Lost in the City!!!

When planning my Saturday run this week, I was faced with a difficult choice. On the one hand, I really needed to get about a 9-10 miler in and the Striders' Big Bear run seemed like the perfect recipe. On the other hand, I've been pumped all week about June's upcoming attempt at a sub-30 5K at the Houston Heights run Saturday morning.

I decided I couldn't pass up seeing June's face after breaking the 30 minute barrier so to have my cake and eat it too (no, Bill, I'm not eating cake. It's a figure of speech.), I figured I'd run from Memorial Park over to the finish of the Heights run via the popular Heights run route. It's a simple route. Leave from anywhere in Memorial Park, jump over to Blossom, up Jackson Hill to Washington, skip over to Heights Blvd and then you're home free. Just run up Heights as far as you want which in this case was the start of the race at 18th street, giving me 4.5 out. Then the return trip, according to my best calculations, would put me at a bit over 9 miles.

Now, the plan was to rendezvouz with June just after the race started, a little after 7:30, and then wait for her at the finish. I really didn't want to get there too soon as I'd be standing around too long and with the 2nd half of my long run staring me in the face, I didn't want to be completely cooled down. But, I wanted to surprise June early in the race and maybe spur her on a bit knowing that I had run all the way over to see her finish at 29:59 or better. This would take perfect planning. I calculated that at between 14:00 and 14:30 pace, it would take me 1:03-1:05 to cover the 4.5 miles to 18th and Heights. So, to reach my waypoint precisely, I knew I must depart the swimming pool parking lot at precisely 6:25 AM.

Guess what. I left late. Who'd of thunk it, huh? I ended up departing 9 minutes later than planned. Oh, well, that just meant I'd see June a little later in the race, probably just after mile 1. Leaving the parking lot out the back, I thought I'd save a little time and try to stay north of Washington. It's not as nice an area as running down Blossom but it might save me 5 minutes or so, I thought. There was only one problem with that plan. There are basically only 2 bridges that cross White Oak Bayou, the Heights Blvd. Bridge and the Shepard/Durham bridge. Of course, I didn't think of that at the time and made the mistake of thinking that as long as I stay between Washington and I-10, I'll make my way over to Heights Blvd. and shave some time off. WRONG!!!

I basically ended up running through the worst part of town and dead ended right into White Oak Bayou and the base of the I-10 overpass. I basically just stood there surveying the situation. To backtrack would have put me even later and that wasn't an option. I would have loved to just billy goat it under the I-10 overpass or run down the side of the bayou but, ugh, that was even too adventuresome for me. Besides, a 12 foot fence was blocking my way. Then I did the unthinkable. I ventured up a driveway in the worst part of town, along the fence that blocked my way, trying to find an opening. The further I walked along the fence, I noticed there was an overgrown sidewalk that paralleled it. I'm in business. The sidewalk opened up and I saw that it took me under I-10. Woo-hoo!! Or so I thought. This was no yellow-brick road. It was truly scary. I thought to myself, I'm sure glad I didn't drag anyone else into this mess but then I thought how it it sure would have been nice to have a running partner on a day like this. The goal at that point was to just not step on any syringes or needles and hope that I didn't run into the middle of a gang fight.

I hopped a couple of poo-poo diapers and finally emerged on some street this native Houstonian never knew existed before today. I still had my bearings and I knew that I was headed in the wrong direction. I had to backtrack all the way to Sheperd, then over White Oak Bayou. When I got to the overpass that goes over the old railroad tracks, I finally made a good choice. I decided to stay on the low road, under the overpass, through the industrial park and to see if I could possibly make my way East from there. BINGO!!! Under the bridge, I was able to hop onto 7th street which was just a hop and a skip over to 8th which goes all the way through to Heights Blvd.

At that point, I just wanted to get to Heights to catch June before the turnaround. I got to Heights and headed north. It was exactly 7:30 when I turned onto Heights so I figured the race was starting. Racers were heading South while I was heading North. It's such a straight shot up Heights Blvd that I could see the flashing lights of the lead escort waaaaaay in the distance. It wasn't 3 or 4 minutes when the lead runners came streaking by and very close to the front of the pack early in the race was butt-kicker Steve Schroeder. Now, Steve is a fast runner but he was looking particularly speedy at that point, early in the race..

In just another 2 or 3 minutes I saw June and Sarah. June looked real relaxed. Sarah did too for that matter. I waved and told June that I had run all the way over here to see her break 30 minutes so she'd better not hold back. They smiled and off they went. I was close at this time to 18th so I put the hammer down a bit to finish off this first leg of my run.

I waited at the finish, cheering on the runners. I watched Schroeder come in FAST with what ended up being a ~30 second 5K PR. Huge congrats, Steve!!! Steve got some water and then came back to where I was standing. He said he was going to go back out and run June in the last bit so off he went. I'm watching the clock and it's 28:00, 29:00, 29:10, 29:15... THERE'S SARAH!!! What? Sarah had intended to just hang with June as long as she could and then let June go on to her sub-30 but here was Sarah, nailing a sub-30 of her own. I figured June would be right behind but unless my eyes were mistaken, no June. My eyes weren't mistaken. Sarah came to meet me. Then, I see Steve walking back towards us. "Did I miss her?" he asked. It's 32, then 33, then 34, and still no June. Something was wrong. I tried not to think the worst but knew that she must have gotten hurt. Then we see June walking towards us, all pink and in tears. It turns out she majorly pulled a hamstring after about mile 2, I think.

After we got June some medical attention and some food, I headed out for my return leg. This time, though, I chose to go back the way I had originally planned. The run felt pretty good. Even though it was basically split up into 2 runs, I still count it as a long run. Here are the stats:

Total distance: 9.2 miles
Total time: 2:10:23
Mile 1 - 14:11
Mile 2 - 14:17
Mile 3 - 14:19
Mile 4 - 14:04
Mile 5 - 13:36
Mile 6 - 14:13
Mile 7 - 14:10
Mile 8 - 14:50 (including a brief walk break across Durham/Sheperd)
Mile 9 - 14:03
.2 miles - 2:37 (13:41 pace)
Average pace - 14:11

It was nice to do a long run again. I feel fine. Sufficiently sore but not incapacitated. Know what I mean?

Dang Right!!!

Barbara and Joe, you know me all too well. Dang right I registered today.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME!!! PUMP UP THE VOLUME!!!

226

Well, it's 226 days to the Houston Marathon. I know. I know. It's a bit early to start getting too excited but I can't help it. I'm really looking forward to the coming season. I asked Amalia yesterday excitedly, "So, you ready to start marathon training?!?" She looked at me like I had 4 eyes and I didn't even have my glasses on. :) So, I know it's not at the front of everyone's mind but I'm starting to think about it a lot and really getting excited about the coming training season.

Along those lines, I had some good advice from Coach Bill via e-mail the other day and it makes a lot of sense. Of couse I'm hearing the same stuff from Coach Steeve so that just seals the deal. What Coach Bill said is a propos too because his advice addresses not only marathon training but also post-race recovery and even gearing back up for 2009. Hopefully he won't mind my posting what he said here.

What happened after Houston happens to everyone. You just did 6 months of training building and building and toughing it out week after week. You needed a break and you’re body just forced it on you in terms of your motivation.

You are getting back in the cycle to begin again and this year will be better than last…you have experience now.

What we do with our runners is build the break into the training. I cut some of the runners buy as much as 50% in their training and some are Boston Qualifiers.

This year…2007/2008 do your training for Houston the same as you did last year. You have a very good support system in place. Plan to take an active break after the race….two week recovery to the end of January then spend the winter and spring months concentrating on the shorter distance races. Keep your longest run to an hour max. In June start thinking about new fall goals and begin the build up again. This is a healthy cycle that will help keep you motivated and fresh year after year. Fall – long races….Spring short and a possible 5K PR. Stay in this cycle a couple years and watch what happens.

So, here's the plan. I'm going to be joining Houston Fit. I'm not going to go into all the reasons I'm not going to repeat my experience with Katy Fit but suffice it to say, I was not impressed with their program last year. I love the venues on the west side but...well, that's all I'm going to say about that. Of course I'm hanging pre and post race with the Striders for all the warmup races and don't be surprised to find me toughing out one of Miriam's core workouts every now and then. I'll definintely work the SMARTie Hop workouts into my schedule and wouldn't miss the Tour de Memorial and the Longest Long run for anything. So, basically, the plan is the same as last year. Sticking with the Fit'ers, ramping up through the week of the Half at the end of October, running on my own during the week and then playing it by ear through the warmup series and through January, running with the Striders/SMARTies as time and my body allow.

This morning's run was another thriller. The plan was to meet the co-workers at Memorial Park again. We had one no-show so Wendy and I did one loop. She runs 11 minute pace or so and eased out ahead of me after about a quarter mile. I kept her in site through a mile and a half, just because she had to stop 3 or 4 times to tie her shoe. I ran well again today. 3 easy miles at average 12:54 pace. I pushed some bit harder than long run effort but kept conversational nonetheless. Not the kind of conversational where you can recite the pledge of allegiance without pausing for a breath but the kind of conversational where you can speak in short phrases in between breaths. I guess what I'm saying is I was somewhere between long run, easy effort and tempo effort, probably closer to easy effort. Ok, none of that makes sense.

Regardless, I was happy to get in 3 sub-13 miles with moderate effort. Feels like I'm getting a lot of the cobwebs worked out. I'm definitely ahead of where I started last year. I looked at my logs for June 1, 2006. My weight was 334 lbs. I did 3x5R/1W intervals for a total distance of 1.5 miles. My pace was 15:46 average. OK, I feel a lot better now.

Not a perfect execution but working hard

Today called for a 25 minute tempo run or a 2 mile tempo run, whichever came last. A tempo run should include a warmup and cooldown. So, cooldown, check. 25 minutes at tempo effort, check. Warmup...what's that?

