Happening Again...

After a good run, pushing an hour and 45 minutes, and feeling very good about things, life just seems to take some interesting turns.  What's the saying?  Life is what happens when you're making other plans...

Well, Life has shown up and my Chicago plans may be changing.  It's unfortunate, but it's entirely possible.  I may give a little detail, but not likely, as it's pretty personal.  However, I will keep the blog posted of the final decision.

In the mean time, running has continued and it's feeling pretty good.  It's funny the effort it takes to complete a full run at 7:30 pace, and to get a little under 7:30, when it I'm used to running under 7-minutes.  Or at least, had gotten used to running under 7:00 pace, for many of my miles. 

It's good though.  It's really making me appreciate the work to get to where I want to be.  It's humbling and really makes me happy to feel like my running has become a little more relatable to others.

Guess we'll see how things go.  Later all!

Feels so good....

I plodded along today for my first run paced under 7:30 pace in a long time.  Woo hoo.  I got out for 6 miles and ran pretty consistent the whole run...actually, probably actually negative split the run.  Maybe that's not a big deal when it's only 6 miles, but it's still a win here in this guy's mind. :P

I contemplated a couple of extra miles a the end, but thought better of it for various reasons.  Tomorrow may be a different story, though.

Legs felt good, and I just felt awesome moving along out there.  The last 3 miles, if I saw it right on my watch were all around 7:20. 

I must say, the feeling of progress is an awesome feeling.  It's amazing to me how long it felt like I was plodding along with no progress to show for it, getting poked fun at for putting on some weight in my time off, etc.  The weight hasn't really come off that much, honestly, but the fitness is coming back, and it's a great feeling when you get just a little hint of its return...or at least its PENDING return. 

All in all, training is starting to feel better.  Will Chicago still be a rough experience that sees my worst marathon time ever?  That's still highly likely...probable, if I'm honest with myself.  I still harbor some hope, though, that I'll be able to get in good enough shape to make it a good run.  :-)

Later all!

Milestones

So it's definitely not a lifetime milestone, but 12-miles run the other night was definitely a high point so far over the last several months. 

Despite mid-high-90's heat, I plugged along and made it.  It was a tough go, as it was definitely NOT a negative split run, but one that I felt good about considering the places I've been and where I currently am.

Looking forward to another long run.

Still Plugging Along

Well, gang, running has still been happening, but it's slooooooooow progress.  I have had no choice lately but to increase mileage, whether it feels good or not.  :-)  I am signed up for the Chicago Marathon and need to do whatever I can to make that thing the LEAST painful endeavor possible.  I'm already resigned to the idea that it will likely be my slowest marathon...slower than my first one @ 3:14. 

Having said that, running is feeling better and better...going just a little longer each week feels better than it did before to push. 

As things get more worthy of discussion, I'll be more apt to post.  But for now, my running still feels so "mortal" and "average", although in all honesty, it's probably more accurate to say it's below average.

For those that continue to check in and read, I appreciate the little bit of traffic my little corner of the internet receives.  I really enjoyed when I first began my shortlived journey to attempt an Olympic Trials Qualifying time, my readership went way up.  Now, I'm back to humdrum mode and don't have much exciting to post about, at least not in the running realm. 

Hopefully, as I continue to get into better shape, I'll embark on something as equally exciting as a Trials qualifier time.  Till then, thanks again for the reading and the time.

Later gators!

Is this mic on?? (EDITED)

Lo and behold, a new post.  What the heck is going on?  I felt so inclined for a couple of reasons.

First off, and most importantly, I just completed my most "productive" week and best feeling week of running in a long time.  Things with my schedule and time commitments have not allowed me to develop the consistency that I had hoped, but the last couple of weeks have been different, and this week felt awesome...especially late in the week.

I did a "long" run Saturday, amounting the longest run I've done in a long time, and followed that up with a great run today that felt really good on the legs, the lungs and most importantly, my heart and soul. 

Secondly, I'm starting to think to myself "What the heck did I get myself into?"  I'm preparing for a marathon that has the possibility of two things...(1) being my slowest ever, and (2) being the first marathon that I enter with the mindset of just finishing and having fun/enjoying the course.  Even when I ran Boston, I didn't necessarily go in with the mindset of "enjoying the race/course", but that happened all on its own.  Different aspects of that race are forever burned into my memory.  This time around, it will actually be a conscious effort.  But, at this point and for this run, I'm quite ok with that. 

