Registered for Des Moines

After this past Sunday's run (Omaha half + 8 more miles), I feel I'm ready for the Des Moines Marathon.  I've been waiting to officially register, just to make sure.  My knee has been the overriding factor this whole time.  In fact, I could wait until the day before the race to make a final decision, but I feel I'm ready. The long runs have been progressing, and the pain in my knee is mostly not an issue.  I see no reason why I couldn't run the Des Moines marathon, so decided to officially register today. At this point, I'm committed (or do I need to be committed, ha).

And now, the taper begins.  The taper does not mean that I don't run, it just means that I'll continue to ramp down my training over the next three weeks, to ensure that my legs are as fresh as can be.  The runs will still be at the same intensity, but the mileage will progressively drop each successive week.  This is also a time when self doubt begins, and the sinking feeling that you're losing all that you've accomplished over the previous 18 weeks.  Those are normal feelings, everyone has them, but in reality, they're just fantom concerns.

The main thing will be to stay healthy! That may be easier said than done.  The training cycle leading up to this point has put my body under incredible strain.  But, at the same time, my immune system has been bolstered (hopefully) by the hard training.  It will be a delicate balance.  My wife is a teacher, and my daughter is an 8th grader.  There are several cases of H1N1 going through her school, including a couple of my wife's co teachers, and a couple of my daughters classmates.  Must stay healthy!  Must stay healthy!

2009 Omaha, NE Half Marathon

I decided to participate in the Omaha Marathon this weekend, only doing the half, as part of a long training run for my Des Moines race in three weeks.  Leading up to this, I helped volunteer a couple of different times, with packet stuffing a couple of weeks ago, and also helped yesterday at the Expo to hand out race packets and t-shirts.

I didn't really intend to race the half today, since I had to run a total of 21 miles.  After doing the half marathon, I thought I'd take a quick break to grab a snack and a drink, then get back on the path and do another 8 miles or so to round out the day.

Did my normal pre-race routine though by eating what I would normally eat.  The weather was perfect this morning, clear skies, cool temperatures in the 40s, just a beautiful day for a race.  It couldn't have gotten any better.  I arrived about 1/2 hour before the race, to take a picture with my fellow runners in the Omaha Running Club.  After that, I thought I'd better grab a spot in the porta potty line since start time of 7 am was fast approaching.  With about 6 people still in front of me, and 2 minutes to the gun, I opted to pee behind a a tree instead.  I was desperate.

The race itself was very uneventful, just a really nice run.  I didn't push this at all, but just ran at a leisurely pace to get the miles in.  Finish time was 2:13:12.  My knee was feeling strong today, with no problems, so I could have run it a lot faster.  But, knowing that I had another 8 miles to do after the race held me back.  The most interesting part of the race occurred around mile 3.  While running past a local firehouse, it was apparent they were cooking breakfast, as the smell of sausage, bacon, and pancakes filled the air.  It was almost cruel to do that to us!  Ha.

After the race, I did grab a banana, a bagel, and a bottle of Gatorade, but then got back onto the trail to finish out my long run.  After 8 more miles, my legs were starting to give out and I was really slowing down.  I finished the day at 21.6, and headed to the nearest Village Inn to grab a refreshing meal.

All in all, I'd have to say I'm ready for the Des Moines marathon. I've been holding off registering as I wasn't sure I'd be ready, especially given my ITB strain earlier this year.  After today, I feel I've got the necessary endurance to complete the full marathon.  While I won't be speedy, I know I should be able to finish, and to me, that's what's important.

2009 Omaha, NE 10K Corporate Cup

I decided to run the Omaha Corporate Cup 10k race this morning (proceeds benefit the American Lung Association), even though I was working the midnight shift. I mainly did it to help out a friend at work, and wasn’t really looking forward to the race. It was a beautiful morning though, absolutely gorgeous, and made the PR of 51:46 a very special moment, which is a 1 1/2 minute PR over my previous 10k pace, although this is my first official 10k race.

