Greatest Sentence Ever!

"The bears bear hard hard yarn yarns."

-- L. Snicket

Make hay while the sun shines

Yesterday was a beautiful day and it was still really warm when I came home from work so I took advantage of the weather while I could. It is supposed to turn nasty today, so I thought I might as well get the runs in while I could when it's not cold and windy. Elijah and I had a good time, and I was trying to make sure that I did not push down too hard on the stroller as I ran. It's probably better for my posture that way, and maybe I'll be less likely to get thorns in my tires. I must have pulled some weird muscle doing that though as my back was in pain all last night. Despite that I still slept well.


Today is a little less hectic at work so that is good, hopefully I'll have time to get some of my little administrative things done. These things always seem to pile up until you make a conscious effort to finish them. I guess it's a part of life though.

All on our own

Elijah and I went out for a run this morning at the Cherry Creek Park, but it was just us today. We went for about 5 miles and kicked it up at the end of the run. It was a beautiful day here and I took advantage of the weather to do all my yard-winter preparations. I raked and mowed the lawn for the last time and in the next couple of weeks we will have the sprinkler system blown out. At some point I will have to do lawn mower maintenance this winter. I also had a chance to fix our toilet, which I think was costing us a fortune in water. It took a bid of fiddling and a couple of trips to Home Depot, but in the end it was worth it to have a working toilet again. Now if only I could do something about our stupid door.

Getting over myself

Elijah and I had a great run today, it was perfect temperature outside and the mountains were misty in the sunset. It was cool. Elijah finally waved at the firefighters, but it looked like they were out fighting a fire. Oh well.


I signed up to audition for our worship team at church next week, so it looks like I'll have to get over myself and just play. I really dig our worship leader's attitude towards worship, so I wanted to chip in to support him. Should be interesting.

Homemade Peas in a Can Pie

We went to Jim and Nick's for dinner tonight, which was excellent! I had the brisket sandwich and cheese biscuits which were both great, but for dessert I had the pecan pie which was transcendental. They make them there fresh and it shows, the crust is flaky and tender, and there were tons of pecans in the filling. The best thing is you can go there and buy the whole pie if you want to! I know what I want for my birthday. Grampy is going to have to make a trip down here just for that.

Afternoon Run

I had to take care of Elijah this afternoon so when we got home we went out for a little run. The rain has stopped and the sun is out so it's quite nice. The temperature is in the low 50s so there is a chill in the air and I needed my jacket, but it felt like a fall run for sure. Elijah was all bundled up and had a blanket so we were both happy. It was just a 3 mile run though, I didn't feel up to going too much farther.

Race for the Cure

Well the race is over and we all had fun. There were a lot of people there! Apparently the Denver race is the largest in the country, although this year apparently St. Louis had topped us. They were hoping the on-site registration would push us over the top again. Our team ended up being the largest team from a College with over 60 members. We raised over $3300! A big thanks to all of you who donated. It was a chilly morning, but not too bad. Elijah wouldn't wear his hood, so we don't know if he was cold or not. That boy seems to be made of different stuff than the rest of us. I was always joking with Melissa when Elijah was first born that we didn't want any loafer babies, I certainly can't claim to have any. They are both having a nap right now after having got up at at 6 am this morning. As for running, this race was very difficult to run and we were basically walking for the first mile or so, but we were able to pick it up in the end for a total time of 31 minutes. Now I have to figure out what my next race will be.

Productive Saturday Morning

It's noon on Saturday and already I have had a nice run in Cherry Creek State park, had a shower and baked banana bread. Elijah and mommy are napping now, so I'll probably just make myself some lunch while I'm waiting for them to get up. We have to do some grocery shopping this afternoon but other than that we have no specific plans. Tomorrow it is an early start for the race and we may see if we can check out the Downtown Peet's location. That or we'll go to the Harvest festival at Four Mile Historic Park, and go to the Cherry Creek Peet's. Next weekend is the grand opening of the Boulder Peet's so we'll have to head up there for that. Man, what did we ever do for that two month period that we had no Peet's in Colorado!?

Ugghh

What a day, this was a long week. I was hoping to get a run in after work but I didn't get home until late. Tomorrow morning will be a nice way to start the weekend!

Puppy Love

A few runs ago Elijah and I were running by a house when we had the bejezes scared out of us when a dog pushed its head through a broken board in the fence right next to the joggy stroller. The whole event made me feel pretty unsettled, but I was happy to see today that the fence has been mended.


My day was really hectic today so it was nice to get out for a run. It felt pretty hard though as it has been a while since I took the stroller. I thought I was going to grind to a halt on the hills. I picked up my race number today though, so I'm all set for Sunday. It's going to be fun to get back into a race setting.

I'll get you a satanic mechanic

Elijah and I went out for our run today and didn't even get out of the garage. Stupid tire on the joggy stroller was flat. After a quick look at the tire I found a giant thorn to be the culprit. So we had to hang out until Melissa got back from the library, and I went out by myself. It felt weird to run without the stroller, but I got into a good pace and had a great workout. Melissa was nice enough to go to Target and pick up a patch kit for me. So we should be back up and running (no pun intended) for our next outing.

Today was a busy day at work, but I got through everything I needed to do. I have some writing left to do though which I always put off. Tomorrow I'll have to take care of that, I'll just blast some tunes and get through it.

Saturday Morning

Elijah, Shaun and I went out for our Saturday morning run yesterday and it was a postcard fall Colorado day. The leaves in the park are all starting to turn and the mountains were capped with snow. Gorgeous. We had a great day yesterday and Elijah napped most of the afternoon. Today we bought a rake and Elijah and I spent an hour and a half raking the lawn. You sure work up an appetite doing yardwork! I was thinking about going for a run again today, but with all the raking I'm pooped now. We'll probably spend the afternoon relaxing or doing work around the house. All in all it's been a great weekend.

Chilly Wind

There was a chilly wind blowing from the East today so I had Elijah put on a jacket for our 3 miles today. I should have brought one for myself. I guess it's not summer anymore, but that is good as during the summer I had a hard time finding time to run that wasn't either sweltering hot or fixing for a thunderstorm. We still enjoyed it despite the chill and we had worked up an appetite by the time we returned. Tonight we're just relaxing. I've got a lecture to give tomorrow so I'm a little nervous, but I'll settle in once I get going I think.

Before Dinner

Went for a quick 3 mile run before dinner tonight, it was a really good workout. Elijah enjoyed it and was yelling "Go!" as we ran down the hill. It was good he had that time to relax because he was a real pill the whole rest of the night. Oh well, we all have our moments. Just a little less than two weeks to my next race, I'm really looking forward to it!

Saturday in the Park

It sure didn't feel like the fourth of July. It was a brisk run this morning, but I had company. Elijah was bundled up in the Joggy stroller and Shaun went with me. We took a little jog into the Cherry Creek State Park and had a nice view of the snowcapped mountains. I much prefer running in the cool fall and winter than the hot summer months. It was a good way to start a Saturday, and something we plan to do regularly. I've been thinking about heading up a group that goes out weekly for a year or so now and I've finally decided to pull the trigger. We'll see how much interest I get, but even if no one shows up I can still go out on my own. Depending on how things go I may go out again tomorrow. Well gotta get ready for grab-ass (UFC 63) tonight!

Just like new

After barely getting out the door with the joggy stroller on Saturday I wanted to fix it once and for all. So I stopped off at University Bicycles while I was in Boulder this afternoon and got three new inner tubes. It's a really nice store and it had a great feel to it. There were lots of people there to help and there did not seem to be any elitist attitudes like I've experienced in other bike stores. If I do eventually buy a bike I think I will go there. Anyway, I got the tubes changed on all three tires and after dinner Elijah and I took it out for a test spin. I hope I will not have to fill the tires every time I go out now. We are starting to lose our light now pretty quickly, so I'm not sure how we are going to work our runs in. I know that I want to though as I really cherish our runs together. I'm really a pretty sappy dad at heart.

