armed with the new guidelines and if he is not at least willing to get the other tests, then it's time to find a new doctor. Until then, I continue to fight fatigue and headache/light headedness and struggle to get through the day.

Health Update

2011-11-18T10:05:00.001-05:00

The conundrum continues. I'm more or less back to my regular ole self, but the underlying issues are still present. My new blood pressure medicine is working great, maybe a bit too great. My temperatures have moved up some, but still below my normal. My blood work came back great, for the most part.

After about three days being on my new blood pressure medicine I've started having some numbers on the low end. For the most part, the numbers have been down. In the mornings, right before taking the next dose, I'm around 130/85. Slightly above the optimal, but not bad. It fluctuates throughout the day but mostly the numbers have been good. I've had a few instances where the numbers were too low. If it stays this way until my two week follow-up, then I'm going to request that I try the combination without the diuretic. I was on Amlodipine and HTCZ (diuretic). The new med is one pill that contains both of those in the same dosage as before, and Valstran. The Valstran seems to be working really well. I think I could do without the HTCZ and still have good numbers, and they just so happen to make one without it. We'll see how the next week goes and what the doctor says. It would be nice to get rid of one out of the two diuretics that make me have to pee all the time!

There were only two concerns regarding my blood work/urinalysis. One, my glucose level was slightly elevated. Not near diabetes range, but enough to keep an eye on it given my genetic per-disposition for it. Two, I have a moderate level of bacteria. Not really sure what the means. Otherwise, everything was in the normal ranges.

On the running front, I'm going out this afternoon for a run. I only have a half day at work so I'm still deciding if I want to run there or come home and run the neighborhood, but I will get out there today. :)

I nearly registered for an 8K this Sunday at the Baltimore Zoo. In fact, I planned to, but when I went to register, it was full. Oh well, I'm definitely going to do the Turkey Trot 5 miler near my house.

Regarding my diet, I've been doing great at it and according to the scale this morning I'm down nearly 8 pounds from two weeks ago. Yippy Skippy!

Things seem to be on an upswing.

Sidelined

2011-11-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

For the last several months, I’ve been having frequent headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. I’ve attributed it to the weight gain I’ve had coinciding with these symptoms, but the last two weeks things have stepped up inducing me to reevaluate the situation.

Throughout marathon training, I was slowly loosing weight, from around 215 in November 2010 to 192 in late March 2011. After the marathon, I plateaued then started gaining it back. For the last 2-3 months, I’ve been back to around 210-218. Even through half-marathon training, I continued gaining weight. I thought it was due to laziness and lack of tracking my nutrition. I’ve been tracking it again, trying to eat between 1500-2000 calories a day, still, the weight hasn’t dropped and my fatigue, headaches, and shortness of breath has continued. My blood pressure has, for the most part, remained consistent, roughly 135/85 to slightly higher. I’ve been on bp meds for over two years and back in March my doctor was considering taking me off of them since the numbers we so well.

Last week I started thinking something else might be happening besides just weight. Several days in a row of severe fatigue and frequent headaches induced me to call the doctor and have some bloodwork done. My though was a thyroid issue or anemia. I made the appointment on Thursday while at work. On the way home that evening, I was feeling very light headed. Immediately, I checked my BP and it was a whopping 154/106! Yes, I took my meds that morning. My temperature was 96.8. I typically run near or slightly over the 98.6 standard, so something obviously wasn’t right.

Friday morning I had my 4 month post-surgery eye exam. Things went well for it. I read at a 20/20 in each eye, and 20/15 combined. The doctor could see some dryness and suggested I return to using the tear drops to help lubricate them throughout the winter.

I then had my doctors appointment to address the above issues. His thought is it’s blood pressure related, and switched me to a three-in-one pill with the two meds I’m on plus an additional one. Bloodwork was ordered “to rule out other things”. Now most of the symptoms could be bp related, but up until last week, it’s not fluxuated much the last few months. And I haven’t read anything linking low temperature to high blood pressure. I’m not convinced, and neither is Jen.

Since Friday, I’ve basically been lounging the house, feeling rather crappy. Its too early to tell if the new meds will work better than the old, but I’ve mostly been down around 120-135 over 80-95. My temperature has stayed below 97.7 with a low of 96.2 this morning. I’m waiting to hear back on the bloodwork. I had it drawn Saturday morning and hopefully the results will be in early on Monday. I’m anxious to get some answers so that I can treat what it is accordingly.

For now, I’m holding off on any running. Trying to eat doubly healthy and just get myself back to functioning normally. Thankfully it was a holiday weekend and my normal day off giving me a four day weekend. I sure hope I’m feeling better by Tuesday, I’ve got a critical food sanitation inspection in DC early morning. Due to the specifics of it, I’d hate to have to reschedule.

More to come as things change. For now, I’ll finally catch up on all the movies I’ve been waiting to see.

YUK!

National Mall Run

2011-11-06T19:11:00.001-05:00

This morning I met a friend in DC and ran a 5.5 miler along the National Mall…

Location: The National Mall in DC is the centerpiece to the city. On one end, you have the United States Capitol Building, on the other end are many of the National Monuments. Smack dab in the middle is the Washington Monument and directly north of it is the White House. On the Capital side, you’ve got the Smithsonian Museums and art galleries. On the monument side, it’s fairly wooded, with winding paths to the various monuments. Just west of the National Mall is Arlington Cemetery, another great place to experience if you haven’t before. If you’re not familiar with the Mall, or have never been, it’s quite an impressive thing to see.

The Mall is a favorite spot for many runners. Every time I’ve been down there, I’ve seen a multitude of runners of all sorts. Not only is the atmosphere great, but it’s, for the most part, a flat area with paths everywhere. I could write a ton about everything to see here, but I’ll keep it simple and just state that if you’ve never been here before, take the opportunity to visit. I highly recommend a tour around the Mall with visits to the Natural History, American History, American Indian, and Air and Space museums.

Route: I met my friend on the corner of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue, the Northwest corner of the Washington Monument section. We headed west, looping around the Lincoln Monument and down the center paths with a sideline to the Korean Monument. Close by the Washington Monument we came across a gathering for the kick-off of a 5K Walk4Hearing put on by the Hearing Loss Association of America. They were just about to get started, and we sidestepped it around to avoid getting in their way.

We continued down the middle through the museum section and made a loop around the front of the Capitol building. As much time as I’ve spent on the Mall for my previous job and many leisure visits, I’ve not really gone up to the base of Capitol Building, so we went as far up as possible. Lastly, we made a B-line straight through the center and back around to where we started making it a nearly 5.5 mile loop.

The Experience: The run was nice and relaxed, at least for me. The plan was to do a 1:30/1:00 run/walk ratio. My running partner has recently gotten back into running and was suffering some shin pain throughout the run. We took a fair amount of extra walking breaks to help him out. For me, it made a great opportunity to snap some photos.

The weather was nice. It started a bit cold, but once we got into it, the temperature was perfect. It was moderately crowded, but we didn’t have to fight our way through anywhere. The only exception was the 5K walk crowd. All in all, a great day for a run at our nation’s capital.

After the run, we fought DC traffic to grab an early lunch at a nice Portuguese restaurant called Nando’s Peri Peri, for yummy flame-grilled chicken. Then it was the long fight with traffic back home.

The full picture album can be found here. And now for some highlights.

Sunset Loop

2011-10-30T20:44:00.001-04:00

I had a great sunset run this evening on a new route.

Location: Quarry Lake at Greenspring is a small residential and commercial site in Baltimore County, just east of Pikesville. I’ve yet to identify if the quarry was created specifically for this community, or if the community was a result of beatifying the quarry. Regardless, the area has been built up into several condo buildings, single family homes, and a commercial area known as The Shops at Quarry Lake. Several nice restaurants and shops are there including California Tortilla (a favorite of mine), Starbucks, and The Fresh Market, among about 25 others. Surrounding the lake is a nice paved pathway approximately 1.75 miles. There is also a smaller pathway with seating along the overlook.

Route: This afternoon, we stopped by California Tortilla and I noticed a few runners and walkers out. Even though we frequent the shops on occasion, I’d never really though of it as a place to run, until today. I surveyed the area and it looked like the pathway went completely around the lake. The path contains a fairly significant incline/decline. It starts low, then circles around an overlook and back. Perfect for training for a long steady incline. I’ve never seen a large amount of people on the pathway, so it’s not a fight like some of the other locations. The scenery is beautiful. Vegetation growth is filling in nicely and there were ducks and geese on the water.

The Experience: I didn’t make it back for my run until the evening. I’d hoped I could get two laps in, but I could only get one in before dark. I ran counter-clockwise, facing into the setting sun, and heading up hill. I was going for a 2:1 run/walk. Temperatures were cold, but not horrid, nice and crisp air. When I reached the overlook, I took quite a few pictures. The view was awesome. I just missed the setting suns rays over the view, but it was still a sight to see.

I was running with a fairly fast pace, especially along the backside with the long gradual downhill. This was only my second run in the GT-2160s and they felt much better this run. No shin pain to be noticed. I did end up with a few blisters along the inside heel. The insert sits slightly higher than my old shoes causing rubbing further up the ankle. Not a problem, just have to toughen up the skin right there.

Now for the photos. As before, I’ve uploaded all the photos to my Smugmug account, and have all of todays photos at Lake Quarry 10-30-11. Here are a few highlights:

The Shoe Wars Saga Continues.

2011-10-29T17:27:00.001-04:00

In a galaxy far, far away….

It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a….. WAIT that’s not right!

A few months ago I mentioned that the owner of my local fleet feet said I was in wrong fitting shoes. Since then, I’ve had my form checked out a couple of times, from various stores. Each one seemed to say something different. One said I’m supinating, another I over-pronate. One suggested a neutral shoe (which I was currently in), another said I needed support.

I didn’t post it here, but I decided to try a third store, explain the situation, and see what they had to say. This store was patient, they heard both stores suggestions, and walked me through an extensive analysis. The results: I tend to supinate while walking, but once I start running, I start pronating, and the faster I go, the more I over-pronate. Their recommendation, a support shoe. I tried several and made a mental note of the ones I liked. Being that I’m a ~~cheap bastard~~ bargain hunter, I didn’t buy one at that time. I also was finishing my half marathon training and did not want to change shoes right before a race. So I waited. It’s worth mentioning that my current pair had gotten me through all my running since Christmas of last year, including marathon training, the marathon, and everything since, without any complaints (minus the orthotic incident).

Last week I decided to order the model that seemed to be the best according to the third shoe store, ASICS GT-2160. I got them through Runners Warehouse using the remaining gift card money I had and spent a whopping $35 total. The shoes came in on Thursday and yesterday I got in a decent 2 mile run. They felt pretty good at first, but by one mile, I could feel some tension along the outer shin, about 3-4 inches above my ankles. I’m hopeful that I just need to get used to wearing support shoes since I’ve been wearing neutrals for nearly two years. Slow and steady with alternating between the two is my goal. Are these going to be the “right” shoe for me? No clue. The more I’ve researched and dealt with the realm of running shoes, the more I’m learning that it’s not a simple matter of finding the right shoe for me, but it’s more about finding what works for the current situation. And so, the saga continues….

Movie Review Monday

2011-10-24T19:30:00.001-04:00

Welcome to a new topic here at the Runners Bug. Movie reviews! I'll be sharing some running connections in movies and my input on them. Sure I can do reviews for the typical "running movie", but that's just not me. They may not be centered on running, but all will have some connection, no matter how small, to the sport we all love to hate, or hate to love!

Movie: Yes Man
Year: 2008
Lead Actors: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, and John Michael Higgins

Synopsis: Carl (Jim Carrey) is stuck in a rut, a very big rut. He's "recently" divorced and becoming more and more a hermit. A chance meeting with an old friend leads him to a seminar on saying yes, and he decides (or is hoodwinked into) agreeing to say "Yes" to everything. He meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel) the same night and a long and twisted rebirth happens for Carl, with Allison in tow.

Reasons I Like This Movie: Although quite comical, the overall concept of opening one's self up to new possibilities by saying "yes" is intriguing. How many missed opportunities have you had because you declined an offer, or otherwise said no? If one was to actually adopt this philosophy, there is no telling what life may bring. We could all stand to bring a little more "yes" into our lives.

Running Connection: The connection with running is pretty lose. Allison leads a running photography club. It's comprised of people that like to run and like to take photos. She just put the two together. The running photography scenes are quite funny, and although only a minor part of the movie, they illustrate the quirky nature that is Allison.

Since seeing the movie several years ago, I've always liked the concept. Two things I enjoy doing thrust together in a swirling spiral like peanut butter and banana. They might not traditionally go together, but can make for quite an interesting treat.... just ask Elvis!

I must say, I picked this movie because of my last post. I already had a review of this movie in mind when I decided to take pictures throughout my last run at Centennial Park. I imagined myself in Allison's group, although I did stop to frame shots and not just randomly click the shutter. It was a fun experience, and I'll be continuing my Running Photography Club of one. Who wants to join the club?

Check out "Yes Man" for an upbeat comedic movie with an interesting philosophical bent. Even if your not a Jim Carrey fan (like Mrs. Runners Bug), I promise you'll take something away from it.

Now expand that mind of yours and say YES!

Things To Watch Out For:
A perfect fit for Third Eye Blind's Jumper song.
Good performance by Terrance Stamp.
Zooey Deschanel in her naturally zany self
Jim Carrey dressed as Harry Potter and Zooey Deschanel dressed as Hermione Granger
The Drunken Brawl

2012 Running Goals - Experiential Running

2011-10-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

You know the type. Runner's World Magazine dedicates one page per issue to a photo of someone running up a majestic mountain or along a deserted trail. The runners always appear at peace, as if running were as effortless as breathing. This is my favorite part of the magazine. It's also my goal for 2012. To run as many of these kinds of runs as I can.

Since high school I've always considered myself a runner. More often than not, I was a runner on sabbatical. For the last two years I've integrated running into my daily life. I spent a year just focused on making running a routine part of life. Then this year I ran distances I've never run before, completing both a marathon and a half marathon. I've also moved past the dogma against run/walks and do both full running and run/walks. Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to where I wanted to go from here.

A couple of months ago, I had a thought. Why not run the "Rave Run"? Why not do it often? Why not make it my goal? So here it is my "Race" plan for 2012 (which I'm starting a few months early).

Goal One: Increase my running frequency. Pretty much this entire year I've focused on a three run week or less. Typically Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. I'm hoping to increase the amount to about 5-6 times a week, for at least a mile each run.

Goal Two: In my last post, I mentioned I was going to stop documenting my times. I've become obsessed, as many runners do, with the clock. "I was a few seconds slower today than yesterday! What happened?" Unless I'm running a race, I don't plan to keep track of times. Instead, I'm going to a more subjective form to evaluate my efforts. More...experiential. I'll elaborate more on this in a future post, but for now. It's bye bye watch.

