The Latrine Squat...Otherwise Knows as the Third World Squat

Again, I have nothing to say about this, other than it appears to be a really good stretch to help increase flexibility and engage your gluteal muscles, which may help with running.  Hmm, might be worth a try.

• The Third World Squat
• The Latrine Squat

Cortisol

Don't have much to say about it, other than I want to make a blog post so I don't forget about it.  It could be a cause of lingering abdominal fat.  It's a stress hormone.  Stress makes our bodies produce it more readily.  So does excessive exercise.  Cortisol also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which I have a problem with. I'm a very stressed out guy, and I run, a LOT.  Hmm, could an excess amount of cortisol be my problem?

• An Interesting Article on Cortisol

3 Marathons, 3 States, in 8 Days

The Reader's Digest Condensed Version:  I just completed back to back marathons in Kansas City and Des Moines, on Saturday and Sunday (10/16 and 10/17), which was just 1 week after the Chicago Marathon on 10/10.  3:49, 4:17, and 4:19 respectively, and I feel great.  No injuries.  That's 3 marathons, 3 states, in 8 days.  Yes, I'm being fitted for a straight jacket tomorrow.

Disclaimer:  I take full responsibility for what I do to my body, but do not suggest anyone else do this based on my results.  I got lucky. 

Oh, here's the really long, and Non Reader's Digest Condensed and boring part.

What's the Point:  Well, why not.  After seeing a couple of friends complete back to back marathons in June, I kind of got the bug, and by mid July, had decided that I wanted to end my fall training cycle with something that was borderline insane.  At the same time, I didn't really reveal my plan to anyone incase I happened to bonk.  I figured if I failed, it was nobody's business but my own, and I was willing to take the risk. Plus, it would be a 5-star upgrade in the Marathon Maniacs club that I'm part of, and I just thought it would be something fun and wild to try, let alone complete. The only problem, I couldn't really train for it since I wasn't changing my plan for the Chicago race.  I had to have faith that a summer of 50 to 60 mpw would be enough.

Recovery between Chicago and Des Moines:  Immediately after the Chicago race last week, I was in recovery full swing.  I walked a ton.  2, 3, 4, miles a day.  I ran a couple of slow miles here and there.  I stretched a lot.  I foam rolled and used the stick everyday. I got a massage.  I sat in the hot tub every day and took very hot showers.  It all worked.  7 days later, I felt very good.  I was ready to give it a go. My left leg was just slightly tight, but nothing major at all.

Kansas City Marathon:  Nervous as all get out (or scared), I toed the line to see what I could do.  The weather was beautiful, and it was a great race, although it was extremely hilly.  The hills also scared me a LOT, afraid that they would give me an injury.  I used a run/walk strategy, running for a mile or so, then walking for a minute, and used it from the very beginning, trying to walk the uphills when I could.  Shins hurt a bit a first, and my left foot hurt a bit occasionally, but it all loosened up within a few miles.  It was hard, but I got a finish with 4:17 and change.  Not bad.  It also scared me that I perhaps ran it too fast, as I had another marathon to do tomorrow. I had absolutely no goal time for this race other than a finish.

Recovery between Kansas City and Des Moines:  I was not looking forward to the 3 hour drive between the 2 cities.  But immediately after the race, I got a cold water bath at the gym, and then started pushing calories.  Chocolate milk, bread, protein, regular soda, crackers, the works.  Every 30 minutes or so, I got out of the car at a rest stop or gas station, and walked 1/2 mile or so and stretched.  Did this all the way to Des Moines.  Did another cold water bath once I got to my hotel in Des Moines, and continued to push calories and carbs. I think I ate more calories in 8 hours than I did the entire previous day. Everything felt pretty good, but my left leg felt tweaked.  More importantly, I crashed hard and got a full 8 hours of solid sleep.

The Kansas City Numbers:  Note the pace, doing a run/walk from the beginning. And note the hills, I do not like hills.



1 race down, 1 to go, feeling good:



Des Moines Marathon: I woke up with lot of self doubt, although I felt amazingly fresh.  My entire body was NOT sore, except for my left hamstring which was tweaked just a bit and tight.  I toed the line with a running friend, who helped calm my nerves and also gave me a boost of confidence.  I ran the second race just like the first, doing a run/walk strategy, walking the hills when I could. The weather was absolutely perfect.  Des Moines has such a beautiful course.   The left hamstring which was tight, loosened up completely about a mile in, so I would run a few minutes, walk a minute, rinse and repeat. Again, I had no time goal whatsoever for this race other than a finish.   By about mile 21, I was done though.  I wanted this adventure to be OVER and I almost walked off the course.  But I slogged out the last few miles, and finished with my head held high and a huge smile on my face.  Only 2 minutes slower than the day before, with 4:19 and change.  I was amazed that I could do that, I thought it would be much slower.