It's funny finding that I've really transitioned into another phase in my life...a lot of things have changed over the last 18 months, not the least of which has been a change in the company I keep and where I put my time.  So, I'm not in the kinda shape I have ever been in while "training" for a marathon (I use that term loosely, so as not to offend those who's hearts and souls are buried in training and they are looking to run a legitimate time).  The best part about this, though, is that I'm learning again to savor all the intricacies of running that I think I'd lost.  The small victories, the little milestones.  I had experienced them at way faster speeds, and looked at the kind of running I'm doing now as a disappointment if I was ever there again.  Well, now I AM here, and it's a pretty awesome feeling, crossing over so many of those thresholds again that I had left behind, what seems like, so long ago.  It's exciting, and it's opened my eyes to a lot.  I'm even going to be helping a few friends train for their first half-marathon.  It's truly an exciting time.

And that leads me to my final reason for posting.  I heard a quote once...and I'm sure I've mentioned it here before.  "Each one gives what each one has."  The meaning behind that was this...whatever lives on the inside a person is all they have to offer.  ***I've decided to cut out the original text here.***

5/15/12 - Tempo Run

Nothing too terribly impressive...just got out and did some tempo miles, and it felt pretty good.

6:13, 6:17, 6:15, 6:22
6.5 miles

Felt good to get a few faster miles in when I feel as slow as I feel.  Right now, I'm definitely setting a little internal goal of just one sub-6-minute mile.  That seemed to once be a regular thing.  NOW, it's a definite milestone.  But one I am definitely moving towards.

As for this run, I started out faster than I'd planned...wanted to come in that first mile somewhere around 6:20-6:25, like the last time I did this.  But once I saw that first mile, I just hung in there as long as I could.  The 4th one was DEFINITELY the hardest one, but feeling good that I pushed through to the finish.  Feeling better and better with each passing mile...

Foiled Again

Well, after getting up at 5:30 and heading out to the race at roughly 6:00, I arrived only to be told that the race was being called due to lightning.  I sorta had a feeling when I woke up that would be the case, but I was up and needed to be prepared for the race to go on.  So, I hopped into the bathroom, put on my Brooks shorts, my Tri On The Run singlet (no I'm not a Tri runner, nor do I run for On The Run), and headed out.  I was nervous, no doubt.  No races in 23 months.  Mentally ready to post a time slower than I have ever done for 10k.  All in all, it was going to be an interesting morning.

But that will have to wait now.  Instead, I did an 10-11 mile run in 1:17 around noon today.  It felt good, although I realized I was not entirely as hydrated as I should have been.  Nothing I could do about it while out there, that's for sure.  But I made it through the run and felt pretty good. 

I had no time to stretch as I needed to get back home to make it to my daughter's dance recital. 

So, it was a good day, for sure, but not getting to put my racing legs on and use them kinda put a slight damper on things.  Fortunately, I live to fight another day.

Later all! 

Getting Ready...

So, no posts for a little while... I bet some of you think that means no running, huh?  :-)  Well, not the case.  Now, have I been running every day?  Heck no... are you kidding?  The routine is so hard to establish with the current schedule I keep.  But, that's all on me.  I suppose I could change it at any time, to a degree, to accomodate some more running.  Honestly, though, it's not been the priority it once was...life is different, pursuits are different, all in all, things are just a little different.  I struggle with it from time to time, but a reminder of the end result I'm after helps bring me back.

So, with all that being said, I'm preparing for my first race in nearly 2 years.  The last race I ran was back in June 2010...I ran a 16:01 for 5k.  As a matter of fact, if I look at my prior races, they were a 5k in 16:01, a 5k in 15:51, a 10k in around 34:00, a half marathon in 1:13...

Saturday, there will be no PR, no blistering pace, no age-group award, probably.  All it will be is for 2 purposes, and I'll do whatever I need to do to achieve those two purposes.  It's funny when you have to mentally prepare for both the pain and the humility of the moment.  As I improved a couple of years ago, I tried to remain humble, grounded and focused on what I wanted.  Now, being a runner that resembles the runner I was allllllllllll the way back in 2000 when I first started running on the roads, I'm reminded of how easy it is to lose track of all the possibilities...both positive and negative.  What makes this all easier to handle is that I have never forgotten where I came from, what I went through, and all that it has taken to get to where I was.  And now to be back at the beginning, it's a strange feeling.  But for me, running has taken on a deeper, more meaningful purpose and direction.  I like it...it moves me, drives me, and carries me in a way that it never has before. 

I enjoy running again, which is awesome, because I spent a lot of time after the injuries began when I didn't enjoy anything about running.  It's good to have that enjoyment back in my heart.

But, let's keep it straight...I'm one who has never improved without running with a little anger on the inside.  And there is no shortage of fuel to add to this fire that is growing. 

I'll post race details after what promises to be a busy but fun weekend.