Goal Three: Find unusual/historical/intellectual/personal locations to run and document each one as an event. I want to choose locations and document my experience with them. Why did I choose this location, how was the run, what did I experience, what were the pros/cons of it. Photos will be taken and shared on here.

This might sound vague, so let me elaborate. I live close to DC, yet I've never run the National Mall just to run it. Both times I've run there were during races. I'd like to run the entire mall. Maybe stopping at a few of the memorials and experience them through my running self.

Another example might be to follow in the footsteps of another. Experience what they experienced. Not long ago, I watched Rocky for the first time in years. Philly is only a few hours away. I'm thinking of trying to retrace the famous montage that ends with Rocky running up the steps of a museum and throwing his hands in the air. It might sound corny, but then again, what might you be thinking when you reach the top? I'd like to find out for myself.

My work takes me on frequent (although not so lately) business trips throughout the Eastern United States. Each trip offers me a chance to run somewhere different. I plan to find something unique about each location and experience it through a run.

So that's it. My 2012 Running Plan - Experiential Running. I'll probably add in some races here and there too, most likely the Army Ten Miler.

A Near Perfect Fall Run

2011-10-16T14:28:00.001-04:00

This morning I headed over to Centennial Park for a relaxing 5 miler. The run turned out to be near perfect. The only hitch, I had some more knee pain towards the end. I went out with only my hat, sunglasses, water bottle/holder, and my phone. Without a watch I wasn’t able to really do intervals. I simply ran when I wanted and walked when I wanted. Trying fro around 2/1. More often than not, I stopped for a picture instead of a walk.

Location: Centennial Park is a 325 acre regional Park in Howard County, MD, Just north of the planned community of Columbia. The park is used for a variety of events from the free summer concert series “Sunset Serenades” to church services and sporting events. The park consists of several play areas, picnic pavilions, an outdoor stage, several tennis and basketball courts, and a nearly 2.5 miles paved trail all surrounding a lake.

Route: I chose this route for many reasons. It’s a favorite local sport for running. The scenery is awesome with waterfowl, people watching, gorgeous lake views, several bridges, and a dike. The trail is about 10 foot wide, paved, with a wide variety of elevations. If you like short and steep hills, this place is for you.

The Experience: The weather was perfect for a mid-morning fall run. Temperatures were in the low 60’s with a slight breeze and sunny skies. I snapped a before photo (sorry for the blurriness, I had it the setting on macro). There were many people out and about on this wonderful morning. Right off the bat, I saw a group of people sitting on the outdoor stage in what I thought was a yoga pose. I came around the bend to find some flyers for Falun Dafa, a Chinese meditative practice, similar to yoga. I haven’t looked into yet but the flier looks promising.

I continued on and crossed paths with many people doing wide variety of activities. From fellow runners and walkers to fisherman, photographers, and families teaching little ones how to ride a bike. Everyone was out and enjoying the cool breezes and warm penetrating sunlight. The path was fairly crowded and at times I felt as if I was navigating through a crowded race.

I mainly focused the run on photographs today. The run itself was slow and steady with punctuated impromptu stops for photos. When I wasn’t capturing the souls of others in digital format, I simply enjoyed the rhythm of running. Feeling the sun’s radiation penetrate my being, and listening to the sounds of nature. It was quite meditative in itself. Towards the last mile or so, I did notice some slight discomfort in my left knee. The same place it’s bothered me in the last two races. I need to spend more time with the foam roller and stretching.

Now for the photos. I’ve begun using my Smugmug account again and have all the photos from today at A Near Perfect Run, if you’d like to see them all. Feel free to check out my other photos. I haven’t been using Smugmug in awhile so there isn’t anything recent other than todays. Enjoy!

A Fond Farewell.

2011-10-11T19:48:00.001-04:00

You've been my trusty friend and faithful companion for nearly two years. We've been through tough, happy, lonely, excited, and painful times, but alas, I must say good bye for now. You've served me well, never failing to capture an hour, a minute, or even a second as required. When needed you've been there with memory at hand. For this, I thank you, but it's time to move on, at least for now. Our paths are diverging and it's time to cut the cord and proceed ahead alone. You will not be forgotten, and when the time comes and I need our service again, I'm sure you'll be there with all your might. But for now….Adieu

Now my faithful readers may be wondering "what in the world is he talking about?" Well, I'm moving into a new phase with my running. I'm putting down the watch. No more tracking my pace or times on runs. I have no planned race goals and therefore no need to worry about how fast or slow I am running. I will continue to track my mileage and other metrics, but time is not an important component for what I’m wanting. The quality of the experience itself is what I'm seeking.
This years race goals are done. I've completed what I wanted to and have begun to move towards my 2012 running goals. I'm still planning things out, but not requiring a watch is most definitely a big part in what I plan for 2012. I’m probably going to run a Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving, but other than that, I’m looking towards the future.
More to come soon...

P.S. I'm not sure what's up with pictures having a white bar at the bottom. I'm using Windows Live Writer to make posts. I might try reinstalling it when I get around to it.

Army Ten Miler Race Report

2011-10-10T11:04:00.001-04:00

Ah, the Army Ten Miler (ATM), you broke me down last year, but this year I kicked your butt!

Packet Pickup and Race Morning

First we had Paige’s second soccer game Saturday morning. She’s in first grade and the program she’s playing through had issues getting started so she’d had a total of two practices and one previous game (which the won). Today didn’t fare so well. They played a stronger team, and they just didn’t play as hard, especially Paige. She was off in Lala land a lot. Oh well, she’s only 6. After the game we drove down to DC for race packet pickup.

Packet pickup went quick and we were able to register Paige for the kids 100m race. She was so excited. From there we hit the expo, didn’t find much. I wasn’t looking for anything and Jen found a few items. The Women’s Running booth peaked her interest and she started looking at their Arizona HM next fall to run with my sister that lives in Phoenix. They’ve both soft committed to run it together now! Awesomeness. But I digress. We left the expo, and outside there were some Army booths with guns and vehicles, even a Blackhawk helicopter that the kids were able to hop in. They loved it.

We headed back towards Baltimore and stopped at an Olive Garden for dinner. This is becoming the traditional pre-race meal for us. I’ve started having allergies, so was fairly sneezy and feeling crappy. Yeah, that appears to be tradition now as well, me feeling crappy the night before a race. Yuk!

We awoke at 4:45 yesterday morning for the race. About a 45 minute drive to the metro, with a coffee and donut stop, and we missed the first train by about 3 minutes. After about 15 minutes of waiting, we got another and quickly found out we’d need to change trains twice due to track maintenance. Nowhere did we read anything about stations being closed. Stupid MTA!

Finally, we made it to the Pentagon stop, yeah, it was crowded as heck. It took awhile to get out of the metro station and from there, the organizational mass confusion kicked into high gear. We couldn’t make heads or tails of where to go. Everything was changed from last year, and we needed to hit the bathroom. Everyone was standing around, confused, and not sure where to go. Finally, we figured out that it was the racers checkpoint and I said my goodbyes to head on down. By this time, it was about 20 minutes before my wave was to start. I hit the “Don’s Johns” line and had to wait about 10 minutes. There was no toilet paper (Thankfully I’m a guy!) and the seat was a gross mess. Yuk! From there, I headed towards the starting line.

The Race

Last year’s race was well organized, Each wave was corralled behind a loop of colored balloons, We were able to hear the National Anthem, and each wave went off without a hitch. Not so this year. I got in line where my color was (the back) and everyone was just walking. It was about a 15 minute nonstop walk to the starting line. There wasn’t any distinction between waves, or at least none I could tell. Just one massively large 30K sea of people slowly making their way to the starting line.

Miles 1-3

Finally, I crossed and the race began. With so many people, it was impossible to run at a specific pace, let alone do run/walks. I was stuck at the mercy of the crowd. No big deal, it was VERY slow for the first half mile or so. There must have been a ton of people that either forgot to pee or do to the confusion, just didn’t have time. I came across this site about 3 minutes into the run. When you gotta go, you gotta go! I didn’t suffer such fate! Mile was close to the Lincoln Memorial. I tried to get some photos, but they didn’t turn out too well. I did get the Washington Monument. Not bad of a pic either. I was having fun. I was trying to maintain a lose 12 min/mile pace, but mainly I was enjoying the crowd, the sights, the other runners, just all of it.

Miles 4-5

This section of the race was along the water, near the infamous Watergate and the Kennedy Center. A nice section to run on Somewhere during mile 5 I noticed some pain in my left knee, not as sharp as the HM two weeks ago, but enough for me to be worried. I slowed it down some more, took some painkillers, and applied some Biofreeze.

Miles 6-7

Although I was going slower and worried about the knee, I loved this section of the race. It was along the mall near where I used to work. The crowd was huge, and the course double backed so we could see the runners ahead, then behind us. My leg continued to have the slight pain. It wasn’t noticeable at the beginning of a running interval but was by the end. I was playing it safe, no rough surfaces or sharp turns, just slow and steady.

Mile 8-9

This section took us back over the bridge towards the Pentagon. Most people consider this section the worst of the race. Not much good scenery, and running over a dull bridge. I personally like it. My knee cleared up. No more pain, and I slowly started speeding back up towards my 12 min/mile pace. There was a possibility that I could still make it under 2 hours, but I needed to make up some ground. I cautiously started increasing the running ratio. It seemed that 75% of the runners near me were walking. I did a lot of passing through here.

Mile 10 and a long finishers shoot

When I hit the 9 mile mark, I calculated I’d need a sub 10 min/mile to make the 2 hour goal. Nothing doing. I wasn’t about to injure myself and run the risk of not finishing or worse, cause long term damage. I just kept it steady. At the last turn, there was about 200 yards left and I started kicking. The last 50 yards, I was going full speed and crossed the line with a 2:01:55. Much better than last years race, but nearly 45 sec/mile slower than two weeks ago. I was done, yet we had to walk about 10 minutes before we could get out of the shoot. No water was provided to us, although later I saw a ton of empty water there. Thankfully Jen and the kids were at the exit where I got my finishers coin and some Gatorade Jen got for me. I was feeling great actually. Only during the sprint at the end did I really push myself. Otherwise I was following Mr. Bingham's advice about getting your money’s worth. It was a great way to run the race.

Youth Run

This was a HUGE fiasco. It started nearly 30 minutes late. We had to walk about 15 minutes to the start and were sandwiched in the finishers shoot. There was no way the parents could get out. We were told to put the kids up front and we were to run behind them. An industrious guy was able to break the zip tie and some parents got out, Jen included. I stayed behind. We only registered Paige, but there were a bunch of other kids without bibs, and Connor really wanted to go with his Sissy, so we let him. When the gun went off, Paige ran with Connor hand in hand, I was behind. I told her she didn’t need to stay with him and she took off like a bolt of lightning. I finished with Connor, and both of them got medals. Now these were no kiddie medals. They were actual metal, better than some I’ve received for real races!

Lunch.

With the race over, we had a fiasco meeting up with my friends that live by there because the metro bus station at the Pentagon was closed. Again, nowhere was this stated! Finally one of them picked us up and we hit some yummy Mexican food for lunch.

Overall, the race was great. Yeah, I had some pain in my knee, and I’m going to need to address that now, but it didn’t last the entire race. The race was far less organized than last year, and from the complaints on Facebook, I’m hoping they change it back.

Now I’m off to enjoy Columbus Day sitting on the patio in 70 degree weather!

Army 10 Miler Is In The Bag.

2011-10-09T16:58:00.001-04:00

The race is done. Some pre post-race report thoughts….

The organization was horrible.

The course was slightly better than last year.

Some pain in the left knee, again.

I finished strong.

I ran fairly easy.

The kids race was a mess.

Lunch afterward was awesome.

Stay posted for a full race report, probably tomorrow morning.

Whew!!

2011-10-08T21:48:00.001-04:00

4:45 alarm, have to be at the metro at 6:00, race at 8:15, Paige's race at 11:00, Lunch with friends about 12:00, Back to the metro about 1:30, to the car about 2:30, home to rest 3:30. At some point after that will be dinner and family movie night to finish out the last Star Wars movie. Whew! I'm worn out just typing it all!

Hooah!!

2011-10-05T16:09:00.001-04:00

Hooah!! That's the Army's battle cry. This weekend is the Army 10 Miler and I've got mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, I'm excited to do it again. The race is huge, well organized, and has several personally significant features.

1. It's the Army, and I work for them.
2. It takes place in DC along the National Mall, where I used to work.
3. Last year, I had a near DNF when I pulled a hamstring.

Up until last week, I haven't had this race on my mind. I had the Hidden Treasures Half Marathon to worry about. What's 10 little ole miles when I'm doing 13.1 two weeks before hand?

Well since the HM is over, the ATM is the next big thing. My last post I mentioned I may have done something to me knee/ITB during the HM and was taking time to recoup. I decided to just rest the entire two weeks so I've not logged a single mile since then. I've done the foam roller a few times, and plan to use it more over the next few days and hopefully things will go well on Sunday.

That brings me to the mixed emotions. I'm slightly worried that I'll have a repeat of last year. I'm hyper sensitive to sensations around the knee area. Could it happen? Yeah, there's a distinct possibility that something will go wrong, but I've only had two instance of pain and I'm putting in the rest so I'm hedging against it.

With that said, my goal is to finish strong and beat my time last year, which isn't hard to do. No pushing it, no trying to hit that magic time. I'm going to relax, enjoy the scenery, the crowd, and have fun with it. To paraphrase John "The Penguin" Bingham; you spend a lot of money for the privilege of running a race, why not slow down and get your money's worth?

ITBS not IBS

2011-09-29T08:06:00.002-04:00

My stomach appears to have recovered from the pukiness of earlier this week. All things considered, it was a relatively minor bout of stomach flu. I've had much worse. Not a pleasant experience, but I'm thankful it didn't hit me the day before.

Moving on from digestive issues, this morning I awoke to stiffness and minor pain on the outside of my left knee, right where I had sharp pain towards the end of my HM on Sunday. It hasn't bothered me since the race, so I thought it was an isolated incident. I guess there is more too it now. I may be overly cautious, as I'm prone to do, but after researching the specifics, it may be the beginning of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). The pain was right where ITBS symptoms occur. I may be wrong, and I hope that I am, but since I felt something four days after the race I'm going to cautiously treat it as such and limit my running until the Army 10 Miler in 10 days. I DO NOT want another repeat of hobbling into the finish!

FYI

2011-09-28T11:01:00.001-04:00

The stomach flu sucks! I've been sick with it since Sunday night. I took Monday and Tuesday off. Back at work but still feeling the effects of it. Yuk!!