The Des Moines numbers:  Again, note the pace using a run/walk strategy. Not as hilly as Kansas City, and all the major hills were done by mile 8.



Mission Accomplished:  Three marathons, three states, in eight days, and a 5-star Marathon Maniac upgrade, with NO injuries.



I did it. And I had a lot of fun.  Yes, it was very hard and there was a big risk for an injury, but at the same time, it was very rewarding and a significant challenge.  2 years ago, I was not a runner.  But I fell in love with running, and now it is one of my true passions.  I've pushed my limits, tested my fortitude, and have worked hard to achieve my goals.  I've made significant improvements in my race times, and have made solid gains my endurance.  No, I'm not an overly fast runner, but that's OK.  I'm getting better, and have proved to myself that I'm capable of more than I have given myself credit for.  And that's a good thing.  My motto always has been, better than I was, but not as good as I'll be, and for now, I'm going to keep moving, forward!

My Bling: Ahh, I love the bling. I will treasure these forever.

2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Short Version: I finished.  And I didn't die (I always joke about that, but not really).  It was horribly hot in the last 1/3 of the race, with temps pushing the mid 80s. I had to walk, a lot.  I cramped really badly and couldn't even walk at mile 23.  I was 15 minutes off my goal time, but still managed to squeak out a 7:14 PR over a previous marathon in May.  Official time 3:49:24.

Pre Race Training:  It was the best training program I've had, peaking at 60mpw during the August challenge, with a solid PR half 5 weeks before the race, with a perfect taper.  The stage was set, I felt I had a solid chance at 3:30 - 3:35.

Expo:  Was able to finally meet Doug (Venomized) in person at the expo.  He's a cool guy.  The expo was awesome.  DW accompanied me to Chicago for the weekend, and we both really enjoyed going through the booths, taking pictures in front of all the photo backdrops, and various shopping, and just in awe of how big it really was.  Neat.

The race:  I did everything right for this race.  Was very well hydrated, did a proper carb load, and just felt this was my race.  Signed up for the 3:30 pace group at the Expo.  Standing in the starting corral when it was 64 degrees, I threw that goal out the window.  Fell back to my 3:35 pace band that I had made for the race.  Within the first 2 miles, threw that out the window because I was already sweating buckets, and settled in with the 3:40 pace group through mile 17.  Miles were ticking off in the 8:10-8:15 range, and I felt awesome.  Of course, there was shade, a lot of it.  By 17 1/2 miles in, the shade was gone the wheels were falling off and beginning to become piles of bubbling goo, becoming part of the ashpalt.  I got nauseous, started cramping, had some minor GI issues, and I was dehydrated, despite stopping at EVERY water station for a glass of Gatorade and water. By Mile 18, I had to drop to a walk.  Gasp.  I walked about 10 more times over the next 8 miles.  At mile 20, it was 83 degrees, with full sun.  The last 2 to 3 miles were a pure slog.  I had stopped sweating.  When I crossed the finish line, I was extremely nauseous.  I was swearing that I would NEVER do another marathon.  It was hard race, and I definitely descended to somewehre very near the point of hell I believe. Still got my PR, and given the conditions, I'm extremely happy with that.  Wanted more, but we can't control the weather, and one of my sayings, it will be what will be.  Today was not my day.  The crowds along the race were insane though.  Very fun!!

Post Race:  The long mile walk back to my hotel was probably the best thing I could do.  It took that long to start feeling better, and I could finally smile again.  Got a Pepsi, and a banana, and started feeling better, and got into an ice bath for 10 minutes which really helped the legs.  Took a hot shower, and packed up and headed home.  And, I told my wife I would never do this again, repeatedly.

The Epilogue:  After a long trip home, involving planes, trains, and automobiles, 9 hours later, I'm feeling much better and am thinking about my next adventure. My legs really aren't that sore, and I feel pretty good! It is what it is, I'm a runner, and there are good and bad days.  Today was a mixture of both.  For better or worse, right?  Right??  In the end, I'm better than I was, but not as good as I'll be.  Peaks and valleys.

Here are a few pictures:

Me pointing to my name on the Wall of all of the 45000 registered Chicago marathon runners.  See how chubby my finger is?  I told you I was well hydrated and had carbed up.



A picture of DW and I at the photo backdrop at Niketown in downtown Chicago (OK, we spent way too much money there, but that's OK, we love Nike stuff).



Me, post race back at the hotel, with the medal, and getting my sugar levels back to normal, and I'm even smiling, quickly forgetting about the pain.



The bling!  Ahh, the bling.  I love, love, love this shirt, it's a Nike Dry Fit shirt.  The medal is really nice too, It might be one of my favorite medals.  Simple, but very elegant.  And the whole 10-10-10 theme is awesome.



