Run the Race

New Things

2012-02-15T10:05:00.004+08:00

New things can be good - not always but often. Here are a couple of new things I really like.

NB310: I bought these shoes while I was in Texas. I have never had any desire to run in minimalist shoes. I am a big guy - 190 pounds at my lightest and right now hovering around 200+. I assumed I could never run in shoes without a ton of cushion and a good solid heal.

When we went home to Texas in December I was supposed to have a new pair of trail shoes waiting for me at Tori’s house but due to shipping problems they were not there. I didn’t bring any running shoes with me because I wanted to save space so I had to make a trip to Sports Authority for a new pair. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of cash on shoes since I had a pair coming. I am cheap that way. I saw a pair of $50 New Balance MT310’s on the shelf. I would never have tried the shoes on in a million years. No heal to speak of and very little mid-sole compared to what I run in. But come on … $50.

I put them on my feet and they felt okay. I thought “I can run in these for a couple of days until my other shoes show up at Tori’s and then I will just wear them around”. Little did I know I would love them and now I do not run in anything else. I have yet to run in the shoes I was waiting for even though they showed up just before we came back to Singapore.

It took some time to get used to running in them because it changes my stride a bit. But so far it is working for me. The only problem is I cannot find them in Singapore. I will have to try to find a comparable model of Brooks. I have been a Brooks faithful for years so maybe they make something I will like. But for now I really like my New Balance MT310s!

Kent Ridge Park loop: I started running a new 5 mile loop a couple of weeks back. From my house I run past Hort Park with all of its botanical smelliness and start ascending Kent Ridge. The first 2 miles or so are really hilly. The ascent to Kent Ridge is on switchbacks and the final couple hundred meters is up steps.

It is not Colorado by any stretch of the imagination but if I run the Speights West Coaster as is the plan I will be running this and Mount Faber much more often. The course profile for that race looks pretty nasty. And running on hills will help.

The middle two miles are relatively flat under West Coast Highway. And the last mile rolls but after the previous four it is killer. I have to finish slow. I really like my new Kent Ridge Loop!

Punch Brothers – Are You Feeling Young Now: I dig the Punch Brothers. I know there are people who mourn the loss of Nickel Creek but if that band had to break up for Chris Thile to make this music with Punch Brothers then it is fine by me.

Are You Feeling Young Now came out yesterday. I downloaded it last night and ran with it playing in my head as I ran Kent Ridge this morning. The music has familiar instrumentation but defies genre. Movement and Location is the first song and I have had it for a couple of weeks - such a rhythmic song and great to run to. It just gets better from there. They cover Radiohead with Kid A. I wonder what Radiohead thinks of their music through a banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, violin and stand-up bass? It is all too good. I really like the new music from the Punch Brothers and I think the more I listen the more I will like it.

Week 1

2012-02-13T16:00:00.002+08:00

So the tattoo healed very well and I started week one of marathon training last Monday (the 6th). It went great. I ran 32 miles this week with a “long run” of 8 miles around MacRitchie this Saturday morning. I felt relatively strong and my feet are holding up well. At least three of the runs have some hills on them and I felt strong on those runs.

The problem is that this morning my legs felt full of lead. It is my fault. I went from 20ish mile weeks to 32 without much of a build-up or rest. So tomorrow I am taking off and I will take my scheduled Thursday rest break and see how it goes from there. Saturday is 9 and I will run it around MacRitchie adding miles on rifle range road to get to the correct distance.

It feels good to be training again. I just don’t want to mess it up.

Realizing potential

2012-02-08T09:20:00.003+08:00

You always hope for your kids to have a better life than you do - to accomplish what God has set out for them and to live well. I know that Tori, Jakeb, and Anna have the potential to live a very good life and Andrea and I pray for them to reach for their full potential.

In running Jakeb has already run faster and farther than me. Last weekend he ran a fifty mile race in 9:33:46. He had lots of help from his big sister. Read his report here -> link.

Time off and then marathon training

2012-01-30T13:39:00.006+08:00

Running has been good. My foot feels better after what I think was probably the beginning of plantar fasciitis. I took time off when I got my tattoo so it would heal and it helped my foot as well. When I started back I eased in to running. Lately running has been one of those things I just do without too much thought. It feels good not just when I am done but during the primal act of placing one foot in front of the other.

Yesterday afternoon I went back to see Moon so he could finish my tattoo. I wanted it to extend inside my arm and as usual he did an amazing job. In the photo you can tell which part of the tattoo is new by how red it is. While it heals I will take a week or so off. Then it is time to start training for the Perth Marathon. It is not until June but I am going to do a long slow ramp up. My main goal is to run well. I will see how the training goes before I formulate any more specific goals.

2011 --> 2012

2012-01-10T16:13:00.006+08:00

In 2011 I ran 1290.1 miles. If I would have known that is the number of miles I would finish with I would have found time to run 9.9 more but the end of the year kind of snuck up on me. 1300 is just another arbitrary number anyway, right?

In 2011 I started the year with a marathon PR at the Texas Marathon on January 1. I also ran another marathon in New Zealand and hiked in Nepal all with Jakeb.

In 2012 I hope to run in Italy. We are going there at the end of February. I plan to train for the Perth Marathon in June and then spend the week afterwards exploring some of the western part of Australia - just Andrea and me. If we are in Singapore long enough we may go visit the North Island of New Zealand and while we are there run the Speights West Coaster. It looks like fun and how cool would it be to have a tech shirt with the Speights logo on it?

Running has helped me. Running is good for my mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health. I know someday my body will not let me run. I hope it is not for a long long time. I am a runner.

What defines me?

2011-12-06T12:02:00.000+08:00

Running has not been so great lately – as I have written here. But I know it will get better. I have not run since the Sunday morning I got my tattoo because in order for it to heal properly I am not supposed to sweat profusely. And when I run I sweat profusely.

The time off has been good. But I am about to go crazy. The day I stopped running I was pacing around the living room and Andrea asked me “Is this the way the next two weeks are going to be”?

I am probably going to start running again on Thursday morning and I am looking forward to it but I am anxious too. I want running to be good again. And I know it may not start out that way but eventually it will be. When I go through a hard time running (and in life) that hard time consumes me and in my mind defines me. I think in my mind that I am done. I am not a good runner and will never be again.

I’ve got to push that stuff back because even though I am going through a rough patch, that rough patch does not define the whole of my running. I will run again – maybe not the fastest or longest I have ever run but I will enjoy it. And I will become a better runner.

I am near the end of reading Running the Edge. Today I read this from Adam Goucher:

…ultimate success is not measured in a single victory or setback. Our running and life stories are bodies of work. I might win or lose this race just as I might say the exact right or exact wrong words to my wife. I might make a wise career move or a big mistake, just as I might strongly support a friend or do the wrong thing and let him down. These isolated instances are not what ultimately define us in any life story. It is the commitment to do the little things each day to get better. It is the bigger picture in our mosaic identities more than any single piece.

Catalano, Tim; Tim Catalano; Adam Goucher; Billy Mills (2011-09-01). Running the Edge (Kindle Locations 3235-3239). Maven Publishing. Kindle Edition.

My tattoo

2011-11-28T00:54:00.003+08:00

I have always had a somewhat detached fascination with tattoos and have said I wouldn’t mind getting one if I could ever find something I would want on my body for the rest of my life. I had passing interest in a few different designs but nothing ever stuck so I never gave serious thought to having one done.

In the last year though the fascination became less than detached and I decided on what I wanted for a tattoo. I thought the rest would be simple.

Starting in July of this year I contacted the first tattoo artist and before this whole process was done I went through a couple of different tattoo designers. Mostly they wanted me to have the tattoo they would like rather than what I wanted. Or they told me they didn't do the design I wanted. Almost all of the tattoo artists I worked with were very talented but it just did not work out for one reason or another.

A couple of weeks ago I scheduled an appointment with a local tattoo guy whose work I had seen online and I had a feeling he had potential to complete my design. On the way I stopped to fill my car with gas and while I was at the pump the battery died and the car would not start. Since the mechanic would not get there for 45 minutes to an hour I called and canceled the appointment.

As I went in to pay for my gas there was a guy in line in front of me and he had the most amazing tattoo on his left arm. It was a black and gray full sleeve tattoo with a cross and a dove. The cross was made from his natural skin color and the dark ink surrounding it was shaded and had a depth that made it stand out. The dove had intricate detail and it looked like it could fly off of his arm. Maybe it was a symbol of a divine appointment?

So I asked, “Who did your tattoo?” He looked at me and then turned around. I thought he was ignoring me which is not all that unusual around here. He paid for his gas and when he turned back around he handed me a piece of paper with a web address on it – http://www.moonstrucktattoo.com/.

He said, “It is by appointment only.” And then he was off without another word.

I looked online and was impressed with Moon’s work and liked the feel of his web site. The overall vibe I got was good so I called him right away and made an appointment to sit and talk with him about my tattoo design.

Andrea and I went to his studio. It is in Little India and you would not notice it if you were not looking for it. He has a room on the fourth floor of a building. It is clean, well lit and has a computer, a drawing table, a tattoo chair and tattooing equipment. He had jazz playing in the background. It is not your stereotypical tattoo studio.

Andrea and I sat and talked with Moon for over an hour. He listened as I told him what I wanted and he asked relevant questions. We talked about my tattoo design but we also talked about culture and the things we like about Singapore and travel and food. He gave Andrea and me a recommendation for a Paranakan dish called Ayam Buah Keluak to try at Nancy’s Kitchen in Melaka on our anniversary weekend. The dish and Nancy’s are really good and you should try them both if you get a chance. Moon did a really good job of capturing the essence of what I had in mind in the design.

On Sunday I went to Moonstruck Tattoo Studio and Moon inked the tattoo in the photo on my upper right arm.

Here is the basis for the design:
I wanted a black and gray tattoo – no color.

We have been to New Zealand three times over the last year. On two of the trips Jakeb and I ran Christchurch marathon. On the last trip the girls walked the 10k. See the posts here and here. We were all drawn to Maori art and symbols. Maoris are the native population of New Zealand. My tattoo is a Maori / Samoan mix. I like the flow of the Maori tattoos (called "moko") and the geometry used in the Samoan tattoos. The cultures are very closely related.

In the center of the tattoo is a Koru. The Koru is a Maori symbol that represents an unfurling fern frond. The symbolic meaning of the Koru is new life, growth, a fresh start, new beginnings, strength and peace. The circular shape conveys perpetual motion. And I like perpetual motion. The Koru used in a tattoo has spiritual significance.

The Koru symbol is also made into jewelry and given on milestone occasions in a person’s life. A good friend of Jakeb’s and her family from New Zealand gave him a green jade Koru necklace at his high school graduation. The Koru was given to him to mark the occasion of his graduation and thank him for his help raising funds and awareness with his friend for victims of the Christchurch New Zealand earthquakes.

See Andrea’s post about the Koru on our family blog here ---> link.

I am a Christian and I am a runner. I have quoted this verse quite a few times here on the blog. In fact it is where my blog name comes from. Although it is hard to pick a favorite verse(s) in the bible if I was forced to this would be it:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

I wanted my tattoo to include a runner and a cross. I wanted the runner and cross to be a subtle part of the design and not too overt. I think Moon did a really good job of incorporating it into the Maori design. The symbols on the top left of the tattoo represent the witnesses to the life of faith. And the runner has a choice to run towards the cross or to take his own path downward. Like in life I can pick the path that represents the weights that slow me down and sin that trips me up or I can look up toward the cross and run with endurance the race of life.

There is a stigma related to tattoos. It is not as bad as it once was but it is still there. The reason I got the tattoo only on my upper arm is so I can cover it up when I am in situations where I could be wrongly judged by it. I put a lot of thought into getting this tattoo and I obviously do not think there is anything wrong with having it on my arm forever. Tattoos are amoral. They are ink embedded in skin. People sometimes make bad choices with the way they choose to permanently mark their skin but in other cases the ink is completely okay.

Overall I like my tattoo a lot. I would not have done it if that were not the case and I am proud to wear it the rest of my life.

Running the Edge

2011-11-24T12:11:00.004+08:00

I am reading Running the Edge by Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano thanks to a recommendation from Adrienne on her blog. In the book Adam describes what it means to be a runner and I think he nails it:

Running is more than a sport. It is an identity. I am not somebody who just likes to run. I am a runner. This is the difference between a pastime and a passion. I like to play golf, but I am not a golfer. I like to cook, but I am not a chef. I don’t just like to run. I am a runner. It is a passion. It is part of who I am and is woven into the fabric of my personality, character, and psyche. People who run to lose weight, to meet a standard for the military, or for any other purpose beyond running itself are still running but more as a pastime than as a passion. Passionate runners run because they love the feeling of running in their legs and chest. They run because running flows from their pores as easily as sweat. They chase faster times, longer runs, and better workouts for intrinsic reasons that transcend any extrinsic benefit. They run because an internal force inside of them drives them to test their limits. They run because in running, they are in the moment, in flow, living a life they chose.
Catalano, Tim; Tim Catalano; Adam Goucher; Billy Mills (2011-09-01). Running the Edge (Kindle Locations 615-622). Maven Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Andrea likes to tell people that with me running isn’t just about the benefits like losing weight or staying healthy. She says "Tommy just has to run". She is right. If I could not run I would live, and live well, but it would be like I lost a big part of who I am - physically, emotionally and even spiritually.

I am a runner!

Singapore Marathon No More (for me anyway)

2011-11-09T07:15:00.001+08:00

My run this morning was really good. Saturday morning was the first run I have had in a long time that wasn’t a struggle when I ran 8 miles around MacRitchie. It is good to have a couple of runs within a week that are good. Lately running has been tough.

I decided to run the Singapore Marathon and signed up months ago. Ever since then my running has gone downhill. I had a 15 mile long run scheduled on October 8th. I only made it 14.5 miles and had to walk the last two. My heal started hurting and I think it was the beginning of plantar fasciitis.

I had signed up for the Real Run half marathon on October 16th but I skipped it which is uncharacteristic for me.

So needless to say I am not running Singapore Marathon on December 4th. I am bummed but not too bummed. I ran a couple of marathons this year already and I think my body was/is telling me it needed a rest.

I’m thinking I will take it easy until January or February and then start ramping up for a summer marathon in Australia. It will be their winter. Perth maybe? We will see how my body responds.

The Goat Rodeo Sessions

2011-11-08T10:43:00.006+08:00

Sometimes I run without listening to music. It gives my mind a mental break and lets it go where it will. If the run is hard then I can only concentrate on running.

