Inspirational

This post from Bon in Washington, really spoke to me. I thought I'd link to it. She's really a good writer and really has some challenging words. Enjoy!!!

Outer Limits

Fun with the son

Last evening, DS and I made a late trip into Memorial Park for a little exercise. The purpose of the trip was twofold. First of all, I wanted to do a short run to calibrate my footpod on my Polar HR monitor. Secondly, it's just awesome to go out with DS while we're trying to help each other get in shape. DS was pumped when I gave him my old Nike Triax chronograph and HR monitor. I don't think he'll use the HRM but he loves the watch.

This was DS's 1st outing. DW and I (and DS) have been very concerned about DS's weight. It's hard to not feel guilty, knowing that we played the single, greatest role in his getting so big. But, instead of letting things stay as they are, I'm trying to do some things to motivate him to change. I actually hired him a personal trainer that is going to meet with him twice a week. She has worked a lot with teens and I have a very good feeling that she's going to do awesome. DS is PUMPED UP about this and can't believe I'd pay the $$ for him to do this. Also, we all are seeing a registerd dietician in a couple of weeks to try and get some help nutrition-wise that will help us to lose weight and get healthy.

So, there's a lot going on. I'm having my BMR tested on Friday, just so I can start counting my calories better. I think the formula I've been using can be very inaccurate for severely overweight people. I think I'm targeting too few calories. I know that sounds kind of counterintuitive but I believe that too few calories is acutally counterproductive to weight loss because it leads to being too hungry. Then I eat too much. Plus I need to keep my metabolism rev'd up and the only way to do that is to have enought coals in the fire (i.e. have enough food in the stomach).

Starting with last night, I'll be adding an additional short run to my weekly program. So, I'll be running 4 days per week. The additional workout, for now, will be very, very easy. Just a mile or mile and a half at a very easy pace. I think this is a conservative approach to increasing my running slowly. I may even just walk on this extra day for a few weeks just to have some time to listen to my body (ankle) and ensure I'm not pushing too hard. We'll see how it goes.

Later.

Weekly miles for the last 8 weeks

Tuesday workout

This morning was beautiful. I did 28 minutes continuous running. I averaged a little over 15:00 min/mile.

Couple of good things to think on. I maintained the 15 or so minutes/mile pace throughout the entire run. I'm usually tanking by the last 1/4 of my workouts but today I felt strong till the end. I think the 2.9 loop on Saturday was very good for me. Additionally, I did a few lunges on Sunday while standing in the kitchen talking to DW. I really had forgotten that I could do them comfortably now that my ankle is doing better. It helped me realized how totally out of shape I am. I did two sets of 10 on each leg and man did I feel it on Monday. Still, by this morning, I was fine and actually feeling a little stronger and I think it was because of the lunges. I'm going to incorporate those into my day 3 or 4 times per week. It's an exercise I can do anywhere.

Today's funny

Head treats Heart to Saturday evening special!

Heart:I think we should run the entire Memorial loop this evening. How about it, Head?

Head:That's not very smart. That's almost twice the distance we've run since the ankle surgery. Don't be silly.

Heart:But I feel strong. It's cool out this evening. C'mon, I'll go slow.

Head:Absolutely not!!!

Heart:How about if we take one minute walk breaks every .25 miles? Then we can go all the way around and not hurt Foot.

Head:I'll make a deal with you. We'll go all the way around. That's 2.9 miles. BUT!!!...We're going to use my special formula. Stay with me on this, Heart. We going to run .25, walk .25, run .5, walk .25, run .75. walk .25, then finish with .65 run. You got that?

Heart:I'm very confused. Wouldn't it be easier just to run all the way around?

Head:Listen, Heart! It's my way or the highway.

Heart:Run on the highway? That sounds cool!

Head:No, silly. I mean it's my way or not at all!

Heart:Oh! Well, it's your way then. Let's go.

After the 2.9 mile loop...

Heart (near death):Thanks so much, Head, for letting me do the loop. You're the best friend a guy could ever have. Let me know if I can do something for you some time. Oh, I'm going away now. I'll be back in about 3 months. You can look after things till I get back, right?

Head (with an attitude):Sure, no problem. If you need 6 months, that's fine. Take all the time off your need.

hope you like this trailer

This is macromedia so I can't really post a hyperlink to the 2 trailers. Land of the Gods: The Legend of the Marathon will take you to the main page. Click Films. Click Land of the Gods (on the left) and watch the trailers in order (#1 then #2)

exercise

1st swim workout (if you want to call it that)

Well, at 9pm, I went down to the pool for some swimming. I did a total of 300 yards. I took it very easy, trying mostly to think about all the little things I was taught earlier this week at my lesson.

