Jeff's Running Blog

Moving...

2009-08-16T22:59:00.001-04:00

I am moving here! See you there.

HELP!!!!!!!!

2009-08-03T08:25:00.001-04:00

Need some help from all my running/non-running buds. I need a name/url for my new blog. Please help!! Thanks.

Day 1 in the books

2009-07-06T22:50:00.002-04:00

Got in a nice run this morning. I could not tell you much else about it. My Garmin died as soon as I left the room. I did take on a nice bridge. That bridge was a nice long hill. The only part that was bad was the wind was up to 2o mph coming up the sound. As big as I am, it was pushing me across the bridge - into traffic. I am going to push it and run every day this week. I do not think it would be too much since it is all flat down here.

Today was also the first day of our VBS for the church. I am so amazed and proud of our group. Once we got there, they jumped right in and took charge. There are some pictures on Brenda and I Facebook page. The kids had a great time that came and our kids kept saying how much fun they had. I really think they have formulated relationships in the first five minutes with the kids. The church are are helping out fixed us an amazing lunch today, home made spaghetti. This is going to be a great week!!!!! We did make a trip to the beach this afternoon. Sadly, it got cut short due to Mother Nature. For dinner we went to Ruby Tuesday. Since it was Morgan's birthday on Tuesday we had to do all we could to embarrass her. I made her a nice hat from a napkin and had all the employees sing to her. Tomorrow will be much worse. Trust me. I will be the ring leader.

Tomorrow we have VBS in the morning and are doing a concert at night. More to come tomorrow. Go. Go. Studio Go.....!!!!!!!!!

Changes..... from running

2009-07-05T22:39:00.002-04:00

I had previously stated that changes were on the way. I am considering changing sites at some point. For now I have tinkered with the layout of this site. I like Blogger and it fits my needs perfectly. However, sometimes you just need a change.

This week I am planning on getting some running in at/near the beach in Morehead City, NC. Bren and I are down here with our youth group for a mission trip. This week in blogging will be dedicated more to talking about this trip. We are both excited to be down here. We had a great trip down. While we are here we are going to help do a Vacation Bible School as well as several concerts in the area. All told we have a busy week ahead of us. But it will be amazing to grow closer to our youth group (they are awesome!!!) and help to spread the Word. Tomorrow we have on the agenda the Bible School as well as a trip to the beach.

Until the next episode.....

Changes

2009-06-11T08:42:00.001-04:00

Changes are coming soon.....

Graduation

2009-05-29T14:58:00.002-04:00

No, not from school. From the dreaded treadmill. In the last seven days I have manged to run four times outside, on concrete, grass, roads, etc.... I cannot say I have many ill effects from my foot either. I do not have any details to give you as milage, pace, etc... because I have not hooked my Garmin up in a long long time. Part of me does not want to see how S L O W I have become. But it is a start.

There are a few things I have realized I am lacking or need to relearn.
1. Go with the iPod. I have to remember how to limit my negative self talk. Until then the iPod helps. The conversation today went somethign like this - You're to fat, you're to slow, you're to old, you're to ugly, you're an idiot. And so on and so on.
2. This whole eating thing. On Wednesday I ate too soon to running and today I did not eat soon enough (ate breakfast, ran at 2 and nothing in between). I need to do a better job of timing.
3 How much this all hurts. I am not talking about my foot but just in general. My legs need to get used to all this pounding again.
4. I am not ready for hills. After about a mile on flat ground my body says "Wooooo. I have had enough." I respond with "SHUT UP AND RUN!!!!!" I feel really good on flat ground. On Wednesday I tacked several hills. To sum it up my body won that argument. (I will get my revenge).
5. I have rediscovered my secret recovery food. YAYYYYYAYAYAYY!!!!!!!!!!!!. Tortilla chips and spicy salsa.

Oh, the whole foot issue. I forgot since it does not bother me as bad. Stretching excercises have helped tremendously. I am slated to pick up my orthotics next Friday. The coolest part, it looks like my insurance is picking up half the tab.

Until next time......

Slowly Getting Back in the Game

2009-05-11T22:53:00.002-04:00

I have managed to run twice over the last week. Albeit on a treadmill. Both time have only been for 15 minutes at 4 mph. I know that is not impressive but just being back is like a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. Oddly, I am listening to the doc and taking it slow and easy. It has been almost a week since my last tape job and my foot is holding. I go back to PT on Thursday. If my ortho doc writes the script, we will be doing impressions for me to get orthodics. I think I might try to take a little 2 miler in the morning (if I can wake up in time).

As for competative running..... I would love to do the Kidney Association 10k. I love that course and have something to make up for from last year. Physically, I will not be up for that amount of running by then. My plan/goal now is to make it back for July 4th 1 miler. Guess I better get to bed if I want to get up in the AM.

Until the next episode.......

Wow! This thing still works.....

2009-05-04T20:06:00.002-04:00

Things have been so busy, I have forgotten to update the masses (LOL more like few) that follow me. So, I got my answers from the MRI and have started physical therapy. Anyone who runs in the Lynchburg area knows the name Josh Bailey. He is the one in the area that makes orthotics. Well, since I have a foot problem and he is the best in the area I chose him. Well...... not exactly. It would be June before I could get in with him but Rebecca, who works beside Josh, was available immediately. Let me go on record as saying she could heal a lepper with one touch. After the first session I was walking pain free. Seriously, she can walk on water in my eyes. If you are in the area, are a runner, and have foot issues I urge you to go to Rehab Associates of Central VA and see Rebecca or Josh.

My first visit was quite an experience. I was measured, poked, prodded, massaged, etc..... After almost two and a half hours I left with some answers. A normal foot should pronate between six to eight degrees. Mine pronate sixteen to eighteen degrees. I do have a tear in the previously mentioned tendon. However, my ankle strength is really good to have a tear. Rebecca believes the fascia is aggravated so we are going to treat both issues with strength and stretching exercises. For the last several sessions I have had my foot taped for plantar fascia support. OMG!!!!!! I am walking with no pain or limp. AT ALL. NONE. ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. I told you she can heal a lepper with one touch. After today's appointment she told me the words I have been dying to hear, "You can resume light jogging.". Today will be the last time I am going to get taped. My next appointment is Wednesday and the one after that is Monday. Through that whole time we are going to go without any taping (color me really nervous as I have a DC and Raleigh trip this week). If there is pain without the taping, we are going to go down the orthodics road. If things hold as they have, the taping and exercises are the winners. My gut tells me I will be getting orthodics and I am totally cool with that. Anything to get back outside and off the hamster wheel.

Lata............

New Equipment

2009-04-21T21:59:00.002-04:00

Nothing that has to do with running but, now I have found a website that streams New York Yankee games. I am as happy as a kid at Christmas!!!!!!! Maybe, that will save me the money I was going to spend on MLB.TV Premium. Still might get it just to hear Michael Kay.

This week we got some new gym equipment in at Sweet Briar. One item was a Precor 100i. I am not to sure about this thing. I did get one heck of a work out in only 30 mintues. I have not felt that (wonderful) burning lung feeling in a long time. That burn lasted several hours. It is kinda cool that you can go from full stride to a stair simulation in a heart beat. That is where the problem starts for me. I feel that it can too quickly change espically if you are not paying attention to what you are doing (you control the stride all the way). The major problem is for my size/stride/feet size, it felt as if my stride was directly underneath me to slightly behind me. From the moment I got on this my thighs were on fire. Since it felt as my stride was behind me, it forced my feet all the way forward in the pedals. I have an 11.5 foot. There is not much room for me to move my feet back any as the pedals are somewhat smal. We will only have it for a few weeks as we are testing it out and getting feedback from all that use it. I will try to keep an open mind and give it a few more rides before I make up my mind.

The other piece that I am tickeled pink about is a dip station that doubles as a leg raise station. There is no better way to roast your lower abs. Espcically holding a dumbbell between your feet. I did that today and LOVE the results.

One week from today, I have my first PT appointment. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I am hoping to possibly/maybe be back on the road by mid to late May.

Lata...................

The Verdict Is In

2009-04-20T10:20:00.003-04:00

I have finally got an answer that has been EIGHT months in the making. I have a torn Peroneus Brevis tendon. The doctor said of all the injuries to have, this was the best one possible. He is confident that with several sessions of rehab, I can get back to running. There were actually three options:
1. Rehab (queue up Amy Wineshouse)
2. An injection into the tear, to help seal it up
3. Surgery (there is only a 5%) chance of that happening.

I guess over all it is a bag of mixed emotions. Had I ponied up for the MRI sooner, I would be back to running by now. But over all at least, I can eventually get back to running. I start rehab on 4/28. We do have a physical therapist in the area that is really good with runners. I wanted to see him but his earliest appointment was in June. I was able to get on with his assistant. I am looking forward to getting back outside running. The elliptical machine does not cut it. I feel like a hamster on a wheel (queue Smashing Pumpkins - Zero).

As of right now, I am hoping to return to racin' for the July 4th Downtown Mile. That is subject to change.

Until the next episode.

MRI

2009-04-08T08:54:00.002-04:00

Today is the MRI. Will find out the results next week. Keep you posted.

So What

2009-03-24T00:47:00.002-04:00

No the title does not have to do with the song by the artist Pink that my daughter loves to sing.

After writing my last post, it hit me. Quit whining and do something. I had two options. Option A) Follow a workout routine that had no cardio but all free weights (as in issue of Muscle and Fitness) or B) Continue with my plan of three days of elliptical and one or two days of free weights. I decided on the later since it cause no real discomfort and I love the aftereffects of a good cardio workout. So today I hit my normal elliptical machine. Funny side note, I tend to plan my trips to the gym around what movies are on HBO. Today nothing good was one so old iPod Touch got dusted off. While on the elliptical (or as I prefer to call her, Ellie) I chose the interval preset. Me and Ellie have a trade off, we either do interval or cross country. Back in the day when I used to run, I loved to play little games to break up the boredom.