More often than not I run with music. The music on my ipod is the soundtrack to my life. That can be good and it can be bad. Music moves me emotionally. Sometimes it is only entertainment, sometimes it puts into words what I would like to say but did not know how. Sometimes it speaks to and for my soul.

On Sunday Andrea asked me if I had heard The Goat Rodeo Sessions.

I said, “Huh?”

She said the names Chris Thile and Yo Yo Ma and I was immediately interested. We watched some of the intro videos and it is really good stuff. It is a quartet of Chris Thile, Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan and Edgar Meyer.

The music is intricate and it twists and turns in places you least expect. It has a funky groove in a high brow bluegrass kind of way. It is fun music to listen to and run with. Since it is mostly instrumental my mind still has a break from lyrics. It is a different kind of break from running without music but enough of a change to be refreshing.

All in all the best way I can describe The Goat Rodeo Sessions is to say that the music is very satisfying.

Check out this link to The Goat Rodeo Sessions playing Quarter Chicken Dark on Colbert -->link.

If you think it is wrong or unsafe to run while listening to music I am sure you hated this post but I am okay with that.

Agressive Monkeys and an Odd Soul

2011-10-05T13:15:00.004+08:00

I downloaded Mutemath’s new album Odd Soul last night and was excited to run this morning and listen. I headed out to the treetop route I talked about in the last post. When I got to the forest walk where the elevated pathway begins there was a tape barricade across the handrails and a couple of signs posted there. The biggest one said “Aggressive monkeys sighted in the area” and “Forest Walk Closed from 17 September onwards” and “Construction in progress”. It was the last sign that scared me. I am okay with maniac monkeys but I wouldn’t want to fall from a hole in the elevated walkway. It would hurt pretty bad. So I turned around and ran a shortened route down Depot road.

The music was good though. If Mutemath is your kind of music you should download Odd Soul (or buy the CD if you’re old school). I think I am going to like it better than any of their other music – and I like the other music a lot. Stare at the Sun and Obsolete (from the self-titled album) are the best two consecutive songs to listen to on a long run.

Treetop Rockpango

2011-09-22T07:11:00.002+08:00

This morning I ran a 5 mile route I call “treetop”. At about three-quarters of a mile into the run I start up an elevated metal grated path. It rises into the canopy of the trees and is lit from underneath in the dark. I can see beneath the path and I feel like I am running from tree to tree with the ground far below.

It is a tough part of the run because it is mostly uphill for another three-quarters of a mile. It rises about 200 feet to the top of Telok Blangah Hill – I know this is no Ultra Tour du Mount Blanc but it is still hard work. This morning the run up was a struggle and it seemed like the ascent would never end … like life sometimes. But the music was apropos:

Come on, stop thinking ‘bout yourself.
Get up, don't wanna hear no lip.
Now you think you really got it bad.
You’ll find out life ain’t fair. Don’t get mad.

Oh, I wanna be free.
Don’t take my time left from me.

Go on, try to find your way.
No work ain’t gonna get you pay.
Now you're grown, you think you're really bad.
You’ll find out life ain’t fair. Don’t get mad.

Oh, I wanna be free.
Don’t take my time left from me.
Oh, I wanna be free.
Don’t take my time left from me.

I'm still alive, I'm living with no fear.
No rules, I play it all by ear.
You know I’ve seen the good, I’ve seen the bad.
I found out life ain’t fair, and I ain’t mad.

Oh, I wanna be free.
Can’t take my time left from me.
Oh, I wanna be free.
Can’t take my time left from me.

- Los Lonely Boys
Rockpango

Heavy

2011-09-10T09:46:00.003+08:00

As I started to run my thoughts were heavy
They banged around in my head like boulders
Rattling my brain
But as I ran they settled
Finding their place in the recesses of my mind
And my soul is at rest again
... for now.

let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run
Hebrews 12:1

Incubus in Kuala Lampur Malaysia

2011-07-25T10:56:00.003+08:00

Andrea, Anna and I made a weekend road trip to Malaysia this weekend. They tagged along really. We went so I could see Incubus in concert.

Incubus is really good live. This was the first time I have seen them. I was surprised the most by how everyone around me knew all of the words to all of the songs and sang along sometimes at the top of their lungs. The only other time that has happen to me to this extent was at a Wilco concert although the Wilco fans were much less enthusiastic.

During the opening song people were jumping around so much I had to work really hard to stay on my feet. At the end of the song I was easily ten yards away from the spot I occupied at the beginning.

The music was amazing. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

The photo and video are from my iPhone.

Incubus KL Wish You Were Here from astunz on Vimeo.

New things

2011-07-22T09:59:00.005+08:00

We moved to a new condo. Our old place was too big since Jakeb moved out and the landlord wasn’t too responsive about fixing things and he went up on the rent 35% so we decided to leave. Our new place is great and I think we will really dig living there.

Now that we are in a new location all of my old running routes have passed away behold new running routes have come. I thought it would be great fun finding new routes but it hasn’t worked out very well so far. In the past I would have meticulously plotted new routes on gmap-pedometer.com but now I have just put on my Garmin and run. The new places I have run are really cool and I am going to like running here. But I have only one solid 5 mile route and 5 milers are a staple of my training.

Usually when I put on my garmin and run without a plan I run too short or too long. When I get to the condo and I have not run far enough I end up quitting because it would be a pain to tack on .65 miles out and back. And when I have gone too long it makes the morning schedule too tight.

It will all work itself out. I think I am going to have to go to gmaps and do the work I used to do.

I am signed up for the Singapore Marathon in December and I am signed up for the REAL run half marathon in October (because every other run must be fake).

Incubus’ new album is out. It is somewhat mellow for Incubus but I like it a lot. I ran with it for the first time this morning and got lost in the music while I was lost on my new route.

This post is for Karen. Without her challenging me I may not have posted until September. Sorry it took so long. We have been on an out of control existential carousel. Thanks Karen for the positive peer pressure! :)

"Winter" Marathon

2011-06-22T09:27:00.004+08:00

I had an internal conversation with myself after I ran the Singapore Marathon a year and a half ago and decide amongst myself that it was too hot and humid to run a marathon in Singapore even though it starts in the dark of the night. Settled.

So last year I signed-up and ran the Singapore Half Marathon and was completely happy with my decision. It was a good warm-up race for the Texas Marathon.

But then I started thinking and looking around for a winter marathon that I could run this year. The end of the year is going to be busy again. Tori will graduate college in December. I am low on vacation since we have traveled so much – which is a good thing. So traveling somewhere for a marathon is pretty much out of the question.

Then I got this email yesterday:
Standard Charter Singapore Marathon 2011 opens for registration on 23 June

So I am thinking about it. It sure is convenient to take a taxi to the starting line. Surely I can run faster than 4:20 (my time in 2009). Maybe I can even throw in some speed work for this one. I should probably stop having conversations with myself.

I will decide in the next couple of weeks.

Last time - sort of

2011-06-20T09:00:00.001+08:00

Jakeb and I ran the MacRitchie trail around the lake yesterday. It is one of our favorite runs in Singapore. We started running it shortly after we got here two years ago. Yesterday was the last time Jakeb ran it as a resident of Singapore and a resident of his parent’s home. Needless to say I am going to miss running with him on a regular basis.

When Jakeb was younger I had to slow down from my normal pace so we could run together. Yesterday Jakeb was the one that had to slow down.

I am proud of Jakeb and I look forward to seeing where life takes him next.

Jakeb – Run on…

New Zealand vacation with a marathon thrown in

2011-06-15T12:16:00.004+08:00

On Friday June 3rd we left Singapore for another New Zealand vacation. This time Tori went with us.

On Sunday Jakeb and I were scheduled to run the SBS Christchurch Marathon. I wrote in my previous post about our plans to run easy so we could run later in other places in New Zealand. Well … Jakeb ran 4:01:53 and I ran 4:03:57 - so much for taking it easy. Andrea, Tori and Anna walked the 10k. It was cold and sometimes rainy. The race is very well done, especially this year since they had to move it from Christchurch to Lincoln Township because of the earthquake. The course was rural and small town and I liked it a lot. There is nothing like running a marathon in New Zealand.

After the marathon we loaded up in our rented RV and drove first to Lake Tekapo. The next day we went to Mount Cook where Jakeb and I found the energy to run a little over 8 miles on the Hooker Valley Glacier Trail. Surprisingly we both felt pretty good.

Then on Thursday we walked (mostly) and ran some up to the summit of Ben Lomond and back – almost 10 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation gain. The summit is 5735 feet.

The rest of the time we saw a beautiful country from the widow of the RV and as we walked through it, we ate good food, drank good wine beer and cider and had some awesome family time – just the five of us…

Short training schedule

2011-05-17T09:41:00.002+08:00

I have been on a short training schedule for the Christchurch Marathon. We went to Nepal to trek and when we came back there was an announcement on the marathon’s web site that the course had been relocated from the central business district to Lincoln University and the race is on despite the earthquake damage in Christchurch.

That gave me only 8 weeks to train. I had been running 8 miles on my long runs and had not run at all in Nepal. I wasn’t lazy in Nepal as we trekked through the mountains. But my training base was not as good as it normally is and my long run was not nearly as long as it is when I start training. Last week Andrea and I went to Hong Kong and I did not run a step which meant I missed last week’s long run. I planned it that way and it was totally worth it. My training schedule for a marathon is typically 18 weeks. I have done it on as short as 12 weeks with a really good base.

My long runs this time have been 12, 15, 17, 17 (supposed to be 19 but I cut it short), off, 20 (supposed to be 22 but that was too ambitious), 12, 8, marathon.

I have asked Jakeb more than once if he wants to drop down to the half marathon. He has been studying for and taking exams since we got back from Nepal and his training has not been any better than mine. But he is adamant that we run the marathon.

So on Sunday we took off together at 5:30 am to run 20 miles – our longest long run. At the beginning I tried to keep it slow but I felt too good. Jakeb and I ran ten together. We ran from home to MacRitchie, around the trails at the lake and at ten miles he took off to finish his last ten faster than me. I ran my last ten alone with some walking thrown in. It was not my best long run by far but I was a little surprised that it was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Still, the Christchurch Marathon is going to be tough. And we would like to be able to run in other parts of New Zealand. We want to run at Mount Cook. We want to run/hike up Ben Lomond in Queenstown. I am sure there will be other places to run too.

Jakeb came to me with a plan. He said we should run the marathon slow at a conversational pace where we will have something left to run the Hooker Glacier Trail at Mount Cook the next morning. I am all for running slow. That was my plan all along. But running slow I still may not be able to run the next morning. I may set a reverse PR for my slowest marathon yet. We will see.

Now it’s time for the taper.

New music

2011-04-13T14:20:00.002+08:00

Cool new music has been unleashed and is fun to run to. You should give it a try.

12 miles in Singapore

2011-04-10T10:01:00.003+08:00

Starting at MacRitchie finishing at the house.

Christchurch Marathon 2011 is on!

2011-04-07T10:07:00.009+08:00

The running of the SBS Christchurch Marathon was doubt after the earthquake that hit Christchurch on February 22, 2011. For a while after the earthquake their web site said that entries to the marathon were on hold while an assessment could be made about whether the marathon could go on. A couple of days ago I checked in and here is the announcement from the web site:

It is official. Christchurch’s SBS Marathon is under starters orders for Sunday June 5, and we're hoping it will help Cantabrians get back on their feet.

Most people are aware by now that the sbs marathon was under threat following the February earthquake. The Town Hall start/finish area and much of the course is in ruin.

But we are pleased to inform you that ENTRIES ARE OPEN AGAIN.

We just happened to have planned a vacation to New Zealand when Tori comes to visit us this summer. So Jakeb and I are signed up for the full marathon and Andrea, Tori, and Anna are signed up to walk the 10k.

This year’s course is different. They had to move the race to Lincoln University because the central business district is still torn up. That is okay. I am glad to get to run another marathon in New Zealand – one of my favorite places on earth.

Trekking in Nepal 2011 – Annapurna Base Camp

2011-04-06T07:41:00.008+08:00

Andrea, Jakeb, Anna and I made a return trip to Nepal for two weeks. We got back this past Saturday. It was another great trip. Jakeb and I trekked for eight days and afterwards we all hung out in Pokhara together.

Mr Mahesh was mine and Jakeb’s guide and he did a really good job of getting us where we needed to be and understanding our trekking pace. Our goal was to trek to Annapurna Base Camp and then make a side trip to Poon Hill on the way back down.

On day one we hiked from Phedi to Landruk. When we got to a village called Tolka a lady who ran a tea house said that Jakeb and I must be strong walkers (like Nepalese) because most people sleep in Tolka the first night of their trek. That is as far as they make it but she told us we would have no problem making it to Landruk.

On day two we woke to another amazing view of the Annapurna Mountain Range and walked from Landruk to Chhomrong. On the way we took a side trip at Jhinu to walk down to the river and sit in natural hot springs. The view of the ravine and the river was cool with the sun’s rays hitting us as we sat in nature’s hot tub. That night we stayed at Chhromrong Cottage where “didi” (meaning sister) makes the best chocolate cake in Asia (according to Time magazine – she will show you the article) and some tasty bean and cheese burritos. If you are ever in Chhomrong you have to stay here!

On day three we walked from Chhomrong to Dovan. The trail out of Chhomrong drops quite a bit and it is somewhat disheartening to lose all of the altitude you gained the day before knowing you will have to gain it back again soon. We stopped walking early this day which was a brilliant move on the part of Mr Mahesh because it rained almost all afternoon. We met a couple here that was trying to make it to Annapurna Base Camp in three days and then back to Pokhara in two. I think they ran out of time before they made it. She was from Australia and he was from the UK. They were in transition and were planning to buy a place in Australia and live a self sustaining lifestyle - growing their own food and supplying as much of their own power as possible.

On day four we hiked from Dovan to Annapurna Base Camp. After walking up the riverbed to avoid avalanches we stopped for lunch at Machhapuchere Base Camp. After lunch we decided to press on to Annapurna Base Camp. On the way up from MBC to ABC it snowed. There was thunder and lightning and by the time we got to ABC it was snowing pretty hard. That afternoon and night was cold. We sat in the dining room and played cards with two women from Seattle and two women from Denmark and their guide. The manager of the tea house put a heater (basically an open flame) under the table so we could all warm our cold hands and feet.

The next morning we woke to a perfectly clear sky and the most incredible view of this amphitheater of mountains. We were surrounded by mountain peaks all over 6000 meters with the monster being the tenth highest peak in the world Annapurna One at 8091 meters. We were at 4130 meters (approximately 13500 feet). We took some pictures, ate breakfast and then headed down to Bamboo.