I loaded up on a pot of coffee during my night shift at work in hopes that it would keep me going. It did, in fact, during the 1 hour before the race start, I think I went 3 different times, and once in the bushes behind an electrical junction box immediately before the race start. (Sssshhh, don't tell.) But, it also gave me the caffeine boost that I needed I guess. I did a 1 mile warmup jog, then settled in for the start. The event also included a 2 mile walk in addition to the 10k. The instructions were very clear that walkers were supposed to line up at the back, but I was slightly annoyed to find out that a horde of walkers were also up front. Guess they felt that had every right to line up wherever they wanted.

My initial goal was to just run this event as a nice run, since I was tired, and my knee hurt quite a bit during my warmup jog. But, the warmup loosened me up and I started out strong. Since I was in a mood to get the hell away from all the walkers up front, I weaved my way through them, and finally got into some clear air in about one quarter mile. Everything just felt good today, so I continued to put the hammer down. The knee ached throughout the run, but not enough to slow me down.

The course was a flat and fast, an out and back. At just over 2 miles in, the lead men were already on their way back, so seeing the Speedy Gonzales folks at the front was inspiring and made me want to push it even harder. Saw my PT as the lead woman of the pack, and that inspired me to keep pushing. At the 3.1 turnaround, I was just 20 seconds off my 5k PR pace and still feeling good, so I told myself to lay it all on the line. The last mile was a complete blur, as I just focused on my breathing, watched the ground in front of me as I continued to pick folks off left and right. My lungs were burning, my knee hurt like hell, but I gave it my all. I tried for a hard kick in the last 0.2 of the race, and found I still had a little to give, although I don’t really remember crossing the finish line. Then did a 1 mile cooldown just enjoying the moment.

All in all, it was an awesome race, despite being dog tired from working the midnight shift, and initially not wanting to do this race at all. I grabbed a water and covertly grabbed bagel from one of the corporate sponsor tables after the race, grabbed my souvenir koozy cooler (no medals for this race, bummer), then stopped at Mcdonald’s for my celebratory meal of Pancakes and coffee, which has become a tradition of sorts after long or hard runs. My pace splits were 8:33, 8:29, 8:15, 8:09, 8:11, 8:09, and 7.55 for the last 0.2, for a total of 51:46, which is 1 1/2 minutes faster than my previous 10k pace earlier this spring. Overall, I’m super pleased with that time, even though it's still within the back of the pack for my age group (35-39). The second 5k would definitely be a PR for me also.

It was a beautiful morning, couldn’t have asked for better weather, and I had a great time, and I got a PR!  Priceless!

A pic of me after the race, before heading to bed, showing off my koozy! Sorry it's so grainy and off-color, the Iphone camera doesn't do very well sometimes.

2009 Bill Seymour Grand Island Half Marathon

Short version:  Just completed the Bill Seymour HM in Grand Island, NE this morning.  This was a new PR for me by about 3 minutes, with a time of 1:56:31!  Woohoo, am super excited!  This was an awesome race!

Long Version:  Met up with some Runner's World forum-ites (Lacer and Keenagirl) before the race started, it was a pleasure to be able meet you.  Didn't know how fast I wanted to run this race, but had a preliminary goal of running this as a marathon-pace long run in about 2:10sh.  However, I've felt really healthy this past week or two, and thought I might have a legitimate shot at a new PR.  I strained my ITB on my 2nd HM earlier this year (see previous posts) but am back to nearly 100%.  PR time of 1:59:29 in May went to a PW time of 2:24 in the next race in June in Denver (due to ITBS), and then back to 2:12 at a race in July.

Awoke this morning to a thick, dense shroud of fog, and it was pretty chilly.  Couldn't even hardly see across the street it was so thick. Ate my normal pre-race breakfast of bagel, peanut butter, banana, and Gatorade, got dressed and headed to the course.  Met up with Lacer and Keena, said hello, then did a little warmup jog of about 1/2 mile (to stay warm) and then the race began.