Longer Run

This morning Elijah and I went out for a good 5 mile run. It's a little longer than we've been doing lately, but I seemed to handle the distance well. I guess some things don't leave you as quickly as others. There are a few big hills on the way, so I took them slow with the joggy stroller. On Wednesday I went a little too fast on the first hill and I regretted it for the whole run. We had a little walk up to Caribou coffee as well, so it's been a good day for exercise. Hopefully I'll sleep well tonight. For those who are interested here is the route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=439614.

Pooped

I managed to temporarily resurrect the joggy stroller for a run tonight with Elijah. I went out before dinner though, and discovered that I did not have enough energy to get through the hills. I guess I should have eaten something in the afternoon. Elijah had a good time though and I was glad I was able to fix the stroller. He can now climb into the joggy stroller by himself, which is pretty cute. He crawls up into the seat and turns himself around, waiting for me to strap him in. He likes going out with me so much now that when I tried to go without him today he started to cry. I couldn't leave him there like that. Poor little guy.

Visitors!

Cate and Kaisara are here visiting us and we are having a blast. We walked up to Southlands today to check out the farmers market and have coffee at Caribou. It was just cool enough to be able to enjoy the weather and not get too hot walking. So EJ and I decided to head out for a 3 mile run. We were thinking about going for longer but I think our front tire is toast so we decided to cut it short so that we wouldn't be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire. We'll have to figure out something before we go out to the race in October. My fundraising is going really well, thanks so much to my present and future donors! Apparently a mammogram costs $100, so I've raised enough to get one. Woo hoo!

More Daddy and Elijah time

Elijah and I had some time to hang out last night while Mommy was off babysitting for a friend. We had hotdogs for dinner (Elijah polished off a whole hot dog and bun himself) and then Elijah helped me set up the sprinkler to water the lawn. Then we went out for our run, and were able to get back just before the sun set. It was a beautiful evening, and I really enjoyed the quality time with the boy.


Speaking of running, I have signed up for another race this year. I am going to run in the Run for the Cure on October 8th, and I need help raising funds for my goal. Anything any of you can give will be much appreciated. Go to my pledge page to see how far I have to go and to donate! http://www.raceforthecure-denver.com/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1020&px=1262164

Reditt reditt

One book that changed your life: The Outsider (Albert Camus) -- This one would probably seem like an odd choice to a lot of people, but I learned a lot about my life and the bleakness of the atheistic viewpoint by reading this book.



One book that you've read more than once: The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) -- I suppose the Lord of the Rings could be included with this.



One book that made you laugh: Out of the Silent Planet (C.S. Lewis)



One book that made you cry: I think I might have almost cried reading Perelandra (C.S. Lewis)



One book that you wish had been written: Everything you ever wanted to know about NMR but were afraid to ask



One book that you wish had never been written: I'd rather not list it here



One book you are currently reading: The Theory of Poker (David Sklansky)

Getting back in the game

Went for a quick 3 miles before dinner with Elijah tonight. He seemed to enjoy it, even though I wasn't able to go as fast as he would have liked. It seems like every time we hit an uphill stretch he's looking back at me as if to say "Daddy, why are we slowing down?" We came back home and sat down to a yummy meatloaf dinner. Very tasty!

Monkey on my back

We're back from Vegas, and we had a blast! Luck did not seem to be with me though, no matter how many trips to Caeser's nose we made. BJ cleaned me out, and I had no real luck at video poker even though everyone else in the family did. But I was able to cash in on other's luck at the craps tables, even though I couldn't roll a point for myself to save my life. We had a lot of fun, and considering how much we did we didn't end up spending all that much. Now we just need to let our lungs clear out all that second hand smoke with some fresh mountain air. I was amazed at how fresh and clean our house smelled when we returned after spending all that time in airports and casinos.


Today we are going to catch up on our shopping, and then we are going to watch the UFC championship on PPV with some friends. Hopefully it will be a good show.

Yesterday's run

I did get out for a nice 3 miles with Elijah yesterday, although with a headwind on the uphills it was a little difficult. I do like getting back into the routine though, I'll have to make sure to get out for a run this weekend. I did want to briefly post about our trip to Sonic earlier this week. We went to the drive-in there! Not a drive-thru, but a drive-in. It was pretty cool being able to experience something like that, especially as they are few and far between nowadays. It was really nice to be able to sit there and decide what we wanted without any pressure, then pushing the button and having out order at our car in a few minutes. The food there is not bad for fast food, and there is a lot of variety on the menu. It was pretty cool and Elijah enjoyed it as well.


No specific plans for this weekend, we are just going to take it as we go. We've got some ideas though. We might try to watch some Vegas related movies to get ready for our trip next week! Vegas Baby!

Just like warm milk

We put Elijah to bed early tonight because he was being a bit of a pill and he just fussed in his crib instead of going to sleep. So I suggested I take him out with me for my run as I was already heading out. We went for a good three miles at a quick pace. When we got home Elijah had a cool down (he drank most of my water) and then he went off to bed. This time he fell right asleep. I guess the fresh air knocked him out.

Daddy and Elijah's Day of Fun!

Mommy took some time to go to the museum with her friend today, which left Elijah and I to fend for ourselves. We had a blast. EJ got into the joggy stroller and we ran up to the farmer's market to get some fresh ground peanut butter. We also stopped in at one booth that was offering all that you could fit into a bag for $8. So we got corn, green and yellow zucchini, red potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, and a cantaloupe all for $8. Nice. We popped into Caribou for a smoothie, and walked home. It wasn't a long run but it was all uphill, and at this point I'm just happy to get out at all. After we unloaded everything from the stroller, we settled down to some cantaloupe for lunch. Elijah ate two whole slices. Then we went upstairs to play guitar. Unfortunately one of the strings was broken on my acoustic, so I opted to dust off my amp and play the electric guitar instead. I ended up really enjoying that, and Elijah sat by the amp bopping as I played. I had to make banana bread for church tomorrow, so I started that, and Elijah decided to go down for a nap while I did that. By the time he got up there were two slices of banana bread waiting for him, that he polished off in no time. Mommy was home by that time so we managed to squeeze in some family play time before dinner, and even sat out in the lawn for a little while while the BBQ warmed up. What a day!

What a difference

I did 3 miles tonight without the joggy stroller. It was like night and day. That boy weighs a nut! He was supposed to go to bed early which is why he couldn't come with me, but when I got back he was still lying in his crib playing with his rattle. I feel kinda bad for him as he has a gigantic molar coming in. I also feel really bad for Melissa, who has to spend all day with him.

Too long

Man I feel out of shape now. After a long time with no running 3 miles seemed hard. But I feel like I've had a solid recovery and now I have to look to the future instead of the past. Elijah went with me tonight and we both enjoyed the fresh air. I brought along Elijah's juice so that when I stopped to cool down and drink my water he had his juice. It was very cute. He must have worked up a thirst while we ran because he downed it!

A little cooler

Our temps have still been in the triple digits these past couple of days, but there has been enough moisture around to send some storms through in the evening to cool things off. I was able to get out tonight for a 3 mile run with Elijah which we both enjoyed thoroughly. It was a little windy, but Elijah likes the wind in his hair. Following up on an article I read in my Runner's World magazine I found a site today that lets me track my route, and gives me mileage and elevation. Here is today's run, apparently it is only 2.85 miles but I did it in 23:30: www.gmap-pedometer.com

Catching up

This week there are experiments running all week so I have an opportunity to catch up on little things that have been piling up. This morning I was so busy with things that I lost track of time and didn't get to eat lunch until 2. Normally I'm so hungry that I can barely get to lunch time, let alone miss it. Hopefully I'll be able to finish on time this week and get out running more frequently. Tonight I went out for a couple of miles with Elijah. It was a little cooler today than it was on the weekend thankfully, and a little storm going through has cooled it off even more. Last night it was 95 when we went to bed. Yikes! It makes me really appreciative of our A/C.

I had better start saving

I'm going to need one of these:



While I don't normally close with a quote I've found this one to be quite appropriate:

Daniel Ocean: How's your wife?

Bruiser: Pregnant again.

Daniel Ocean: Well, that happens.

This is why I started a training plan!