In Bamboo we met “Himalaya Ken” - a guy from the UK who has been to Nepal 24 times. He has hiked to Annapurna Base Camp 15 times. He takes the entire month of March off every year to trek in the Himalayas.

On day six we hiked from Bamboo to Chuile. We stopped for a burrito at lunch with Didi. Some of the folks we met at Annapurna base Camp stopped and ate lunch with us. It rained right as we got to Chuile and when the rain stopped there was a rainbow in the mountains really close to us.

On day seven we hiked from Chuile to Ghorepani. It was a rainy day and for the most part it was miserable. But we were walking on some of my favorite trails following a small crystal clear river. We were happy to be in Ghorepani to have a warm safe place to rest.

On the last day we planned to hike to Poon Hill before coming down to Nayapul to catch a ride back to Pokhara. The weather was overcast and the mountains could not be seen from Poon Hill so we skipped trekking there. We ate breakfast and made the long downhill trek to Nayapul. It was a good day.

During the trek Jakeb and I read The Hobbit. It was a perfect book for trekking in the mountains. I cannot wait for the movie.

It really was the adventure of a lifetime. How many people get to trek in Nepal among the highest mountains in the world? On top of that I got to do it with Jakeb. It was one of those two weeks in time where it was good to be me.

Pride comes before a fall - and after it too.

2011-03-15T12:05:00.005+08:00

I caught the first bus from our house to MacRitchie. Bus 165 pulled up at exactly 06:11 just like the schedule said it would. It was cold inside the bus especially being in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt. The windows were fogged up from the air condensing on the outside of the frigid windows.

I stepped off of the bus at MacRitchie, topped up my water bottle, hit the play button so I could hear Dave Matthews live playing in my head and hit the start button on my Garmin at 06:33. It is still dark at six-thirty in the morning. As I passed the trailhead the lights from the park at MacRitchie disappeared. I could still make out the trail but there was no definition to it. I had to run by feel being careful not to twist my ankle … again.

I was moving along well and at about a mile and a half in I saw a light ahead. Four locals were walking pretty fast uphill on the trail. I hit pause on the ipod and said “mornin” as Texas as I could make it sound. I got four very Singaporean sounding “morning”s in return. One guy said “well done” as I passed them on the hill. I said “thank you” and to be honest I felt kind of full of myself. “I am running well” I thought.

Then right as I topped the crest of the hill, still in sight of the four walkers, my foot caught a root and I went down hard. My knee and elbow were in pain as I found myself on my back staring at the trees and the stars beyond them. I didn’t give a rip if I was hurt or not. There was no way I was going to accept sympathy from the guy who told me I was running well. So I popped up and continued running as if nothing happened.

I told Andrea this story and she said “Pride comes before a fall huh?” I said “Yeah and apparently after one too.”

As I ran on I could feel more liquid on my elbow than the sweat I was producing and figured it was bleeding. As the sun came up I could see the blood and it was not too bad. When I got to the ranger station I washed the mud off of my hands but left the rest of the mud and blood there because it looked cool.

It started to rain as I continued on towards Rifle Range Road so it mostly washed off anyway. The rest of the run was uneventful as I finished down the Malaysian Railroad. I really like this run as it is mostly on trails.

Sunday morning’s run marked a turning point in my recent running. Running has been good but I have felt the effects of the Texas Marathon in one way or another since New Year’s Day. But on this run I started feeling strong again. Not fast but stronger than I have lately. The feeling of strength has continued into this week. Maybe it was the compliment.

As a side note - Jakeb and I are thinking about running the SBS Marathon in New Zealand again. We will be there for vacation anyway. They might cancel it due to the damage cause by the earthquake. An assessment will be made sometime in the future but knowing what little I know about Kiwis I think they will find a way to run it.

Running the Malaysia railway

2011-01-26T08:40:00.008+08:00

Sunday morning I woke up and waited until daylight to get out and run. I did not want to run the same old routes. Jakeb has told me about running along the railroad tracks of the train that goes from Singapore to Malaysia. There is a trail a safe distance from the track that goes from near our house to Bukit Timah Road.

I left the house right as it was getting light outside. I crossed Holland Road and ran towards Holland Link. Off to the left there was a trail that went into the woods and I took it. I was running in my glasses which I do not enjoy. It is much better to run with my contacts in. With the high humidity my glasses were fogging up and the low light made it hard to see the trail. Every stick on the trail looked like a snake to me and the running was slow. After jumping over trees and navigating drainage ditches I made it to the railway. The trail there was much easier to run and with the sun coming up I could see much better.

From what I understand the railway in Singapore is owned and maintained by Malaysia. Running there was like leaving Singapore. I felt like I was miles from town in a rural place. There were railroad ties scattered along the side of the trail. The grass was high in places and everything seemed more raw – something Singapore would never allow.

After about a mile I came to the Bukit Timah Railway Station. It is a small run-down building where people were waiting for the train. Again it was good to see something that had a touch of humanity to it – a building that had worn paint and old wood and character. I ran down a road that ended at Bukit Timah.

Back in Singapore I remembered that Jakeb said that the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was not too far away and we should run up Bukit Timah Hill someday. I thought “today is that day” even though Jakeb was not with me. I turned on to Upper Bukit Timah and ran another mile to the base of Bukit Timah. The trail is very steep but paved. I ran about a third of the steepest part and had to walk. Someday I will run all the way to the top but my body will have to adapt to it.

I continued running when the trail grade was more runnable. Before I knew it I was standing on the highest point in Singapore (163 meters). Not nearly as dramatic as it sounds but fun to run no less.

I turned around and went back the way I came. The railroad trail was as enjoyable on the way back as it was on the run out. I found a way to get back to the road without running through the woods that was much less “snakey”.

It was good to leave Singapore for a couple of minutes. I will have to go back to Malaysia often.

Garmin Forerunner 110

2011-01-11T09:15:00.006+08:00

I am not a gadget guy. I didn’t get a cell phone until I had to. I do not have surround sound. My laptop is a practical notebook computer I mostly use to read my email and the internet and Skype with Andrea when she was in Texas without me.

This Christmas I got a Gamin Forerunner 110. I have thought about getting a Garmin for a while. I like the idea of putting on a watch and just running without having to stick to a prescribed route. But on the flip side of that I like the simplicity of running and I was always concerned that a GPS watch would just complicate things.

I am pretty regimented when it comes to running the miles that are in my training program. If I am supposed to run 5 miles today then I run 5. But I mainly try to just put in the miles and not worry much about pace. If my body feels like pushing it then I do but if I am not feeling all that great then I just cover the miles. I wear a standard sports watch but very rarely pay attention to it.

I was scared that owning a Garmin would ruin my running. And if I am not careful it will. The 110 is the most simple Forerunner but there is still a ton of data collected with every run – including how fast or slow I happen to be. If I stop to get a drink in the Botanic Gardens then my overall pace will be slower and my Garmin knows it.

So far I have been able to manage it. It will be good to just get out and run. I like seeing the elevation charts. I just have to be okay with being slow on some days and have my watch tell me so.

Texas Marathon 2011 Race Report

2011-01-04T05:42:00.014+08:00

Andrea and I have a tradition of sleeping in the New Year. We have made a couple of exceptions but not many. This year was no different except for the reason we decided to sleep instead of watch the ball drop. Jakeb and I were running the Texas Marathon New Year's Day.

Jakeb and I woke up around 4:30am, got ready and took off from League City to Kingwood at 5:30. It was chilly outside but the temperature was good for running a marathon. We got to the park around 6:30 and picked up our race packets and chips. Jon Walk was there to act as race announcer and we talked to him a little while. He gave me a shirt I had left behind a couple of years ago when we ran the Texas Independence Relay with him. I was amazed he had it and had forgot I even had that shirt.

We sat in the car to stay warm until exactly 7:11 – that is when Jakeb said we should get out and stretch. After stretching well we made our way to the starting line and listened to the race instructions. Waverly Walk sang the national anthem and then we were off.

Jakeb and I ran a little more than a mile together. I knew I could not maintain the pace we were running. Jakeb was feeling good so I dropped back a little as he took off. He was in sight for a couple of miles more and then I lost him.

The race is four loops. I thought I would hate running four circles but it was really not too bad. I got a Garmin Forerunner 110 for Christmas and I used it to watch my mile splits and try not to get too crazy with the pace. I felt really good all day.

Near the end of the third lap I passed Jakeb as he was heading back out for his last lap. He had started to cramp and was slowing down. I took some S-caps at the turn, smiled at Andrea taking video of me (walking) and headed back out. I caught Jakeb about a mile out and gave him some ibuprofen I was carrying.

The last lap was easier than what I have experienced at the end of other marathons. I was tired but I was not struggling with pain. I still tried to run sensible but knew I was close to a marathon PR so I pushed as much as I dared. At what I thought was about a mile left I ran a little harder. I heard Jon Walk’s voice and cow bells in the distance and knew the finish was near. Anna was standing next to the trail and ran ahead of me to tell Andrea to get the camera ready. I crossed the line in a chip time of 3:52:16 (my marathon PR).

Jakeb finished a little later in 3:59:00. He had made a good recovery on the back side of the last lap.

I was given a huge marathon medal because this is Texas you know and some pizza. It was definitely a good way to start the New Year. Hello 2011!

Singapore Half Graphic

2010-12-07T06:56:00.003+08:00

In America ... no way! I would be much further back in the field. (Click to view larger)

Singapore Half Marathon 2010

2010-12-06T17:42:00.000+08:00

I finished the Singapore Half Marathon this weekend in 1:51:16. It was 9 seconds off of my half marathon PR. The race was fine. It was typical of Singapore - hot humid, crowded and with a few hills. I am glad I ran it. Now I am ready to move on to the Texas Marathon on January 1st.

Can't have it all

2010-12-02T06:51:00.001+08:00

This weekend is the Singapore Marathon and Half Marathon. I am running the half. I am also training for a full marathon on January 1 so this race comes at a strange time. I am supposed to be running long this weekend – like 21 miles or so – but I will only run 13.1. I am not going to taper too much for the half because I need to keep the miles up for the marathon. My quandary is that I want to run this race well. The balance is hard to achieve. One will suffer for the other and for me the marathon is more important than this weekend’s half. I will let you know how it goes …

Chase Instinct

2010-09-13T12:17:00.002+08:00

Dogs have the inherent desire to chase something that is running (or moving fast) away. Run away from a dog or ride a bike past it and it is likely to chase after you either based on its instinct to catch prey or its instinct to play.

Yesterday morning Jakeb and I ran around MacRitchie. Our plan was to take it easy around the lake since we had run an 11 mile long run the day before and should have had tired legs.

On the way out we came up behind three guys running with backpacks on. Neither one of us picked up the pace but we caught them easily. When we did they started running a bit faster and finally on an uphill we had to kick it into gear and pass them.

We made it to the ranger station at about the 4 kilometer mark and we stopped like we always do and got a drink of water. While we were there a guy and girl ran past. We got back on the trail and I could tell by how we were running that the chase instinct had kicked in. Our prey was ahead. By the time we got to the foot bridge behind the golf course we had caught the couple and passed them by. I felt like we were pushing it a little but I am addicted to competition. “Hi my name is Tommy and I am a competeaholic.”

Once we passed the couple we kept on pushing and ran up the technical stuff after the golf course. It is probably the only real technical running on the MacRitchie trails. I told Jakeb “We are like a couple of dogs. We have a chase instinct. When we see someone in front of us we have to pass them. The problem with that is once I pass them I feel like I have to stay in front of them.”

We ran hard most of the rest of the way back to the park. I am getting to old for this.

Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

2010-09-07T07:39:00.002+08:00

I had to come in to work on Saturday morning. When I got here I had an email from a friend and when I responded I told him how much fun Jakeb and I had running the marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. Not only running the marathon but we had fun driving through the mountains and seeing such an incredible place. The food was good, and they had good beer to enjoy with it (Speights). We had such a good time in New Zealand that we wanted to go back and bring Andrea and Anna (and Tori even though she is in college and can’t come) and have more time to explore.

Just after I hit the “send” button on the email to my friend I opened Google News and the headline at the top of the “Top Stories” was about a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch. The pictures that were posted in the next couple of days were amazing to me mostly because they showed the devastation of a place where I just been. I had walked those streets and passed some of those buildings. There was a picture of a girl staring into a hole on Avonside Street where Jakeb and I had run our marathon.

I have never felt even the slightest tremor of an earthquake so I cannot relate. But I have experienced the aftermaths of more than one hurricane and I have to assume it is a bit the same - to have a natural disaster disrupt life and cause one to live in a completely different way than they are accustom.

I feel for the people there and hope their life goes back to normal as soon as possible. I check the news everyday and it seems like they are making progress towards rebuilding.

We will be in Christchurch next month. Our plan has always been to land there, rent a car and leave towards the mountains. I am still excited about going back.

I like messing with people sometimes

2010-09-01T08:37:00.001+08:00

This morning I ran 6th Avenue / Clementi five mile loop. I left the ipod at home and planned on taking it easy. This run has five hills. One is early on 6th Ave and the last four consecutive are at the end of the run on Clementi and Ulu Pandan.

I ran at an easy pace and well within myself. On Bukit Timah about a quarter of a mile before Clementi I saw a runner ahead of me. He was running slow enough that I knew I would catch him. He was in yellow short shorts, a yellow singlet and a white headband. He pranced when he ran and held his forearms vertical while swinging his hands in a circle.

I got within a couple of paces of him at the bottom of the second hill of my run and he sped up. This hill is long. It is slow at ending with the incline stretching out at the top. I felt like I had enough in me to pass him but I didn’t want to be pushed from behind so I just hung out behind his left shoulder. As he sped up I sped up and when he slowed down I slowed down.

Then on the downhill I passed him and just ran easy. He stayed about 5 paces behind me. The third hill is short and not too bad so when we hit the base I hammered it to the top. When I crested I slowed down and could hear him behind me breathing hard. I laughed inside.

I ran the downhill side of this hill easy and when I approached the fourth hill I ran hard again. This hill is not as long as the second but there are some steep sections. I felt good. I pushed hard and my prancing runner friend dropped way behind. At the top I slowed. As I did he started catching back up. On the downhill side there is a bus stop and I zig-zagged through the bus stop barricades just because I wanted to mess around. He caught me on the base of the downhill.

We ran the flat on Ulu Pandan until the base of the fifth and last hill. When we first moved to Singapore I hated this hill. It is long and hurts by the time I get to the top. I pushed as soon as I felt the road rise under my feet. My runner friend pushed with me. I could hear his steps behind me and then as the hill steepens I looked back and he was walking.

Maybe I am too competitive but it feels good to be in good enough shape to run like this. I know there are plenty of people who can leave me in their dust and I am okay with that.