Hidden Treasures Half Marathon Report

2011-09-25T15:37:00.001-04:00

I did it. I finished my first half marathon this morning. It was a little anti-climatic compared to my first marathon back in March, but it was still an exciting time.

We began this adventure Saturday afternoon with a 3 hour road trip down to Salisbury, MD. For those of you unfamiliar with Maryland, the state is divided into by the Chesapeake Bay. To get there we had to take a trip across the “dreaded” Bay Bridge, a large 4.3 mile bridge that connects the rest of Maryland to the Eastern Shore.

We stopped at a favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch and hit the road back down. It was a rather uneventful trip down and we made it to the civic center to pick up the race packet. There was supposed to be a Fitness expo going on and Jen was excited to hit up the booths. I knew better. Last year the race consisted of about 300 runners total for the HM and 5K. I figured there might be a couple of booths there. Maybe a couple of the sponsors, and a store or two. Yeah, it was one tiny booth of clearance running apparel. Jen was quite disappointed!

We checked into the hotel and rested, or should I say, I rested, Jen and Paige watched a movie, and Connor, well he did what he does best, annoy everyone! We hit Olive Garden for dinner and I had a yummy Seafood Alfredo. I wasn’t feeling too well, thought I might be getting sick, and afterwards we headed back to hit the hay, dreading the forecasted rain, we stopped by Kmart for an umbrella for the family and a poncho for me.

This morning we awoke about 6am to find NO RAIN! It was foggy out though. We had breakfast and headed to the race. There were quite a few runners, but still it was a small race. The mandatory bathroom stops and we were off to the starting line. I got in place, the family shortly behind to cheer me on. We listened to a horribly slow version of the Star Spangled Banner and the race was on.

Mile 1-2: I started off with the same strategy as my marathon, take it slow from the gate and build up from there. While everyone else gunned it with the energy of the race, I was quickly positioned in the rear, only a few people behind me, just where I wanted to be. About 1/2 mile in, I meet up with a woman that looked to be attempting run/walks and I offered for her to run with me. She kept with me for about a mile, then started trailing off. This happened with another woman (this one claimed the longest she’d run was 3 miles, I wonder if she finished?). Again, I soon left her in the dust.

Mile 3-4: The family was planning to find a spot at mile 3 to cheer me on, we even drop by yesterday to figure out where the race crossed. The one thing we did not plan, an underground tunnel. Thankfully the were waiting on the other side and I did “knuckles” aka, a fist bump, with the kids then headed on. From there it weaved through Salisbury University then off through some residential areas.

Miles 5-8: I can sum these miles up as residential with a view. There are some beautiful lowland waters that we ran past, and many of the houses were really nice. As for the race, I steadily continued to pass people. With starting out in the back, I had a lot of rom to catch up on, and it seems nobody else was using the same tactic. I passed people, nobody passed me. I did not bring my Gymboss to run with and was at the mercy of hearing my watch beep, so I decided against using headphones. I put the music on my Droid 2 phone and turned it up. Some people complimented me for it and said they should run with me. In a small race such as this, I think it was fine. I would definitely not do this for a large one.

I again crossed the underground bridge at mile 8 with the family cheering me on. There where few-to-none spectators for this race, and as I am told, Paige and Connor did an excellent job at cheering for all the runners. Maybe we should go to a few races just to cheer. The vast majority of non-runners were either police at intersections or water station crew. There were about 8-9 water stations on this race, far more than I’m used to. Everywhere I turned I had people asking “Sir, water or Gatorade?” It was nice!

Mile 9-10: These miles were out along some farmland. Nice and flat and I enjoyed the scenery. I continued passing people, but not near as quickly as before. Still, nobody had passed me yet. At this point, I was wondering if I started out WAY to slow and would be trying to catch up with my pace the entire race. I was starting to feel the fatigue but was still going strong.

Mile 11-12: Shortly after the 11 mile mark, a woman challenged me. We were doing the run/walk shuffle for several turns. I’d pass her while running, then she’d pass me while I walked. I guess she decided she was not going to let this “walker” get the better of her and sped up enough to pass me for good. There went my streak!

Not a single runner passed me outside of the beginning (unless you count just passing them then hitting a walk, but as soon as m next run started I would leave them in the dust!). Two more people passed me before the end of the race. It was very motivational to start in the back and do nothing but pass people.

Around mile 12 I had a sharp pain hit the outside of my left knee. My first thought was ‘Oh shit! not another Army 10 Miler”. I took a few extended walking intervals and slowed it down some. It did return after the first walk, but not the second. I kept it cautious and trudged on, knowing full well that my hope of a 2:30 just got shot. Up to that point I was hovering around the goal the entire race.

Mile 13: The last mile was an incline, not steep, but not what you want to have at the end of a race. I was feeling the tiredness, and was treading on thin ice with my knee. I plowed on through to the finish, but did not have it in me to gun it at the end. I came in a little over a minute behind my Hopeful goal of 2:30 with a 2:31:21 (watch time, not gun time). I met my my middle and basic goals of finishing and being under 2:45 so I’m happy. I know that had my knee not felt that pain, I would have pushed it at the end and would have met the 2:30. Oh well, I really can’t complain. The pain hasn’t resurfaced and I’m willing to bet it was just a phantom pain. I’ll definitely keep an eye on it though. The Army 10 Miler is in two weeks and I WILL NOT have a repeat of last year!

Conclusion: The race was a success. I won’t say I felt as good as I did after the marathon, but It was still fun, I got a good workout, obtained an automatic PR, and I would recommend this race to others for next year. I can’t say I’ll do it again, but who knows. I’m still brewing a plan for the Runners Bug 2012 Season.

2011-09-19T10:16:00.002-04:00

This coming Sunday I will be running my first half marathon at the Hidden Treasures Half Marathon in Salisbury, MD. The race is small, and I mean small. Lat year there were a total of 140 finishers for the HM. Granted, it was the first year of the race and is likely to be more this year, but I'm sure it will still be small.

My training for this race has been much different than training for the marathon. Yeah, it's half as long, but I've just not been putting near as much effort into this thing. Mostly, I've been running two days a week instead of three, and I've not cared about my times. Plus, I'm nearly 25 lbs heavier than when I ran the marathon.

My goals will be to A) finish the race injury-free. B) run the race in less than 2:45. C) run the race in less than 2:30. I'm confident I can complete A and B, C will be tough, but is doable. We shall see.

My strategy will be somewhat similar to my marathon strategy, start off slow and slowly speed up over the miles. My training has been using 1.5/1 run/walks so I'll most likely stick with that.

TRBFPMFGBTYRRAHFDI

2011-09-15T14:30:00.000-04:00

Lately, it seems like quite a few bloggers are feeling the burn-out of racing. Be it a gruelling marathon training program, or a ball-busting race season runners of all variety suffer burn-out. I, myself have suffered the effects of burn-out. I now present The Runner's Bug Fool-Proof Method For Getting Back To Your Running Roots And Have Fun Doing It, or the very catchy acronym, TRBFPMFGBTYRRAHFDI for short.

My fancy-dancy marketing pitch:

Feeling the effects of training burn out? A packed race season leavingyou drained and unmotivated. Follow these guidelines and you'll be back to it refreshed and ready to go in no time.

The Program:

Start by taking a week off from running. You heard that right A WEEK. No matter what your mind thinks, or what the establishment says, you will not loose your hard earned badassness by taking a week off. Now spend that extra time doing something relaxing/fun/non-nunning and relish in it and try notto think of running.

After a week, it's time to get off your lazy ass and put foot to pavement.... or grass...... or dirt... or, well you get the idea. Now here's the catch, DO NOT bring your watch/gps/smartphone/mp3
player/kitchen sink/heart rate monitor/camelbak or whatever it is that you typically run with. Keep the distance short, 2-3 miles only. Find a new route or old favorite, but not one you typically use for training.

Now run! Run slow, run softly, run relaxed. You should easily be able to hold a conversation. If you fill like walking, then walk. If you feel like stopping for a siesta by the old oak tree on the corner, then siesta it up! The key here is to drop the mental baggage that you've accumulated and is dragging you down.

Now if you're a 5-6 day a week runner, it's time to cut it back to 3 days. If you're a 3 day runner, drop
back to two. Your goal should be to simply get out there and move. Keep the mileage low for a few weeks and enjoy the leisure running.

We've covered taking a break and reducing the number of runs, now it's time to discuss motivation. Sure, I can say read inspirational articles, other peoples blogs, etc. However, my media of preference for getting motivated is the cinema, movies for the layman, or "Talkies" if your in your late 90s. Thereare plently of traditional running movies, Prefontane, Chariots of Fire, Spirit of the Marathon, etc.; but I like it when running plays a bit part in a movie. Maybe the main character overcomes adversity and is shown having a great run at the end (see In Good Company).

Another non-traditional source for running motivation is a playground. Watching kids run around laughing and having a great time. This alone can take years off your mental age. Give it a try. Find somewhere where there are kids playing and you will see the magical run laugh.

But I...

So you're still in the middle of training and feel that taking time out will negatively affect your marathon/HM/5K or whatever you are training for. I saw Pushaw to that. If you're struggling through something then you're using negative energy. Negative energy zaps you far more than positive. Pulling back a bit to recover and reconnect with why you do this may just be the single best thing for your training.

Good luck and get your run on!

My First Video Blog

2011-09-14T02:13:00.001-04:00

While on my last long run (12 miles) for the Hidden Treasures Half Marathon, I decided to try my hand at video blogging. Here is the debut video. Tell me what you think.

The Poor, Poor Trail. What Have They Did-id To You?

2011-09-08T20:48:00.001-04:00

If you’ve watched the news at all in the last month, you know the Northeast has been hammered by natural disasters. First, it was an earthquake. Then came the hurricane. Now, it’s flooding. I came across some videos of my favorite trail being consumed by the flooding on fellow blogger The Running Moron’s blog. This weekend is supposed to be my last long run before the Hidden Treasures Half Marathon on the 25th and the Army 10 Miler on October 9th. After watching these videos, I’m going to need to find an alternate route to run. I have a love and hate relationship with this trail. I love running on it, but hate the fact that it’s so at the mercy of the weather. This is the same trail I spent many wintery Sundays freezing with my tail off running through heavy snow. Still, it’s a nice trail to run on.

And now for the videos…

2011-09-07T14:30:00.002-04:00

I'm not dead, just formulating and scheming to develop a new content style. The basic journal about my daily runnings is redundant and not holding an interest with readers. I shall return shortly. Until then...

RUN!

Father, I Have Sinned...

2011-08-22T08:06:00.002-04:00

It's been two weeks since my last post. I guess I'd better update the few readers I have on my half-marathon training. Things are going great. I the weekend before last I actually got up at 6am to run 10 miles! How did I accomplish such a lofty feat? I was at Bethany Beach for the weekend and knew it was going to be hot and I had a planned 10 miler. I thought it would be awesome to run along the beach at sunrise so... I did.... sort of. I ran along Coastal Highway. It was awesome watching the sun rise. I enjoyed the run, even the 15 minute port-o-potty stop about mile 6. Yeah, yeah, TMI. I'm just thankful there was one along the way.

I've continued running with Fleet Feet during the week. The social aspect of running in a group was well missed.

Yesterday I ran 6 miles on the NCR Trail. It was a recovery run between my long runs and I did 6 miles. I sped things up a bit and finished with a 11:32 pace. It felt great pushing my lungs and legs a bit.

So that's it. I'm caught up on blogging about my running. What else you want to hear about? I'm in need of some suggested posts to revive my blogging creativity. :)

Hot, Humid, and Hungry

2011-08-07T13:20:00.001-04:00

Things have been going great lately. Last weekend we took the kids camping for the first time on a peninsula at the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay. It was a good weekend with swimming, hiking, and good food. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my long run in (the hike counts right?) but a great weekend anyway.

This last week was a rollercoaster with my eyes. Monday and Tuesday was fairly bad at up close things like the computer. I struggled at work those days. Wednesday started to show some clearing and by my one month follow-up I was able to read the chart at 20/15. This sounds awesome, and it is up close, but anything after about 30-40 feet and there is some ghosting. Still, I’m on track according to the doctor. yah!

For running, I didn’t get anything in on Tuesday. I’ve been feeling sluggish lately, and it most likely was some of the meds for my eyes. The doctor adjusted it some and I seem to be getting my energy back some. On Thursday I had a leisurely run with Fleet Feet. 1:1 intervals at a slow pace as me and the guy I was with were chatting like crazy. I originally opted out of the run due to the sluggishness, but at the last minute I decided to pull into the parking lot instead of driving past to my house. Score one for stick with it!

This morning I hit the NCR Trail, first time in about 9 months, for my scheduled 8 miles. The temperature was in the 80s but humidity was horrid. Plus the trail was packed! I’ve never seen so many people on it before. I did 1:30/1 and was shooting for about 12:15 pace. I ended up finishing in 1:35:05 for an 11:54 pace. I was all over the place though. First mile was almost 13 minutes, then slightly over 11 and back and forth. Unfortunately my phone crapped out so I lost the data. Oh well. Still a good run.

Here’s a pic I took during a walk interval.

Now I’m showered and ready for a family BBQ this afternoon, hence the Hungry part of the title.

Catch ya later!

2011-07-27T11:02:00.002-04:00

Last night I ran with Fleet Feet again. It was hot but not near as bad as last Thursday. I started with a group running 2/1 intervals. At the turn around, a near half mile loop, I broke off from the group and made a second loop before heading back. I decided to drop from 2/1 down to 1:30/1 and speed up the running portion to get a little speed work in. As I came to the end, I crossed paths with the group and Karen, the owner of the store, noticed I was over-pronating pretty bad. When I returned to the store, the others in the group agreed that I was over-pronating.

Last year, when I started running again, I started in an old pair (old as in time not use) of shoes that I'd been fit for because of over-pronating. It shortly became apparent to me that those shoes weren't right and I hit up the local Road Runner Sports store to be tested. I was told I have high arches and supinate. I therefore bought a pair of shoes designed for supinators. The felt much better and I unsed them for nearly all of 2010. Come Christmas, Jen bought me my Mizuno's and they've felt great. I trained for and ran a marathon in them. They've felt like a good fit. Everything was well, until last night.

Now I need to re-evaluate my shoes. Yes, a couple of months ago, I tried some custom orthotics and had a bit of trouble with shin splints, but it cleared up after stopping them. I wonder if the shoes I have are keeping my shins in a weaker state but not enough to cause noticable problems. I guess it's time to be re-fitted and buy a new pair.

I wonder..... if I've been running with ill-fitted shoes, will my speed and efficiency increase with better fitting shoes? Hmmm...