Today I laid forth a challenge of sorts. While on the interval setting I decided to get a nice warm up in then on the "hill/higher incline/stronger crossramp" keep my heart rate as close to 180 as possible and on the opposite site never let it fall below 20 points (or keep it close to 160). OMG, I have not felt that burn in a long time. There were several times that I really thought my lungs and chest were going to explode. And i LOVED every minute of it. I have not had that feeling in a long long long long long (getting crazy right) long long time. Hopefully, I can come up with some more "games" to play. I am open to any suggestions also. For now, me and Ellie, will have a standing date three times a week and free weights two days a week.

Wow two days in a row of writing something. Is snow in the forecast?

Lata.......

Been awhile......

2009-03-22T21:15:00.002-04:00

Boy, has it been a while since I wrote anything. Honestly, there has not been a lot to write about. My foot continues to give me issues. I have been able to run a few times but the last three times out have been completely painful. The last run I only made it 1/2 a mile before I had to give up and call someone to pick me up. The time has finally come and I have made yet another appointment with the ortho doctor. After seven months, it is time to find out what is going on. I have been able to use the elliptical machine but it is not the same. As for right now, all plans for this year are on hold. My appointment is at the end of the month and I have a gut feeling an MRI is going to need to be done. What is so odd, is I can go days with no issues then have several days of barely having any use of my foot. When I stretch now, I get a weird burning sensation up the back of my heal through the Achilles (that bothers me).

These past seven months have been murder. Running means many different things to me. Mostly, it is my time to clear my head and get things in order. I guess the best way to describe it is a nice big fat case of runners depression (if such a thing exists). As with any depression, you gain weight. I have managed to gain all that I lost last year back plus some extra. That feeling SUCKS. It is my fault. In the last seven months, I have rarely visited the gym or done much of anything. Don't even bring up what I have been eating. Looking over my diet, I am disgusted with myself.

I vow to get off my butt and get things back in order. No more fat Jeff. No more pain. I need to find a plan and stick to it. Hopefully, I will have some good news to report after the 30th. Trust me, I could use it. With seven months of more downs than ups, good news will be welcomed.

Quick Thoughts

2008-12-14T01:13:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a quick trip (3 day) to Williamsburg/Virginia Beach. While I was there, I had some time to reflect on my running for the year (will detail that one once the year is over). More importantly, my thoughts turned to how I want to start off 2009 and what race should be the first. I have not made any plans as training goals or anything of that nature. I figure I have a few more weeks.

Being at the beach made me think I should try the Shamrock 8k or 1/2 Marathon at Va Beach. I know I can do the 8k with no problem, but do I really want to start the year with a 1/2? Or, did I want to start the year with the Monument Avenue 1ok in Richmond? I have never traveled to do a race but would gladly make a trip to the beach. I LOVE THE BEACH!!! Even when it is cold. Or if I do the Richmond race, I could catch up with some friends and family that are in the area.

As of right now, my local running shop has not posted much of what is upcoming for the next year. If things work much like last year, the races that interest me here do not get moving until around April.

If I do not post anything before the end of the year, have a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!!!

Dear Redskins

2008-12-07T21:37:00.003-05:00

Dear Redskins,

We need to sit down and have a heart to heart. I have been with you my entire life, 32 years. We have had our ups and downs but something has got to give. Every year we start the season with the highest hopes. This year in particular has been very disappointing. Things started out so well. There were even whispers of a Super Bowl appearance. What has happened? I have always stuck with you through everything (even the Steve Spurier experiment). But I have to say, you are starting to test my patience. Where has the offense gone? Coach, you said you were bring the west coast offense (or some variation of it). Dude, this is crazy. I have to say our offense is schizophrenic. The first few weeks we were flying high. Now.... I cannot even think of a comparison to how difficult it is to watch.

Go deep. You have Santana. Use him he is a play maker. Hell, he is better than T.O. He has that ability to change the game.
Use Cooley more. He is automatic. Give him the ball and he will get you a first down. (P.S. even through it all, I have wanted a Cooley jersey for the last three Christmas)
Where is the offensive line gone. Give Jason some time.
Jason, relax man. Calm down and stop trying to force it. Keep playing the way you are, my cries for Colt will grow louder
Defense - you have always been my rock. You complete me. I am sorry you have to deal with our anemic offense.
I know there have been talks of going after Ocho Cinco. I am not sure if it is right. He is a T.O in the making. No doubt about it he is a dynamic game changer. But look at what else he brings - distractions.

I love you guys. You will always be my team. I am not a band wagon type person. Please get this figured out. Redsking Nation will always be behind you.

Non Running Blog

2008-12-05T12:43:00.002-05:00

This week in college basketball circles has become known as Jimmy V Week. For those that do not know, Jimmy V (Jimmy Valvano) was a college basketball coach of North Carolina State and won the NCAA Championship in 1983. Besides being a great coach, he was great color commentator after he left the side lines. Sadly, Jimmy V was taken away to early from this world. In June 1992 he discovered he had bone cancer. In July 1992 he learned the cancer had metastasized. On March 4, 1993, at the inaugural ESPY awards, he gave one of the most touching and memorial speeches I have ever heard. I would like to share with you some of his words that mean a lot to me.

"We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

""Gentlemen, we'll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers," I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember where I came from."

"I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality."

"Don't give up, don't ever give up."

There was no race

2008-11-19T23:07:00.003-05:00

I was planning on taking part in a 5k at my daughters school last weekend but we did not do it because of weather. My daughter (6) has been itching to do a kids mile race. So my wife was going to do the mile with her while I did the 5k. When we woke up it was windy, foggy, and raining. At that point we decided catching a cold or worse was not worth it. Later we found out there was no fog, wind or rain at the race site (which was only 7 miles from our house). Looks like the next race could be on Thanksgiving Day for a Turkey Trot (David, waiting to hear if you are going to do this one). Right now I am going to classify this one as a "game time decision".

I know in the past I have said after last weekend I was going to put running on hiatus for a bit and take a break, rest, heal, blah blah blah blah. Well..... you know how athletes retire then weeks or months later they want to play again? Brett Farve comes to mind because he is my daughters favorite football player and mine too. There is a little itch deep down to keep the running going. Don't get me wrong, I still want to do the elliptical, free weights, and treadmill. But, I am getting that pounding the pavement desire and it keeps getting stronger. Each day it gets bigger and bigger. I wonder if part of it is coming from the fact the gym I use will be closed for two weeks at Christmas (one of the downsides to working a college). I will have to do something during those two weeks or I will go crazy. Working out has almost become a daily routine for me. When I do not get to the gym, I try to make the next days work out harder and more intense to make up the difference. Unfortunately, I was unable to go today (a scheduled cardio day) due to finding an issue in our network we have been trying to find for close to a month. Working on computers and networks is like a giant game of whack-a-mole. Trust me, I will torture myself tomorrow. Two hours of treadmill, elliptical, and free weights (biceps and back). Cue the evil laugh.

Is it odd that I am already planning my race schedule for next year?

Habitat 5k

2008-11-11T10:41:00.003-05:00

Sorry for taking so long to get this report up but I have been waiting for the results to be published. To date they have not been. My Garmin said 33 minutes but it was a bit after the race before I remembered to stop it. There is not much to really say about the race other than it was a typical 5k going around the same route I have done hundreds of times. The weather was perfect for a race too. Temps in the low to mid 40's, sunny, and no wind. The only down side to this race was the lack of support from the faculty and staff here at Sweet Briar.

When I started out the race, I wanted to take things slow and steady. When I looked down and saw I was at an 8:30 pace without breathing hard, I was really shocked. I did my best to slow down but no matter what I did in the first mile, I could not slow down to around an 10:30 to 11 minute pace. I knew it would catch up to me eventually but it really didn't. My foot felt pretty good for the most part. I did have some discomfort but that could have been from being so cold and not running a lot lately. Around the 2.5 mile mark, my sinus issues reared their ugly little head. Also, about this time I caught up with two students and stayed with them for the rest of the way. Coming to the home stretch I started to pull away. Last year on the last stretch someone ran all out to pass me right at the finish line. This year one of the students I was with previously rounded the last corner and tried to do the same. NO WAY JOSE!! Not this year. I ran all out racing with her to the line. That was fun. Although as I came across the line I thought my lungs were going to explode. Once the results are posted, I will get her name and thank for that last little push. That way if she ever brings her computer in for service I will give her a break on the hourly fee :)

Next race is on the 15th. I am still not sure if I am going to shut it down after that or keep up the running when I get a chance. For now though, it is time to hit the gym.

Surprised and Nervous

2008-11-07T14:51:00.004-05:00

I cannot say I have been able to get much running in lately. I have no real excuses. I have been trying to go out in the morning before my family wakes up but I am still adjusting to this time change thing and fighting off some sinus congestion. Tomorrow is the date of my first 5k since messing up my foot. I am slightly nervous about my foot and more concerned about this sinus crap. One factor to ease the stress is this is my "home" course, since I work at Sweet Briar and have run the dairy loop a ton. Going into this one, I am not setting any goals and no expectations of how things will turn out. Even it is raining, I am still going to do it for two reasons. 1) This is my home course and I know a lot of the people running. 2) This was the first race I ever participated in. And most importantly 3) This race was held shortly after my grandfather passed away last year. I look at that as a way to remember and honor him. Through the whole three miles last year all I could think of was memories of him and things we did together.

So now that you know about the nervous part, here is the surprise. Somehow, someway, I managed to get my name placed on the 2008 Lynchburg Road Runners Club 2008 Overall Rankings. So what if I was in a four way tie for last place!!!! Seeing my name on that list was the missing proof I have been searching for. Proof that all my training and weekend races meant something. Proof that all those pieces of chocolate cake, ice cream, fries, pizza, etc..... did not go missing for no reason. As I stated earlier, after next weekend I have no plans for training or what I am going to do for running. But I am starting to look forward to next years training for the 10 Miler.

