Ready to go in 2010

Today is Monday, the day that we have set aside to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As such, both the kids and I are home. Some people have called this a national day of service, but we're not performing service today. After a long day on Saturday, and robotics both days for Jake, we're enjoying some downtime and homework time for the kids. I have Pandora playing in the background on my iPod - a jazz station that is very upbeat, and decided today was a good day to update some long overdue blogs.

We have a new contest at work. It is called the Biggest Winner, fashioned, of course, around the TV show with a similar name. It is not a 1-on-1 competition however. We are on teams of our own choosing, or on assigned teams if we joined as an individual. I am the captain of our four-person team that consists of a husband and wife, a manager in another part of our IT group, and me. All we have done to date is pick a team name, then a captain. I volunteered so I could hold everyone, including myself, accountable. I can't be a slacker if I have to ask others about their goals, now can I?

Since the first half of the first month of 2010 is past, it's time for me to get serious on my goals. I have only a few goals, mostly health related. While I remain in good to excellent health, I have a few things within my grasp before I hit 50 in October. Losing the 20 pounds will likely be the most challenging, but I would love to go into my next decade without the stigma of being classified as obese. I certainly don't feel obese, but according to the standard, I am. My legs, for example, are significantly stronger than most. I can run further and, for the most part, faster than almost everyone I know outside of the running community. Not many obese people can run 4 miles non-stop at 9 miles per hour. So, while I think the standards are not quite right, they are goals for which I will aim. If I lose the 20 lbs., I will be at or just under 200. When I graduated from college, I was at about 180, but was what my wife refers to as too thin. I really didn't eat much (or have much money to eat, for that matter), and I ran non-stop from early each morning until late each day with my low-pay job. I wasn't sitting at a desk like I do now, and didn't have a cafeteria with whatever I really want to eat a few floors down.

I have been eating much better until the past few days. My wife is an excellent cook, and is very conscious of fats, proteins, fiber, and so on, at least 5 days per week. We do splurge at home on occasion, but never two meals in one day. For example, this morning's relaxed breakfast had the kids playing with breakfast pizzas (including plopping a raw egg for one edition), and Sue and I had waffles. For one, I put a piece of bacon on top of the batter, then flipped the maker over (it's like the ones you find in many hotels). It was way better than I thought it would be!

 

So tomorrow, I head back to the gym and get serious about getting back in shape. I've been doing it right along, so am not starting as a couch potato or anything. But, I will be eating better, working more on my core and not just running, and leading the team at the contest at work. The waffle shown here will be the last one I eat for a while, so I wanted to be sure I would enjoy every last bite. The recipe for this is actually in the book that came with the waffle maker, and is just below the one we used. Since we had cooked bacon for the kids, it was only logical to try it! As Emeril Lagasse says, pork fat rules!

Fall running efforts

I had a busy fall, running two half marathons and one 4.75 mile race on Thanksgiving day. The two half marathons were numbers 2 and 3 for me, and included 100% solo training. Running through the back roads of Connecticut was very interesting - and a great way to put running into perspective. The fact that the training was all done by myself, with no one asking if I would be there, or if I could go faster or slower,  or if I minded if they walked some. Those decisions were all mine. I was proud of the effort I put forth this year, and surprised myself at how many times I got up early and headed out for what I knew was going to be a very difficult effort. All in all, I enjoyed the overall experience, but am not sure I am ready to do that all over again anytime soon.

The last race was done with the entire family - a great way to start the day on Thanksgiving. Kaite started running with me, and stuck with me for over a mile. She put forth a great amount of effort - and knew when to pull up and wait for her mom and brother. At that point, I was able to put my head down and power through the rest of the first hill. After that hill, there was a very long downhill run - and I so enjoyed that! I just let my body flow down the hill, and ended the race with a 10:15 pace which is the best I've done on any run that long. Next year, I am shooting for a 9:30 pace for the race, but the crowd and my prep will be the things to determine if that is realistic. I loved the fact that the entire family participated - and that was the very best part about the race when all is said and done!