I met a couple of people from work at Memorial Park at 5:30. One was a co-worker and regular MP runner. The other was a consultant visiting from out of town. We got to talking about running and I wanted to give her a taste of the Houston running scene. After chatting, stretching and enjoying the beautiful morning air for a few minutes, we set out. I knew the two of them ran 10-12 minute miles so I told them to feel free to go ahead. Still, not having run with them before, I thought I may be able to hang for a while. It didn't take long to realize they were closer to 11 minute pace or better so I lagged behind, keeping them in view for the first mile.

About 3 minutes into my "warmup", I looked down at the Garmin and saw that I was keeping about 12:40 pace. It felt good so I went with it. Mile 1 was 12:37. Then mile 2 was 12:21 which also put me right at 25 minutes. So, my warmup kind of got skipped altogether. I fought the urge to stop and walk at 2 miles and completed my cooldown in 13:22 pace. 2.9 miles total in a 37 minute workout. I'd say mission accomplished.

I saw lots of peeps out there that I haven't seen in a long time. It was great to see Amalia who almost got a big wet, sweaty hug. Jenny and Heather were bookin' it. And it was good to see my friend Karl who's flirting with joining the Striders.

All in all, a great morning of running. Man, I needed that!

Great comments!!!

Thanks for the thought Holden. Depending on how things go, I may be considering a trail race like Sunmart or something in the Fall. Besides that, my ultimate goal race is the Houston marathon '08. Of course, there are plenty little goals along the way but they are all secondary to Houston.

Thanks for the good words Matt and David. I understand what you are saying. Like I said, my goal race is the Houston marathon 2008. I know from last year that I have time to do that so I'm not worried about the past couple of months and the time I've taken off. I think the thing that I need to come to grips with is that SMART may or may not be the training program for me. No doubt, given continued weight loss from January through present and a proper recovery from the marathon, I would be in good shape to jump right into SMART. But, I'm afraid that my brief lapse may have precluded me from being ready for SMART full time. Coach tells me that I need to be to 25 mpw with a 10 mile long run and one quality workout per week (I guess besides the long run), then I should be dandy for SMART. To be clear, coach never told me I COULDN'T do SMART but I think he's looking out for me and doesn't want me to get into something where I would risk injury. But to be honest, SMART may not be the best program for me right now. For sure, SMART IS THE BEST PROGRAM IN TOWN!!! but I'm not sure my body can take it and stay injury-free.

All this is worry about SMART or not SMART is really a moot point. The goal is to run the marathon, not to participate in any particular training program. There's really no reason to fret. The fact of the matter is that I love running with the Striders and I can do that no matter what program I'm in. The good thing about a program like Houston Fit is that I'm likely to find some runners at about my pace that I can do long runs with. Anyway, I'll see how the next 8 or so weeks go. I've a tempo run planned for tomorrow, an easy 4 miler on Thursday and on Saturday, if I don't get paged, I'm going to do 10, a slow 10 but 10 nonetheless. That should be 20-22 miles for the week. I'll try to get through this week healthy and after that, I should feel better about things.

Another 3 today

There was a pretty decent crowd at the park this morning. Sadly, I was a bit sore from my short 3 miler last night but that didn't stop me. I got in another 3 miler at about 14:13 pace. By the end of the run I was feeling good and loose.

One of my problems now is not having a plan. There are certainly times in my running where I'd rather just run and not be tied to a training plan but now is not that time. I'm kind of wondering what to do. I know there's the Saturday long run and I'll be at 8 miles come next Saturday. But what to do during the week. I think I'll make Monday an easy run, 3-5 miles. Then on Wednesday, I'm going to do some quality work, alternating tempo one week, and 30x30's the next. I'll follow up on Thursday with another 3-5 mile easy run. With Sunday as a rest day, that leaves Tuesday and Friday to get in some weights or some light XT. Any other suggestions?

I got sunshine!!!

The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds this evening and I decided to go out for a run. I'm sure come July, I'm gonna be beggin' for rain.

Nothing much to report. 3 miles in ~14:24 pace. Lotsa sweat which felt really great.

When I was finished, I was standing at my car, trying to cool off and this guy came up to me and started talking. I asked him how it was going and he said he was just out trying to get into shape and lose some weight. I said, "Well, you're doing the right thing." It turns out John's lost ~70 lbs. He used to weigh 370 and is now down around 300. I told him we were two peas in a pod because I had been about 370 when I started losing. He said he was having a hard time running and that it was very difficult for him. He said he looked at me and said, "Man, that guy is really running." LOL! I told him just to ease into it and be patient and it'll come. Anyway, it was cool meeting another kindred spirit.

Note to self

I'd like to respond to a recent comment from my good friend and reknowned butt-kicker, SteveS, not to be confused with my other good friend and reknowned butt-kicker, Steeeve. Here's the comment:

Vic,
The actions comment was only put there to remind you that we have heard it before. There is nothing wrong with being a "back of the pack" runner but when you workouts always end with, "I took it easy and cut it short" then you have shorted your other health goals. It is Friday and you have nothing posted. This would lead me to assume another light workout with a side order of bad eating. I refuse to be part of the sheeple to offer congrats on work that is not done or done poorly. I have offered advice before but you have to implement. When I lose more weight than you in the past month, there is a problem. Show me actions.
SteveS

Let me say first, that SteveS hit the nail right on the head about not posting this week. Like many others, SteveS knows me like a book. Although I wouldn't go so far as to refer to readers of this blog as "sheeple" (by the way, that's hilarious), I do understand what SteveS is referring to. I think for the most part, most bloggers aren't fishing for a butt-kicking when they post their workouts and struggles with weight-loss, nutrition, etc and most commenters respect that and try to give encouragement any way they can. However, in this case, I feel like SteveS's comment was not only appropriate but timely. I'm afraid that were I to go back to read my posts from the last 10 weeks, I'd feel an irresistable urge to kick my butt as well. By the way, I may be wrong but I take some people's relative silence in the comment field as being a reflection of some of the same thoughts that SteveS presented above. I imagine there are others who would have loved to go off on me as well.

I think in a way, I have been "riding on the coat tails" of Marathon Vic, telling myself that I've done the hard work. I've come so far and now it's time for a break. Like I deserve it or something. What a friggin' retarded, perverted way to look at this journey and at my life. How stupid is it for me to think that just because I've lost 70+ lbs. and run a marathon that I deserve a break, that I can indulge in fast food, that I can start watching TV again and sitting around the house eating chips? Actually, the opposite is true. I worked hard last year and rather than deserving all the above things, I deserve more of the good stuff, more energy, more flexibility, strength, long life, a feeling of accomplishment, to be faster, all that stuff.

Yes, these are more words. I'm tempted and inspired to just delete this post right now, put on my shoes, and hit the pavement. I'm also real close to purging the Pappa's baked potato I had for lunch. :) Suffice it to say that I hear what you're saying, SteveS. I'll say nothing more. It's time to get to work. Feel free to kick me in the ar$e any time.

It's ALL good, July!!!

Thanks for reminding me, July, that I haven't posted since Wednesday. Fortunately, all is well, quite well as a matter of fact.

Sounds like a lot of fun was had in Corpus Christi this weekend. I hope Bill got his fill of Mexican food and sleeping on the beach. Bill, did you look at any sun dresses in come of the cute shops down there on the strip? Oh, I can't wait to see you in that dress.

I hope the weather in Corpus was nice because if you're a runner and you weren't in Houston on Saturday morning, you missed one of the top 2 or 3 days of the year, IMHO. I met my good friend and running buddy Jo at Patterson at 6, right at daybreak. It was a cool 62 degrees and almost no humidity. It was one of those mornings where if you were just standing around, you were a bit chilly but as soon as we got moving, it was just right. I mean it was perfect. Jo joked that that if we could bottle this weather and sell it, we'd be millionaires.

We did a little over 6 miles. I've got the splits on my Garmin but don't feel like bootin it up right now. Our first mile was 14:06, I remember. We stayed pretty consistent the next couple of miles. Our 3 back were at about 13:40. It really didn't feel like we sped up that much. I think I was just getting warmed up. For the first time in what seems like a long time, I felt like I could have done 6 more. I ran continuously the whole way, except for a potty break. I really felt good. I know the weather had a lot to do with it.

On the nutrition front, I've done really, really well since Wednesday. I've logged the entire week for Catherine to scrutinize. This weekend, I've had some drastic fluctuations in my weight. It's been kind of a roller coaster ride. I've fluctuated +/- 7 or 8 lbs Saturday and today. I've had a VERY active weekend doing lots of yardwork, running, more yardwork, bending, shoveling, sweating, hydrating, sweating more, and even a little swimming thrown in there for good measure. I think I've averaged a good 3 or 4 lb weight loss this week, approximately. Keep this up, and Bill's gonna look just lovely in his new dress.

Oh, and anonymous, I've got your actions right HERE, buddy. :)

Getting back in the groove

Someone reminded me today that it seems like I've been semi-out-of-commission for a long, long time. To be honest, it seems like an eternity to me as well. It seems like forever since I did a Saturday long run, since I did 20+ mpw, since I ran an easy 10+, since I nailed a 12:30 5 miler. But looking back at my logs, I see it ws just 8 weeks ago that I did a 15 miler in a 25+ mile week. So, really, my running hasn't endured much of a hiatus. My nutrition and weight loss, however, have been at a stand-still since the afternoon of the marathon.

I think since January 14th, I've sort of given myself an excuse to go back to eating poorly. Now, dont' take this the wrong way because I totally loved it when Bush landed on that aircraft carrier and announced to our troops, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! But I kind of feel like that's what I did on January 14th after crossing the finish line. Mission accomplished!!! But like the War on Terror, my fight isn't over until it's over, and I've been stuck in a quagmire of sorts since January. So, since my war hasn't been going well, I'm implementing a little "surge" of my own.

I'm pulling out the big guns, logging EVERYTHING I consume, nailing daily deficits, exercising moderately, watching my fats, cutting out sugars, and getting off caffeine. Really, it's just getting back to basics.

And for added incentive, Bill and I have agreed to a friendly wager. Whoever loses the most weight by July 31st gets his Houston marathon entry fee paid by the loser, well, by the other person. Actually, we're both losers. And to top it all off, the loser must show up to day 1 of SMART training in a dress. I'm thinking a mid-thigh, strapless in a floral design would do just fine for Miss Bill.