Oh let the fun begin.

Good Week

2008-10-31T13:20:00.002-04:00

I have found that getting back into the swing of things has been more difficult than I thought. This week, I was able to get in three runs (if that is what you want to call them) in three straight days.

Run 1 - 39 minutes on an elliptical machine on the interval program with the resistance cranked up. The purpose of this "run" was to work on my cardio. My max heart rate was 185 with an average around 174. I really enjoyed this one. I felt the effects for several hours. I missed that feeling.

Run 2 - 30 minutes on elliptical machine on the performance program with varying resistance. I decided to do back to back days to see how my legs and body would respond. I was only able to keep my heart rate in the mid 160's and could defiantly tell my body was still tired from the previous day. Just for giggles, I went ahead and added a light leg workout on several Cybex machines after the elliptical.

Run 3 - This was an actual run. I made it through the dairy loop with no real issues. My cardio was really good and never got winded on the hills. The only real issue was my legs. They got tired very quick. I am not sure it my legs are not used to the pounding or if it was the previous two days on the elliptical took its toll on my legs. Funny thing with this run is I was able to get my speed to around 10min/mile several times and it felt pretty easy. Is it possible for the cardio to come back that quickly?

Overall, I am happy with the results of this week. I would like to be able to return to my normal Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning routine this week (thank you to the end of Day Light Savings). The next step is to get back to my stretching routine to keep things loose and get back to watching what I eat to get my weight back down.

Damn, I've Missed You Guys

2008-10-23T23:59:00.002-04:00

Guess who is back? That's right. This was the first week I have managed to put together two runs in one week and not be suffering. God, I have missed this stuff so much. There is still some discomfort when I run but I am told that is normal after a two month lay off. It was explained to me as simple as my body has to get used to the rigors of running all over again. Guess I am just going to have to beat myself into submission again, right? All in all, I got in 4.5 miles this week. I know that is not a lot but considering for almost three weeks I was non weight bearing on my right foot, I will take all I can get. I am not worried with pace or speed right now. I just need to get back in the flow. I have a lot of work to do to get back to where I was.

What does the future hold? I am going to run two 5k's in November (maybe the Turkey Trot too if I am not in the woods hunting). One is at the college I work at and the other is sponsored by my daughters elementary school. After that I am not sure. I have no goals going into those two races but the competitive side of me will probably change that as the dates get closer. My thought right now, is to shut down the running after the races until March. That would give foot more time to heal and avoid those cold mornings. I would still go to the gym and use the elliptical machine for my cardio/weight loss. All of this is still up for debate.

The final diagnoses was micro tears of the plantar fascia in my right foot. Sounds painful.... and it was. I could be considered an expert on plantar fascia now with all the research I have done. I have found a website that offers some custom moldable insoles that I am going to get to see if they offer any help. The website is www2.yoursole.com. They look pretty good and might do the trick. Once I have given them a go, I will let you know if they work. If anyone has used these before or has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Take it easy and thanks for the support through the last few months.

Getting there

2008-09-27T00:10:00.002-04:00

42 days ago is when my whole routine was thrown for a loop. Today was the first day I actually thought about the 10 Miler. Before I go any further, I want to wish all those who are running the 10 Miler tomorrow the best of luck. To Lynn, have fun. I know you are are going to do great. I will be looking forward to your results.

Over the last week I have been back to the gym and have been able to use the elliptical machines and jogging to the gym from my office with no adverse side effects. I am anxious to push it faster, farther and harder but I am going to ease into this. For the last several weeks I have been getting kinesio taping placed on my foot and it has made a world of difference. This week, we have made a tweak in my therapy and it has made immediate improvements. Things are starting to look up.

I have started to make some plans for upcoming training and races. I would like to get back to actual running in October and would like to hit a few 5ks in November. I doubt I will be as fast as before but being back will be the most important thing. After I see how my foot holds up after a few runs, I will commit to the races. I am suppose to go back to the ortho doctor first of October. I am sure his input will have some my future plans.

Update

2008-09-05T21:39:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, I went to the local running store in Charlottesville, VA. I went in to see how they would fit me knowing what we know now about the injury. They had me run around the store to get a better idea of my mechanics. That is the first running I have done since the injury. To say it hurt was an understatment. However, the next day (Sunday) there was no pain what so ever. How weird. Anywho, they recommended me going back to Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8. They also added an insert into my right foot that offers more padding and arch support. I went ahead and bought them and can not wait to try them out.

I had another appointment with the Orthopedic doctor this week. Originally, he wanted to do an MRI but I asked to hold off because there has been a lot of progress over the last week. Since that run in the store things have been getting progressively better. During the appointment I was able to squat, hop, jump, and walk with no pain (just some discomfort). He did give me some exercises to do that would be the same as me going to physical therapy. I go back to him in a month to see how things are.

Today, I went to see our new Athletic Trainer and she recommended Kinesio Tape (think Kerri Walsh from the Olympics). Right now I have hot pink (pink is the new black, right?) tape going across my foot. We will see how it goes. At this point I am willing to try anything. I have done some research and the effects are very positive.

Next week I promise I will get back to the gym, pool/biking, and resume a stretching regime to be ready for the day I get the green light to run again. I think I have spend enough time being down about this injury. Time to get moving again.

Good News, Bad News

2008-08-19T15:16:00.003-04:00

I saw the orthopedic doctor today and here are the results.

The good news is nothing is broken or torn. For now there is not reason to suspect to have an MRI and surgery is not a thought at this point. He checked all the mechanics of my foot and ankle and all checked out ok. Anohter good report is inserts are not needed now either. He did suggest to get orthotic inserts over the counter as most insurances do not cover the prescription ones.

On to the bad news. The 10 Miler is definatly out of the question. I think that was the hardest news to hear. I have been training my ass off for months and now I cannot do much of anything. He suspects there is a strain of the planner fasicas and it will take some time heal. In the mean time I will consider getting back on the bike and maybe add in swimming. Once the gym at Sweet Briar opens up I will continue on with my weight lifting. I am suppose to keep as much weight off of my right foot as possible and gradually put more and more pressure on it. He gave me an air heel cast to use that makes a world of difference. I go back in two weeks for a checkup so I will keep you posted.

I doubt I will be doing a whole lot of blogging in the near future. Thank you all for your well wishes and support you have provided me over the last few months. Since I doubt I will be around blogger for a bit, if you want to get in touch with me you and email me at jyoung@sbc.edu or I am on AOL Instant Messanger jmyoung520.

Good luck to all those training and to those with upcoming races.

Lynchburg 5k

2008-08-16T09:00:00.004-04:00

Today I ran the 5k that started shortly after the Lynchburg 1/2 Marathon. I had debated for a while whether or not to do this 5k. My motivation was to get in one more 5k before the 10 Miler and to get my time under 30 minutes. I made up my mind on Friday afternoon to go ahead and do it. The race itself was pretty nice. The weather was in the upper 60's and it felt great out.

For the life of me, I could not tell you any of the particulars of this race due to what happened at the finish. I remember that when I came off the last bridge (about .3 miles from the finish) I looked at my Garmin and it showed 27 minutes. HECK YEAH! Goal met. My next thought was to see how low I could make it go. From there I just ran all out. When I got to about .1 miles out I felt a huge pop in my right foot. It felt like someone snapping a rubber band on the bottom of my foot. There is no way you stop that close to the finish. I tried to to maintain some semblance of a stride until I got to the finish line. Once my number was taken off I just hobbled back to the car and went to soccer practice. It hurts so bad that when I put pressure on my right foot, I get sick to my stomach. I have no idea what my time was and at this point, nor do I care. I feel so rejected to have an injury this close to the race I have been prepping and looking forward to for months.

***Update***
If you go here you can see a picture of where it snapped. I have decided to break down and look at the results. I kicked butt! I knocked 4:06 seconds off my last 5k in April. Boy, does that make this pain go away for a bit.

Later in the day, I did go to the doctor to have it checked out. The x-rays were negative (that is a good sign). The doctor I saw has given me a 50-50 chance of being able to make it for the 10 Miler. She also has made me a referral to an orthopedic doctor. Her feeling is there could be some ligament damage, either a strain or a tear. I am suppose to hear from the orthopedic doctor early this week. For most of the day I have been on crutches and have a temporary cast that I can take on and off as needed. I am not sure what hurts more, using the crutches or the actual injury.

The Tale of Two Runs

2008-08-14T22:11:00.002-04:00

The title in this one should say it all. Wednesday was my normal 4 to 5 mile run. The weather was nice - 80's with a nice breeze blowing throughout. For some reason everything on my body hurt. More importantly my knees, feet, hips, and shins. It felt if I was breathing through a snorkel for the entire run. When I could get moving, my times were fairly good. I had to walk and stop and take a few breaks throughout this run, something I have nt done in a long time. I could not even tell you the mileage or time b/c I was so frustrated with that run. I wonder if the mileage increase and lack of stretching are catching up or was it b/c I was trying to stretch a few more miles out of my Brooks? It was absolutely one of my worst runs ever.

Tonight's run was to back and deal with Monster. I was not looking to set any pr's for this run. My goal was to make it consistent and make it up each hill without stopping. Mission accomplished! I also added another hill too. I am starting to like the feeling of my chest and legs being on fire as I hit these hills. I was achy and sore for the first 2.5 miles but things slowly worked themselves out. The coolest part of this run was a golden retriever greeted me on the way back. I swear he was trying to make me run intervals. He would slow down and let me catch up then pull away wanting me to catch him. That was a cool dog. He followed me for about .5 miles. I really need a dog for a running partner. The ending of this run was into the moonlight, really cool. I was also using my new Saucony shoes tonight. I think I am liking these new shoes. My feet did feel a little off (no other way to explain it) but that could be from trying to squeeze those last few miles out of the Brooks.

