593

just added up all of my miles from this year and last year and i have ran 593 miles in 2009-2010. just thought you might want to know J. :)

First Run in 3 Weeks

this is my first run since the marathon. i was a little worried about my left foot. it did start hurting around the first half mile but then got better. it was about 30 degrees when i started, i looked at one forecast that said it would be 19 degrees when i finished, another said it would still be around 30 degrees. i couldn't decide what i was going to wear. i decided to only wear my tights with shorts, no running pants. i also wore a compression shirt, long-sleeved shirt, a jacket, and, for the first time, a pair of gloves. i also wore a thicker sock hat and a pair of my new shoes. i think i would have been more comfortable if i had worn my running pants, my legs were a little cold. my shoes felt really good.

my legs felt great, however, my lungs did not feel so good. it was a little hard to breathe. i was never breathing hard but i just felt like i couldn't get enough oxygen. my legs felt like they could have ran twice as fast as i was running, my lungs and lower back just wouldn't let them. the last mile i hit a stride that was really comfortable, too bad it was pretty slow. i am hoping i will get a little faster when i get my body back on track a little. this was the second fastest 3 miles i have ran this year at a 9:16 pace.

thought of the day: "It is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life," Queen Christina. that is my goal now that i have ran a marathon, now i have to run another in much better time.

Shoes

my new shoes came in the mail today, can't wait to try them out, foot is much better, lookout jeff and todd, here i come !

Foot

my foot is feeling much better, still a little painful at times though. not like i would be running in the weather we've had lately.

i did hunt the last 3 days. yesterday we did something pretty stupid. it was 8 degrees in the morning and we decided to go to ky lake and hunt. we were in a small boat and had to cross the tn river channel. i was really worried the boat was going to turn over. when we would hit a big wave, the water would splash over the boat and freeze on us pretty quickly. my pants were frozen in the in the sitting position when we got to the blind. then i realized i left my heavy jacket in the truck and we couldn't get the heater to work. we did shoot 5 ducks. when we had to get back across the channel, i was a little worried again. not something i want to try again anytime soon. this morning i went turkey hunting. when i got out of the truck the temperature was 1 degree. listened to lots of turkeys all morning but none came close enough for a shot. i took off this coming friday, that is the last day of the fall turkey season, i hope it is a little warmer than this morning.

hopefully i will be running again next weekend. i have a 10k on jan. 1st. i really need to get some new shoes soon.

thought of the day: 8 degrees with wind and water is really cold. 1 degree is cold. i like the cold but not quite this cold. i am ready for it to warm up a bit.

Quick Update

Foot still hurting, much better, about 80%. Thought I might have a stress fracture (though I wouldn't admit that to my wife), but now I don't think so. It's weird but I really want to be running, I have a lot more races to prepare for. I think I might try to run 2 marathons next year! We'll see.

I Did It!

i did it. i finished a marathon. i did not finish as fast as i had hoped, but the main goal was completed. i really felt great for the first part of the marathon. i was staying right at 11 min per mile, a pace that i thought if i kept i could finish pretty strong. if you have been reading my blog you know i was worried about my shoe situation. at mile 10 my right foot just under my ankle started hurting. i thought i could run through it. at mile 13 the half marathoners split off and the pain in my foot was getting much worse, but i was still able to run near my goal pace. at mile 15 the pain either went away or i got used to it. but i was feeling pretty good. between miles 17-19 my left foot started hurting in the same spot. it got bad enough i finally started having to walk longer at the drink stops than it took me to drink, maybe 30-45 seconds.

on that note, at the race the only drinks they were handing out were water and lime powerade. i don't like water and needed the energy from the powerade anyway. i do like powerade, but not lime, however i decided i had to drink it. i did not use as many gels/chomps as i usually do during a race. for the entire race i took 1/2 of a gel and 6 chomps. i would normally take that much in 2 hours of running. i started sucking on the chews at an 55min into the race (pretty normal, you are supposed to take 4 every 45-60min). i only had 6 chews because i had tried 2 a few weeks ago during a run. so i took 3 in a row. at mile 9 i picked up a gel from one of the stations and i could only force 1/2 of it down at mile 10. around mile 15 i started the next 3 chews. after that i didn't take anything else, other than powerade. and the cups of powerade we not very full so i occasionally had to get 2 or 3 cups.

off that tangent, at mile 22 i started walking more than running. my foot was absolutely killing me. about mile 24 i tried as hard as i could to at least jog. about 10 steps in i looked up and there was a guy walking and passing me and leaving me in his dust. i decided as bad as it hurt i should just try to walk as fast as i could. i was a little embarrassed passing all of the people on the side of the road, they all encouraged me to keep going and told me i was doing great and didn't have much further to go. i thought to myself that i was not doing great, and that the people telling me i was almost done did not know how far a few miles is when your foot is killing you. i thought about quitting a few times, but thought of all the people who told me i shouldn't be running, or that i couldn't do it. once i even thought about stopping for just a minute, but i kept the thought "relentless forward progress" in my head and i never stopped. i finally got to the spot where the race goes into the baseball stadium and knew my uncle would be there watching for me, so i started jogging again, luckily the path went around the field in the dirt and that was much more forgiving than the pavement. i finished strong, at least for the last 100 yards.

after running this marathon, i feel like i was pretty well prepared to run a marathon. i feel like, with the right shoes i could run one at my goal pace without much trouble. at mile 18 i was still running close to a 11:30min/mile pace. and after walking almost all of the last 4 miles, i finished at just over 13min/mile. i can't wait to run another! my total time was 5:42.58, by my gps i actually ran about 26.5 miles.

my left foot was swollen and hurt very bad yesterday. i could barely put any weight on it. i had to use the inside of the foot to bear weight and limp on the foot. today the foot was a little more swollen, but i could bear a little more weight on it. i wrapped in it ice for about 2 hours today and that made it feel much better. then i put a heating pad on it and now i have it wrapped with an ace bandage. occasionally, i can take a normal step, so it is getting much better. more ice and heat tonight and i think it will be near normal tomorrow. my upper legs have been a little sore as well, but really not any worse than when i ran my 18 mile training run.

so i did two personal bests on saturday. my marathon time was a personal best for a marathon :), and i ran 22 miles, the longest run of my life. i don't really count the full marathon distance as running since after mile 22 i started walking mostly.

quote of the day: "The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense," Arnold Bennett.

Less than 36 hours

it is less than 36 hours until the marathon. i have not been able to run this week due to weather and work. i have worked 35 hours in the last 3 days. til midnight on tuesday, 7:30pm on wednesday, and about 6:15 tonight. i am leaving for memphis tomorrow morning, maybe emily will let me sleep in a little. i will try to run a mile or 2 tomorrow afternoon to stretch the legs out a little. i have had butterflies all week, i just have to remember that i will own this race, from my perspective. i think owning the race for me will be finishing, under 5 hours i will be ecstatic. i will try to keep everyone posted as best as i can. i am not sure that i will be able to function for two to three days after the race, i will try my best.

thought of the day:"There ain't nothing from the outside can lick any of us," Margaret Mitchell. not even a marathon! i own this race, it is mine. i have prepared and i am prepared. race, come getcha some!

Worried

ran my 3 miles tonight. got home late, decided to watch a movie, and then run. it was 10:15pm by the time i decided to run and 32 degrees. the cold was good because i needed to try out the new running tights and long sleeved compression shirt that i just bought. they worked well. it was a little cool starting out but after that it felt pretty good. the only thing i need now are some running gloves. i do not like wearing gloves, ever, but i think i could run in them. my hands get real cold. however, i am afraid i will take them off and not have a pocket to put them in during a run, so i haven't bought any yet, besides, most of them are $20-30, just for a pair of gloves.

what i am worried about is this. for the last year and a half my main running shoes have been my asics. however, after my 18 mile run, the shoes were looking a little beat so i decided i would buy another pair to run the marathon in. i couldn't find any that i really liked so i never bought any. i just thought i would start running in my saucony shoes. they had hurt my feet on longer runs but i thought i could get them worn in by the marathon. however, they have been hurting my feet on the longer runs, still. so 2 of my last 3 short runs i have gone back to the asics and afterwards my shins have been killing me. i guess i will run the marathon in the sauconys, i think i can bear a little pain after 12-13 miles on the outside of my feet rather than shooting pain in my shins after 3 miles.

here are my splits for tonight:

0.5= 4:54 156
1.0= 9:44 4:49 170
1.5= 14:26 4:42 169
2.0= 19:43 5:17 173
2.5= 24:47 5:03 174
3.0= 29:47 4:59 169

3 more runs before the marathon, a 6, 4, and a 3.

thought of the day: marathon 8 days away. this time next week i will be in memphis trying to get some sleep before the marathon. i can't believe it is this close. hope my legs are strong enough. i need a twelfth man on my side (and maybe that many people to run a relay with me to finish the race).

Maybe I Need More Rest

i skipped running yesterday because my legs felt a little tired and my book says rest is the most important part of the tapering phase. i thought running 8 miles while my legs were feeling tired after 2 days of running hills would not be very good rest. so i skipped the 8 miler yesterday and ran 3 today. i ran on a course with some pretty good hills and my legs still felt tired. i need to run 5 tomorrow. maybe the rain will hold off and let me. i ran this 3 miles pretty relaxed, not pushing, but my legs still felt tired.

here are the splits:

0.5= 5:15 149
1.0= 10:01 4:45 165
1.5= 15:01 4:59 170
2.0= 19:50 4:49 169
2.5= 22:01 5:10 172
3.0= 29:57 4:56 174

it was an out and back and my gps seemed a little off at mile 1 then i finished about 100 yards from where i started, so i think my time was actually a little faster, doesn't really matter.

my brother got back into running this past weekend. glad to see it. i thought my goal of catching him was just gonna be gone. now i still have that to work for (although it may take lots of work). after the marathon i plan on doing a good bit of speed work to get a little faster.

thought of the day: sometimes when i am getting close to a goal i wonder if i have worked hard enough. my goal is to finish, so hopefully i have worked hard enough to do that, i guess if all else fails, i can walk. i have now logged over 417 miles this summer. before i run the marathon it will be right at 440. my goal was to run 500 miles this summer. if i can keep running after the marathon i should be able to reach that.