Let the games begin!!!

Oh, I ran 2.3 miles tonight at about 14:30 pace. Don't know why but I felt really sluggish tonight. I ate supper before my run so that may have had something to do with it. That and I didn't get started until 8:30. When I think that I JUST ran 2.3, I have to remind myself that for me, that's over 30 minutes and there's nothing wrong with a 30 minute workout. Superwomen Barbara and Christy routinely run ~30 minutes during the week. And Flash June's even been known to keep a workout to just one loop around Memorial Park from time to time. These days, she's doing that in about 30 minute, or sub-30 even. So, I'm not disappointed in 2.3 miles. I'll get there. The focus right now is on the weight loss.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Great comments on that last post and I wanted to just say that I really appreciate it. Call me needy but I get a lot of motivation knowing that friends and fellow journeymen are cheering for me and want to see me succeed.

So far, so good this week. I got in another 40+ minute workout yesterday after work. There were TONS of people at Memorial Park last night, probably the busiest I've ever seen it. I got 3 hot miles in at 13:57 pace. Again, I felt very loose and relaxed. The extra stretching before and after my runs seems to be helping a lot.

Tonight will be a good test of my commitment. I'm on call for the next two days but need to run 5 tonight and 3 tomorrow. That means I'm going to have to stay close to home in case I get beeped. I'm very hesitant to venture out when I'm on call for fear my run will be cut short and my pattern of late has been to simply blow off the run altogether. Inevitably, I end up regretting that decision when the pager never goes off. So, tonight, I"m just gonna DO IT!!! If I get paged, then sobeit. I've got to do this.

My main goal right now to get me to July 31 is to lose as much weight as possible. I've got to stay focused. I'd like to work on my running but I've got to concentrate on my calories right now. 25 pounds of weight loss and building back up to a modest 25 miles per week puts me in a very good position to start marathon training the end of July. In my opinion, the 25 lbs alone is worth 5 minutes off my best 5K and will get me a little closer to "keeping up" with the group come marathon trainin season. Hopefully, come the fall series, I won't be struggling to get in under the cutoff for some of these races. I'm really getting pumped up again and looking forward to the Fall.

Big Fat F!!!

My running log has a Plan tab on it where I can enter my planned training for the week. Then, as I enter my runs in the actual log, it populates my actual miles for each day and tallys what percentage of planned mileage I've actually run through the week. By the end of the week, I'm able to see what percentage of planned miles I actually ran.

I always looked at this page as simply what it is, a percentage of planned miles that I ran for the week. But David pointed out to me that to him, it's kind of like a grade. Now, in the schools I attended, the grade scale was A (93-100), B (86-92), C (78-85), D (70-77), and F (below 70). So, here's the row from last week.

A 38% is a BIG FAT F

I've entered into a whole new level of underachievement. Do I have anything positive to say? NO!!! Man, that's strange, isn't it?

I did 3.3 miles on the beach yesterday at a little over 14 minute pace. I made the mistake of waiting until 9:30 or so to head out. I drove out and planted some water at around the halfway point. My out leg was right into the sun and the breeze was barely noticeable. On the way back, though, I was able to relax a little and stop squinting and get into a groove. I really enjoyed running on the beach. The left to right camber on the out leg was a little tough on my ankle but made for a good workout.

I'm slowly but surely running out of time before marathon training starts. I really wanted to end July at around 270 lbs but that's very quickly becoming out of reach. To get there in 12 weeks, that will be an agressive 2.5 lbs. per week. It's doable, yes but I'm going to have to dig deep. Now is the time. No more putting off what I must do.

It's the shirt

I broke in my new Striders tech shirt tonight at Mem Park. I was running out of day so I decided to just do 3. To make it interesting, though, I kicked it up to tempo effort for mile 2 and then back down for mile 3. Not much time to go into the details but I'll just say it was a fabulous run. I felt really good and relaxed.

The highlight was my son who came with me and did his first ever 3 mile run. I was so proud of him and he was pumped up about his accomplishment. He kept talking on the way home about how his feet hurt and his legs are sore but he feels good, "REALLY GOOD!!" He did great. He said he wants to do the half marathon in January. I told him to go for it. That would be a huge accomplishment for him so we'll see where it goes from here.

My splits:
Mile 1 - 13:52
Mile 2 - 12:33
Mile 3 - 13:54
Average pace - 13:27

This was my first run in a long while where I ran continuously and strong the entire way. I wanted to take a walk break after my tempo mile 2 but resisted the temptation. By 2.25, I was pretty much recovered and back to easy effort. Certainly the beautiful weather and the cool temps contributed greatly to my good run tonight. I'll take it. It was a good confidence builder.

Will be in Galveston this weekend. Hoping to get a run on the seawall in on Sunday. Back on Monday. Later!

This sounds cool

I found information on this in my neighborhood gazette. It's a Triathlon series for kids put on by the Kiwanis Club of Houston Sunrise. The events are 100M swim, 1 mile bike, and .5 mile run for ages 10-12. A little less for the younger ages. Here's the link if you want to check it out. Kiwanis Kids Triathlon Series

SCORE!!!

All the cool people in Houston (with a few exceptions) were gathered at Chatter's Bistro near downtown last night for much fun, food, and frivolity, Strider-style. Hats off to our VP, Ted, who hit a homerun with the new venue. There was ample seating for the masses, the food was EXCELLENT, and the weather was absolutely perfect!!!

Catherine the Great was GREAT as our guest speaker, presenting her heralded Peak Performance seminar to those in attendance. In most other venues, this seminar would come at a cost to each attendee but in good Strider fashion, it was FREE for us. An astute communicator, Catherine was able to pack volumes of information into her 30 minute seminar and then opened up the floor to questions from the group. Certainly everyone left last night with some new knowledge about nutrition for athletes. One point that was hammered home that seemed to strike a cord with many Striders was on the nutritional value of beer to an endurance athlete. Evidently, there was some contention on this point and the verdict is still out.

Speaking of freebies, in celebration of the Strider victories in both the HARRA Fall and Spring club championships, each Strider in attendance was given THE COOLEST Asics technical running shirt with the new Strider logo on it. It's a very, very nice shirt and for all who missed the meeting, they will be distributed at any one of the upcoming Strider events through the summer and Fall. There are limited supplies so come on out to an event. If fun, food, and frivolity isn't enough to bring you out, just the shirt is worth the trip.

Thanks to the Striders for another memorable gathering. STRIDERS ROCK!!!

6 tough miles

Make that 5.8. :) It's been a long, long, long time since I actually ran the distance I set out to run. Well, is 7 weeks really that long a time? Seems like FOREVER to me. It wasn't pretty but I got 'er done and had fun doing it.

The crowds were thick at Memorial Park and so was the air. The breeze couldn't quite decide which way to blow. At times it was right in my face and man, did that feel good!!! Other times it was still. I plodded along at >14 min pace but kept fairly consistent through mile 4. I took a couple of walk breaks and finished the last .5 at a bit faster clip. I don't have any splits as the Garmin was powerless. Total time from the watch was 1:26. I'm like SteveB. I wish the Garmin had an auto-off. But I guess that wouldn't make sense. It would be powering down in the middle of a run.

So, I'm on plan through Monday (Day 1). Starting the week off on plan is a good start. hmmm...don't know if that makes sense. Here's what the rest of the week looks like.

More pondering the previous post...

From re-reading the previous post, I don't think I did a very good job conveying the point of my previous post. The point was not about why running is NOT important enough to commit a lot of time to. The point was why, for me, running IS an important part of my life and why I think it is important enough to commit much time and energy to. You see, for me, running for the sake of running frankly does nothing for me. I guess you would say in that respect, I'm not a purist. It's how running affects other aspects of my life, my "real" priorities if you will, that motivates me to put in the time and effort it takes to improve.

For a time, in my younger years, basketball was my priority. I was a purist when it came to basketball. I played every day. I watched as many baskeetball games as I possibly could. And I was good. I could play pretty much with the best of 'em. One time, the Celtics were in town and a few of the players came over to my church to practice. Scott Wedman, Rick Carlisle, and Greg Kite were at the gym and needed one more for a game of 2-on-2. Now, I'm not saying I was NBA material but I actually held my own and had a couple of nice assists to Greg who slammed it home. I could just hear Johnny Most..."Kaiser comes down the court, between the legs, fake. He threads the needle passing to Kite...SLAM!!!!" I got started with basketball a little (the middle of my sophomore year) or I would have definitely played college ball. Basketball was plainly and simply a priority in my life. Maybe #1 or #2.

Then, when I joined the Navy and started working nights at the Naval Hospital in Groton, CT, golf became my "thing." I'd work nights, play golf during the day. In between, I'd sleep a little. I even practiced putting in the lab at work when things were slow during the wee hours. Golf was my #1 priority, I must admit. Really, nothing else mattered to me.

So, my point is that I spent a lot of time playing basketball. I spent a lot of time at golf in the past as well. But the reason I spent that time is that those things were priorities in my life. They were tops. With running, though it's different. No, I'm not saying I spend any less time running. I'm not saying I'm not committed to the sport. I'm not saying I don't want to take the time to do the hard work that it takes to get better. I'm not saying it's not important to me. Quite the opposite. I will put in the time. I will push myself. I will study the sport. I will invest in good equipment. I will get up early or stay late or whatever it takes to get better but not because running in and of itself is a priority in my life. Not because it's #1 or #2 like basketball and golf were. It's because I believe running makes me a better father, a better husband, a better employee, a better friend, and a better disciple of Christ. I make running "a priority" because of how it enhances my "real" priorities.

I hope that explains the previous post. It wasn't a "I'm not running much lately because I'm busy and have other priorities and my kids come first and my job comes first and God comes first" kind of post. I was trying to convey my thoughts on how running fits into MY life and why I think it's important enough to spend Saturday mornings doing long runs, to get up at the butt-crack of dawn for an easy 3 miler before work, to race and try to PR every time, to set goals, to take time off from work the Monday after a long, long training run, to spend money on good equipment, to put in 10 to sometimes 15 hours a week driving to the park, stretching, doing a training run, stretching some more, driving back home. Running is a thread that weaves through so many aspects of my life and improves my relationships and my work. That's why I do it. That's what motivates me. Now, I'm all fired up and may just go out in the hall and do a few laps aroun the 10th floor here.