Saturday I am suppose to get in 9 miles. The course I normally would run for my long runs, will be used for the Lynchburg 1/2 Marathon. There is a 5k at the same time I have been considering running to get my 5k times under 30 minutes. To get the other 6 miles in, I am thinking about running the Dairy Loop at Sweet Briar twice later in the day. Does that still count as getting in 9 training miles or does it have to be done all at once?

Oh yeah, there were two coyotes spotted in our neighborhood tonight. That should make for some nerve racking 5:30AM runs.

W O W ! ! !

2008-08-09T13:38:00.006-04:00

Where to start with this one? On Wednesday, my wife, two kids and I went to Chucky Cheese for the morning, Dicks Sporting Goods for soccer equipment for my daughter in the afternoon, and to Riverside Runners for my wife and I to get new kicks. She got the Saucony Progrid and I got the Saucony Omni 7. I liked Brooks (have had three pairs) but wanted to try another shoe to see what they have to offer. I also looked for a fuel belt but they did have the one I wanted. I also picked up a couple of Gu packs for those long runs.

That night I took the new kicks out for a medium distance run of 5.5 miles. I wanted to throw them straight into the fire and see what they do on my hill workout. This workout consisted of a hill I have nicknamed Monster. Here are the details - Monster is .7 miles long. Hill one is .45 long with close to a 200 foot elevation change. You start out going down this one. Once you go down that it immediately transitions into a close to .3 mile up hill with a 150 foot elevation change. Going down them your time is awesome but what goes down, must come up, right? I did them the first time two weeks ago and thought I was going to die. Wednesday night I still wanted to die but was able to go farther, harder, stronger. When I did this route two weeks ago these were the totals, 4.57 miles, 52:54 Time, 11:34 pace. Last night was, 5.51 miles, 58:44 time, 10:40 pace. I also took my first Gu pack on this run. WOW! They tasted great and really really helped. After that run I did not feel too tired and my feet and legs did not hurt at all.

Saturday I got up early and drove to Percivals Isle to get in my scheduled 8 miles. The weather this morning was amazing. It was 61 when I started and felt like early spring. There was no humidity at all. Since I did hills on Thursday, I wanted to run somewhere that there was very little elevation change and take it easy and consistent throughout. The plan was to go out 4 miles, take a GU, put on the iPod, and head back. . I did not realize that the flat path ends just short of 3 miles. No biggie, I made up the difference by checking out a few of the other paths that go in the opposite direction. I forgot to mention that I picked up a hydration hip pack at Target the night before. It came in handy and fit pretty good after about 2 or 3 miles of fumbling with it. By the way, have I mentioned my love for GU's yet? I had the orange/vanilla today and it tasted like a Dreamsicle. The results of this run were amazing for me. I got in my 8 and eclipsed 20 for the week. Below are the results I am so happy about. Keep in mind, I have never run this distance before and I was doing this on a new pair of shoes. I did have to stop a few times to adjust the lacing as I am not yet used to the snug fit that the Omni 7 has to offer.

Mile 1 - 10:10
Mile 2 - 10:57
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 10:39
Mile 5 - 9:59
Mile 6 - 10:15
Mile 7 - 10:22
Mile 8 - 9:44
Mile .14 - 1:20

I was pleasantly surprised that my times actually got better throughout the run. I was on cloud nine for many hours after I looked at the results. I did have a few "raw" spots on one foot at the end. I am not sure if it was shoe related or the pair of socks I was using reaching their end of the road. I could not be happier.

Next week will be a 9 miler on Saturday and try to shoot for 22 for the week.

TIART - Six Words

2008-08-08T00:13:00.003-04:00

Today's theme is ....Your Six Word Running Memoir. I tried thinking of one or two all day but could not think of anything. When I went on my run this evening, two hit me.

1. Following the path of most resistance.

Taking the easy way is never rewarding. I was raised and believe that hard work truly pays off in the end. Training or running is not like electricity which follows the path of least resistance. If training or running were easy, everyone would be entered into races or marathons. Instead a select few push themselves for numerous different reasons with amazing results/rewards.

2. Life is easy, training is hard.

In the grand scheme of things, life is easy. Make good choices, be a good friend, love your family, be honest, invest wisely, respect your elders, and be good worker/employee. Nothing to difficult there. Training though, is hard. Whether it is your first 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, etc...., training is hard. Tell me again why I leave my house three days a week at 5am (before the sun comes up) and log numerous miles up hills across highways, etc.... I guess same could be said for all sports. Training, to me, is designed to be so hard that when game time comes around things are not as difficult.

Lucky Number 7

2008-08-06T21:34:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, I was able to complete 7 miles. I was scheduled for 6.5 but the number 7 was way to appealing. However, I again when out at mid day. It was not too bad as there was always a nice breeze blowing and the humidity was down. I actually had to stop twice. Once at a friends house for water and two band-aids (guy runners will know what they were for) and once at my parents for water and a quick break. My body completely gave out around 5.5 miles but I was determined to get in 7. I need to figure out what to eat and not eat for afternoon and evening runs. Any suggestions? I am to scared to eat a lot b/c side stitch sucks but I am quickly learning being fatigued is just as bad. I was happy to get it done and not feel to bad afterward. I was hoping to get 8 miles in on the 8th but it looks like it will be 8 on the 9th for me.

So far this week I got in a quick 2.7 miles (yes I overslept so I had to cut it short) and a 4.2 mile run this morning. Seeing as how it was completely pitch black at 5 AM, I decided to do my neighborhood twice. In my hood, I have two big hills, both about .4 miles long and a incline/decline of about 150 feet. There are also 5 smaller hills. You could say there is little to no flat ground on this track. If I can get my planned 5.5 in on Thursday and 8 on Saturday, I will be over 20 miles in a week for the first time ever. WOOT!

Since I am off the next four days, I am going to try to get to Riverside Runners and get some new kicks. My Brooks Infinity have 180 miles on them and are quickly reaching the end of their running life. Overall, I have been happy with Brooks but I think it is time to go with a new shoe company. I would like to give Asics or Saucony a try if we can find some that fit my feet. While I am out there, I will probably pick up a two bottle fuel belt for these longer runs. I would love to stretch that to 200 but my feet are really sore right now. Plus my right ankle sounds like Rice Krispies when I get up.

I am Idiot

2008-07-30T18:26:00.005-04:00

Yes, I am an idiot.

If you have read my previous post, I love to run when it is hot and humid. Today was no different at 2pm it was 90 degrees with close to 50% humidity. I originally planned to go out at 7 AM this morning but woke up close to 3 AM and could not get back to sleep. Instead I went out during my sons nap time. The first mile was good. Everything felt good, my legs were loosening up, pace was up and not really breathing too hard. Once the first mile was over it was all down hill. I think the heat got to me and just zapped it all out of me. At the 2.5 mile mark I decided to stop and do a quick body check. Everything was feeling okay, for the most part. When I stop running the buckets of sweat start pouring with in seconds. Today, none of that happened - not one drop. I quickly remember from my first aid classes that when you stop sweating it is not a good sign. Did I forget to mention that I forgot my bottle of Gatorade? Luckily I was less than half a mile from a carpet store and we know the guy who runs it. He was nice enough to give me a bottle of water and we talked for a bit. He was going to run the 10 Miler also until a knee injury stopped those plans.

In the end I finished 4.07 miles in 45 minutes. Nothing blazing but I am glad I was able to push through and get it done. My legs still feel really sore. I am not sure if it from all the miles I logged last week or the speed I ran my three miles on Monday. So that is why I say I am an idiot.

Another reason I am an idiot, I decided to join my kids in doing the Slip N' Slide. Not really the smartest thing to do when training for a race especially considering I am less than 60 days from the race. An injury would not be good right now. It was fun and they loved it. My wife even got in on the fun also.

TIART - Look Back, Look Ahead

2008-07-30T11:11:00.007-04:00

This weeks TIART is Look, Back, Look Ahead. When I sat down to map out this year my goals were fairly small. Run a couple 5k races, run the Lynchburg 4 Miler in September, get to my goal of 205lbs, decrease my time, increase my mileage and eventually get a Garmin.

Wow, have things changed. I have only done one 5k but also a 10k, a 5 miler, and a one mile race. I still want to tackle one more 5k just to get my times under 30 minutes. Right after my first race of the year, I was noticing my times dip and feeling better about longer runs. The 4 Miler was no longer a goal. Now I am planning on doing the 10 Miler instead of the 4. I am enjoying longer runs more than the shorter ones and look forward to increasing my mileage from week to week. My short runs are now between 4 and 5 miles as opposed to 2 or 3. I have also, picked up a Garmin Forerunner 205 and LOVE it.

I would have to say that I have exceeded the goals I have set for myself this year. In such a short time I have learned so much. Some wonderful bloggers once suggested Chi Running book to help me out earlier in the year. I have incorporated a lot of things from that book that has helped tremendously. As my times have fallen and distance has increased, I have learned how to run smarter not harder. Gosh, I do not think I could list all the accomplishments I have achieved since the start of the year. The biggest accomplishments are successfully being able to deal with the increased miles, my weight continuing to drop, and hitting the gym at least twice a week. All told I am down 34 pounds.

One aspect I did not think of until recently was what food to eat and not eat. Over the last week, I have cut out soft drinks, ice cream, and fried foods. I have lost a couple pounds by just cutting those out. Looking back, I wonder where I would be today, had I done this sooner? All in all I am satisfied where things are and believe I will be at my goals or past them in time for the 10 miler. I am already starting to make plans for next years race schedule.

Update, soccer, etc....