4/23/12 Tempo Run

6.4 Miles total run
43:15

1-mile warmup, 1.4 mile cool down
Tempo Miles - 6:26, 6:25, 6:22, 6:21

Well, being an afternoon workout, I really didn't know how I'd feel running hard for a "long" time.  Four miles at a hard effort was further than I'd gone for a while.  Did a progressive run last week with Dan, and while that was hard, only the last two miles were below 6:30.  First mile seemed the hardest, as I tried to get my legs under me.  Mile 2 was pretty good.  Mile 3 was good till the last maybe quarter mile of it.  For mile 4, I figured I'd come that far, and the work had finally really begun, I thought "one hard fought mile is going to be plenty good."

Nothing too major to report.  It was not easy, and looking back on it, the fact that it wasn't easy might mean I should have tried that final 5th mile, but I have a pretty good feeling the 5th mile would have not been a complete one...nor would it have been at a reasonable pace. 

All in all, I felt good about it, and it was just like I'd run so many other workouts in my past...100% alone on the road.  If there's been one hallmark to my past training, it's that 95% of it has been out on the roads alone.  And in general, I'm fine with that.  Doing a workout alone, pushing when no one else is around, running when it hurts when no one is around...all those things only make you tougher, and Lord knows I'm going to need all the toughness and fitness I can muster into my small frame come October.

4/21 and 4/22 Running - Progress

10 Miles - 1:11 Saturday

Good run...suffered a little towards the end, but still feel good about it overall.  Definitely NOT a negative split run, but that's ok.  Just happy to get the mileage and the time on the roads.

6.3 Miles - 47:00 Sunday

Felt good...definitely feeling the itch for more.  Although, body is still not there, but I'm loving the progress.

Sorry, still not updating each day, or each run, but I'm just happy to get the time out on the roads.

AND, i've decided on my first race back.  Will be low-key, and will not be to set any blazing records.  It will be solely for the purpose getting a guaranteed spot @ Houston in January. 

That's all for now.

4/18/12 Easy Mid Week Run

Got out for just over 45 minutes, and just a little over 6.5 miles. Great run. Felt good from start to finish. Was definitely one of those fist pump type of runs. Nothing hard, nothing special. Just a good feeling run. Hoping that translates over to the weekend for another good Saturday run and maybe a Monday workout again.

One-day-at-a-time though...we shall see!!

9-Mile Progressive Run

I haven't posted in a while, but last night's workout with my buddy Dan was definitely blog worthy.

We met up at Kenyan Way base and took off towards the park. A mile in, we started our progressive run. Started @ 7:30, and I ended up at the last two miles between 6:15-6:20. He dropped down to 5:50, but Lord knows, I don't have that in me yet.

Then we ran the 3 miles back to base and called it a day. It was about 10-11 miles for him as he ran to base then back home, while I got in my car, and drove home. All I can say is that it felt good to do a workout like that, and having someone to push/pull me along to a harder effort was great.

It's funny how at 9 miles, I felt better after this workout than I did going 11 miles on Saturday. That's ok though.

I need that more. Progress folks... slow and steady, but progress nonetheless.

3/26/12 Run and "Workout"

6 Miles
41:45
2.2 miles "hard" @ 13:45 (6:15)

So, I had wanted to begin doing some workouts this week, and decided that even though I didn't feel good when i started the run, I needed the effort. So, as I hit a portion of the run that puts me on a slightly curvy, but mainly straight part of the route, I just decided it was time to start doing some harder running. And not having done it for a while, I could tell that I was going to have a rough go about 2 minutes into it.

Nonetheless, I maintained my pace as evenly as possible, although, truth be told, I was definitely slower in the last half mile of this effort. Maybe something like 6:10, 6:20 for my 2 miles.

Either way, it felt great, even though it hurt. I'm glad I did it, and am kinda anxious to get going with more of that.

I may be taking tonight off, but we'll see...with my daughter till about 8pm, so could be a little tough to get out for a run after that. Later!

3/24/12 - Easy Short Recovery Run

4-ish miles
29:30

After a lot of driving and a long weekend, I got back in town and knew I needed to get some running in, despite being tired and really ready to just unwind and do nothing. But I changed quickly and headed out to my normal running spot these days.

Made a short loop and actually was moving a little quicker than normal towards the end of the run. Definitely not finishing by running hard, but I can say that I really felt smooth last night. Just an all around good feeling, much needed short run.

24 miles in the last 3 days... I'll take that for now.

3/24/12 Kenyan Way Long Run

12.5-13 miles
1:33:00

Gmap says I did about 12.6 miles, as I did our route plus an additional mile at the beginning of the run. That gives me a 7:23 pace... gladly take that...especially with how I felt at the end of the run. I was pushing it early. I got out to base...a place I hadn't been in a long time, and started out with the sub-3 hour group, knowing it was only a matter of time before I was looking at their backs. I was pretty pleased to have gotten to the water stop 7.5 miles into the route (8.5 miles into my run) and still be with them. From there on, though, it was tough sledding. I dropped probably almost a minute behind them in the next 2 miles, so I made a quick stop for water with them and took off ahead of them. It took them roughly 3/4 mile for them to catch me and pass me by. I labored my way back to base, but seriously, I felt awesome getting back out there with them. I also felt really good having kept up with them for as long as I did.