What with wet weather last week and late nights at work this week, tonight was my first run in a week and a half. Without the structure of a training plan, and with the daytime hours being too hot, I've been slacking. Tonight was great though! I took Elijah out in the joggy stroller for 5 miles. I think that's the farthest I've been with the stroller, and it's certainly been the most hills. I felt like I was slowing to a standstill sometimes, but I must have been going faster than I thought because I made good time. Elijah and I both had fun, but I think I was more tired than he was when we got back.

Wet Weather

We've had rain pretty much every night this last week, it's been good for the lawn but it seems to put a damper on my running. I just can't seem to get motivated to go in the morning so the evening is pretty much the only time I can convince myself to go. A little thunder and lightning will throw me off though, so this week has been a wash running wise. Today Melissa, Elijah and I all went out for a long walk to Southlands, which was really nice. We checked out the farmer's market there, which seemed to be much better than the one at cherry creek. We'll have to go sometime when we have money to spend. Right now we're trying to save up for our Vegas trip. I've got Vegas fever bad, I'm probably going to drive Melissa nuts. Well tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get a nice run in. If it stays cool like today I should be able to do it in the early afternoon.

Sunday Morning

I did a pleasant Sunday morning run today, seven miles at a decent pace. I didn't bring my watch for a change but it took me about an hour to finish the circuit. There are a lot of hills too, so it was a great workout. I feel like I'm getting back into it pretty quickly. The first week was tough but ever since then things have been a little easier. My goal is to get in five miles on Tuesday and Thursday, with easier 3 mile days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. With a 10 mile run on Saturday or Sunday that would put me at 35 miles a week, which is where I want to be. With this week past I think I can get pretty close to that goal in the next few weeks, and this would be a great way to keep in shape for distance.


The arts festival yesterday was pretty fun, and we got to have Peet's. I also got to get some yummy vegetables at the farmer's Market. I picked up a nice zucchini, some radishes and mixed greens. I grilled the zucchini last night and Elijah and I really enjoyed it. I also made a nice salad from the greens and radishes, which I topped with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. With the pizza we made (see Melissa's blog) it made for a great dinner and a nice change of pace. It seemed all we had last week was meat and carbs for dinner, so I told Melissa that I was meated-out. I must have recovered from it now because we got some nice thick pork chops for dinner. Mmmm! With the cinnamon apple raisin sauce I make with them tonight will be some good eating. Tomorrow I am back to work, but I have Tuesday off. I put up the flags that we got at the Bolder Boulder on our patio, so we are ready for the fourth! Our neighbor across the street put up a beautiful flag on her patio. Nice and crisp and bright, it is the way the Stars and Stripes should be displayed. I want one just like it, but I'll probably wait and get one as a celebration when we finally get to become citizens. Gotta get that green card first though!

Communism was just a red herring...

So it does get easier

Last night I went for a 3 mile run with Elijah. I was going at an 8 min/mile pace, and I had no problems with the terrain. I commented to Elijah that I was feeling so good we should have gone 5 (I was considering it at the start, but it was still pretty warm so I opted to do the shorter distance). Running in the evening is great, a lot of sprinklers were on so Elijah and I got to run through a few on our way. He really enjoys getting out and will hold his hands up in the air, or reach out to bushes on the side of the sidewalk. Last night I was almost not going to go running, I felt like falling asleep at 6! But I knew that if I went out, I would feel better when I returned. I ended the day relaxing with a mango and some cherries that Melissa had picked up for me. Now Friday has finally come and I can't wait for the weekend. We hope to check out the Cherry Creek arts festival, and I'll try to get in a long run either in the morning or evening to keep cool. I bought buttermilk too, so that means pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!

Active evenings

I've been making sure to get out and about this week, Monday was an easy couple of miles, and I did some 800 meter repeats at the local track yesterday. Today the whole family walked up to Southlands for ice cream/coffee. I've been trying to get out more nights this week to start getting my milage up. Yesterday's speedwork was really hard, and the hills back home made it worse, but hopefully it will pay off in an improvement in my running. No pain, no gain!

A mid-day five

I did a five mile run today without the joggy stroller as Elijah was napping. I didn't get a chance to go until 11:30, so it was warm, but not too hot. It was a good thing I didn't take the stroller as the run kicked my butt without it. Man, I can't remember the last time it was that hard to finish such a short run. It was a great workout though and I'll be stronger as a result of it. I'm really enjoying getting back into it, even though it is hard. I really miss the mental aspect of running when I am not doing it.



It was a weird Saturday, but good nonetheless. Elijah was really tired and grumpy and that weighed heavily on us when we were out, so we elected to spend most of the day at home with Elijah napping. I napped as at 4 I was really tired, and we spent some time out on the patio grilling burgers on the charcoal grill and playing cribbage. It was almost like camping! I beat Melissa for what I think is the first time ever, so Cate and Jen, it can be done!



We will probably watch a movie tonight, last night we watched "Chariots of Fire" which I had asked Melissa to get out of the library. I was looking for the motivational running in the movie, but I ended up really enjoying the whole thing. It sure is funny to see the way these athletes trained then versus now. It's no wonder that the times that are being put up these days far surpass what was done in the 20s. Our knowledge of sports medicine has come a long way, but I still can't help but wondering what we do now that they will look at in 80 years and shake their heads.

M-O-O-N, that spells golf!

Had a good tournament today, the scramble format sure made it more fun for a duffer like me. I hit some great shots and by the end I was crushing some of my drives, and they were all in the middle of the fairway. Okay, so they weren't in the middle of my fairway. I was playing with an $800 set of "rental" clubs and I have to admit even my game was improved by them. I had a great time, and played not badly considering the last time I golfed was in California.

Run before dinner

I took Elijah out for a 3 mile run tonight before dinner. I felt pretty good after Monday so I ran it at about an 8 min/mile pace. With all the hills and the joggy stroller it kicked my butt. It's hard getting back into it, I think my time at sea level and my blood donation made it hard to keep up with the altitude.


I'm golfing tomorrow in a church tournament. I haven't golfed in forever! I rented a great set of clubs for a good price though, so if I suck tomorrow I can only blame myself. Well you can't lose any balls you don't hit!

Return to running

On Monday night I couldn't wait any longer. Two weeks was too long without any running, but I feel like it was a good recovery from the marathon. I went for an easy paced three miles with Elijah, man pushing that joggy stroller is hard! I'll probably go again tonight to get back in to some sort of training plan. It's nice to not have a specific workout that I have to run though. I'm going to try to get into running a variety of workouts 5 or 6 times a week. A mix of easy runs and hard runs should get things to where I want them to be while still keeping my weekly mileage fairly high. During the marathon training I came to love the 10 mile long run, it was long enough to feel long, but short enough that I wasn't bored or over tired at the end. I'll probably incorporate that into my workouts to stay on top of things.

Race Report

I've been swamped with work this past week so I haven't really had any time to write my race report. The Boy is sleeping in this morning though so I'll take advantage of it.


I woke up at 4am and went down to the lobby to grab my complimentary breakfast. They say not to change what you eat before a marathon, but they did not have any granola. Next time I'll bring some. I ate a bagel with cream cheese and two bananas, which I hoped would give me enough energy and not upset my stomache. I also had a cup of tea, which was gross, but I wanted a bit of caffeine. After breakfast I went about my preparing to run routine. I had to do most of it in the dark as Melissa and Elijah were still sleeping. I had to put sunscreen on, and I was thorough as I did not know if I was going to have to run without my shirt or not. I applied my protective nipple bandages, and smeared some vaseline on some chafey parts. After some stretching I headed back downstairs to catch the shuttle to the start line. The shuttle was small so we crammed as many people into it as we could and headed off, it dropped us off a few blocks from the start and we walked the rest of the way. By this time the water that I had been drinking had made its way south and I wanted to stop at the port-o-potties. Unfortunately so did everyone else. After a few minutes in line I realized that if I waited I would miss the start of the race. I dropped off my gear bag and headed to my corral for the start, resigning myself to the fact that I would have to find a port-o-pottie on the course. At 6:30 the gun went off, and 2 minutes later I crossed the start line and had officially started.