My Other Blog

I have started a separate blog, trying to capture the running experience without so much non-running or training related discussion. That blog is appropriately named Never Sit Still, and located at http://neversitstill.com
I’ll try to keep the non-running discussion here down, unless it’s appropriate!

There is *no* Easy Path...

Saturday, I start the “official” training for the October 10th Hartford half marathon. My training for Richmond, a short 5-weeks later, will have to wait for the Hartford half training, although much of the training coincides (12 miles in my taper for Hartford is the same week that getting cranked up to 12 for Richmond occurs, and 13 for Richmond is the same day as the Hartford half). The only conflict is in the weeks between the races, when I am cranking up the mileage after completing the Hartford half. That plan has injury spelled all over it... so I will need to see how I feel.

It’s a good, 18-week program that basically has you running each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Tuesday and Thursday are short runs (3 miles for the first few weeks), Wednesday cranks it up a bit (4 miles for a few weeks, then 5 and eventually 6), and the Saturday runs are the longest and the ones that I fear.

I don’t fear the first long run since I’ve been already covering more than 5 miles while building my base mileage. It’s the 7, 8, 9+ mile trips that I fear. I’ve actually been having a difficult time figuring out where to run without subjecting myself to too many hills and being in a place that I could get picked up if all goes poorly and I get injured. I know I shouldn’t be worried about these things, but I’m running solo. I do carry my charged cell, my RoadID with my contact info, and a fuel belt with enough to make it through about 10 miles without replacement liquid. That means I’m prepared physically - I will need to get tough mentally to pull through. I have planned the work, and now I just need to work the plan.

My second and third half marathons this fall should fear me... at least that’s what I keep telling myself...

2nd Half scheduled!

Well, I scheduled my second fall half marathon on Friday. I am now scheduled for the Hartford Half on 10/10 (coinciding with the World Wide Festival of Races that weekend), and the Richmond Half just 5 weeks later on 11/14. It will be a fun filled summer, starting on June 20th for my official training schedule!

Confirmation Complete

I received the confirmation of entry for the Richmond half marathon today. So, the goal is set for the fall and the plan laid out for the summer running! This morning, I headed out for a nice long run. I had run on Wednesday, although just a quick 2-miler on the treadmill at the gym. I had a 7:30 conference call to make and a water main break had increased my commute by about 15 minutes. I have not run back to back in a long while, so I had no clue how I would feel.

I started down the road with little more than “run as far as you feel like” plan. I ended up going on a new route, feeling really good for most of the run (finally) and ended with a 5 1/4 mile run under my belt. Of course, it took about an hour to cool off so I was somewhat late leaving for work but I finally felt good about a run. I knew it was bound to happen. Now if I can kick this apparent cold, I’ll head out for another run this long weekend. I did stop on the way to snap the attached photo. The sun was just starting to peak through as it was a bit after 5:15.

Early Morning Run

This morning, I came downstairs on time (well, almost) and was starting to get ready to head in to the gym. I stuck my head outside and saw the weather was just spectacular. So, I went for a run! I took off and ran a bit more than 3 miles. It was a good run, up the hill and through a neighborhood, then out and back on the main street that heads north from here. All in all it was a good run and well worth the time to stay home this morning!

Morton's Neuroma

I went to see the podiatrist today. He was a great guy and listened well. He finally diagnosed the foot pain based on the bottom of my right foot as Morton’s Neuroma. According to WebMD, Morton’s Neuroma is a swollen or thickened nerve in the ball of your foot. When your toes are squeezed together too often and for two long (I’m guessing by running), the nerve that runs between the toes can swell and get thicker. This makes it painful when I walk on the foot. Funny but I never had pain when running - only when I walked the next day or two. According to the doc, the nerve gets numb when I run, so I don’t really feel it then - only later.  So, one shot of cortisone a a few days of rest later, I should be good to go by Thursday or Friday morning. I should note that the shot of cortisone was into the TOP of my foot (ouch) but really didn’t hurt at all.

On a side note, he also mentioned that my orthotics should be worn every day, not just in my running shoes. So, except for flip flops or bare feet, they will be in my shoes going forward.