It's a long road back, but I feel like I'm making progress. Good running day, for sure.

Two of my favorites...

This first one really gets me going...especially the last verse...Some of the lyrics just carry a little more impact w/me than they used to:



And this one just makes me want to run...and run...and run...



That's all for now!

3/15-3/18 Updates

Thursday - 3/15
No Run

Friday - 3/16
Easy 32 minute run

Ran w/my daughter biking next to me through Pearland. Great time out...she enjoyed, and I loved it. She told me that it was fun for her...even asking me if I thought she'd be good "that that thing we watched last year, where people had to swim, then ride a bike, then run." She's too much sometimes. :-)

Saturday - 3/17
12.4 Miles
1:29:30
7:13 avg pace

I will completely take that pace right now. Running heavy, and still not feeling in shape, a 7:13 pace run for 12 miles is just fine by me. :-) I started out feeling pretty good, as I headed from the Kenyan Way base area towards the park. I looped the parke and came back. At that point, I was feeling a little tired, and didn't feel all that confident that I'd complete the run feeling any good. But once I got going through the bayou area, I felt better, till I got about a mile and a half from the end of the run. I struggled there towards the end, but felt really, really good to finish the run feeling good.

Sunday - 3/18
No run

I felt kinda weird today, so I figured I'd be best to take the day off. I spent the day yesterday after the run working on school work, then gardening with my daughter. So, my legs were a little sore and just felt some weird things that I figured an extra day of rest would help. I'll be ready to get back to it tomorrow, though. Feeling a big confidence boost this week and ready to start picking up the intensity juuuuuuust a smidge. See how the body handles it.

3/14/12 Easy Run

7-ish Miles
51:42

Ran a route out down Beechnut, then back down Braes Bayou. Nice run, pretty flat, and awesome weather. It's strange getting used to sweating so much during a run when I never really had to bundle up THAT much otherwise.

Oh well...no problem there. All in all, the run felt really good. No real feeling of wear and tear, although today (3/15), I'm definitely feeling a little tiredness in the legs. So with that in mind, taking the day off, as I've not run 5 days in a row since the start of the year. Yesterday was the 5th, so it's a good time to rest a day, especially with 10-12 as the goal for the weekend.

I'm excited about the run this weekend and ready to tackle whatever comes my way. Should be a great one.

Later!

3/13 Easy Run

6 Miles
43:30

Made sure to take it easy around my 6-mile loop. Nothing too major...just a nice stroll out. Felt good running, and didn't feel like I was pushing it at all.

As I ran, I passed a couple of places that got me thinking where my running has been in this short time this year so far...making it past a spot where I had to stop once to stretch my calves as I was having issues...making it past 30 minutes and being notheworse for wear...moving at sub-7:30 pace and feeling pretty good about it... like I could have held a conversation.

All in all, I'm feeling better about my running. Just gotta work on getting my body back to where it needs to be to train.

3/12/12 - Run w/1-Minute Pick Ups

6 miles
43:00

Got out this evening for a nice run...did 6 miles w/7x1-min pickups. Over those 13 minutes (7 pickups and 6 rest periods), I covered just a hair over 2 miles...I'll take that for now.

I made sure I did some really, really good stretching after the run to try to fend off any pending soreness in the calves, Achilles, hamstrings, quads, etc. Overall, just a great feeling run, and definitely one of those that makes me look forward to the next run. I'll probably run with Dan next time out.

3/10 & 3/11 Running

3/10
9 miles
1:43

Ran w/my brother, so I slowed it down a bit and ran w/him. He's training for a 2nd half marathon within a few weeks of each other. He's 2 weeks out, so I wanted to run w/him to help him do the miles. He's doing awesome... moving slowly, but definitely working at it. He's dropped about 20 lbs since he started running again, and is doing great. He's feeling good about his running and has a marathon as his next goal in his not so distant future.

3/11
6.4 miles
47:11

After seeing my brother and his kiddos off as they hit the road to head back home, I headed to church, then out for a nice run. It was as close to my favorite running weather as I've seen in a while...warm, but not hot, misty/light rain, roads wet... don't know why I like that, but I do. As I started, the mist became a sprinkle and then a little light rain. nothing too bad, as that subsided after a couple of miles. All in all, legs felt good, body felt good. All in all I can say I feel progress, and that's good. Additionally, down 2 lb's from last weekend. I'll take that.

More Updates...Making Progress

Well, the running has become easier, faster and I'm slowly starting to shed an lb or two. I have my first short-term milestone in that department that I'm looking to achieve...hopefully, it's not too far away.