Later!

Pondering

Saturday night on the way home from my 3 miler, I was thinking about how people find time to run and train. I thought about Christy and Barbara who don't just juggle career, family, school, church, and fitness but excel at them. How do these superwomen do it?

I guess it really comes down to setting priorities. For some, its God, family, career, then running. For others, it's career, education, family, then running. For others, it's running, running, running, and then more running. What a life!!!

For me, I look at running a little differently. I think it goes back to my mantra, a kind of mission statement if you will where running is concerned. I'm most successful when running is woven through ALL my priorities as part of "a healthy lifestyle with running as a key component." Where my spiritual life is concerned, running equips me for His service. Also, I see caring for my body as an act of thanksgiving for the gift that God has given me. Running makes me a better employee. I have more energy and think more clearly. It affects my family as I have more energy when we are together and am setting a good example for my kids. Not to mention the fact that I'll probably live a lot longer as my health improves and running is key there. Socailly, I have created and developed many real and lasting relationships through running and have so many fond memories and shared experiences with friends. Running makes me more patient, more calm, more thoughtful.

This framework seems to work well for me. I'm afraid that if running was an item on a list of priorities, I would end up at one of two extremes. I'd either be obsessed with running or I wouldn't run at all. It's just how I'm wired. Looking at running and a healthy lifestyle as a consistent thread that affects all my priorities works well for me. Now, that's not to say that I'm not goal oriented. I have lofty goals when it comes to running and on any given day, to be able to reach those goals, I'll certainly have to prioritize. But by keeping my eye on the bigger picture, it's been easier for me to find that balance.

Ok, on to business. This last week didn't turn out like I had planned.

I'm not making excuses but I was single parenting last week (wifey was working out of town) and for Thurdsay and Friday was fighting the crud.

.

This week looks good. I'm going to tackle a 6 miler this evening after work. I'm going to have to slow down and get 'er done. It's hard to run >14 min pace. It feels like such a regression but I've got to start back somewhere. Maybe a manly sub-13, back-to-the-barn mile 6 will make me feel better after 5 at 14:30 or so. Anyway, we'll see. For now, I'm just planning on pulling out the old slow and steady for tonight's run.

Here's what the rest of the week looks like.

Later!

Kick in the Butt!!!

I was laid back in the recliner this afternoon reading the new issue of Runners World that's been sitting on my dresser for about a week. Lo and Behold, the cover told the story and was just what I needed. "101 Kicks in the Butt" was right there on the cover. After skimming through 38, when I got to 39, I immediately got my shoes on and took off out the door. :) Well, not quite. I still had some "chores" to do but ended up doing an easy 3 miles late this evening.

I've been sick the last couple of days. GI issues. I actually had to go home from work on Friday because I felt so bad. On the way home, I happened to catch Spiderman 3 on IMAX. :) So, I guess the day was half sick day and half playing hookie. I think God punished me for the hookie part 'cause I spent much of the remainder of the day in the bathroom. I felt better this morning but not well enough to make the planned long run with June. Of course, I really wasn't going to run WITH June but you know what I mean. We were both going to be out there and meet up for breakfast. I was really looking forward to that. Sorry, June!!! Another time, k?

So, I did 3 miles this evening. The main goal tonight was to just not mess my pants. LOL!!! It had been about 12 hours since the last "episode" but I wasn't completely confident that once I got running, my "issue" would rear it's ugly head making for a very uncomfortable and embarassing trip home. So, no problems though as I made my way around. I felt relaxed. It was hot and humid. Wonder how many times in the next few months we'll all be saying that.

I felt good. I've definitely lost some fitness and strength but that's to be expected. I actually felt like a long(er) run tonight but didn't want my first in a week to be a long run so I settled for 3. I think after 3 or 4 good runs during this coming week, I'll be ready for an easy, slow 7 or 8 miler on Saturday.

25 by end of May

Here's my plan to get back to 25 miles per week by the end of May.

Sound reasonable? At that point, with a decent base, I'll probably add one quality workout into my week, mixing it up with tempo runs, maybe some hill work. That should keep me soaked in sweat through the summer months and in good shape to start marathon training in August.

Striders Strutters Strut at BIG BAYOU BASH!!!

The Strider Strutters relay team composed of yours truly, Dusty, George, and Bill didn't set any course records this morning but I for one had an awesome time. Around 100 Striders were treated to beautiful Spring racing weather this morning for the Bayou Bash Relay, put on by Al Lawrence Running Club.

This was a new venue for the Bayou Bash. It was my first go at the race and I had a lot of fun. I ran the C leg of the race and handed off to Bill, our anchor man and keeper of the speed for our team. Acutally, Dusty is running really well of late and probably would give Mister Bill a run for his money in a head-to-head race. George and I brought in the B and C legs respecively giving up a little ground but running well nonetheless. When Bill asked me how long I was going to be, I took a stab in the dark and replied, "Oh, around 12 minute pace." The course was about 2.1 miles so Bill said he'd be looking for the handoff after around 24 minutes. When I told him that, I really wasn't serious and thought I was waaaaaay underestimating my pace, but a guy has to dream every once in a while.

I stretched for a good 20 minutes before heading over to the transition area. Even though I didn't do a warmup, I still felt good and loose when I started. I looked down at the Garmin through the first .1 or .25 and I was around 10 minute/mile pace. I didn't worry too much about going out that fast. I figured I would settle down as I got further along. Besides, in a 2-mile race, you don't really have to worry too much about going out too fast and bonking. At least that's the way I approached it. Kind of like a mile time trial.

I ended up Finishing the 2.1 in 24:50. Depending on the acutal distance (2.07 - 2.1), That was an average 11:50 - 12:00 pace. I'm please with that. Certainly, the nice weather had a lot to do with my running well. It sure hasn't been my "training."

Notables included July's first ever sub-9 minute mile and two speedy sub-6:30 miles by SteveB. Oh, and it was great to meet fellow blogger and Strider, Red Daisy. Very cool to meet you finally and I look forward to seeing you out out on the circuit this year. Lotsa good running this morning by all. Congratulations to ALRC for a great event.

Longest Long Run...

... in about 5 weeks. Also, it was the hottest, muggiest long run in about 6 months. Still, I'm not complaining at all. The mission tonight was to sweep out the cobwebs, loosen things up and do a nice, easy run to get the juices flowing. Mission accomplished!!!

I did a lot of stretching pre-run. I'm really in knots from not running much. I stopped a few times along the way to make sure to stay loose and I took 5 or so minutes post-run to stretch it out as well.

Even though I logged a dismal 2.5 miles this past weekend, it wasn't a total bust. I actually sustained good nutrition and moderate calories through the entire weekend. I only ran a little but stayed active, working in the yard, playing with the kids and working in the house...and the scale showed it. A good moderate weight loss through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. About a pound or so.

I was going to start this past weekend with a 10 miler on Saturday but thought that may not be the smartest "first" run in over a week. So, I did that short run and am going to get in a full week of training this week starting with tonight's 4.25 miles. I'll get a couple more of those in, throw in the Bayou Bash Relay and possibly the FOS 5K for a ~18-20 mile week. That'll be a good jumping on point to really get my base back to where I want it to be through the summer. I gotta let the runner out!!!

A unique event and good times with friends

Even though this was my first LP Run, the night felt like old times visiting with Striders and friends I haven't seen in way too long.

The LP run is definitely unlike any other race I've ever run or even heard of. My final result wasn't a time. In fact, I finished the race in the same time as John Yoder and David Minken. How's that for good company? I'm telling all my friends at work, "Yeah, me and John Yoder both ran a 33:20." Ok, so what's the deal? Well, what makes this even unique is that my result was not a time, it was a distance. Yes, ALL participants run for 33 minutes and 20 seconds, the winner is the one who runs the farthest. Lap counters in the stands count the laps for each runner and the one who runs the most laps wins. When the gun sounds at 33:20, everyone stops where they are, bends over desperately gasping for air, and waits while the race officials come around with a measuring wheel, measuring the distance of the last partial lap to be added later to the # of complete laps recorded by the lap counters. Make sense? It still blows my mind. All I can say is congratulations to Terlingua Running Club for pulling off this unique event

It was great to see fellow Clydesdale Joe Carey who took 3rd place in our division. Talking to old friends and just being around the running scene really got me motivated. Looking at Bill's pictures of me running did a lot to motivate me as well. I'm really not wearing those extra lbs. very well. :) Still, I'm staring out my office door at my "About Vic" profile hanging in the hallway with all my other team members'. It has my picture on it and a little blurb about me and "What I enjoy..." I don't even recognize the person in that picture. Oh, and I need to make a correction in my bio where it says, "I'd like to run a marathon someday."

While I'm at this post, let me get to some congratulations that I've been meaning to hand out. First of all, congratulations to Sarah for kicking butt at her first Half Ironman. What an accomplishment!!! I'm so proud of you, Sarah. Also, great job Dusty on the incredible weight loss since I've seen January. You're looking good buddy. Congratulations and best of luck to all of you running Boston this weekend. I know I'm forgetting many so forgive me but I wish Matt, Barbara, SteveS, and my cousin, Robert a safe and fun race in Boston. SteveB, the race will be televised on Versus (formerly OLN). I only tell you this because this will be your last year to watch it on TV. Next year, I'll be watching YOU!!!

edited: OMG!!! I'm really stupid. I just visited the website to look for results and figured out where they got 33:20 from. The name of the race is the LP run. As in Long Play(ing). As in a old record album. As in 33 1/3 RPM. As in record speed on an old turntable. Ok, now I get it. DUH!!!

Behind!

No this post is not about my behind, although that would be a HUGE topic!!! I'm talking about how far behind I am with my 2007 weight loss and running goals. Not to worry, though. I'm not so far behind that my goals are out of reach. So, where am I?