2008-07-29T12:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I did my scheduled run of 3 miles. Instead of doing fartleks, I wanted to to run take those three miles as fast as I could and finish in under 30 minutes. Mission accomplished. 3.07 miles in 29:31. All 3 miles were under 1o minutes. My lungs were still burning late into the night last night. I am looking forward to hitting a 5k and get my time under 30 minutes.

Looking back at last weeks totals, I finally feel like I am a runner. 17 miles is a lot of miles, especially for me. Right now, I have aches and pains in areas I did not know you could have them. I guess this comes with the territory. I am not too concerned b/c once I get moving around they mostly go away.

In other news, I got a call the other day asking me to be a coach for the U8 rec league soccer team. I said yes. So starting Saturday, I will be coaching 12 kids ranging from 6 to 8 years old in soccer twice a week with games on Saturdays. My daughter is on my team also so that will be nice. Just hope she listens. My only concern is we might have a game on September 27th, the day of the 10 miler. Hopefully, I can schedule an off day that Saturday.

Longest Week to Date

2008-07-26T23:01:00.002-04:00

Today I got in my long run as planned, even a touch more. I was planning for 5.5 but got 5.76. For the week the total came in at 17.39. To date that is the most I have ever run in a week. If you add in the race from last weekend, that jumps up to 22.39.

The first three miles were really good. I was able to keep them about at 9:30 mile and everything felt good. The last 2.76 were really rough. My legs and cardio system were both screaming toward the end of the run. I think I really kicked both in the hoo haa hard this week. Overall, I am happy with all of the outcome. It is just the begining though.

After today I am dropping fried foods, ice cream, and limiting softdrinks to one a week. I have been limiting softdrinks for a while but time to be more consistant with it. I am going to miss the Chick Fila sandwich and Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Wendy's. I guess it is something to look forward to once this race is over.

Did you just fartlek?

2008-07-24T07:28:00.003-04:00

Why yes I did, excuse me!

Sorry if the title offended anyone. Given my proclivity for toilet humor, when I can came across this word last week, I fell in love with it. Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning speed play.

Yesterday I decided it was time to kick up the pace a bit. For several weeks my cardio seems to have been stuck in neutral (average about 10 to 10:30 miles) but yesterday it got a nice swift kick in the hoo haa. I started off at my normal pace around 10 minutes/mile. About 3/4 of a mile in, I kicked the pace down to 8 minutes/mile. Over the next quarter mile it ranged between 8 to 8:30. Then back to my regular pace. It took me about a half a mile to recover. I was able to do two more for a quarter mile each, between 8 to 8:30 pace. I had decided to stop when I got to three because I felt like I was going to hurl. But, to get back to my house you have to run down a nice size hill for .3 miles. When I looked at the Garmin my pace was down to 7:50, so I said what the hay for a total of four fartleks in a 3.06 mile run.

Overall my time for 3.06 miles was up considerably to 33:15. Partly due to the fact that I had to walk after the first two. I think I will keep these contained to my shorter runs becuase right now they take a lot out of me. However, I am really looking forward to my next short run because that was F U N ! ! ! ! !

Percival's Isle 5 Miler

2008-07-19T15:42:00.002-04:00

Saturday was the Percival's Isle 5 Miler. My thoughts going to this race was to treat it more as a long run than an actual race. My goals for this race was to finish between 50 to 55 minutes and to keep my pace even across all five miles. Probably the coolest part of this race was that my wife worked as a volunteer at the start/finish line. That was an awesome sight to run toward.

Overall the race was nice. The course was relatively flat and mostly shaded. At the start I made my plan to get behind some people at a 10:30 min pace and cruise for a while. It worked and met three really nice people that did not mind my company. About the halfway mark I decided to move on my own. I was hoping to keep everything at at 10:30 pace until I got to the last mile then pick up the pace to 9:30. That did not happen. I was drained on the last mile. It could have been from the heat or not eating or drinking very much prior to the race, but the tank was empty.
Mile 1 - 10:37, Mile 2 - 11, Mile 3 - 11, Mile 4 - 11:02, Mile 5 - 11:03. Overall, I was happy I was able to stay consistent through out. I know I am much faster than this indicates. I need to get back to finding my speed. The final outcome was 54:37. I will take it, it was less than I was thinking.

Another good thing about this race is I solved my mysterious right foot issue. Apparently, my right foot was hitting against the top of the sole. Since my right foot is smaller than my left (by a whole size), I think it has just moved around over time (140 miles). I bought some gel insoles over the weekend and tried them out. 4 miles this morning with no issue. Hopefully, I can get to September before I have to replace them.

Great Wolf Lodge and Nascar

2008-07-15T16:33:00.007-04:00

This past weekend my wife, kids, mom and sister took a trip down to Williamsburg. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge on Friday night. That place was cool. They have an indoor/outdoor waterpark, arcade, tons of stuff for kids to do, and some really cool rooms. The kids loved the place. My daughter (age 6) rode most every water slide (they would not let her get on the Howlin' Tornado - Brenda did not like that ride too much) and laughed through most of them. Our son loved playing with all the fountains that come up through the floor. Next year he will be on the slides with us. Overall it was a good day away with lots of fun had by all. If you are going to Williamsburg, I would highly recommend taking a trip there. Although check in times are later in the day, you can still gain access to the water park whenever you arrive until your room is ready. For some reason, our room was not ready on time so they upgraded us to a loft. The rooms were designed like a log cabin with a gas fireplace, log frames on the mirrors, log accents everywhere, etc.... Really cool. When you check in you get a wrist bracelet that gives you access to your room. Now for the comic in me. To get to Great Wolf Lodge you have to take a road called Rochambeau. I busted out laughing. If you are a fan of South Park and watched the earlier seasons, you will know what I am talking about.

On Saturday Brenda and I got up and left for Richmond International Raceway for me to redeem my Richard Petty Driving Experience. I have tried to redeem this for the last two years in Charlotte, NC but have been rained out twice. If you are a Nascar fan, I highly recommend doing this experience. My favorite drivers of all time have been Dale and Dale Jr. Ironically, I was the third person to go out and got to drive the number 8 Budweiser Chevy Monte Carlo. I was pumped when they read out the starting line up.

Before you get out on the track you get to put on a firesuit, helmet, and hans device. Getting in the car with the hans device was a little tricky for someone of my height. I have a new respect now for drivers who are able to wear a hans device and move their head enough to see the rear view mirror. Once you are all strapped in, it is only you and 650 horses under your butt. A W E S O M E ! ! ! ! ! !!

As part of this experience you get to follow a professional driver around the track. If you get to close they will wave you off. If you are not going fast enough, the flagman will wave you up. If you are able to keep up and show the driver you can keep the distance and stay in their line, they will take you faster. It took me about two laps to get used to the car. Being the former owner of a 1988 Mustang GT, I was no newbie to racing. My top speed was 101 mph. My average lap times were in the mid 80's. At the end you get a print out of your lap times, certificate, and the option to purchase your picture in the car as well as your photo beside the Richard Petty Driving Experience car. Also, during this experience you can purchase a ride along. If you do this one, you ride in the car with a professional driver at race speeds. Next time I will take advantage of this one. The coolest/scariest part was toward the end of my run I was in the middle of the track, the ride along experience blew past me on the high side, and a new tandem was coming on to the track. Nothing like three wide at RIR, baby!

**Pictures- Top right - me in the car getting final instructions. Middle left - me on the track following my driver. Lower right - Me strapped in getting ready to go on the track.**

Love The Garmin!

2008-07-15T09:10:00.003-04:00

I have had two runs with the new Garmin 205 and I think I am in love. It was sad to start the divorce process with my $5.55 watch from Walmart that has been so faithful to me for the last five months. Getting used to the weight increase has been the biggest factor so far. The first run was really weird and todays was not so bad. The first run I took with it I found myself staring at the damn thing the entire time of my run. I told my wife about looking it all the time while on the first run. The comedian in her responds with, "does it also show you the truck coming up behind you that is about to hit you?" Majority of my long runs take me across or down busy roads.

The first run was a struggle b/c of the humidity, side stitch (really bad), and not eating enough throughout the day. Todays run was pretty good. 4.61 miles in 51 minutes. Not my best effort by far but after having a reduced mileage week last week things feel a little off. I was able to play around with the lap feature this morning too.
Mile 1 - 10:02
Mile 2 - 10:52
Mile 3 - 11:35
Mile 4 - 12:11
Mile .61 - 10:21

It is nice to be able to break this down to see where I need to work on things. I am good for the first two miles or so but really fall off around mile three. Unfortunatly, that odd foot pain has returned in my right foot. I have tried every possible variation of tieing my shoes to get some relief but have not found any. When I drop off my race application tomorrow, I will talk to the experts at the local running shop.

New Toy

2008-07-10T08:18:00.003-04:00

I FINALLY got a Forerunner 205! It arrived late yesterday evening and I am about to die to try it out. I have heard a ton of good things about them. I was hoping it would have arrived Tuesday so I could put it to use on Wednesday morning but the holiday weekend threw off the shipping a touch.

Overall this week I have only been able to run once and hit the gym once. It seems like every morning it has been either heavy down pours or thunderstorms. I cannot remember the last time we had a thunderstorm between 5 and 7 in the morning. I knew going into this week things were going to be a bit off. My wife, kids, mom, and sister are leaving Friday morning to head to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA for a couple days. On Saturday morning, me and my wife are heading back to Richmond for me to cash in my Richard Petty Driving Experience certificate. Hopefully they will have either a 20 car for an 88 car for me to drive :)

What can you do in 8 minutes?

2008-07-04T14:07:00.006-04:00

HAPPY 4TH EVERYONE! BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN!!!!!