Started off really strong, and everything just clicked today so I just kept putting the hammer down. Absolutely no knee pain at all.  Best split was 8:40 at mile 7.  But overall, this was just an awesome race! It's pancake flat, so that really helped. At about mile 9.5, my right ankle cramped pretty badly.  It did that last week on my long slow run at mile 13.5, so I'm going to have to figure out what's going on there.  The cramp worked itself out by about mile 11 thankfully.  I was also having some minor gut issues, not sure why since I changed nothing at all in my pre-race routine, although we did do a tailgate lunch at work yesterday, and I did have a Dairy Queen blizzard last night before bed. Hmm.  Don't think I'll do that again.

I'm not going to lie, the last 1 1/2 miles of the race was rough.  I just maintained my pace, and didn't really have enough for a strong kick at the end.  I knew I had already nabbed a new PR so didn't feel the need to push it any harder. Final time was 1:56:35, my previous PR was 1:59:29, so I'm super proud that I was able to shave a full 3 minutes off my time, and have fully recovered from my ITB injury earlier in the year!

After the race, I milled around for just a bit to meet up with Lacer and Keena again, and then headed back to the motel for an ice bath and a quick race report, and then headed back on the road to go to work this afternoon. Am a little sore, even after the ice bath, but I really pushed the pace hard today, so it's a good sore, and I'm totally loving it.  Now, I get to eat all the food I want.  Yeah!

The Des Moines marathon looms in 6 weeks, and this race has given me enough confidence to keep going!

Here is a post race picture.  I'm not particularly excited about this picture, but it's still documentation that I ran the event.

Race on!

Home Ultrasound Unit

After some debate about whether it was a worthwhile purchase, I decided to buy a home-use ultrasound unit.  As I mentioned before, I truly believe in the power of ultrasound to create deep heat in your muscles and joints, which ultimately causes cavitation in the cells at a microscopic level, which ultimately makes the blood vessels get bigger. This brings more blood to the affected area, and also helps to carry away more waste, which also helps to eliminate the underlying inflammation, the most important thing. So, after doing some research, and a cost analysis, for me, it was worth the expense.  I have to say, after a week of using it once (and occasionally twice) a day, I think it's really helping, and a lot of my pain in my knee is gone.  I still get pain in my knee on longer and more intense runs, but it's getting much, much better, and I have to think it's a combination of everything I've been doing. 

The unit I purchased appears to be the most common, and from all accounts, the most reliable.  It's sold by the Mend Me Shop, and comes with a special blend of medicated gel.  Yes, the unit is somewhat pricey, but given it's potential use over several years, it's an investment in my overall health and well-being, which I personally can't put a price-tag on. After using it for more than a week, I have nothing but good things to say about this unit!  It has 3 level of intensity, has 3 different timer settings, and has a continuous and pulse setting.  It also came with a detailed instruction manual on how and where to use it.  I'd definitely not be hesitant to recommend this to someone who is dealing with their own aches and pains, and I feel comfortable in the quality of the product.

Joined My Local Running Club

I decided to join my local running club, mainly to get some companionship during my long runs.  I'm a loner mostly, and do all my runs on my own.  I have no problem with that, other than the fact that my long runs are now starting to increase into the mid teens, and eventually will head toward 20-22 miles by the end of my training plan.  While I know I can continue to do it on my own, I also question whether it might not be helpful to join the distance training club, in hopes that they will help pull me along.

The club has been meeting every Wednesday night for midweek runs, and every Sunday morning for long runs since April, and will continue through the fall.  Even though I'm a couple of months late, it will still be beneficial as we move through the remainder of the summer and into fall, and it might be good to connect with some local folks to make some new friendships.

The Wednesday night meetings typically include a guest speaker, providing various running-related topics of discussion.  While I've learned a great deal about running over the previous 6 months, I'm still a newb, and there's always something more to pick up on.  Membership to the Omaha Running Club is $20 per year, not a bad deal at all.