What you do when you can't run

Life in the hotel continues on. I found a room to rent in Amherst for the months of July and August. The landlords are students at U Mass., Amherst. I did look at another home but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. This week or weekend, I’ll need to purchase sheets, some sort of blanket, pillows, and towels so that I can wash them this weekend and leave the hotel next weekend with clean stuff.

The job is keeping me busier than I care at this point, and it’ll get busier as time goes on. I have not been exercising as much as I should, but laundry is getting in the way. I have just two pair of running shorts, and they are awful when I’m done. Definitely a 1-workout pair of clothes. So, without spend $2.50 on a load of laundry for just workout clothes (and an hour of my time), they just don’t get done as often as I’d like. So, I have a new effort that I am considering. In case you want to try it on your own, you can find the link here:
http://hundredpushups.com
In just 6 weeks, maybe a few more weeks if you need to repeat a couple of weeks, and you can do 100 consecutive pushups. I think that would be a cool goal. For some reason, I think that I’d be really sore for the first two - three weeks, and would be quite tempted to give up since I actually need to be able to type all day long to do my job.

At least my reading is back to something healthy:
click here
I am ready to get back out there and start running again. My goal is to restart, in earnest, when I move to Amherst. The streets are flat, with sidewalks or paths, and lots of others doing the same. The thing that I love about living in a college town is that there are so many more people that are athletically minded. I drove past a 60 year old the other day, biking down a street. His calves were amazing — so muscular! My guess is that he probably bikes everywhere for about 5 months out of the year.

Monument Avenue 10K

Today, I ran the Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond. The weather was interesting - warm and damp. The race has grown to more than 30,000 participants (runners and walkers), which is both good and bad. The good is that the greater Richmond community has embraced the race to get people out of their chairs and moving. The bad is that there are too many stinkin' people in the race to make it fun for anyone running. I guess you always get the bad with the good. Four of us left our normal parking area at 6:30 AM so we could access our good secret parking area where I have been parking for years.

The elite runners took off at 8:30, and we took off at 8:57. Lori, Sara, and Quina were running with me for a bit, although we all splintered off as the race wore on. Richmond is a very small town - not in population, but the fact that you can be anywhere and see people you know. My physical therapist (sports med doc assistant) was almost beside me at the beginning and the end. Lots of folks from church, work, etc. were all there. I even ran into and spoke to the one newscaster I know from WTVR who had just completed an interview when I arrived.

The race was okay - I had a new PR for a 10K, although it was not what I had hoped. 1:03:06. I brought my own Accelerade which worked well. The only water I took was one cup at mile 5 to pour directly over my head to cool me down. It rained on and off, but never hard. I didn't walk other than at the one water stop and to regroup during the 6th mile. I made the mistake of taking off too fast, especial for mile 2, about 30 seconds per mile too fast. So, a slow mile six made up for it. I ran a 10:09 initial mile out of the crowd, then had a single negative split into mile 2 (9:37). I was warmed up and feeling good, but let my legs outrun my head. Towards the end, I was out of energy, another negative of eating at 6 AM for a 9 AM start. I'm not sure how to get around that in the future, other than to get a ride to the race closer to the start and not have to worry about parking!

This was the last race for a while. Details shortly.

Shamrock 13.1 finisher!

As of 9:26 am on Sunday, I can officially say that I have finished a half marathon! I finished standing up, albeit struggling at the end, but I finished! Final time, and my newest personal best, 2:26:35.

The race was not held under ideal conditions - mid 40s and a cold 20 MPH wind out of the north (which means it was cold since it came off from the Atlantic Ocean). The fact that it stopped raining before we were outside to run was excellent.

Course summary -- we took off shortly after 7 AM and headed north for about 3 miles on Atlantic. From there, we ran by both of my children who got out of bed on a cold morning to walk to see me! The kids took the hats and gloves that others wanted to drop. It was really close to the house where we were staying and another water stop. Then, we headed NW on Shore Drive for about 3 miles. Those 3 miles were a boring 3 miles, but were sheltered from the wind by trees. We passed by First Landing State Park, where the eventual Jamestown Settlers first landed.