On the eye front, I came to work this morning feeling the same as usually. A bit blurry. However, when I sat down at my desk, I noticed my left eye ghosting was gone! It has come back a bit since then, but still. It was gone for awhile. Progress.... slow, but progress non the less.

Six Miler and Vision Update

2011-07-25T10:07:00.002-04:00

It's been an interesting albeit uneventful week compared to the previous few. I ran with Fleet Feet on Thursday and it was the hottest and roughest run in a long time. On the way to the store, my car's thermometer read 108F. Outside it was more likely around 101-102. The high heat/humidity just zapped any bit of energy I had. We went slow at a 1:30/1 ratio, but by the end I was out of it. This week I'll be running with the group again on Tuesday.

Yesterday (Sunday), I got in a 6 mile long run in the evening. It was too hot when I got up so I waited until the evening. The heat was rough, but slightly bareable. Same as before, the run zapped my energy. I did 1:30/1 but took a couple of extra 30 secs to some of those walks. I finished ok with an 11:45 pace but it felt more like a 13:30 pace.

There hasn't been much to report on the eyes. The ghosting still remains. Vision fluctuates throughout the day with blurrines. I've started using some gel drops, which helps. I'm still on the steroid drops and from many of the experiences I've read, there's significant improvement after they're stopped. I've got another week and a half or so.

I'm relatively happy with the results so far. While I have some minor complications, I still beleive it's an improvement over pre-surgery. Here's a simulation of my vision before and now. The "abc" best with glasses isn't the best example. I was trying to show how the dots ran together with my glasses. It didn't change the darkness or color though.

Last of the Mid-Day Running

2011-07-19T15:51:00.001-04:00

First run since the surgery and it didn't go well. First, my running has been far and few this entire summer. Yeah, I've had some legitimate reasons for time off, but for the most part I've just been unmotivated to put much effort into running. Second, it's hot as hell out. As I type this, it's 94F outside.

I really needed to get some running in, and with Jen going to Zumba tonight, it wasn't going to happen until late. Therefore, I went out for an attempted four laps. I could only muster up the energy for two. Little Miss Sunshine stole the rest.

I'm ten weeks out from my first-ever half marathon and I'm behind. One thing I haven't done since the fall is to run with Fleet Feet. Over the winter it was just too cold and dark to run in the evenings with the group and by the spring I was focused on the marathon. Afterwards, I put a pause on intervals and that's what the running group does. Now, I think it will help with motivation to get back with them, not to mention running in the evenings will be cooler.

Jen is getting hot and heavy into her Zumba so we have to coordinate with each other for evening exercise. The kiddos are too young to be let by themselves. I believe she said that starting this week, classes will be on Tuesdays. Therefore, I'm planning to start running with the group on Thursdays.

On the eye front, the weekend was great. Still some issues, but they weren't too noticeable. Yesterday and today I'm having some ghosting issues in my left eye for up close. I have a ghost image in about the 2 o'clock position. Last week is was around the 11 o'clock position. It's not too bad, but does affect my reading/writing ability a bit. I'm hoping it will start fading out soon.

Post Surgery Day Seven – One Week Follow-up

2011-07-15T22:24:00.001-04:00

Today I FINALLY got my bandage contacts out! It felt great. Nice and cooling at first, but later came some irritation in the form of dry eye. The doctor said things were coming along nicely. The “scab” of epithelium cells is directly in my line of sight, hence the ghosting. Before the contacts came out, I tested at a 20/50 visual acuity, but after they came out, it was 20/30. Pretty damn good compared to pre-surgery. The ghosting decreased quite a bit, at first, but was noticeable the rest of the day.

This evening I attempted to drive, and after about a minute, I felt fine. Sure, I had some trouble reading road signs, but I could easily see cars and other obstacles. We took a short trip out of town and returned after dark. I’d say my night vision is roughly the same as pre-surgery, but with the ghosting. Still,, not too bad.

As for the ghosting, it’s still there, but getting less noticeable. I don’t know if I’m just more accustom to it, of if it’s truly started decreasing yet. My vision was supposed to regress a bit after having the contacts removed. So far, I haven’t noticed it, except when my eyes dry out.

At this point, I’ll probably stop reporting on a daily basis, and only mention it when there is something worth mentioning.

Shifting gears away from eye surgery, and back to running now. The doctor said I can resume exercising now. Whaoo! I can get back on track with my half-marathon training!!

Since tomorrow is a scheduled day off, and the last week has been taxing, I’m going to just wait until Sunday for my long run before returning.

Post Surgery Day Five – Not Much Different

2011-07-14T08:57:00.001-04:00

Today was better, at least for my sanity. After talking with the doctor, my nerves calmed down some. I’ve noticed the ghosting is fluctuating quite a bit. I hope that’s a sign that it’s the epithelium layer. We went out to Don Pablos for dinner and when the ghosting wasn’t in the way, I could make out words written on the other side of the restaurant. At this point, it’s going to be a waiting game. Tomorrow (Friday) the bandage contact comes out and initially I’ll probably have some regression, but it should start to smooth out after that. I feel everything except the ghosting is going great. There is some irritation which is most likely because I’ve been wearing the same contacts for 6 days straight. Many people notice a cooling feeling when they finally come out. I woke up this morning (Thurday) to the familiar ghosting. It was comforting that it had shifted, and that if I squint slightly, it can go away some. Come on Friday at 2:30.

Post Surgery Day Four – Ghosting Part Two

2011-07-13T08:52:00.001-04:00

I called the doctor and he said this is normal for PRK. They leave a bandage contact in for a week. Most accounts I’ve read it’s come out around day 4 or 5. According to the Doctor, the new growth is underneath the bandage and grows in rough. Once the bandage is removed, blinking will start to smooth out the new cells. I should start to see improvement at that time. Makes sense to me. Given that I had decent, albeit blurred vision for the first day without ghosting, I don’t think anything went wrong with the laser. Some of my fears have been alleviated. It’s still worrisome though. Everyone says the mantra for PRK surgery is “patience” I can’t wait until Friday for the bandage to be removed and the doctor to inspect my eye!

Here’s a picture of my left eye. You can see the outline of the contact bandage outside of the pupil/iris.

Post Surgery Day Four – Ghosting

2011-07-13T07:12:00.001-04:00

Today had really sucked. I’ve discovered that most of my blurriness is due to something called ghosting. It’s where you see a second version of an object but faint. Another term is double vision. Well, I’ve got it, in both eyes. Up close I can see decently, but anything more than a few feet out and it’s ghosted. My vision hasn’t changed since Monday and it’s now Wednesday morning (day five). I’m going to attempt to contact the doctor for his input. The office I had surgery is closed on Wednesdays, but I think he works out of a different one on Wednesday. From everything I’ve read,it could be due to a few things. Inflammation of the eye, irregular regrowth of the epithelium layer, or astigmatism. Given that I had pretty good vision on Saturdays followup, and my vision was decent through Saturday night, I’m hoping that it’s not astigmatism. That would mean corrective glasses and hopefully a touchup surgery about 6 months down the road. If it’s due to inflammation, it should correct it’s self once the inflammation goes down. If it’s irregular regrowth, again it should correct itself, although it might take longer than the inflammation. I’m hoping the Doctor can figure it out. For now, I’m just feeling crappy. I’m kinda freaked out by it. My stomach has been queasy since last night when I realized what was going on. I’m betting I’ll be taking a valium today. Most likely I will not be going to work tomorrow or friday either. I could be wrong. I could wake up tomorrow and have clear vision, but with my luck it isn’t going to happen. I foresee this playing out for at least the next several months. Damn!

Post Surgery Day Three – I Vant to Suck Your Blood

2011-07-12T07:49:00.001-04:00

Day Three was about on par with Day Two but with different symptoms. Day Two it was tearing, tearing, and more tearing. Day Three was it was all about the light. I couldn’t see much of anything and any bit of light was annoying. I spent the entire day in the basement darkness, again, listening to movies. I couldn’t even have the movie on dark without annoying my eyes. I ended up turning the projector completely off. Lights from my alarm clock and router were enough to bother me.

My vision was basically the same as yesterday. Very blurry and I could only keep my eyes open for about a minute. Today has started off well. The light isn’t so bad, although it still bothers me. My vision is clearing up. I still have a lot of haze and blurriness but I’m able to make things out clearer. I’d say I’m near where I was on Saturday. Off to grab coffee and rest more. Today’s goal is to spend some time upstairs watching tv.

I’ll “see you” tomorrow!

Post Surgery Day Two – Blind Fury

2011-07-11T09:16:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning to horrible ghosting and blurriness. Tearing was unbelievable. Any length of time looking at something in the light caused the tearing to get worse. My vision was terrible. Mostly I spent the day in bed listening to movies. I couldn’t watch them as I could on Saturday, so I would turn one on, the adjust the brightness and contrast to where I could barely make anything out. Then I’d roll away and just listen. This was all to be expected. Today and tomorrow are considered the worst days. I got through it though.

Currently it’s 9:15 on Day three and my vision is somewhat better than yesterday. The tearing has been at a minimum, mostly after I put drops in. I think I’m through the worst of it now. My vision is slightly better than yesterday, but not near as good as Saturday. At times I’ve got some clarity, but more often it’s blurry. The light sensitivity has diminished. Still there somewhat but not enough to keep me secluded in the darkness. I’m hoping to see some progression throughout the day. I’ll report back either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Post Surgery Day One -The Floodgates Have Opened

2011-07-10T07:58:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning to some minor burning/itching so right away I took a Percocet and Motrin. My follow-up appointment was at 8:25 so not much time so ff we went. After sitting there for about 15 minutes the doctor checked my vision and how my eyes were progressing.

I was at 20/25, very good for PRK surgery at this point in the recovery. Typically, they expect around 20/40 the day after. Sweet!!!

Primarily, day one post-surgery consisted of tearing, catnaps, more tearing, movies, and more tearing. Later in the day, I took a quick trip to Walmart with Jen and Connor, otherwise, I mostly stayed downstairs. My vision seemed to fluctuate throughout the day.

I would have put the days pain level at a 2 out of 10 until right before bed. I had been laying there with my eyes closed and went to open them. The left eye felt stuck together and I must have scratched something. It hurt pretty bad! maybe 5 out of 10. I popped another Percocet and went to sleep right after the nighttime medicine drops. Thankfully, I slept through the night and woke up without any pain. Today and/or tomorrow are supposed to be the worse days, so far so good. Wish me luck!

PRK Surgery Day

2011-07-08T18:43:00.001-04:00

This morning I woke up knowing that in a few hours I'd be under the laser, but to be honest, I was less nervous than I was yesterday. I guess the adrenaline was going or something. I got up, drove to Dunkin Donuts as Jen dropped the kids off, and relaxed on the computer for awhile.

Around 10:15 we headed out. Traffic was light so we got there about 25 minutes early and sat in the car a bit just talking. I was anxious but excited. There was another couple in front of us doing paperwork so we sat down and relaxed for a little while. The paperwork went quick then more sitting. A few minutes later, they took some photos and measured my eyes again, then back to waiting. Next I saw the optometrist and he checked my vision one last time, basically identical to my consultation visit. Then more sitting. Of course, I had a nervous bladder so I ended up peeing twice shortly before the procedure.

The doctor did notice I had some inflammation already so he decided to add a prescription for doxycycline as an additional anti-inflammatory. I found this quite funny as doxycycline is an antibiotic used for several arthropod-borne diseases (lymes, malaria, etc...)

We met with the Doctor, a nice guy, and he walked us through the procedure and made sure Jen knew everything to do from that point on. Then it was off to the surgery room. I had taken a valium roughly 10-15 minutes before but I didn't feel any different at this point. I laid down on the table, and before I knew it, my right eye was held open with the dreaded clamps. This was what I was concerned with more than the laser, but really, there was nothing to it. The one thing that stood out was that it felt like they were wrapped in a foam sheet. Some cooling drops then the scrub brush. I could barely make out the form of it and only felt some vibrations. Next was some scrapping of the debris and more liquid. The entire time I was supposed to be staring at a flashing red light. It was kind of hard with all the movement but I think I did ok.

The laser was actually pretty cool. I could hear the clicking sounds and vaguely saw some bluish light as it did its thing. The smell of burn flesh wasn't as bad as I was told either. After Jen's C-section, this was nothing. A faint smell, similar to burning a hair with a candle, but not as strong. More eye wash then on to my left eye. The one thing I could have used was a stress ball to squeeze. I'd read where other places give you one. It would have helped but not really necessary.

After both eyes were done, he visually inspected the eyes, told me it went well, then sent us on our way.

We had to pick up Jen's check, hit the pharmacy, grab lunch, then home.

I was supposed to take a three hour nap but it didn't happen. Not that I didn't try, I just couldn't get to sleep. I laid there with my eyes closed for two hours then figured it was too late to nap anymore.

Jen administered the first round of eye drops with little problem. I'm horrible about them, but we managed fine. Then she was off to get the kids while I rested more.

As for pain, I really haven't had any, yet. Before I took the Percocet, I felt some slight burning as the numbing drops wore off, but it was very minor. Otherwise, I've been great. Most of the time, I can barely even tell something was done. I'm sure tomorrow will be different though!

Lastly for my vision, it's fluctuated but for the most part it's much better than I was expecting it to be right now. Far from perfect, but at times I could almost swear it's as good as with my glasses. I've been told to expect haziness, halos, and possibly some ghosting as the epithelium layer starts growing back. Also, I'm to expect it to get worse for the next few days. I guess we'll see how this rollercoaster plays out.

I'd say it's definitely been tolerable and a pleasant experience thus far. I'll update more tomorrow. I'm trying to not use the computer more than 10 minutes at a time, hence the sloppy grammar.

Nervousness

2011-07-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning I'm going under the gun, or laser in this case. I've got everything squared away and ready to go. Yes, I'm fairly nervous about it, but more anxious really. I'm ready to get surgery over with and get started on the road to recovery. The surgery I'm having (PRK) has a much slower recovery period than Lasik, so it will be slow going for a week or so, then gradually my vision will get better over the course of a couple of months as the eyes heal.

Yesterday I got in a 2.5 mile run. I basically did my normal 3 mile route at work, but instead of a figure * I just did a large rectangle around the parade field. Who know that it would shave off half a mile! Oh well, still a good run. I've started back to intervals for my half-marathon training and did 2:1 yesterday. I ended up finishing with a 10:16 pace even with walking 1out of every 3 minutes. Not bad! Well off to finish my last day of work before being off for nearly a week. I'll probably post here all about my recovery.

K.I.S.S.