Overall, this was a PRICELESS weekend with one crappy element, the weather.  And yes, there will be another day. I also want to thank my DW for being my support crew this weekend.  I think she legitimately had a great weekend too.  She got to watch the Elites at the finish line, and couldn't believe how many runners were going down in the last couple of miles. Ironically enough, after we got home, my feet feel great, but my DW is the one with 2 huge blisters on her feet.  Bless her for supporting my passion and sticking with me, for better or worse.

2010 Grand Island Nebraska Half Marathon

This was a tuneup race for me, to help determine and dial in my goal marathon pace for the upcoming Chicago Marathon.  I didn't know if I could run this race until the very last minute, and thus did no formal taper for the race.  In fact, I did a hard VO2 Max Workout just 2 days before the race, so wasn't exactly sure what to expect.  However, leading up to the race, I've felt very strong, and I'm nearly 100% healthy (except for a perpetually tight left Achilles Tendon). 

The race itself is a small race, a few hundred runners total, but very competitive.  It's a nearly pancake flat course, which helps, and also should mimic the Chicago race. The day broke with mild temperatures around 50 degrees, light winds, and blue sunny skies.  Ahh, perhaps the sweet spot for racing. 

Overall, this was a very strong race for me.  I nabbed a new PR of 4:22, with a finish time of 1:39:57.  It was also the first race that I almost threw up at the finish line, I was running that hard. Average HR 162, max 176.  Splits 7:51, 7:49, 7:45, 7:44, 7:37, 7:37, 7:34, 7:29, 7:25, 7:41, 7:39, 7:39, 7:35, 6:18.  My 10th Half Marathon since I started running almost 2 years ago. 

Even though it was a PR for me, it was no where close to an age group award.  The M40-44 division is an extremely, tough, competitive group.  But that's OK.  Still a great race and I'm not complaining at all.  I also realized that I would need to run this exact pace for another 13.1 miles to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  I'm definitely not there yet either, but I'm making progress.

After the race, I also had just a faint amount of blood in my urine.  From my web research, this appears to be somewhat common with hard exercise, especially if you have an empty bladder.  The inside of the bladder wall rubs together creating a mild trauma, which creates a little bit of blood.  

This was a great race.  It has given me a new-found confidence in my running, and also means that I probably need to choose a new time goal for the Chicago Marathon in 5 weeks.  Better than I was before, but not as good as I'll be.  But for today, it was good enough for me.

New Monthly Mileage PR

This past month, I hit a new monthly mileage personal record.  It was a strong month, and an online running game that I manage also helped push me a bit too.  259.2 miles, with an average pace of 8:59.  That's about 9 miles above my previous PR in May.  Hopefully, the investment in time will pay off for the Chicago Marathon in 6 weeks. 

2010 Swan Lake Half Marathon

You Just Never Know…

Leading up to this race, I had my doubts.  I was just coming off a strong marathon 5 weeks ago, and training the last couple of weeks for this race faltered because of vacation, heat, and humidity.  In the week prior to the race, Southeast South Dakota had received 5 to 8 inches of rain with major flooding, and I knew the course was a lot of dirt and gravel roads, which meant mud.  On race morning, I woke up at 4am, noted that it was still raining, I felt dehydrated, and I almost rolled back over to go back to sleep.  Lesson learned, which is part of my mantra, never give up, because you just never know what your body can give until you try.

The race is a fairly small race that benefits the Swan Lake youth Christian camp southwest of Sioux Falls, SD.  A full marathon, a half, and a 5.3 mile race.  My goal going into the race was a 1:45:59 or better, to get me into the C start corral at Chicago.  My ITBS is completely gone, but I have been having some Achilles issues lately in my left ankle, so just was unsure if I could maintain a PR pace for 13.1 miles.  Of course, I typically have a lot of self doubt regarding my running.  

The rain stopped by race start, but it sprinkled about midway through, then started with a steady rain in the last mile.  Nice and cool with temps in the lower 60s, overcast conditions, and nearly flat course.  The mud wasn’t that bad.  Once you got dirty, you couldn’t do much worse, and running in the compacted tire track helped.  The miles ticked off pretty easily.  I never could get into the zone though, and it was constant work trying to keep my breathing under control.  Felt my heart rate was pretty high the whole time, which is not surprising since I’ve never run this fast this far.  Legs did great, no problems there.  

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with my performance.  Official time of 1:44:19, 7th place overall male, and first in my age division of 40-44. I’m very glad I didn’t roll over and go back to bed at 4am this morning!  I was ready to give up before I even started, but stepping up to the challenge despite my doubts, I was able to nab a PR, an entry into the C corral at Chicago, and first in my age group.  So the moral of my story today, you just never know and never give up!