I won't go into every lap but basically, I alternated freestyle and breaststroke with a couple 25's of just kicking (with a kick board). I felt pretty good. My main thing is struggling too much. I concentrated much on trying to relax my neck and shoulders and by the last 2 laps, I felt a bit more relaxed. Not as relaxed perhaps as I should be, for sure. But it's progress. I think I just need to spend more time in the pool, trying to find that "smooth groove" that I envy so much in good swimmers.

Off to work. Oh, btw, I love watching Roger Clemems. I don't care if he wins or loses. He's already proven he's a champion. He is just such a competitor. I love wathcing his mind work out there. How he coaches himself. How he just wants to make that infield play. How he rewards his teammates with that fist pump when they make a good play or get him out of a jam. He reminds me so much of the Bird, it's kind of scary. And I don't even like baseball.

Count-down to launch

I'd love to have one of those nifty little dhtml countdown timers to countdown to tonight's 2006 debut of Roger Clemens and the Astros. Right now, we're 8 hours and some minutes from Rocket launch. I'm kind of excited about the game tonight. Last night's game was awesome. I think it's going to be a great run to the end. Burns me up, though when people are talking about shooting for a Wild Card slot. Who's to say we can't win the division. I mean we're only 6 games back. Is St. Louis that untouchable? Kevin Yanik of mlb.com says,

"Clemens won 13 for the Astros in 2005. This season, he'll probably start about 20 times, and another 13 wins might be enough to propel the Astros to that Wild Card once again."

Another 13 wins by Clemens and I predict we're Division champs. How stupid to start talking wild card.

Ran my 25 minutes this am. Estimated run of 1.65 miles and a walk for the remaining .35. Total 2 miles. It was sooooo humid, or something. I was soaked. Felt GREAT!!! I love it so much.

I had to run with my beeper this morning. I was soooo worried that I would get beeped. I actually did get beeped but it was after I was finished running and had only a few minutes left to finish walking my 3 miles. Fortunately, it was a low priority call and could wait until I get to the office. Which begs the question, "Why am I getting beeped for something I can take care of when I get to the office?" Oh well, it's just good to be in demand I guess.

When I got to the Wellness Center, I did a little swimming. I wasn't planing on doing any swimming this morning. I only had my running shorts and no goggles. This is my first official swim workout. Since I don't really know what to do (training-wise), I just did 100 yards. I did a little freestyle but mostly breaststroke. I'll do better next time.

Sarah or Jessica, I need to talk to you about swim workout programs. Every progam that I find on the net is too ambitious for me. They are not suited for first-time swimmers.

Exercise programs

Swimming training progam. Some questions?

I found this beginner swimming program on the net and it sounds pretty good. I have no reference point on the distance since I have never really swam before and am in pretty poor shape. I'd love to read some comments from some folks that have some swimming experience. One thing, do you thing that 700 meters is too long to start out? Maybe I should cut week 1 in half and do 350 meters. Anyway, have a look.

WEEK one (Three Days):
100 yards...rest for 12 breaths...repeat 3 times.
50 yards...rest for 8 breaths...repeat 3 times.
25 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times.
total: 700 yards

WEEK two:
200 yards...rest for 12 breaths
100 yards...rest for 10 breaths...repeat 3 times
50 yards...rest for 6 breaths...repeat 3 times
25 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
total: 900 yards

WEEK three:
400 yards...rest for 12 breaths
100 yards...rest for 8 breaths...repeat 3 times
50 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 5 times
25 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 5 times
total: 1250 yards

WEEK four:
600 yards...rest for 10 breaths
300 yards...rest for 8 breaths
100 yards...rest for 6 breaths...repeat 3 times
50 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
total: 1500 yards

WEEK five:
1000 yards...rest for 8 breaths
100 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
50 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
total: 1600 yards

WEEK six (days 1 and 2):
1200 yards...rest for 6 breaths
100 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
50 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times
(day 3)
1650 yards straight
total: 1650 yards!

What do you think?

retraction

In a previous post, I referred to myself as a lard-a$$. I would like to retract that characterization of myself. That was pitiful. I may be "horizontally challenged" but no one deserves to be called a lard-a$$, not even by themselves. :)

had a tough time this afternoon

Short post about tonight's workout. I had a tough run this afternoon. But I finished. I was really ready to stop after 23 minutes but finished the 25 minutes I had planned to run. It was very hot and very humid.