Next, we turned east into Fort Story, home of the Cape Henry lighthouses (old and new ones). I've been on Ft. Story a few times -- to climb the old lighthouse and to visit my Mom once (stays there every year for a week with her ex-Air Force hubby). We continued for the 3 or so miles through Ft. Story with the winds whipping off from the Atlantic (you could see the ocean to the left - no break from the trees). Next, we headed out of the west gate of Ft. Story for the 4 miles south. We passed by the house where we were staying, then the water stop where we headed NW (above). This was our Goo stop on the return trip.

Finally, we cut towards the Atlantic Ocean at about mile 12 or so. The elite Marathon runners were starting to pass me (they were heading north, we were heading south), just as I headed towards the ocean. We made a quick jog to the boardwalk and then ran the final leg on the boardwalk to cross the finish line. Done... thankfully.

After finishing, we got our own emergency (space) blanket (foil-like wraps with the Yuengling logo), our finishers medals, bananas, a bag of goodies, and the best part -- a hat that declares me to be a 13.1 finisher! I met up with my running buddies who all finished ahead of me and we eventually headed into the celebration tent. There, they handed each runner 4 beer tickets (the race was sponsored by Yuengling), and had Irish Stew to eat.

Eventually, I was able to retrieve my car and head to the house where we packed and headed home. Today, I treated myself to a massage and a day off from work. Tomorrow, the real world will get back under my skin...

Half Marathon - here I come...

Today was the last mid-week run before the half. We ran a measly 4 miles - very short even by mid-week standards. I ran slowly at first, got rid of the congestion that has been plaguing me for the last week, then increased my speed with each consecutive mile.

My miles were 10:31, 10:41, 10:15, and a blazing 9:43. I felt fantastic! I almost sprinted up the final long hill (which I generally hate), then kept going. I passed Melanie and Sara both -- I think they were shocked... Knowing that I only had the four miles to run helped a great deal. My knee felt great. My feet felt great, and my belly felt great as well. If it weren't for the congestion, I'd be really happy now.

The half marathon is Sunday. I have decided to head to Virginia Beach on Friday so I can relax on Saturday all day. I need to visit the Expo to do packet pickup, eat some lunch, then cook dinner for my buddies on Saturday night (pasta, of course). Early to bed, then an early rise on Sunday for the race. At this point, I think that I will need to leave the house around 5:30 at the latest to find parking in a public lot. Driving around in pre-dawn light is not my idea of a good, stress free day. After the race, I will relax, pack up and drive home. The best part is that I am off on Monday, have a 4 PM massage scheduled, and will have zero email or BlackBerry all weekend long.

Continued knee pain, then relief!

Last week after the almost 14 mile run, pain set in. My left knee was a bit sore on Sunday, and very sore by Sunday night and early Monday. Ice and ibuprofen were my only resolutions for then. I went to the gym on Tuesday to attempt to run but was promptly reduced to a slow pace on the treadmill. With each step, excruciating pain. It would have to be a week of rest. On Wednesday, Lori and I walked 2 miles - it was cold and my knee was again not up to it. Time to call the doctor.

I saw the good doctor (she is a tri-athlete). and a good bit of feeling my knee and a few digital x-rays later, she had her diagnosis. Pes bursitis or pes tendonitis. Something about the bursis getting inflamed by the rubbing when I run. So, she shot me up with cortisone, fitted me with a strap to keep the kneecap in place, and put me on high-dose anti-inflammatory drugs. If this doesn't work, I will be back for other stuff on Friday. I am attempting to run on the treadmill tomorrow (maybe 4 miles), then see how the knee feels.

Saturday, in the park

Okay, so it wasn't a walk in the park... but, I did run 13.85 miles on Saturday! I was so pleased with how I felt, how I worked through the pain, and how I kept going when stopping was so easy.

As scheduled, we ran the first 4 miles with the 10k team. It was so easy... we started late, chatted with everyone we passed (many of them), and finished up significantly warmer than when we started. Then, we took off again after a few minutes of a break for a short 10-mile jaunt. This was actually easy for the first half of a mile, then I started coughing up a lung getting my breathing down right and letting the Allegra kick in. Once I got back in the swing, I ran pretty good through mile 5 (so that would be of mile 9 total). A few periods of walking and I finished it... I was having a hard time when I finished mile 11, right before the SAG. By mile 11, the muscle fatigue had started but I worked through it.