Splits:  7:54, 7:58, 7:50, 7:52, 7:58, 7:53, 7:49, 7:54, 7:59, 8:02, 7:54, 7:54, and 7:45.  Pretty even splits.  Was hoping to have sub8 for the entire race, and was pretty close except for mile 10. Se la vi.  Bottom line, I’m better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I’ll be tomorrow!  This gives me a nice confidence boost leading into the training for the Chicago marathon this fall.

2010 Lincoln National Guard Marathon

Text to come...

Time of 3:56 and change.  Sub 4, yeehaw!

2010 Eisenhower Half Marathon

I ran the 2010 Eisenhower Half Marathon today in Abilene, KS.  I've put in some hard training leading up to this race as I really wanted to get a 1:50 for the half, which would put me into the seeded D corral at the Chicago Marathon this fall.  I must admit, everything leading up to this race just fell into place for me.  The training was good, the weather was perfect, I had a nice taper, I was healthy, and not only met my goal, but completely smashed it.  I ran the race in 1:47:02, which is an almost 10 improvement over my previous personal record!  There was also a soft field in the M35-39 age group, and the time garnered me a 2nd place medal.  Unbelievable.

The race itself was a small race in a friendly small town, but very well organized.  The course itself was an out and back, starting in town, heading south to a local park, through the park, then back.  Slightly uphill to the turn around, then slightly downhill on the return. The weather was nearly perfect, light winds, mid clouds to keep the sun off, and temperatures in the lower 50s.  I've been having some ITB issues since my last marathon in December, and have been making slow progress in eliminating the knee pain.  The knee pain finally subsided about a week before this race, and I was able to run at an 8:10 pace with no pain whatsoever.

This is the fastest I've ever run, and I felt good throughout, although I was really starting to struggle by about mile 10.  At that point, I turned on the radio and tried to focus on the music to get me through the last 5k.  I felt amazing after crossing the finish line, and couldn't believe what I had just accomplished.  I reached my goal of getting into a seeded Chicago corral, but missed the C corral by only 1 minute and 3 seconds.  Ahh, there will always be another race.

After the race, I headed back to the motel to shower and clean up.  The race offers a free pancake and sausage breakfast, and I didn't want to miss it.  After eating my first helping of food, I thought I should check the race placements.  I didn't think I was fast enough to earn an award, but I still wanted to look.  To my surprise, the preliminary results indicated that I had placed 2nd in my age group.  I was in shock.  Really.  I thought the awards ceremony was already over, and was trying to find out where to pick up my medal.  Come to find out, the awards ceremony wasn't for another 15 minutes, so I made it afterall.

So what can I say?  I had an awesome time at this race, my best ever performance, and I scored some hardware, which is a first for me.  It was a good day.  Better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I'll be tomorrow.  Just keep moving forward.  Even though it was a soft age group today, I'll still take the 2nd place finish.  It may be the only one I ever get.  But, I know that I can do better with more training, and I'm not giving up.

Upcoming Half Marathon

I've got another half marathon scheduled for Saturday, the Eisenhower Half Marathon in Abilene, Kansas.  I'm feeling very confident about this race.  My training over the last couple of months has been plagued with ITBS, but I feel I'm almost over that, and over the last 2 weeks, I've definitely been able to run very strong.  I've run 6 miles at my goal PR pace, and felt I had a lot more to give.  I'm hoping that the adrenaline from race day, along with the other runners, will help pull me along.  My super secret goal is to get a seeded corral for the Chicago Marathon this fall.  That would be 1:50.  I'd probably be just as happy with a new PR with anything between 1:50 and 1:55.  The weather looks nearly perfect, nice cool temperatures, clear skies.  I'll be running into the wind and uphill the first half, then turn around and run downhill with the wind at my back for the second half.  That should be ideal conditions I think for a nice negative split.  Legs and knees feel 100% right now, and I'm praying that everything will come together for a blessed run.

250.7

That's a new monthly PR for mileage for me.  I still can't believe I ran that much over the past month, but I did.  Running sure felt like a part time job once in awhile, but it also felt good to push myself past my comfort zone.  It wasn't easy, and some of it wasn't very fun, but I sure hope it pays off in my upcoming spring race schedule.  Seriously, I ran 250.7 miles in March.  Me.  And 15 months ago, I was not a runner, at all, didn't want to do it, couldn't do it, wouldn't try it. And now, I run. And run. And run. Weird.