Over My Head

2010-08-24T06:26:00.001+08:00

I slept horrible last night. Andrea has been in Texas since July 15th and it is not easy to sleep when she is not here. I think it is about time for her to come back. She will be home Wednesday night. Since I slept bad I figured this morning’s run would not be so good. I thought I would be tired. Boy was I wrong.

Last night I downloaded an all King’s X mix onto my shuffle and took off across the street to Vegetable. My legs felt light and strong and I ran fast. I am sure I probably set a 6th Avenue / Clementi 5 mile loop PR. But I wouldn’t know because I have never kept my time on that run – or many others for that matter. It was good to feel like I was flying.

Music, music, I hear music
Music over my head
King’s X – Over My Head

1000 miles

2010-08-20T07:19:00.002+08:00

This morning I passed one thousand miles of running for 2010. It is just a number really starting on an arbitrary day that happens to be the first of the year and culminating on August 20th. There are people who have run many more miles than that since January 1 and there are even more who have not run a step. Even though it is just a number I have to admit I bragged about it to Jakeb and Andrea … twice.

A lot has happened over the last thousand miles. I had a foot injury around the February/ March time frame that I thought at the time would be with me forever. Today the injury is gone and I had forgotten about it until I looked back at my run log.

I have run parts of the thousand miles in Singapore, America, New Zealand and China.

I have listened to a lot of good new-found music and I have listened to some music that has been my favorite since I started running over seventeen years ago. I’ve ran without music lost in my own thoughts.

I’ve run some of the thousand miles with Jakeb and some alone and I have enjoyed both.

If I am able to run all of the miles planned in my Texas Marathon training schedule I will run a little less than seven hundred more before the end of the year.

I want the passage of miles to be a routine part of my life. Not something extraordinary but something that is part of who I am - a basic part of my humanity – to put on a pair of running shoes and just run.

The 1000th mile I ran this morning was nothing more than a spot in the road that I didn’t take notice of as I approached it and ran on without thought of it, just like the rest of the other 999 and hopefully like the thousands more to come.

Broken Social Scene

2010-07-28T12:41:00.002+08:00

Last night I went to see the band Broken Social Scene. I hadn’t heard any of their music before I saw the advertisement that they were coming to town. I listened to their music online and generally liked what I heard. Since Andrea is not in town and since I haven’t been to many concerts here in Singapore I decided to buy a ticket. I downloaded and listened to Forced to Love and Meet Me in the Basement just so I would at least be familiar with two of their sings when I went to the concert.

Broken Social Scene is a talented group of musicians who are all part of other bands or they do their own solo thing. They are referred to as a musical collective. During the concert of the eight members of the band the only person onstage who played only one instrument was the drummer. Their live sound is really good. Being as big a band as they are you would think the music would get a little muddy but the sound was tight and clear. Since there are so many instruments the music is layered really deep and there is much to listen to. I liked it a lot but I will probably not listen to much of the studio stuff because it is just not the same.

Run on …

MacRitchie in the rain

2010-07-18T15:21:00.004+08:00

Yesterday morning it rained - like crazy. My plan was to run the 11 kilometer trail around Lake MacRitchie. Jakeb and I have run there a couple of times in the rain and frankly it is fun. So I was not going to let a little rain (or a lot as the case was) stop me from running one of mine and Jakeb's favorite places in Singapore.

I should have known it was not going to be a typical run when the traffic was stopped on Farrer because the cars could not get off on the flooded Bukit Timah exit. It was still dark outside when I got to the park and people were standing under the cover of car park waiting for the rain to stop so they could run the trail. I got out of my car and put my key in my shorts and started running immediately, excited to get to run in the rain. I got a couple of strange looks.

As I ran past the pavilion where the food and bathroom are there were more people standing under cover watching it rain. I ran by - more strange looks.

As I entered the trailhead and started the first short climb I was running in a river of water that was looking for the lake. It was ankle deep and there was nowhere to run where water was not.

The trail continued this way - river for a while then sloshy mud for a while. I felt like a little kid and I had the trail completely to myself. A refreshing change since MacRitche is normally crowded on a Saturday morning.

On the backside of the lake the water got kind of deep. It is the lowest part of the trail and there is a 2' high wooden bridge without handrails built over the swampy jungle. Water was running over the bridge. The walkway to the bridge was mid-calf deep and when I took the steps up onto the bridge it was over my ankles. The problem was that it was muddy water and since there are no handrails I could not tell were the sides were. Not wanting to fall off of the edge, when I got the chance I bailed off onto a nearby golf course (there were no golfers either).

I finished out the run with more of the same - rivers of runoff and mud while the rain came down. I was soaked, my shoes were soaked and full of mud and sand. It was awesome.

This morning I ran MacRitchie again. It was not raining and the trails were as crowded as I have ever seen them.

Running in Beijing

2010-07-11T14:00:00.008+08:00

Andrea, Anna and I went to Bejing, China for vacation and to meet our daughter Tori there. Tori has been studying Mandarin in a study abroad program with her professor and other students from University of North Texas.

We did all the touristy things you are supposed to do in China like see The Great Wall and The Forbidden City, but I also got to run.

The first morning we were there I did not run. But the second morning we were there I ran from the Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel, located in a Hutong, to Tiananmen Square.

Beijing is a polluted place. When I ran I tasted my sweat and it tasted to me like pollution. Maybe it was in my mind but I felt especially dirty there.

My first glimpse of Tiananmen Square was at the halfway point of my run on the second day in Beijing. It is a huge square that thousands of people visit every day. Even at 6 am in the morning the sidewalk in front of the Forbidden City where Chairman Mao's portriat hangs there is a crowd of people taking pictures and waiting for their chance to go in.

As I approached the square the first time I was struck that it looked exactly as I expected. I was also struck by how a leader could be so full of himself to hang such a huge a self-portrait on the Forbidden City. Maybe he didn't have it hung it there but it still seems like a show of a leader's self-indulgence.

I ran to Tiananmen Square at the entrance of the Forbidden City three times and I always made sure I told Mao what a jerk I thought he was. I think he probably knows now. It is amazing to me that a man who did the things he did to kill so many and destroy such cultural heritage could be so loved by the people of China even today. This is confirmed by the fact that so many would stand in line to see his body lying in state thirty years after his death. I stood in line too with thousands of my Chinese friends - more out of morbid fascination as anything else- to see Mao's glowing face.

On two other mornings I ran to the Jingshan Hill Park north of The Forbidden City. There is a hill there built from the dirt removed from the ground to built the 30 meter deep moat around the Forbidden City. From there you can look over the plot of ground where Emperors walked hundreds of years ago. What was impressive to me was how many, mostly old, Chinese people were exercising in the morning in the park. It was a definite cultural experience.

This morning back in Singapore I ran a seven miler through the Botanic Gardens and there were as many, mostly old, people exercising there. It was just easier to breath the air and my sweat tasted normal again.

Texas Marathon

2010-06-22T13:50:00.003+08:00

The Christchurch Marathon is behind me and I wanted a new goal. I can run just to run. I like running enough to keep at it even when I am not training for something. But training for something makes me push myself to run when waking up and going out the door at 4:40am does not sound fun. Call me weird but yes most mornings it does sound like fun.

We are going to Texas around Christmas. I was hoping to find a trail race to sign up for where I could run in the dirt. The holidays are not a great time to find any race at all much less a trail race. I assumed if I found a race to run I would probably have to drive some distance to get to it.

After digging around I found the Texas Marathon. I have heard about this race but had forgotten about it. It is a small race run in Kingwood Texas (not too far from home) on New Year’s Day. It is a four loop course on greenbelt and I have read that it is very well organized.

So I signed up for the Texas Marathon and assured myself that I will (as normal) sleep the New Year in.

SBS Marathon Photos

2010-06-21T10:55:00.003+08:00

It looks cold huh?

SBS Christchurch Marathon

2010-06-06T11:30:00.015+08:00

I woke up this morning and took a quick shower to wake up and put on my running clothes - a short sleeve tech shirt and a pair of shorts and went down stairs in the hotel to find some coffee. After drinking two cups I stepped outside where there were drops of rain falling from the sky and it was chilly. It was too wet and cold for my current dress.

So I went back upstairs and pulled out the two long sleeved tech shirts I brought and gave one to Jakeb.

We got dressed and walked the couple of blocks to the marathon start. We hung out inside of the "town hall"and waited until closer to the start to line up.

At exactly 09:00 New Zealand time we took off. I have to say here that New Zealanders are a friendly talkative bunch of people and we had a great time listening to the conversations and participating in some.

We ran next to a guy from Singapore who is a stock broker. Last week he ran the Sundowner double marathon and now he was here to run Christchurch. He said he ran 23 marathons last year alone. He was wearing a Marathon Maniacs shirt. Go figure.

Jakeb wanted to finish faster than four hours so we looked up the pace per kilometer for a four hour marathon and tried to keep our lap time below that pace. I punched my watch at every kilometer that I saw. I missed some. During the first half our fastest kilometer was 5:12. A four hour marathon is 5:41 pace. We hit the half in approximately 1:55. I knew I was running faster than I should and would have to tell Jakeb to take off soon.

At the 28k mark my legs had had enough. I asked Jakeb how many more gels he needed to finish. He said "one". I asked if he had it and he said "yes". So I told him "you are going to have to take off if you want to get a less than four hour marathon". He said "You sure you don't mind"? I told him "no go for it." And he took off.

It was actually good for me to be able to slow down and work on getting the best time I could. It helped that it was raining and my shorts were wet and they were keeping my legs cool. I slowed down and even though the effort was not easy I felt much better. Toward the end I had to walk some and when I walked I tried to walk at a brisk pace.

I finished by my watch at 4:04:59.

Jakeb finished in about the 3:49 to 3:50 range. He smoked it. His first marathon was faster than my marathon PR. Youth is a great thing - and Jakeb is a really good runner. He has the mentality for it. He can go into himself and push when it is necessary. When he stepped on the finish line he said his calf cramped up. He tried to sit in a chair and take off his chip but as soon as he sat down he had to stand right back up. If you have run a marathon you know the feeling.

The SBS Marathon is one of my favorite so far. No fuss. Just a well run (pun intended) marathon in an amazing place where the people are laid back to begin with.

Update: According to the SBS Christchurch Marathon web sight Jakeb finished 3:50:18 chip time and I finished 4:04:57 chip time.

Race Morning

2010-06-06T04:01:00.002+08:00

8am cold and rainy. One hour to race time. This should be a fun wet cold run. Details to follow.

New Zealand Marathon in the morning

2010-06-05T15:20:00.003+08:00

So Jakeb and I will wake up and run the Christchurch Marathon at 0900 New Zealand time. You figure what tme wherever you are.

If it is carbs you need before a marathon it is carbs I have. Pancakes for breakfast, banana snack in the morning, vegetable soup and bread for lunch, baked potato in the afternoon and pasta for dinner. Hopefully I am as ready otherwise.

Here are some pictures of what we have seen here so far.

Intensity

2010-06-01T07:11:00.002+08:00

Tapering for a marathon is a weird thing. After running the highest mileage week in training you start to back off of the mileage to “rest” for the marathon. In the past when I tapered I would not only run less miles but I would run them slow and easy. It made me feel lethargic during the two weeks before the marathon. I would show up to the starting line of the marathon jittery and wanting to run but I also felt lazy.

I don’t know who wrote this but a about a year ago I read that it was important to keep up the intensity during the taper even though the mileage decreases. So for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to run harder during these runs that are progressively shorter.

This morning I ran three miles. Rather than the normal taper feeling of being slow and fat I felt strong and light. My form felt good and I ran three miles in the 7 minute per mile range. I was listening to loud music and running hard and it felt good.

For me it shows how important it is to always challenge myself in some way. I challenged myself with distance for the last 16 weeks. Now I just changed the challenge from distance to intensity. Rest is good and important but when rest borders on laziness it is almost always a bad thing.

I am boarding a plane tomorrow for the cooler climates of New Zealand. Marathon day weather is predicted to be cloudy with a low temperature of 40 F and a high temperature of 53 F. - Perfect weather for running a marathon.

Run hard …

Thirty Four Miles to New Zealand

2010-05-24T11:50:00.004+08:00

Jakeb and I ran twelve miles this weekend. Twelve miles sounded like nothing especially since we had run twenty miles the weekend before. Since it sounded like nothing to us we decided not to take GU or water and just run free and unencumbered by anything we would have to carry.

Jakeb did ask “We’re not taking water?”

I said, “Nah we can make it.”

Although the run seemed short we made it harder than it had to be by not at least taking water. It is HOT in Singapore. Have I said that before?

At the end Jakeb was saying “A cool glass of water has never sounded so good.”

Our training schedule says we have thirty four more miles to run in training before the marathon. Then next Wednesday evening we board a plane for New Zealand. We plan to do more than run a marathon. We will go into the mountains while we are there and see what we can see. Maybe even hang out with Frodo.

Our “long run” is eight miles this Saturday. There is a good chance I will leave the water at home again – some people never learn.

A muppet with a drunken puppeteer

2010-04-25T21:19:00.004+08:00

I haven't written here in while so I doubt anyone is reading but that is fine with me. Coming here is a therapy of sorts so as I sit on the couch if you have bothered to come here listen as I tell you how I "feel".

I ran 18 miles with my son Jakeb this morning. We planned to run it on Saturday morning but at about two miles in Jakeb wasn't feeling it so we cut the run short and only ran 4 miles. Today the 18 miler was good but Jakeb was feeling his Wheaties and he ran me into the ground. I should have made him keep running on Saturday morning. Being run into the ground is what happens when a 43 year old runs with a 17 year old. I am just glad I can complete 18 miles even when the last two included a fair bit of walking.

Training for the Christchurch marathon hasn't gone exactly as planned. I hurt my left foot running in the wrong shoes and had to take a week off. We made a trip to the US and Jakeb had a school field trip to Malaysia. All of this made us deviate from the prescribed plan.

Even though there have been challenges and changes in the schedule we are on track to run a marathon in New Zealand. Next week is 19 miles and in three weeks we run 20 and then comes the taper. For me this time I am saying thank God for the taper.

Training for a marathon with Jakeb is completely worth it. It has not turned out as I expected ... like most of the rest of my life these days.

Thanks for listening. I will be back on the couch next time I am desperate for some therapy.

I want to know Lord why it's got to be so hard
I feel like a muppet with a drunken puppeteer
But I'll survive ...I will survive.
To the Light - Newton Faulkner

The beginning of marathon training

2010-02-03T07:34:00.004+08:00

January was a 117 mile month for me. That was a big month mileage-wise considering I ran a marathon in December.