I settled into a pretty easy pace at the beginning, and was pleased that after mile 1 I was right on my 9:00 pace. It was cool and running felt really good so I was enjoying myself. Unfortunately every port-o-pottie I passed seemed to have a line. We looped around Balboa park and headed into downtown. I started keeping an eye out for Melissa, Elijah, Sean, and Jen cheering from the sidelines. I had passed a few water/powerade stations and had been having a small drink of water at each but dumping most of it over my head to keep my core temperature down. I had been skipping the powerade though, which turned out to be a mistake. At mile 5 I finally spotted a port-o-pottie that only had one person waiting in line, so I took advantage of it. This took two minutes off my time though, and it was the last time I was able to see the 4:00 pace balloon. The course continued through the gaslamp area, and out toward the waterfront. I caught sight of Sean as I was running and was able to get his attention. He ran up to where Melissa, Elijah and Jen were cheering so I was able to wave for a picture. We made our way out of downtown, and onto highway 168 which runs right through Balboa park. This was a lonely section of the course, and it was uphill for 4 miles on nasty freeway cement. When we finally left the 168 I was happy to see some people cheering again as we ran past the Fashion Valley mall. Sean picked me out of the crowd just before mile 13 and I was able to see everyone cheering me on for the last time before the finish line. I was starting to get tired as the miles took their toll, but I still crossed the halfway mark at pretty close to 2 hours. I passed a group of people handing out watermelon and I decided not to eat any as I was not sure what it would do to my tummy, but I regretted that decision almost immediately. I was beginning to feel like I had no energy, and the water I had been drinking was just sitting like a lump in my stomache. I started drinking powerade any chance I could, and when I passed the girl with the orange segments I did not hesitate. At mile 15 we started heading around mission bay. It was here that cramps stopped my running for the first time and I had to walk them out for a while. I was desperately trying to get to mile 17 where I knew that there was a Clif Shot station waiting for me. I felt like I had no energy left in my legs at all and it seemed to me that every mile took an eternity. I finally got to 17 and took my energy gel, hoping this would give me a bit of a kick. The miles were going by slower than ever now and I found myself having to stop to stretch my calves out a bit, and walking some of the time. I also had to search out a port-o-pottie as the extra water I had been drinking was weighing heavily on me. I found one just before mile 19. Soon after as the course turned around the outside of mission bay we started going over some pretty hefty overpasses. On one of these I had to stop running as my calves started to seize up. I tried to stretch them out, but when I got up, my quad had a massive charley horse and I could barely move. I didn't panic though and I kept limping along, hoping it would work its way out. Eventually it did and I was able to continue running. Every medical tent I passed seemed to be calling to me to not finish the race. I realized though that they would probably not drive me to the finish line where everyone was waiting, so I decided to push on through the pain. At mile 20 the water station was set up by a huge mural of a brick wall. I passed through the hole in the wall and while I didn't realize it at the time I had broken through my wall as well. I was able to run more of the time, and the powerade I had been drinking was starting to restore my electrolytes. I was able to limit my walking to just the uphill stretches and to short walks after each water station where I was getting cramps. As the miles started getting fewer and fewer I was able to break the distance remaining into shorter stretches that I knew were manageable. I kept plodding away and they seemed to come more quickly, 22, 23, 24. We finally started running alongside the Marine Corps recruitment depot and I knew the end was near. We turned into the depot and I could hear the band playing, then at mile 26 I could see the finish line. It looked like it was so far away! I heard Sean shout from the side of the course and I followed him to where Melissa was waiting. I couldn't believe that I was finally seeing them after all the miles that I had been waiting for that moment. I could barely muster a smile and a wave as I was almost completely focussed on making across the finish line. It seemed like the longest .2 miles I had ever run but soon I was there. As soon as I crossed the finish line I felt a wave of elation wash over me. I couldn't believe that I had finished it. I kept walking through the various stations in the finish area and I grabbed some food along with my medal, free sandals and mylar blanket. I picked up my gear bag and met up with everyone outside. It was over!


We had a long walk to the car which was nice to keep moving, and I tried to do that the rest of the day. By the evening I was even up for a walk along the waterfront with Melissa. It was a great race, I finished it, and I did not get injured. I learned a lot from it and the next one I will run much better.

Results and Pics

The results are in, my official chip time was 4:44:21. Pics of me are available here, search for bib number 5361. I'm the guy in the blue hat.

Rock 'n' Roll!

Well it's done. I finished it! It wasn't pretty, and I wasn't the fastest but I finished and that's the point. The official results aren't up yet, but I came in around 4:45. It was a little longer than I had hoped, but I had some issues around mile 17 and in the end I can't believe that I did the whole thing.


What did I learn? For starters I learned that the beginner training plan I did is really just that. It's designed to get you across the line without collapsing and that it accomplished. But if I ever want to break 4 hours, I'm going to need to step up the plan and get my weekly mileage higher. The second thing I learned is that 26.2 miles is a distance that can only be experienced. You can prepare yourself mentally all you want, but when the sole hits the road it's just an astounding distance and you never know what your body is going to do to you while you are running it. Would I do it again? Yes, but probably not next year. We'll see I guess.


Stars of the show: seeing Melissa and Elijah, and Sean and Jen at mile 6 and 12 was wonderful, and the thought of seeing them again at the finish got me through some tough miles. The guy who held up the sign at mile 19 that said "Hell, you've come this far, you might as well finish." The little girl at mile 13.5 with the orange segments. All the guys with the hoses at the water stations who would hose us off. And finally, the marine boundary layer which stuck around until just after I crossed the finish line!


Successes: Finishing! Having put band-aids on my nipples, which seems silly when you put them on but after you've seen 3 or 4 guys with blood down the front of their shirts doesn't seem so crazy. Vaseline (I won't go any further into detail).


It was a long build up to the day, but I feel that today I have completed a significant accomplishment in my life. One that no one can take away from me. In the words of John "The Penguin" Bingham "Waddle on, friends."

San Diego!

Well we arrived safe and sound and are enjoying the amenities that our hotel has to offer. We're driving a big pimpin' Tiger Woodsy Buick Rendezvous. This morning I have to do a quick couple of miles along the waterfront and then we are taking the trolley to the convention center to get my bib and chip. It's funny to see all the people staying at the hotel, with the exception of a few they all look like runners. Speaking of the hotel, they are rolling out the red carpet for us runners. Tomorrow they are starting breakfast early, at 4 am, and are running shuttles to the start line starting at 4 too. I can't wait for tomorrow!

3 relaxing miles

A nice easy jog this morning, although it's still a hilly route. I sure have noticed a difference in my appetite since I started scaling back my miles. Twice this week I have had problems finishing my dinner portion that only a few weeks ago would have left me looking for more. That and my lunch is starting to almost get me through to dinner even without the extra banana I was taking on run days. I'm surprised the difference is that noticeable.

Total Mileage

I went back over my posts for the past 16 weeks and reminisced a little about how far I've come. At the beginning 4 miles with only 4 minutes of hills was kicking my butt, now 10 miles seems comfortable to me. From Day 1 of my training program I have run 384 miles in preparation for this race. Now there's a number to think about!

Early to bed, early to rise

We were in bed at 9 last night after having to get up at 5:30 for the Bolder Boulder, but I still didn't manage to sleep past 6:15. Oh well, I was able to get up and have some breakfast, then go out for 3 miles with 3 x 2 minute aerobic intervals. I finished in 22:30, so my speed seems to have come up a bit. All that's left now is a 3 mile jog on Thursday, and a 2 mile jog in San Diego on Saturday. I feel good, I feel strong and I'm looking forward to the challenge that awaits on Sunday. If anything the Bolder Boulder yesterday revealed to me just how much I enjoy the camaraderie that goes along with a big race. I was wishing it was me running out there!

Spectators

I did my 5 miles this morning, it was beautiful outside, with a fair breeze blowing. It's nice to have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy a day off. Tomorrow we will be spectators at the Bolder Boulder, cheering on our friends. I really would love to be running in it, but with the marathon a week away it's just not in the cards. I think I'll train for it next year. It should be fun to be there as race support, even though I can't run.