So total miles: 2
1.6 run (25 mintues), walking the remaining .4 (8:48).

A little depressing conversation in the coffee room

This morning, I walked in on a conversation between two co-workers. One of them is actually on my team and I have seen at Memorial running. They were talking about Houston Fit and other training programs. I think my teammate was asking the other co-worker if she knew about any training programs.

I shouldn't have but I got a little excited and told them that Houston Fit had already started but Katy Fit was starting up in July. I told them that many Houston Fit participants are training for earlier thons like MC and Chicago. I think Katy Fit targets Houston.

Anyway, maybe I'm too sensitive but both co-workers snubbed me. They refused to let me participate in the conversation. Don't get me wrong. They weren't rude. They just acted like I could not possibly know anything about what they are talking about.

Now, my thoughts on this whole exchange...They were justified in snubbing me. I mean, look at me. I think right now, I'm just pretending to be a runner, an athlete. It's stupid to think that a couple of co-workers would turn to the office lard-ass me for information on marathon training.

I think I'm torn between a couple of things. One, I know a lot of runners. I've read about a dozen books on running. I've been around the sport a little and have shared in many experiences of others. And I love to talk about it. I love to help people who are wondering (like me), "Could I possibly run a marathon? How do I go about doing it? Where do I start?" I actually know the answers to some of these questions. But, on the other hand, I've never done it myself. I've not yet accomplished any of the goals that I've set for myself. Is that bad? No. God knows I'm trying. I'm just not there yet. But I WILL BE!!!

So, after this rant, what am I going to do? What am I going to change? Well, I think it's just best to be silent. Until I accomplish a few of the things I want to accomplish, there's no sense talking about them like I've already done them. I don't need to tell anyone how far I ran today. No one needs to know that I recently took up swimming. No one needs to know that I'm eating better. I need to quit pretending that I'm a runner and just work at being a runner. You know, before long it will just show. And then, when people ask, "Are you losing weight?" I can answer. They may ask, "How'd you do that?" I can tell them that I'm running. I changed my diet. Then, I'll be better able to be the encourager that I want to be.

Sarah, what's up with this?

I don't know why but everytime I go to post a comment on Sarah's blog, I get this screen when I click post. What is this? I don't think my post is questionable. I may be questionable but my post is not.

Continue to improve

I was unable to run yesterday as scheduled. Well, "unable" may not be the best choice of words. I slept in due to rain. I'm not as brave (I guess that's the word) as Cassie was as she braved the elements in ankle deep waters at Memorial yesterday. Then this morning, my hopes of a pre-dawn run were again dashed as I woke to thunderstorms pounding on Northwest Houston. Oh well, going back to sleep didn't bother me at all.

The weather cleared as morning came. I had to make a trip to town to pick up my son from an all-nighter church function so thankfully, it was a perfect opportunity to run before I picked him up. It had just stopped raining and the runners were just starting to get to the park. It looked like some had already done a lap or 2 in the rain before I got there.

Well, I need to keep this post from getting too long so on to the report. I did 25 minutes continuous running, a comeback PR for longest continuous run. According to my calculations (sort of estimates since I could only calculate my pace at .25 intervals), I completed 1.68 miles in the 25 minutes. I walked the remaining balance of the 2 mile trek. Avg pace over the entire 2 miles was 16:13, including a 7:25 walk. Avg pace for the 1.68 mile run was 14:53. WHAT!!! That's awesome (for me!!!). Again, I'm not concerned with pace right now other than for purposes of information.

For the week, that's 5.0 miles total, up from 4.5 last week. That's a nice, conservative increase. Of course, all of my miles to date have included walking miles as all but a few workouts have been run/walk intervals. According to the program I'm following, all my runs next week are continuous, 25 minute runs. It's getting serious now. I've really got to listen to my body and take care to continue to avoid injury. This is my #1 goal.

Almost chilly this morning???

This morning was glorious, almost cool. Got to Memorial around 6:00 am. After stretching, I did my planned 10R/3W/10R. I walked another :43 at the end to finish my 1.5 miles.