Today was the 3rd Annual July 4th Academy Mile. My goal was 8:30 and just let it all hang out since it was only a mile. Well, I beat that with a 8:01. When I got to the half mile point there was a clock there and it read 3:50. I had to look twice to make sure I was not delusional. I gave it all I had for the last half mile. When I got the end I and saw 7:58 when I got to the line I almost lost it. I cannot say why I almost lost it. It could have been any number of things going on in my life right now, PR, starting to feel like I am a real runner, etc.... The only thing I was thinking was what a tool I would look like crying in front all these other racers. I held back the tears and I swear all I could think about was Mike Myers from the Coffee Talk segments on SNL - "I'm a little verklempt! Talk amongst yourselves...."

Before the start of this race it hit me today was July 4th. Not only was I was going to give this my all for a PR, I was going to give it my all for all those serving around the world protecting us and allowing us to have the freedoms we enjoy today. Especially you Steve-o!!! We still have some Jager we need to consume!

See, I was so fast, Brenda had trouble keeping the camera on me!!!!

The plan is coming together

2008-06-30T20:51:00.002-04:00

Since my last race on 5/26, I have taken some time to let some nagging injuries heal and reevaluate my running and fitness routine. After that race I did not run for an entire week which was a foreign concept to me. This month has been about rebuilding my running and adding in some new/old things. The break down by week for the month of June is:
Week 1: 2.31 miles - 1 day
Week 2: 5.22 miles - 2 days
Week 3: 9.14 miles - 3 days
Week 4: 11.25 miles - 3 days
Week 5: 4.2 miles - 1 day

From that I feel I have made steady increases and feel pretty good about where I stand. Actually my times and pace have decreased dramatically after my little hiatus.

In my previous post, I wrote about what lifestyle changes I need to make getting ready for the 10 Miler in September. Now is time for the training portion. This month I have added going to the gym (7 times this month) and the occasional bike ride. I plan to make it a point to get to the gym at least three times a week and at least one or two bike rides per week. Now onto the running portion. My intentions are to run four days a week and increase my miles from week to week with a long run on Saturday or Sunday. Since I am a newbie to the interval/speed training, I am going to have to figure out how to do it and a way to record it. I am thinking a Garmin would help. Currently, I just run near 80% effort and measure it from mailbox to mailbox or driveway to driveway. I have to keep in mind to listen to my body. When it needs a break I need to listen and not get to caught up in "having" to run.

Overall, I am happy with everything right now. I am planning for steady progress from now until September.

Changes

2008-06-27T23:28:00.002-04:00

91 days to go until the 10 miler. It is about time to make some changes for the better and to help my get through this race. Most of the changes need to be lifestyle changes. I am fairly happy with the running/biking/weight lifting and am not to concerned with that. The changes I really need to make are the other ways I take care of myself.

1) I need to do a better job of getting enough sleep. Everything I have read says I should be getting between 7 to 9 hours of sleep. I am lucky if I get 5.

2) Dropping the soda. Several years ago I gave up "regular" soft drinks due to High Fructose Corn Syrup and the empty calories. I have been bouncing between diet sodas and diet green tea. I think it is time to limit/eliminate the diet sodas and stick to water and diet green tea. Oh... as for the "adult beverages". I will keep them around for a bit.

3) I am the first to admit that my eating habits are far from ideal. Over time things have gotten better but end up going back to being less than ideal. Now is the time to limit/eliminate the chips, fries, and fried foods. Time to add back in the greens, grilled chicken, tuna, and lot and lots of fruit.

Even with the less than ideal diet and rest, my weight has remained constant at 218 over the last few weeks. Hopefully that will get down to my goal of 205.

Good Week

2008-06-24T12:28:00.003-04:00

Last week was a good week. I was able to run 9.14 miles and was able to get three good days in at the gym. It felt really good to get in all of that. The running was nothing to write home about. I am just going to take it slow and let things progress without pushing it to much. As for the gym, I am going to move from high weight/low rep to high rep/low weight. The last program I was doing was designed to gain mass but that is not what I want to do this time around. The only thing that I did not get in was bike riding. With work and vacation bible school every night, it left very little extra time.

Aside from the workout, we (wife, daughter, and me) went to Bush Gardens with our youth group on Saturday. Boy, can you log some miles hiking through that place. If you get a chance to go this summer, I highly recommend The Griffon. It is the newest roller coaster and was A W E S O M E ! ! ! ! Check out the video I found of the ride.
For some reason the Big Bad Wolf and Alpengiest kept getting shut down. We were able to ride Appolos Chariot, The Griffon, and The Loch Ness Monster. My daughter, who turn six on Thursday, wanted to ride the Big Bad Wolf since it did not go upside down. But, since it was out of commission at the last possible second, she decided to ride the Loch Ness Monster. She kept her eyes open for most of it and had the biggest grin on her face going down the first hill and loop. My wife was on the ride also. I think we were both nervous for our daughter than the ride itself. Now that we have season passes, I am going to take my video camera and film her on her next roller coaster. She says she wants to do the Wolf and Nessie again.

Anyway, it was fun can't wait to do it again.

Lots of Sweat, No Problem

2008-06-13T14:49:00.002-04:00

I love to run in the heat and humidity of summer. I cannot explain why but to me it is fun. I am usually a morning runner but since I got off early from work, I decided to take a run while my son took his nap. Wunderground.com says it was 87 degrees, 55% humidity, with smoke filled skies. Today is the first day we have seen the affects of the wildfires in North Carolina. Mind you, I live close to five hours away from where those fires are located.

I am not sure if it was my first time running in the heat this year or the smoke but I could not catch my breath no matter what I did. But I loved every minute of it. There was nothing ground breaking about this run. 2.92 miles in 31 minutes. It felt good to get back in some sort of routine. So far this week, I have ran 5.2 miles, biked 3.2 miles, and got in a chest/tricep workout. I have yet to set goals per week leading up to the ten miler but I know I need to do that soon.

Fathers Day marks the two year anniversary of me running outside, instead of being stuck on a treadmill. I honestly do not know why people would prefer treadmills over being outside. I think Sunday should be the kick off of my training for the 10 Miler plus making some tweaks to nutrition. Once I finalize those, I will post them here to hold me accountable.

Back to the Bike

2008-06-10T16:34:00.002-04:00

I did as promised and brought the old mountain bike out of hibernation today. I forgot how much fun it is to ride a bike. I rode the Dairy Loop at Sweet Briar College on my lunch break. 3.2 miles in about 18 minutes. Other than being almost becoming a hood ornament for someone who was not watching where they were turning, the ride was fun. When I got about half way done, it started to thunder and sprinkle. At that point it hit me my windows are down. As I got back to my car, the skies really opened up. Good timing. So far, I have managed to run, hit the gym, and get in a bike ride. I hope this keeps up.

It has been a while

2008-06-09T22:52:00.003-04:00

I apologize for taking such a long time between post. Not much has been going on in the way of running lately. I have only managed to run twice for a total of 4.6 miles. After the race, I was pretty drained physically and emotionally and had no desire to run. But this past weekend I saw some runners out and got that old familiar itch and decided this week I am going to dive back in. Since the issues with my foot are not completely fixed, I am going to start off slow and build my mileage back up slowly and reduce my number of days I run during the week. Also, this week marks my return to the gym. Today I got in a light workout and plan to go at least three times a week. With my summer hours in effect, our lunch breaks are only 30 minutes so my time is limited. I have even tinkered with the idea of pulling the mountain bike back out and adding that on non running days. I will keep you posted on that.

I do have some questions for you out in bloggersville. Being as I am 109 days out from my biggest race, when should I really start to buckle down and start training for this race? Is there any where on the net or does any one have a guide as to what mileage and running days per week should be? With my return to the gym, should I do any leg exercises?

Central Virginia Kidney Assoc. 10k

2008-05-26T21:01:00.003-04:00

Today was the day of the Central Virginia Kidney Assoc. 10k. This was the longest I have ever run, but I figured it was a nice way to A) see where I stand for the 10 miler in September and B) because I want to keep pushing myself. Leading up to this one I was never really nervous and did not think about the race at all. I laid off my regular running this week to give my ankle some time to heal up and to rest my legs. My goal for this race was to work on pacing myself and finish in less than 1 hour 15 minutes.

The race itself was on a decent course. To start the race was up a nice hill (long) and continued on semi flat to long inclines and a nice down hill leading to the finish. My goal was to take it slow for the first three miles then pick up the pace on the way back. I purposely started toward the end to keep myself "boxed" in. It worked well at first and was able to pace myself pretty well going up the first hill. When we got to the first mile mark they were yelling out the times and I heard 9:32. Was not expecting that one but I will take it. Even though I was trying to pace myself, I was still going pretty fast for me. Oh, I forgot to mention, I ran this one with no iPod. Between miles 1 and 3 my mind was all over the place. I kept asking myself if I was an idiot for doing this distance when I had never run this distance before (with a few choice words mixed in). Then some more thoughts were of my grandfather who passed in the fall (that was why I was wearing a red shirt, his favorite color) and my bud Steve who just got back from Iraq. When I got to the three mile mark, they were yelling out 5K splits. Mine was 31:56 . That was faster than my previous 5k's so I was pleased. As I rounded the side streets to head back it happened. I heard a loud snap. Thinking it was a stick, I looked down to see what I stepped on. There was nothing in the street. Then I felt my right ankle throbbing (only on the outside of my right foot). I have had issues with it for several weeks on runs of four miles or more. I was hoping I would not have to deal with this today or at least until closer to the finish. All I could think was how am I going to make it back. Luckily, I was able to block out most of the pain but had to walk several times to get it to quit throbbing. One thing my grandfather thought me was to never quit. I was not about to quit after I was over halfway home (had it happened at mile 1, I would have kept going). Most of mile 5 was down hill and that was welcomed. Somewhere toward the end of mile 5 I noticed my stride had changed to compensate for ankle. As I came to the finish line my wife, two kids, and mom were there. My son was standing inside the cones as I came to the end and for some reason I picked him up and ran with him to the finish line. Hopefully, someone has a picture of it.