One week

One week to the big day!

Alumni Affairs

I had to go to work this morning for a couple of hours to give tours of the NMR facility to groups of alumni. It kind of sucked to have to go in on Saturday, but it's worth it as some of the alumni are pretty big donors to the university. I did manage to get my 3 mile run in before breakfast though, which is good as it is really hot today. It would feel a lot worse, but there is quite a wind out there and that makes it feel cooler than it is. It sucks the moisture right out of your skin though. Tomorrow morning I will do my five miles in the morning before church, and then we have our couples group over after that. I'm probably going to make pancakes for everyone. Mmmm, pancakes. It is technically a holiday on Monday for us, but I have to do a nitrogen fill, so I'll have to go in for a few hours to get that done. We may go to Boulder in the morning to cheer on some friends who are running in the Bolder Boulder. It will be a busy weekend, but it's all worth it knowing that next weekend we'll be on holiday!

No Pain!

Man it's nice to have a week where my legs aren't aching for half of it. Two short runs this weekend, tomorrow 3 miles with 3 x 2 minute aerobic intervals and 5 miles on Sunday. I'm definitely feeling rested up.

5 Miles before breakfast

I got up today at 6 again to do my 5 mile run. It was beautiful weather for a run, nice and cool, and sunny and clear. It's supposed to get up to 86 today, so it was probably the only part of the day that will be that nice. I went a little faster than I should have probably and it ended up being a really good workout, especially with all the hills. It only took me 43 minutes to finish. When I got home though I was feeling the effects of not having breakfast before I went and I made sure to eat right away. Sunday I will have to make sure to eat something before I go out. I definitely miss running on the days that I don't go out, I'm pretty sure that whatever my training consists of after the marathon I will be running more days of the week.

3 miles!

This morning I got up early and did a quick 3 miles before breakfast. I had to do 3 x 3 minute aerobic intervals, so it was over really quickly (23 minutes), but it was a really good workout. I can't remember the last time I ran such a short distance. A quick shower and I was still able to get out the door in time for work. The early mornings are not so bad because I'm usually awake anyway, but lately it seems like I'm ready for bed at 9. It's a good start to the day though.

Worth it

Well it was an early start today, but it was definitely worth it for the run I had. I went down to the Cherry Creek reservoir and did my 10 miles there at 7:00 this morning. It was cool, and while there were a lot of mosquitoes, it was perfect for running. I was happy to be feeling pretty strong, and I was able to push my pace up a little. Even with that I still ran my split even. Over the next two weeks I do a lot of speed work at short distances to get my legs a little better at running fast while giving them a break from the long runs. I'm going to keep running in the morning to stay cool, and to get myself used to the early start (the marathon starts at 6:30). This afternoon I'm relaxing a little, trying not to do too much and stay cool.

6:00 on a Sunday...

Everyone sleeping, so early...

I'm melting!

Man I thought this week was going to be easier. But with my miles this week being the same as last week I guess my taper doesn't officially start until tomorrow. Thursday was the worst though. I had a dentist appointment in the morning, so I couldn't go early and I had work obligations, so I couldn't get out until 3. I was hoping it would have cooled off a little by then, but no luck. I ended up having to turn back early because it was so hot, then as I was heading back the sun went behind a cloud for a little while and I got a second wind. I was all set to keep going when the sun came out again and almost instantly my energy was drained. So was my water bottle. I took my big bottle which normally lasts me well over 10 miles and it was gone in 6. At any rate it ended up being pretty disappointing, so this weekend I'm making sure to do my runs in the morning when it is still cool. This morning I did my 4 miles and was back home before 7:30. I forgot how much I liked running at dawn. Looks like we'll be shopping for some new jeans for me today. In the last few weeks they have gone from little fluffies on the knees to full on holes. Oh well if it means I have to go to Peet's I'll just have to make that sacrifice.

Busy day

I had a meeting in Boulder this afternoon so I had to squeeze my run in this morning. It was a good five miles, and I felt pretty strong so I was glad that my recovery from Sunday was pretty quick. That's the biggest indication I have that my training has prepared me for the marathon, if I even thought about running 20 miles a few months ago I would have felt like I got run over by a truck. It was pretty warm out today though, so I'm going to have to find a better time to do my runs I guess. It seems like it's getting harder to sleep past 6 so the mornings may be the best time. I'll have to see how things work out after my marathon training is over.

Brutal

That's the only way to describe my run today. I hurt all over, but I seem to be recovering a bit now. The total mileage for the week really took its toll on me, and I had to run/walk the last 4 miles. But now that it's over I can enjoy my taper and get ready for the big day. I suppose it says something about my willpower to have got through this training alone, but I don't really feel like that. It's a battle every time it seems, today I was miserable 6 miles away from the car getting pestered by mosquitoes and no one around for miles. It was very difficult to get through. 3 weeks to go!

Father-son time

Today was only a 4 mile run so I took Elijah with me in the joggy stroller. Unfortunately, I have a lot of hills on that route and with the added weight of the stroller and Elijah it slowed me down a little. But it was nice to get out of the house with him, and he had fun looking at all of the sites whizzing by. I think mommy appreciated it too. I hope that earned us some brownie points because Elijah and I woke up mommy from her nap this afternoon rocking out to Metallica.


I'm getting geared up for my run tomorrow, I've decided to go to the Aurora reservoir again as it will be easier to get the distance in there, two laps around and two miles out and back. Plus I can stash some powerade in the car and pick it up on my way past. I still haven't figured out the best time to go, but I'm thinking later in the afternoon again. I ran at 11 today and it felt really hot. Motivation wise it's pretty easy to get psyched up for this run as it is the last long one before the marathon. After tomorrow 10 miles is as long as they get. It's still really amazing to me that 10 miles is now a reasonable distance to me, I guess that means I'm ready for the big race. Apparently the best way to deal with the marathon is to break it into manageable chunks. So the marathon is a 10-10-10K race: 10 miles, 10 miles and then a 10K (6.2 miles). I'll deal with the 20 miles tomorrow in the same way (8-8-4). That helps you deal with the mental roadblock of the distance of the race. I've also found that now that my pace is pretty well set it helps to just shut down while I'm running. If I'm not thinking about the running, the miles just seem to pass.


It's been a really good Saturday today. We went out to Caribou for coffee, and then got our groceries. When we got back Elijah and I went for our run, and then I mowed the lawn. All of that before lunch! This afternoon I made banana bread, and we are hoping to go out for Mother's day ice cream once Elijah gets up from his nap!

Almost there

Had some great weather today for my 10 mile run. Low 70s and sunny. I really enjoy running that route as it is mostly crushed gravel and so is pretty easy on my legs. That's essential as my long runs are all on cement now which is the hardest surface to run on. As a result I've had sore legs pretty much all week. But it's almost over. Saturday it's only 4 miles and then Sunday the big two-oh! Next week I do the same 5 and 10 on Tuesday/Thursday but Sunday is down to 10 miles.


I got my final confirmation for the marathon the other day and it's been kind of exciting looking at all the information. I have my corral assignment and my race number, I just have to pick up my bib and chip when I get to San Diego. I can't wait, we are going to have a blast!

Pics

I'm taking advantage of a free moment to blog. It's tough to find time to do it when there aren't little fingers trying to "help" me type. We're getting ready to watch House! This weekend up in the mountains was good, although I didn't sleep as much as I would have liked. I got back on Sunday just in time to grab lunch, mow the lawn and go for my 18 mile run. It went better than I was expecting, so that gave me a little boost in confidence. The weekend felt rushed though, and I feel like I didn't get nearly enough family time. Today was 5 miles again, with 9 minutes of hills. I haven't run that route in 4 weeks so it was nice to see my deer friend again.



By the way, pics are up of the Cherry Creek Sneak. I probably won't buy any of me as I am grimacing in all of the shots (I do enjoy running in case it is not obvious from the pictures). But if you want to check them out go to myraceday.com and search for bib number 4201 (mine) and 4202 (Melissa).