My diet this week consisted of a goo after mile 4, another one after mile 8, and one more at the SAG at mile 11. Lots of Accelerade throughout, and I was feeling pretty good.

Sunday, I was lame as can be expected, then lame again on Monday. Today, I went to the YMCA to run on the treadmill and my left knee was so sore that I just couldn't run at all. I walked 2.5 miles, but will try to run 5 miles tomorrow night with Lori.

The longest distance I will ever run?

Tomorrow morning, we are scheduled to run 4 miles, them recoup and run 10 more... that makes for 14 total miles. Since we are training for the half marathon which is a mere 13.1 miles, 14 miles is insane.

If I run all 14, I will know that I can do 13 and finish standing up. If I run all 14, I will know that I will feel like I am 80 years old (and I'm not even 50 yet). If I run all 14, I will have the satisfaction that February 23rd, 2008 will be the day that I ran the furthest distance of my life.

While it seems to be a daunting task, it will make the half marathon in 2 weeks much easier knowing that I can cover the distance.

10 miles and feeling good

We just finished a 10 mile "recovery" run and I'm feeling good. Wow - I never thought I'd be able to say that! We ran 3 miles with the YMCA 10K Team in Training group, then stripped down some of the layers, grabbed our fuel belts, and took off to run another 7 miles. The weather was cool, but not cold, sunny, but not in your face sunny. What worked for me was sort of everything. So, in the determination to repeat success, I wanted to document what I did.

Dinner Friday - pasta with meatless sauce, 2 pieces of whole grain bread with butter, a salad and a beer. I had done my best to hydrate all day on Friday and then continued with water in the evening. A few nuts to snack on before bed and in bed by 11. All of my clothes were out, with a few options depending on how cold it was overnight.

Saturday - up at 5:30, 2 ibuprofen tablets and some water, back to bed until 6:30. Up at 6:30 - breakfast by 7:00 - sweetened oatmeal and 1/2 mug of coffee - lots of water. Two immodium tablets for the IBS. Clothes: shorts, socks, shoes, and the first layer Nike shirt too tight to wear solo. Then, my new long sleeved layer with the zipper at the neck. Hat and sunglasses. For the first 3 miles, I added my jacket and gloves but stripped them off when we picked up the rest of the group before the final 7 miles. Of course, two paper towels folded and in my shorts waistband for the sinuses, glasses, and sweat.

I ate a PowerBar Gel (goo) after the first 3 miles, and topped up with Accelerade. Another Gel after 4 of the 7 miles (at 7 miles overall), and drinks of the Accelerade along the way. I felt good, with almost no walking at all today. I ran an 11:06 average pace which I will take over 10 miles anyday! Here is the link to the results: CLICK HERE

12 miles... a new personal distance record!

I completed a bit over 12 miles today, while the gals did 13. I was hurting during the last 2, so decided not to to the 13th mile. My orthotics were putting pressure particularly on my left knee, and I'm really feeling the pain tonight. We ran three miles to warm up with the 10K training team (Lori is a coach), then stripped down to more appropriate clothes (I went down to shorts and a top, leaving behind a jacket, gloves, and long pants).

That said, it was a good workout - a bit over 2100 calories worth - by far the most ever. Oatmeal for breakfast (single serve instant), a goo after 3 mile warm up, another goo after 7 and one more at 10 (our SAG) and lots of Accelerade along the way. By the SAG, I had set my new personal distance record by over 1/2 a mile.

After the SAG, I was really dragging, though, and my legs felt like jelly. I decided to blow off the last mile so I wasn't completely spent for days, and it was a good decision. We all got a smoothie at the grocery store, including a protein shot. Then, home, a shower, and a quick nap. I think I won't have a problem sleeping tonight.

And the distance continues to increase...

