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.

Pre Race-Day Jitters

Today is the day "before" the big day. I've been tapering my training this week, and have run only half of what I normally run. I feel as if I'm losing everything I've done in training up to this point, even though that's not the case at all. I've also been carb- loading the last couple of days. Ugh, I've gained a couple of pounds, and definitely can't wait to stop so I can get back to my normal foods. Pasta, potatoes, pancakes, bread, you name it, I've done it. It's supposed to give you extra power in the race since I'll have a higher than normal carb load on board. It's just making me fat.

Today, we headed to Lincoln to get our race packets. We visited the race expo, although it wasn't that great, and we drove the course for the race. So, I think we're as ready as we're going to be! I actually slept fairly well last night, even though I had to get up every 2 hours to pee. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I've been drinking like a fish. Bottom line, I'm well hydrated, have got extra fuel on board, now I just have to go out and run.

It's kind of a surreal feeling that my 15 weeks of training has culminated in this single moment. I'm assuming that it will all be a little anticlimactic tomorrow after the race is over, but that's why I've signed up for more races, to keep me motivated to continue my training. The weather for the race tomorrow should be nearly perfect. Temperatures should be in the mid 40s, winds should light from the north (at my back for the first 6 miles or so), and it should be dry.

In the back of my mind, I have a goal time in mind, but in the end, it doesn't really matter how I do. I know I'll finish, my training has already proven to me that I can do the distance. I just hope my body remembers, and it goes according to my master plan. 13.1 miles, in an official race, in another 14 hours, I should be able to say, "Been there, ran that!"

33.7 Miles This Week

Finishing my 14th week of training for my upcoming Half Marathon, I ran 33.7 miles this last week. I did another run of 13.1 miles on Friday, and finished strong, despite temperatures climbing into the mid 70s by the end of the run. It was getting hot, very hot. I don't have any major aches and pains, and feel good about the race next weekend.  I just wish it were here, I'm getting anxious to just go out and run.

Now, on the flip side, I've been very healthy over the previous 14 weeks, having not been sick even once. I think the running really strengthens your immune system. But, unfortunately, just 1 week out, I'm now getting sick. Ugh. My throat is sore, so who knows what I might be getting. I've stressed myself out a little over the last couple of days, burning the candle at both ends, and maybe some stupid bug got in. Just have to battle through and run my race no matter what.

Another 30+ mile Week

32.8 miles in the training log this week, and I feel really good! A little stiff today, but not bad. I actually did my long, slow run on Friday (again), and ran 13.1 miles on one of the paved trails here in Omaha. So, I enter my last week of hard training with hopes of getting another 33 miles in or so, and will then taper next week to rest up for the race. The half marathon distance run that I did on Friday was mostly good, although the last couple of miles were tough as the arch of my right foot was hurting pretty bad. Still can't believe that I've been training now for a full 13 weeks, with only 2 weeks to go. In many regards, I wish the race were this week, as I feel I'm ready, and just want to run it and get it over with.

On a bright note, my wife was able to push past her comfort zone this past week and did her first double digit run on Saturday. She was able to do 10 miles. Most of the training plans say that if you can run 10, the adrenaline on race day should take you the last 3 miles. I hope that's true.

After the Lincoln HM, I have a half marathon scheduled in mid June in Denver, and will then take the summer to do a novice training program (bump up from beginner) in prep for the Omaha half marathon at the end of September, and then the Kansas City half marathon in the middle of October. Beyond, then, while it's so far away, I probably would do maintenance running in November and December, but then begin an 18 week plan to run a marathon at "next" year's Lincoln, NE race. Pie in the sky stuff, but you have to have goals.

By the way, I did the distance on Friday in 2 hours and 9 minutes and 53 seconds. My goal for the real race will be slightly faster than that, and am hoping that race adrenalin will push me harder. I've held back a little on my training runs so I wouldn't trash myself for the rest of the week, but I plan to run full-bore at the race, with NOTHING left in my gas tank when I'm done. I hope to be a quivering pile of goo by then, and will have to crawl home. Otherwise, if I'm not spent, I'll know I didn't race hard enough, and will always wonder how hard I should have pushed it.