Good 4

i did the 4 miles on my plan tonight to try and get back on schedule. for the first mile and a half i felt as good and as strong running as i ever have. once again i did the hilly route, so by the end i was coming back down to earth. i bought a few new energy snacks to try until the marathon so i can hopefully find something that works that i can get down my throat that will not cramp my stomach. i ate a few of the sports beans before i left just to try the taste and they were pretty good. as i started running, i tried to eat a few gu chomps. they were ok but were a little tough to get down as i was running. neither of them seemed to hurt my stomach as i was running. i also ordered some running tights and a long sleeved compression running shirt today. i am excited about trying them. figured i had to get clothes to help me run in the cold if i plan on running through the winter. if my brother would just donate his treadmill to me i wouldn't have to worry about running in the cold:).

here are the splits for tonight's run:

0.5= 4:52 154
1.0= 9:42 4:49 165
1.5= 14:16 4:34 166
2.0= 19:09 4:52 166
2.5= 23:58 4:49 168
3.0= 28:58 4:59 174
3.5= 33:55 4:56 175
4.0= 38:37 4:42 173

overall, this was a very good run. i felt good, breathing was good, and i feel good now.

thought of the day:"I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?" William Stafford. this is not directed to a certain brother, but i did think about him and laugh when i read it. it is really about all the things i have accomplished in life and the things i didn't that i wished i did. now that the marathon is getting closer and more people are asking me about it, i keep hearing, "i don't know how you do it, i never could." so far it really hasn't been that hard (i still haven't finished a marathon yet). i guess it may be easier for me than some because in life i like to have a plan to follow, a map to guide me. when i do, i know that all i have to do is follow the directions, and sometimes they may take some effort or i may have to overcome obstacles or stop for directions, but i will get there. but if you work up to the runs, anyone can do it. for real, i am 25 pounds overweight, old, work long hours, i just make it a priority (most of the time) because i have a short term goal (marathon) and a long term goal (health). and i know if i put it off when i am older, it will be even harder.

5 Days In A Row?

well, i thought having this week off i would surely be able to get in my runs. however, i realized something. i like hunting more than running. i actually run to be in better shape for hunting. i hunted monday morning and during the first part of my run on monday afternoon, i kept thinking i wanted to be hunting. that probably didn't help with the run that day. the rest of the days i hunted all day, expecting to get my runs in at night. i did run wednesday night, but the other nights i didn't get it done. now i have to run for 5 days in a row to get back on schedule. i started off good tonight by getting a 6 mile run in. the book that has the schedule i am using says to take these tapering weeks easy. it actually says, "no one has ever tapered too hard." so if i don't get all the runs in i don't think it will be that big of a deal, but i am going to try my best to do all of them.

i turned my gps on but forgot to sync the gps to my watch. i am sure that i did 6 miles, but i don't have my splits. i ran this 6 miles very easy, not really pushing at all. i did happen to run this 6 miles 3 minutes faster than my other fastest 6 miles of the year. i am feeling very good while running lately.

thought of the day: "Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there" Josh Billings. i am trying my best to stick to this running the plan as best as i can. after i got back from colorado i have done 21 of 29 scheduled runs. i know that probably isn't great for something like running a marathon, but sometimes things get in the way. the marathon is 2 weeks away from today. it is hard to believe that it is that close. i get butterflies in my stomach now just thinking about it. my feelings are mixed. from nervousness to excitement. i am really excited because this has been an 17 month goal and it will be here quick. i am pretty confident, but i know things can happen. one man who was a favorite to win one of the recent marathons dropped out around mile 12. i just wonder how he couldn't even finish when he was supposed to win. slow, steady, relentless forward progress is my plan.

Pushing Too Hard

i ran after i got home from hunting. it was about the same temp as my run on monday but it was after dark. i wore a running jacket and felt pretty good. i felt good and pushed a little too hard at the beginning. i knew it was too hard because there are some big hills on the end of this route that always kill me. about mile 1.5 i decided to slow it down a little so i could finish. as suspected, the hills at the end got me. i feel really good after the run so far. not going to post splits since i need to get some rest tonight.

the thought of the day is: "if life was simpler, it wouldn't be so difficult." -sykes

UH OH

i haven't ran a whole lot since the clarksville 1/2 marathon. i was only scheduled for 3 runs this week, a 3, 7, and 20. i couldn't get the 3 miler in, i was out of town monday, on call tuesday. did the 7 miler on wednesday since i was on call thursday and friday. i had been fighting a sinus infection all week and on antibiotics with a little upset stomach. i was supposed to do 20 miles on saturday. i was so tired after work i had to get a nap in and knew by the time i got up it would be to late to run, so i was going to push the run to sunday. however, i had to take my nephew on a deer hunt (i was hoping he would kill a deer saturday and wouldn't need to go sunday). so we hunted all day (other than going to church). so the run got moved to monday. i went hunting monday until 9:30am. came home and took a nap and got up and got ready to run. it was pretty cool, about 43 degrees. i thought i dressed warm enough. however, the entire run my arms were freezing and my body was cold when the wind blew very hard. i wore my running pants, so my legs were fine. i don't really like wearing those pants. i also wore my saucony shoes for this run, i have not worn them for anything more than 13.1 miles before and they really hurt my feet on that run. i wanted to wear them for the marathon, they seem to have extra cushion, but once again, they hurt my feet on this run. my asics have lots of miles on them, so i was thinking of retiring them. i guess i will have to wear them once more, for the marathon.

i was going to try a gel for this run that i had only used once before. during that run my stomach really hurt me. i thought it was because of the mileage, now i think it might have been the gel.

with all of that background, i will tell you how the run went. i couldn't make it. i felt good. my feet hurt just a little at the begining, but that went away. my gps quit working for about a tenth of a mile at mile 4.5. then, at mile 5.5 i took one of the new gels. then everything went downhill from there. my stomach started cramping bad so i tried to drink some gatorade and that helped a little. i was doing ok, then around mile 8, on some pretty good hills, my right upper leg started cramping a little, nothing i couldn't get past. at mile 10 i took another gel, one that i have used almost exclusively for my runs. i couldn't finish it. i thought i was going to vomit. i had to put the packet in an empty water bottle because i didn't want to throw it on the ground and didn't want to put it in my pocket and have it leak everywhere. the longer i ran the worse my stomach got. at mile 14 i couldn't take it any more, i had to stop. i was going to try to run/walk the rest of the way. but i knew that it would be dark pretty soon and i could not make it to the house even close to the time i was supposed to be home. so i called emily to come pick me up. i kept walking and made it nearly to mile 15 before emily picked me up.

once again, i felt horrible after the run. i felt almost as bad as when i ran my 2nd 16 mile run. i felt "off" the rest of the night and part of today. i am back to normal now. the outside of my feet really hurt. my legs are a little sore, not too bad.

so, this run was a little discouraging, especially being as close to the marathon as it is. however, i think i had a lot of things against me. i didn't carb load as well on friday or saturday as i should have either. i think if i complete the rest of my runs i will do fine during the marathon, sure would have been good to complete this run though. i just have to make getting those runs in a high priority.

thought of the day: "Pain is a part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbeatable, and we need to be taught that" Harold Kushner. pain is definitely something i have felt over the last 6 weeks, but, at least most of it, goes away after a little time.

A Good 7

finally i got back to running. i had to get this run in. i was pretty tired all day. i worked late last night and then had to go in on an emergency call at midnight and finally got home at 1:30am. i just got in my head that i was running tonight and headed out around 7:30pm. i ran a very hilly route and actually finished with a pace 33 seconds per mile faster than the last time i ran 6 miles on this route. my overall pace was 9:38. i was very happy with that pace since the route was so hilly. i knew my starting pace was a little fast and was pretty sure i wouldn't be able to keep it up because there are 2 very big hills that i knew would slow me down. and the last big hill comes right after another medium hill. overall a great run, and i feel really good, despite my sinus infection, that seems to be going away. i think i did run my fastest half mile split in a very long time at 3:55. however, that was going down a pretty long steep hill. here are my splits:

.5= 4:44 153
1.0= 9:19 4:34 167
1.5= 13:15 3:55 169
2.0= 17:46 4:31 171
2.5= 22:53 5:07 177
3.0= 27:21 4:27 171
3.5= 32:10 4:49 179
4.0= 37:06 4:56 178
4.5= 41:48 4:42 177
5.0= 46:48 4:59 173
5.5= 51:41 4:52 176
6.0= 57:09 5:28 178
6.5= 62:27 5:17 177
7.0= 67:23 4:56 175

pretty good run, i have to keep it up.

thought of the day:"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same" Carlos Castaneda. after reading this i wondered which one i was. sometimes after a long run i feel pretty miserable. i think sometimes we make ourselves miserable to make ourselves stronger. at least that is what i am telling myself.

Will I Ever Run Again?

i have only ran once since the clarksville 1/2 marathon. that is not good. i have a marathon coming up soon. luckily, the week after the 1/2 was an extra week i built into the schedule. however, i did not get my run in yesterday either. i thought i was getting back sunday evening, but i actually got back last night. i was planning on running, nothing was going to stop me. then i got in from the airport at 7:45, would have ran, but i have developed a pretty good sinus infection during the weekend. then i planned on running at lunch today. i still was not feeling good and ate lunch and took a short nap in a chair. now i am on call tonight (worked until 7:30) and really don't feel like doing anything. if i feel good tomorrow i will make up the run and push tomorrow's run to thursday. the bad thing is i am call thursday and friday night too. i am a little worried that i haven't gotten enough miles in for the marathon. maybe after my long run this coming weekend i will feel better (or worse) about the marathon.

thought of the day: even though, when you have a sinus infection you can't smell much, a sinus infection still stinks.

Back on Track

my legs are still a little sore from the race saturday. however, when i started running today the soreness went away. i am not sure what i was thinking, but i started out way too fast. even though the soreness was gone, i could tell my legs were tired because after the first mile, my legs could not keep up the pace. my gps also gave out right at mile 1. i guess the battery died. i am glad it died today and not on a long run. i am not exactly sure how far i ran, but it was very close to 5 miles if not 5. i guess that is one good thing about running the same route most of the time. if i did indeed run 5 miles, it was my fastest of the year by 4 minutes. the first mile was 9:16, which blows my next fastest pace out of the water. it was very sunny while i was running, but still pretty cool.

thought of the day: one of the men i know that was running in the half marathon sent me a text today. he and i ran together during the start of the race, then he went ahead, i caught up to him around mile 6 and we ran together until around mile 10. in his text he told me he had been fighting a kidney stone all week and it really hit him at mile 9. i finished 9 minutes faster than him, he finished with a kidney stone, my run doesn't seem so good now.