Last PT Visit

Today was my last PT visit I think.  After the Okoboji HM yesterday, my knee is a little sore, but essentially, I believe that additional PT visits won't be that productive.  I know what to do and how to manage the pain.  Although, I may consider purchasing a home-use ultrasound unit, as I feel that really helps to knock out the inflammation, on a microscopic cellular level.  They seem to be somewhat affordable, and given my recent experience with no-pain runs after the ultrasound therapy, it's worth a shot.  I also opted to get fitted for custom orthotics today. The PT feels that it would only help, to make sure that my feet are in proper alignment, which will help with any pains I might have elsewhere.  Plus, insurance will cover 85% of the cost, so I might as well take advantage of that benefit while I've got the chance.  The orthotics used here are made by Sole Supports and utilize the MASS approach (Maximum Arch Supination Stablization).  I think they will really help me in the long run, and are worth a shot in my opinion.

2009 University of Okoboji Half Marathon

I did the University of Okoboji Iowa (mythical) half marathon today on the spur on the moment, signing up just a couple of days ago.  They also run a full marathon, a 10k, and a triathalon.  It's mostly a no-frills event with a cheap registration fee.  This was my 4th HM this year, but I just wanted to run this as a long run as part of my marathon training for Des Moines.  Mostly during July, the humidity can be very oppressive in the Midwest, and it can be horribly hot in this part of the country, but this weekend provided record low temps with race-start readings in the mid to upper 40s.  Wow!

Short version.  I finished, with a time of 2:11:48.  While this is no where my PR of 1:59:29, it's also a lot better than my PW of 2:24 from last month.

Long version:  I'm in the midst of a training plan to run a full marathon (maybe, we'll see), but hurt my ITB a couple of months ago, and have been slowly battling back ever since.  And, I've been making slow progress (see previous blog entries), and have shaved 13 minutes off my injured time of 2:24, with a race finish time today of 2:11:48.  I'm OK with that, it was good for me since I was just using this as a long training run anyhow.

The race today took place around Lake Okoboji, in northwest Iowa.  The race itself is extremely no frills.  Only the marathoners get finisher's medals (did not know that going in).  No bathrooms on the course, water stops are served off card tables and out of the back of pickup trucks, no post-race food.  The course was very scenic though, going through Iowa farmland, then through the neighborhoods surrounding the lake, with beautiful vistas of the lake, tons of boats, etc.  But the rolling hills were constant, and made the course pretty challenging.  I was a little worried about the race-start temperatures being pretty chilly in the upper 40s, and originally was going to wear a long sleeve running shirt, but a RW forum post steered me in the right direction.  Dress for mid and post race temps, not start race temps!  Thanks RW Beginner's forumites for the great advice!!

I only stopped once to stretch my ITB and hamstring around mile 9, and otherwise, ran the whole thing.  I also wore new Balaga socks during the race, and this was also the first race that I've run in the green Superfeet insoles.  My feet were killing me around mile 11, and I thought I was getting a huge blister, but no blisters when I was done, phew.

Lessons Learned: I was a little bummed when I learned that only the marathoners received a finisher's medal. I'm not a fast runner, and for this mid-to-back-of-the-packer, it's all about the t-shirt and medal for me.  LOL.  I know that sounds crazy, and it doesn't really mean anything, but I legitamately was let down when they had nothing to give me at the end of the race.  I guess it's my little momento of the race to add to my collection, and I couldn't believe I could get so hung up something so trivial.  I felt like a kid with no present under the tree at Christmas.  Geesh, am I that shallow?  LOL, I guess so.  So, I intend to buy my own running medal and have it engraved for this race.  You can buy generic ones on the Internet for $3, so not sure why the race directors couldn't pony up for one for the halfers too.