2011-07-05T14:08:00.000-04:00

No, it doesn't mean Knights in Satan's Service. It means:

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

After my training for the Army 10 Miler and the Shamrock Marathon, I've learned that trying to plan out a thorough training program just doesn't work well, at least for me it doesn't. After careful review of many half-marathon training programs, I've settled upon this:

It's simple and to the point. Three runs per week, two are 3 mile runs, the other a long run. I build gradually with a recovery week every 4th week. Simple and too the point. If, on any given run, I feel the urge for some speed work, I'll do it. Otherwise, it's just another run. Intervals vs non-intervals will be the same.

Yesterday was the first run of training. I did almost 4.5 miles at a 2:1 interval. It's been months since doing intervals so they felt odd, and of course, my lungs weren't used to the constant start and stop now so it took some getting used to. It was hot as can be and very humid, but otherwise a good run.

I'm having PRK laser eye surgery on Friday so I won't be getting a long run in this coming weekend. I'm taking most of next week off work to recover so I'll try and get one in at some point. It all depends on how I feel.

Purpose, I Have One.

2011-06-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

I am officially registered to run my first half-marathon. This morning I slapped down the entire $40 for registration. My wallet felt lighter (not that it's a steep entry fee) and my mind felt heavier (as I needed to decide on a training program. I will be running the Hidden Treasures Half-Marathon on September 25th. It's a small race, only about 140 finishers last year (inaugural). This comes only two weeks before the Army 10 Miler too!

I've been debating the training and have settled on a combination of other programs that I like. I'm going with a 12 week program, which started this week. Other than training for the races, my goals for the training program are to successfully integrate both run/walking and full running as well as focus on some speed work. I'm still planning it out in Excel, but once I've put the finishing touches on it, I'll post it here for accountability (Jen, I know you'll hold me to it!).

It feels good having another training program to follow. I only hope it goes smoother than the marathon training earlier this year.

A New Day

2011-06-26T15:16:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Mrs. Runners Bug for completing her first 5K using the run/walk method!

She ran the Baltimore Women’s Classic this morning and is already looking at future races. She was a bit disappointed in her time but for someone that hasn’t been running for very long, it was a great accomplishment. She’ll only improve from here.

On my end of the running spectrum there’s not much to say. I’m still taking a reprieve from running and have only gotten in a couple of runs that last three weeks. Tomorrow is my return to it, I think, and will be prepping up for a not-to-distant race as yet to be determined. I had planned on the Pikesville 5K as my next race, but on Friday I had a consultation for laser eye surgery, and now I’m scheduled for PRK surgery on the 8th, a mere two days before the race. For those that don’t know, PRK is an alternative to traditional Lasik. Instead of the laser slicing a flap on the cornea, with PRK the top layer is scrubbed off. Typically there is a 4-5 day recovery period which, for some, may cause pain and extreme light sensitivity. It’s probably not the best thing to run a 5K while drugged up and being blinded by sunlight. Therefore I’m on the look out for another not-to-distant race. Also, I’m about 95% certain I’ll be running a late September half-marathon. There is one on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that looks like fun. Plus we can make it a weekend spent at the beach!

My Walking Break

2011-06-09T13:08:00.000-04:00

This week as been a non-run week. Instead, I've focused on walking. Every day this week I've taken a lunchtime walk around the lake. As of today, I've logged 9.4 miles walking just on my lunchtime. Today, I maxed my lunch and walked a whopping 3.3 miles. One might say I was nuts, out there in the heat of the day (today was 94F with a real feel of 102F), but it's actually quite enjoying to me. I'm a heat addict. I still run a small heater by me at night. Yeah I know..... weird huh?

Running you ask? Well I've definitely had it on my mind. I imagine next week I'll get back to it. I just wanted to clear my mind for a bit after having an orthotic induced case of shin splints. The Pikesville 5K is coming up soon and I've got to get back into the swing of things. It's a decent course and I'm hoping to PR it. This will be my first repeat race so I'm looking forward to blowing my previous time out of the water.

I Haven't Run Since...

2011-06-06T15:49:00.000-04:00

"I haven't run since..."

The dreadful words any running blogger hates to type. In a sport where rest is a key component to a healthy well-balanced program, why is it so taboo to admit you're taking time off of running? Is it a fear failure? Or could it be your embarrassed to admit a monkey wrench in your plans caused you to miss something? Who knows! I'm sure its different for everyone, and each particular instance. For me, at this particular instance, it's because I've just not been into running since the orthotics incident(link).

I ran Friday, short but decent. Saturday was family day, Sunday I spent most of the day digging up the backyard to level it for a patio, and today, well, I got in a 1.55 mile walk, but I doubt I could have run anyway. I'm sore from all the digging. Running, however, has just not been a priority. I can definitely see it too.

Before and during marathon training, I was focused on running and loosing weight. I did well. I dropped from about 218 down to 195 and plateaued. after the marathon, I slowly started gaining again. A little here, a little there. I attributed it to stopping the long distance and the fact I had a bunch of work trips and eating out. Well it's continued to the point I'm back up to 210. Time to stop kidding myself that I slipped only slightly and focus on the pounds. To begin with, I've got to get back on to my calorie tracking. Yeah, it's not the best method, but it was really working for me.

Yet, I've had little interest in running lately and find myself struggling to get out there. It's not that I'm burnt out. Quite the contrary, I've taken several breaks from running lately, but my moxy is just on empty. I think I need to focus on other pursuits for a bit and let the pot simmer.

I don't plan to stop running or blogging, but to stop stressing about any of it. Who knows, maybe this funk will lift next week and I'll be rearing to go. For now, I'm just going to chill.

Besides running, what other ways do you escape and destress?

I'm a Morning Runner

2011-06-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

At least today I am. I was able to get 2.38 miles in before starting work. Definitely better than waiting until lunch time. It helped that today is my short day (8 hours instead of 9). I simply got up at my normal time and brought stuff to shower with afterwards. The run itself was good too. 9:03 pace.

I haven't had any shin pain the last few runs. It appears the pain was caused by the orthotics, which have been sitting in the same location for the last few weeks. Frankly, my feet have been feeling great too! I've started doing some light Achilles stretching as soon as I wake up and it seems to help. Basically, as soon as I'm conscious, I dorsoflex my feet on and off for about 15-30 seconds each. I do this 3-4 times depending on my mood. Also I try to do it throughout the day, whenever I think to.

Lately, I've been having headaches. Mostly when sitting at the computer. I'm thinking it's due to my eyes so I scheduled an appointment for this evening. My last exam was roughly 3 years ago so I'm over due anyway. If my prescription hasn't changed, I guess I'll make a doctors appointment and see what they say. This has happened before on a few occasions and it's always been the glasses so I'm 99.99% sure that's what it is now. We'll see.

A Hot One

2011-06-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

I got a short run in this afternoon. And by short, I mean less than a mile. It was really hot out (99F) and the sun was a blazin'. Too hot for a run so I stopped after one lap plus a little extra. It wasn't much of a run, but I really needed it. Also, I've not been feeling the best since Sunday. Headaches and such. I'm starting to think it might be my glasses. Guess it's time to get my eyes checked again.

With the heat out in force, it's time I rethink when to run. Early morning would be best. I'm going to attempt to get up earlier and run when I first get to work. We've got showers in the office so I can run and get cleaned up afterwards. I'm no morning person, and usually only wake up enough to get to work. Wish me luck!

What do you do to wake yourself up early?

May Recap

2011-06-01T09:21:00.000-04:00

May was a month of transition. I ran my second race of the year and PRed for 5K. I received and subsequently stopped using custom orthotics. I've focused on increasing daily stretching of my Achilles tendon and calf muscles in the hopes that shin pain from the orthotics will subside, and I've managed to get in a few runs as well. Not near as much as I'd have liked, but some.

Healthwise, I continued back down the path of least resistance, meaning I failed to track and focus on my nutrition and have continued to gain back some weight I lost during marathon training. I'm starting to feel the lethargy creep back in. Time to kick it in gear and get back on the healthy side of life.

June Goals:

Increase my mileage back to a decent level (12-15 miles a week)
Increase flexibility through stretching
Track nutrition and return to marathon training diet
Run at least one race

What do you do to get back on track?

Three Things Thursday

2011-05-26T07:45:00.001-04:00

Uno) I haven’t run since last Friday. Work and home has been busy and I’ve taken the time to let my shins recover.

Dos) We’re leaving today for a trip to Texas. We’re flying into Dallas today. Tomorrow we’re driving down to Houston for a friends wedding, and back up to Dallas (Yeah I know, that’s over 8 hours on the road). Family is coming down to Dallas on Saturday and Sunday, then we fly home on Monday.

Tres) I’ve been talking with a friend about taking a 4-5 day backpacking adventure. We’re looking around the Rocky Mountains. Roughly 6-10 miles per day. IT should be a great trip. Still in the early planning phase right now.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

A Decision

2011-05-20T09:49:00.002-04:00

After Sunday's painful run, I took four days off of running to let my shins recover. Along with it, I decided against wearing my orthotic for now. Reasons being:

a) the pain.

b) the doctor never watched me walk or run to analyze the mechanics.

c) the problem (posterior heel pain) I went to him for has been resolved.

At this point, I am planning to find a good sports medicine physical therapist that can analyze my walking and running and provide guidance.

Yesterday I was able to sneak in a short run between thunderstorms. I'd hoped to get in three laps for a 2.25 mile run, but thunderclaps cut it down to 2 laps. 1.54 miles in 13:21. Legs felt great too!

On the family front, Jen took a week off from her own 5K training because she was getting shin pain herself. In my opinion, she jumped from walking into run/walks and increased her distance too fast, which caused the problem. I ~~insisted~~ suggested she take the week off and let the shins recover then start back with the walking group and see how it goes. Last night she met with the group and walked 2.5 miles and reported no pain. Great Job!

She really wants to run/walk the race as her first 5K (she's walked a few before, but not run any). Who knows? Maybe she'll be running a marathon in the future!

Orthotics – 2, James – 0

2011-05-15T14:20:00.001-04:00

two with the orthotics and I felt shin pain within the first 2 minutes. I took them out and finished up with them feeling better, but still slightly sore. I wasn’t feeling it to begin with so I ended up only running a mile. I gave it four days since the last run too! My podiatrist said that I need to break them in. His suggestion: Start with 25% of my running and gradually build up. Well if I only ran less than a mile, then that might work. With pain only two minutes into the run, I think not!

At this point, I’m not planning to use the orthotics to run in. My running has been fine without them (and frankly so has my walking). I’m feeling the need to re-evaluate the need for orthotics. With wearing a night splint (although to confess, it’s been very hit or miss lately), and stretching, my heel has been much better. Why complicate things with adding an orthotic? I’ve read too many personal accounts of orthotics causing more problems. Sure, the orthotic could be inappropriately fitted. The doctor cast my foot without weight bearing, and he never even looked at my shoes. So for now, I’m going to cautiously wear them while walking, but not again for running. Why mess with something when I wasn’t having problems to begin with right?

In related news, I registered for the Army 10 Miler today!! It’s on October 9th in DC. This is one of my “must run” races. I ran it for the first time last year and love the course. It takes you from The Pentagon, through The Mall, and back to The Pentagon. Next on the scheduling agenda….. narrow down a half-marathon for the fall.

Now off to recover my shins again.

What are your “must run” races and why?

Orthotics Ordeal

2011-05-12T07:44:00.000-04:00

Last week I received my custom orthotics from my podiatrist. A month before, he fit me for a pair due to my Achilles tendon issues. I've been wearing them gradually, according to his instructions, to break them in. The right side has been perfect. The left side keeps sliding up and I can feel pressure where the arch and ball of the foot meet. Nothing major, but enough to notice. I intended to give it another week or so and see if it works itself out. Other than that, no problems with getting used to them.... until yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to attempt a run with the orthotics. I intended to do three laps around the lake for a 2.25 mile run. I only completed 2 laps. Midway through the run I noticed both shins were getting sore. I finished the second lap and it felt like I had shin splints. Even 15 mins after the run I could still feel it. Now of course I've not had any issue with my shins in well over a year. I had a bit last year when getting back into running, but a change in shoes quickly corrected that. So I'm 100% confident it has to do with the orthotics.

I've read a lot about orthotics and how you have to get used to them, but most of what I've read is in regards to the feet themselves, not shins or upper legs. I'll definitely be contacting the doctor today about it, but I'm wondering if any readers might have had a similar issue.

I'm taking it as similar to changing to a minimalist shoe. I'll need to gradually increase the use of the orthotics with running and let my legs adapt to the shift in mechanics.

Anyone else have experience with orthotics and running?

A Sprinting We Will Go

2011-05-09T17:52:00.001-04:00

After work today I headed over to the track for a quick speed session. I intended to do a lap warm up, 8 half lap sprints, and a lap cool down for a total of 1.5 miles. Unfortunately, I blew my energy out on the first sprint and ended up cutting the number of sprints in half. Other than that, it went pretty well. I carried my android phone running Handy Runner and tracked the workout. Here is a graph of my pace:

As you can see, I had a nice warm up lap, then did some short stretching. The first sprint was too fast at around a 5 min/mile pace. The next three were fairly consistent though. My cool down consisted of a walked half lap then a light jog to finish it up.

Next week I plan to repeat this and hopefully make it to eight sprints, or at least six. We’ll see.

Don’t you just love technology? Being able to review my effort is so cool!

Bloomin’ 5K Race Report

2011-05-07T11:33:00.001-04:00

I PRed! by 3:31 at that! The race was a local 5K similar to the Pikesville 5K I ran last year. It was only about 10 minutes from the house, in a business park. Jen and the kids came and cheered me on. Pre-race wasn’t much to talk about. I was unable to pick up the packet last night, so I grabbed it first thing. The shirt is a tech t and looks pretty cool. A warm up Zomba workout took place, and no, I did not participate. I’m not into that sort of thing. While lining up, we sighted this older Asian guy that has been at almost every local race I’ve run. He’s in his 60s, and is fast. Always getting a medal. He must race every weekend!

The course was decent, a big “P” shaped out and back with loop at the end. Paved road the entire time. The first mile was some long rolling hills. I was unsure of my pace until this point. I tend to start out too fast. Coming into mile one I was at a 9:08, right about where I wanted. Directly after the mile mark, the course turned, and headed down hill, great! I picked it up and was flying down the hill. Of course, what goes down, must come up and there were some rather steep inclines through the second mile. I stopped and walked the water break, then took back off. Another long gradual hill before turning back towards the finish. Coming into the last .5 miles I was doing great. I started picking it up. Several finishers were walking back cheering us on, something I think is great. I need to make more of an effort of cheering on those still out there after I’ve finished. I hit the 3.0 mark and started kicking. A short loop around I was done. 28:55 (3.15 miles by my GPS, must be my weaving). I grabbed a water and met the family.