Clarksville 1/2

i didn't get to run all week. doing my long run on a monday really threw me off schedule, not to mention work once again. i was not too worried, my legs and body really needed the rest after the long run. i am pretty sure, when i do my 20 mile run that i will have to start tapering the plan, whether i want to or not, if i survive.

i did the clarksville 1/2 marathon in my fastest pace for that mileage. i finished in 2:10.53. that is a pace of 10min/mile. my gps did not match up with the mileage markers on the race, it was about a quarter of a mile off. at what my gps said was 13 miles, it showed that i was running a 9:45min/mile pace. so, because i train with my gps, that is really quite a bit faster than my fastest pace for that mileage (about 9 minutes faster for 13 miles) in training. the gps and race mileage markers were pretty consistently the same distance apart. overall, i am very happy about my time, even though i was 25th out of 30 in my age group and about 280th overall. maybe next year i can win. my older brother who is nearly a decade older than i am, beat me by a decade (in runner's time).

i will be out of town this coming friday through next monday so i will not be able to get my long run in this coming weekend. not to worry, i had an extra week planned into my schedule. i plan on doing a little extra mileage during the week. and getting back to the schedule next week.

thought of the day: patience is a virtue some say. i often think of myself as being a patient person. but, is it possible to be patient while at the same time being impatient. it is. i can very often be extremely patient with something i am fine being patient with, while in that very instant being impatient with another issue. i think being impatient can be a sign of selfishness. it is very humbling when i see my impatience. (i hope all those patients were spelled correctly)

Longest Ever

i did it. i ran 18 miles yesterday, non-stop. there were several things i think allowed me to do this. one, was that i had carb loaded better in the previous week than i had for all my other long runs. two, it was cloudy and cool. three, i started out at a pace that i thought would not wear me out towards the end. my pace varied a little here and there but up until mile 16.5 i was just under 11min miles, the pace i wanted to start and finish at. my first mile or two was a little under that pace. then i was right at the pace. at mile 5 my phone fell out of my pocket and it slowed me down a little to pick it up, put the headphones back in, put it back in the pocket, realize it wasn't working, then get it working, and get back on pace. the 1/2 mile from mile 5 to 5.5 was 40 seconds slower than previous and next 1/2 mile. at mile 16 i was feeling great and my pace had actually picked up a little. by mile 17 i was starting to feel the mileage. i finished in 199:05.

after the run, i drank 2 bottles of grape juice, 1.5 cups of orange juice, took a shower and forced myself to eat a little. i ate 4-5 bites of spaghetti and then fell asleep. i woke up, drank a little more and finished my spaghetti. i still didn't feel quite normal until this afternoon. i feel pretty good now.

so, i did it, and i finally feel like i survived, the longest run of my life.

thought of the day: why is it hard to explain to people that if a=b and b=c that a=c? or that if you want to get to a point and you know where you are now, if your route does not go to the point you want to reach, you can't get there. it's elementary my dear.

Last 4 of the Week

i did not get to run friday night. i worked pretty late and was pretty tired after work. i knew i wouldn't have time to run my long run of the week on saturday or sunday so i figured i could make up the 4 miles from friday before the halloween party on saturday. and that is what i did. my right knee was aching a little so i started out at a slow pace. at 1/2 mile to a mile my knee was not hurting and i felt pretty good. then at mile 2 i thought if i really pushed i could have my fastest 4 miles of the summer. my previous fastest 4 miles was on a very hilly course and this course was pretty flat, other than the one big hill just before the end, but i was going to have to make up some time. at miles 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 i knew i could still do it, but i would have to really push. i hit mile 3.5 and had to climb the big hill. it was all i could do to reach the top, and then it was a downhill sprint for 200 yards. i finished right at 20 seconds faster than my previous fastest time. here are the splits:

.5= 4:44 151
1.0= 9:33 4:49 168
1.5= 14:08 4:34 170
2.0= 18:50 4:42 173
2.5= 23:29 4:38 171
3.0= 28:00 4:31 173
3.5= 32:28 4:27 176
4.0= 36:52 4:24 180

kind of funny that my fastest 1/2 mile was the 1/2 mile with the big uphill, where it felt like i was going so slow up the hill. i think the downhill to finish must have made up for it. my heart rate on this run got a little higher than it usually does. and i could tell the breathing wasn't nearly as easy either. but i really felt good after i finished.

i have 18 miles planned for today. ate a little while ago. going to let that settle and let the thunderstorm chances pass before i head out here in an hour or 2. i will have a 1/2 marathon race less than 5 days after completing this 18 miles, i hope (first i hope i can complete the 18 miles) that my legs will be able to recover inn time from the 18 miles, along with the short runs this week. this is a "rest" week in my training which was supposed to be last week, but i had to switch it because the 1/2 marathon is coming up on saturday. i am supposed to do three 3 mile runs this week and 13 for the long run. i may cut out one of the 3 milers, or i might do 6 miles one day instead of 3 miles, to get my total miles in for the week. with the way work is going i really hope i can get any of them in.

thought of the day: "It is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life" Queen Christina. this is what i will be doing later today. 18 miles will be my longest run ever. i don't know if i've ever even ridden a bike that far. it is getting closer and i am growing more confident and excited.

A Couple of 4s

i didn't run monday since i ran the long run on sunday and it was pretty tough. i was going to try and run tuesday during my lunch break. unfortunately i worked through lunch and then i was on call and worked until about 10pm. yesterday i was going to run during lunch but couldn't get motivated, so i ran last night at 9pm. it was pretty cool and i was coughing all day today from breathing in the cold air. today i couldn't get motivated to run at lunch either, so i ran tonight at 9:30. i need to run another 4 tomorrow to get my short runs in for the week. i will not be able to run my long run during the weekend due to prior engagements, i guess i will have to run it on monday. i could run it on sunday, if i wanted to run to tn ridge from clarksville, but there are some very long, steep hills, so i may push it to monday. doesn't look like i will get to hunt this weekend or on monday.

my 4 miles on wednesday was my fastest of the year so far. i was surprised since i was running the hilliest route that i run. so, tonight i took it pretty easy. i pushed it for 1/2 of a mile, but thought that was enough since i pushed pretty hard last night. i have been feeling pretty good, shins have not hurt for a week or so.

my time for last night was 37:12 (9:18min/mile pace, still 20 seconds/min slower than jeff's easy pace for the same mileage, just saying). tonight i finished in 38:54 (a 9:44min/mile pace).

thought of the day: i was talking to one of my partners about some stuff at work tonight and when we were getting off the phone i made the joke that i had to go take my blood pressure medicine. what he didn't realize was that i was talking about running. since running, my resting heart rate has really slowed down. it does relax me, even though this week it has cost me a little sleep. maybe that is one thing i will be able to catch up on this weekend, if nothing else.

Lucky 16 miles

yes, lucky, lucky to have finished and lucky to be alive afterwards. when i started it was warm (between 75 and 80 degrees) and very sunny. i thought the sun may take its toll. along with the fact that i started out faster than i planned. i wanted to keep my pace around 11 minute miles. however, i started out at 10 minute miles. doesn't sound like a big deal, but after 16 miles, it is a big deal. at mile 2 i could feel my body getting too hot, not much i could do about it, except run until it got cool. i did, and then i got cold. no happy medium. i ran 4.5 miles away from the house, then came back, switched out my water bottles, and then headed out to finish the last 7 miles. it took me about 2 minutes to switch water bottles and drink what was left in one of the bottles i was leaving behind then get back on the road. i was not feeling very good at mile 11, but i pushed on. at mile 14 i decided i would take a very short walk break, i got a drink and tried to take my last gu gel. i had to spit 1/2 of it out because i was afraid i was going to vomit it back up. then i started running again. at mile 15.5 i took another short walk break because my side was hurting. i finally finished at my house and got to feeling a little sick when i was stretching. then i got a chill and hopped in the shower to warm up. i had to put on some flannel pants and a long sleeved shirt and get under the covers. i then slept until this morning got up and went to work for a little and didn't feel real good until after i took a short nap after i got back home.

my time for this 16 miles was 17 minutes faster than my last 16 miles. i was happy about that, however, i did not feel near as bad after my last 16 miles. my final times was 3:07.02. my legs are a little sore now, no more than expected.

thought of the day: running long distances is pretty hard for me. i am a short, pudgy, slow little turtle. last night i had to suck back into my shell for a little while. maybe i can make it back out tomorrow for a short little run.

An Easy 3 Miles, Maybe If I Ever Get To It

tried to run yesterday, worked through lunch then until 8:30pm. tried to run today, worked through lunch and i am still at work at 9:10pm, waiting on a sick dog to get to the clinic. i have known i would not be able to run my long run on saturday, i should definitely be able to get this 3 miles in tomorrow and run 16 on sunday. so i am not really off schedule that much.

i think you know the thought of the day: work stinks. i went to school to get a good job so i could fulfill my goals in life. now it seems like work is trying to stand in the way of the marathon. however, when i finish the marathon this extra little hurtle will make it more incredible that i have accomplished that goal. besides, if it were easy, everyone would do it, then it wouldn't even be a goal (the goal would probably then be an ultra-marathon).

6 Hilly Miles

i had to run tonight. i was on a farm call right until noon, so couldn't run at lunch, then i worked until 6 and didn't get home until after dark. i decided to eat and let that settle since i was going to be running in the dark no matter what. i finally got started around 8:30pm. i was running on a very hilly road with 3 long, steep hills, hills that i felt like my legs were barely moving when i got to the top. once i got my breath i felt like i was starting up another hill. i figured my time wasn't going to be very good, but i knew i would be much stronger once i finished and healed. i did wear a small cheap flashlight so cars could see me. i repeat cheap. it quit working less than 1/2 a mile into the run. i think all of the bouncing was too much. after it quit working, it would flash off and on with the bouncing of my steps. at first i wasn't sure if it was lightening or the light. i turned the light off and realized it had been the light. then i ran another mile and actually saw lightening in the background. anyway, i finished 3 minutes faster than my fastest 6 miles so far this year, a welcome surprise.

here are my splits:

.5= 4:57 151
1.0= 9:42 4:45 162
1.5= 14:06 4:24 164
2.0= 18:52 4:45 168
2.5= 24:03 5:10 169
3.0= 28:59 4:56 163
3.5= 34:27 5:28 167
4.0= 39:52 5:24 163
4.5= 44:59 5:07 162
5.0= 50:31 5:32 168
5.5= 55:56 5:24 166
6.0= 61:07 5:10 164

the hills really made my splits vary quite a bit. my legs feel really good right now. i did have a little shin and calf pain during the run. i started trying to run "correctly" by landing more on the balls of my feet instead of my heels. that really works my calves more, have to slowly get used to it. after the first really big hill i had to start running my regular way by hitting on my heels. i think i can really improve my times if i can learn to run that way.

thought of the day: on my run i was thinking of the quote from Braveheart "every man dies, but not every man truly lives." i was wondering why that is. why doesn't everyone live passionately for something? maybe not everything i live passionately for is really worthy of living passionately for, maybe i should be more productive with my passion and redirect it to "worthy" causes. i could go on forever on this, and i think i have in the past so i won't tonight, just crossed my mind on the run. just think about it, again.