Well, regarding my goal to lose 75 lbs. by the end of 2007, I'm WAAAAAY behind on that one. To achieve that goal, that would have been a reasonable 1.4 lbs. per week. I'm currently 9 lbs. over where I started the year so now, I'm looking at losing 84 lbs. by Dec. 31st. Now, with 39 weeks left in the year, I'm staring at a little over 2 lbs. per weeks weight loss. That's basically just a ~1,000 calorie per day deficit so that is still highly achieveable.

My running has not been consistent and I haven't been in "training mode" for over a month now. The week beginning March 5 was my last 20+ mile week. Since then, my weekly totals have been 15, 5, 8, and 3 this week, definitely not the log any distance runner would be proud of. I'm currently a little less than 40 miles off pace of my 2007 goal of 1008 miles for the year. I came up with the 1008 number, twice my 2006 miles, as a conservative but reasonable goal. All things considered, I'm not that far off of this goal and still have plenty of time to make it. One thing I must not do though is to get back out there too quickly and think I can start cranking out 25, 30+ mile weeks after being on the couch so much the last month or so. No, I haven't lost ALL my fitness and strength but I most certainly have lost some and I need to ease back into things.

I'm tring to get positive here. Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts! I've slipped a bit since January but I haven't fallen completely into the abyss. It's time to regroup, refocus, and get to work.

I did an easy 3 miles around the neighborhood yesterday. My time was a little over 42 minutes with an average pace of ~14:00 minutes/mile. I took it real easy, just wanting to remind my legs how it feels. Legs said it felt good. I hate to use (abuse) cliche's but looks like I'M BAAAACK!, at least I feel like I am. See y'all at the LP run on Wednesday.

Extra Baggage

I just walked in the door after a week in Kansas City for some work-related training. My first stop after getting hugs and kisses a-plenty was the bathroom scale. It looks like I brought home some extra baggage, about 10 lbs. worth. Could that be right? I think it actually IS right. I joked around with my classmates this week that I was consuming TWICE the calories I normally consume at home. Well, today's results now show that it wasn't a joke at all. If fact, it was more likely a very conservative estimate.

I HATE TRAVELING!!!

Back to work!!!

Burnin' Rubber in KC

Well, maybe "Burnin' Quads in KC" would be a more a propos title. I set out from the Hyatt last night for an easy 3-5 miles, just wanting to take it easy and explore a bit. Instead of running into the heart of downtown towards the Missouri River, I decided to stay to the south, near the hotel.

Through a quarter mile, I was feeling my oats, not having run since Saturday. Turning south onto Main St., a foreboding hill appeared suddenly before me. Part of me really wanted to just keep heading west and skip the hill but I was sort of trapped by the tangle of intersecting freeways and underpasses in that direction. So, my choice was to backtrack or take the hill. I took the hill.

Obviously, I slowed to a crawl as I trudged up the hill. Still, not an "old Vic" crawl but rather a steady, strong 14 minute/mile push. I looked for relief at each intersection, hoping that the sidestreets would provide a recovery, but at every light, the climb continued. It was like Main street was in the trough of a big drainage pipe.

I finally came to the crest of the hill and turned to the left, onto rolling neighborhood streets. It was a beautiful evening. The neighborhoods were decorated with a variety of flowering trees. Pink, white, even purple. In total, I think I climbed steadily for about 1 mile. My thighs definitely were spent. Still, I kept thinking that what comes up must come down. The route back to the hotel took me down a very short stretch of steep, steep downhill. Then, the rest of the trip back to the hotel was a lot more gentle of a slope than the uphill portions that had just torn my thighs up. I was glad because I didn't really feel like pounding down a long stretch of extreme downhill.

Total miles were just under 3 but it was a good workout. This evening, I think I'll do 3 or 4 easy on the treadmill at the hotel. There's really not any place to run around town that isn't very hilly and I need a recovery day.

Can't wait to get back to the flatlands of Houston.

"20 miles and I feel and look AWESOME!!!"

Before my readers jump for joy for me, you should know that the title of this post didn't come from me. They're from my good friend and inspiration, Reuben, who I ran into (not literally) this morning during my FUN 3 miler. Yes, that's right, 3 miles. Got a problem with that? :o)

Well, let me just get this out of the way because frankly, it's a relief to announce it to the world. The Pig is dead!!! I surrender. I'm not enjoying training for this marathon and I refuse to let my running become a chore. Plus, I don't want to be so wiped out when I return in May that I'm not ready and PUMPED to start training for the BIG SHOW next January. So, lesson learned. I seriously doubt I'll ever opt for a Spring marathon again. I have really missed racing and running with my friends this Spring. Hopefully, there's still time left to have some fun and enjoy getting back to basics. I still may travel to Cinci and do the half. I've already registered and bought my plane ticket. We'll see. I'd like to take hotel and food money and get me one of these:

Like I said, I had a lot of fun this morning. I only did 3 miles but it was a brisk 3. One loop plus change in 37:45, an average 12:35 pace. I pushed it a little but wasn't gasping so I'm qualifying this as an easy run. Well, maybe it was somewhere between easy and tempo. Either way, it was fun to see all the hot and sweaty peeps out there gettin' fit. Looking forward to running in KC this week. I'll be there for work. Later!!!

A Real Recovery Run

Easy 2 miles this morning at about 13:30 pace. The goal this morning was just to get some blood flowing to the legs and to get ready for some good training this week. The aches and pains leftover from Saturday are all but gone. It was a beautiful morning. Good to see Erin out there. Have a great day everyone!!!

Recovering nicely!!!

The nagging pain across my foot that brought me to a slow stroll yesterday at mile 16 seems to have subsided. Just the regular "day after" pain now. The whole family went out for a lovely stroll this evening which served as a nice recovery cross-training session for me. We walked about 1.5 miles in about 25 minutes. Just what the doctor ordered.

I ate well today. No overdoing it. Rang up about 2200 calories. One day at a time, right? So, same thing tomorrow. I hate the ups and downs but I'm really feeling motivated going into this week. The doubts from yesterday seem to have faded a little bit and I'm feeling that there still may be hope for the Pig. I just need to get my expectations for training under control. I need to understand that this isn't November in Houston, TX and the pre-marathon buzz that was so much fun is just not going to be there. I need to just enjoy this weather and figure out how to get through these last few solo long runs before May comes. Fortunately, this is a good week to regroup as it's a cutback week. So, basically, it 3 easy days, a semi-long run, and a 13-miler on Saturday. I can do this.

Thanks coach and Bessie for the encouragement today. And others, too. See you out there.

16 miles. Let HIM out!!!

My goal this morning for my 16 mile run was to work on managing my run. By that, I mean I wanted to plan and manage my breaks and account for them in my splits and work to keep the pace after the breaks while not worrying about "catching up." I wanted to keep my pace between 14:15 and 14:30.

I think I did a pretty good job and I'm pleased with the run overall. Towards the end, I got a severe pain across the top of my foot. I wonder if my shoe was too tight or something. It still hurts tonight. I'm hoping it will go away tonight while I sleep. Here are the splits. As you can see, except for the breaks and the last mile and a half where I had to walk to get to the car, I kept a pretty consistent pace.

Splits - 14:04 / 14:18 / 14:28 / 16:21(extended bathroom break at Post Oak Starbucks) / 15:21(water, stretching at Pilgrim's on San Felipe / 14:20 / 14:22 / 14:25 / 14:30 / 14:23 / 14:45(water) / 14:13 / 15:48(water, bathroom break at Starbuck's on Memorial) / 14:14 / 18:50 / 23:32

I'm really in a funk lately with the running. Actually, it's not the running, it's really just the marathon training. I'm just not excited about this one and frankly tired of worrying about it. Unfortunately and strangely, I didn't enjoy myself this morning at all. I don't know what it is. I'm just not into training for this race. I'm afraid that this is not a good attitude to have just 50 days out from a marathon but I'm just tired.

One of my new goals this year is to "let the runner out." I'm talking about the runner that I know is in me somewhere. I don't know how I'm going to tell when the runner comes out but I know one thing. I'll never see him while I still weigh 295 lbs. And I'm not going to be able to take off this weight if I don't have a positive attitude about my running or if it becomes a chore. Frankly, I'd like to forget about the Pig and just get back to enjoying running, doing some cross training, concentrating on my nutrition, and enjoying my Saturday's again, not spending the whole day in bed after hammering a long, long run.

I know I may feel differently in the morning but right not, I feel like getting back to basics. AND...I miss running and racing with my friends. I'm definitely more motivated when I'm running with friends. Guess I'm a social runner. :o) But these long solo runs and not training with anyone is bumming me out.

I hope this isn't too much of downer post. I'm really ok. I just have some things to think about.

A bad one

Some days you've got it. Some days you don't. I'm not going to sweat it. My 17-miler yesterday was not a good run. Don't know why. I felt good through about 12 miles but fell apart running back along Allen Parkway. I think I need to get reacclimated to the heat and the sun beating down on my head and shoulders.

One thing good that came out of the post 13 mile crash is I practiced a new strategy. Last January, when the urge to quit came, I stopped a lot. Yesterday, I decided when the going got tough to at least do 5/1's a la JulyBug. Rather than just stopping completely and bending over with my hands on my knees, like I wanted to do, I kept putting one foot in front of the other. And even though I was reduced to a jog, I didn't waste any time at a dead standstill.

Frankly, I wish I was in Cincinatti, training in 30 degree temps on the hills and the course that I'm going to be doing the marathon on, getting familiar with the terrain and feeling a little more comfortable about the course. We are planning a tour of the course on Saturday. A driving tour of course. :o)

I'm not real confident in my fitness right now and have a lot of doubts about the marathon. Only this time, I know that's normal. I think my one shot at a stellar race is to be about 12-15 lbs lighter by the time the gun sounds. So, I'm really goign to be concentrating on my calories and nutrition between now and May 6. Hopefully, that will give me the edge I need to PR.

LET HIM OUT!!!

Working on one of my 2007 goals, I carved another notch in my spring volunteer schedule providing CPR/AED support for this morning's Bayou City Classic. The great thing about working these races is that is doesn't seem like work at all. If fact, it's a blast!!!