My final time was 1 hour 10 minutes. I was very happy to be done inside my goal. I know I can do well in the 10 miler and am looking forward to start training for that. After the race my daughter (who is 5) wanted to run all around the finish line and side streets. I really had nothing left but was not going to disappointed her. So we ran for a bit. She thinks I let her beat me but I could barely pick up my legs. How can kids run forever and never get tired? After the race I was exhausted. For the rest of the day I have been just wiped out. Right now my legs are sore and tight. I can tell where I was using my left leg to compensate for my right because it is really sore. Since I get off early Friday, I will go and get some x-rays of my ankle just to make sure nothing serious is wrong. It only seems to bother me when I run long distances. I have tried different methods of tying my shoes but to no avail. Since i have 123 days until the 10 miler, I can take some time off and rest and let my ankle recover.

I am glad I ran this race. I was able to prove a lot to myself and am looking forward to September.

Happy Anniversary

2008-05-20T16:06:00.003-04:00

Eight years ago today, I did one of the best things I have ever done. I married my wonderful wife! Happy Anniversary, sweetie. I love you!

No iPod, No Problem

2008-05-16T13:16:00.002-04:00

Ever since I started running, I have always used an iPod or some other mp3 player to move me down the road. I cannot think of a single time I have not used one. There is something to be said for Metallica, Puddle of Mudd, or songs from Rocky (or whatever else is on the playlist) pushing me down the road. For my run on Thursday, something told me to go solo and just take my thoughts with me. At first, I was nervous. It took a bit to get used to not having music but when I looked at my watch at the 1.25 mile point and saw I was thirty seconds faster than ever on this particular route, I knew I was in for something special. By the time I got to the 2 mile mark, I started paying attention to my feet hitting the road. Funny thing was, there was no sound. I was not pounding the road but gliding along with little effort and my feet hardly made any noise as they made contact nor any labored breathing. At that point I decided to go all out and make this a 5.4 mile run. Between mile 2 and mile 5 things were rolling along at a nice clip. As I approached mile 5, I knew I had just encountered an amazing iPod free run and could easily be a PR. Around this time a little ankle issue popped up but I was not going to let that affect this amazing run. The end result was 5.4 miles in 54 minutes with a 10 minute pace (WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!! considering my last post was about pace - LOL). Was I faster because there was no music? Was it just one of those days where everything clicked? I am going to go with the first one since I really did not want to run that day due to lack of sleep, being really humid, and the threat of storms (it started raining as I was stretching - good timing).

Where am I going with all this blubbering? After this run, I have decided to do that 1ok on Memorial Day. I know now, I can go long distances and make good time. Between that run and David's encouragement, it is time to graduate from 5k to 10k and do it iPod free

Reflection

2008-05-14T23:15:00.004-04:00

The last several days I have been going back over my runs since 4/1/08 until today (5/14) and looking at my distances and times. What I have found is my mileage per run has increased as well as my times have increased slightly (holding firm around 11 min/mile from mid 10 min/mile). I ran a few calculations and here is what I have come up with. Since 4/1, I have logged 75.09 miles, ran for a total of 14 hours, and have an average pace of 10.90 min/mile. I am not sure how to really take looking at these numbers. I am happy with the miles I have logged but feel my average pace should be less. I do not hold these numbers firm as the website I use to track things has some accuracy issues. I hope to have a Garmin one day that will make things a tad more accurate. If I go back even further and look at March when I was regularly attending the gym, my pace and miles are all over the place. I am not sure if and how much regularly lifting was affecting my running. I do remember feeling stiff and my wind was off more times than not when I would combine the two.

Speaking of the gym, I have not been since late March. The main reason I quit going, is because I was being bombarded with computer questions (seeing as how I am a computer tech). It got really old laying under the bench press and someone standing over you asking why their computer is doing certain things. Mind you I am on my fourth set on the bench after doing dumbbell flyes to failure. I guess my blood rest face and trembling arms were an open invitation for conversation. Sorry for that rant but I guess that is to be expected when your gym is at the same place you work. I do miss the gym but do not miss being bugged while getting my workout on on my lunch break.

All in all, I feel like I am getting into a rut with my running. I might change up my two days run one day off schedule and start running some on the weekends. Anything to change things up a bit. The one thing I do not want to do is run three days straight. I have done that in the past with disastrous results. Being a 200lb+ runner my legs and shoes need a little more time to recover than others.

Nerves and Second Guessing.... UPDATED

2008-05-08T12:07:00.004-04:00

On my desk is sitting an application for the 11th Annual Central Virginia Kidney Association Memorial Day 10k all filled out. Do I register or not. I keep going back and forth on registering for this one. I have never done anything more than 5 miles. Am I ready for a 10k? Am I doing to much to soon? Why is this one bothering me? Usually I see a race I want to and sign up without thinking about it. Part of me wants to do it to see where I stand for the 10 miler. The other half is not sure if this is the right thing to do. I hate this going back an forth. Any suggestions?

I am going to do it. Thanks for the motivation David.

It's In The Chi......

2008-05-05T09:40:00.005-04:00

I must first apologize for the lengthiness of this Blog but I have a lot of good things to say.

First and foremost, I want to thank those that answered my question from the Runners Lounge. The advice I got was very helpful and it is nice to have words of encouragement (even if I might never meet you in person). I have purchased the Chi Running running book and have finished the first chapter and it has already made a world of difference.

Last night, after reading the first chapter, I decided to do some leg stretches and use some of what was in the first chapter and what else I had picked up by thumbing though the book. While doing each stretch, I decided to take five deep breaths and concentrate strictly on my breathing and each stretch. It was VERY hard to block out other thoughts and clear my mind. When I was able to get a handle on clearing my mind and focus on the breathing, holy crap. I was stretching farther than I have ever been able to. I went passed my toes on several occasions. Afterwards, I felt loose and relaxed. For those who really know me being relaxed is something that does not happen often.

I decided to use the same approach from the stretching on my run this morning. I was up and down several times through out the night b/c I was so excited to get to running. I will not go into the particulars of 1/4 mile by 1/4 report but lets just say this run was completely AWESOME. According to www.mapmyrun.com I did 4.3 miles in 50 minutes with an average pace of 11.25 minutes. From what I have found with that site it was probably closer to 4.5. I was not happy with the 11.25 pace but running for the whole 4 miles was a new breakthrough. Here are a few of the things I did:

I changed my posture to a straighter back
Kept my mood positive
"Forced" myself to stay relaxed
Controlled my breathing
Picked my legs up higher
Cleared my mind

Wouldn't you know I only stopped to walk three times for a grand total of less than .1 miles (once was for an iPod malfunction). My wind was amazing and never had the slightest bit of pain in my legs or lower back. Previous runs felt like I was running "with the emergency brake on". Not today, baby. I felt like I was running free. I never got winded even on two of the toughest hills in my area or for the whole four miles, for that matter. To say I was giddy when it was all said and done is an understatement. Even after I was done there was no soreness at all in my calves or ankles (what a blessing!). The after running stretching was just as good as last night if not better. I think I am falling in love with running all over again - YEA!!!!! What a great way to start out a Monday.

Now that I am seeing this kind of result, I think tomorrow I will push it a bit farther with my pace and see what happens. As well, as reading another chapter or two.

Striking Pattern/Shoes

2008-05-01T22:13:00.002-04:00

Today's theme is .... Backwards Take It and Run Thursday.

Instead of posting wisdom, post a question you have about your running, training, racing, gear, hydration, etc that you need help answering. Maybe you are looking for suggestions on the perfect hydration belt, a flat/fast fall marathon, a 10k training plan, or how to get rid of an ache/pain or injury - whatever it is, post it and tell others what you need help with. And of course, please stop by and help others with their questions.

I have a two part question. Is there a correct striking pattern for your feet? I have alternated between running on my forefoot (shoes wear out quickly) and heal to toe strking (shin splints occur). And number two, is there a way to get more wear out of running shoes? I had Brooks GTS 7's and only got 150 miles out of them before they were too uncomfortable to wear. I am currently using Brooks Innfiniti.

Thanks for any and all input.

Pain, Pain Go Away......

2008-05-01T21:56:00.002-04:00

April ended up being a rockin month. I surpassed 50 miles in the month. Something, I thought would be an unreachable goal for me. I even got in a few long runs between 4 and 5 miles. All in all I loved every minute of it. Up until my second mile (mile 49 for the month) on Tuesday. I felt a strange pinch just below my toes on my left foot. I was not going to stop b/c I was so close to hitting 50. It has never really hurt just been uncomfortable so I have taken the last two days off. Not how I really wanted to start May but as David says, "listen to your body". Ice has been a good friend of mine during this time. I think I am ready to get back at it tomorrow. I plan on getting in a nice long run tomorrow at work during lunch (b/c I want to sleep in.... whatever that means - LOL).

I would love to have every month at 50 miles or more. As I get ready for the 10 miler, I need to start to increase my mileage more and really drop these last 15 pounds or so. I have noticed running is much easier the less you weigh. I have fallen in love with "long" runs that I have pretty much dropped my 2 mile runs all together and stick with 3 or more.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Back to Basics

2008-04-28T06:54:00.002-04:00

Todays run was all about getting back to basics. Last week my running felt like a golf swing all out of whack. I was more concerned with pace, timing, and foot placement than I was with running. So today, I just decided to put one foot in front of the other until I was out of breathe then back off a bit. It felt much much better to do it that way. I did 2+ miles in less than 25 minutes (will have the particulars after I add it to mapmyrun.com.) Everything just felt good even for a Monday morning run in the rain!!!

Another way of getting back to basics was entering a tire into my running. After my 2+ miles, I strapped a piece of rope to an old tire and strapped the other end to my waiste and did a couple of sprints up a short hill. I have seen this done before and have heard the benefits of adding resistance to running to build up endurance and speed. I would have done more but the rain realy started coming down and it was making a lot of noise at 6:30 AM, don't want to tick the neighbors off too much ;). I will try to get a couple more in this afternoon weather permitting.