The post race celebration was fairly nice. Fresh griddled pancakes, smoothies, and other goodies on top of the typical fruit and granola bars. We sat around, listening to the winners by a rather annoyingly exuberant announcer, and the more than 30 door prices. None of which did I win. Oh well. After that we headed home.

It was a fun race. Not too crowded, well run, and nice weather.

In other news, the Wifey has joined a training group for the Baltimore Womens Classic 5K. She’s torn between walking and run/walking at this point. Good luck babe!

Does your significant other run too? If so, do you run together?

Sweatin'

2011-05-05T13:35:00.001-04:00

3.03 miles in 27:45 and feeling good! I think I'm ready for a kick butt race this weekend. Yes, I signed up for the Bloomin' 5K. Second race of the year. :)

I took some photos for a before/after look at myself, and was quite surprised. I literally stopped running, walked maybe 50 feet into my building, up the stairs to my office and took the after photo. I don't look much different! I've never been a profuse sweater, but I generally get bright red in the face. This looks like I didn't even run! MUST....TRY....HARDER. :)

Two Miles

2011-05-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

Two miles, that's been my running lately, at least in the area of two miles that is. Today's run was right on the dot. 2.0 miles in 18:04 (9:02 pace). But why only two miles instead of 3.1? Well, the Army Physical Fitness test has a running component and it's a timed 2 mile run. Not quit a sprint but not quite distance either.

For those of you that don't know, I work for the Army. My office is about a block away from Garrison Headquarters and the Parade Field where PT tests are conducted. Two laps around the parade field equals two miles. A good goal for a lunchtime run. I've been running a modified lop though. From my office, I run a single lap around the field, then head for a half lap around the lake and it's about 2.25 miles. Today, I just cut it short to see how I handled just the 2.0. Not too bad. How does my running compare to the Army PT test? Well let's just say I was 14 seconds shy of passing. Then again, I wasn't pushing it either. Maybe soon I'll attempt a mock test. I'll go ahead and mark my pushups a fail. Situps, I could possibly pass with a bit of training. Running, I'm sure I can do it.

As for races, I found a local 5K this weekend that is about 5-10 minutes from the house. I'll most likely be signing up for it today.

Bye-Bye Gout

2011-05-02T17:51:00.001-04:00

The flair up is gone! Well, actually it was gone by Saturday but we had a full weekend and I just didn’t get around to a run. Today I hit the ole’ work lake loop and got in 2.33 miles at a 9:39 pace. Not bad. Still getting used to straight running so my lungs weren’t liking me but otherwise it was good. No stitches and I finished strong. My immediate goal: run 5 days this week. Another goal, sit down and find some races. The Army 10 Miler registration opens on the 15th and I know I’m registering for it. I need something soon though. Better hit Active.com tonight.

What sites do you use to find races?

Da' Gout

2011-04-28T16:17:00.000-04:00

Well my big toe is still lingering on in pain. All hope I had that it was something else has faded. It's in the joint and feels exactly like it did before. Although the pain hasn't been debilitating as it has in the past, it none the less is still back. A slap in the face that reminds me this will most likely be a life long problem. I'd hoped that the medicine would just work. No need to worry about things since I'm on medicine again. Not quite. Something has changed to bring on an attack. Could it be several missed doses over the last few weeks? I don't think that alone would cause it. Sure, a dip in the effectiveness, but I would have thought it would have surfaced last week, after my last missed dose, not a week later of full dosing. Could it be the weight gain I've experienced as of late? I'm thinking so. I've gained about 8-9 lbs back since the marathon. Not a ton of weight, but it puts me back over the 200 lb mark. Could it be that I haven't been watching my diet closely like I was? Again, that's highly likely. I was tracking calories on Spark People for about 4 months. All my work travel lately made it difficult to keep track of and it fell to the wayside. I guess I'd better pick that back up and get my weight back down. Uggg!

Rainstorms, Whining, and Inflammation

2011-04-27T08:02:00.000-04:00

On Easter Jen and I took the kids out to lunch and while eating we decided to check out a local dam that we've been wanting to see. It's only about 15 minutes drive from the house so why not right? We figured a quick drive there, spend some time at the dam, and another 15 minute drive home for an afternoon nap. Things didn't go as planned.

We made it to the parking lot, got out and started to walk in the direction of the dam. There, we noticed a sign "Liberty Dam. 1.8 miles" 1.8 miles? That's a bit of a hike with two kids. The trail was actually a two lane paved road and it was nice out. We headed that way. The kids were having a good time.... for awhile, then the whining started. Connor had to be picked up. Paige wanted to be in the car. It was turning out to be not a fun hike.

There were plenty of other families out and the speed at which they were moving far exceeded our own. It took us well over an hour to reach the dam. The dam itself was pretty cool. The water was cascading over the concrete down the side to a river, smooth and peaceful. One could imagine sliding down the water like a waterslide.

The return was even more eventful. Shortly after we left the dam, it started raining. Then we heard it, the crack of thunder. SHIT, we're stuck outside and a thunderstorm is rolling through. By this time, we were the only ones left out on the road as everyone else has far surpassed our speed. Ducking for cover, we sat huddled in the understory of some trees waiting for the storm to pass. After about 20 minutes it did and we continued on. I hold Connor nearly the entire 1.8 miles back, Jen and Paige not far behind. Finally, we made it to the car. We ended the trip by stopping at Dairy Queen (Texas Stop Sign) and having dinner and ice cream. For all the whining, rain, and lightning, it still beat sitting at home.

On the running front, I'm currently grounded. Yesterday I awoke to some pain in my left big toe and it continues today. Naproxen and Voltaren Gel (Both NSAIDS) are currently working their magic to lower the inflammation. At first I was hoping for the best, but alas, Gout has struck it's ugly head once again. I haven't had a bit of pain since going on the Gout Meds about 9 months ago. I did have several missed doses lately and I've gained some weight back since the marathon. I hope that's all it is. Depending on how it feels this afternoon, I may attempt a short run.

Earth Day Unit Moral Run

2011-04-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

My unit conducted an Earth Day Run/Walk on the fort's jogging trail. About 20 people attended, but only a couple of us actually ran (military had PT this morning and didn't want to run twice in the same day). I had never run this course before and was surprised at how hilly it is. It has many short and step hills and meanders between the golf course (cause every military installation must have one!), and the NSA compound (Can you read "do not cross this fence or you will be shot on site!").

The course is a 3.6 out and back, the furthest I've run in a month. Going into it, I knew I wasn't going to hold steady the entire time without walking. I decided to leave it unstructured and just walk when I felt the need. This method works best with a hilly course. The out was great. I walked a couple of the very steep hills but otherwise ran fine. The return was tougher. I was wearing down and had several shoulder stitches. I don't get side stitches, they always hit my shoulder for some reason. Shortly after I returned to the rally point, it started raining. I'm glad I chose to run as it was cold. I finished in 38:57. Not too bad for a trail run.

PMBS Diagnosis and Treatment

2011-04-21T13:43:00.001-04:00

I've been scouring the greatest medical resource on Earth.... WebMD. After some intense thought and evaluation, I've self-diagnosed myself with PMBS. Now you might be asking yourself:

"What in the holy hell is PMBS?" Or "PMBS? isn't that Premenstral Buttocks Syndrome?" No, no it isn't.

"How about Poly Morphic Bowel Syndrome?" That'd be a hell no.

"So what is it then? One of those rare, but all over the internet so you think you've got it diseases?" Again... nope.

PMBS, or Post Marathon Blues Syndrome is basically feeling down about running after you've finished (or did not finish) a major event and the training required for it. Since the Shamrock Marathon, I've not been too motivated to run. I wouldn't say I'm depressed, not even slightly. I'm still thrilled I went the distance. Rather it's just a lack of motivation. I don't have current goal and other avenues in my life have taken focus.

Well I've gotten in two good runs this week. Yesterdays 1.5 miles. And today I did 2.23 at a speedy 8:48 pace. Straight running that is. I'm feeling good now. Starting to think about my next goal. I've got several repeat races from last year I'd like to do but nothing in the near future. Time to scour the net looking for a good race.

A New Page

2011-04-20T20:25:00.001-04:00

No, it’s not a new page in my life. I simply created a facebook page for The Runner’s Bug. Go check it out here. My running has been, well lacking lately. I’m on the look out for another goal to kick start my butt in gear. I guess I’ve been in the post marathon blues. Today I did have a nice 1.5 mile run at a 9:37 pace. Going to try again tomorrow if work isn’t too busy.

Hot, Hot, Hot

2011-04-11T13:17:00.001-04:00

Finally, I got a run in after nearly two weeks off. I've not been a good runner after finishing the marathon. And my weight has shown it. I've gained about 7 lbs. Ugg! Time to kick my butt in gear and get back to a routine.

I ran only 1.54 miles, but they were significant. One, it was the first time since the beginning of last fall that I ran in shorts. It was only 76F but I could have sworn it was in the upper 80s. Time to get used to running in the heat. Two, this was the first run in about 9 months that I didn't take a walk break. I've been doing run/walks for so long it felt odd not stopping. My time was good. A decent 14:23 for a 9:21 pace. I didn't feel like I was going hard but I did develop some shoulder pain (my form of side stitches) coming around the last lap. I know it's from my breathing, not stopping for a quick catch of my breath. It'll take a few runs to settle back into breath management. Three, this 1.5 miles marked the 500th mile I've tracked since starting to run last year. It may not be near as much as many other runners get in, but with various setbacks, I've had many instances of going two weeks plus without running. Now off to my next 500!

I'm going to start running 3 times during the week instead of two Mon, Wed, and Fri. Hopefully I'll burn off that extra weight soon. :)

Snow, Sunsets, and Springtails

2011-04-05T21:29:00.001-04:00

First off, I haven't run since my awesome miler last Tuesday. Last Thursday I was fitted for custom inserts by my podiatrist. As I've mentioned before, I've been diagnosed with short Achilles tendons, and he wanted to wait until after my marathon before putting me in them. (not really sure why he couldn't have fitted me before though). It's going to take about a month to have them made. I haven't had much trouble lately, as I've been wearing a nighttime splint at home, and try to be consistent with stretching. Hopefully this will push it over the edge with stretching them back out. I do not want to wear night splints forever.

Works been busy and I'm currently sitting in a hotel room in Upstate New York. I'm working on an accreditation program for child and youth services on Army installations regarding pesticides. If all goes well, this program will involve more short trips as an assessor of the program. With the budget crisis, things have been iffy, but it's a program with significant merit for the health of our military children.

Snow - It rained all last night, but this morning we were in a down right blizzard. It only lasted about an hour, then slowly tapered off to a rain, but made for a rough morning.

Sunsets - The day cleared up and we ended it watching a great sunset over Lake Ontario, too bad it wasn't warm enough to get out of the car!

Springtails - These are fascinating insects with an odd appendage that attaches under their belly which they use to fling them in the air. Their about 1/4 the size of a flea and live in moist environments. You can usually find them under rocks in the soil. One of the daycare facilities we inspected today has had a reoccurring problem with springtail infestations. Only one of the odd things I deal with and why I love my job!

A Mile, Timed.

2011-03-29T13:32:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to attempt a timed mile. The last time I did one was back in October where I ran a 9:01. I began the run with a warm up lap around the track. After some stretching I took off. Since I've been used to run/walks I choose to use a 2 minute run to 15 second walk. It felt great opening up the throttle after going a winter on slow-mo for the marathon. I could tell my time was going to be significantly better than in October, but when I finished and saw my watch, I was shocked...

7:51!

That's right bitches, I flew right past the 8s and made it into the 7s! And that's with three 15 second walks thrown in for good measure.

A Brisk Two Miles

2011-03-27T19:08:00.001-04:00

Today was my first run since the marathon. Now that I’m not in training for long distance, I want to work on some short and quick runs. I decided to up my interval from the 1:15/1 that I was doing for the race to a brisk 3/1. It was pretty hard maintaining the run that long between walks but still felt good. The awesome part was that my pace ended up being a 9:40 pace. :) I’ll probably try a timed mile at some point this week. Provided the weather cooperates.

In other news, I’ve got an appointment with my podiatrist on Thursday where I’ll be getting fitted for custom inserts. Heel problems will be in the past! Or so I hope. :)

Shamrock Marathon Race Report Part II

2011-03-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

There I was, standing in line at the start of the 2011 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon freezing my tail off, thinking I was nuts for wanting to run 26.2 miles in this weather. Just moments before I was standing with Jen and Connor in the warmth of a hotel lobby. Now, I’m waiting in the cold with about 4,000 other nutso’s waiting for start.

My strategy was to go out very slow for the first couple of miles, then pick it up to a decent pace. My goal, loosely, was for 5:30. I positioned myself about 20 feet behind the 5:00 pacer and got myself ready. Nerves really kicking in, I just wanted to start. The field was divided into four corrals and I was in the last so it took about 8 minutes from the start before I started the run…. then I was off!

The first mile was tough. Not tough in the sense of hard, but tough in that there were a ton of people surrounding me, I wanted to catch Jen and Connor about 1/2 mile in, and trying to keep my pace above 13 mins/mile. Luckily, I was able to catch the Fam cheering me on. I ended up with a 13:00 for mile one. Still faster than my intended.

Miles 2-6 Once we got out and going, the wind died down considerably and I was warming up. I kept my pace dead slow through the first 3 miles. The course looped around by the ocean and over the only hill on the entire course, a small bridge at mile 2. It wasn’t difficult to cover and after the bridge came a long straight away until about mile 5.5. The crowds were awesome. Our names were printed on the bib so people could shout out your name. Why can’t all races do that? Around mile 3.5 the course met up with the 9 mile mark so I was able to catch the elite runners and man were they moving! I started to pick up the pace at mile 4. My only stop the entire race was a potty break at mile 6.

Mile 2 – 13:09 Mile 3 –13:03 Mile 4 – 11:36 Mile 5 – 11:53 Mile 6 – 13:01

Miles 7-10 A turn took us into Camp Pendelton where a bunch of soldiers were cheering us on. Through this area I noticed a lot of people were wearing down and doing a lot of walking. I maintained my 1:15/1 ratio and kept it strong. Really picking up the pace at mile 8 where the soldier were. The return over the bridge was at mile 10 and it gave a good shot of the ocean.

Mile 7 – 12:26 Mile 8 – 10:57 Mile 9 – 11:01 Mile 10 0 11:20

Miles 11-16 Now was the long trek back through the Virginia Beach. Mile 11-12 was run mostly on the board walk and it made for some great scenery. The wind wasn’t too bad and I was feeling good. Right before mile 12 it switched over to Atlantic Ave and into the cheering crowds. Jen and Connor were waiting for me at mile 12. Unfortunately Connor was napping at the time,but I stopped for a minute to kiss them and take back off again. At the half mark I was still feeling great. The elite runners were coming in opposite me and I could see some of them really straining. This route continued north with many spectators along the way.