I got up in the wee hours and made my way downtown, WAY ahead of schedule. I had time to stop for a coffee and made it downtown to our meeting place just in time to see the sun rise on the foggy Houston skyline. It was a beautiful morning. After Dr. Bob issued our gear, I made it over to the start to talk trash with the Striders and check out the way cool centipede costumes. I'm still trying to figure out what Steeeve, Steve, James, Lou, John, Chris, and some others were supposed to be. They were painted head to toe with non-sweat-proof body paint. Some were blue. Some were red. Some were yellow (I think). I think they were supposed to be some kind of candy. Looked like Dots to me. Pony and Barb and company put together a dog sled centipede and were making the most interesting noises. The all looked cute. My favorite (sorry guys) was the snakes on planes centipede featuring Lee, Andrea, and Dusty among others. Oh, and I got to bring 2 of the snakes home for the kids to play with.

On the course, I had a blast, oh, I mean I worked hard. I was so glad to see my running buddy, Jo, making her spring debut after taking a break from the cold weather. She sure hasn't lost a step and ran a great race. Steve Schroeder looked shockingly fast!!! It looked like there was some serious talent out for this one with the winner coming in 31:21. It looks like everyone had a great day, and smiles, trash talking, food, and fun were in no short supply at the post-race festivities.

I had a chance to talk some to David and Jenny who were out riding and taking pictures. We were talking about running and David said something that I've really been thinking about. We were talking about improving as a runner and I was dreaming out loud about a sub-4 hour marathon one day many years from now. We mentioned what incredible progress SteveB had made and I wondered if I would ever reach the kind of potential that SteveB has reached and is still surpassing. David said something that I've really been thinking about. He said, "Vic, there's a runner in there and all you need to do is LET HIM OUT!!!" I think David's just come up with my theme for 2008. If there is a runner in here somewhere, I want to do whatever I can to LET HIM OUT!!! So, look out 2008, I'm coming out!!! Woah, hope no one takes that wrong.

LET HIM OUT!!!

Working on one of my 2007 goals, I carved another notch in my spring volunteer schedule providing CPR/AED support for this morning's Bayou City Classic. The great thing about working these races is that is doesn't seem like work at all. If fact, it's a blast!!!

I got up in the wee hours and made my way downtown, WAY ahead of schedule. I had time to stop for a coffee and made it downtown to our meeting place just in time to see the sun rise on the foggy Houston skyline. It was a beautiful morning. After Dr. Bob issued our gear, I made it over to the start to talk trash with the Striders and check out the way cool centipede costumes. I'm still trying to figure out what Steeeve, Steve, James, Lou, John, Chris, and some others were supposed to be. They were painted head to toe with non-sweat-proof body paint. Some were blue. Some were red. Some were yellow (I think). I think they were supposed to be some kind of candy. Looked like Dots to me. Pony and Barb and company put together a dog sled centipede and were making the most interesting noises. The all looked cute. My favorite (sorry guys) was the snakes on planes centipede featuring Lee, Andrea, and Dusty among others. Oh, and I got to bring 2 of the snakes home for the kids to play with.

On the course, I had a blast, oh, I mean I worked hard. I was so glad to see my running buddy, Jo, making her spring debut after taking a break from the cold weather. She sure hasn't lost a step and ran a great race. Steve Schroeder looked shockingly fast!!! It looked like there was some serious talent out for this one with the winner coming in 31:21. It looks like everyone had a great day, and smiles, trash talking, food, and fun were in no short supply at the post-race festivities.

I had a chance to talk some to David and Jenny who were out riding and taking pictures. We were talking about running and David said something that I've really been thinking about. We were talking about improving as a runner and I was dreaming out loud about a sub-4 hour marathon one day many years from now. We mentioned what incredible progress SteveB had made and I wondered if I would ever reach the kind of potential that SteveB has reached and is still surpassing. David said something that I've really been thinking about. He said, "Vic, there's a runner in there and all you need to do is LET HIM OUT!!!" I think David's just come up with my theme for 2008. If there is a runner in here somewhere, I want to do whatever I can to LET HIM OUT!!! So, look out 2008, I'm coming out!!! Woah, hope no one takes that wrong.

What's going on with ME?

This morning's 8-miler left me dumbfounded. I don't quite know what to think. What's gotten into me? I just don't know.

First of all let me clarify the graphic from yesterday's post. It may look hilly but it was by no means hilly in the tru sense of the word. Be sure to look at the scale on the side. Also, realize the the whole 3 miles was compressed to fit the X-axis so it looks more drastic than it really was. Plus, the accuracy of the Garmin on such a gentle slope is questionable. The only meaningful part of that graphic is that it sort of shows where the incline starts and how far it lasts until it levels off. That's all.

Now, on to this morning's run. Well, for the first time in a long time, I awoke with some motivation. No snooze. Up on the first alarm. I had a quick breakfast and headed out. I had 8 miles on the schedule for this morning and the weather was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. I figured since I ran pretty hard last night that this would just be an easy, mid-long run at my LSD effort. After stretching, I took off and felt pretty good, pretty strong. I had an awesome run! Not a lot to say so I'll let the stats speak for themselves.

Total distance - 8.0 miles
Total time - 1:42:01
Splits - 13:47 / 13:22 / 12:48 / 12:34 / 12:33 / 12:25 / 12:37 / 11:52
Avg. pace - 12:45

That last mile was for you, coach. Very manly, huh?

So, this run has me perplexed. I just wonder why, after several weeks of slacking, lack of motivation, sore ankles, not feeling like getting up in the morning, putting on a few extra pounds, do I all of a sudden feel like a million bucks? It's like I'M BACK!!! What made the difference?

Is it possible that I'm just NOW starting to feel my oats after the marathon? Could it really take 7 weeks to recover from that beating? I wonder. Regardless, I'm feeling good and back it full training mode. No more hard running this week until Saturday's 17-miler. I'll sneak in an easy 4 miler tomorrow and maybe a 60-90 minute run on Thursday.

Piddly little 3 miles and a new fun route

The times I've run in my neighborhood, I've usually made things a little more complicated than they needed to be. I'm always making a turn and then doubling back or tacking on a loop around one of the lakes. That's fine and dandy if I'm out on an adventure and not really concerned with getting back home to wash clothes, eat supper, help the kids with homework, visit with DW, etc. Tonight, I needed something straightforward. Just a simple, Memorial Park-like loop that I could run and just get 'er done.

I think in running this route tonight that I may have stumbled on a pretty good workout and that I'll be running this a lot. The "fun" part of the loop comes at about the 1.75 mile point, just as I'm getting warmed up. The street starts this gentle incline that continues for a little under half a mile. It's nothing drastic but right at the end, maybe the last 300 yards or so, the grade increases just a bit and then levels off at the cul-de-sac. Makes for a nice little mini-tempo/hill leg and makes for a well-deserved cooldown that last mile. Here's a graphic of the elevation.

So, here are the stats
Total distance - 3.0 miles
Total time - 39:11 Splits - 13:17 / 12:35 / 13:17
Average pace - 13:04

I'm feeling pretty good, especially considering the ~16 miler on Saturday. Actually, I FEEL GREAT!!! I only did 3 tonight because I'm planning on 8 in the morning. Which brings me to goodnight!!!

Oh, now I remember...

It's all coming back to me now. Spending Saturday afternoon in bed because I can't walk. Being so hungry I could eat a horse. Cramps. Aches. Pains. It's the Saturday long run, now showing at a theater near you.

I finally got that 15 miler in that I was supposed to do last weekend. Actually, it was 15.75 which comes awful close to 16 in some people's log books. I got a very civilized start at around 8 am. I wanted to start a lot earlier but for some reason my alarm clock was on PM and not AM. At least I was rested.

All went well. I did a modified River Oaks plus GRB route, then back the long way to the tennis center. The modification to the River Oaks leg took me down a couple of wrong turns. It was nice though. What a beautiful part of Houston. The lawns and flowers were in peak shape and the homes are so beautiful. I'm kind of glad I got lost a bit. I saw some areas I'd never seen before. The deeper you get into River Oaks, the more beautiful and BIG the homes seem to get. Oh, and the GRB leg wasnt' quite to GRB. I turned around at the Sabine bridge after a drink and a Gu.

I made it to Shepard and Kirby feeling GREAT!!! I decided on the out that I would take a little different approach to the hills than I usually do. I'm usually shuffling up even the slightest incline, maintaining my effort to the top. Today, I attacked those hills. No, not a sprint but just a strong push up, maintaining my pace all the way. It really felt good but I ended up paying for it during miles 14-15.

Another familiar feeling that I havent' experienced since January 14th was the urge to just quit. I was really feeling it by the time I got to the Memorial loop. I resisted the urge to run the short leg back to the tennis center and headed on around the long way, sticking to the plan. I'm glad I did. I've cut too many runs short since January and it was a good feeling to finish one.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 15.75 miles
Total time - 3:47:52
Splits - 14:26 / 14:06 / 13:47 / 14:37 / 14:24 / 14:22 / 14:25 / 14:23 / 13:56 / 14:17 / 13:43 / 15:20 / 15:04 / 14:50 / 15:12 / 10:52 (15:00 pace)
Average pace - 14:29

I also did something different on my splits and recording my time. I usually stop my Garmin when I stop for water or stop for a stretch or to use the bathroom. Today, I just let it run. I think that's more in line with an actual race and also keeps things real. I know coach bragged in a comment a couple of weeks ago about my sub-14 average pace for 14 miles but that actually was a bit misleading since I stopped the Garmin at every break. I need to keep it more real so that I know what to expect come race day (if that makes sense).

Get lost!!

When things get a little tough, when motivation is hard to come by, GET LOST!!! Well, that's what I did not long after my previous post below. I decided to do some stretching, put on my shoes, and just head out the front door to run. No plan, no goal. Just run!

I frankly didn't know if I was going to do 5 or 15 miles. I'm on call this weekend so I just took my beeper and my cell phone and took off. I ran through uncharted parts of Fairfield, often running into dead ends and having to backtrack. The weather was warm and my low mileage this week had me feeling good. I ran for about 3 miles and then decided I'd run to the Athletic Center for some weight training. Another mile and I arrived at the AC for some chest and shoulder work. After about 30 minutes of working out, I cooled off with a mile run back to the house.