This morning, for a treat (an expensive treat if you ask me) I had a smoothie at my gym where I go to shower/shave. They have frozen fruit of all kinds. I had a blueberry, raspberry, strawberry with a scoop of protein (25g). When she was making the thing she went over to what looked like an ice cream machine and proceeded to dispense what I would recognize as Dairy Queen ice cream. "OH NO!," I said to myself. But while I was paying, I asked her what that was and she said it was sugar-free soy yogurt. Well, that was good. I didn't have to throw it away. It is sooooo yummy. I'm just finishing it up now.

Well, I'm really looking forward to Saturday. I'm scheduled for a 25 minute continuous run. I believe that 12.5 minutes (the halfway point) will put me slightly past the .75 marker so I'll probably go where this man hasn't gone in a long, long time...to the 1 mile marker. Then I'll finish up the 2 miles with a brisk walk after 25 minutes.

I really find myself getting anxious between runs. I can hardly wait a whole 48 hours to run again. I know though that at this time, the 1 day rest is necessary. Hopefully, by the time Katy Fit starts, I'll be strong enough to add an extra day.

Good day yesterday - nutrition-wise

Well, I was very good yesterday and did not overeat. I had a banana and 2 boiled eggs for breakfast. For lunch, I had roasted chicken from Taco Cabana. Ate the beans. Threw away the flour totillas and rice. It was 1/2 of a chicken. You can argue whether that was too much or not but my goal is to eat more earlier in the day and not be so hungry in the evening. For dinner, all I had was one of my protein bars (300 calories). By around 7:30, I was getting a little hungry so I opened a can of tuna with about 1/2 tablespoon of mayo and was well satiated.

This morning, I had shredded wheat with skim milk for breakfast. For lunch, the gang went to Olive garden. I orderd this awesome grilled chicken with veggies. I left the potatoes on the plate. I confess, I ate one bite. Also, salad.

Overall, I'm just trying to not get so hungry that I gorge. I seem to be doing that. I hope this continues to go well. I don't have any structure or pre-scribed diet that I am following. I'm just THINKING about what's going into my mouth.

Can't wait till my am run tomorrow. I'm doing 10R/3W/10R.

Tuesday run and other thoughts

This morning's run went as planned if not better. I did 1.5 miles at 5R/3W/8R/3W/5R. I actually completed the 1.5 in 24 minutes. I landed on the .75 marker exactly 4 minutes into my 8 min run interval. I don't care a bit about pace so I'm not going to mention that I finished the 1.5 miles a whole 1:06 faster than the exact same workout last week. I'm not going to even mention that.

My body seems to be behaving as expected. I feel I am making gains each week. I felt very good today. As my wind is improving, I still need to be careful not to over-stress my musculo-skeletal system. I know for a fact that my knees are weak, my right ankle and calf muscle/tissues definitely need some work. I've got to hit the gym at least a couple times per week.

Now, the above is encouraging but I am very disappointed in another aspect of my so-called "new lifestyle." I talking about my nutrition, specifially, my calories. Ceratinly, without any question, my biggest impediment to improving my running and my fitness is my weight. For those of you that don't know me, I weigh 332 lbs (as of this morning). Yes, I used to be over 370 but that's irrelevant. I have failed terribly over these past few weeks to get my diet under control. I have had good days but overall, I am incosistent. When I started exercising almost 6 weeks ago, I weighed 340. I should be down around 320 or lower by now but I keep hanging around 330.

It is ridiculous to go out and run and pretend that I am getting back in shape, while I'm still stopping by Kroger on the way home to get a bag of double-dipped chocolate-covered peanuts (this was the case last night). I'm still eating too many calories at night and going to bed with too many carbs. Have I cut back, yes. But I still haven't in my mind and in my practice made the decisions to STOP EATING SO MUCH!!

Well, today it begins. I refuse to relegate my "new lifestyle" to 20-30 minutes of exercise 3 times per week. That's not a new lifestyle. That's just pretending. I'm smart. I've read all that's necessary to read about nutrition (of course, I learn something new everyday). I know how to use the internet. I have an awesome support group (bloggers, family, Striders). I've just been lazy with my nutrition. I am determined though to get this under control.

So, I begin today!

20 minute continuous run!!!