22 Miles in 3 Days

not being able to run on friday threw me off schedule. so i had to run 3 days in a row to get back on. i was a little worried since my shins were hurting a little last week and i did my long run yesterday. my shins did hurt a little, once again i ran on the greenway, so i think the hills had a lot to do with that. i tried to avoid the huge hill by running a different way. however, the other way, that is labeled at 3/4 of a mile is unfinished and is more like .35 of a mile. so i had to do all the hills. tomorrow is a weight training day, so my legs will get a little break before 6 miles on wednesday. i am not sure if i will get to run on saturday, we have open house/client appreciation at the clinic and then a halloween party at the house. i guess that will be another long run on sunday. i have 16 miles scheduled for the long run this week. i really can't wait for the clarksville 1/2 marathon, that will be a rest week with only 23.1 miles for the week. last week was 27 miles, this week is 29, the following week is 30, then the week of the race, thank goodness. i am not sure my gps was exactly correct, the first mile, which was the easiest, was the second slowest. anyway, i know i did at least 4 miles.

here are my splits for this run:

.5= 5:34 144
1.0= 10:05 4:31 161
1.5= 14:47 4:42 160
2.0= 19:51 5:03 162
2.5= 25:23 5:32 163
3.0= 30:37 5:14 161
3.5= 36:16 5:39 161
4.0= 41:34 5:17 164

the hills really got me today, the main hills were between miles 3 and 3.5. there was a spot somewhere that i had to stop behind 2 walkers for someone coming the other way to pass. plan on doing more speedwork so i can get a little faster, hopefully i wont have to cram all my runs together. have lost a little weight, hopefully i will lose more and get even faster! maybe i will be in shape for the next olympics!

i already blogged once today, so no second thought of the day today.

14 Miles

I did my 2nd 14 mile run of the year. this one was 20 minutes faster than the other one, 2.5 months ago. for the 1st 5 miles my shins hurt and were pretty weak. finally, they quit hurting. the first 9 miles it was light outside and then it got dark. i thought i was going to get hit by a car around mile 10.5. like i said, it was dark, i was running on the shoulder of the road, just off the shoulder was a steep drop off. a car came around the curve pretty fast, i could hear a car coming from the other direction. i think the car on my side of the road saw me and hit the brakes, when he did his truck started pulling to the right, towards me. i tried to get as far over as i could, in the dark, and i think it looked like i was walking a tight rope, and nearly fell off the shoulder. and about that time the car coming from the other way passed us. pretty exciting for a moment. otherwise, the run went pretty well. i decided to run this one a little slower than the last few since my shins had been hurting. i didn't get any blisters and my legs felt good after the run. my pace was 11:08 min per mile. i was trying for 11 min miles, so i was pretty close. my last 7 miles were 1.5 minutes slower than the first 7, pretty happy about that too.

thought of the day: there are workaholics and there are people who just work a bunch, not because they love it or are obsessed with it, just because they have to, their job just requires it. i think i am the latter.

Greenway Again

i worked today and had to go back to the clinic tonight to check on a few patients. I decided, since it was warm and sunny, that i would go to the clarksville greenway and run again. it was a little different in the daylight. i could see the mileage markers, something i did not know existed the other night when i was running in the dark. another thing i noticed was that the 4 hills on the trail are 15% grades or more, they didn't seem as steep today though, but steep enough. one of them i have to really slow down to go down. i do like running there, the trail is in the shade and goes through some rock walls, it seemed 10 degrees cooler than the parking lot, and did i mention the shade. this is becoming my favorite place to do my short runs. unfortunately it is only 2.6 miles and to do longer runs i would have to repeat those hills several times the way they are positioned in the trail.

my shins hurt just a little, not near as much as my other runs this week, i think the downhills hurt them more than anything. here are my splits:

.5= 4:57 147
1.0= 9:39 4:42 163
1.5= 14:39 4:59 167
2.0= 19:30 4:51 165
2.5= 24:16 4:45 164
3.0= 29:16 4:59 164
3.5= 34:23 5:07 163
4.0= 39:30 5:07 169

the last 2 half mile splits were a little slow due to the steepest hills. and my gps did work today. i finished about 7 tenths of a mile from the parking lot and walked the rest of the way to cool down a little and stretched a little in the parking lot.

thought of the day: it was a sad day for my brother, #1 alabama got beat by south carolina. it is always tough when your team gets beat. so condolences to him.

One Tough 5.2

I was on call last night, i had to go in to work at 4am this morning and just stayed at work after that. during lunch i was too tired to run and one of my clients brought me some jambalaya. i skipped the run at lunch and HAD to get it in after work. i worked until 6:15pm and i was going to try a new place to run. i went to the clarksville greenway. i'd been wanting to try it for a while and one of my co-workers suggested it the other day. it is about 15 minutes from the clinic, on the way home. i headed there, knowing it would be dark when i finished. i had asked my co-worker if there were big hills on this trail and she said no. however, i heard there was at least one big hill. that was an understatement by far. there were two big hills and two huge hills. the huge hills were very hard to even go down. they were so steep you couldn't see the bottom of the hill until you were 1/3 of the way down it. the trail was nice. several other runners and walkers. however, there were so many trees my gps wouldn't work for part of the run. the sign said it was 2.6 miles one way. i knew my gps was messing up because i knew i started at a pretty good pace and it took me over 5 minutes to run the first 1/2 mile. then it took me 3 minutes to run the next 1/2 mile. something was way off. when i finished, what should have been around 5.2 miles my gps hit 5.0 miles. anyway, my shins were really killing me for most of the run, then i tried running more upright and concentrating on rolling my foot from heel to toe and then (after the huge hill) i slowed down a bit and my shin stopped hurting. after i got home my shins and legs felt great. i also think that my shin problems may be caused by the boots i wear at work. they are comfortable but do not have any ankle or leg support. i am trying a different pair of boots from now on that lace-up. i am also gonna try the $50 insoles i bought. i am starting the weight lifting part of my workout again, it is supposed to be a key part of the training.

i don't have accurate splits since my gps didn't work.

thought of the day: before going out on a new running path, check it out in the daytime, it may hurt you if you don't(even though i was glad to get some good hills in) or leave you in the dark (with lots of trees covering the path, it was pitch black after sunset). but i think the new path will be good when it is sunny due to all the shade. i also saw several deer within just a few yards of me. oh, and if you are going out on a public path after dark, have a light so you don't run into people and they don't run into you. i tend to huff and puff so i usually stay pretty safe.

Can I Continue

I got back on schedule saturday with 13 miles, and also got my run in on monday (my wedding anniversary). i started out pretty good and then slowed down a little. at mile 2.5 my left shin started hurting really bad and i basically limped the rest of the way home as fast as i could. i have not had any pain all summer, until i start trying to speed up my times. and now i am really hurting. my shin hurt all day yesterday, however, it has not bothered me today. wonder how it will feel when i run tomorrow. this was my second fastest 4 miles all summer. here are my splits:

.5= 4:30 160
1.0= 8:57 4:27 173
1.5= 13:36 4:38 178
2.0= 18:32 4:56 174
2.5= 23:25 4:53 169
3.0= 28:18 4:52 169
3.5= 33:14 4:56 169
4.0= 38:14 4:59 170

a pace of 9:33min/mile.

this was the first time my heart rate has gotten up to 178 during a run. i felt pretty good other than the shin. was again it was a very sunny day with no clouds. it was pretty cool. i thought i was doing pretty good but my brother is still shredding my times.

thought of the day: "Eat Better=Lose Weight=Run Faster=Run Like Jeff"-Shane Sykes

13 Again

yesterday was the second time this year i have ran 13 miles. the last time was in july. this 13 miles was 17 minutes faster than the last. that is quite an improvement. last week i ran my fastest 11 miles of the year. at the 11 mile mark yesterday i was 2 minutes ahead of my time last week. it was much cooler yesterday, but the sun was shining bright. of course, i waited until 10:30am to run, which meant i was running until nearly 1:00pm, not quite the hottest part of the day, but close. towards the end of the run i was really feeling the heat. after the run, i felt bad all day, like i was sunburned. last night when i got home i figured out why. my forehead and cheeks were sunburned and i could see the outline of the sleeves on my arm. i wear sunglasses and a headband, i was sunburned above the headband (i wear the just above my sunglasses) and below the sunglasses, pretty funny looking. i have a problem with my feet when i run. it's almost like my feet want to grab the road. i have to keep reminding myself to let my feet relax. when i don't, my second toe rubs a blister on the inside of my big toe. when i got in the shower i realized i had forgotten to put my glide on. ouch. at work that is what we call galded. it is caused from being over weight and your skin rubbing together in certain areas that aren't used to rubbing together for that long at one time.

anyway, here are my splits:

.5= 4:59 146
1.0= 9:55 4:56 161
1.5= 14:58 5:03 163
2.0= 20:13 5:14 164
2.5= 25:30 5:17 162
3.0= 30:45 5:14 165
3.5= 35:44 4:59 166
4.0= 40:55 5:10 167
4.5= 46:09 5:14 167
5.0= 51:27 5:17 166
5.5= 56:23 4:56 166
6.0= 61:27 5:03 169
6.5= 66:34 5:07 170
7.0= 71:44 5:10 167
7.5= 76:48 5:03 167
8.0= 81:55 5:07 168
8.5= 87:20 5:24 168
9.0= 92:48 5:28 166
9.5= 98:27 5:39 168
10.0= 103:52 5:24 166
10.5= 109:28 5:35 165
11.0= 114:46 5:17 167
11.5= 120:07 5:21 168
12.0= 125:42 5:35 167
12.5= 131:18 5:35 166
13.0= 136:39 5:21 170

my last half of the run was about 5.5 minutes slower than the first half. last week my last 5.5 miles was 4 minutes faster than the first 5.5 miles. i blame this week all on the sun :).

thought of the day: "Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing" George Sheehan. i guess this is why i feel so happy after running. after a long run i feel really happy, no matter how miserable i feel.

well, i have gotten 4 miles in this week. i should have gotten 13 in by now. i was planning on running 6 miles at lunch today and then had to work right through lunch and then worked until 8 tonight. so no running again today. there are a few rest weeks in my schedule that i think i can use as catch up weeks, however, i don't know what i'm gonna do if i can't get any runs in. i am off tomorrow, so i am gonna get back on my schedule and run 13. hopefully i can get back on schedule and stick to it. i have one weekend i am going to be out of town, so i really have to get serious now.

thought of the day: i might have a really hard time finishing the marathon if i don't quit working so much.