4 Personal Record Weeks in a Row

My legs may think I'm a little nuts, but I've just completed 4 buildup weeks in a row, culminating in 42.0, 51.0, 52.4, 60.4, and 62.4 miles each successive week.  That's definitely a PR in itself, and also just completed my 50th day of running in a row. Overall I'm feeling OK, although my right knee hurts quite a bit, but it does seem to be getting a lot better too. I have a few other minor aches, but that's perfectly acceptable for as much running as I'm doing.  My speeds have really increased, going from an average weekly pace of 9:37, to 9:26, to 9:34, to 9:19, and finally 9:09.  In other words, even though the mileage feels like a part time job sometimes (my wife would probably agree), it seems to be paying dividends that hopefully I can cash in during any one of my upcoming half marathon races.  I'm shooting for 1:50 if at all possible so I can get a position in the seeded race corral in the Chicago Marathon this fall.  Running is good right now, and while I've got the time, I need to use it to keep pushing harder, faster, further, and longer while I can.

RaceReady Fitness LD Shorts Review

In a recent race, I ran in my Nike tight shorts, and I liked it a lot. Basically, they're like bicycle shorts, only a little thicker. I'm not trying to flaunt anything, it's just that I liked the tighter shorts for the race. Knowing about the RaceReady brand of shorts that mesh have pockets attached to the back of the shorts, I decided to buy a pair of of the Fitness LD (long distance) shorts. These are the tight shorts, very similar to the Nike tight shorts, but with 5 mesh pockets along the back. I used them on my 14 mile long run today, and overall, I'd have to say I like them a lot. There aren't any seems in the crotch (I have a pair of Asics tight shorts that have a seam that rubs me in the nether regions on longer runs), and they are a high quality pair of shorts. The pockets in the back should be very handy for carrying a lot of extra stuff!  Definitely worth the money.

On Fire...

I'm on my 42nd running day in a continuous streak. That's amazing, and my speeds are finally starting to improve a little. I've had some pangs in my right knee over the last couple of weeks, but I've learned how to manage it so it doesn't get any worse. Icing, stretching, NSAIDs, ultrasound, it's all working. But, the beating on my body will only continue. My spring marathon is in 6 weeks. So about 3 to 4 more weeks of solid training, and then the taper begins. I do have a half marathon in mid April in Abilene, KS, and am hoping to at least get a PR out of that. Ideally, my half marathon goal is 1:50 so I can get a seeded corral at the Chicago marathon this fall, but I've got 2 more chances after the April race to reach that. After looking at my running log this morning, I noticed that I've run 66.6 miles over the previous 7 days, and 215 miles over the previous 30 days. That's pretty amazing!

A Good Week Afterall

Earlier in the week, I was fairly concerned about my knee. The pain was similar to the pain I experienced after the injury after the Vegas race. Well, I lived up to my expectations and really was conscientious about my stretching and icing. It paid off since I was able to log 52 miles, my best week ever, culminating in a 20 mile long run this past Sunday. Excellent.

I'm off to a good start this week. My knee was definitely not as sore after the 20 miler this weekend, and it feels good now. I've already run 15 miles this week, everything feels good. I should take a cutback week, but I'm in a running game on Runners World, and our team really needs the miles. Depending on how I feel, I may try to push it a little.

2010 Leprechaun Chase 10k

Details Coming...

Now I've Done It

The knee hurts pretty badly today. I did go to the gym and managed about 2.5 miles on the treadmill, doing a combination of a shuffle and the circular motion that I discovered yesterday. I've iced my knee, and am back on Aleve for awhile, and plan to stretch the ITB and hamstring like crazy. May even get the ultrasound unit back out. This is ridiculous. Stupid tight ITB. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. Feels like that's been my mantra for my entire running career.

Now My Blisters Have Blisters

Using the combination of athletic tape and moleskin taped over my arch blisters worked out very well. On my 18.2 mile run today, my arches did not hurt at all thankfully. However, now I have blisters on my right foot where the tape seams were located. So I have blisters as a result of my blisters. Ei Yi Yi! What next? On the bright side, the blister on top of my toe did OK. I managed to paint it with a few layers of liquid bandage last night, which helped to seal it tight, and I also managed to get a corn pad to stick this morning before putting on my shoe. It may have bled a drop or two, but overall, did great.

I can't say the same for my knee though. Last week after my 16 mile long run, I had a lot of knee pain the next couple of days. It was the same old pain that I had during the Vegas Marathon. I think I've reached my limit of combining speed workouts and increasing my distance. I'm on the verge of breaking myself again, likely a result of a tight ITB. I've been stretching really well, and the mid week runs felt great though. But, near the end of my 18.2 mile run today, I knew I had pushed it too far. I ran 15 of the 18.2 at marathon pace, (it feels better during the run if I run faster), but I'll pay for it after the run. The last 3 miles were kind of a death march, so I definitely went "too" far. Ugh. I did find a way to swing my leg in a circular motion though to help prevent the pain, but I fear the damage has been done.

On a bright note, even though I may have "broken" my knee again, I did manage to break my weekly mileage personal record with 51 miles. Yay me? Hmm.