Second, when I run something like a half marathon, I feel a real sense of accomplishment.  Running 13.1 miles is not easy.  I felt so proud, as I have the previous 3 races.  That is, until I looked at my standings compared to everyone else.  I've openly admitted that I'm a pretty slow runner and I thought I was OK with that, but when I compared myself to all the other faster runners, it kind of makes you question why you're doing this.  I have to learn that it's not about the desination, but the journey (hence the name of the blog).  After every race, I have to learn to relearn that lesson. It's the journey.  Doesn't matter where you're at when you finished, the most important part is that you finished and put in your best effort.  I still ran 13.1 miles, even if I was in the bottom of the pack.  I'm a slow runner, but da#%@t, I'm still a runner.  Period.

Here are a couple of pictures:  The first is immediately post race, while waiting to catch the shuttle back to my car.  The second is an elevation profile of the race.  Rolling hills throughout.  I might have nightmares about those hills, we'll see.








Race on!

Another PT Visit

Another PT visit today, same routine, just a different day.  Full round of ionophoresis (ultrasound), an Empi patch (iontophoresis), and out the door.  Since the pain is nearly gone, I don't think I'll have many more visits, at least that's what I'm thinking right now.  It seems that I'm getting a real handle on the pain, what caused it, how to treat it, and how to manage it.  When I'm running, if I feel the pain coming on in the insertion point on the lateral (outside) of my knee, I just stop and stretch my left hamstring, and also do an ITB stretch for my left hip.  That usually helps keep the pain at a minimum during my run, and I can keep going.  The pain is much, much better than it has been, but still there from time to time.  I also ice my knee after every run, no matter what!  Keeping the inflammation to a manageable point is the most important thing.  There is no pain during normal activities, like bike riding, walking, etc, so as long as I just keep doing what I'm doing, I think I'll be OK!

Wow, Knee Pain is Much Better

I have to admit, my knee pain is improving greatly!  I think a combination of everything is working!  I was able to run this evening, 8 miles, without any pain until near the end.  Amazing!  Woohoo, finally on the road to recovery.

Today was also Independence Day.  I did have to work, and we had no solid plans for the evening.  It was a cloudy, drizzly, cool day today, so we decided to just do a BBQ at home, then go to a movie.  After work, I decided to "run" to the movie theater to buy tickets, then run home.  The round-trip was 8 miles.  We then had a great BBQ, and we all enjoyed, as a family, Ice Age 3.

Bottom line, I'm a firm believer in both phonophoresis and iontophoresis as treatments for ITBS.  They work!

Second PT Visit, Pain Improving

Had my second PT visit today.  Today, she did a round of phonophoresis with dexamethasone, which uses ultrasound (sound waves) to inject or enhance the delivery of the medicine into my ITB insertion point. She also gave me another Empi patch with dex too.  The Empi patch is a multi-hour therapy, which electrically injects the anti-inflammatory into my joint over a 5 hour period (it's powered by a  ring of watch batteries).  This, in combination of Aleve twice a day, along with the various stretches that she has given me, and continued icing of the knee after every run is really helping with the pain. I feel that I might actually me making a significant improvement.

First PT Visit

Today, I visited a physical therapist in hopes of getting some help with my ITBS.  I've been dealing with this on my own for the last 6 weeks, with not much improvement, despite my best effort to try various stretches, etc.  After visiting with the PT for a bit (she's a very competitive marathoner, and now has a doctorate in PT), she's given me several stretches to try to get my body back in alignment.  She feels that my hips may be slightly out of align, and has given me a toolbox of things that I can do to get back on the mend, including stretches, and also hip positioning techniques.

I guess I was perhaps looking for a smoking gun, and a magic bullet to get me on the road to recovery, but in the end, I think it will just take time.  One thing she did do was give me an Empi patch, which essentially micro-treats the pain location with an anti-inflammatory medicine called dexamathasone.  This technique is called iontophoresis, which uses a small electric charge to deliver a medicine directly through the skin. But, this should really help to knock down the inflammation in my knee.  She also suggested a full course of Aleve, twice a day for 10 days.  The pain is a result on inflammation in the insertion point of my ITB, and until that goes away, neither will the pain.  Icing my knee after every run will also help.  She also suggested that I think about custom orthotics, since my feet pronate a bit.  At the very least, she suggested I try some OTC orthotic inserts like Superfeet, to start getting my feet in the right position.