Running, I'm looking forward to my first double-digit mileage day in the next 7 days, which should come this Saturday. Over the weekend, did another 9 on Saturday and then 6.5 yesterday. If all goes to plan (and we know how it goes sometimes when you make plans), 10-12 will be on my Saturday agenda. And if I do that, it may mean a trip out to run with my favorite running group, the Kenyan Way. I've been hesitant to get back out there, as I'm just not the same runner I was last time I was out there...or heck, maybe I am. Either way, it's up in the air if I join the group run or not.

Either way, I'm feeling better with each passing run.

This week, my daughter is on Spring Break w/her mom, so the two nights I would normally have reserved for her won't happen, which means I should get a little more running in this week. Not sure if that will help or hurt my weekend running plans. ha ha ha

So, that's it for now. I should be able to post regularly after each run now, going forward... The running, if all goes well, should get way more interesting.

Quick Hit Updates

Nothing too major, except to say that the last week was a pretty light week. I missed a couple of runs with a couple of spur of the moment schedule changes w/my daughter...if there's one reason to miss a run that is acceptable, that is it for me.

But, it's good, because it gave my knee/calf a chance to get a little rest. Now, I started this week with a nice Sunday run...6 miles, 43 minutes, with 3x2-minute pickups. Felt pretty darn good, and I definitely completed the run in the shortest amount of time since I started running again. Very, very good stuff. I followed that up with an evening gym workout...a nice 30 minute circuit, including some jump rope warmups, then pushups, crunches, side crunches, Supermans, one-legged squats, pullups and weighted running arm motions.

Overall, great workout, and ready to get some sleep, some rest, and keep it going tomorrow.

Later gators!

2/26 and 2/27

Sunday, 2/26
25 min easy run

I started out with the idea of about a 45-50 minute run, but about 10 minutes in, I felt the calf/knee discomfort, so I called off the run about 13 minutes in. I stopped, stretched as best as I could, and then headed back to my car. I did some stretching and upper body work.

Monday, 2/27
40 minutes in Gym

I started out with a 20 minute stationary bike ride. Felt good, and hopefully helpful, as I was off my feet, no impact, etc.

After that, I did a 20-minute circuit of pushups, crunches, pull-ups, one-legged squats and 'step-ups' on a work out bench with 25 lbs of weight. Nothing too major, but going between those felt good and was helpful. Again, no impact, and definitely worked different muscles than running.

Tomorrow may see me hit the road for about 30 minutes running followed by more work in the weight room. We'll see.

2/25/12 "Long" Run

6 miles on 2/22
5 miles on 2/24

9-ish Miles
1:07:30

I'm pretty darn excited about the fact that I ran for over an hour today. Was not a 100% comfortable run, but overall a good result.

Went easy to begin, but felt slow and sluggish.
About 10 minutes in until 30 minutes in, I felt some slight knee twinges. What's weird about it is that I could feel the presence while running, but only became discomfort when I was stopped and stretching while getting water or waiting for traffic. It's clear that the feeling in the knee was tied to my calf tightness, as when I stretched my calf, the discomfort in the knee area magnified.
By the 2nd half of the run, the feeling was gone. When I stopped for water with 2 miles left to run, I felt zero discomfort, and had no issues finishing the run, or in post-run stretching.

The added weight and lack of fitness is getting a little frustrating. I can't describe the feeling as anything other than sluggish...not like tired/sluggish. It's more like slow/sluggish. I'm feeling ridiculously average as I run. I just have to keep reminding myself of the amount of time I took off and how much weight I allowed myself to gain.

And more importantly, that all things will take time.

That's all for today!

2/20/12 Easy Run

6-7 Miles
48:50
25:00 out
23:50 back (6:22 hard mile in middle)

So, I just ran today on a straight, flat out and back course. Nothing too exciting. Although, on the way back, I hit a spot where I know the mile marker, so I ran a hard mile...I gotta tell ya...running a 6:22 mile was NOT easy. All I could think when I was done was "Man, that is the time of one of my slowest miles from my 2:40 marathon..."

Good run though, and glad I took some time to try to drop in a fast mile.

2/19/12 Easy Run

6.8 Miles
1:15

Took a VERY easy run today w/my brother in Arlington. He's training for a half marathon in March out in Dallas, so it was good to get out and run together, talk and just catch up. I don't get to run w/my brother very much...or rather, ever. So, it was good to hang out like that. Being the younger brother, it's unusual to be doing something where I'm in my element, I'm the more "knowledgeable", and being the one to "educate" my brother on something, so to speak. Kinda of a cool feeling.

Anyway, the run was good, and pretty much a good level of effort. Not what I was planning on for running out there, but was a good run. Legs were not worn at all, did just about 7 miles, and was on the road for more than an hour. I'll take it.

