A Marapalooza Birthday Weekend - 40 hours - 3 RRs - 4 Medals

Quick Version:  Decided to celebrate my 41st birthday this year by running my age in miles over a weekend. So, I ran the Fargo 5k on my birthday on 5/20 in 26:55, The Fargo marathon on 5/21 in 4:11:19, and the Gambler Half Marathon on 5/22 in 1:59:53.  42.4 running miles, 40 clock hours, 1100 road miles, 3 races, 4 medals. Didn't race any one of them, as these times are way off my PRs, but just ran them with some good friends as a way to celebrate my birthday.  Priceless! 

The much longer version with all the details:  Headed to Fargo on Friday with a couple of running friends, Laci and Karina. Enjoyed a pleasant 7 1/2 hour drive to the nice town of Fargo, ND, a new state for me.  We stopped about every hour to stretch our legs and eat and drink. And we laughed a lot!  Since I'm a meteorologist, I was fairly obsessed with the weather leading up to the race, and feared that they all might be thundered out.  It rained half the way the way to Fargo, fairly certain the 5k race would be wet.

The First Race 5/20 - 5k - 26:55 - Met up with with a couple of other running friends before the race, and prepared to run, in the rain.  It sprinkled as the National Anthem was sung, and then it stopped.  Dry for the race, Yay, we got lucky.  The race was really fun, just running, not racing, earned my medal, and enjoyed an awesome birthday dinner at a local Italian restaurant, even getting surprised with a free birthday dessert since Laci and Karina had whispered to the waitress.  Thanks guys! 

The Second Race - 5/21 - Marathon - 4:11:19 - It rained all night long, and again, was worried that the race would have been postponed because of thunder and lightning.  The rain stopped about 30 minutes before the race, so again, we got lucky!  Yay.  Don't have a lot of details to say, other than it was a ton of fun!  Laci and I ran together, and Karina lined up a few minutes behind us.  We ran the first 2 miles, then did a 4:1 ratio for the rest of the race.  Yes, we Gallowalked it.  Big deal!  Really, I'm training for a 24 hour event, and this crazy weekend was meant mostly as a training run for me.  But we were passing people left and right, and continued to do so all the way to the end. In other words, Gallowalking works.  Started to get a bad blister on the ball of my foot about about mile 15 though.  After that, it got progressively worse.  The last 5 miles it felt like I was stepping on a nail with every step.  I was also worried that I was going to cramp really badly as I could feel it coming on.  Even though I was in quite a bit of pain, we still managed to laugh a lot.  Thank you Laci for making the race so fun.  I kind of kept pace through the race, and Laci kept track of the 4:1, always letting us know when it was time to walk, or run/shuffle. Teamwork.  I did cramp pretty bad, immediately as I crossed the finish line, so that was great timing.  Also got a special medal for doing both the 5k and marathon.  High quality medals, really classy.  I can't recommend Fargo enough, a great overall event!  Karina did have trouble in the race though, and after running 15 miles, decided to pull out. We were disappointed that her knee was really hurting badly, but it was a super smart decision on her part to not push it, to save her legs for the next one!  After scoring a free lunch at Famous Daves (they took forever to deliver our food), the 7 1/2 hour car ride home was just as fun, all laughing, occasionally napping, stopping every hour to eat and stretch, and overall a breeze.

The Third Race - 5/22 - Half Marathon - 1:59:53 - After about 6 hours sleep, I got up to do it all over again, but only a half today.  I duct taped the half dollar sized blister on the bottom of my foot and headed to the race.  Since Laci had a much longer drive than me, I said I'd pick up her bib for her, and meet her immediately before the race started.  Except we couldn't find each other.  She was having me paged over the PA system, but I couldn't hear it.  The race started, and I still had her race bib in my hands.  Oops.  I started anyhow, DFL, carrying her bib, hoping she'd be at the back looking for me.  No luck.  So, I ran the race with the intent of catching her to giver her the bib.  Actually, everything felt really loose today, despite having run a marathon yesterday.  That Gallowalking really does work, so I used the same strategy today, using 9:1 ratio instead of the 4:1 that I used yesterday.  The race was on a really nice course, mix of streets, bike path, urban, and rural, and overall, a really fun morning and great race.  Never did catch Laci, until several minutes after we both had finished.  Come to find out, I was just 30 seconds behind her at the finish, ha, so I almost caught her.  It worked out afterall. 

So that's it.  42.4 miles to celebrate my 41st birthday. 3 races, over 40 hours, 4 medals, but memories that will last a lifetime.  I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  Thank you to Karina and Laci for helping me to celebrate an awesome birthday weekend.  You are both great running pals, and I appreciate being able to know you.  Thanks again for helping make my 41st birthday one that I won't ever forget.

Here are a few pictures:

Me, after the Fargo Marathon during a goofy strongman pose. 



After the Gambler Half Marathon, feeling fulfilled with a long weekend of running complete.



And the Bling, a 5k medal, a Fargo marathon medal, the Fargo Rocks medal, and the Gambler half marathon medal.



The moral of the story:  Don't be afraid to take a chance and do something crazy and fun, and you don't have to "race" every race.  There are so many ways to run, to be able to enjoy it.  Do it your way.  Yes, I love to race, but this weekend of running and some walking was one of the more enjoyable things I've done in awhile and I wouldn't change a thing. 

Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon

Ran the RnR Arizona Marathon this past weekend in 3:43:14, a PR by 6:10.  But, bonked in the last couple of miles with some severe cramping that dropped me to a hobble and near crawl.  Se la vi, still got a nice PR and an awesome weekend in the sun with my wife, so I'm happy.

The bonk is purely my own fault.  I completely forgot to bring my Endurolite capsules from the hotel, and the Cytomax that Competitor uses makes me sick, so I couldn't drink that.  I fueled with a multi-hour bottle of Sustained Energy, water along the course, and planned on using the salt capsules, so going without any electrolytes was one of my downfalls.  I also went out too fast.  I put the hammer down early in the race when everything was feeling good and decided to go for broke, which was probably a mistake given I was cruising without any added salts. Oops.  And I likely put too much into my training.  I ran a 3:49 in Chicago, and signed up for this race as redemption.  It was too soon, and I really pushed my limits in the 13 weeks in between.  Got a PR for weekly mileage at 67, and just shy of 300 miles in December, but probably put too much effort into the training which left me depleted and worn down on race day.  Plus, I tend to race too much anyhow (yeah, my singlet gives it away), my own fault.

Splits were awesome up until mile 20 though.  Then my quads starting cramping (the course is a little too flat IMO), and by mile 24, had dropped to a run/walk shuffle.  10k, 51:22, 8:16 pace. 13.1m, 1:46:25, 8:07 pace.  20m, 2:44:26, 8:13 pace.  26.2, 3:43:14, 8:31 pace. 1:46:25/1:56:49 first/second half splits. 

I'll still take it though!  

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.