Monday Jakeb and I started marathon training for SBS Marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. It is hard to believe that there are only 18 weeks to go until the marathon. At the same time it feels like there is a lot of work and many miles to run before the marathon too.

We will have to work hard to get to the starting line ready to run 26.2 and healthy at the same time. I am pumped that Jakeb and I will finally get to run a marathon together.

Not much running to write about

2009-12-29T15:07:00.001+08:00

I have run 4 times since the Singapore Marathon. Otherwise I have either been resting from the marathon or sick. I had cold and flu type symptoms for about a week and a half. Then just when I got over that I got a stomach bug. It could have been something I ate or drank while we were in Vietnam – which was a really good trip so I guess it was kind of worth it.

Anyway, I am ready to run again.

I asked for and got P90X for Christmas. Now I don’t know when I am going to do it. My running would have to suffer some but maybe I need to take a break for a while. I cannot stop completely because I want to be ready for Christchurch Marathon training with Jakeb.

SBS Marathon Christchurch New Zealand

2009-12-12T09:19:00.005+08:00

On December 1st I entered Jakeb and me in the SBS Marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. I think it is cool that he gets to run his first marathon in New Zealand in a town named Christchurch.

When the Singapore Marathon told us that Jakeb could not run the marathon unless he was 18 years old we started looking for a marathon to run in Asia. It seems that none of them will let a person run unless they are 18.

While checking out marathon calendars I found the SBS Marathon's web site and could not find an age limit for the race. I email the race director and told him about Jakeb wanting to run a marathon and that he had run a 25k and two half-marathons. I asked if a 17 year old could run his race.

He emailed me back and said that since Jakeb had a running background he seemed well prepared for the race and he said "Will be great to have some more overseas runners at the event. FYI, I ran the very first SBS Marathon when I was 14, so would be a tad rude to deny your son... :-)"

So we have a marathon to train for together ... finally.

I ran this morning for the first time since the Singapore Marathon. I feel fine when I am walking. But running was another story. I still feel it in my quads so I ran s l o w .

Singapore Marathon Evaluation

2009-12-08T14:48:00.001+08:00

Here is a chart showing my finishing position in the Singapore Marathon compared to other runners. I would have never finished this close to the front in comparison to the rest of the field in the Houston Marathon. There are many people here who are willing to sign up for the marathon and stroll along until they finish.

There is nothing wrong with walking a marathon. I do have a problem when they dump the marathon course in with the half marathon and 10k races when the people in them are walking while the marathoners who run are still trying to finish. I had a hard time weaving through and sometimes breaking through the crowd of walkers who took up the whole road.

Singapore Marathon 2009

2009-12-07T07:41:00.001+08:00

Singapore Marathon is hot. I knew it would be. Since Jakeb could not run the full I didn’t train my hardest for this race. My goal – to run the slowest marathon I have ever run.

Jakeb and I caught a taxi at 4am in front of the house. The race started at 5:30am so the runners can get some miles in before the scorching sun comes up.

I ran the full. Jakeb ran the 10k since that is the longest race a 16 year old is allowed to run in Singapore.

Jakeb ran 47 and change.

I ran 4:20:29.

Mission accomplished.

Singapore Marathon Taper

2009-11-16T07:22:00.002+08:00

Peak training for the Singapore Marathon is done. I ran my final 20 miler of this training cycle on Saturday. It was a slow run but I covered the miles. Now it is time to taper.

I like tapering for the marathon because it means I get to reduce the mileage some. It means that my chances of making it to the starting line of the Singapore Marathon are pretty high.

I hate tapering. One of the hard things about the taper is that it is hard to keep up the intensity. Even though the mileage drops I still need to run at a solid pace. At the end of the taper and nearer the marathon I start to feel edgy. I am ready to get the show on the road. I feel like I am eating too much and not running enough.

So welcome to the taper. I hope it is over soon.

I switched to Switch

2009-11-12T14:01:00.005+08:00

I bought a new pair of running shoes last Sunday. I was scared I would have a hard time finding running shoes here in Singapore but the selection and availability is better than in the US. I went to Queensway mall and had to look for a while but I found a pair of Brooks Switch for 59.90 Singapore dollars. That is about $45.00 US. I know that these shoes are inexpensive even in the US but I thought I got a pretty good deal and so far I like running in them. I switched (pun intended)to a pair of motion control shoes because I thought I could benefit from the extra support. And the Switch is not supposed to be the most rigid of motion control shoes anyway.

On another subject Andrea went to Indonesia on Tuesday for the day with her mom and sister. They left yesterday for Thailand and will be back on Sunday. Jakeb is in Cambodia on a bike trip with the school seeing the Cambodian countryside up close. Tori is in Denton at college. Anna and I are having fun hanging out together here in Singapore. We are eating the food we both like the best. I could have never imagined even a few years ago that this is the life I would be living …

"Every new beginning is some other beginning's end"
Closing Time - Semisonic

Driven by the music

2009-11-09T07:04:00.002+08:00

I ran hard this morning … until my iPod died. Then my pace on Bukit Timah slowed. The hills on Clementi were a drag.

I thought about it and Saturday was the same thing. I ran a 20 mile long run. I ran from the house to MacRitchie reservoir where Jakeb was supposed to meet me so we could finish off the last twelve together. About a mile from MacRitchie he stepped off of a bus in front of me to run the last thirteen instead of twelve. When I saw him ahead I took off my headphones and my pace slowed.

My running and my pace have been driven by the music lately. That is not necessarily so bad but I don’t want to rely solely on music.

Friday morning Jakeb and I ran together beside a drainage canal near the house and up a street called Ghin Moh. Our pace was pretty fast not because there was music pushing us but because that is the pace that felt right.

My plan is to run the marathon without headphones. I should start running without them now and hopefully it will go well then.

I think my iPod shuffle is about to bite the dust. That may not be such a bad thing.

No water system here.

2009-10-26T08:29:00.001+08:00

Usually by now the weather in Texas is cooling off and my long runs though hard do not take as much out of me. Singapore is a different story. It is 75 degrees in the morning and around 90 in the heat of the day even in October.

Yesterday I had 18 miles on the training schedule. Since I am running the Singapore Marathon without Jakeb my motivation for it is not as high as it would have been but I am determined to finish the training and run the race. I am also determined to run it easy and make it the slowest marathon I have ever run. That way I will be able to recover well for whatever marathon Jakeb and I decide to run together.

Saturday night I filled up my Camelback and put some Gu in the zipper pouch. I thought surely 2 liters of water would last me 18 miles but my camelback was empty at about mile 13. I stopped at a brand new apartment complex and asked a security guard at the gate if I could fill up with water. He looked at me sternly and said, “We do not have a water system here.”

Yeah right. I felt like a homeless guy asking for a cigarette. Oh well. A couple of miles down the road I tried again and this time the security guard was more compassionate and let me use the water faucet outside of the building.

I have 5 more long runs left. 19 this weekend, 12 after that, 20 then 12 then 8. Then on December 6th I intend to run my 6th and slowest marathon.

Assaulted by emotion

2009-10-24T19:07:00.003+08:00

I like to listen to live albums. Not just a song from a concert but the whole concert because I think that if they are thoughtful about it an artist is telling a story for that night by the way the concert set is built.

I bought John Mayer's album 'Where the Light Is- Live from LA' not too long ago. I bought the whole thing because I wanted to listen to it in order as if I were there.

The next morning I put on my headphones and took off for my morning run. I had built a playlist of the album and started from the beginning. The first part of the concert is an acoustic set. It is cool to hear how good John Mayer really is when he is out there by himself with a guitar and maybe one other acoustic instrument to accompany him. Both his voice and playing are really good.

A couple of songs in there is a dobro just playing chords and John Mayer playing over the top. It was nothing I recognized but I was really getting into it. Then seemingly out of nowhere he starts playing the chords to daughters.

Fathers be good to your daughters ...

I almost had to stop running because of the water in my eyes - and it was not sweat and there was no rain.

I was assaulted by emotion. With Tori being at college and Anna just going on a mother daughter weekend where she and Andrea talked about some very grown up things I had a strong realization of the fact my kids are growing up. That is not a bad thing and I do not wish for them to stop becoming who they are supposed to be. I just know I have a short time with the Tori, Jakeb and Anna. And I will (and do) miss them when they are not in my house.

The rest of the album is pretty good too. I like the acoustic part best.

In other news Andrea, Anna, Jakeb and I went to Nepal week before last. Jakeb and I trekked the Ghorepani / Poon Hill trek, we all saw some beautiful sights and ate some really good food. Here is a picture of Jakeb and I from our trek.

Well I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
baby I am calling you on that
from REM Live at the Olympia (the live album I just pre-ordered)

You can hear the whole album here --> link

Rain and a Big Lizard

2009-09-07T07:19:00.002+08:00

Sunday morning it was raining like crazy and because of the thunder and lightning Andrea was not too thrilled with the idea of Jakeb and me going to MacRitchie Reservoir for our 9 mile run.

MacRitchie has a trail system around the lake and it is one of our favorite places in Singapore to run. Part of the trail is on a section called treetops walk where the parks department has built bridge walkways in the tops of the trees around the park. Jakeb and I have never been on this section of trail and with the lightning it would not be the greatest place to be.

When we set off from the parking lot the rain had slacked off and the thunder and lightning were gone. Most of the first part of our run was uneventful. When we got to the trailhead of the treetop walk it was barely sprinkling. So we took off up a hill that was steep enough to have to walk. When we got to the entrance of the treetop walk the gate was closed. It did not open until 9:00 am and we were about an hour early.

As we descended the hill back to the trail head it started to rain pretty hard again. We started running when we got back to the trail. We ran past a golf course and back onto single track trails. There is one section of the trail that has a pretty sharp ascent and then after you top the hill a pretty good descent. The water was running in the middle of the trail like a river and Jake and I were having fun splashing along as we went. The trail was a little bit crowded in this section and on the way down Jakeb splashed through and big pool and totally drenched a lady as he passed her. It was raining so I hope she expected to get wet.

The trail we were running was only seven miles and I wanted to get in nine so we decide to run a couple of miles out and back on the trails we had just run. We got to the MacRitchie dam and right in the middle was a lizard. This big lizard was about three feet long and was totally blocking the path. Are you kidding me? This would never have happened in Texas. We walked behind the lizard for the length of the dam and finally had to run past it because it would not get out of the way.

It continued to rain even after we finished our run. Our legs were covered in mud. I love running in the rain and having another adventure in Singapore.

Singapore said "Cannot!"

2009-08-31T12:35:00.001+08:00

A rep from the Singapore Marathon called me last week and said “No! Your 16 year old son cannot run the marathon. And no you cannot receive a refund. Cannot! Cannot!”

But she said they would gladly withdraw our registrations if we would like. Withdraw them without a refund … yeah right!

I am still signed up for the full marathon and Jakeb is now signed up for the 10k. We will at least go get our packets. I may run as much as I can slow and easy on less than full marathon training. I may run just to people watch and have fun.

We are switching our training around and will probably run the Hong Kong marathon in February. They allow 16 year olds to run their marathon. We may run something else, we will see.

Running fun

2009-08-25T13:00:00.000+08:00

This morning Jakeb and I ran four miles in the rain. It was a really fun run. We ran beside drainage ditches that were flowing like the Guadalupe River with Canyon Dam wide open. Everything looks different outside when it rains. I’ve always liked running in the rain and it is no different here in Singapore. We will see if my opinion is different after monsoon season.

Sometimes running can become drudgery. For the last couple of weeks though I have looked forward to almost every run. Even running the hills has come easier and I feel stronger running them. Hopefully the good feelings will last for a while.

When we first moved into our townhouse here in Singapore I woke up early the first morning and ran four miles. I got done with my run and I stood in the outdoor shower for a second to rinse the sweat from my clothes and then dove into the Allsworth Park complex swimming pool. I floated in the water for a while when a security guard walked around the corner of the building.

I said, “Good morning.”

In his staccato Asian accent he said “Pool’s closed.”

I said “okay when does it open?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“But I run every morning before seven o’clock and I want to cool off in the pool.”

“Pool opens seven o’clock.”

“So you mean I cannot jump in the pool to cool off after I run because some person somewhere decided the only time residents should enjoy the pool is after seven?”

“Pool opens seven o’clock.”

Knowing I was not getting anywhere with Mr Rigid Rule-follower I gave up and got out.

So I do not jump in the pool after I run except on the weekends when I run later in the morning. But I do go down and cool off by standing under the shower by the pool. I know the security guards know I am there because there are cameras everywhere. I have not been kicked out of the shower yet. Even though it is not the pool I enjoy being able to cool down after a run before I have to go inside. It reminds me of standing under the water hose behind the house in Lake Jackson.

Running the Singapore Marathon .. or not

2009-08-21T12:07:00.000+08:00

I registered Jakeb and myself for the Singapore Marathon the other day. We have been looking forward to running this marathon for over a year. This would be Jakeb’s first. The problem is that to run the Singapore Marathon you have to be 18 years old.

I emailed them and asked if they would let me sign a waiver to allow him to run. If not we will be looking for another marathon on this side of the world to run between December and February.

Making Peace With The Hills

2009-08-10T11:03:00.000+08:00

Singapore running is hot. I expected that. Jakeb and I ran eight miles on Saturday morning and when I finished my shoes were squishing with the sweat that had run into them from my legs.

If I do not run early here I will not run. That is no different than it was at home. Life here is busy just like it was in Texas. As the kids get involved in school and we get involved in church and work picks up and all of the other things we will find to do my schedule will not get any better. So in Singapore like in Lake Jackson I run mostly when the sun is down. But I expected that too.

There are quite a few things about running in Singapore that I did not expect. I did not expect to run with so many other runners. There are a lot of people who run here. I think this morning was the first time I have not passed another runner during my run. Today is a public holiday and I am going to work. Everyone else decided to sleep in I guess.

I did not expect to have to run on so many hills. They are not big hills but I come from the pancake flat Gulf Coast of Texas. Our house in Singapore is on a hill. You don’t notice it so much when you drive to it. No matter which direction I run I finish going uphill.

At first I just powered up the hills. I continued to run the pace I was until I made it to the top or had to stop running and walk. I walked a lot. But somehow along the way I figured out that I have to shorten my stride and slow down to be able to run the hills well.

This morning I ran a four mile loop (or a little less than seven kilometers – I will always think in miles). I ran alone and listened to music and ran within myself. I felt good at the end and I probably finished faster than when I push myself too hard. This is a lesson I should probably try to learn in other parts of my life as well.