Run for Lunch, For Once

i finally made myself run over lunch, it was hard, because i am always hungry at lunchtime. today i decided i would rather run at lunch and not have to run after work. once i started my calves were pretty sore. the last 2 runs this summer have been the first two times all summer that my calves have been sore, also they have been the first 2 runs that i have really increased my paces. last summer, when i was running a lot faster, my calves were sore nearly every run.

i ran on the road behind the clinic, man it has changed. they are doing a lot of construction work and another company moved in to one of the buildings so the traffic was really bad. i was dodging trucks and cars, dump trucks, and backhoes. there is also a lot of gravel, some pretty big pieces too, along the side of the road. one time, while i was avoiding a dump truck, i stepped on a piece of gravel and nearly twisted my ankle. almost fell over in front of the dump truck. there were also some pretty good hills on this run, which didn't help my time. and even though it was cooler, there were no clouds or shade and the sun was beating down on me pretty bad. so here are my splits:

.5= 3:59 142
1.0= 8:20 4:20 163
1.5= 12:58 4:38 169
2.0= 17:40 4:42 167
2.5= 22:26 4:45 169
3.0= 27:33 5:07 169
3.5= 32:26 4:52 167
4.0= 37:29 5:03 171

i was pretty happy with my times due to the calf soreness, hills, and sun.

i need to run tomorrow, saturday, and sunday to get my mileage in for the week. my blisters started hurting at work after the run, hope i can figure something out for them by tomorrow's run.

thought of the day: "Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric" Bertrand Russell. i feel like many times my ideas seem eccentric to people. at work i am known as the one who does everything differently. i just like to do things the most best way. i like to tweak ideas and procedures with little twists, combining things that i see other people doing. some people don't understand, maybe one day i'll do things the way everybody else does (as soon as i teach them all my ways :))

5k, 11 miles, 10 point buck

a lot has happened since friday. i ran a 5k in erin saturday morning. i was nervous about the race, since i had been talking to a little smack to cousin Todd. looks like i was the one who got smacked. he beat me pretty good in the 5k. however, i did run my fastest 5k to date at 27:50. i knew i started out a little too fast and couldn't keep my pace up, but i still finished in pretty good time. i did not push at the end, or i could have finished a little faster, but i knew i was going to run 11 miles yesterday so i didn't want to kill myself. here are my splits for the 5k:

.5= 3:47 (way too fast)
1.0= 8:04 4:17 (still too fast)
1.5= 12:35 4:31
2.0= 17:25 4:49
2.5= 22:10 4:45
3.0= 26:52 4:42
3.1= 27:50 0:58

i was pretty happy with my time. i was hoping i could average a pace of 8:30, a little behind that but still my fastest of this year and maybe of my life.

yesterday, i ran 11 miles and my calves and shins were paying for my starting pace at the 5k. they hurt off and on all during the run. about mile 3 i could also feel blisters forming on both insteps. they hurt until about mile 9, then i think i just forgot about them. otherwise, i felt really good during the run, until mile 9.5. at that point i hit the wall. i was still able to finish the run, but it was tough, then i felt pretty bad for about 2 hours after the run. i think i might have pushed this run a little too much, but i really didn't feel like i was pushing it until the end. i could sure tell it was cooler yesterday than it had been. i usually drink about 10oz for every 4 miles. however, on this 11 mile run i only drank 15oz total. the decrease in sugar intake might have been why i hit the wall. as soon as i got home i drank about 30oz of gatorade, and another 30oz of grape juice. when i felt a little better, i took a shower, i know i should have taken a cool shower, but it felt much better the hotter it was. at the end i did turn it to cold just to cool down a bit. maybe the cooler temps were the reason for my increased pace too, i'd like to think it was due to my training, but i think it had to be more than that. this 11 mile run was faster than all 3 ten mile runs i have ran this summer. here are the slits:

.5= 4:59
1.0= 10:06 5:07
1.5= 15:20 5:14
2.0= 20:38 5:17
2.5= 26:02 5:24
3.0= 31:20 5:17
3.5= 36:27 5:07
4.0= 41:34 5:07
4.5= 46:48 5:14
5.0= 52:06 5:17
5.5= 57:17 5:10
6.0= 62:10 4:52
6.5= 67:24 5:14
7.0= 72:45 5:21
7.5= 78:06 5:21
8.0= 83:45 5:39
8.5= 89:14 5:28
9.0= 94:32 5:17
9.5= 99:57 5:24
10.0= 105:29 5:32
10.5= 111:15 5:46
11.0= 116:46 5:31

i think that gives me a pace of 10:37. pretty good, when you look at my other paces for my long runs this year. today my calves are a little sore and my feet are blistered, other than that i really feel good.

i got up this morning and went deer hunting. bow season opened 2 days ago, and i hadn't been hunting yet. it was pretty slow until 7:30am, then i heard some deer behind me. i turned and saw 4 different bucks. the last one up the hill started fighting with all the others. when he was about to walk into my shooting lane, an 8 point walked within 5 yards and looked right up at me in the tree. luckily the 10 point fought with another buck until the 8 point decided i wasn't any harm and walked off. then the 10 point stepped into my shooting lane and i shot him at about 20 yards. he fell within sight.

i had a great weekend. hope everyone else had the same.

thought of the day: sometimes preparation will get you where you want to go, sometimes, preparation means just being in the right place, just make sure the place is the right place.

work, heat, ugh.

work and heat are really making it hard to run lately. i still can't run on my lunch break because it is so hot. i was going to run last night after work at the clinic. however, i didn't get through at work until after dark and was on call and just thought better of it. so i was going to get that run in after work today. i didn't get home until 7:15pm tonight. i thought to myself, if i don't run in the dark i will never be ready for this marathon and i can't just keep pushing my runs back. so i went and parked on a road (had 4 miles scheduled) that has a good shoulder, not much traffic, decent lighting (especially with a full moon and no clouds), and was about 2 miles long. the one good or bad thing about this road is that it is very hilly. for some reason, running in the dark makes it hard to gauge my pace and i started off much faster than normal. then i just kept that pace and i was doing pretty good...until...on the way back the hills got me. from miles 2.5 to 3.5 there are 2 steep hills and one long gradual hill. the first hill was pretty tough, the second, much tougher. i kept telling myself instead of thinking this is a steep hill, think of it as a short hill. and on the gradual hill i thought of it as unsteep. that made it easier, but still pretty tough. my hamstrings really got a good workout. the bad thing was i was a little thirsty when i started and i did not have my hydration belt. i also forgot to take a drink for after the run. luckily it was only about 3 miles from the house.

here are my splits:

.5= 4:44 155
1.0= 9:33 4:49 167
1.5= 14:08 4:34 169
2.0= 18:57 4:49 171
2.5= 23:42 4:45 174
3.0= 28:57 5:14 180 (hills=slower times and increased heart rate)
3.5= 34:18 5:21 177
4.0= 39:03 4:45 177

my pace was about 9:45 and i think without those big hills i could have been a good bit faster. i know they will help me in the long run. this is really the hardest i have pushed myself on a run all year. i feel good now, hope i don't have any injuries that show themselves tomorrow.

thought of the day: this is more of a question. i know if i had been pushing myself this hard all summer i would be much faster now, but would i been in more pain and not able to finish as many of my runs as i have. i guess there is a line between just finishing the runs and not getting much faster or pushing yourself to get faster and risking injuries. after doing some reading this summer i have kept to just finishing the runs at a slow, even pace. however, i like to run fast too. i think i may be getting to old for that, until i see my brother's times.

A Hot Failure

i have been trying to get my long run for last week in for 3 days now. i thought that if i did not do it this morning, i would not want to do it in the afternoon heat. i got up with intentions of running and then decided to wait until the afternoon. then i decided i really better run this morning, after seeing that the afternoon temps were going to be in the 90s. i just don't run well in the heat, especially when it is very sunny.

i headed out and was actually at a pretty good pace for me. then i hit the stretch of road that has very little shade and i was still feeling pretty good at about 3.5 miles. then i hit the stretch of road with no shade and i faded fast. at 5 miles i really felt like i was overheating, no matter how slow i was going. at 5 miles i stopped to walk the rest of the way home, and return some calls that i had on my phone. just about that time a woman came running from the other direction. she must have turned around a little after she passed me, and came back and passed me again. about that time i was getting off the phone and thought if she can do it i can too. so i ran for about another 1/2 mile, then i stopped and walked the rest of the way home, about a mile. during the run, my heart rate was about 6 bpms faster than what it normally is for the paces i was running.

i hate the sunny heat, can't wait for it to cool off a little. i basically ran for 5 miles. when i headed out, it was 80 degrees, when i got back it was 85. i would have swore it was 95. here are my splits for those:

.5= 4:54 152
1.0= 9:58 5:03 171
1.5= 15:05 5:07 175
2.0= 20:47 5:42 177
2.5= 26:34 5:46 174
3.0= 32:31 5:57 174
3.5= 38:13 5:42 174
4.0= 44:32 6:18 174
4.5= 50:50 6:18 172
5.0= 56:51 6:00 167

i am not worried that i didn't get my mileage in, my legs felt great the entire time, even after the run. i just felt drained for the entire run. maybe if i would run more in the sun i would do better, i just dislike it so much. 2 hours after the run after 2 gatorades in crushed ice and some ice cream and lunch i still feel drained and hot.

thought of the day: i'm hot.

Work, Work, Go Away

I was supposed to run 4 miles last night. however, i was on call. I decided to run 4 today and 11 tomorrow. however, i worked until 4pm and i was tired from not getting much sleep last night. i thought i would come home and get some rest (was supposed to go to erin to watch a play, but thought i would be miserable if i didn't get some rest) and run tonight after dark. now it is nearly 8:30pm and i got up not long ago from my nap and grabbed a bite to eat. i think i will hold off tonight and get a long run in tomorrow. i hate when i miss runs, especially because of work, especially because of silly decisions my coworkers make.

thought of the day: blah blah blah, that is what i feel like anything i want to write is really saying.