Tomorrow, I'll go for a little longer run and take it easy out. I've got my plan in place for working in some speed work and workouts. Should do that in about a week or two. We'll see how it goes as this week and next progress.

2/15/12 Easy Run

6 Miles
46:20

I took it way easy tonight...as my body and legs were just feeling a little tired. Not sure what was up with that, but I think I just needed something easy anyway. Felt mostly good, although my calves never totally loosened up. They weren't tight enough, though, to be of any concern. Ran the whole time without having to stop and stretch any.

Just finished a good dinner, and doing a little work, now it's time to get some rest. Later folk!...or "folks"! Depending on if I have one reader or two (other than myself). :-)

2/13/12 Easy Run

6.4 Miles
48:16

Good run this evening through Meyerland area. Some road running, some running along the bayou...all in all a great feeling run. At 16:30, I stopped and stretched, got off my feet. After a few minutes, I got back on my feet and got running. All in all, a great feeling run, and didn't really have any issues to speak of.

For a 4-day period and covered 24 miles, I gotta say I'm feeling pretty good about it. Glad that tomorrow is my rest day. As a matter of fact, glad that the next 3 days include 1 day of running. Woo hoo.

2/12/12 - Easy Run

5.25 Miles
36:50

Nice "recovery" after my "long" run yesterday. :P No issues to speak of today. I was very mindful of how my legs felt and whether I'd need to stop to stretch and get loosened up. Never happened, so I just kept truckin' along.

Nothing else heavy to report here...just that it feels good to run again for a real purpose, and not just trying to keep from getting hurt, or trying to "stay fit", when there is nothing on the horizon. Even though my body has changed little, my fitness is starting to show juuuuuuuuuust a hair, and I like it.

Before running today, made a grocery store trip to try to clean up what I eat. Stuff to get my day started right, to snack on when needed and to keep me from eating out so much. Who knows if it will change the look of my body, but at the very least, it will be healthier and more able to function the way I want and need it to.

Later!

2/11/12 "Long Run"

7.1 Miles

52:16

So I decided to see if I could "stretch" out my running time a little. Last week I ran just around 6 miles, and even threw one of those runs in mid-week as well. So, keeping with the idea of increasing the long run by only a mile a week, I wanted to get 7 miles in.

Unfortunately, the run was a little more "eventful" than I cared for. About 15 minutes into the run, I felt some soleus tightness again...I kept going until about 20 minutes and I had to stop briefly. I got off my feet, sitting on the curb and doing a little rubbing and stretching until the tension had subsided.

I probably sat there for about 4 minutes...once I got going, though, the effort was good and I had no further issues. What I think I'm discovering is that my body is requiring something it never required before for an easy run...real "warmup". Even though it's different, it's an adjustment I need to make, and one I need to keep in mind as I think about doing longer runs and races.

2/10/12 Easy Run

4.9 Miles
35:50

Easy run around the neighborhood...nothing too spectacular. Just nice in the cool night air. Getting ready to run just a little further tomorrow...trying to push it to 7 miles, or at least closer to an hour than last week.

2/8/12 - 6 Mile Run

6 Miles
44:45

I looped the neighborhood and took it easy on a nice, cool, breezy evening. I had to take a 3-4 minute break at 18:30 into the run. Tight soleus, or soleous...whatever it is...the muscle just below your calf. Anyway, my right one was tight, so I stopped, stretched, rubbed and shook it out.

After a couple of minutes, I started back up easy and made the rest of the run without incident. I actually felt better at the end of my run than I did for the 5 minutes before stopping for the tight calf.

Some stretching and a little light upperbody work at the end, and I was good to go. Nice run.

2/6/12 - Short, easy Run

Just an unexpectedly short run last night, as I was asked to take my daughter to her team practice, so I couldn't stay out too long. Did 15 minutes, but something is better than nothing, right? That's my thought, anyway. So, just over 2.25 miles covered last night, but again...something is better than nothing.

No running tonight, as it's daughter study night. Back at it on Wednesday.

New Goal

I've set a new goal for myself for this year...was not on the original radar when the year began, but I think I have been "convinced" now to approach it.

So a new goal has been set, and it's amazing to me how much different it felt the moment I put it out there. Suddenly, running had a purpose again...one beyond "getting in shape", but rather advancing towards something again.

It truly was a beautiful thing.

45 minutes Friday.
35 minutes Saturday.
30 minutes Sunday.

Anxiously anticipating getting up to running an hour a day...but, baby steps...baby steps.

Slooooow Progress

So plodding along on the roads these days, I have plenty of time to think about where I've been as a runner, where I'm going as a runner, where I've been in life, where I'm at, and where I'm going. I tell ya, life can take some interesting turns, if not unexpected. What's the saying? Life is what happens to you while making other plans. That statement carries so much truth, and I'm reminded of that almost daily.