Hopefully, all of these things will lead to a solid recovery!  At this point, I need all the help I can get.

Decided to Visit the Doctor

I decided to visit a sports medicine doctor today since my knee pain just doesn't seem to be getting better.  After the run at the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Denver this past Sunday, I guess I need to get this checked out.  In hopes of avoiding the middle man, I skipped a visit with my family doctor, and went straight to a well-known sports-medicine group here in town.

The good news, after taking a series of x-rays, the doctor is sure that I haven't really torn anything and that I just have a very tight ITB.  This puts pressure on the knee, which leads to the the pain on the lateral side at the insertion point where the ITB connects.  My knee-cap is slightly displaced on the lateral side (just grew that way), which also compounds the problem.

The solution is to see a physical therapist, since there's no real damage that a doctor needs to repair.  I've made an appointment for June 25 with one of the leading running PTs in the area.  She has run numerous marathons, winning 8, and has qualified for the last 3 Olympic Trials.  I'm pretty sure she knows her stuff.

Where to Go From Here

I've been evaluating my running to date, and I'm now at a crossroads, of sorts.  I've run 3 half marathons, and while I've done OK in them, I've also not done exceptionally well either.  In other words, I'm not fast.  I never thought I would be, so that's not really an issue.  But, I have a choice now, and have to give this some serious thought.

I've found that I really love running.  Sure, there may be times during a long run that I'm not particularly fond of it, but overall, I really love the way I feel after a run.  It's that runner's high I guess.  So, I have a choice.  For the rest of the year, I can continue to focus on the half marathon, and do additional events as time allows.  There are several regional events that I could do, and that would be fun.  Or, I could start focusing on shorter events, and do more 5k and 10k races.  But, I'm not sure I really like the shorter events.  Granted, I haven't done a whole lot of them, but for now, I think I'm more content doing longer runs. Since I don't necessarily have the speed to be competitive, I think I would get more satisfaction from being a mid-packer in longer races.  Or, I could shift gears and attempt a marathon this fall.  I know there are many folks that say you should not rush into marathon training, and I respect that.  But, at the same time, if I can overcome my knee issues, and can continue to lengthen my training program, I don't see any reason why I couldn't do a marathon this fall.

Either way, any of the 3 choices above keeps me out there, running.  That's the most important thing.  There are merits to each one, and I'll need to give this some serious thought.  Now, having said that, the 3 choices aren't that exclusive from one another either.  In other words, if I choose to train for a marathon (assuming my body can take the beating), that could also lead to improved times in the half marathon, as well as 5k and/or 10k races when I start doing them.  Can I really do a marathon?  Actually, I think I can, but do I want to?

2009 Rocky Mountain Half Marathon

Short version: I finished my 3rd Half Marathon with a time of 2:24:11. While that’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! My knee hurt throughout the race due to a flare-up of ITBS, so I’m just thankful to have finished and wasn't really concerned with my time!

Long version: I was a little nervous about this race because I’ve been dealing with a case of ITBS in my left knee over the past few weeks, and it hurts pretty badly when I run longer distances or run really hard. But, I had registered for the race a few months ago (prior to straining my ITB) and our hotel was already paid for, so I decided to do the race anyhow. Was that smart?  Probably not, but I'm still learning. We spent a couple of days in Colorado prior to the race to get acclimated to the higher elevation and also visited some family and friends and enjoyed a small family vacation in downtown Denver.

The couple of days prior to the race, I made sure to stay super hydrated since we were up in the mountains, and also got in a lot of walking and some good swimming at the hotel pool, and felt really good up to the race with no major ills.  Note, the knee does not hurt, unless I run.  I slept really good the night before the race (oddly enough) and woke up promptly at 6am when the hotel wakeup service called. I ate my usual breakfast of a bagel, peanut butter, banana, and some Powerade, then dressed and walked the 1 mile to the race start.