Minor Setback

Well it was inevitable I suppose. I got a cold. I've been pretty lucky with no sick days at all over the past 12 weeks of training. The timing was as good as it could get really. It hit Sunday night, and has pretty much cleared up now. So I ended up skipping my Tuesday 5 mile run so I could take it easy and recover. But I was back out today for 9 miles. Unfortunately the weather was not great, with cool temperatures and gusty winds. My nose was running too much which made things difficult, but other than that I was able to keep on pace for the full distance. I was glad as I was worried the cold had taken more out of me. Since Tuesday was my shortest run of the week I'm not too upset about missing it, but I may try to make it up with a short run on Saturday. I'll see what my schedule allows. Sunday I will be doing 18 miles, and it is supposed to be warm again so I bought a water bottle carrier with an extra bottle to get me through.

Sneaky Creeky!

Today the Armstrong family participated in the 2006 Cherry Creek Sneak. A great time was had by all as you can read on Melissa's blog, and we both improved our times from last year. Melissa walked the 5K in 46:31, and I ran the 5 mile in 40:30. Last year I ran the same in 42:38, so I improved my pace by almost 30 seconds per mile. It was a good race and it will build my speed for the marathon that is just over a month away. This week has been a bit of a break for me with only 20 total miles, this should give me enough of a rest to push through the next two weeks with 32 and 39 total miles to go. After that I start my taper before the race. It's been a long road, but I'm going to make it!

Homeward bound

Well the conference is drawing to a close and I'm looking forward to heading home today. This has been by far the best ENC I have been to. I really enjoy meeting new people when I come to these meetings and reconnecting with old friends. It's great to see how far some of the people I've met in the past have gone, and I guess I should really count myself among them when I see where I am today. I've learned a lot, and I have a lot that I can bring back to my job. As we are ending the testing phase soon, I am really getting excited about firing up some new pulse sequences and seeing what contributions I can make. It has made me appreciate my job even more.



This morning I'm not going to be able to see any of the talks I wanted to, so I'm going to head down to the ocean for a little walk before heading up to San Jose. It's a nice drive, but with the drive and sitting in the airport/plane it will be nice to stretch my legs a little. I don't think I would have been able to stay awake in the talks anyway. This meeting has a cumulative effect on me, even though I did not drink much at all. It's the "up until 1 and awake at 7" every day that takes it's toll. Tonight I'll be able to sleep in my own bed, and see Elijah and Melissa. I really have been missing them, and I can't wait to see them tonight.

Worthwhile to note

I thought I'd post a brief reflection that I had today on my run. It was actually 2 years ago at this very same site that I started running. Kind of historic. It was a very pleasant 4 miles with that on my mind, I've come a long way.

Asilomar

Well I blew off the breakfast coffee in favor of a latte and email session at the lodge, so I have a few free minutes to blog. It's been a great meeting here, although the cold damp weather is getting to some people. I don't mind that much, especially when it comes to my runs. Sunday was a great run! 16 miles and 4 of those on the beach. At the end of it my legs were tired and sore, but I felt like I could probably pulled out another 10 if I had been running the marathon. The biggest effect of my training has been my body's ability to bounce back. After a shower I felt almost no pain, and I was still able to wander around the vendor suites at night. Tuesday was also great, although at 5 miles I barely felt like I had worked the kinks out. It was aerobic interval training though, so it was kind of fun being able to run fast as part of the workout. Today I will squeeze in a 4 mile run between my morning session and lunch. This week has been really rejuvenating, and with only 20 miles total it is just the little break I need before plowing into the last 3 big weeks of training. At least I feel like I will be able to handle the race when it comes.


This conference has been a breath of fresh air, and I have a lot of ideas that I want to try when I get back. I'm always glad to meet people here, and sometimes I am surprised by where my past work has had an impact. It just reminds me of how lucky I am to have a job that I enjoy as much as I do and to be surrounded by people who are so supportive of me.

Into the teens!

Well sortof. Today was supposed to be 14 miles, and it was, but I was not able to run all of it. I ran for 1:55 before I had to stop because I was out of water. The heat of the sun was just too much and I did not want to push myself through the last couple of miles without anything to drink so I walked from there. That's been two weeks now that I haven't been able to finish my long run and it's beginning to erode my confidence level. I'm hoping next week's run at sea level will give me a better idea of how I will be able to perform for the actual race. I'm going to have to start running earlier in the morning though so that my strength is not being sapped by the afternoon sun. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. This month is the biggest month with 16 miles next week, a race the week after, and 18 and 20 miles for the two weeks after that. But after that my taper starts and my mileage scales way back to allow me to recover for the race. It's that thought that keeps me running now.

Trying to beat the heat

It's warm again today, and is supposed to be windy this afternoon, so I decided to go on my run earlier in the morning to beat the heat. It sort of worked, by the end of my run it was 79. But I guess that's better than going at high noon. My winter training made me pretty good at running in the cold so now it is tough to start getting my body to deal with heat better. I've been taking a water bottle with me, but sometimes with that sun beating down on you there is not enough water in the world. Still I did today's 8 miles in 1 hour 13 minutes, pretty close to on pace. It was a good workout, and when there is not a cloud in the sky the vast blue of it is even more striking. With only 7 weeks to go before the big day I'm starting to get excited. Just a few more really long runs to go.

Sunny Days

We've had quite a nice string of weather since the snowstorm on Friday. It really feels like spring out there. I took the opportunity in the weather to start my sprinkler system back up this weekend so that I can start greening up my lawn. My runs have been really nice as well and it is a welcome change from all the wind I was battling there for a while. Sunday was 12 miles again and after 6 of those miles I felt strong enough to pick up the pace a little. Unfortunately my legs ran out of gas around mile nine and I had to walk/run for the last few miles. That'll teach me to listen to my body. I think it was likely related to how long it had been since breakfast and how hot it was outside. Next week I'll have to be more careful not to overdo it. Today's run was much better, and I felt really strong. I threw in an extra minute of hills for my workout, and was able to pick it up to about an 8 minute per mile pace at the end. I think that will be my goal pace for the Cherry Creek Sneak at the end of the month.


Tonight we are off to a little pub up the street from us to celebrate my birthday with my parents. I will probably have shepherd's pie, and maybe a wee dram of scotch to cap off the night. How can you go wrong with a birthday dinner like that?

This week's runs

I caught a break in the weather this week, and had two good runs. Tuesday it was 79 degrees and beautiful out. But it was so hot that my run ended up being really difficult, especially with the 7 minutes of hills. I realized that I need to start bringing a water bottle with me as I couldn't get to the water fountain fast enough on my return. Today's run was much better, we were supposed to have rain and high winds today, which I was not looking forward to, but most of that weather seems to have given us a miss this time. Most of my run was sunny and in the low 60s, which was perfect, and it was only right at the end that an approaching storm dropped a few drops on me. Needless to say, I haven't had a long run where I haven't been fighting a headwind in so long I had forgotten how great they are. I had no problem covering the 8 miles I had to do today, and was able to run a negative split for the first time in weeks. It felt really good and has given me a boost of confidence right when I needed it most. There was one fly in the ointment though, which was the swarms of mosquitoes I battled for some parts of the run, but this small nuisance did not overshadow the positive aspects. It struck me as well that the distance for today's "semi-long" run was the same as my long run from a couple of weeks back at the Aurora reservoir. It's nice to be able to see my improvement like that.

Oops

I tried to calculate how far I had to go today while I was running and I ended up running a mile farther than I was supposed to. I guess that means I should lay out my plan before I go so that I don't make any more mistakes. It was a nice realization though as I was feeling a little down about my pace. I ran 13 miles and it took me 2:05 so that puts me almost on pace for the marathon. I was a little slow because of the wind unfortunately, but it wasn't as bad as last week. I think that I have to start cutting the hilly portion of my run out of the long day as it is getting really difficult to make it up the last 3.5 mile push after running almost 10 before that.


The party was a great success yesterday, which made it especially difficult for all of us to make the "spring forward" time change. But we made it through and with an early-ish night tonight we'll be back on track. This week I'm hoping to finish up all of the tests I'm running at work, which will leave us ready to start getting users in. It's an exciting time for everyone. Well, gotta go enjoy some leftover ice cream cake!