Streaking - 28 Days

I've done it, I've run for the last 28 days, straight, without a break. A running friend has been doing it since the beginning of the year and inspired me to give it a try too. At first, I didn't think I could do it, but found that the easy runs on my scheduled rest days weren't actually that bad. A couple of miles at a very slow, easy pace without barely breaking a sweat wasn't as hard as I thought. Mostly, I think it was a mental thing, that my mind made me think I "needed" a rest day. In fact, these very easy runs aren't that taxing, and it's just like a rest day anyhow. For what it's worth, 28 days down, weeks and months to go.

My Lucky Day??

On my run last night, near the end, in the last mile, I found a $1 bill in the gutter, soaking wet. We've had a lot of snow melt over the last couple of days, and I'm guessing it must have fallen out of a snowbank. Today, I ran the same route, and in the same exact spot, I found a $10 bill, soaking wet, floating in the gutter. Seriously? I looked around for more money, but that was it. Either someone lost some money earlier in the year and it just finally melted free, or I'm now part of some kid's science or psychology experiment. Either way, I've got $11 in my pocket right now. Although, I certainly don't need the money, so I'll try to pay it forward at some point by giving it to a homeless person on a street corner.

A Bloody Blister

Ok, this is getting out of control. The blister that I got yesterday broke open tonight on my 9.5 mile run, which then soaked the top of my shoe with blood. I didn't even realize it during the run since it was dark, and the run was going so well. In fact, I was very surprised to see the blood, since my foot didn't hurt much at all after the first mile or so. Se la vi, this may turn out to be a very troublesome spot.

Yet Another Blister

The new shoes have given me another blister, this time, on the top of my middle toe on my right foot. I was able to solve the arch blister problem by getting some moleskin and using athletic tape to tape the moleskin over them, which worked OK. But, the top of my middle toe rubbed on the shoe, and new blister developed. Hmm. Can a running shoe be defective?

The Love/Hate Relationship with New Shoes

I decided to break in a new pair of shoes today since my current shoes have about 500 miles on them, and my knees were starting to hurt during the runs with them. A few months ago, I bought a couple more pair of my current shoe when they went on clearance, and they've been sitting on the shelf in storage. Today was the day to break out a new pair.

The shoes are Wave Rider 12s. This will be 4th pair of this same model of shoe, so in theory, there shouldn't have been a problem. Same shoe, and it should have worked out perfectly. But, after a 16 mile run today in the new shoes, I've got huge blisters on both feet on my arch. So, was it the shoes, or was it the combination of running on a snow/ice covered trail which changed my running gait, and also that my feet got soaked since I stepped in some fairly deep puddles toward the end of the run when I was tired and making stupid mistakes. I'm not sure, but they're fairly painful. This should be fun.

Streaking

Ok, I'm not talking about taking your clothes off and running through the neighborhood. I'm talking about consecutive days of running at least 1 mile or more. Up to this point, I never really considered streaking as I like my rest days. Typically, I run 5 days a week, and would take a full day of rest on the off days, possibly with some cross training thrown in. After the recommendation of an online running friend, I decided to give streaking a try, running just a couple of very easy miles on my off days. These very easy runs are run at recovery pace (or slower), and primarily just flush your legs with a healthy supply of blood, and provide no other real benefits as far as I know.

I have to say, I'm on day 18 of my running streak, and everything is feeling great. My legs are feeling strong, my knees don't hurt, and overall, I'm excited about the next run. My friend has been streaking since the beginning of the year. To become officially recognized, you have to streak for an entire year. Wow, that seems like a long time. I envision at some point, life will get in the way, and I may not have the time or the desire to continue the streak. But surely, I can find 10 minutes each day to get er done. I don't have a treadmill at home, so it could prove to be a challenge on some days where I truly don't have the time. Hmm, maybe that's my excuse to get a treadmill afterall. Ha.

Two Banner Weeks

I feel like my running has really moved to the next level over the last couple of weeks, and it's a good feeling. Two weeks ago, I managed to run 39 miles, which was a huge personal achievement for me, considering my injury back in December, and especially since it was the week after my hard half at Surf City. That was a huge momentum shift for me, and I carried it through this week and managed to run 45 miles. This week has been my second best week ever for running, and I'm feeling great. I've done a couple of doubles this week, a couple of medium long runs, and a good long run that was hard, but a good morale booster for me.

Do I have a new personal mileage record in my legs for this coming week? We'll see. 48 miles in early September of last year is my PR, and I think I've got a legitimate shot at meeting or exceeding that this week.

Running is hard, and finding the time to run this many miles is sometimes harder. But it's so worth it. I love running, and the more I run, the more I want to run. I've joked that running for me is quite possibly an obsession, and literally a borderline addiction. My speeds are improving now that I'm healthy, and it's a good feeling, so I see no reason to hold back now. Distance is king dong, and as long as I can continue to put up good numbers and remain injury free, life is good.