I'm nervous, and a little anxious about the race, but am confident in where my training has taken me, and confident in my ability to run a strong race. Bring it!

32.3 Miles This Week

Another week closer to our race, which is just now 3 weeks from today. The past week has been busy with 5 out 7 days spent running. This was the first week in a long time that I've had some significant pain while running, mainly in my ankles. I first thought it might have been my new shoes, but now attribute it to just being stiff and sore, and continuing to ramp up my weekly mileage. After a couple of miles, I was able to run through the the pain as all my joints got well lubricated. The week end in a 12.1 mile long, slow run on Friday morning. It felt great, (after the first couple of miles that is). While I was sore after the run, it wasn't anything uncontrollable, and I felt a shear sense of accomplishment. One more hard week is in store, with a weekly mileage log of about 34 miles hopefully, with a long slow run of 13.1 miles. Then, the following week, I'll probably keep about the same distance, but then do a significant taper the week of the race to be as strong as possible for race day. It's hard to believe that I've been training now for 12 full weeks, but also awesome to see how far I've come.

Best Pace So Far

Went to the gym at 9 pm this evening after a very busy day.  Ran 3.1 miles, despite the fact that I was bone tired and my body was ready for sleep. By the way, was able to run my personal best this evening, at a 9:37/mile pace, despite my thinking that it's easier to run earlier in the morning versus late at night. No pain at all in my legs, so am very glad that I've worked through that, at least for now.

Recovery Day, Then Back At It

Today, I was back at the gym, running as normal, after a down day yesterday.  We went to a party at a coworkers house, and needless to say, likely drank way too much.  So no running yesterday.  We needed the rest.

No pain today at all, and I was able to run 4 miles in 40 minutes, a solid 10 minute mile. Yeehaw! My wife on the other hand is now coming down with a bad cold, after her asthma attack on Saturday. This will put even more of a delay in her training. 

No rest for the weary though, if we intend to get our training in before the Lincoln half. It's now 12 weeks away, so there's no time to waste. I am still concerned whether my wife can do the necessary training or not though. She says she can, and can be quite stubborn about such things, and said she'll complete it if it kills her. Somehow, I believe it.

The Run Felt Good Today

Well, I just couldn't let a good day go to waste. Temperatures were in the mid 50s and the skies were sunny and bright. After a lot of stretching yesterday, my lower calf muscle felt really good today. So, I decided to try my long run around the east loop of Lake Zorinsky. The first mile gave me some minor pain in my lower left ankle on the front, but no pain on my right lower calf. Amazing. So, I ran.

The loop itself is paved asphalt, and is a really nice trail, but there still are patches of ice (despite the warm temperatures, with a new record high yesterday), and lot of snowmelt running onto the trail too. Sure gave my shiny white Nike shoes a run for their money, guess they can't stay clean and new forever. Only stopped running when I hit the occasional ice patch.

Anyhow, 4.5 miles later, I had completed the loop and was back at my car. The run felt good, time passed, I wasn't huffing and puffing, and it just felt, well, good! In fact, it felt great! I just love how I feel after a run, with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of "can do", and feel so proud of myself. Still seems strange that just 4 weeks ago, I didn't really "enjoy" my running, and looked at is as a chore. Today, I was excited. I was excited to be outside. I was excited to meet other runners on the trail. I was excited to hear the GPS watch tick off each mile and to be able to look at my pace. In fact, I wish I could have done more. Just have to remember, slow and steady wins the race. Complete, not compete! One odd thing, I saw a woman riding her horse on the Zorinsky trail. Didn't think that was allowed since it's such a crowded trail with runners, walkers, and bikers. Seemed a little dangerous to me.

My wife did her long run today too, but she didn't have as good of luck. She has asthma, and today it really hit her hard. In fact, when she got home, I was very concerned since she was still huffing and puffing (a good 20 minutes after her run), and couldn't catch her breath. I feared for her life for a minute, and have significant concerns whether she can complete the half marathon or not. She's going to her asthma doctor next week to discuss her options, and possibly adjust her meds if necessary. She's been dealing with severe asthma for the last 4 years or so. It has gotten significantly better since then, but perhaps this running regimen might be too much.