Slow 5 Miler

i started out a little later than i wanted, but i had to run. i started out right at 7pm, but i knew the road i was going to be on after dark would not have much traffic. it was warm but not hot or humid. when i started out, my legs and back felt so tight. it took me nearly 4 miles to feel like i was warmed up and loose. i was also keeping the pace a little slower because i was wanting to do some hills towards the end of the run. i was really wanting to do more hills, but these are the biggest i know of around here. i ran them, turned around and finished on the last hill. they were pretty tough. i never hurt any where, but i just felt tight most of the run. my time was pretty slow at 55.21, right at 11:04 min/mile. i thought it was slow, but i didn't think i was going that slow. my pace was pretty close on every mile. here are my splits:

.5= 5.22 153
1.0= 10.54 5.32 167
1.5= 16.26 5.32 166
2.0= 22.01 5.35 166
2.5= 27.41 5.39 168
3.0= 33.20 5.39 166
3.5= 38.52 532 169
4.0= 44.27 5.35 169
4.5= 49.49 5.21 168
5.0= 55.21 5.32 172

my left hip started hurting this afternoon. i am not sure why, but i hope it goes away. supposed to do weight training tonight, but i don't really feel like it, maybe i will do a little before bed.

the thought of the day: "Love everyone, trust a few, do harm to no one." -Shakespeare i like the quote but when writing it i realized something else. how would it feel if everyone knew you just by your last name (eg Shakespeare). how about that guy who was a great runner, yeah you know...Sykes. (if anyone ever uses that quote in time, it will probably be for my brother, not me).

Back, once again

this is the first time i have ran since 8/22. my running has been hit and miss since 7/25. i really have to get back on track since i have already signed up for the st judes marathon in december. i did 4 miles today and was trying to add a little speed work since i have a 5k race in less than 2 weeks. i ran training pace for 1 mile, then alternated between race pace/training pace for the rest of the 4 miles. my time was 41:05, a 10:15 pace, not bad, not my fastest, but i think i will be able to speed up a little since i have been running a good bit all summer and i am restarting at about week 5, and i had previously gotten to week 11.

here are my splits:

.5= 5.01 147
1.0= 10.05 5.03 166
1.5= 14.25 4.20 178
2.0= 20.19 5.53 171
2.5= 24.46 4.27 177
3.0= 30.26 5.39 171
3.5= 35.22 4.56 175
4.0= 41.05 5.42 174

here is my new philosophy as the thought of the day. i came up with this as motivation to eat better; eat better= lose weight= run faster.

Heading to Colorado

Tomorrow morning i head to colorado for an elk hunting trip. can't wait, wish i was there now, even though the season doesn't open until saturday. everyone be sure to follow me on my spot website, which is on my facebook page.

Snakes and Turtles

with work and trying to shoot my bow as much as possible i have not been running nearly as much lately. i have a goal of 400 miles for this year. i think i have ran about 215 so far. this week is gonna be an easy one since i leave for colorado on friday and want my legs to be as fresh as possible on the trip. luckily i have been able to shoot my bow quite a bit recently and have pretty good confidence again.

i ran 10 miles yesterday. it was a little hot (85) and very sunny when i headed out, as i have mentioned before, the sun shining bright always makes me so tired. i headed out at 6:45 pm. about mile 5.5 the sun started going down, and i got a huge second wind. i felt so much better running after the sun went down, i felt like i had only ran a mile or two, instead of 6. the second half of the 10 miles was only 4 minutes slower than the first half, usually i slow down much more than that. i actually had to slow myself down on the last 2 miles. i was feeling so good, but knew the end would be painful if i kept up the current pace. after mile 2 my 1/2 miles ranged from 5:53 to 6:18. one 1/2 mile was 6:18, 4 were at 6:00, 3 at 6:04, 3 at 6:07, 3 at 6:11, and 2 at 5:53 (these were mile 2.5 and mile 10). my overall pace was 11:52, and i had a pretty steady pace for the entire run. my average heart rate was 166, my max heart rate was 169, pretty stable too. came 1/2 a step from stepping on another snake, just as it was getting dark, then the traffic started up on the road with no shoulder and high weeds. i hate snakes.

i have to throw out props to jeff who is killing mile after mile.

on another note, since i haven't been running as much my strength training and yoga hasn't been getting done either. after my hunting trip i have to get back to running pretty hard to get back on track for the st jude's marathon.

thought of the day: "the turtle only makes progress when he sticks his head out." (author escapes me right now) otherwise he is just sitting in his shell, in his comfort zone, not really in danger, but not gaining anything either. have you ever seen a turtle on the road, when the first car passes, the turtle just shuts up in his shell and basically waits for a car to hit him. his only hope is for the next drivers to spot him in time and swerve to miss him. he is leaving his entire existence up to the responsibility of the drivers. i don't see many turtles on the roads where i run, based on the drivers, i would say the turtles were wiped out years ago.

No running this week

no running yet this week. i have really been concentrating on getting my bow ready (i leave in 10 days) and i have made very good progress so far. i plan to get back on track tomorrow. i need to keep running to stay in shape for the elk too and so i can continue my schedule when i get back. i really need jeff to push me to get restarted when i get back. i think todd will be pushing me too.

Uh Oh

well, i am way off track, funny how it seems like i have had more energy at night now that i haven't ran in nearly a week. we are going on a trip tomorrow, hopefully i will have some time to run (although it may be on a treadmill). i have been shooting my bow a little more lately, like i said before, that is a priority over running for now and i have been pretty busy lately. i have not been shooting my bow nearly as much as i want. funny how i was running anywhere from 40 min to just over an hour 3 nights a week and then 2.5-3.5 hours on the weekend and last week i ran 2 nights and none this week and still haven't been able to shoot my bow even 30 minutes every other day. i have just over 2 weeks before i leave for colorado, have to shoot shoot shoot. i will keep you posted.

luckily i have been eating better lately (most likely because emily is on a healthy kick again) so my weight is pretty stable. hopefully on monday i will be able to shoot and run and get back on track. last year i was running about the same and shooting my bow at least every other day. weird how things change.

thought of the day: if you are expending a large amount of energy and then quit expending that much energy, you suddenly have more energy to expend, and i am expent.

Free Four

today i ran a "semi-free" four miles. i didn't wear a gps, heart rate monitor, or my running watch. i did wear my regular watch, so i did time my run, and i did run on a trail that i had marked, it is pretty close. so i ran 4 miles, maybe a little more. it took me 42:13, a 10:33 pace. one day, when i am finished with the training schedule, i am going to really free run. run with no gadgets and no predetermined length or time. it felt much cooler this afternoon but just as humid, once again i couldn't breathe for a mile or so at the start of the run, and my legs were a little sore. i wore some new shoes. i sent my sauconys back, they hurt my right foot, and they sent me a new pair, i think with some new insoles they will be good, they do seem to weigh a little more though.

i leave for colorado in 3 weeks, from here on out i will have to concentrate on shooting my bow instead of running. i am still gonna be running, have to so i will be able to run the marathon in dec, but i haven't been shooting my bow at all this summer, so i have to work on that more for now.

thought of the day: you can run until your legs fall off, but that doesn't seem like it would help you reach your goal.

Felt Like a Breeze

I did 4 miles last night, this week is another "resting" week. i did this 4 miles faster than any other 4 miles this year. about 1 minute faster. not that i was really trying, but my parents were coming over so i was trying to get back before they got here. once again my gps quit working for a while, this time i think the battery died, it never came back on. i did have to guess at the mileage, but i am sure i ran at least 4 miles. my time was 38:36, which is a pace of 9:39. i felt pretty good for the entire run, except the raw spot on my second toe was really hurting.

thought of the day (new to me but maybe you've heard it before): worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but you don't get anywhere. not sure who said it, but i kind of liked it.

on call tonight, didn't get home until 9:30pm, skipping yoga.

Why?

today i did the scheduled 16 miles. i didn't do it yesterday because i did not get up in time (wanted to try to get it done before it got hot) and i decided it was going to be too hot in the afternoon to run, besides, we were having emily's mom over for supper. so i decided to get up this morning and run before church. my plan was to start at 6am. by the time i got everything ready and out the door it was 6:20. i thought i still had time to make the run and get to church by 9:45, wrong. i finished the run at 9:44, and even if i had gone straight to church, was really in no shape to be there. so i stretched a little, layed down for a little and then took a shower and got ready.

here are my splits, didn't use heart rate monitor, it is starting to dig into my sides a little.

.5= 5.29
1.0= 11.11 5.42
1.5= 17.01 5.49
2.0= 22.58 5.57
2.5= 29.02 6.04
3.0= 35.07 6.04
3.5= 41.04 5.57
4.0= 47.11 6.07
4.5= 53.15 6.04
5.0= 59.34 6.18
5.5= 65.38 6.04
6.0= 71.56 6.18
6.5= 78.01 6.04
7.0= 84.05 6.04
7.5= 90.05 6.00
8.0= 96.09 6.04
8.5= 102.28 6.18
9.0= 108.43 6.14
9.5= 115.55 7.11
10.0= 122.10 6.14
10.5= 128.39 6.29
11.0= 135.33 6.54
11.5= 142.09 6.36
12.0= 148.53 6.43
12.5= 154.50 5.57
13.0= 161.54 7.04
13.5= 168.38 6.43
14.0= 175.50 7.11
14.5= 182.40 6.50
15.0= 190.24 7.44
15.5= 197.29 7.04
16.0= 204.09 6.39

during the run i drank 4 pounds of gatorade and took 4 of the gu gels. when i got back home i drank another pound and a half of tea. after that i weighed myself and was still 4 pounds lighter than just before the run. at mile 5 and 1/2 i got chased by a boxer. at mile 9, i was back home to switch out my water bottles (i bought 4 extra with 2 extra belt hooks so i can carry 6 bottles at a time or switch out all 4). then i was back on the road. i did walk for 1 minute at mile 12 and 1/2, 1 and 1/2 minutes at mile 13 and 1/2 and 30 seconds at mile 14 and 1/2. one other notable event is that i had placed a piece of tape on my right big toe because last week my second toe had rubbed a pretty big blister on that toe. however, the tape did not help. i didn't cover the entire big toe and ended up getting a blister on the big toe anyway, and the tape rubbed my second toe raw. it started hurting me right around mile 1 and didn't stop until i was finished. also, just after mile 15.5 i was heading up the last and biggest hill and right as i got to the top my right side started hurting really bad, making it really hard to breathe. i finished the run but that made it very tough.

thought of the day: this thought came to me as i was on the home stretch and my side and toe were aching extremely bad. i thought to myself, "why do i want to hurt this bad just to be able to say i have run this far?" the only reason i can come up with is because i am pretty dumb. i know it is not because i enjoy pain, i do not enjoy pain. can't really come up with anything else right now. after thinking about it for a minute, i guess the answer has to be elk. i want to be in great shape when i go to the mountains hunting in less than a month.