Did a New Type of Run Today, and a Double

After the half marathon race on Sunday, I've felt strong. I did an easy 2 mile recovery run on Monday, and a nice 4 mile tempo run yesterday, and everything is feeling good. Today, I did a progression run, where I gradually increase my pace during the run. I started at a pace around 9:05, and ended 6 miles later around 8:05. It was a fairly hard run for me, but in the end, I felt terrific. And tonight, I opted to do an easy run with my local running club for the weekly Wednesday night run, making this my first double day since last September. Total for the day was 10.6, and again, I feel great. Hopefully, I'll get many more days like this in, which should help me to get closer to a 1:50 half. 1:50 is the time I need to get into a seeded corral at the Chicago marathon this fall, so I'm going to try as hard as I can to make it. Ahh, I love running. I absolutely love it.

2010 Surf City Half Marathon

I ran the Surf City Half Marathon today in Huntington Beach, CA, with my old college roommate from 20 years ago. I ran a strong race (for me, considering my weak knee), with a chip time of 1:56:40, which is just 5 seconds away from a PR. 5 seconds!! Ahh, so close, yet so far. Still I'm super happy with that though.

Simply put, It was an awesome run. The scenery along the pacific coast was amazing, probably the most scenic race I've ever done. The rolling ocean waves were on one side, snow capped mountains on the other, under a clear blue sky, with a light breeze, and temps in the 50s, running amidst palm trees. Perfect!  After 10 miles, I was getting a little tired though, but also was able to find a second wind.  At mile 11, I decided to take a gamble and opened up the throttle full tilt to see what I had left in the tank.  I found out that I had a lot to give, and found myself consistently lengthening my stride, steadily increasing pace, and reached a flat out sprint the last 1/3 mile. (check my splits below).  I felt like a thoroughbred, passing other runners left and right. In fact, the faster I ran, the better my knee felt.  I think it could be related to the increased stride length.  If only I had let the reins loose 5 seconds sooner, I could have bagged that PR!!  Ahh, that will have to wait for another day.

Even though I was 5 seconds off my PR (which was a downer at first knowing that I barely missed it), this race has given me so much confidence and makes me want to run even harder and faster. And I know Ive definitely got more to give. I finished the race strong, and wanted to keep going, and now have a large source of pride to build on from here. It was an awesome day and a spectacular run for me!

Now, the only problem, I had to face going back to cold and snowy Nebraska running when I've been spoiled by sunny and warm California running. Yeah, it's going to suck.

Splits/Pace:
1  9:02
2  8:56
3  8:59
4  9:07
5  8:58
6  8:38
7  8:56
8  8:55
9  9:00
10  9:09
11  9:14 - getting tired, but found a second wind.
12  8:22 - holy moly this almost feels good.
13  8:15 - oh my god, what am I doing?!?
 .1  6:38  - OK, this is very hard. I've never run this fast. Ever.



My college roommate Matt (on the left) and I after the race.  Note the palm trees.  It was a beautiful day for running. Couldn't have asked for better weather.

The race bling (shirt and medal, on the left).  I have to say, this is one of the coolest medals I've ever received.  Very unique, a signature item.

As a side bonus, apparently, while I was traveling in beautiful CA, somehow my CC number was lifted, and several bogus charges made it through.  Thankfully, my CC company puts a hold on my account because I've had this happen in the past, but the account has now been closed down.  Oh well. Se la vi, I know the routine, I think this is about the 4th time this has happened to us in the last 3 years.

That's 4 states completed and 46 to go...

OMG, I've Lost It

Well, I've committed myself to running a few more races this year.  I've been thinking about these for awhile, and after looking at the calendar, decided to stop hemming and hawing and just signed up.  Yes, I may have lost it, but what else is new?

So, for right now, I signed up for the Eisenhower Half Marathon in early April.  This fits into my training schedule quite nicely, and fits into my personal schedule even better.  This will also help check off another state, and will give me a good tune up race before my Marathon in early May.  Plus, they have a free pancake feed after the race, so how could I pass that up? :))

The next race that I signed up for is the Swan Lake Christian Camp Half Marathon in Viborg, SD.  Again, this fits nicely into my personal schedule, and should be a good stepping stone for starting my formal training for the Chicago Marathon later this year.  And, it checks off another state!  Do you see a pattern.

Regarding Marathon, Yes, I did officially register for the Chicago Marathon, on 10/10/10.  While that's still many, many months away, I didn't want to pass up this opportunity.  I'm in!

Other races that I'm thinking about include the San Francisco Half Marathon in late July.  I'm trying to convince my wife to run this with me, as it would be her first race back after having Haglund's surgery on both feet last year. Plus, how could we pass up the chance to run on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Hmm, could be an expensive weekend, but it's only money, right? Ha.

