Adjusting Goals and Sharpening Focus

Over the last few weeks, my training had been getting better, and I'd been feeling more confident. It's weird when you cannot do the things you feel like you should be able to do. But once you get your head around where you are, get real with yourself and then get to looking at where you want to go, things just become easier.

I've been able to complete some workouts here and there, but nothing to write home about. I've started to feel stronger, although nowhere near where I'm content to be.

With all that being said, other factors were bearing down that made me realize it was time to make a tough decision...one I'd thought about for weeks, but now it was time to really make the call. It was a tough decision, but I finally came to the conclusion that it was best to scratch the Chicago Marathon off my list for this year. I could make this a long post about why it was the best decision, but that's irrelevant at this point. Chicago is no longer going to happen for me, and it's turning out to be the best thing I could do for so many reasons.

So, now I've turned my focus to a couple of half-marathons, and getting faster again. The marathon, while it has become my true love in running, will have to wait a while... at least 12-months...maybe 18. Seems weird to say that, since my last marathon was 20 months ago. But it's just time for my brain to rest from that...and probably my body too. I've been putting too much pressure on myself to do things that, in all honesty, I was just not ready to do.

I'm in no way going to break any records the next time I step into a race...that's for sure. But it will be a big step for me. Probably bigger than most will know. My last race was June 6, 2010. Since then, it's been an up and down roller coaster ride. My next race may be coming here at the end of October.

We shall see. The only thing I do know is that I will no longer be flying out to Chicago to run the marathon. Time to get crackin' on getting competitive again.

Stillll Going...

For those that check back from time to time, I am still moving along. Still not feeling great about fitness and strength. I have completed 4-20+ mile runs now...the last one being 21 miles. Of those, only one was a strong effort. The others have essentially become survival efforts.

I finally completed a tempo run successfully, and I plan to run a progressive effort this week. I want at least 2 more 20+ mile efforts, and Ideally, they will be strong efforts.

With the temps like they have been in Houston, I have struggled like never before. I used to think of myself as a pretty steady runner regardless of conditions, but this heat is proving otherwise. When the temps or the humidity dip just a little, it's been making all the difference in the world.

I'll check back in as Chicago nears just to drop a note hear and there for those that check back.

Here I Sit...

...I'm on vacation with family, and over the last few days have really thought about a lot of things as it pertains to my running life. Well, and my life in general. It's late, and I'm one of the only ones awake, so I apologize ahead of time, if this gets longer than intended, or longer than most enjoy reading.

As I struggled through my most recent attempt at a tempo run, I contemplated a lot of things. I went from personal short-term goals, through some of the things going on in my non-running life and the direction those things are taking (or seem to be taking), through my plan going into Chicago (I even toyed with the idea of just bagging Chicago altogether), and into my running plan over the next 12-18 months.

As I've been thinking through these things, asking for Guidance, getting some input at times when appropriate, I've been able to come to grips with a few things that I continued (and may not be done fully doing) to keep myself in denial about. Sometimes I just can't get myself to see the things that are right in front of me, but when I take some of my quiet time in a run and allow myself to be truthful to me, those things become harder to remain in denial about. So, I have found myself in an interesting spot with my running and with my life. I was able to, despite finishing my Wednesday workout poorly, and quite honestly having what started out to be a miserable evening, enjoy the steps I took during the workout and able to get my evening turned around in pretty outstanding fashion...not to toot my own horn. I didn't do anything outstanding, but the drastic turn that it took from the way it started to the way it ended was pretty dramatic and very awesome.

So, my running life is changing, and my mindset towards it is also changing. What will this mean? Well, for that matter, what does this entire post mean? All I can say is to stick around, and you'll find out...maybe. :-)

Rodriguez, out.

Can't Stay Away, But Can't Stay Here Either...

So, I realize that I've been pretty spotty with my posting...not intended, but just kinda how it goes. I post a lot when I'm feeling good and running well. When I'm in either a mental, physical or emotional funk, I tend to stay away from blogging.

When I first decided I wanted to give a shot to qualifying for the Olympic Trials and started to increase mileage, it was by far the most fun I'd ever had running. I raced pretty well and just had a lot to say and talk about...it was exciting for me. When the injury happened, my worst fears were realized...I was out roughly 10-11 months before I could actually return to attempting to really TRAIN.

Now that I've gotten back into the swing of things, I think I've been a little shaken up by just how out of shape I am, and how much my body is just not in the same shape it was a year ago. I know that's a dumb thing to have to "realize", but it's the truth. I've struggled through workouts, though long runs, and occassionally through easy runs. Long and short, it's been way tough on my psyche and my confidence. By no means am I out of the woods on any of those things, but I've taken a couple of personal steps...not big steps, but steps nonetheless...and it's helped get me back on track, so to speak.

Chicago is less than 13 weeks away, and while running has continued to happen, blogging hasn't just because of the struggles. It may not be as frequent as I'd like it to be for a little while, but if you're following my blog and you've offered any encouragement in the past, by all means, stay tuned. I'll be back to more frequent blogging. Right now, my blog is pretty boring and uneventful, but as I overcome and attempt to slay the demons, things will get better...for running and for blogging.

Let me say that while I know not too many folks comment, knowing that I have some readers out there that, regardless of situation, send good thoughts and offer encouragement means the world to me. I'm generally a lone-wolf type of runner, and even when I'm in a group, I find a way to separate from them, sometimes by design, sometimes just by default. But I'm a pretty solitary guy in most of what I do, so when I get an encouraging word or thought, it really has a big time effect on me. I know that not everyone that reads this sends me good thoughts...I'm sure there's an eye-roll from time to time, a "whatever dude...you're not as good a runner as you think", and some might just think I'm not a real runner at all. Whatever the case, I'm thankful for the friends I have and thankful for the few people I have in my corner.