Running right now is way different. It's like, my body and muscles remember how I used to run, and they are trying to run that way now. My mind is working OVERTIME trying to get my body to slow down so I don't hurt myself. I haven't taken the time to map out my routes, so I really don't have any idea how far I'm running, just how long I've been running.

The other night, I slowed way down and just enjoyed the run, which can be hard to do when you have a lot on your mind. I ended up staying gone so long, my gf got worried because let's be honest...I've been way out of shape (still am). It's been a while since I've been able to run long enough to worry someone that something happened to me. I'm more used to the 3rd degree about why I was out so long, assuming I was up to something I shouldn't have been. It was nice to only have worry in there.

(By the way, her post below really made me smile. She's an awesome lady, and I hope to be an equally good man for her, as long as she will keep me around. :-) )

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On a side note, I feel like I need to say something about this...there is a fellow blogger here in Houston that has taken it as their personal responsibility to verbally attack me and the woman closest to me and my heart as their method of therapy in dealing with the deterioration of our friendship/relationship. Over the last few years, I've become aware of quite a few things that have been said and spread about me among the local running community...some true, some false, some quite amazingly false, and others, I'm really pretty mystified by. Either way, I feel pretty flattered that there was even enough interest in my life, that it seemed to trump their own in a matter that required discussion and rumor spreading. So, for the superficial "fame", thank you. :P

There's also been a highly unanticipated onslaught of harassment directed towards the last 2 women I've attempted to develop a relationship with. This is where it gets disturbing. While I may be hurt at times when someone says things about me, eventually, I get over it. But when the attack becomes focused on ridiculing and cutting down someone I love, well, that's just over the line.

So, why do I bring this up? I'm not sure really. I used to respond a lot differently to "attacks" and "verbal bashing", etc. But the more it happened, the more I realized that it had little to do with me, and more to do with the person delivering the verbal hits. If someone wants to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to knock me down, it's not about knocking me down as much as it's about trying to cover up something they clearly are uncomfortable with about themselves. And making me seem like the slowest, dumbest, most irresponsible, untruthful, selfish, uncaring, untalented, poorest excuse for a man alive is just a method they probably want to use to help themselves feel better. Let's be clear...I'm no saint. I've done some stupid things, ruined opportunities, messed some stuff up, made bad decisions, etc...but I own every one of those decisions, and I place no blame anywhere other than myself.

Unfortunately, in this case, I also blame myself for making the decision to have allowed someone in my life that has become like a disease...and not the kind that goes away with treatment. There was plenty of opportunity to have taken care of this and been rid of it. Perhaps disease isn't the right word. A drug might be more appropriate. It's something I knew wasn't good for me, wasn't right in my life, and wasn't making the quality of my life any better. In fact, it was making it appear better for an instant or two, followed by days, weeks and months of evidence that it was clearly worse. And doing away with it was like dealing with withdrawals. The withdrawals were not wanting to have the fix again, but more in the sense that more pain was caused and inflicted when it was gone than when it was around.

I'm not sure I'm going to post this... I may keep it in drafts...the thing is that I look back over how I handled certain things and how I wish others would as well. I mean, I have gone through heart-break. I have been lied to, I've been cheated on, and been treated badly myself. And what did I do in those situations? I did the things that most of us do when hurt...angry text, drink heavily, etc., etc., But all of that took place over a finite amount of time, and I was done. When it was done, there was no need to bash each other.

In this current, real-time case, I can only wish that she would take the same approach. Say what you have to say TO ME, or ABOUT ME, b!tch about me to your friends, call me all kinds of names to those closest to you, throw darts at my picture, whatever...but for the love of God, name-calling and trying to ridicule my GF, criticizing my commitment to my daughter based on your own twisted perception? That's over the line...that's too far. It saddens me the measures being taken to try to hurt.

I don't know... maybe I'm wrong on this. Perhaps I'm being too small minded, but self-therapy has crossed the line when it goes beyond simply bad-mouthing me and the involvement we once had.

So, again, why type all of this out? There's a lesson here somewhere. I just don't know how to be clear on it.

The lesson is to listen to your heart when it's telling you that someone or something doesn't belong in your life. I should have.

The lesson is to fight fair with someone...if you're angry with someone, keep your focus on where your anger is actually directed. Don't drag others in. Even now, I know others are participating in the Sam-bashing, but I don't really care, because there is only one person involved that I thought was a true-friend. The others...well...not even close, nor worth worrying about their opinions.

The lesson is....I don't know... fill in the blank with yours...

This is what happens.....

When you leave your computer unlocked....you get HACKED!

My lovely boyfriend has been running....he ran for about an hour last night and had me worried sick because he hadn't run more than 30 minutes in 6 months! I thought something had happened so I had loaded the kids up in the car to go look for him when I got the text that he was done and back in his car. WHEW!