Mile 11 – 11:12 Mile 12 – 11:26 Mile 13 – 11:56 Mile 14 – 11:55 Mile 15 – 11:43 Mile 16 – 11:26

Miles 17-19 This was probably the most lonesome part of the entire race. A backwoods road with little spectators. I ended up calling my mom and talking for about 15 minutes. Yeah, I could run and talk at the same time. :)

Mile 17 – 11:58 Mile 18 – 12:59 Mile 19 – 12:10

Miles 20-22 Finally back to the ocean! Hitting mile 20 felt great. I was in new territory now. Pushing hard but feeling tired. I moved forward. At this point I hadn’t had any trouble. No pain or any other complications. I also called my sister and talked for a bit. It was a great way to take my mind off of how tired I was getting. My pace slowed down through this area.

Mile 20 – 12:39 Mile 21 – 12:55 Mile 22 – 12:59

Miles 23-25 About mile 23 I started feeling light headed. I’d been hydrating every 2 miles and didn’t think it was due to that. I was in the hot sun, had been running a LONG time, and was tired. I slowed my intervals down to a 1:1 just in case and drank some more. It cleared up by mile 24 and I keep moving. The course left the beach and continued down the road where many spectators were cheering us on. By this point I knew I was going to finish. Les than 2 miles to go!! I started picking the pace back up.

Mile 23 – 12:57 Mile 24 - 13:51 Mile 25 – 13:28

The final mile After mile 25 the course moved back over to the board walk and I could see the finish. I was tired and ready to stop but seeing this pushed me forward. I picked it up more and started trying to kick to the finish. I didn’t have much but I was determined to catch the person in front of me. We crossed the line at nearly exactly the same time. It was over and I’d finished!!!! I kept moving, got my medal, hat,and shirt, and caught up with Jen and Connor. I’d finished and was feeling awesome!! Sure I was tired, but I felt good, never hit “the wall” and could still walk. Life was good.

Mile 26 – 12:32 Last .2 – 2:20 Final time – 5:22:06

After the race I grab some water, bananas and headed to the finishers party for free Irish Stew and beer. We couldn’t stay long as Jen and Connor had to get home so we headed back to the hotel and rest.

It was an awesome race and even though I had some training complications, I was well prepared to cover the distance and without injury. Will Irun another marathon? Maybe! But for now it’s time to focus on the short runs and my speed.

Shamrock Marathon Race Report Part I

2011-03-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

Pre-Race Day’s

My marathon story begins last Thursday. In conjunction with the marathon weekend, I’m attending a military conference in Hampton, VA,about 30 mins away (I picked this marathon primarily because it was at the same time as the conference). A coworker and I drove down Thursday and got settled in. Friday began the entomology workshop and that day Jen and Connor drove down to meet me.

When the Fam got down, we headed into the race expo and grab my gear. I bought a new hat and the much needed energy beans/gels/etc. We headed back towards the hotel to find dinner. Stopping at a Mongolian BBQ restaurant. The food was great but service sucked. A complaint to the manager by Jen landed us a comped meal for her and Connor, so end the end it worked out fine.

The next day, I was presenting my bed bug work to the ento workshop. I was fairly nervous since it’s been awhile since I’ve given a formal talk but it went well, and I was nervous about the race. That evening the Fam and I hit up the obligatory pre-run pasta meal at Olive Garden. Afterwards it was a trip to the pharmacy for some Imodium as my nerves were causing some issues. We then headed back to the hotel and to bed.

Race Morning

The race day did not start well. I awoke at 5:00 and promptly hopped into the shower to get ready. Jen started packing up as they had to return home after the race. Jen abruptly opened the hotel door and screamed “Somebody broke into my car!” Sure enough, the lock was jimmied (sp?) and her coat, cash, and checkbook were stolen. Initially she thought her SS card and drivers license were too, but we found them in the floorboard. The must have coffee and donut breakfast was had, then off to the races. We got there, had a small traffic jam to contend with, then swiped a good spot in a parking garage. We said our goodbye’s and good luck’s and I headed towards the race.

The wind was harsh and the temperature horrid. I was seriously doubting my sanity in choosing this as my first marathon. I found the starting line and still had about an hour to kill. The much needed Port O’ Potty was used and I found myself huddling inside a hotel lobby along with a good many other runners. How in the hell would I be able to run 26.2 under these conditions?

A call from Jen brought her and Connor to meet me in the lobby as we waited for the race to start. The word went out, the race had been pushed back by 15 minutes. At the time we weren’t sure why, but found out later that the weather services were calling for the wind to die down shortly after 8, so they gave us a break. THANK YOU Shamrock Race Coordinators!

10 minutes before the new starting time and we did round two of the goodbye’s and good luck’s.

to be continued…

I Finished!

2011-03-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

Just checking in. The race is over and it was awesome. I finished in 5:22. I was shooting for 5:30 so I did better than I expected. I didn't hit "the wall", and felt pretty good at the end. A bit of light headedness (not from dehydration. I was well hydrated from the every 2 mile water/gatorade stations) around mile 23 but cleared up by mile 24. Otherwise, it was a great run. Much better than the majority of my 13+ mileage long runs. More to come in a race report but for now it's eat, rest, ice, tv.

The Night Before

2011-03-19T15:30:00.000-04:00

Today I gave my first of two presentations at the conference. It came off well. "Bed Bugs and Army Installations: Is There a Problem?" I picked up my race bib last night and was happy to see my name printed on the front. Gotta love random strangers yelling your name as motivation! The expo was nice. No free bio-freeze though, bummer. :) Tonight will be relaxing, dinner, and early bed.

I'd like to thank everyone that's helped me to this point. All my blogging buddies with comments of encouragement and helpful tips. My friends for supporting me. Those I've run with from Fleet Feet for making runs interesting and providing support. My family for showing support and encouragement, but most importantly... Jen, Paige, and Connor. Without their support and putting up with my long runs and marathon obsessions, I wouldn't have gotten here. Thanks!

Here's to a great race tomorrow. If all goes well, my next post will be of post run excitement!

Looking to the Future

2011-03-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

Five days out and I'm looking towards the future. As a coping mechanism for dealing with my apprehension of the marathon, I've been giving a lot of thought towards my post marathon running. My eyes are set on a two week post marathon 5K right now. There are a few in the area that weekend, one of which was the first race I ran last year. It'd be great to repeat the race and kick my previous times butt.

Speaking of time, I've been pushing the envelope during some of my short runs. Getting into sub 10 min miles while maintaining the run/walk method. I've been considering changing back to full running for shorter distance while maintaining the run/walk for my long runs. Most likely, I'll gradually extend out the running segment and phase out the walking for anything 5K or shorter. One thing that I do not get with the run/walks is getting into the "zone". Constantly listening for the beep to stop or start keeps my mind focused on the run.

My strategic planning for this running season is to run a race about monthly. Primarily I want to stick with shorter races throughout the summer with possibly a mid summer half marathon, then for the fall another half.

So yeah, my mind is moving forward this week, but I've also been thinking of my plan of attack on the marathon. Given that I'm prone to start too fast in races, and this would be a horrible mistake with a marathon, I'm looking to start it dead slow and ease into it. Building up to my target pace (which I haven't determined yet). Apparently the course is nearly flat with only a small bridge that we cross twice ( 2 mile, and 10 mile marks). Thankfully I did a ton of my running on the NCR Trail which is flat!

One More Week

2011-03-13T18:15:00.001-04:00

It’s been awhile since I past post. Sorry to keep everyone anxiously sitting at your computers just waiting for a post from you favorite runner. lol.

I have one week to go before my first marathon and I’m nervous/anxious/intimidated/uncertain/excited/happy for it to get here. The last couple of weeks with training have been ok, but I feel I’m somewhat unprepared for the distance. My longest long-run was only 18 miles, and with a pulling my hamstring 2/3rds of the way through training, I didn’t log the mileage I should have. However, I do feel that I’m ready to complete the distance, but unsure of what time goal to have. I’m still giving it some consideration before public stating what time I hope to make. My basic goal is to just finish the race.

Work has been hectic. I had a work trip last week, and leave this Thursday to begin another (I choose the Shamrock Marathon because it was where my work trip is). This next week will be tough, and not just because of the race. Here is my schedule. Mon, Tues are normal work days. Wed I am off for my every other week, day off. Thursday is a travel day. Friday I’ll be in a workshop (Jen and Connor will drive down this date). Saturday I’m presenting in said workshop and hitting up the expo. Sunday is RACE DAY! (Jen and Connor go home). Monday I’m presenting again. Tuesday-Friday is the rest of the conference and home. By Friday of next week I should be ready to crash!

I’m behind on reading blogs and other things in life. Once I’m back from the conference it’s time to get back to normal.

Sigh, deciding, training for, and running a marathon was a huge decision. I’m glad I did, but will be glad when it’s over and I can run for the sake of running again!

I'm Game

2011-03-02T13:17:00.000-05:00

Everyone else has done this one so I might as well join in.

Age: 33 (until this Monday)

Bed size: Queen, couch, floor, it varies on the day

Chore you hate: Trash, I always forget when it's trash day until it's too late.

Dogs: yes, I've had many throughout my life. Currently only a mini poodle.

Essential start of your day: coffee

Favorite color: green

Gold or silver: white gold

Height: 6'2"

Instruments I play: I played Trumpet for 6 six years but probably couldn't carry a tune on one now. I've messed around with a base guitar some but not very good.

Job title: entomologist, bug guy, bed bug guy, mouse man

Kids: Paige - 6, Connor - 2.5

Live: Baltimore Suburb

Mom’s name: Marsha

Nicknames: Emo, Bingo

Overnight hospital stays: two minor surgeries when I was little

Pet peeve: People that are not interested in improving themselves.

Quote from a movie: "HEY! Don't open that! It's an alien planet! Is there air? You don't know! " - Galaxy Quest

Right or left handed: Left

Siblings: 1 brother, 1 sister

Time you wake up: enough time to get up and get to work. On weekends it's usually
before 8

Underwear: yes

Veg you dislike: canned spinach

What makes you run late: traffic

X-rays you have had done: teeth, head, hand, lungs, feet

Yummy food you make: fajitas

Zoo, favorite animal: reptiles/amphibians

2011-03-01T13:35:00.003-05:00

March has started off with a bang. A good bang at that! I ran 5K at lunch today and outside of some stiffness in my upper left leg, I didn't have any issues with my hamstring injury. I couldn't even notice anything. I sped it up quite a bit and felt great afterwards! Could this be the end of my hammy troubles?

I bought an android phone a few weeks ago and have started using a GPS app that ties in with my running log (RunningAhead.com) and it's awesome. Those of you with GPS watches, I'm sure it's nothing new to you, but old school me is fascinated with it. Not only does it map out my course and upload it directly into my log, but it gives me the second by second pace as well.

Here is a graph of my pace from todays run. Keep in mind I'm doing run/walks right now. Today's was a 1 min/1 min ratio. Check out those paces during my run interval!

Unfortunately GPS does have it's issues. Apparently on my last lap I decided to run across the water for a bit!

What do you use to track your workouts?

February Recap

2011-02-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

February hasn't been too good of a month for me. Right at the tail end of January I had a minor treadmill incident that's left me with a lingering hamstring injury. Real pain never surfaced but discomfort has been there all month. The entire month I've been recovering from it and it's put a damper on my marathon training and mental attitude.

On the positive note, I did get in an 18 miler which I'm darn proud of. It's the furthest I've ever gone and I feel accomplished just for making it that far. Lastly, I ended the month with a not too shabby 7.5 miler which has brought me out of the injury funk.

February Recap:

Miles:32
Number of runs:4!! I did get in a bunch of walking though.

March Goals:

Finish marathon training.
Complete the marathon (no time goal at the moment).
Recover from marathon.

Felling Better (Mentally and Physically)

2011-02-27T14:22:00.001-05:00

Today I had a good run to get my spirits back up about the race. I'm still having some discomfort around my left hammy and after only running 3.5 miles last Sunday I had been feeling down about the possibility of not running the marathon. I felt some discomfort but no pain so I think the foam roller is helping to work it out. I'm still going to call my doctor to get a sports therapist to check it out. Hopefully on Friday. Today’s run was only 7.5 but it was a good run which I needed more mentally than physically. I did 1:1 run/walk and still had a 12:14 pace, which suprised the heck out of me. I was going really slow… or so I thought. I ran around the neighborhood and it turned out to be an excellent day for a run. I was hot though, as I wore my jacket. Still going to take it lightly this week and we'll see about my 20 miler next weekend. That's the last chance for a long run before the race.

We had our new fridge delivered yesterday and it is nice! We bought an open box item from Best Buy and besides a few small dints, we got a $1300 fridge fro only $900! We also picked up some under cabinet lighting which looks nice. I still need to mount all the wires out of site but the lights are up and running. We still need to pick out a new dishwasher soon as we’ve disconnected ours already. Once it’s all done I’ll post pics!

Off for a nap with the boy!

Kitchen

2011-02-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

Not much to report on running. After my long run turned short on Monday I'm taking it easy, again, and just walking this week. I want to give it time to heal but also know that I need to keep up with my moving and hopefully get in a last long run if I'm going to be able to run the marathon next month. I have 25 days until race day and I plan to be healed up by then. Sure, it's early in the season and plenty of marathon opportunities left in the year but I'm confident/hopeful/optimistic that I'll be refreshed and healed by race day.

In other news, we've begun remodeling out kitchen. Our fridge ice maker broke and started leaking into the freezer creating a frozen pool of water. Last weekend we went shopping and bought a new (open box) fridge. It's a french door model similar to the picture at the right.

Now we couldn't bring in such a nice fridge to an outdated kitchen so over the weekend we ripped out the old tile flooring and will be replacing it this week along with painting the walls. Out cabinets are old and ugly so we decided to remove the upper cabinet doors and going with an open look. Next (Phase Two) we'll be replacing the dishwasher and microwave, resurfacing the bottom cabinet doors, and down the line (Phase Three) replacing the countertop and sink.

Phase One should be done by this weekend and I'll post some pics.

Lastly, I've been working with BuildASign on my stickers and they should be here soon. I'll have plenty to give away so send me your address for a free one (xm41907@gmail.com)!!

Why You Little Hammy!