A Good Week of Rest?

i wrote last week that i was worried about Jeff because he had not blogged in a few days. however, this week i was the one who wasn't running/blogging. i am not really sure what happened. i did my long run last week on sunday. so i got off schedule and needed rest on monday. then i was on call tuesday and it was really hot. when i got home wednesday, it was thundering and lightening, so i decided not to run, it never did storm. thursday, i knew i had a run on friday and sat and thought i better not run. so, finally, i ran today.

this was my fastest 4 miles this year at 39:30. a pace of 9:52. i was pretty impressed with myself, not that i ran so fast, but that i was able to keep a reasonable pace for the first 1/2 of the run and then finish the second half a little faster. probably comes from my legs being good and rested. here are my splits:

.5= 4:56 145
1.0= 10:03 5:07 160
1.5= 15:03 4:59 161
2.0= 20:02 4:59 166
2.5= 25:06 5:03 163
3.0= 29:55 4:48 165
3.5= 34:44 4:49 168
4.0= 39:30 4:45 172

my second 2 miles was 34 seconds faster than the first.

thought of the day:"We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies." Etty Hillesum i have had so many little things bothering me lately. i have had many new responsibilities added at work, new situations to address, still trying do my regular job, and trying to keep up with increased business. all of this has kept me at work much later than usual, while still not being able to get the work finished. all this work has just put extra strain on me and has not allowed me to enjoy anything. i am constantly in thought about one thing or another work related. i usually go through this once or twice a year, so i just have to remind myself, to do the best job i can, prioritize, trust my employees and delegate, and everything will be fine, maybe not perfect, but fine.

Longest and Toughest So Far

i didn't run on saturday since the heat index was so high. it was supposed to be a little cooler on sunday. when i headed out it was 87 degrees and the heat index was 96. it was a little too hot, but i had to get my run in. by mile 8.5 i had drank 32oz of gatorade. i had emily bring me a refill so i refilled all of my bottles and took off again. over the next 5 miles i drank another 32 oz. i had to stop and walk at miles 10 and 11. the early heat had really done me in. however, i pushed, hard. my pace was 12:40. when i got home i felt so bad. i stretched a little, drank another 30oz of gatorade and went to bed and fell asleep for 2 hours. then i got up and ate a little.

it is too late and i am too tired to post my splits, maybe i will tomorrow. i haven't written them all down yet, but it will be interesting to look at them and see the journey that way. i did try a new road, it was hilly. big hills. might be good to do on shorter runs but not when i am already so tired (i was on that road from miles 8.5-12.5, wow what a surprise) and have much more to run.

hope everyone had a great weekend. i think my brother is lost, he hasn't blogged in a while.

Another Short Note

another quick note tonight. have not been getting much rest this week, so for the second run in a row i am going to make it a quick one. i ran tonight, once again i think my gps lost signal for a minute. so i just ran to what had marked off last year for 4 miles. my time was around 41:30, about a 10:23 min/mile. since my gps messed up a little i will not post splits.

have a great night.

It's Late

it is late and i am tired so this is gonna be quick. i did my 5 mile run last night in 51:24. my second fastest 5 miles this year. not that i was trying to be fast but emily was meeting me to pick me up at 9pm and i was running late. however, she got stuck in traffic and it didn't matter. did about 50 minutes of yoga tonight. feel good. need rest. good night.

Black Clouds and Windy

i waited around to run this afternoon to let it cool off once again. by the time i got ready to run and head out, there was a dark cloud in the sky and the wind was really blowing, like it was about to rain. i decided to risk running in a thunderstorm and just head out. i was pushing it a little, especially with running 8 miles yesterday, but was really worried it was about to storm. no snakes tonight and i had the correct insoles in both shoes. my calves hurt a little at the end of the run, but feel much better now that i have stretched them out well. it sprinkled just a little but never rained during the run. here are the 1/2 mile splits:

.5= 4.44 151
1.0= 9.47 5.03 165
1.5= 15.01 5.14 167
2.0= 20.19 5.17 168
2.5= 25.37 5.17 164
3.0= 30.44 5.07 166
3.5= 35.48 5.14 167
4.0= 41.05 5.07 171

thought of the day: "...and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth." Proverbs 19.2 this is the reason i try to take it slow. :)

8 Good Miles, 7.5 Anyway

i have been on call this weekend, i had someone who was going to cover for me yesterday so i could run, but my neck/shoulder/back was hurting too bad to move, much less run. so i got some rest and alternated heat and cold packs on the spot that was hurting. it felt much better today and it continues to get better as the day goes on. this afternoon i did not have anyone to cover my call but i thought i would try to run and carry my phone in case i had a call. the only call i got was right at 1/2 a mile and i talked to the lady until i was just a little past the 1 mile point. considering i walked that half a mile or a little more, i think my time was pretty good. my pace was 11:14 min per mile. these are my 1/2 mile splits for the run:

.5= 4.19 152
1.0= 11.27 7.08 146
1.5= 17.21 5.53 150
2.0= 22.46 5.24 165
2.5= 28.14 5.28 166
3.0= 33.53 5.39 166
3.5= 39.22 5.28 165
4.0= 45.04 5.42 165
4.5= 50.54 5.49 165
5.0= 56.33 5.39 164
5.5= 62.09 5.35 164
6.0= 67.34 5.24 162
6.5= 73.10 5.35 160
7.0= 78.45 5.35 162
7.5= 84.17 5.32 160
8.0= 89.56 5.39 165

i came 2-3 feet from stepping on another snake tonight. i think this one was a copperhead, i think all 3 that i have nearly stepped on have been copperheads. but it is usually dark and i am usually past them before i realize what they are, but they have all appeared to have some pattern on their backs.

thought of the day: i was just watching a movie i bought at hollywood video that is going out of business. it is navy seal iv. they talk about how it is ok for 1 or 2 people to die so that hundreds or millions could be saved. that made me think of Jesus. He allowed people to kill him and go through a horrible death so that millions could be saved eternally. how much more important is that? another quote from the movie was "freedom comes with a price, and the price is payed in blood." that too reminded me of the freedom we gain through Christ and His blood.

Just Glad to Finish

last night i did the weight training scheduled. like before, very elementary stuff using mainly body weight. however, i did use some actual weights for a few things and a weight vest for a few more things, just to up the output a little.

i got up early this morning to do my friday run because i knew i would be on call tonight and probably wouldn't get to run. it was less than 12 hours after my work-out, which does include a pretty good leg work-out. i could sure tell it too. my calves and thighs were pretty tired and i was just glad to make it 3 miles. i really had to push to keep even a slow pace. i know it hurts a little more now, but i know it will make it that much easier when the races do come up. here are my splits for this run:

.5= 4.57 144
1.0= 10.01 5.03 161
1.5= 15.11 5.10 164
2.0= 20.43 5.32 164
2.5= 26.01 5.17 161
3.0= 31.40 5.39 164

once again i think my gps may have lost signal for a bit. this morning, everything was going well until mile 2 when i had to run further than i normally do, and to finish i had to run pretty far past my starting point, which does not typically happen. who knows, don't guess it really matters.

this afternoon, at work, i was sitting and talking and somehow turned my head the wrong way and now i can barely turn my neck at all. i am really in pain to move at all.

the thought of the day: when your neck and shoulder hurt, typing on a lap top is not extremely comfortable. however, boats are very safe,and comfortable in a harbor, but if a boat stayed in the harbor, no one would get to experience the joy it could possibly bring. this is extrapolated from a quote i read the other day. i think the author's quote was a little different and the point was a little different too. however, i use part of her quote to make my point, safety is not truly living.

Didn't Want to Regret this Run

had to get up an hour and a half earlier today, not to mention i got in bed about 30 minutes to an hour late last night. i was pretty tired all day and my feet really hurt towards the end of the day. i came home and thought i would get a quick nap before my scheduled 5 miles. i woke up about 7:40 and thought about just eating a little and getting in bed and running in the morning. however, i kept telling myself the quote i read a while back, "you only regret the runs you don't do." so i made myself get my clothes on and get ready. once i got going i was happy i did, relieved. relieved that i wasn't pushed to get up and do the run in the morning. the run went well. i started thinking that my feet are very tense when i run so i started trying to relax them and my legs. it really makes a difference running completely relaxed, hard to get used to, but feels better. here are my splits:

.5= 5:09 146
1.0= 10:27 5:17 160
1.5= 15:41 5:14 162
2.0= 21:02 5:21 164
2.5= 26:16 5:14 166
3.0= 31:31 5:14 169
3.5= 36:45 5:14 167
4.0= 42:17 5:32 167
4.5= 47:38 5:21 168
5.0= 52:38 4:59 169

i think on mile 4 my gps may have lost signal for a little. it is usually one of the faster segments, but on this run it was the slowest of all. my watch beeped once and i thought it was because i made it to the next split and then a minute or so later it beeped again and i looked at it and it was recording the .5 mile split. the last 1/2 mile is where i was letting my legs, feet, and arms relax and just striding. still wearing my sunglasses at 8:50pm, to keep the bugs out of my eyes, i was hammering out the strides and i saw something in the road, looked like someone, about 30 yards in front of me. i couldn't see it since i still had my sunglasses on, so i moved over to the other side of the road and took my sunglasses off and it was 2 people walking a dog, i almost ran into them.

thought of the day: on my run i was thinking about different things and one thought crossed my mind. i was thinking of how God had seemingly changed His mind in the Old Testament. I am not sure if that is the right term for it, but He would tell one of His followers His plan and they would plead with Him to "change His mind." i just wondered to myself why we don't plead/pray like that now. i think if we truly cared for the lost, the world would be different.