Running in Singapore

2009-06-24T20:37:00.002+08:00

We arrived in Singapore Friday. This morning is the first morning I have not run. Actually I did not run the Friday morning we got here but that does not count because we had only arrived a couple of hours earlier.

Jakeb and I ran Saturday morning. As we stepped out of the hotel there were the sounds of tropical birds. It was obvious we were not in Lake Jackson any more. From the hotel we ran down a road called Bukit Timah to the Botanic Gardens. It is a beautiful place with lots of vegetation and small ponds. There were people practicing Tai Chi all around the park – some in groups and some alone. It is a beautiful form of exercise. We returned down Holland Road through the shopping district on Orchard Road and back up a hill towards our hotel.

Yesterday we ran down to and then along the river to a place called Clark Quay (pronounced ‘key’). We ran past parks and restaurants. We passed people walking and running. We passed a guy sleeping on a park bench, but he was a well dressed teen-ager so I am sure he was not homeless. Our run was a 6 mile out and back and by the time we got to the turnaround at 3 miles I was already drenched. Even though the Texas coast is humid, it must be more humid here. I sweat more if that is possible.

I guess one of the most unexpected aspects of Singapore is that even though it is urban, there is an amazing amount of vegetation. I expected that since there is a lot of concrete and high-rises it would be like Houston. But it is much greener and more tropical.

As we have searched for a place to live I have talked a lot to our realtor about how important it is for me to live in a place I can run. I am not sure there is a place that would be bad for running in Singapore.

Although there is much more to see I feel like I am starting to get to know Singapore even if only slightly - mainly because we have explored. There is no better way to see the world and the places that are new to me than to see it on foot.

Run on …

Moving on ... while running.

2009-05-31T21:13:00.003+08:00

We moved out of our house on Thursday. We gave the keys to the new owners on Thursday night. The whole thing was kind of surreal. I can't live in a place for eight years and not have some nostalgia about leaving it even though I am looking forward to where we are going and am actually very relieved that the house is no longer ours.

On Thursday morning I ran six miles. I ran two of my three mile loops. The last one I ran was a route I call ‘sidewalk’. It is the first run I ever ran after we moved into 709 Center Way. I have run full circle in a figurative way and it is kind of symbolic that it is time to leave.

We are living with Andrea’s parents for the next couple of weeks before we get on an airplane bound for Singapore. We are taking space in their camper and a couple of spare bedrooms. This morning Jakeb and I ran four miles on a route I call ‘yaupon’ that used to start at our house and run past Andrea’s parent’s place at mile two. Today we started here and ran past our old house at mile 2. It was strange.

The changes in our life have helped us realize that this Singapore thing is emanate. We knew it was coming but has never been more real. In all of the craziness of the last couple of weeks running has kept me grounded as usual.

Happy B'day to me ...

2009-05-20T02:37:00.001+08:00

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me.

People have asked me what I want and I have a hard time with the question. I want to be able to run so I would like a pair of running shoes but when I need a pair I go buy them. Maybe that is not so good of a present.

I want to read a book but I am picky about what I read. I like to hold a book in my hand and read a bit of it and smell it. If I like it I put the copy I just picked up back on the shelf and take the third or fourth one back. I want a clean and fresh book no one but the stock person has touched with a smooth cover and no wrinkled pages. No one can buy me a book. I have to do it for myself.

My family gives me what I want from them the most – them. If they could give me more of them that would be a weird birthday present. “Happy birthday – have some more of me.”

I really do not need anything. In fact Bono says it best:

Walk out into the street
Sing your heart out
The people we meet
Will not be drowned out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe

Jacob's Ladder and a Lack of Variety

2009-05-15T19:44:00.001+08:00

On the way home from work I stop at a parking lot on Highway 6 and run four miles in Terry Hershey Park. I run the same four mile route almost every time I run there. Jakeb gives me a hard time about running the same thing over and over. After driving for over an hour to and from work I have little time for variety. And besides, the park is scenic and I have not gotten tired of it yet.

Tuesday I was finishing up and I looked towards the reservoir on the edge of George Bush Park. On some concrete stairs that ascend the levee there were probably 25 or 30 people climbing to the top. Once they reached the top they would turn and climb down and once at the bottom they would start over again. The long line of people looked like a bicycle chain going around sprockets at either end of the stairs. I guess they were some kind of training group but it looked a little strange.

It reminded me of the story in the Bible where Jacob lays his head on a rock for a pillow in a place called Bethel and has a dream of angels ascending and descending stairs (a ladder) to and from heaven. Except as far as I could tell these people were not angels and they were definitely not making it to heaven.

It won’t be too long until all of mine and Jakeb’s running routes are new and different. I can handle the same four miles and Jacob’s ladder for another month. June 17th we fly out of Dallas on our way to Singapore where at least for a while every step we run will be on ground we’ve never run before.

The Maze 2009

2009-05-04T03:20:00.002+08:00

Jakeb and I packed up and drove to Jason's house in Columbia Lakes yesterday at 1 pm. We got in Jason's car and drove to Austin. We picked up our packets at Rugue Equipment for The Maze. Then after a stop at Runtex we ate at Chuy's(I ate the 911 Hot Plate), got some Starbucks and checked into the hotel. After the Celtics beat the Bulls (okay I dozed before the game was over) we crashed to get some rest for the race this morning.

The Maze is one of mine and Jakeb's favorite races. It is a 10k and 30k at Walnut Creek park put on by Rogue. It has a couple of creek crossings where you do not have any other choice but to have wet feet.

We ran the 10k. Jakeb finished in 51:23. Jason finished in 51:29. And I finished in 56:21. I took off too fast. The hills were a killer. But I had a blast.

We were back home by a little after 1pm. It was a really fun 24 hours.

Gator Gallop 2009

2009-04-18T23:37:00.002+08:00

Today Jakeb and I hit a milestone in our running (pun intended). We ran Brazosport College Gator Gallop 5k. I ran a 23:25. Jakeb ran right at 23:00. That’s right he beat me. I think I should probably get used to it. This is the first time of many I am sure.

This is probably the last race we will run in Lake Jackson before we move to Singapore. Next up Jakeb and I are running The Maze in Austin.

Bayou City Classic 2009

2009-03-17T20:02:00.002+08:00

I ran Bayou City Classic Saturday morning. Andrea, Tori and Gwen walked it. Jakeb sat it out this year because he had spring break plans that had him out of town.

When I woke up Saturday morning I was cold. I had felt like I may be getting sick and I was a little tired. The combination of all of those factors made me want to dress warm. I put on a long sleeve cotton shirt with a tech shirt over it. I put on tights and shorts and brought my gloves along. I was warm by gosh and I was not going to be cold during the race.

We got there about 45 minutes early and sat in the car for a while. When we finally decided to get out the wind was brutal and I thought I had made a good decision by wearing all of the layers of clothes. People around me were just in shorts and shirts and were shivering at the start. But not me, I was warm and comfortable … until I started to run.

The crowd started moving and I took off at a good pace. I felt like I could run a good race, maybe not as fast as last year but it would be a good time. Then I started sweating. I had to take off the gloves. I hit the first mile in 7:45 and thought to myself, “Tommy you are stupid. You are wearing way too many clothes and you know better.”

So slowed down. I watched the people around me run. I ran for fun and a t-shirt. And I finished in 49:22.

Immediately after finishing I started shivering. So after getting a t-shirt, a Saint Arnold’s spring bock and a breakfast taco I went to the car and changed into warm dry clothes.

Tori came across the finish around 1:20ish and Andrea and Gwen finished a little later.

I am glad I ran. It is the first time in a long time I did not push myself to finish as fast as I possibly could. It was a cold hot cold day.

Texas Independence Relay 2009

2009-03-10T08:49:00.004+08:00

Jakeb and I had a great time running the Texas Independence Relay. I feel the same as last year where there is so much I could write and yet I could never fit it all in. Here are some highlights though:

I ran with some good people. This race makes you so stinkin exhausted and delirious that you have to have some laid back people to make it through two sleep deprived days without killing each other. It was really good to hang out with old and new friends and to meet even more people I only knew from reading their blogs - like Jessica.

Everyone ran hard. You run not just for yourself but for a team of people who are counting on you to do your part.

Last year Cassie and Manny were on my team but I did not feel as if I knew them very well because the were in the other van. This year our team rotated vans and it was good to be able to hang out with everyone. Cassie you make a great captain.

Jon is an organizational genius. TIR for two teams of bloggers would not happen without him. He puts together personalities that gel and sets up who runs what legs by knowing every runner and the way they run so well. Jon you amaze me and I appreciate what you do.

It was good to talk to Wes on the way up to and back from the relay.

The highlight of the whole weekend was running with my son. Everyone was very complimentary of Jakeb and it made me proud that he is my kid. For Jakeb’s take on the weekend check out his blog.

I hate that we will miss this event next year since we will move to Singapore. I really appreciate Jon slotting me in the last leg and letting me run to the finish. It means more than it would otherwise.

Texas Independence Relay

2009-03-06T23:22:00.003+08:00

Jakeb and I are running the Texas Independence Relay this weekend. We will run a lot, sleep very little, hang out with old and new friends and be exhausted at the end - but glad we did it.

100 miles for the children of Segera

2009-01-29T22:19:00.009+08:00

My friend Jason is running the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler next weekend. I know that running a hundred miles has been on Jason’s radar for a while. We have run a couple of trail runs together and he totally digs them. Jason and I view life through a similar lens and trail running and trail runners fit both of our personalites. Jason is running 100 miles because he is made for it. But that is not all.

Jason is running a hundred miles next week for something much bigger than himself. He is running 100 miles for the children of Kenya and the Segera Mission. Jason’s wife has been on a mission trip to Kenya and this fall a group of kids came to our church to sing as part of the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa. The Culverhouse’s opened their home for some of the girls from the choir to stay with them. This was the catalyst for Jason to want to run 100 miles for something bigger than himself. Every mile he runs will earn money to go towards the needs of children in Segera.

Bright Point is the organization that is facilitating sponsorship of children in Segera and this is from their web sight:

... In early January, Culverhouse and his wife returned from a church-sponsored Cambodian mission trip where they led a hair academy for members of the Leveasar village. “I just can’t describe the feeling we got from the people there,” he said. “There is something about meeting a real need. There is no greater feeling that going somewhere to make a difference in someone else’s life and having them give back more than you gave to them. Yes, we gave them a life skill and provided equipment for them to start a career, but they gave me a dose of reality – a clear view of respect, pride and love.”

He says it is the same feeling he gets when he sees the smiles on the faces of the Kenyan children his church helps support. “Just like the kids in Cambodia, when given the opportunity to be educated, these kids take it seriously,” he said, linking to two mission experiences together. “When Jennifer and I taught in Cambodia, you could hear a pin drop during class. The students wanted to work through breaks and lunch so they could learn as much as possible. They know that the only hope for them is a relationship with Christ and an education.”

So it is for the children of Segera. “If we continue to wait for someone else to do something, the loss of these beautiful children will continue,” he said. “I know the only hope for them is for someone to step into the gap and be the hands and feet of God.”

I am pacing Jason through 12 miles in the middle of the night. It seems like a drop in the 100 mile bucket but I know it will help him make progress in that journey. The same goes for the help that these kids get. Sometimes what I can do seems miniscule but it helps another human make significant progress in their journey through life.

If you would like to read more about Jason’s 100 miles – or possibly donate – or possibly sponsor a child in Africa long-term check out one of the links below:

Jason's story

Bright Point's web site - Click "Jason 100"

Picture from the Houston Half Marathon

2009-01-22T06:07:00.002+08:00

Houston Half Marathon 2009

2009-01-19T05:59:00.000+08:00

Jakeb and I ran together the whole way. We ran about half of the race with Wes, Jenny and Dan (Jenny’s dad). At the water station after the 5-mile mark I told Jakeb to get some Gu ready and we both ate some and kept running. After the 8-mile mark Jakeb said “Dad I have to stop!” He went over to the other side of the road and puked the Gu back up. We waited a while and when he felt better we took off. Even though puking took some out of him, he did a good job of running hard.

Jakeb and I ran almost all of our long runs together and we did not use Gu at all. I know better than to try something new on race day. Gu doesn’t bother me so I assumed it would not bother him. Oh well you live and learn.

Our whole family participated in some way this weekend. Anna ran the kids run Saturday morning and did a great job. Tori did the half and walked/ran and finished in 3:07. I think she is thinking about running one some day. Andrea walked/ran and finished with her sister Gwen in 3:18. Gwen’s husband (my brother-in-law) Mike ran the half in somewhere close to/under 2:20.

Mine and Jakeb’s splits by my watch are below (unofficial of course):

1 - 8:31
2 - 8:02
3 - 8:03
4 - 8:33
5 - 8:18
6 - 8:17
7 - 8:28
8 - 10:08
9 - 8:26
10 - 8:22
11 - 9:03
12 - 8:59
13 - 8:24
13.1 - 56
Total - 1:52:37

2008

2009-01-02T23:19:00.001+08:00

Total miles 1350.

PR’s:
3:55:13 - Houston Marathon
45:45 - Bayou City Classic 10k

In 2009 the running is sure to be choppy working in Houston and with a move overseas. Jakeb and I are running the Houston Half-marathon in a couple of weeks. Jakeb also wants to run a trail run before we move. I plan to finish the year with a marathon in Singapore (again with Jakeb). We will see what happens. The year never turns out quite like I expect.

More alone than usual

2008-12-11T21:19:00.001+08:00

I ran four miles this morning. Bundled up against the cold I flipped through the shuffle to find music that was fast and turned the volume up to LOUD. At about the mile mark I noticed that something seemed different. It was definitely colder but that was not it. Then I realized what it was.

Most mornings I probably pass 20 to 50 cars. People inside are sleepily making their way to work. This morning on my whole run I only saw five cars or so. I ran on Willow Drive and Yaupon – normally busy streets – today no cars. I crossed Oyster Creek Drive twice. Usually the intersections there have multiple cars at them, even at a little after 5 am. But not this morning.

Last week Dow Chemical announced that they were going to idle some production plants and shutdown others completely. They told both contractors and direct employees to go home until January 5th. Some have vacation and will get paid while they are off. Some have no vacation and are out of luck. Some will come back on January 5th to resume work. Some will go home and get a phone call later that they are no longer needed.

I know that Dow is a business in the business of making money. I know that times are hard. But it seems heartless to send people home during the holidays.

I was a Dow contractor until May of this year. I am glad I am not there anymore. I didn’t see it coming. I am not that smart. I left because of restlessness and a desire for the adventure of living overseas. I got the benefit of returning to the best company I have ever worked for.

Although I often run alone, I ran this morning more alone than usual. I ran hard and mad and sad.