It feels like it is going to be a good day!!!!

Is it time yet??

2008-04-22T12:03:00.001-04:00

I just finished watching the 2007 UVA highlight video. Is it time for football season yet??? August cannot get here soon enough.

Godparent Home 5K

2008-04-19T21:36:00.004-04:00

Race number two is done. I competed in another 5K this time for the Godparent Home 5K. The race was at the Kemper Street Station entrance of Blackwater Creek. My first 5K was 34:38. I completed todays in 33:25 and finished tenth in my age group. It was faster than the last so that was goal number one accomplished. I was hoping to break 32 minutes but I will take 33. It proves to me that I am progressing as a runner. What I am most happy about was busting an 8:19 mile on the first mile. I was not quite expecting that one.

My plan going in was to take it slow and easy on the first half of the race then go all out for the last half. That lasted about as long as it took me to check in. I have been on most of Blackwater Creek but never the Kemper Street Station portion. When they announced the first half of the race was all down hill, that plan was scrapped. Since it was downhill, I knew I could just go crazy, make up time, then deal with the hill portion when i got to it. That would explain why I ran over a mile and a half with out stopping (never been able to do that before). The hills coming back were a pain but I was determined to give it all I had. The last hill, I seriously thought I was going to puke but I pushed it and had my best time. When I looked at my watch when I crossed the line it was 33:10 but I am not going to split hairs with 15 seconds. It took about ten minutes for me catch my breath. But after that, I have felt pretty good all day.

After those hills, I am seriously worried about committing to the 10 Miler. I do have time to work on my wind and dealing with hills though. I have come up with some training stuff to help and will post them later.

Holy Long Distance, Batman!

2008-04-17T09:01:00.002-04:00

I broke five miles this morning. WOOOHOOO!! I had a long distance run in mind for today but was surprised at my pace, the distance, and the fact my legs feel better than before the run. I did 5.08 miles in sixty minutes flat for a 11.49 pace. Not blistering for sure but I am content with the pace because, I know my body gives out after three miles. At one point, I was not sure if I was running more or my nose. Also, just recovering from a sinus/upper respiratory infection, I feel pretty good about it. I am a little worried my wind will not be there for Saturday but by the end of the run when it had warmed up, I feel good.

On another note, I did have my best mile time at 9:30. Thanks, David for the idea of interval training (although the dry heaving was not fun at 6AM). The coolest part was my imitation of Ghost Rider when I got home to stretch outside. The steam coming off my head and back was pretty wild. All in all, it was a good run that will hopefully return a good day.

New Shoes. New Goals.

2008-04-14T12:11:00.004-04:00

I have finally settled on a pair of shoes. I am in the Brooks Infiniti. I love those shoes. Everything about them feels right. Now that I am settled with footwear, my attention has turned to my goals. I am running a 5k this weekend (please clear up sinus infection) for the God Parent Home. My only other 5k was a 34:38 time. I would love to break 30 minutes but will accept 32 or better. From there, I am doing two other races - The Downtown Mile and the Lynchburg 10 miler. For the downtown mile I would love to hit a 9 minute mile and as for the 10 miler, right now I just hope to finish. One day I will own a cool Forerunner 205 that will help me with all these goals but not right now. Right now, I have to stick to my cheap-o Wal-mart watches with a timer.

I came across an interesting post about the cost of being a "runner". You can check it out here
It is a great read, very accurate (from my point of view), and informative.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2008-04-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

The Good
For three weeks in a row I was able to get 10 plus miles in. On Friday, I logged 4.5 miles (was probably closer to 4.75) in 53 minutes. What made this run "good" was the last mile, I ran "out of my mind". I really do not remember that last mile other than I ran at a faster pace and never felt winded. It just felt great. I am now officially over my fear of running more than a couple miles. Since I survived close to 5 miles, I am ready to try longer and longer runs (when time permits).

The Bad
Todays run was less than spectacular. The weather was BLAH! I still went out and did several miles but my time was horrible. The run started of with me practically sprinting for the first .3 miles and it felt pretty good so I would alternate my speed to try to push it farther and harder. After 20 minutes in I got hit with stomach cramps. Thinking I could walk them out, I slowed my pace and hoped to make it back home (was about one mile out). However, they never passed. At one point, I was doubled over in the road in pain. They eventually passed enough to allow me to walk/jog back home. Note to self - no Papa Johns pizza the night before a run.

The Ugly
Not including my run today, I have logged 15.78 miles on my new New Balance 1061. I noticed today that my right foot slips around in the shoe. Now is as good of time as any to let you know my feet measure a complete size difference (Left 10.5 Right 11.5). The right foot feels good. I have noticed a blister starting to form on my left heel and now it feels like shin splints coming on on my left leg. When I go across town on Wednesday, I am going to take them back and probably go back to Brooks Adrenaline. What makes it so hard for my feet is my left foot I tend to walk on the outside and my right tends to turn in. Just frustrating. I pray that I can coax one last long run out of my old Brooks with out too much trouble.

The End to a Good Month

2008-03-31T23:29:00.002-04:00

Where did March go? That was a fast month but it was also a really good month for running. I was able to log a personal best of 37.56 miles. Most of any month since I started keep track of my mileage. I really, really really, wanted to hit 4o for the month but the weather would not cooperate today. My last several months total were:

February 8.02
January 20.8
December 0
November 14.18
October 22.91

I know most will say I upped my mileage too much too soon. WHATEVER! I have felt no pain or discomfort from the increase (other than needing new shoes and they are working great). I could have hit 50 if I had not been sick or close to one week. My goal for April is to do more than 37.56. I have an itch to drop my short days and go three or more miles. I really need to get my endurance up b/c when i hit more then three miles, my legs really fatigue espically if I want to entertain ideas of doing the ten miler.

Blame it on the weather

2008-03-25T22:07:00.003-04:00

So far this week I have logged ZERO miles. I missed both Monday and Tuesday runs for similar reasons. Both mornings the temperature started off in the 20's and I stayed up too late the night before. This morning I woke up on time but something kept telling; "Hey dumb ass, you have been used to running in warmer weather and you want to go out with the temp in the 20's? Are you stupid? Plus, your feet are still not 100%. You need to rest." Usually at when I hear this little voice, I normally just tell it to shut the hell up and go on. For some reason I listened and went back to sleep and feel a little better for it.

Now, I only have five days to get my ten plus miles in. I really do not want to push things to much with the discomfort in my feet and did not want to do start off to hard on new shoes (especially being a new brand). In the back of my mind I know I can do it, I just have to find the time. At least it is suppose to be warmer for the rest of the week.

Another good week but........

2008-03-22T23:45:00.004-04:00

Two of the last three weeks have been really good. I was able to get in all three weight workouts and tinkered with some weight/rep combos that really made some differences and was able to increase mileage slightly but still was able to get in four good days of running with some good long days in the middle of the week. I am looking forward to next week to keep the momentum going. I have always been told it takes three to five weeks to ingrain a habit so we are on the way.

With all the good some bad does have to come, right? After my long run on Thursday, I noticed some discomfort in my feet. At first I wrote it off as just my feet being in shock from the increase in mileage/pace and lack of adequate rest. After my short run on Friday, the discomfort turned to pain as well as some pain in my knee I had surgery on. I have felt this pain before. It felt like the time when I went to far on my first pair of shoes and ended up needing cortisone shots in my feet. This morning me and my kids made a trip to the local running shop for some new shoes. After trying on several pairs, I decided on going with a pair of New Balance 1223's. The shoes felt awesome BUT......... I have always used Brooks (Vapor - 2 pair and Adrenaline GTS 7). I know Brooks and how my feet have reacted to Brooks shoes. To say I was hesitant is an understatement. However, I was blown away with the amount of padding in the mid foot of the New Balance shoes. Going in, I really wanted to try some Asics shoes but for some reason Asics constantly slip on my heel. No matter what type of shoe, loop lacing, etc..... They always seem to slip. Most runners I have talked to love Asics and recommend them with the drop of a hat. Maybe, I was too wrapped up in having shoes with Burnt Orange as the primary color (Hook 'Em Horns).

Monday will be the first run on the new duds, so I will keep you posted (unless we really get the snow they are calling for).

In the Beginning......

2008-03-20T09:27:00.003-04:00

This blog is designed to be a way to keep track of my workouts and keep me accountable. I have been working on getting into shape for close to two years now. The first time I went "running" was Fathers Day '06 and fell in love with it. Why did I start? At my heaviest I weighed in at 248 pounds and could not stand the sight of pictures of me and the kids or the way my clothes were fitting. My kids deserve to have a fit father who can run and play with them and my wife is too good to be married to a fat slob. If my kids see me being active and in shape, they will be more likely to model that behavior.

Currently, my weight is down to around 221-223. It has been a long two years filled with illness and injuries and my weight has bounced around a lot but I feel that with the coming of Spring, things are going to be better this year. I feel good about saying that b/c I am starting this Spring at a lower weight than the last two years and my endurance is a 1,000 times better. My goal would be to be at 200 pounds or less.

My current routine is a combination of free weights and running. I tend to not want to use free-weights in a leg routine b/c I feels "off" when combined with the running.

Running

Three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday)
Monday and Fridays are short runs 2-3 miles in the morning at home
Tuesday and Thursday are long runs 4+ miles at Sweet Briar on lunch break

Lifting/Free-weights

Three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
Monday - Chest (alternating high reps/low weight or low reps/high weight)
Wednesday - Biceps/Triceps (alternating high reps/low weight or low reps/high weight)
Friday - Back/Shoulders (alternating high reps/low weight or low reps/high weight)

Nothing with routine is set in stone. I am willing to listen to any suggestions.