More wind

Today it is windy again, but at least it was only 7 miles. Unfortunately, the wind was at my back on the way out and in my face on the way back. So I tried to take it fairly easy on the first half, and made it to the turn around point in 32 minutes, but the return trip was still brutal. On the final little hill I felt like my legs had nothing left in them, but as soon as I turned around I had no problems. It took 34:30 to get back, almost a full minute per mile slower than my normal pace.


Still, it was nice to get away from work for a little while. And the sun felt really nice even though I had to wear my jacket with the wind chill. I'm looking forward to my run on Sunday though, they are still predicting high 60s and no mention of wind. I'll get to go a little farther into Cherry Creek state park so that will be scenic. I've got a BBQ this weekend too so I've got a lot to look forward to.

National Atheists Day!

April 1st is National Atheists Day


The fool says in his heart,

"There is no God."

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no one who does good.

Psalm 14:1

Still kicking my butt

Today's run was only 5 miles with 6 minutes of hill workouts but it still kicked my butt. I guess it's not really training if you aren't working hard. I think it's mostly the additive toll on my system, which is why in the weeks before the marathon the training is really scaled back considerably. I should be in good shape and fresh by then.

Must be my scottish roots showing through...

From Melissa's Blog:

You scored as William Wallace. The great Scottish warrior William Wallace led his people against their English oppressors in a campaign that won independence for Scotland and immortalized him in the hearts of his countrymen. With his warrior's heart, tactician's mind, and poet's soul, Wallace was a brilliant leader. He just wanted to live a simple life on his farm, but he gave it up to help his country in its time of need. William Wallace 75% Indiana Jones 67% Maximus 63% Lara Croft 54% Neo, the "One" 50% The Terminator 50% The Amazing Spider-Man 46% James Bond, Agent 007 46% Batman, the Dark Knight 42% Captain Jack Sparrow 38% El Zorro 33% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Wind Blows

Yup, my run was crappy today because the wind was really blowing today. I'd take damp and cold and below zero weather any day over the 30 mph wind gusts in my face that I had today. The only thing that got me through it was knowing that as the wind was directly against me the whole way out, that it would be at my back on the way back for the hills I had to face. It was very unpleasant, but I made it. Now that I am up over 10 miles every week the long runs are starting to feel long, and my legs are letting me know that afterwards. I must admit that the training is tough, and it is made even tougher by the fact that I am my only motivation. It is one thing to commit to running 26.2 miles on one day, but that commitment also means that you have to run long runs every week before that. It wouldn't be so bad if the weather was nice everyday, but I've had a string of bad luck and the weather has been nasty for the last 3 of my long runs. Today was the worst of all and has left me feeling rather disenchanted. Well 6 weeks of training down, 10 to go.

I was dying out there

Man my run kicked my butt today. It was probably the most difficult run I have had to date. I think the combination of a fair headwind on my way out and the increase in distance I had on Tuesday contributed to the difficulty. You wouldn't think that a single mile would make a big difference, but when you are boosting your mileage every week it takes its toll. This training plan has been a very challenging experience, but rewarding as well. I can't wait for the accomplishment waiting for me at the end! To join the ranks of those who have finished those 26.2 miles will be an honor.

So this is spring?

We got a few inches of snow on Monday, ironically the first day of spring. But Tuesday was sunny for most of the day so I took advantage of the break in the weather to do my run. Tuesday is the short run, so it was only 5 miles with 6 minutes of hill workouts. But running through the snow sure made it feel like more than that. Still, I was glad I could fit it into my day, I always feel better the afternoon after a run. Tomorrow is a seven miler, but most of the snow will have melted off the trail by then. And for a change it is supposed to be really nice for my long run (11 miles this week) on Sunday. I've noticed that I'm going to have to start putting on sunscreen soon, this is the first winter ever that I have had a tan on my legs!

I always suspected as much!

You scored as Goofy. Your alter ego is Goofy! You are fun and great to be around, and you are always willing to help others. You arn't worried about embarrassing yourself, so you are one who is more willing to try new things. Goofy 75% Ariel 69% Peter Pan 69% Donald Duck 69% The Beast 56% Cinderella 50% Sleeping Beauty 44% Snow White 38% Pinocchio 31% Cruella De Ville 25% Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

Just in Time

I decided to go for my run as early as I could today as we were due to get a storm tonight. It turned out to be good timing as about 20 minute after I got back it started to rain fairly hard and now it is snowing big wet flakes. I would have got kind of wet if I had been stuck out there in that. It was a nice run though, with overcast skies I didn't get too hot. Today was 10 miles, which is kind of a milestone as it is exactly half of the longest distance in my training runs. Now on to enjoying the rest of my weekend!

Friday at last

This week has been incredibly busy for me, but really fulfilling. I've learned a ton of new things and got a lot accomplished. Hopefully though next week won't be quite as hectic. This week was the first week that I have "missed" a training run. I didn't actually miss it I guess, I just didn't do it on the day I was supposed to. I had far too many things to get done on Tuesday to get to my 4 mile hill workout, so I moved it to Wednesday. Since it's a fairly short run I figured I would recover in time for Thursday's semi-long (7 mile) run. It ended up working out pretty well, although I much prefer having them spread out in the week. Sunday is a 10 mile run which I am not really looking forward to. It seems that the past two weeks the worst weather has been saved up for my longest run. We'll see how it turns out, but if it is too nasty outside I'll have to rough it in the gym. What could be more exciting than running around an indoor track 100 times? Yuck!


I'm getting my taxes done tomorrow, so here's hoping for a refund. At least getting organized for my appointment tomorrow will be easier with the wonderful filing job that Melissa has done. Seldom does a day go by that I do not marvel at how wonderful my wife is, and that goes doubly so when I am as busy at work as I am right now. She is the glue that keeps me together and I praise the Lord for bringing her into my life.


Gotta go, I have one more experiment to start before I leave for the weekend.

9 Damp and Chilly Miles

That was today's run, it's 30 degrees here and was snowing for the whole run. With my cold weather gear though it wasn't too bad, but it still was more unpleasant than most of my runs have been. Yesterday I was baking most of the afternoon. I made banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. Good stuff! Elijah has been really grumpy most of the weekend but today he slept most of the afternoon, so perhaps he was over-tired. It would be nice to have him back to his old cheery self. This week will likely be just as busy as last week, but I should finish most of the tests if all goes well.

Crazy Busy

I started the testing for our system this week so I've been really busy at work. I've got a lot of it done though and am in good shape to finish next week I think. I managed to squeeze in my runs though, shorts and t-shirt on Tuesday and full winter gear on Thursday. It wasn't that cold really but I'd rather be too warm than too cold. This weekend I have to do 9 miles on Sunday, which will be a chore if the weather does not improve. I'm thinking about running a different route this time, but it would be uphill all the way home. We'll see how I feel I suppose. Other than that I'm just looking forward to being home this weekend. It feels like I've hardly been there at all this week.

Aurora reservoir

Today I drove up to the Aurora reservoir for my run. The perimeter trail for the reservoir is 8 miles, which was the distance I needed to cover today. I figured it would be a nice change of scenery and it was. An added bonus was the relatively flat terrain compared to what I usually run on the weekend. I kept up my 9 minute mile for the full distance, which really gives me confidence that I will be able to build my mileage and keep the pace constant. The reservoir is really nice, with lots of places to fish and even has an archery range. We'll have to take Elijah there some time. The weather was gorgeous, in the low 70s and sunny. With the view of the mountains and fighters from the air force base flying above it made for a great run.

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You are Spider-Man

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You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

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Wile E. Coyote

Wildlife for the day was a coyote with a nice fresh prairie dog lunch. Mmmm, tasty! Today's run was a good stress relief. A little under 7 miles in gorgeous weather. Not too hot, but nice and sunny. For my run on Tuesday it was 75, but it was rushed and not as relaxing as today. Oh well, I suppose that's the way it goes sometimes. Now I have two days of recovery and 8 miles on Sunday.