2011-02-20T15:52:00.001-05:00

Today's recovery run sucked. I didn't run all week because my legs were sore from last weeks run. I did walk quite a bit though. Today I was hoping to get in between 6-8 miles but only made it 3.43 miles. The same spot that's been bothering me since my treadmill incident three weeks ago is still acting up. It was slightly worse than it was when I began my long run last week. I decided to shorten the route down and just get back so I wouldn't be pushing it any further. More rest/walking this week and see how it goes next week. It was supposed to be my last and furthest long run (20-21 miles). I can push it back one week but after that it's too close to the race to do a long run. This week will be a lot of pampering of it!

I haven't gotten a foam roller yet, but a friend at work let me borrow their "The Stick" and I've been using it on my legs. It does hurt, similar to how I imagine the foam roller would until things are worked out with the muscles. I'm not sure which would be better, roller or stick?

I'm starting to get concerned that this injury won't be recovered enough by race day. At what point should I start considering a DNS??

A Year Ago Today

2011-02-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

Now that my blog is over a year old I can reflect back on what I was doing at this time last year. Today, one year ago, I was discussing why I am excited about running.

Here are some highlights and my current thoughts on the matter:

"I do miss the camaraderie that goes along with training on a team, but I'm definitely not in this for glory."

With everyone I interact with on the blogs, I've regained a sense of camaraderie that helps keep me going. Many times, when I'm out there and feel like stopping, or thinking of not running, I think of my blog and what I can say about the run. It helps keep me moving forward. As for glory? Nope, I nowhere close to winning a race, or even my age group for that matter.

"I've come to the conclusion that when I'm running, weather it be a dead slow pace or a sprint, I love the feeling of being out there."

Still true today. When I'm running and feeling great, I feel like I'm free and open. I liken it to what a bird might feel like flying through the air.

"The joy I get from just being out on the road, going where I choose, when I choose to, and how fast I get there is liberating. It makes me feel like I can do anything, if only I persevere."

I still get the joy, but with my marathon training and the issues I've had, it's been harder to keep the feeling like I can do anything. Marathon training isn't for the weak willed. It takes a lot out of you to keep running for 3 plus hours. While I'm still happy I'm running one, I am definitely waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to this training. Other than the immense self gratitude I'll get from finishing the marathon, I'm really looking forward to being to run when I'd like and how far I'd like. The freedom of just going for a run for the sheer enjoyment of it has been missing. I'm ready to get it back.

Comparing last year to this year, I can see a mental difference. Last year I was just getting my feet wet again. Trying to find my running self. This year, I'm with purpose. Dedicated and vigilant but hoping to return to that childlike mentality come March 21st 2011 (The day after my marathon).

Cupcakes

2011-02-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Our office had a Cupcake war for a fundraiser today. I purchased 4 of them to take home for the family. Since 11:00 this morning I've been smelling the sweet smell of temptation. Unbelievably, I've resisted the urge to eat one.
I resumed my lunchtime walks today. It was awesome out, during my walk it was above 60F!! Winter time is nearly over!

Eighteen on the Books

2011-02-13T19:53:00.001-05:00

Finally! I hit the big 18 today. I headed over to Centennial Park in Columbia, MD. It’s a nice park, full of walkers, bikers, and runners. There is a 2.5 mile loop around a lake that’s paved with a large width. Perfect for my needs, minus one part. The back side is HILLY. Nothing major, but a bunch of small sharp incline/declines. A good hill workout was definitely had.

Here are two views of the park. Not anything like the conditions today.

I’ll not lie, the run was anything but easy. With my hamstring tendon issues, I took it cautious and slow. 1:1 intervals the entire time. My goal was to run 7 laps getting me up to almost 17.75 miles, then finish off with a short extra out and back. Laps one and two were nice and easy. Lap three I started feeling my hammy issue creep up. It was a slight pain and I’d thought about stopping but made the decision to keep at it unless it became sharp. I took a short stretch/bathroom break after lap three. Laps four and five were mixed. The hammy was staying the same, a slight dull pain. I couldn’t even feel it during my running interval but I could during the walks. Again, another stretch/bathroom break after lap five. Lap six I was wearing down. Those back hills were tough. I started adjusting the intervals so that I could walk up the hills. I finished lap six thinking “This is it. I’m going to finish 18!” The back hills were even tougher. I came into the last bit of lap seven thinking I’ll only have .25 miles to finish. That was not the case!

Here’s were I interject and mention I bought an android phone yesterday. Motorola Droid R2D2 model to be percise! I love it! My first smart phone and I’m a tinkerer so I love messing with all the apps. But I digress. I’m mentioning it because I have a app that integrates with my running log (Runningahead.com), Handy Runner. Today was my first time using it and it seems to work rather well. Now back to my recount of the run.

As I came to the lap end, I pulled out the phone and checked the mileage to see exactly how far I had left, another .5 miles! Of course it was disheartening but I pushed through, ran out and back to finish with a 18.02. And in a not to shabby 13:32 pace. Slower that I’d have liked but with my hammy I’ll take it. Boy were my legs tired! But I finished! Now I can put that barrier behind me and focus on my 20 miler.

Do you use a smartphone? How do you measure your runs?

Hello running shoes, it's been awhile.

2011-02-11T14:56:00.000-05:00

I finally got myself back out there. After the treadmill trouble of two Sundays ago, I haven't run a lick. I've been feeling something behind my left knee that I'd assumed was a pulled hamstring tendon. I never experienced pain though. I realized on my run today it's best described as feeling like I have a piece of tape over the area. Oh well, it didn't hurt, that's the important thing.

I did four laps (3.08 miles) around the lake at a slow pace. I forgot my watch at home, so I ended up pacing my intervals mentally. It was nice out! I even took off my sock hat it was so nice (43F). Made me really wishing spring was here! I finished in 35:16 for a 11:25 pace. Not bad considering I was trying to take it slow and easy.

I've renewed confidence for this weekends 18 miles. I've found another potential trail to run it on. It's a roughly 2.5 mile loop so I better get used to some deja vu. It's at a popular park so I'm pretty sure it won't be covered in snow still. I guess we'll see.

Today is Paige's 6th birthday. Jen is taking her out to an icecapades thing with some friends. She's excited! It'll be just the boys so I'm willing to bet we'll either have Taco Bell or Chick-Fil-A for dinner (His favorites).

What are your plans for the weekend?

Happy Blogoversary!

2011-02-10T19:05:00.001-05:00

One year ago today I started my blog. What began as a fledgling running journal has grown into my runners voice. I can't say it's been the best year of my life, but it's been a great one. I've had my ups and downs, injuries and victories, depressive moments and exciting ones. I've seen my follower count increase, commenters come and go, and have shared this all with many people I might never meet in person. Lets be honest, I went into this thinking I would fail. That I'd give into my running pattern of doing it for a month or so then something would come up that got in the way until I just quit. I had hopes that this wouldn't happen, that's one of the reasons for starting the blog.

So it's been a year. I feel healthier, have lost nearly 20 lbs, and am more active than before. I have to give thanks to all who follow, comment, or just lurk. I don't think I'd have kept my running up had I not had the encouragement and support of you. I also have to give a HUGE shout out to my family. Jen, you've kept me going. Being supportive of my running. Critical at times, but never in a bad way. Now, with your own blog and stirring towards becoming a runner too, I see only good things to come. Paige, you've been brave. You ran with me cheered me on during races, and even completed a fair amount yourself. Connor, you too have cheered me on. The enthusiasm you've had for your own "I running" always puts a smile on my face. Soon enough, you'll be able to run as well. (I'm not an advocate of running am I?)

Ok, so enough of the sappyness. When I noticed that I was close to 200 blogs, I decided to make the 200th on my 1 year mark. In conjunction, I'd been wanting to redo my blog. I was tired of the old, darkness I had going. Wanted to switch things up a bit and make it more friendly. So here it is. Don't you just love my new header? Check out the different tabs. I’ve briefly written what each will be about but they’re still works in progress so check them out often! And now for the gift. I was contacted by Megan at buildasign.com and offered a promotional sticker. I'm sure you've seen a few others on here. What a great way to share and get your blog out there to more people. Since I was working on a new header design, I decided to adapt it into my own decal. Here it is:

They should arrive next week and I've got plenty to hand out. Here's the deal, since I don't want everyone's address being placed publicly on here, send me an email at xm41907@gmail.com with your name and address and I will mail you a sticker. I'll send them out as long as I have them.

Here's to my next year!

Cheers!

James

Tonight

2011-02-10T16:18:00.000-05:00

Is your suspense building?

Keep a look out for tonight.

He He He!

Racing Expos

2011-02-10T07:47:00.001-05:00

Last night I broke out some Bio-Freeze that I picked up at the Army Ten Miler Expo. They were handing out small single use samples as well as large tubes. I grabbed a tube and handful of single use ones, then Jen did the same. The Bio-Freeze works great. I'm using it on my hammy and noticed an immediate warm-cold penetration, similar to Icy Hot. I'm hoping they'll have a booth at the Shamrock Marathon Expo so I can grab more. :) I'm all about free samples! Then again, who isn't?

I heard on the radio that we possibly may hit the 50s on Sunday! I double checked with my usual list of weather websites (weather.com, accuweather.com, wunderground.com) and they're all calling for the upper 40s to lower 50s! Awesomeness!! My trail might be cleared!!

Are you a sample-holic?

Ouch!!

2011-02-09T20:18:00.002-05:00

Well I’m really not in pain. Especially like this guy is:

However I’m still feeling a pulling/tenderness/aching kinda feeling behind and above my left knee. I haven’t run in a week and a half. Not since my long run on the treadmill. It doesn’t so much hurt as it’s a slight discomfort at times. I’m pretty confident it’s a pulled hamstring tendon and should heal up fine, but I’m 3/4 of the way through marathon training and really can’t afford to just take off from running for an extended period. I’m holding off until Sunday’s run, hoping it will be better and am trying everything I can think of to help speed it along. Still, it’s unsettling to have any kind of injury at this point in my training. What if it doesn’t heal up until right before the marathon? Should I still run it? If I can’t make my final few long runs because of it, how will I fare for 26.2?
I have faith it will heal pretty quickly. I’ve not been in any pain, just discomfort. I’ve been giving it plenty of rest. +It will be fine come Sunday. It will be fine come Sunday” I repeat to myself.
To flip the coin, I’m debating my plan for this Sunday. The weather has been a bit warmer, but I’m afraid it’s not warm enough to melt the snow on my trail. Alternative route is a must. I think the sidewalks around home will be fine. I’ll make the decision of running close to home, most likely a multiple loop route, or finding another trail to run on. There is a nice park with a roughly 2.5 mile loop about 30 minutes from me. Maybe I’ll look into it. We’ll see!

Sneak Peak

2011-02-08T20:33:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned before, I’m working on changing around my blog to be more readable. I’m getting closer but I wanted to share a bit. Also, when I unveil it, I’ll have a surprise to give away. Stay tuned!

I said it was “a bit”! lol

2011-02-07T15:37:00.000-05:00

Holly Shit my first marathon is in 41 days!

Ok, freakout's over. Now back to sanity.

Yesterday was the 4th Sunday in a row where my goal was to run 18 miles and it didn't happen.

1) It was on my calendar, but I was sick, so I didn't even attempt to run.
2) I made it 16 miles and stopped. I hit the wall mentally and it won.
3) Snow everywhere so I tried it on a treadmill. Ended up pulling my hammy.
4) Made it out to the trail, but it was ice. Took it as a sign my hammy needed more rest.

I'm starting to feel about my 18 mile barrier like many felt about the 4 minute mile before the Rodge broke it in 1954, impossible. Not that I truly belive it, but it's feeling like something doesn't want me to make it.

I was reading about mental barriers with marathons and one of them is preparedness. Apparently it seems most runners, if asked at the starting line, would say they're not prepared enough. What really does that mean? Rarely does a training program go 100% as planned. Minor setbacks abound, but when should you draw the line and except your defeat?

I don't feel I'm there. I've made it 16 miles twice. Both times were on a lonely, flat, straight course with nothing but the cold and me. The marathon will be full of people cheering, many other runners, and hopefully in better weather. I can do it. I have five more long runs before the race to prepare. That's four weekends to hit my max length. I'll do it, and I'll do it with gusto.... or my stoic version of it!

But will I look like this when I finish?

NO GO

2011-02-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

Today’s long run was a no go. I got up, prepared myself, and made sure I had everything for the run. Headed to the trail and wouldn’t ya know it, ICE!, and of course snow. Now I was expecting some snow to still be on the trail but figured much of it would have melted since the last few days have been fairly nice. Nope, all it did was melt it enough to refreeze as ice. My neighborhood isn’t much better so I’m taking it as a sign that I need to give my hammy tendon some more rest. Better safe than sorry right?

Lazy Wii Day

2011-02-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

Today was a lazy family fun day. We spent all morning and into the afternoon playing the Wii. We got a pretty good workout with several of the dance games and got a mental workout with trivia games. Then we hit the recently opened in our area Jason's Deli. I used to eat at them in Texas and was thrilled to introduce the family. Yum!

I'm iffy regarding tomorrows run. The last three weeks in a row I've failed to hit my mark of 18 miles. I'm afraid tomorrow will make it a forth week. Today I could still feel some weakness in my lower left hamstring from last weeks run. I'm going to take it extremely easy on my run and if I feel it coming back, I'll be stopping. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing to stop just in case. I'm also going to keep it close to my car. I'll probably go no more than 3 miles out from the car and just run back and forth. Wish me luck!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T20:03:00.001-05:00

The last two days I’ve driven into Washington DC to participate in the Second National Bed Bug Summit hosted by the EPA. It was a great meeting and I feel confident that the recommendations made will go a long way in out battle against bed bugs.

On the running front, I my knee is much better, but my right heel is sore. Same location as what bothered my left heel. Ice and NSAIDs today and I’m hoping for a short run tomorrow.

January Recap

2011-01-31T14:04:00.002-05:00

January turned out to be a pretty great month for running. I vamped up my marathon training and had a few noteworthy runs. I did suffer from the flu which knocked me out of running a bit, and a couple of long run fumbles, but all in all January started off my running year with a bang.

Weight wise, I also had a great month. I've made it below the 200 lb mark, and got down to 195 at the beginning of last week, however, with everything that went on last week, my weight went back up a couple of pounds. Still, I'm lower than I was and have been feeling the effects of it!

January Totals:

Number of Runs - 9
Total Miles - 73
Time - 14:53:21
Average Pace - 12:15

February Running Goals.

First and foremost, I want to continue my build up for the marathon. There are only four more long runs left before I begin tapering and I need to hit 22 miles at the end of the month.

Second, I'd like to continue with my faster short run pace. I'm not looking to start speedwork yet, but a stead diet of 3-4 mile runs at sub 11 min/mile would be nice.

Third, I want to continue loosing weight. I've made it below the 200 lb mark, but hit a speed bump last week with too much eating out. A continued effort of watching what goes into my tummy is a must.

How was your January?