Cool and Humid

i ran pretty late this afternoon again. started around 7:45pm. it seemed cooler than most of the other runs, it was actually, around 84 degrees. but it still felt pretty humid. again, it took me a little to get my breathing right. i didn't push it today, but i did run at a pace that was slightly uncomfortable. my legs were a little tired for the first 1/2 mile then they felt better. otherwise everything felt good. this was my fastest pace for 4 miles in a while, even though i wasn't trying for it. my pace was 9:58 min/mile. here are my splits:

.5= 4:51 148
1.0= 9:40 4:49 163
1.5= 14:43 5:03 165
2.0= 19:54 5:10 168
2.5= 24:57 5:03 167
3.0= 30:01 5:03 168
3.5= 34:57 4:56 169
4.0= 39:54 4:56 174

thought of the day: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle. to me, this extends to what we think. i believe, our thoughts become our lives. if you think positive thoughts, you act positively, but much easier, is for your actions to become negative by constantly thinking negative thoughts. so, try hard to think positive, good, wholesome thoughts, ridding your mind of all those negative thoughts and become a much better person. you can do it!

Last 2 Runs

well, i did run friday, 3 miles. i ran during mid-day since emily had something for us to do friday evening, that is why i did not get to blog about it. it wasn't extremely hot, it was actually trying to sprinkle, so it was very humid. there was a little wind too, which made it a little better. my shins hurt a little but not too bad. here are my splits for that run:

.5= 4.46 146
1.0= 9.56 5.10 160
1.5= 15.18 5.21 161
2.0= 20.50 5.32 162
2.5= 26.18 5.28 161
3.0= 31.57 5.39 165

that was a 10:35 pace, i say, due to the humidity :)

i also got my long run in for the week, finally. not sure what i was thinking, but i misjudged how long it was going to take and i headed out a little late. i headed out at 7pm, for a 13 mile run. i was going to try a new road, i thought it might have a better shoulder, fewer bugs, and about the same traffic. 1 out of 3 is not so good, especially in the dark. it was a pretty nice road. the shoulder is better in spots but there are several spots with high weeds and curves. it is a longer route and works better for the longer runs. the amount of bugs was much less, i still got one or two in the eye. there was much more traffic, which is a little worrisome in the dark.

i started out really making myself go slow, not as slow as i wanted, but it seemed about as slow as i could go at the time without walking. it really felt kind of empowering to know i could go faster but i was saving some for reserve. i felt really good for the entire run. i wore my fluid belt and drank all of the gatorade by mile 12. i also took 3 gels with me, 1 with no caffeine, one with 1 caffeine dose and one with a double caffeine dose- this one i thought i would take at 2 hours and 15 minutes, when my energy was depleting, to give me a boost for the last 15-25 minutes. however, at 9:15pm i decided that if i took the gel with twice the caffeine i would not be able to sleep all night. and i didn't have any other gels with me, i had taken all the others. i think the last 1.5 miles would have been a little better if i had taken a gel. i was hoping to keep a 12:30 min/mile pace. i finished a little faster than that, i guess that's ok. so here are my splits:

.5= 5.08 148
1.0= 10.18 5.10 160
1.5= 15.47 5.28 160
2.0= 21.19 5.32 163
2.5= 26.51 5.32 162
3.0= 32.23 5.32 163
3.5= 38.02 5.39 159
4.0= 43.52 5.49 160
4.5= 49.49 5.57 159
5.0= 55.50 6.00 158
5.5= 61.50 6.00 154
6.0= 67.51 6.00 157
6.5= 73.58 6.07 159
7.0= 69.52 5.53 157
7.5= 85.49 5.57 158
8.0= 91.57 6.07 159
8.5= 98.01 6.04 158
9.0= 104.08 6.07 156
9.5= 110.13 6.04 157
10.0= 116.06 5.53 157
10.5= 122.17 6.11 158
11.0= 128.29 6.11 157
11.5= 134.40 6.11 158
12.0= 141.02 6.21 158
12.5= 147.31 6.29 157
13.0= 153.49 6.18 156

by the way, this was the 2nd run in the last 3 runs that i have come within a foot or two of stepping on a snake.

my first 6.5 miles took 73:58 minutes and the last 6.5 miles took just under 80 minutes. i was hoping to do the last half in the same time i did the first half. i knew i had started a little too fast to really do that. my overall pace was 11:50 min/mile.

this is the furthest i have ever ran in my life, so i was really just glad to finish the 13 miles. i can really feel today that my body is taking some time to recover, i don't feel bad, just not quite right. my legs and feet all feel pretty good.

thought of the day: "If you treat an individual as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be"– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. for some reason i like this quote.

2 Down, 2 To Go

well, i have done 2 runs this week and have 2 more to go. i did 6 miles tonight, felt pretty good. had a little soreness in my shins and calves at first which eventually went away. then i had a pretty good pain in my right foot for a little while, that went away too. i ran late so it was a little cooler, the bugs were back out too, from miles 5.5 to 6.0 they were killing me, in swarms. i had to switch to running with my head down part of the time and trying to breathe through my nose so i didn't get them in my mouth. at one point i did get one in my mouth and it went to the back of my throat and gagged me. that took a little out of my run for a little, to get my breathing back right. here are my 1/2 mile splits and heart rates:

0.5= 5.04 149
1.0= 10.18 5.14 162
1.5= 15.39 5.21 164
2.0= 21.15 5.35 164
2.5= 26.54 5.39 163
3.0= 32.33 5.39 165
3.5= 38.16 5.42 163
4.0= 43.51 5.35 166
4.5= 49.38 5.46 164
5.0= 55.20 5.42 165
5.5= 61.03 5.42 166
6.0= 66.10 5.07 169

the last half mile, once i go through the bugs, i was feeling good and decided to pick up the pace, kind of race like situation. it was my second fastest 1/2 mile of the run and felt pretty good. i finished wit a 11:02 min/mile pace, i was thinking an 11 min/mile pace would be perfect, so i finished pretty good.

i have been trying my new fluid belt the last 2 runs and i like it pretty good. i do think it is helping me stay hydrated just to have something to drink. the bottles do slide to the front of my waist. after a while i don't really notice it, just at the beginning. it doesn't keep the fluid as cold as the backpack but i think for the long runs it is going to be much more comfortable.

thought of the day: if you brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with, just think how much better the world would be. just a thought that came to mind. be positive and smile :)

Back from Vacation, Hopefully, Back on Track

i haven't gotten to do my long runs the last 2 weeks. 2 weeks ago i was off track and didn't get the long run in. this past week we were on vacation and driving all weekend and sight-seeing so i didn't get my long run in this past saturday. i think we did walk about 10 miles in d.c., or it felt like it. we were driving until late last night and didn't get to a hotel until late and they did not have a treadmill, so i could not get my run in. i did do my strength training last night that was scheduled for tonight so i could do my run tonight. so, that is what i did, 4 miles tonight. my legs felt a little sore, i think from all the lunges that i do in the strength training. that was expected though. here are my .5 mile spits and heart rates:

.5= 4.44 157
1.0= 9.40 4.56 173
1.5= 14.54 5.14 172
2.0= 20.26 5.32 173
2.5= 26.05 5.39 167
3.0= 31.41 5.35 168
3.5= 37.34 5.53 167
4.0= 43.14 5.39 172

thought of the day: i feel good on my new schedule, even though i am a little sore i feel better that i am working my entire body and stretching more. i know when i complete this schedule i will be in better overall condition, and most importantly, in better shape to climb those mountains! everyone work hard and get your runs in!

Quick, Easy Run

I did the scheduled 3 miles tonight. i was not comfortable. i had taken 2 immodiums yesterday and 1 this morning for some g.i. problems. we ate an early supper tonight, around 6, and then came back to the hotel. i felt extremely bloated. i think maybe the immodium is keeping things from moving through at all instead of just slowing stuff down. i guess that is better when you are at the beach instead of what was going on. so i took my first nap of the week to let the food settle and get a little needed rest before the run. it didn't really help, i woke up bloated and had that "woke up to early now i'm irritated" feel you get sometimes after a nap. so i fiddled around the room a little and got ready. i wanted to run outside, but when i got up it was dark so i went and ran on the treadmill, the hill workout again. i started a little faster than normal on the treadmill and finished the first 1.1 miles in 11 minutes then slowed down until .6 miles to go and sped up again. my right foot hurt a little and my shins hurt a little afterwards but i feel pretty good now. my overall time was 31:31, a 10:30 pace, about average for me. i think i will get a little faster when i get back on the real road, not that speed is a huge goal right not.

thought of the day: "We run for our head, we run for our health, and we run for our vanity. We run to push our limits and to challenge who we are. We become both mentally and physically stronger with each mile and with each new goal attained." Tom Holland

tired, late

it is really late and i went to bed late last night, got up early this morning and have been running around tired all day (other than being a little wired right now 7-8 hours after drinking a full throttle).

i did the strength and core work-out again today. a little better than the other night, i also stretched afterwards. hope i am not as sore tomorrow as i have been the last 2 days.

good night.

New Shoes

i woke up this morning a tad sore from the work-out yesterday. it didn't seem that hard but all the lunges got to my legs. i think it is good that i am finally doing something in the work-out other than running, i'll just have to be sore for a little while. so i stretched this morning before we left the room and this afternoon before i went to run and after the run. i did buy some new shoes today. they are last years version and were on sale, saucony pro-grid omni 8s. so i tried them out on the treadmill this afternoon to make sure they were going to fit right. they do seem wider than my under armour shoes. however, for the last little bit i felt like i was running on the inside right sole. i think i might be able to wear the right under armour shoe and left saucony and be fine.

anyway, i did 6 miles on the treadmill. i was running a little late so i didn't bother with the heart rate monitor again. i got on a different treadmill today to be more in front of the tv so i could look straight ahead. it was better, but the treadmill wasn't as good. it didn't show the route (when a hill was coming up etc) and it put in more hills at greater inclines for longer periods of time, i quickly went down a few levels, but still did the hill work-out. i really don't like running on a treadmill but it will have to do this week. around mile 4 i was feeling really good, i think finally figuring out how to run on a treadmill and i sped up for a little while. the treadmill would only do a 60 minute work-out so i had to stop and get on another machine (i couldn't get it out of the slow down mode) and finish. i did finish the last 6 and 1.2 minutes at a 6mph pace, a faster pace than any of the first 60 minutes.

when i was done, i came back to the room, stretched, took a shower and we went to eat. sitting for 20 minutes in the car got me a little tight, then we walked a little to the restaurant and sat for another 45 minutes. then i was really tight, walked back to the car and sat for another 20 minutes back to the hotel. i could barely walk back to the room. i feel better now, but i am not sure what is going to happen when i get in bed. could be really sore in the morning. oh well. tomorrow is another weight/core day on the new schedule.

thought of the day: when you are on vacation and plan on running, take your own, soft toilet paper. the mixture of running/sweating and the g.i. issues with all the different, new foods; plus cheap toilet paper makes one dread walking and using the bathroom.