Routine

2008-12-11T02:37:00.003+08:00

This morning I planned to run a hard five miles listening to loud fast music while bundled up to lessen the bite of the cold. I was really looking forward to this morning’s run but I am disappointed to say it never happened.

Before I go to bed I have to make sure everything is ready for me to run in the morning. My schedule is tight and if I don’t get stuff together I will end up leaving late for work. My pre-bedtime routine includes making coffee. The first destination after my feet hit the floor in the morning is the coffee pot. It is not the restroom my body requires first, it is a sip of heaven. To get that sip first thing the coffee machine has to have water, freshly ground beans and a timer set to 3:52am. Never set the time for a number with a multiple of 5 – that is so overdone.

Second I go upstairs and find what shorts, shirts and socks I am going to run in and throw them in a pile in front of the closet. Not a neat pile, but a messy pile of tech material that is convenient to find grab and put on.

Next I find my iPod if I am going to run to music. Some mornings I intentionally leave it at home.

Last I set my alarm for 4:10am and go to sleep.

If I plan a run and don’t the reason is usually because of a lack of motivation, being too tired, or being too sore or injured. But I always at least get up and make an attempt to get out of the door.

This morning I didn’t run because I apparently forgot the last step of my pre-bedtime routine. My alarm didn’t go off. I woke up at 5:10am without the help of the alarm clock. It is quite possible that I needed the rest, but I am disappointed that I didn’t get to run.

Who says that being in a rut is a bad thing? Being in a rut keeps me out of the ditch.

Too tired not to run.

2008-10-24T01:47:00.003+08:00

The last couple of nights have been late nights. Driving a little over an hour to and from work is starting to get to me. My brain is fried and my body is tired. I feel like I might be getting sick. All together it makes for a good excuse to blow off running.

The only reason I am posting this is so I can say in a public way that after work today I am going to park the car at Terry Hershey Park and run. It will be good for me and tonight I will sleep well.

Update: I ran four, about half of it on the bike trails at THP. It was fun and I am glad I did it.

TIR redo

2008-10-15T01:33:00.003+08:00

Even though I changed jobs in May it wasn’t until the first Monday in October that I had to start driving to Houston. Running in the morning is not really feasible unless I am willing to get up at about 3:00am. Even for an early riser like me that is too early.

I leave for work at 5:10am and I am done at work at around 4:30 or 5:00pm. Long before I started driving here Andrea suggested that I should find a place close to work to run and maybe let the traffic clear out before I start my drive home.

As soon as work is over I change into my running clothes. My office is in Park Ten near I-10 and Highway 6. As I thought about where to run I had an epiphany of sorts that I should run where I ran last year for the Texas Independence Relay. Terry Hershey Park is just south of I-10 and a couple of miles from where I work. I ran the 6 plus mile leg of the relay in Terry Hershey Park and it was my favorite of all of my relay legs. Plus afterwards Jose stopped the van for Kolache Factory so it was a memorable morning all together.

A couple of weeks ago I stood and stretched on the same spot where I stood and waited for Edwin to finish his leg through George Bush Park. I ran two miles out and two miles back in a place that was both scenic and strangely familiar.

Running in Terry Hershey Park reminds me a bit of running around Town Lake in Austin (without the lake and the hill country scenery). I normally run alone so it has been motivating to run on a trail with so many people either walking or running or riding their bikes to stay fit. It is very different from running in Lake Jackson mostly alone.

Perspective

2008-09-25T22:39:00.002+08:00

I used to think I ran in the dark. That was before, when I ran beneath streetlights and the houses lining the streets had porch lights with electrons coursing through their filaments.

I stepped off of the curb not knowing if my foot would land on concrete or fall into the abyss of a hole someone dug during the night without my knowledge on the corner of Sycamore and Center Way. I pushed the play button on my shuffle and the ominous tones of the song Elusive by Scott Matthews rang through my ears.

She’s a gambler spinning wheels
The poison victim but look of steel
The coldest heart you’ve ever felt
The coldest hands you ever held

The beginning of the song is the solitary sound of the strumming of just the E string, D-tuned to give it a lower tone. My breathing was already labored and my stride was choppy.

Something starts hitting me in the head and for a minute I think it is raining. What is strange is that the rain is dry, not wet. Slowly and a little painfully I come to the realization that I am running through a cloud of mosquitoes.

The moon is only a quarter of its luminous self; there is a lack of street light. The low tones of Elusive worked together with the mosquitoes and the dark to make the whole run and my attitude oppressive.

She’s elusive and I’m awake
Finally real there’s nothing fake
A mystery now to me and you
Open my eyes and I’m next to you
She said my destiny, lies in the hands that set me free

I turned the corner onto Oyster Creek and there was a light in the distance. U2’s God’s Country came on.

Desert sky
Dream beneath the desert sky
The rivers run but soon run dry
We need new dreams tonight

My eyes adjust to what little light there is and I have to watch my step and run between limbs. Sometimes I weave into the grass to avoid downed trees. There is no rhythm to my run but the work of it is changing my mood.

Sleep comes like a drug
In God’s country
Sad eyes, crooked crosses
In God’s country

As I leave the trail and pass downtown there is power and the light seems a bit unreal. The side walk is clean and straight. I get to the place where I think less about running and my mind wanders more.

The turn from Circle Way to Center Way reveals porch lights in long rows meaning the people inside are cool. It gives me hope even though I know when I step into my house it will be hot.

I am reading What is the What, the story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the lost boys of Sudan. As I think about a hungry child running in the dark from death by a lion or the hand of a heartless human being, I wonder what I, running in the dark for my health and pleasure, have to complain about. Sara Bareilles’ song Many the Miles plays in my head:

There’s too many things I haven’t done yet
Too many sunsets, I haven’t seen

Boring

2008-09-19T04:18:00.001+08:00

I was told recently that my running blog has become boring. Not that it was interesting when I wrote regularly but since I have not written in a while I guess it has no chance to be anything but boring. The truth is that since I got a new job I have been a bit apathetic about things such as blogging.

I will not try to catch up. I think it is better to just start where I am and see if it lasts.

Hurricane Ike blew through our neighborhood and we are still without power. It has not been all that bad because the weather is cooperating. For the last two mornings I have gone out to run at 5am. It is a good thing the moon has been bright because the neighborhood is dark without the street lights. Even with the moon there is enough debris lying around that I have to really pay attention to where I step so I don’t twist an ankle for the hundred millionth time.

Since the power apparently will be off for a while I am sure I will get to see (or not) what it is like to run without a source of light at all. Maybe I should just close my eyes and barrel ahead.

Today I made the Houston Marathon Course Map my computer wallpaper at work. I need to be reminded that I am supposed to be training for a half marathon in January.

Run on …

Firecracker 4 2008

2008-07-05T01:59:00.001+08:00

The whole family ran the 34th annual Firecracker 4 here in Lake Jackson. This is our third year to run it together. I've run it a few times alone.

Anna repeated as "women’s" champion of the 2-mile walk. Andrea and Tori finished close behind.

I ran 31:21, over a minute more than last year’s time. Jakeb finished less than a minute behind me.

We saw a lot of friends and had a good time as usual.

King's X XV

2008-05-22T21:49:00.003+08:00

Thursday is normally my day off from running. Most Thursday mornings I go eat breakfast with a friend but this morning was he and his wife’s anniversary so we didn’t eat together. Instead I ran.

I probably should have rested but last night I downloaded the newest record (although it is really just a bunch of digital 1’s and 0’s rather than vinyl) from King’s X – one of my favorite bands. The place I am best able to really listen to music is when I run and I couldn’t wait to get out and hear the new tunes.

I like XV, especially the song Blue. This collection of songs is way more upbeat and less dark and cynical than King’s X has been lately. They are still very honest in their writing. I think I will like it. It is good to run to. Even though my legs are sore, running was worth it this morning just for the music.

8 things about me

2008-05-15T23:30:00.003+08:00

8 really random facts …. because I was tagged by Adrienne:

1. I am a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy so I doubt anyone will read anything here that surprises them much.
2. I believe there will be Mexican food in heaven.
3. If I was told to pick anywhere in the world to live it would be the hill country of Texas. I’ve seen some cool places and would like to see even more but there is no place on earth quite like Texas.
4. I cannot stand for there to be any white on my fingernails so I cut them often and short. Some assume I bite my fingernails but do not. It comes from being the son of a mechanic and hating anything under them – especially grease.
5. I most often just want to know the bottom line so I have a hard time with people who over-explain things or repeat themselves (I heard you the third time …). This makes me less relational so I need to tolerate it more.
6. I am a tight wad.
7. I am mostly a happy loner.
8. I feel out of sorts when I don’t have a book I am currently reading.

I am not going to tag anyone because being a loner, everyone I know has been tagged already.

Sluggish running and news

2008-05-10T09:04:00.001+08:00

I have been running but running has not been the focus of my life lately. I think my body has not fully recovered from Rocky Hill. The legs felt sluggish on my five-miler Friday morning and I was just altogether tired. This morning I ran three miles at a decent pace and I felt better.

Last week I accepted a new job. My first project is relatively close to home. My second project is in the office in Katy and has the potential to eventually send our family to Singapore. My running will suffer no doubt but I hope I can keep it up to at least a moderate level.

Who needs a week off?

2008-04-23T23:13:00.001+08:00

I decided to take a week off after running Rocky Hill. I just didn’t want to run a long way for a long time. But yesterday I thought, “I am feeling pretty good. My legs are not that sore.” So this morning I woke up and stretched and ran three easy miles. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stay away. Please don’t hate me because of my addiction.

It felt good to move after a couple of days of rest. My day is better when I run.

Rocky Hill Ranch 50k

2008-04-21T20:42:00.002+08:00

We got to Rocky Hill Ranch at 11:30 p.m. Friday night. The band was jammin at the saloon but we were prepared for that to be the case. We parked near the start/finish and Jason, Jakeb and I stretched our sleeping bags under a canopy we had set-up, put ear plugs in our ears and tried to get some sleep. The band played until about midnight and all was silent so that was good.

The moon was full and bright enough to where I woke up a couple of times wondering who had left the lights on. The temperature sank to the mid-forties and I woke up a couple of times wondering who forgot to turn on the heater. Then at 4 am I heard a loud voice screaming for people to line up. It was the race director giving last minute race instructions to the fifty-mile runners who opted for the four o-clock start time.

I was tired and sore from lying on the ground. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but around five I couldn’t lay there anymore. I got up and sat with Jason and Jakeb in the car until it was time for Jason to start.

Jason lined up for the fifty-miler at 6am and Joe, the race director, gave last minute instructions. This time I was awake enough to listen. He talked about how insane the first mile was with the up-hill climbs up Fat Chuck’s Demise. The runners took off and I started getting ready for the 50k/25k start at 7am.

Jason came back a little more than 30 minutes later from the 3.5 mile out-and-back that the 50 mile course took. He said “You’re gonna love it. It is crazy fun up and downs.” I found out later that Jason is a masochist.

I lined up with the runners that were left and listened to the pre-race instructions for the third time and Joe screamed go and we went. Slowly. Climbing and walking. Staring at my feet and climbing. After a mile things flattened out a bit and I got to the meat of the course. Rocky Hill is by far the most challenging course I have ever run. My mentality was to run slow, take walk breaks and be patient. Towards the end of the first loop I was questioning my decision to run 50k and trying to figure out how to motivate myself to keep running once I hit the start/finish.

About a half a mile from the end of the first loop I saw Jakeb on his mountain bike. He asked how I was doing and said that Jason was only 5 minutes ahead. I left Jakeb and about a quarter of a mile from the turnaround saw Jason as he started out on his next loop. There was my motivation - to catch Jason and run some with him.

Jason is a much faster runner than I will ever be. He qualified for Boston by breaking 3:10 a couple of years ago at Houston but I knew he was conserving energy to run the whole 50. It was energy I didn’t need so I picked it up a bit and really pushed myself back up Fat Chuck’s for my last loop. I would pay for it at the end of the race.

I caught Jason about four miles into my second loop. It was mile 19.5 for me, mile 24 for Jason. We ran together until the next aid station and I was scared that I would either slow him down or push him to where it would mess up his race so at the next aid station I ate some tortillas stuffed with ham and cheese and took off alone.

This section was the most difficult for me because I was alone and I walked more than I had hoped for. The last aid station came and went and all I could think of was “forward motion”. The lack of training and sleep were catching up and I felt like I was plodding, not racing.

I finally hit the finish in 6:18:09 by my watch. Rock Hill is a tough course and I only ran 15.5 miles at Hog’s Hunt for my longest training run. Normally I would have run a couple of 24 milers followed by some 10’s the next day. So I am happy to have finished.

Jason came in just a couple of minutes behind me and took off for his last loop. I was amazed to watch him come in and have the strength to take off for another loop starting with the steep pain from Fat Chuck. Jason finished in 11:35 just a couple of minutes slower than his Sunmart 50 mile finish. To me that was better than a PR.

50k with wicked leathers

2008-04-17T21:01:00.002+08:00

About a month ago I got an email from Jason. Jason ran 50 miles at Sunmart in 11 hours and something and his email stated that he wanted to run 50 miles in under 11 hours and Rocky Hill Ranch would be his last chance before the end of the summer.

I thought to myself, “Go Jason!”

Then in the next line he said he didn’t want to go to the race alone and me and the other guy he sent the email to were the only two people that he knew that were currently running enough mileage to finish one of the races. There is a 50k and a 25k race that same day.

I gave it a lot of thought … about 2 seconds worth and told Jason that if the family calendar was clear that weekend I was in. I checked and things fell into place nicely for me to run. Jakeb is going along for moral support and to ride his mountain bike.

The responsible thing to do would be to sign up for the 25k. I could run that one in my sleep. But as EQ has stated on his blog, you only live once so I did the irresponsible thing and signed up for the 50k. I am not trained for a 50k. I will not finish it well but I will finish.

Jason and I made our plans. Due to his son’s evening baseball game we will not leave until 8:30pm. We plan to drive to Rocky Hill Ranch, set-up a canopy and fall asleep in a field under the stars, wake up the next morning semi-rested and run a long way.

Two days ago the race director sent an email saying that in an attempt to book as many activities as possible Rocky Hill Ranch is having a Bike Night. A local motorcycle shop called Wicked Leathers is sponsoring an event at the Rocky Hill Ranch Saloon with a live band and music and free RV spots and camping.

Oh great. Bikers and loud music and drunk people trying to find where they put up their tent mixed with runners trying to get some sleep the night before one of the longest races of their life. Not that I have anything against bikers or loud music or those who are drunk mixing with runners. I just think the combination works out better for the former group rather than the latter.