Rodriguez out! See ya on the roads. I'll be back to blogging in a few days.

7/6/11 - PM Easy Run - 9.5 Miles

9.5 Miles
1:06:00

Easy run down to Memorial and 610, over to Woodway and 610, then back to the park, around it and back down Blossom. Good run, but I could definitely tell the legs are getting heavier with each passing day.

Plan is to do two runs tomorrow and get over 10-miles, but with no run over 6-7 miles. Also, may look at shortening my Saturday run this week...going to keep it in the mid-70's if possible, but don't need to get 18-20 miles this weekend. We'll see how the plan unfolds.

7/5/11 - PM Easy Run - 9 Miles

9 Miles
1:03:24

Good run followed by some core and upper body work. The heat really took it out of me today. Glad I made the run though. I ran pretty even throughout. I always worry about falling off at the end, and for the most part I do, but it hasn't been TOO terribly bad.

This run put me at 53 miles in the last 5-days. Legs are starting to feel the over 10-mile/day average.

7/4/11 - AM Easy Run on the Trails

10.5 Miles
1:17:10

I don't really know the distance on this run...I headed down to the 2-mile mark, the water fountain at Crestwood and Memorial. From there, I headed right into the trails, and ran the roughly 2-miles through there till I came out the other side at the Picnic Loop. I stopped there to get some water, then headed into the trails that go behind the picnic loop. I've never run back there, and was pretty surprised at how many trails there are back there, and how easy it is to get a little turned around. I never got too lost, but did at one point have to stop and wait for someone to pass so that I could ask them if I was going the right direction.

All in all, I spent 45 minutes on the trails. I spent the rest of the time running the 2 miles to the entrance of one of the trails, and the 2.5-3 miles running back. Great feeling run.

7/3/11 - AM Easy Run

8 Miles
59:31

Took it way easy on this morning's 8 miles...nothing too exciting, but I definitely went slowly. Felt good, after the way I feel like I beat up my legs the prior day. Much better than last Sunday's recovery run...way better.

7/2/11 Kenyan Way Long Run - 18 Miles

I think this might have been a little shorter than 18, so we'll say...

17.5 Miles
2:03:14
1:01:35 - First Half
1:01:39 - Second Half

The route was supposed to encompass a loop of the park and a loop of the bayou, which would have only gotten 12 miles, and required me to run considerable extra miles after. But, with 4th of July festivities coming a couple of days away, a portion of the bayou was close, causing us to have to eliminate the bayou from the route. So, it became running to the Crestwood/Memorial Dr intersection for our water stop, then doing 4 loops of the bayou. With each loop, I ran back to the water stop for refueling. It was a struggle, but to a degree, I think it helped, as I was able to guage distance and how far I had left. I was way happy with how I was able to complete the run compared to last week, for sure. Strong run, and very even. I struggled the last 2 miles, but that's ok...it was hot, hot, hot out and humid. Torturous conditions. But, I feel good for surviving it well...gives a lot of confidence in the way of endurance and toughness...which is important since I don't feel like I have fitness or speed at the moment.

7/1 PM Easy Run - 8 Miles

8 Miles
56:27

Just a nice jaunt down to the park for a loop and back. I kinda got on it for the last 2 miles, running a 5:50 and 5:25 to close out the run. No real purpose, just felt like it.

6/30/2011 - No Run

Just poor planning and slept through the morning opportunity to run. No chance in the PM. Oh well. Will get more mileage over next couple of days. Will likely come up short of 70 this week, but still a good mileage and running week.

6/29/2011 PM Easy Run - 8 Miles

8 Miles
55:05

Easy run to and around the park. Nothing too major. Legs were feeling a little fatigued to begin, felt awesome in the middle and fatigued again at the end. Finished it up with some core and upper body stuff and called it a night.

6/28/11 AM Easy Run - 5.3 Miles

5.3 Miles
39:42

Just took it out easy around the bayou. Nothing too exciting, except that awesome feeling of running just 12 hours after your last run. All went well, which made me happy and ready to run again this afternoon. Legs were definitely not as "springy" as they were yesterday afternoon, but that's to be expected. Guess we'll see how it feels this afternoon now.

6/7 thur 6/24 Update

So, I essentially began to participate with the Kenyan Way on their Monday and Wednesday workouts, and I am realizing that I was failing to consider a couple of things.

First, the running conditions here in Houston have been nothing short of brutal. Secondly, I jumped right into two workouts a week, while doing 17+ miles on the weekend, and quite honestly, going from nothing but easy running right into that was pretty rough on the legs.

So, this week, I have two things in mind... getting my legs back under me and getting mileage. If all goes as planned, I will get over 70 miles this week, and will do so with no "workouts", so to speak. Nothing but easy running. Next week, I may throw in a workout, and the following week 2 workouts, but we'll just take it week by week. As I prepare for Chicago, the most important thing to me is getting the miles in. And the way my legs were feeling after Saturday and Sunday, I began to quesiton my ability to handle those miles.

With a little better set of thoughts, a better plan, and knowing where I want to focus, I think the plan is set to be executed.

I will throw this out there, just for the heck of it. With only July, August and September to go, my time is short, but I have a training goal, despite the heat, to get at least 3 weeks over 100-miles. I'm not 100% sure how likely (or smart) that is, but in my head, that is what is required in order for me to perform well in Chicago.

Alright...time to head home and put foot (or rather, running shoe) to pavement.