Today marked my longest continuous run since starting back running about 5 weeks ago. I did 20 minutes continuous running this morning at Memorial Park, follwed by 5 minutes walking to complete my 1.5 miles. If you're a quick cypher'er, you've calculated by now that that is well over 16:00 min/mile. That's ok. I'm not concerned with pace right now. I just want to build up enough stamina to run continuously for 30 minutes. This is my first goal and milestone and it looks like I'm on track to be there by the time Katy Fit starts (fingers crossed, hands folded in prayer, whatever). Next week's 'hard' day is a 25 minute continuous run on Saturday. Tuesday and Thursday are run/walk interval workouts. After next week, it's 3 days of 25 minute continuous runs. The next week, 3x28 minute runs. And then 3 30 minute runs the last week before Katy fit. I'm still going to be one of the weakest participants in the program but I'm cool with that. My goal for now is to just take it easy and see where that takes me. Marathon? Half? Who knows right now? I'm just happy to be out there.

Holy Heat Stroke!!!

I made my first entree into the summer heat yesterday. Man, it's soooo different running in the heat. I really need to do it more often to get better acclimated. Since starting back running about 5 weeks ago, all my runs have been during the morning hours. Well yesterday, to fit my workout into my Friday schedule, which I won't even try to go into right now, I arrived at Memorial Park around 3:50. The temp in my car said 98. I'm quite sure though, according to how it felt, that the humidity was low. Anyway, I was not able to complete my workout as planned. I had to make some adjustments.

The plan:
      8 min run/5 min walk/8 min run

What actually happened:
      8 min run/5 min walk/3 min run/5 minute sorta walk...run a few seconds...walk...run a minute(sorta)...walk...

I wonder about something though. I haven't strapped on the HRM yet but I wonder if during the whole walk...struggle...run a few seconds...walk... if my HR stayed about the same. My guess is that I kept it pretty steady which is a good thing. I never really got out of breath and made sure to stay conversational the whole way through. That's really how I want to target all my workouts for now.

Anyway, despite the heat, I thoroughly enjoyed the workout. I'm just so thankful and happy to be out running again. The ankle continues to be pain-free and seems to be gaining some strength. I'm going to continue to take it very easy with musculo-skeletal strength being as much if not more a goal as aeorbic conditioning, if that makes sense.

...NO SHOW!!

My trainer was a no-show this morning. This was our first session. I asked one of the staff members if she had called and they said no. After 10 minutes on the elliptical, the staff member came up to me and said that Jeni had a family emergency and was not going to be able to make it. I don't know about the rest of the world, but if I had a family emergency, the first thing I do is call work. And if it was a family emergency, how was the staff member able to contact her so quickly. Guess she may have had her cell phone on. Still, I think she just forgot about our appointment and/or decided to not come in.

So, do I give her the benefit of the doubt or do I blow her off and get a refund? Guess another alternative would be to look into getting another trainer but I don't quite feel like "interviewing" another trainer. Think I'll get a refund and get some swimming lessons. There are adult swim instructors that work out in Fairfield. I think that would be awesome and fun. I need to learn how to swim. Don't get me wrong, I swim pretty well. But I need to learn how to actually "work out" in the pool, how to breathe correctly, and the proper form and stuff like that. Kind of like Cassie did earlier this year or late last year.

Bad boy,

I was very bad this morning. I did not get up to run as planned. It's too early in my comeback/training to start slacking. The problem (rationalization) was that I am on call today. I just didn't want to get out there and be in the middle of my run and get paged. Then I have to either go to my mother's house or go into work without taking a shower to try and get to a computer. Call stinks!!! I'm glad it's not too frequent. I am going to have to figure out a way to work around it in the future. Guess I'll run tonight, closer to home.

Tomorrow, I start working out with my personal trainer. We have a 6 am appointment. I hope I like her. She did an orientation with me at the gym and I liked her professionalism. She not only wants to help me with the weights but also with nutrition and with my running. Her bio says she specializes in sports-specific training, health and nutrition training, post-rehab training and weight loss. Sounds like she was made for me. Also, she has a degree in kinesiology so she should be able to help improve my ankle, my stride, etc. I'm kind of psyched about this. Cost = $288 for 6 one-hour sessions. Not bad, IMO.

My inspiration

Back in November of 2004, I ran my first 5K. I remember it vividly. It was the Run With the Saints 5K, the target race of 9 week Power in Motion program. I don't remember my time. I have it written down somewhere. I just remember how great it felt to accomplish something I never really thought before that I could do. As I was driving away after the race, big smile on my face, this song was playing on the radio. It's kind of been my "running theme song" ever since. Sometimes I'm tempted to give in to the lies that my own concscience is telling me. Or lies that the world tries to tell. Stuff like "you can't run, you're too heavy. You're not a runner, you're too slow to be called a runner." Lies like "this is too hard. You've been overweight too long. You can't change. Who do you think you're kidding?" This song reminds me that I don't have to listen to those lies.