I really had a blast today. It felt good to just run and it felt even better to not worry about how far I was from home or how long it was going to take me to get back. It's definitely a good feeling to know that I could run for 10, 11, 13+ miles, no problem. I remember the days when I'd be "afraid" to venture too far out for fear I'd struggle to make the return trip. The confidence I have feels good.

A little rest tomorrow and maybe a little yard work. Then, I plan to go long on Monday evening. If I count my planned long run on Monday with this week's miles, that still puts me at 26 miles for the week, 2 more than last week. I guess the point is that I'm not as far off track with my training as I thought. Steady as she goes!!!

Disappointing week

I thought this week that posting my workout plan for the week on Monday like Barbara does would help keep me accountable. Well, yes, I am accountable. Everyone knew my plan and now everyone knows that I totally blew off my miles this week. And, this week, 11 weeks out from my marathon, is not the time to get complacent.

Marathon training, for me, takes a lot of energy, not just the physical energy of a weekly running schedule but a mental and spiritual energy as well. This week, and frankly since the second week of January, the mental and spiritual energy hasn't been there for me, at least where running is concerned. I wonder if I used it all up last fall. One difference presently is that some good things are happening at work and I'm really in a groove with my job. Instead of thinking every waking moment about my workouts and running goals, like last fall, I find myself engrossed in my work, thinking about the discussions from the day and what's going on tomorrow. We're in the middle of a big conversion at work and we're dealing with deadlines, politics, keeping everyone informed. Preparing for this go-live is kind of like preparing for a marathon. And this go-live is more than 12 months away. Anyway, needless to say, I'm a bit preoccupied with work.

So, no questions about how to make up for this week. I've learned those lessons. I know that missing my 15 miler this week is probably the only thing that hurt me but I'm not going to try to make it up. Actuallly, I could try to get it in Monday evening and not be that far off track. I think that would be better than skipping it altogether. Next week is a cutback week so I could get my 15 miler in on Monday and then be left with and easy 11 miler for my long run next weekend. Maybe I can make it work. The thing I'm worried about more is my motivation. I've got to find it again. I will!

This week on Run4YourLife

Last week's planned 37 mile week turned into a 24 mile week for a lot of silly reasons. Still, it wasn't a bad week. I had a great sub-13 m/mi 7 miler on Tuesday and a very decent long run on Saturday that I'm very pleased with. Plus, 24 is still my highest weekly mileage since the marathon so I still feel like I'm going forward. The exra rest on Wednesday and Thursday did me good I think as I was feeling just a bit dinged up.

I started this week in good fashion this morning with an easy 3 miler at Memorial Park. The weather continues to be perfect and I banged out 3 at average 13:50 pace. I classify this as a recovery run so nothing too hard. I really felt in the groove just as I was nearing mile 3. I looked at my watch and realized that it was getting late. Again, I got a late start. I'm getting way too civilized! So, I unashamedly gave that 4th mile back to the running gods, never to be seen again.

The plan for the rest of the week calls for some major, early AM incivility.

Monday - 3 mile recovery run
Tuesday - 7 miles easy (crack of dawn due to evening obligations)
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 7 miles easy
Friday - 15 mile LSD (so crack of dawn it could almost be counted with Thursday's miles)
Saturday - Rest or cross
Sunday - 4 miles recovery
Total miles for week ending 2/25 - 36 miles

Friday is going to be very uncivilized, trying to get 15 miles in before work starts at 8 am. I'm on call this weekend so I don't want to gamble on trying to get my long run in on Saturday or Sunday morning. It'll take me between 3:30 and 3:45 so that means I need to start around 3 am. Crap, that's just stupid. It's the only thing I don't like about my job, being on call. I may be able to have someone cover for me until 9 or 10 so that I don't have to start my run so early. We'll see.

Perfect Day

Yesterday (Saturday), was absolutely THE perfect day of for running so far in 2007. Not only was the weather perfect but and awesome group of Striders were out in force to lay some sole through Bear Creek park.

My schedule called for 14 easy miles. So, I was going to start around 5:30 or 5:45 and do the Big Bear Creek route with an extra lap around the soccer fields and finish ~about~ the time the rest of the Striders were completing 11. My start was a little TOO civilized though with a 7:45 arrival and the prospect of timing my finish with the Striders pretty much out the door.

I knew I would at least get to see the Strider pack out on the course and talk a little trash, even if it was just for a brief, passing moment. But much to my surprise and luck, Bill drove up very civilized, like me. For Bill, it wasn't laziness or wanting to sleep later. He actually thought for some strange reson that the Striders were starting at 8, not at 7. I say lucky for me because Speedy "Bill" Gonzalez was more than happy to run easy, providing me a rare running partner for my long run.

I had a great run. The weather was perfect and Bill and I talked trash for the better part of 2 and a half hours. When we ran into the Strider pack, there were reports that the back side of the park was flooded so Bill and I decided to finish our loop in Bear Creek, head back to the parking lot for 2 minutes of recovery and trash talking with the Striders, then 2.5 out Cullen and back, and repeat the Bear Creek loop. I felt good the entire run. My splits were all over the place but I stopped a few times for water. After those breaks, I felt good and always seemed to restart a little faster than when I stopped.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 14 miles
Total time - 3:15:21
Splits - 14:10 / 13:50 / 13:52 / 14:23 / 14:02 / 13:45 / 13:31 / 13:54 / 14:22 / 14:09 / 13:28 / 13:46 / 14:15 / 13:48
Average pace - 13:57

This ended up being a bit faster than expected but the temps made for an easier effort. If I'm remembering right, this 14 miles sure came a lot easier than the last time I attempted that distance. Actually, looking back just now at my logs, yesterday was my FIRST attempt at the 14 mile distance. Last Fall, I jumped from 13 to the 25K with a 10 miler in between. My pace for the 25K was 14:05 and that put me down for a couple of days. The day after this 14 miles, I'm actually feeling like going out before supper for an easy 3. Well, it's progress. I sure like looking back at my logs and blog and seeing where I've been. That's fun.

Decisions, decisions...

I know I promised that this week was all about the miles and no quality stuff. But last night was too perfect and I was feeling mighty frisky so I had to make a decision. Do I follow Hal's program and do my regular mid-week, medium-long run at an easy LSD effort? Or, do I do a shorter, speed workout and get some quality in this week? Medium-long run or speed work? Oh, the decisions that must be made.

Not being able to decide, I did a medium-long tempo run. The best of both worlds. 7 miles at ~10K effort. Man, did that feel good! Here are the stats:

Venue - Memorial Park loop
Total distance - 7.0 miles
Total time - 1:29:14
Splits - 12:51 / 13:08 / 12:55 / 12:39 / 12:45 / 12:30 / 12:23
Average pace - 12:45

Despite the quick(er) splits and the intention to kick it up a few notches, I was conversational the entire run. I was huffing a bit that last mile but finished strong, not gasping and bent over like a mile time trial or anything like that. It was just a good, hard run.

I had the good fortune of seeing Steve out there a couple of times. Glad Steve decided to come out. After the run, we made our way over to Bubba's for another well-attended Strider's meeting. When I say well-attended, I mean we pretty much filled every chair in the joint. A good time was had by all and the HRM lecture was just dandy. At the meeting, Steeeve announced that the Strider's are funding this nice, little project to install mile markers along the Terry Hershey trails. I say little project facetiously. It's actually thousands of dollars that the Striders are contributing to give back to the running community. The money for the project was raised from hosting the RRCA national convention last year. I'm so proud of my club and proud to be a Houston Strider.

37 turns to 36 early

Well, my planned 37 mile week has already turned into a 36 mile weeks with cutting my 4 miler short yesterday. It was the day after a long run and I didn't want to push a recovery run past 45 minutes so 3 it was.

I was one of just 3 or 4 runners out braving the rain to get our daily dose. I did about 14:20 pace through the puddles and very soft trail. Overall, a good run. Looking forward to the Strider's meeting tonght at Bubba's. I'm gonna try to get out of here around 4 to get my 7 in before the meeting.

Feelin' Fine

When the feet hit the floor this morning, they felt like a million bucks. I'm really glad I did those 9 yesterday.

I finished the week a little short of goal with only 15 total miles. Still, it was a cutback week and I had a good long run so I think I'm in good shape. I'll be moving my schedule back a day as Sunday mornings are going away. We're going to start going to church on Sunday mornings instead of Saturday nights. Guess that won't be a problem until the Fall races come around again. It's nice to go to a church that has 15 services every weekend so we can be flexible.

So, the plan this week:
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 7 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - Rest
Friday - 7 miles at MP
Saturday - 14 miles easy peazy
Sunday - cross training

I've really given myself 2 options on the Saturday long run. The schedule I'm following says 14 but I've got no problem with 11 or 12 if I ain't feeling it. The acutal schedule ramps up pretty quickly on the long runs and includes two 20-mile runs before taper. I've got the option to smooth that out a bit and work up more gradually to a single 20-mile run, 3 weeks out. Keeping it flexible.

By the way, with this week's schedule, including the 14-miler, I'll be at 37 miles by week's end, a new weekly distance record. Ambitious, huh? So, the focus this week is on just doing the miles. No kickers. No manly 11-minute miles at the end of my easy runs. Maybe a few strides here and there. :o) Marathon recovery is OVER!!! Let's get it on.

It's official

Well, it's official! I'm declaring officially that I've gained weight. No, this isn't just day to day fluctuations. This is a bonifide, real-life weight gain. It's not too drastic of a gain, maybe 3-5 pounds but IT STOPS HERE!!! I know the reasons for the gain. It's nothing magical, nothing emotional, nothing but the simple fact that I've been consuming more calories than I'm burning. So, I'm putting an end to this right now. TODAY!!! Anyone doubt me? I wouldn't bet against me if I were you. :o)

Despite several things working against me this morning, I had a delightfully fanfriggintastic 9-miler this morning. First of all, the mexican food we ate after church last night, around 9 pm, was still sitting in my stomach like a ton of bricks. Then, I woke up this morning with the sniffles and some congestion and contemplated staying in bed. Fortunately, something inside me said, "Get your big butt out of bed."