What else have we been doing? OH we celebrated a very beautiful girl's 9th birthday last Wednesday. It was a low key celebration....but completly perfect. :)

Anyways---I have nothing to say really other than I'm in love with the most amazing man. I couldn't be happier. I'm proud of him for all he does to make me the happiest girl alive. To me he is the BEST boyfriend, friend, lover, father, worker, runner on the planet. I'm blessed beyond belief.

You have come a long way from the first time I met you love.....I'm proud of the man you were, are and are aspiring to be for our family. I love you baby!

Harder Effort Running

So, last night, I probably did my first bit of "hard effort" running. While my daughter was at soccer practice, I did loops of the park where she practiced...perhaps roughly 3/4 mile? Not sure, honestly. I do know that I looped it 6 times in a little over 33 minutes. Other than that, I'm not real sure.

So, I made 5 loops and just felt like sorta 'dropping the hammer' for the last loop. It was a fun feeling. All I can say is that it took me roughly 6:20 for the first loop, 5:45 for each loop after that, and about 4:50 for the last loop.

Today, I'm definitely feeling it. Not like soreness or pain or anything, but definitely feeling that my legs were working. And man, does that feel good. Hope to do it again soon.

35 More Minutes

So, today would qualify as a "long run", as I hadn't done more than 30 minutes this year. Today, I went for 36 minutes. I had planned on 40 minutes, but cut the run a little short when I'd already gone over 30 minutes. I just took a turn that headed me back to my car, rather than the longer way around. Turned out to be the right decision. Great run. Felt great.

Marathon Support

I gave all I had to give in cheering for and supporting runners through volunteering and cheering over the course of the weekend.

Honestly, I came away from the weekend having been given more than what I gave, by far.

Not much more to say than that. From a running perspective, it was a great, eye-opening weekend.

Later all! More to come.

Olympic Trials Volunteering and Good Running

Today was the Olympic Trials...yes the same ones I (perhaps) foolishly once believed I'd be running. It was an awesome experience being out there, watching the nation's best, and all the Olympic hopefuls. Watching Ryan, Meb, Abdi, Ritz, Desiree, Shalane, Kara and Deena all go running by multiple times, while I was road-guarding at miles 7, 15 and 23 was just an awesome, awesome experience.

The best part was watching NBC's coverage later and seeing all the places that I've done all my best training. Great event, and great memories from the morning out there.

Following was lunch with a buddy of mine, who is running w/his brother tomorrow at the Half Marathon, and seeing another marathoner who will be running tomorrow. So, after all of that, this evening I went for a run and ran roughly half a mile longer than I have been doing my previous runs....and that only added approximately 30 seconds to my over all time. Needless to say, I ran harder than I needed to, and I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow as well.

I did all of this in my new Nike Free's that I purchased today at Luke's Locker. Great feeling shoes, especially since I'm only running 30 minutes at a time these days. Good time to see if I can get adjusted to them while I'm working my way back into shape.

That's all for now. Time to hit the hay and get ready to go out and cheer on all the half and most of the full marathon folks out there, challenging the course that is the Houston Marathon.

Looking forward to a fun day of marathon watching, football watching and hopefully some computer game playing.

Step by Out of Shape Step

Wrapped up the weekend with a morning 30 minute run (actually 29:20 over my otherwise 30 minute course), followed by a nice weight workout. And because it has been since I was 18-19 years old since I worked out consistently, it's taking a little bit of time to find my "groove", but I think I'm finding it...the right weights, the right reps, the right exercises...Today felt like an awesome workout. I walked out of there feeling very good.

I have to get home, take a look at my body just before the shower to remind myself how much I dislike my naked body right now. :P I know...sorry for the gross images burned into your minds, but I'm just sayin'. It was just 18 months ago that I was the lowest weight I'd been as a runner, fit, fast and (while most, if not all, non-runners would say I was too skinny) pretty happy with how I looked. I had gotten all the way down to 147 lbs, and for 5'11"-6'00", that's not too bad. Right now...well... add about 25 lbs to that. YIKES!! What's funny is that most of my non-running friends, think I still look "skinny". Oh well.

I'm not saying I need to get down to 150 or lower to be happy, but I do want to get myself back around 160 lbs. And if I'm there, and I have the fitness that comes along with weight work, even at 36 years old, I hope to feel ok running with no shirt on come Spring and Summer time. Right now, that shirt is staying on, I don't care if I was running in 100 degree weather. :-)

Progress for the Week

Back in the gym again, for some more upper body work and a little more running.

Progress is good this week, and I'm at least feeling like I'm finally headed somewhere again running. It's a good feeling.

Starting the Year Off Right...I think :P

Two 30 minute runs on the 1st and 2nd.

10-minute run on the 3rd, followed by 45 minutes in the weight room...chest, shoulders, arms, abs and back...

Good days.