And finally, if I do run the San Francisco half, I'd be a fool to not run the Long Beach half marathon in mid October, to complete the California Dreamin Race series.  While it's only 1 week after Chicago, I'd love the chance to earn a free jacket and a cool limited edition medal, just to say why not. 

That should about cover it.  I don't think I'd have any money to do any more running the rest of the year. Oops.

Overnight Heart Rate Monitoring

As a fun experiment, I decided to use my Garmin heart rate strap to monitor my heart rate while I slept.  Mainly, I just wanted to get a more-accurate read on what my resting heart rate might be.  I originally thought it might be about 59, after taking some measurements.  But, by using the heart rate monitor while sitting on the couch doing nothing, I thought it might be about 52.  To get a longer read, I used the monitor while I slept through the night.

Below is about a 6-hour period from last night.  I believe I can draw an imaginary "rolling" trend line in the lower/mid 50s, maybe around 53 or 54.  It's also interesting to see the highs/lows of my heart rate, likely responding to various dream states, REM sleep, etc.

2009 Bling

As I was reliving all of my races in 2009, it occurred to me that I don't have a group picture of all my medals.  It's a nice collection, and I have to admit, I really enjoy getting a medal at the end of a race.  Some may think it's shallow, but for a mid packer, it's about the only memento (other than the tee shirt) that we get.  It's kind of like my snow globe.  It's my souvenir.  In fact, at the Okoboji Half Marathon in July, I didn't get a medal, and I felt like a kid without a present under the Christmas tree. Hopefully, I'll get just as many, if not more in 2010!




In order, Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon, Papillion Half Marathon, Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, Bill Seymour Grand Island Half Marathon, Omaha Half Marathon, IMT Des Moines Marathon, Overland Park Gobbler Grind Marathon, and Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon. No medal for the Lake Okoboji Half Marathon, the Boys Town 5 mile Run, and the Omaha Corporate Cup 10k.

Progress? Perhaps, with a Price.

My run this past Tuesday was a great run.  Over the last couple of weeks, I've really been focusing on just running on the treadmill at the gym since cold weather seemed to aggravate my knee.  After a full day of rest, I really pushed my pace on Tuesday, and was able to run 4 miles, without stopping, at an average 9:20/mile pace.  I haven't been able to run that fast since early November.  In other words, it was a great day, and gave me immeasurable confidence in the progress I've made post injury.

I did a 6 mile run yesterday, at a 9:30 pace.  My knee did bother me a couple of times later in the run, but every mile or so, I'd stop and stretch out my right hamstring, which helped ease the pain.

Today, I had to ease down as I had pain in my knee, not severe pain, but enough that I had stop and stretch every mile.  So, while I was able to do a fairly hard run (for me) on Tuesday and Wednesday, it doesn't come without its price, in that I ultimately end up with some knee pain later on in the week because I pushed it so hard earlier in the week.  That's OK though, I've learned a great deal though about how much I can do, and how hard I can push, and now know what the price will be.  My cardiovascular capacity seems to be returning a bit, as it was definitely diminished a couple of weeks ago, but it's gradually increasing as well.

Just have to keep moving forward, and have to keep my stretching routine up.  I've been trying to wean myself away from it, and also trying to wean myself off the Aleve (have not used it in over a week??), so these are all steps in the right direction, and that's all I can ask.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Over the last couple of weeks, I have made some good progress on my runs, but not without an occasional step back.  I've been doing a lot of stretching, both my hip abductors and my hamstrings, but also my tibialis muscle too.  The pain has gotten a lot better, but it's still there on the longer runs.  I also have discovered that the cold aggravates my knee, and also running in the snow (likely due to a change in running gait).  Although, this past Wednesday, I was able to do a 5 mile run with my local running group and managed to nab a pace that I haven't been able to achieve since December 1st, so that was a big improvement.  I paid a price for it though, as my knee hurt again the very next day immediately upon setting out.

So, I'm definitely making progress, but also have to not push it too much too fast.  I still have a half marathon coming up in 3 weeks at the Surf City race in California.  I have no doubt I can finish it, although I won't be shooting for any time goal.  I originally (way back in early December) thought this would be an easy PR race for me since it's flat and I would be coming off the experience of running 3 marathons. Plans change, and sometimes just getting to the finish line should be reward enough, irregardless of time.

The Running Ninja

The wind chill today was 14 below zero. And I ran 3.1 miles in this.  But, I also had just purchased a running balaclava, so I was toasty warm.  The small band of skin around my eyes did get cold, and breathing through the facemask wasn't the most pleasant thing I've done, but I honestly have to say, I'm a die hard, ninja runner. Go figure.