Pain is Decreasing

Today was a scheduled rest day, but it was hard since it warmed into the lower 60s. I ached to get out and run today, but knew I had to take it easy. I started an extended stretching routine today, to try and frequently stretch my lower calves. I did stop by the local Running Store, Peak Performance, to ask whether or not my shoes needed inserts. They felt that the pain was 1) expected, 2) sounded as if it wasn't that bad, and 3) think I should not train as hard.

This evening, the pain is almost gone, but the calf muscle and Achilles tendon still feel tight. So, perhaps the stretching is helping. Of course, not putting the strain on it with additional training is helping too. The running store did suggest I use a heel lift in my shoe to help take the strain off the muscle when I'm walking around too, so perhaps I'll stop at Walgreens to see what they have. He suggested that if I'm still having trouble in a week or two, to come back in to possibly look at different shoes. I'm using Nike Air Pegasus 25+ shoes now, and they feel good, but if they are they are the cause of the problem, I would definitely consider changing.

It's kind of weird that I was a bit anxious to get out and run today, since only 3 weeks ago, I approached my runs with some trepidation. Even with the pain yesterday, I otherwise felt really good, before, during, and after the run, and was excited to be outside running for the first time. Just wish I could have taken advantage of the warmer weather today, but these days will come again soon.

Lower Calf Strain

Here we go again. I'm a dumbass! Yesterday, I complained about some minor pain in my lower right calf. Well, today, the pain had diminished. It was still there but just barely noticeable, so I decided to do a light run to see how it felt. Plus, it was bright and sunny and temperatures had warmed into the mid 40s, and I was extremely anxious to not waste the day. So, I put on my Forerunner 305 (GPS pedometer) and went for a light jog through the neighborhood. First, let me say that the run felt awesome. It felt good to NOT be running on that stupid treadmill, and the time seemed to pass by very quickly. The Forerunner watch was very cool and worked flawlessly and definitely glad we made the purchase (now we might have to buy another one, hmmm). The pain in my calf wasn't too bad, just a low dull ache, but I was able to run through it.

At about mile 2.4, it hurt a little more, so I walked for a couple of minutes, but was able to start running again and completed 3.1 miles (5k). This was after being awake for 17 hours, so it was my evening, and it just felt good. The bright sunshine sure helps knock down the case of SAD I've had the last couple of days.

Now, back to this pain. After a 5 hour nap, my lower calf is very tight, just like it was yesterday. It's not an extreme pain, just sore. After doing some research, it seems that I may have just strained it, or it could be a case of Achilles Tendinitis. The cause is probably the combination of not enough stretching, too much mileage and too many hills too fast, and possibly the way I run (over pronating more than my shoes allow). I did test my foot type and it seemed to be neutral, and my shoes fit that profile, but perhaps when I run, that changes. I believe there are some shoe inserts that I can use to try and fix that. Anyhow, the remedy is RICE, or rest, ice, compression, and elevation, taking a break from training, and more (a lot) stretching.

I've come so far, and I'm actually looking forward to the running now, and certainly don't want to back down, especially if the weather is nice. But, if I'm injured, it will only get worse and I'll never get back on track. So, despite my anxiousness about continuing my training, I guess I'll have to ease off for a few days and let this heal.

In retrospect, I definitely have pushed it too much. I still have 12 weeks left until the race, and I've been able to accomplish a lot more in just 3 weeks of training than I ever had envisioned, so taking a few days off now is probably not the end of the world. Slow and steady wins the race.

No Pain, No Gain...Um No Way

There's that old adage, "No Pain, No Gain." But, that doesn't sound fun. Today during my run, I started to get a sharp pain in my right calf about halfway through. At that point, I decided to ease down, and end the workout since I didn't want to strain any of my muscles any further. I had run about 2.3 miles, short of my 3 mile goal, but at the same time, you can't train if you're injured. I was doing a hill-setting on the treadmill, running about 6.3 mph when I started to notice the pain, so perhaps it was just too much too fast, and was my body's way of telling me to back off. So I did.