Since the Wallow, I've had this nagging pain in my ankle. Not the bad ankle, the good ankle. And guess what. It's the same area where I had problems with the other ankle for so long. Still, this is different. The pain's not always there and it doesn't hurt when I run, only when I'm stretching. When I got to Terry Hershey park this morning, I started my stretching routine and had a horrific flashback as the pain in the side of my ankle (it's actually the peroneus longus/brevis) was back, this time on my one, good ankle. I acutally got in my car, started the ignition and drove off. I got to Hwy 6 and said, "Screw it!", made a u-turn and headed BACK to the park. I finished stretching and took off.

Good news! The ankle felt fine and the weather was PERFECT!!! I had made the right decision. I ran west from the gazebo to Hwy 6. This is normally my 10 mile route so I turned around at the water fountain just short of Hwy. 6. Then to Kirkwood and back home. Lots of friendly faces. I stopped short of Dairy Ashford for hugs from Barb and Nancy. It was just a perfect morning. The further into the run, the stronger I felt. I played around a lot, running over on the grass, picking up the pace on occasion going up a hill, stopping for water, taking in the sights. I took one detour between Dairy Ashford and Kirwood, running up on top on what I call the jeep trail, then back on the path on the way home.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 9.12 miles
Splits (inclulde water breaks) - 14:34 / 14:49 / 14:12 / 14:01 / 14:18 / 14:27 / 14:10 / 14:10 / 13:31
short cooldown - the last .12 miles - 1:46 (14:45 pace)
Average pace - 14:16

On the way home, I spotted the Shepards' vehicle at Starbucks and indulged in some awesome Strider trash talking. Overall, a great morning.

Nice weather tonight

I haven't run since Tuesday so I was itchin' to get it on after work tonight. I made it over to Memorial Park after a haircut, got changed, stretched, and was on my way.

The plan was to just run easy, maybe at around marathon pace, for 3 miles. I did 2 and a little more at an average 13:40 pace and then something came over me. I've been thinking about the 36:45 5K I ran back in January of 2005, before my ankle went totally to crap. To date, that is by far the best race I've ever run. So, I've been wondering if given my current fitness, coming off the marathon, I would be able to touch that time for the 5K distance. To be honest, I really had no idea what that pace (~11:50) really feels like since most of my running this past year has been 13-15 minute pace.

So, after 2.2 miles, I hit the lap button and picked it up a notch to what might be 5K effort. I did the last mile in 11:34. Even though I was breathing hard, I felt like that effort could possibly be sustained for ~3 miles. So, if I had to bet, I'd say I've got a sub-36 in me right now, given the right conditions. But, we'll never know. I really don't have any 5K on the schedule until next Fall's Fired Up 5K in Sugarland. Racing on the weekend right now just wouldn't be prudent with my long runs ramping up as the Pig approaches fast. Still, that 11:34 mile really felt good and really got me wanting to do a 5K. Patience, I guess.

Out of control

Some observers from the Wallow have commented to me that they were worried about me going DOWN the hills. They worried that I was going too fast and was out of control. Frankly, that's how I thought you were supposed to go down hills, perpendicular to the ground with an exaggerated kick after toe off, lengthening your stride and "coasting." Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong and I'll put on the breaks next time. :o)

Ok, this sucks!!!

First of all, Blogger finally went and did it. They forced me to switch to new blogger, aka, Blogger Beta. It's a quirky platform and I've never liked it but it wouldn't let me go to my dashboard without switching.

In other wierd news, I dreamed last night that I was sick and had a terrible sore throat. I remember thinking in my dream that I was going to call in to work and that it was going to be a hassle trying to get someone to cover for me since I was on call today. And I remember from the dream re-setting my alarm clock to 5:45 which is the time I needed to get the first kiddo up to get ready for school. Well, turns out THAT part was real and I didn't get up at 4 to go running. And now that I'm on call, I don't see how I'm gonna fit a run in this evening. Wifeypoo is doing something at church tonight so I'm home with the munchkins doing homework, dinner, baths, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.,

By the way, would someone please remind me of what my focus is supposed to be right now and of the #1 thing that will improve my running? Please!!! Please!!! Remind me that losing weight is my focus right now. Not speedwork, not tempo runs, not hill work, not anything else but losing weight. That being the case, why would I opt for a short(er) interval workout that burns 885 calories over a 5-6 mile, easy run that burns well over 1100 calories? On the other hand, it's just an extra 200 calories to do the long(er) run and I could adjust my intake to make up for that. And the speedwork does add some much needed variety to my schedule which can only help me to enjoy myself more and therefore run more and therefore continue to burn calories. Think I'll stick with plan A. I'm such a dork!!!

Recovery miles

I did 3 easy miles this morning. The weather was perfect. I was sore from the weekend but finished with no problems. I would have liked to have slowed down a bit more but felt comfortable at about 14:18 pace. Guess the weather had a lot to do with it. I'm sporting a new pair of Nimubus that Luke's replaced as the old pair were wearing like they were too wide. Felix defected the old pair out which had 180 miles on them and gave me a brand new pair. I downsized 1/2 a size and they felt great.

Speedwork tomorrow.

Afternoon delight!

Even the best plans don't always come to fruition. I had a perfectly HARD weekend planned with the Buffalo Wallow race on Saturday and 10-12 miles of hills on Sunday morning with the Striders. On Saturday, though, wifey-poo told me that she invited the neighbors to come to church with us on Sunday morning. Originally, I had planned on going to church on Saturday night and going long in Sealy early Sunday morning but I wanted to join in the fun with our guests on Sunday so a Sunday afternoon long run was force upon me. This was the first time I had ever done my long run in the afternoon so it was a bit of learning experience being out of my routine.

I chose TH park for the venue. I really love running out there and the hill are good prep for the Pig. It was a most beautiful day, the one I know June's been waiting for and the afternoon provided lots of sunshine and warmth.

The garmin was dead and there are no mile markers at TH park (although Steeeve could give you distances within 5-10 feet at any point on the trail) so I had the unique opportunity to JUST RUN. And that's what I did. I just ran. I knew from my Fit days that 10 miles was out to Hwy 6 parking lot, then back to Wilcrest and in to the finish. I threw in the keyhole loop for good measure. I don't have a clue how long that is. I think it's ~.18 or something like that.

After about 30 minutes into the run, I was feeling drained. No energy! I realized that I had not really eaten much for breakfast and only a clif bar and gatorade for lunch. I made it to the water fountain just before Hwy 6 and had a Gu. I don't think I've ever really felt such a boost from Gu'ing before. By the time I reached the underpass at 6, I was feeling frisky again. It was like BAM!!! When that Gu hit, I felt fine. Pretty cool.

I really took my time on this run and felt like I was running very easy. I was feeling the Wallow from yesterday in some very unfamiliar places, like the arches of my feet and my butt and especially my knees. Obviously the hills took their toll. Still, I don't feel like I wandered at all into the abuse/overuse side of training. Sure, these double runs on the weekend are stressing me in new ways but I continue to listen to my body and be flexible with my training schedule. Speaking of flexibility, Hal called for 12 today but I opted for 10, knowing that the Wallow was a tough race plus the TH hills were an added stress on top of that, not to mention I'm only 3 weeks out from the marathon and officially still recovering.

My total time, not including water stops and a couple of 1 - 1.5 minute stretching sessions was 2:25:48. That's ~14:20-14:25 pace, probably closer to 14:45 if I include the breaks which is just perfect for my long runs. Moreover, the effort remained easy and conversational.

One thing...there are sure a TON of bikers out on the TH trails after morning passes. I mean many, many bikes and some of them are going FAST!!! I witnessed two separate pileups and the park ranger had to drive his cart out twice to pick up injured folks and their bikes. It's nice that that kind of help is available in the park, but I guess you have to call 911 to access it. It can be dangerous out there, especially for kids, but for the most part, people were courteous. But, accidents DO happen.

It's good now to have sore legs and feel like I trained hard this weekend. I haven't really been sore at all since the thon and I'm ready to feel the pain again.

See the Mud! Be the Mud!

With all the rain we've had over the past 2 weeks, I had my doubts about how this race was going to go off. I kept flashing back to photos from the Tour de Bayou where the runners were bounding through calf-deep water without missing a stride. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on whether or not you're a "real" trail runner, the two days before the race helped to dry out the course with the exception of a just couple of muddy bogs.

One of my goals for 2007 was to PR at ALL previous race distances. Since the number 6.3K trail runs doesn't seem to be growing, I knew this may be my once chance to stay on target with this goal. The last and only time I ran the Buffalo Wallow was Spring of 2005 and my time was 52:04. This was the last event I ran before the pain in my ankle became too unbearable to run on and I had to have surgery later that year.

Strategy for the race was to hold a slightly easier than 5K effort, walking up the hills to save my energy, going perpendicular on the down side, and to pushing it on the second half of each of the 3 loops. The hills were mostly on the first part of the course and were short and quite steep. My plan for the few muddy parts of the course was to throw caution (and cleanliness) to the wind and just go straight through it like it wasn't even there.

It's kind of disconcerting when you're in a race and already breathing hard after just 5 minutes. The hills were tough from even the get go but the flat parts on the second half of the loop provided much needed recovery. I told Erin after the race that the course was tough but I really felt at home running on the flat portion up along Allen Parkway. I'm still learning, too, how to pace myself for various distances and venues. I'd like to get to where I don't leave anything out there on the course. I don't want to burn out too early but waiting until the last .5 mile to pour it on isn't the way to do it either. I think I ran this race well, right on that edge between burning out too early and being too conservative.

Oh, my time. Well, I ended up with a finishing time of 48:57, a 3:07 PR. I'll take it. Take it? I'm thrilled. Mission WAY accomplished!!!

Congratualtions to the Houston Harriers for putting on a very fun event. The chip timing was new this year, even without an increase in cost. This is the best $10 race I've ever done. Of course, the Striders were out in force, despite this not being one of the Strider "biggies." The weather made for much frivolity and trash talking after the race. Overall, an awesome day in the mud.