We could go find a hotel but if you read my last post you find in my case that may not be any better. I really didn’t know that the TIR weekend with its lack of sleep would be training for future races. This should be interesting.

Hog's Hunt 25k

2008-04-07T05:44:00.006+08:00

Andrea and I bought a car on Friday. We got rid of our gas guzzling Durango and are now proud owners of a Toyota Camry. I’m going to miss the Hemi but I’m not going to miss the gas bill. It took forever to get the paperwork done and we didn’t get back to Lake Jackson until 10:30 Friday night. That is when mine and Jakeb’s Hog’s Hunt adventure began.

I pulled into the garage from our car shopping trip and I went into ‘let’s go’ mode. I threw the last of our stuff together and went up stairs to wake Jakeb up. We drove to a hotel on the north side of Houston and were ready to fall in bed since we had to get up early and run. There was some guy in the next room talking loudly. He never paused to stop talking. It was like he was practicing the Gettysburg Address. I thought ‘Oh great we are never going to get to sleep.’ But in about 20 minutes he stopped and the world was silent.

We woke up the next morning after what seemed to me like almost no sleep at all and drove to Huntsville State Park. We got there around 6:20 and picked up our packet and went back to the truck to warm up. It was amazingly cold for April 4th. I think it is weird that Sunmart in December at Huntsville State Park was hot and Hog’s Hunt in April was cold.

Jakeb and I wandered around before the start of the 50k and saw Karen and Katy. They took off and we went back to the truck to put on our shoes, race number water bottle and belt. We stretched for a little while and then went to the starting line where we saw Adrienne and her mom. We talked some and after some race instructions took off.

Jakeb and I were pretty evenly paced as we ran the road for a mile. My legs felt a bit dead but by the time we made it to the trails they started loosening. Jakeb ran strong the whole way. When we made it to the trails we were in single file with a group of runners and the pace slowed. Jakeb and I maneuvered past a couple of people and by the time we made it to the road in the back of the park we were running at a decent pace again. A ways down the road we started seeing the leaders coming back. Adrienne passed by us in first place in the women’s race and looked strong. She went on to win.

In the middle of the race we ended up behind a group of people who were running slower than us and we stuck behind them for a couple of miles. I think it was good to run behind them because it kept us from running too fast. I asked Jakeb how he was doing more than once and he continually said ‘I’m good.’

We made it to the boardwalks and passed the group ahead of us. I asked Jakeb if he wanted to pick it up and he said ‘Let’s go’ so we up’ed the pace into the aid station.

After downing a couple of peanut butter sandwiches and having our water bottles refilled we took off. A woman that was leaving the aid station told us that there was only about 3 miles to go so we ran a bit harder. In the last four miles I would guess we passed ten people.

In the last mile there is a hill (or two) to climb and I started walking and after a couple of steps Jakeb said ‘were not walking’ so I started running again. My kid is a slave driver.

We turned the corner and ran the power line right-of-way to the pavement at the finish. Jakeb sprinted at the end and I couldn’t possibly let him go alone so I ran with him as we laughed at each other. He finished a step in front of me. I stopped my watch at 2:30:52 - a 9:44 pace. It was a good race. I am proud of how Jakeb ran.

Jakeb just got his learners permit so he drove from Huntsville to the Woodlands. We stopped at Pei Wei on the way home and refueled. I drove the rest of the way home and had a horrible time staying awake.

You can read Jakeb's report here ... link.

Tracking mileage

2008-04-03T00:27:00.006+08:00

Katy wrote on her blog that she doesn’t track her monthly mileage. I keep up with monthly mileage, weekly mileage, yearly mileage and shoe mileage all in a spreadsheet I created myself. It is not than I am a stat geek or anything but my personality is such that I have a feeling of accomplishment by knowing I can add another mile to the week, month, year and shoe.

I am taking off today and tomorrow to rest the legs for Hog’s Hunt and it kills me not to add data to runlog2008.xls. Below is a screenshot:

I have 102.5 miles on the GTS8's and I still like them. (see earlier post)

Jakeb and I may see some of y’all this weekend … later.

Hog's Hunt taper

2008-03-31T21:11:00.001+08:00

Jakeb and I are ready for Hog’s Hunt this weekend. He has backed off some for a mini taper going into this weekend. We ran 12 together Friday before last and Jakeb had a really good run.

I signed up for the Rocky Hill Ranch 50k, so for training Friday I ran 11.5 with Jason Culverhouse (who talked me into RHR) and Greg Jones. We ran some roads and some single track. Then on Saturday Jakeb and I ran 8 together and I ran 2 more alone. I have not put enough time on my feet to run a 50k very well at Rocky Hill but I think I will be able to finish. The competitor in me may have a hard time taking it easy but I will try.

Here is my last week and a half of running:

3/21 – 12 w/Jakeb
3/22 – 7
2/23 – 5 (3 w/Jakeb)
3/24 – 5 (4 w/Jakeb)
3/25 – 5
3/26 – 5
3/27 – rest and strength
3/28 – 11.5 w/Jason and Greg
3/29 – 10 (8 w/Jakeb)
3/30 – 5.5
3/31 – 5 (3 w/Jakeb)

Jakeb ran some on his own during the time above. His miles alone are not listed. I ran 164 miles in March with two 42 mile weeks in a row.

Complain, so much easier ...

2008-03-21T00:54:00.003+08:00

Jakeb has been out of town for the last couple of days turkey hunting with his Grandpa (Andrea’s dad). He was planning to run in the hill country while he was gone but I asked him about it when he got home and he said he had not ran at all. He had some lame excuse about it raining or something to that effect.

Last night I told him, “Get ready because in the morning I am dragging your sleepy rear end out of bed and we’re running three.”

So as promised at 5am I went into his room and shook him and said “Jake, get up and let’s go run.”

I heard a muffled “Uhhhhh ….” from under the covers.

I said, “I don’t think so, get up and let’s go run. While you’re at it put on a long sleeve shirt because it is a little cool.”

“Uhhhhh …”

He came down stairs griping about running in the cold and moaned as he put his shoes on. He said “ooouuuch” as we started the first stretch.

We stepped out of the house and started walking to warm up. Jakeb asked, “Can we start running now? It’s cold and I want to run to warm up.” What he didn’t say was that he wanted to start running so that the running would be over sooner.

We took off at a moderate pace running what we call the Oyster Creek route. As we moved through the run the pace got progressively faster. By the time we hit the 1st mile marker we were running at a decent clip, faster than my marathon pace. I didn’t start my watch so I do not have splits but I asked Jake at a mile and a half if he was okay with the pace and he said “yeah”. And that was it.

So we ran without slowing, on the sidewalk through the moss covered trees on Oyster Creek Drive, past an old man on his morning walk. As we turned the corner onto Sycamore a third of a mile from home I picked it up a notch and Jakeb stayed with me. We still aren’t killing it but after all of the complaining I heard before the run I was impressed.

About a hundred yards from the end of the Oyster Creek route Jakeb said “That felt awesome! Good run!”

I said, “HA! Now you see why I forced you to get out of bed.”

We got home and Jakeb took and shower and went back to sleep. - My son the paradox.

I woke up this morning with a funny taste in my head

2008-03-17T05:28:00.004+08:00

My daughter Tori and I went to a concert last night to see Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles and others I had never heard of. It was a good concert when Ingrid and Sara were singing. There are a lot of interesting stories to tell but now is not the time. We stood in the same spot for a long time and my feet and back were hurting by the time the concert was over. I fell in bed at a little after 1am.

This morning the alarm went off at 6 am and I woke up Jakeb and we ran 10 miles. We had to get out early because Andrea’s dad was picking up Jakeb this morning to take him turkey hunting. Surprisingly the ten miles turned out to be good run for me. We ran around seven miles on concrete and about 3 miles on trails. The rest of the day has been okay but if I sit still for to long my eyes want to close.

I bought a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8. I hated the 7s but I think it is because they are too narrow and hurt my feet. I bought the eights in a 2E for the additional width. I ran the 10 in them this morning and I think I am really going to like them. Ask me again what I think went I get 100 miles on them.

This week was a 40-mile week. It is good to run that many miles again.

Friday stuff

2008-03-15T11:03:00.002+08:00

I ran 10 miles this morning at a comfortable pace. Jakeb ran the first four miles with me.

I had a root canal at 9:30. I didn't like it.

I ate Chinese food for lunch went shopping and got coffee, all with Andrea.

I went with Anna back to the dentist for her to get a cavity filled. She didn’t like it at all.

Jakeb had a birthday party tonight. He and his friends are gone now having an air-soft gun war.

Jason asked me if I wanted to run Rocky Hill on April 19th. He is running the 50-miler. I am thinking about the 50k. We would camp out Friday evening, run Saturday and come home Saturday night. I would have to take it easy but it sounds like fun to me.

More Bayou City Classic Pictures

2008-03-13T00:19:00.006+08:00

Running

Finishing

Giving the Evil-Eye

Walking in with my favorite woman in the world (Andrea)

Bayou City Classic Pictures

2008-03-11T09:09:00.005+08:00

Jakeb, Tori, Peter, Mycaela

(l to r)

Mr. Evil

Andrea:
Only one number away from evil

Jakeb running

Tori and Peter
Doing something that is not running

Wilco and a 10k PR

2008-03-09T04:11:00.006+08:00

Last night I went to see Wilco in concert. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. Wilco is such a great band musically and Wilco’s music makes more sense after you see them live. That’s why their CD Kicking Television is the best.

I got home at 12:30am this morning from the concert and I had to wake up at 4:30am to make it in time for us to pick up a timing chip and get ready to race the Bayou City Classic.

The weather was perfect for running but a little too cold for standing around. Andrea, Jakeb, Tori, Peter, Mycaela and I got our chips and went back to sit in the warm truck until the start. Jakeb was talking trash about how he did not know what time he would finish in but that he was going to beat me.

We got out and made one more pass by the porta-potties. A couple of kids had a video camera and saw that my race number was 666 so they interviewed me and asked about my interesting number. They thought it was funny that I was wearing red and had a goatee matching the satanic persona. That was not the last comment I got about having that race number. It was fun. I really am a nice guy but like everyone else I am capable of so much evil so the number was appropriate for one race.

The race started promptly at 8:00 and I started running. I felt really good from the start and pushed myself. It wasn’t that hardest I have ever raced but I felt like I was making myself work hard enough that I would be happy with the result.

Here are my splits:
1 – 7:16
2 – 7:15
3 – 7:11
4 – 7:34
5 – 7:27
6 – 7:45 (going up the bridge over the bayou was taxing)
.2 – 1:16

My watch says 45:47. The official finishing time on the race web sight is 45:45. That is a 10k PR by over 2 minutes beating my PR at last year’s Bayou City Classic.

Here’s how everyone else did:
Jakeb – 48:26 for third in his age group but not fast enough to beat me
Andrea – 1:34:28 walking
Mycaela – didn’t wear a chip but came in around 55 minutes
Tori – 1:19:13 walking and running
Peter – 1:18:45 walking and running

I don’t understand the difference between Peter’s and Tori’s time since they stayed together.

I think I have proven to myself that I run pretty well on a lack of sleep based on last weekend’s TIR and this morning’s 10k.

I had a nap this afternoon. It has been an awesome weekend so far.

TIR Photos

2008-03-04T09:44:00.013+08:00

The Battling Bloggers of the Texas Republic

The place we lived for 31 hours +

The finish line is in sight

203.67 miles later ...

Me and EQ

Texas Independence Relay Epilogue

2008-03-03T23:35:00.002+08:00

I don’t know how to write this post as a narrative without it being a short novel. I know there is no way to describe the weekend adequately in this format, or at all for that matter. So here are some words and phrases that for me describe the Texas Independence Relay:

Gonzales, new friends, competition, prologue, run, hills, heat, Shiner brewery, good and bad coffee, asphalt, run, buffets, small sometimes stinky vans (blogger 1 and blogger 2), best drivers ever, run, determination, exchange points, stories, sore muscles, painkillers, run, road kills, blinkies, “Where’s Bill’s team?”, run, sleeping bags in a field, dogs, run, 2 hours sleep in a hotel, rolling hills through the park, run, ranchero kolaches, ‘finally a Starbucks’, sleepy, downtown, run, San Jacinto Monument, epilogue, medals, pizza. FUN.

If you would have asked me on Sunday morning at 12:30 am if I would do it again I may have said ‘no’, but now that it is over, looking back it was a really cool deal and I would consider toeing the starting line in Gonzales again.

It is quite a task to get fourteen people to work towards the common goal of running and supporting a run of 203 miles over two days. It was an accomplishment we can all be proud of especially Jon Walk who did a great job of getting and keeping the team together. Jokingly I told him, “Thanks Jon for organizing this agony.”

My right calf hurts a little but otherwise I feel pretty good. I went to bed early last night and I feel rested. I am going to take a couple of days off of running and let the calf recover. This weekend is the Bayou City Classic.

Thanks bloggers for including me in TIR at the “last minute”. It was good to meet you all in person.

I may post some pictures later.

Training specifically for TIR

2008-02-22T23:09:00.003+08:00

I ran 12 this morning. The first two miles were an out and back. On the way back in from the out I remembered I told Andrea I would go to Shipley’s to get the kids some kolaches for breakfast. So when I finished my second mile I stopped at the house, got my keys and drove to Shipley’s, went through the drive-through, drove back home, dropped the koloches on the kitchen table and went back out the front door to resume my run.

Next weekend at TIR I will run for a while and ride in a car for a while and run again. So this morning I was training specifically for the relay. Run 2 miles ride for 20 minutes and run 10 more miles. Although the running distances and times riding in a car will be a bit different.

My first two miles passed in 15:36 (too fast). I hit the seven-mile mark in 58:17 cumulative time for approximately an 8:18 pace. I turned my watch off and took it easy for the last five which I ran mostly on trails.

Tomorrow Jakeb is supposed to run eight. I think I’ll run the whole thing with him depending how I feel.

Maybe not as nice as you thought

2008-02-22T07:04:00.002+08:00

I registered the whole family for the Bayou City Classic yesterday. Jakeb and I are going to run it. Andrea and Anna are going to walk it. Tori and her boyfriend Peter are going to finish it but I am not sure if the plan is for them to run it or walk it or a combination of both. They may not be planning to finish together I do not know.

There is nothing interesting about registering for a race except for the way the race numbers fell out.

Peter – 671
Tori – 670
Jakeb – 669
Anna – 668
Andrea – 667
Tommy – 666

Yeah that’s right folks. Some people know me as a preacher; some as a generally moral guy, but according to the Bayou City Classic numbering system I am Satan.