I also really started to stretch for the first time after my 4 mile run yesterday too, so perhaps I just put too much stress on that calf muscle. Now, it's not that I can't walk, or have a limp, it's just that my right calf muscle feels very tight, even well after the workout. So, I'll give it a couple of days to heal and will begin again.

The run was particularly hard today since I felt as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, and just couldn't let it go. I was also tired, after only getting about 5 hours sleep (stress will do that), so all in all, it just wasn't a good day. Temperatures are supposed to warm into the mid 50s the next couple of days. While that sounds like a great opportunity to get out on some local trails here in Omaha, I'll just have to take it easy and definitely not overdo it.

20.1 Miles This Past Week

Week 2 of the training is complete, with a total of 20.1 miles on the treadmill. I did my second long run today, of 4.2 miles, in 45 minutes. That's not bad, and I just have to keep telling myself, "baby steps." Remember, Complete, not Compete! Amazing how that one letter (l) can make a huge difference. I've registered for the Lincoln 1/2 in early May, so now there's no backing out now. Bring it on!

Lincoln Half Marathon

Well, it's official. This past week, I committed myself to doing the Lincoln Half Marathon, which is coming up the first weekend in May. That's 14 weeks away, more than enough time to begin training, and be race ready. My wife (and a few of her coworkers) have already registered, and I'll be registering this weekend.

I've never really run before. While I did do track in high school my freshmen year, I was never competitive. My goals for this first half marathon will be to complete it, not compete in it. What's the point of doing it if I have no intention of competing? Just to prove to myself that I was able to accept the challenge, face my fears, push myself beyond my abilities, and actually succeed! Plus, I think it will be an incredible accomplishment that I'll never forget.

I'm actually just completing my second week of training. I have to admit, I don't really enjoy running yet, but am finding I feel really good after the run is over, and feel a sense of accomplishment. I've found that I really need to run with headphones, but supposedly during the race, headphones are explicitly banned. Ugh. But, I've also found that I can't really run without them, and I think that may be somewhat dangerous if I do all my training runs with my Ipod, but then can't use it in the race. Will have to sort that one out very soon.

So, within the coming weeks, I intend to blog quite frequently about my experiences. Yesterday, I ran/walked a total of 4.2 miles, which culminated in my 8th day of solid running. While that's a lot of miles for so early in the training program, I really just wanted to push myself past my comfort zone. I am following a plan, mostly, and do understand how important recovery is, and that you have to allow time for your body to heal. In fact, I intend to start following the training program fairly rigorously, (as much as possible at least). I intend on using Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training program. He is apparently fairly well known in the running community, and he does have several training plans to choose from, and a lot of people have had a great amount of success following his program.

13.1 miles. Can I really do this? A month ago, the thought of running 4.2 miles in one session seemed laughable. But, I did it yesterday, and felt like I could have done more. So, with 13 more weeks of training, I truly believe that 13.1 miles is doable! I've also found that if you keep telling yourself that you can't do something, either because it's too hard, or it's beyond your abilities, then you probably never will accomplish it. But, if you keep telling yourself you can, you eventually will!

Back in the Saddle

Well, a few days ago, I started to work out again with vigor, in hopes of possibly completing a half marathon along with my wife in May. Note, we had this same enthusiasm last year in 2008 after our Biggest Loser competition, but we didn't follow through on it. But this year, my wife is determined to see this challenge through till the end. I'm getting on-board to not only provide moral support for her, but for my own personal benefit too.

The only problem, I don't really care for running, at least running on a treadmill that is. A few days ago, I pushed myself to my limit, doing intervals of running/walking, and got my heart rate up to 170 bpm. It was really moving. Today, I pushed myself again to the limit, and ran for 20 minutes straight without stopping! Heart rate was 177. Is it possible to be lean (except for this spare tire around my waist) and still be out of shape? Absolutely.

I've got 3 months. After today, I feel that I just might be able to accomplish this goal. I just have to keep this up, and have to keep pushing myself near or beyond my limits every day. Unfortunately, I like to train with music, and you are not allowed to use headphones during the race. I haven't yet decided what the ideal training path should be, but don't want to get into a zone of running with music, but then can't fall back in that zone during the race.

It seems like a long, hard battle, but I know I'll be better for it in the end.