I did some light jogging around the block to warm up near the starting line, and did some stretching to loosen up my muscles. Since I was particularly nervous about my knee and how well it would hold up, I had to use the porta potties not once, but twice to take a pee, finishing the second time about 3 minutes before the race started. Yikes, that was close!  ha  The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and temps around 60, along with light winds. It was a gorgeous day! The race started soon enough and we were running. My knee immediately began to hurt within the first few blocks, and I knew at that point that it was going to be a very, very long run. :(

My wife and daughter were able to meet me along the course at about 1 mile, and I was so thankful to see them. I waved and kept running. My motto lately has been, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never give up,” a quote by Dean Karnazes, and I just kept repeating this over and over in my head as the miles ticked off and the pain continued in my left knee. I ran mostly, but did stop to walk occasionally every mile or two, and mainly to stretch my left hamstring, which really seemed to help with the pain in my knee. I did have to stop at about mile 5 to use the porta potty again, but otherwise, the remainder of the run was OK and really fun, other than my knee just ached non-stop. The knee pain wasn’t severe, just a nagging dull ache that kept my pace pretty slow overall.

The course started in downtown Denver and continued for about 4 miles amongst the sky scrapers, then along the South Platte River, then past Elitch Gardens, past the Denver Broncos stadium, then to and around Sloan’s Lake (which was awesome with snow-capped mountain vistas in distance), then back into downtown Denver.  Overall, it was a beautiful run!

I was also initially worried how the higher elevation would affect me since I’m a flatlander from Omaha, but I wasn’t really running hard enough to even be significantly winded. Unfortunately, what was slowing me down was my stupid knee and the pain it was causing. The last mile of the race was especially painful as I kind of hobbled toward the finish line, but I did cross it with a big smile on my face, as I again saw my wife and daughter cheering me on about 500 feet before entering the finisher’s chute. Ironically enough, as I saw them, the song “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive came onto my Ipod, which really pumped me up too to get me to the finish line.

I had a finish time 2:24:11 (well, well within the back of the pack), but you know what, I was still really happy with that. While it’s 24 minutes off my PR pace, that’s OK! I never expected a PR in this race because of the altitude and my ITBS, and I’m just super happy I was able to finish it, and despite the pain in my knee, I had an awesome time and am so glad that I persevered.  The medal was also very cool, and certainly worth the effort put into the race!

After munching on a bagel, a banana, and drinking both a bottle of water and Gatorade after the race, we walked the 1 mile back to our hotel, I enjoyed a super hot shower and changed clothes, and then we hit the Interstate for an 8-hour car ride home to Omaha. Ugh. It was also lunchtime, so we decided to stop at Ihop for a much-deserved celebration meal. I enjoyed a huge stack of chocolate chocolate-chip pancakes (yes, double chocolate), 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and about 4 cups of coffee. I then proceeded to eat the rest of my wife’s breakfast, including her left over pancake, another egg, and also polished off the remainder of my daughter’s hamburger and French Fries. In other words, I ate like a pig, and it felt good with no guilt!

At that point, I let my wife do the driving so I could stretch out in the back seat and iced my knee all the way home. We did stop every once in awhile so I could stretch, and keep the legs moving.  When we got to Omaha, my knee felt great, and I have no major aches and pains anywhere else in my body. Yeah!

And now, marathon training possibly begins next week for a fall marathon in either September, October or November. I need to let my knee rest a bit, but I definitely feel confident that after 3 half marathons under my belt, I’m ready to try a full. We’ll see. Race on!


This is a photo of me about 1 mile into the race. Since it was Flag Day today, I decided to wear a flag running outfit, with a flag visor, a stars and stripes singlet, and flag running shorts and flag socks. I got a ton of crowd support which was cool! Note the knee brace on my left knee, which helped, but certainly didn't eliminate the pain.