Today, five of us started out together with four different distances in mind. I was running 8 (run to the SAG), another 9 (modified the course), another 10 (first 5 with us then back), and the other two 13.1 miles - a full half marathon distance. I kept up (mostly) with the 13.1 group (Sara and Melanie), and got a return ride at the water / SAG stop that Lori set up. This was planned - although I could have gone a bit further but didn't want to push too far too fast and risk injury.

My orthotics worked well, although I pushed the envelope of how long I should wear them. The run today was well over an hour which is the limit that I'm supposed to stick to for the first week. The limits are a bit loosy-goosy though, so it's what I'm feeling comfortable with. So far, they have felt great when I'm running, but I have some knee pain afterwards from the foot straightening that they are doing. In time, all will be well! I replaced my shoes about the time that my foot problem occurred, but they are just a newer model of the same shoes I had, just without hundreds of miles of road wear. One good thing to note is that my old shoes showed even wear, meaning I don't have any signs of pronating.

Nutritionally, I tried a different goo and broke open a pack of these gummy-bear like shot bloks from the makers of Clif Bar. Three of us shared them (a bit less than a serving each). You absolutely have to stop and chew them, though, since I believe you will choke if you try to keep running. The ones we had were orange and quite delicious - eaten at about 4.5 miles. I also had a vanilla goo with no caffeine a couple of miles later. To start the day, I had my usual single serving of instant oatmeal which works with my belly. I got a solid night of sleep last night as well, so all of the stars were in alignment to run well.

Next week, 3 on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, and 3 on Thursday, then 14 on Saturday. We are going to run the 3 with the beginning 10K team first (Lori is one of the coaches), then take off for another 10. I think we will freak out the beginners if they find out.

The podiatrist and the orthodics

I went back to the Podiatrist on Monday since I got a call on Friday that he had my orthodics ready. Those are inserts that I will wear in all of my shoes going forward to help straighten out my feet and remove the foot pain I have been feeling. It was a 5-minute appointment (still paid my $25 copay) and walked out with the orthodics in place.

Like contacts, I need to wear them for only an hour or less each day for the first week, then 2 hours, and so on until I wear them full time when I wear shoes. Today, I wore them at the gym while I attempted for the first time in weeks to run. I ran 3 1/2 miles with no pain at all (treadmill). I will attempt to run 6 miles tomorrow night (about an hour) and 13 miles on Saturday. I'm fairly certain that I won't be able to run all 13 miles but that it'll have nothing to do with my feet.

Today, I felt some pain in my knees, but that is from the correction that the orthodics have in straightening my feet. A few weeks from now, my only pain will be from covering distances that my 47 year old body just isn't ready to cover...

Frostbite 15K

Since my feet aren't fixed yet, I was unable to run in the 15K race this morning. This is named the Frostbite 15K for a few reasons. First, it is 15K or 9.3 miles long. Second, it is held on or about the last weekend in January (the 27th this year) and it's damn cold. Great name since everyone knows at least the season when the race is held. This was the 24th running of this race and people come back year after year.

Melanie, Sara, and Lori were using this as their long weekend run in their half-marathon training. They were scheduled for 10 miles, I think, so this was perfect. I, on the other hand, simply couldn't run. I thought about volunteering to help with the race, but came to the conclusion that I could help in a better way -- take pictures!

I looked at the course online, trying to find the perfect spot. I was unsure of what the status of the sun would be, but the forecast was for overcast skies - perfect! I found a great spot on just after the 4-mile outgoing marker, and where I would see the runners returning just after 5 miles. This course was conveniently an out and back course, providing the opportunity to see runners twice.

It was very cold this morning (frostbite - duh), so I dressed in multiple layers but still had to make my fingers work. When all was said and done, I had snapped 864 photos and my fingers were absolutely numb when I was done. I swapped my long lens (70 - 300MM) for the mid-range one (55 - 200MM), set the camera to autofocus and just used the sports setting. I was able to capture what I think were some great pictures! The pain was occasionally shown, but the smiles were rampant! I came home with some great photos of Melanie, Sara, and Lori, and believe that they will be very pleased with the outcome! What was funniest was that people were posing, giving thumbs up, and making silly faces for the camera. I think a few people will be looking for pictures soon!