"Voice of Truth"

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-

         -Casting Crowns

Tuesday, 6 June workout

Here are the stat's on this morning's workout:

• Total distance: 1.5 miles
• Format: 5R/3W/8R/3W/6:06R
• Perceived effort: Very easy

The ankle continues to feel good. I'm probably over-sensitive to how that right foot is striking. I found myself forcing my foot to pronate a bit before foot strike, trying to 'fix' my moderate under-pronation. I really think this is dangerous. I bought the Nimbus VIII because of it's neutral form. I need to let the shoe do the work and relax. When I did that, when I relaxed and stopped thinking about how my foot was striking, it felt really good and natural. I also need to continue to stretch a lot. Especially my calf and soleus.

Another awesome workout

I had another comfortable workout on Sauturday. I was at Memorial by 5:50 and ran 1.5 miles at a 5R/1W interval. Felt great. I'm so thankful to God that I can be back out there.

Afterwards, I dropped by the Heights 5K to check out the scene and hopefully visit with some friends. I planned to meet up with Jon before the race and did. It was great to see Jon and Waverly. Jon has been such an encouragement to me and I value his friendship.

Guess I'll keep plugging away.

Out on a limb

Ok, I'm going out on a limb and say, "I'm back!" This morning sealed it for me. It was 6:30 am and I arrived at Memorial Park in my new Nimbus VIII's feeling pretty chipper. For the past year and a half, I've been skeptical of feeling this spirited, knowing that my ankle joint would soon put all my feelings in perspective. But lately, for the past few weeks, my ankle has failed to rear it's ugly head and I have managed to get through several beginner workouts without much bother. I've been piddling around with intervals of 1.5 min run followed by 1.5 min walk. Well, this morning, I decided I'd really get a good workout in. So, I did 1.5 miles with intervals of 5R/1W. I ended up doing 4 reps, finishing my last interval with a 5:39 run.

Finally, since I can't remember when, I feel like I wasn't working on my ankle today. I felt like I was working on my running. The ankle felt stable and was completely pain-free, even after the run and during the day.

So, this new positive turn has led to many thoughts today. One of the most scary but also exciting thoughts I entertained today was the thought of possibly training to run the Houston Marathon in '08. That's only about 7 months away and I'm currently only able to run about 1.5 miles at about 15 min/mile pace. Still, I do have some running experience. I know the importance of staying injury free. I know when to push and when not to. I know the difference between good pain and bad pain. So, even though I wouldn't be at the ideal 1 year away mark, I think I still may be able to do it and stay conservative. I know this may not be the best place to seek advice as many of you are nothing but encouragers, but I really need to know what you all think. I would certainly go into it knowing full well that 7 months is tough to start from scratch and that I may have to dial it back to the half. Still, I'd like to give it a try. I feel so cheated by my ankle. I was really doing well back in Jan/Feb. '05 and I feel now, one year after my surgery, that I have a new lease on life (my running life, anyway). I guess it's a few more weeks until Katy Fit starts so I may just see how it goes over the next two or three weeks, taking care not to overdo it. Comments welcome!

Daddy's got a new pair of shoes (certainly not an original title)

Made it over to Luke's Locker on Monday (Memorial Day) for a new pair of shoes. I really lost track of the mileage on my last pair. So, partly because I wanted to start over keeping track of my shoes' mileage, partly because I'm at ANOTHER starting over point, and partly because I wanted to avoid injury by possibly running in shoes that were broken down, I bought these new Nimbus VIII's.

I really intended to buy a new pair of the Nimbus VII's as before but these new models were out so I went for it. Asics seems very responsive to feedback from their customers. The new VIII's have a bit more snug toe box as the previous VII's had really gone to far in the 'roomy feel' department. Also new to the VIII's is that the Nimubus now comes in various widths. Guess they didn't want to disappoint the few who like the roomyness of the VII's. The last BIG difference is that they closed up the mesh material around the toe box. To be more breathable, the VII's basically just had a 'net' mesh around the toe. You could actually see your sock through the top of the shoe. Although it was cool and very breathable, the holes were big enough for pebbles to get into. So, they closed the shoe back up. It's still very breathable, though.

I ran in them for the first time this morning and they felt great. I really feel like I'm 'in' this shoe. It feels like it's really part of my leg, ankle, and foot. Not like I'm fighting it. The cushioning is great as expected from Asics.