Work has been good this week but busy. Tomorrow will be hectic too, so I'm taking advantage of this momentary lull to blog. It looks like next couple of weeks will be especially busy too. Yikes! Well it just goes with the territory I suppose. I'm looking forward to this weekend though. A trip to Caribou Coffee perhaps and Home Depot run. We might go swimming as well for the little tyke's B-Day. He's easy to please at this age thankfully.

Weekend recap

My runs this weekend were both very enjoyable. 4 miles on Saturday, and 7 miles on Sunday. 4 miles is starting to feel like less and less of a run, and I kept up a 8.5 min/mile pace over the whole thing and still felt great at the end. My 7 miles yesterday were awesome as well. Last week I ran my 6 mile route backwards so that the majority of the hills would be on the first half of my run. Yesterday I took the usual "forward" route and left the big hill for the end, followed by a nice little downhill cooldown. It worked out really well and I was able to average a 9 min/mile pace without getting too winded. I think this bodes well for the rest of my training. This week is 4 miles, 6 miles and 8 miles on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. For the 8 mile run on Sunday I'm thinking about going out to the Aurora Reservoir, which has an 8 mile loop around it. It might be nice to have a flat route for a change. Weather was great this weekend, with highs in the 60s. I was out in my shorts and t-shirt and we even got out for a family walk. I'm looking forward to doing that more in the spring and summer.

On the go!

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday as I was on the go all day. Yesterday was supposed to be quiet! Oh well, I still was able to squeeze in my hour run, which was very pleasant. I confirmed that my pace was too fast by going a little slower at the start. I covered more distance than last week in the same time, and my split was almost exactly even. I could have run in shorts and a T-shirt, but I brought my jacket just in case and ended up regretting it. Quite a difference from a week ago, but that's Colorado weather for you. Looks like we'll be busy again tonight, but I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend.

4 miles plus 4 minutes of hills

I had to go to Boulder today for a meeting and I didn't get to go for my run until 3. It was nice though, still not shorts weather, but well into the 40s. My pace was a little fast for the start so the hills kicked my a$$ again. I wish I had a better scale for the distances I run at work, either I was much faster than last week, or I'm not recovering enough in between my runs. I guess the solution to both is to go a little slower. I think it's mostly the pace of the 4 mile runs, I'm at work, I'm a little wound up, I think "hey, it's only 4 miles" and it all results in me going too quickly. Well that'll learn me!


I forgot to mention that I bought new socks for running. The arch support on my new running shoes means that a much larger portion of my arch now touches the insole. Over my long runs this has led to a blister the size of a couple of quarters on my arch. It's not that bad as there is not so much pressure on that part of my foot, just rubbing. But after my run on Sunday I was fed up. Cotton socks just hold the moisture next to your foot, which for an hour long run means that 8 oz of sweat are between your foot and your shoe. This means that by the end of an hour long run it feels like you have lined your shoes with sandpaper. The socks I bought are meant to wick the moisture away from the foot so there is not as much chafing. Today they felt really good, and my foot was not overly wet when I was done. Thursday will be the real test. The weird thing is that they are ankle socks, which I have never worn before. It feels very strange having my ankle all exposed like that, what will the neighbors think!?!

Happy Birthday Zelda!

Here's to 20 years of innovation!

Still cold...

...but not as cold as yesterday. It was 6 miles today, but my route ended up taking me 6.8. This weeks workouts are the same as last week. I think the pace was good this week so I'll try to keep it about the same. One week down, 15 to go.

Winter Blast

We've had really cold weather lately. It got cold on Thursday, really cold on Friday, and stayed really cold today. It was 6 degrees for my run today. But Thursday and today were sunny so it wasn't so bad for a run. Today was 4 miles, and was really pretty with the steam rising off the asphalt. The only part of me that got cold was my thighs. Tomorrow it's a 6 mile run and it is still supposed to be cold, but not as bad as yesterday. It's nice to be able to unwind with a morning run on the weekend.

Day 4

Today was an hour run. Unfortunately the weather has taken a turn for the worst so I had to bundle up a bit. It's 17 degrees out, so if the wind had been up I would have skipped it, but the sun came out, so in the end it was quite a pleasant run. It's supposed to stay cold over the weekend too, so my Saturday/Sunday runs will be less pleasant than usual, but having conquered today, I should be able to tough it out. I can't complain too much, it was 55 degrees on Tuesday for my last run and it is February after all.


I finally got my confirmation from the Rock n' Roll Marathon, so it's official. San Diego, here I come!

Day 1 (well Day 2 technically)

Today was my first run of my training program, yesterday was a rest day. It was a 4 mile run with 4 minutes total uphill time. I ran out to Bluff lake, but did not do the circuit of the lake. Instead I ran up and down the hills there a few times to make up my 4 minutes. Worked out pretty well actually, but I could tell that I had run more hills today than usual. They say no pain no gain and they are half right. The pain is half the equation, but thankfully the recovery tomorrow is the other half. I'll sleep well tonight!

I'm Scooter!

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Sunny Days

I've had great weather for both of my runs this weekend. Yesterday was cold, but with the sun I hardly noticed it. Today I went out expecting it to be just as cold, but ended up being too hot with my jacket and pants on. I took the same route both days, 5 miles long. Yesterday I was slowed a little by icy sidewalks and it took me 47 minutes, but with the nice weather today I was able to shave 2 minutes off that time today. So my total mileage for the week is 20 miles, and I'm in good shape to start training this week. 16 weeks to San Diego!

Time to blog

It's been a few days now and I haven't had time to blog. Work has been busy and the last thing I've wanted to do when I got home was be on the computer. My runs have been good this week though. 5 miles around Bluff Lake on Tuesday and Thursday, but at my 9 min/mile pace. I was surprised at how my lungs were able to keep up with the faster pace over that distance. Even with the faster run I was still able to enjoy the local wildlife, with the eagle and deer making appearances on both days. On Tuesday I was less than 20 feet away from the deer. Hopefully the weather will improve a bit for the weekend, it got cold today and the first flakes of snow are falling now. I'm not looking forward to shoveling the driveway tomorrow.

The Big Game

Today is the Big Game and I'm excited to see it on our big TV with all our friends. It will be a great cap to a great weekend. Friday night we had some friends over for dinner and ended up talking and playing games until 11:30. Then yesterday we took a little trip to home depot to buy a floodlight for our back patio, a must for grilling in the dark. I had fun installing that, and for once I picked a gorgeous day to work outside.


I had two good runs this weekend, but no wildlife to speak of. I was out for an hour yesterday for 6 miles. As I said it was gorgeous, so I was able to run in just a T-shirt and shorts. It was great! Then today I ran down to the track at the local high school for some intervals. Unfortunately today it is windy and cold, and I needed my jacket. I should have taken my pants too instead of shorts as my legs got really cold. The track was nice as I was able to get a better idea of the pace I need to hit for my training runs. I ran a couple of loops at 10 minute per mile pace, then did a couple of 9 min/mile circuits followed by easy jogs around, then an 8 min/mile loop/easy jog and another 9 min/mile loop/easy jog. Then it was back home. The whole run took me 50 minutes, and was a really intense workout. While my distance has improved over the last year my pace has declined and I was surprised at the effort required to hit my target 9 min/mile. But that's what training is for I guess.


The highlight of the weekend was a guys night out last night, with a friendly poker game. We had a blast and were at it until almost midnight. I spent the last week preparing for it the best I could, reading through my poker book and playing a few hands against the computer. The practice ended up paying off as I ended up being able to hold my own and was actually one of the final two at the table!


Well, gotta go get ready for the party. Go Steelers!

Deer John,

Great run today, the wind held off for me until after I got back. Sam the eagle was back again today, but the star of the show was a herd of whitetail deer just on the other side of the pond from me. It was a 45 minute run around Bluff lake again, although it was interrupted by a phone call. I think the hardest part of this job is never being able to be away from the phone. Oh well, that's what vacations are for. I was really busy at work today, and I barely had time to go out, but in the end I was glad to have gone.