trechoagon

What’s up with the trechoagon in the blog address?

Both trecho and agon are Greek words. I do not really know any Greek except when it comes to ordering food like a “Gyro”. That’s mostly what I know about foreign languages … how to order from their menus, because I like food.

“Trecho” is a Greek word where the English word “trek” is derived. Trek is a bike, it is also a long walk, or a journey on foot.

“Agon” is the Greek word from which the English word “agony” comes. It is translated “race” in the New Testament of the Bible. There is a verse that says “Let us run (trecho) with endurance the race (agon) marked out especially for us …” My last marathon included some agony so I think it fits.

These two words are what this blog is about. Running the race both figuratively and literally. Running the race of life, running the race every morning to get out of bed and cover a couple of miles. Running the race is what my life is about.

Trecho agon …

Running, Rockets and a picture

I’m still running. Over the last four days I have put in 19 miles. Nothing spectacular to report except that Jakeb has run with me some.

Due to the overwhelming generosity of a good friend, Jakeb and I got to go to the Rockets Cavaliers game on Sunday. The seats were incredible. The rockets lost in overtime but it was a good game. We got to see Yao and Lebron. Tracy McGrady didn’t play. Vince Young was sitting courtside and Jakeb was geeked because he is a huge Longhorns fan.

Below is a picture of Tori and me at Herman Park after lunch on the field trip Thursday. The look on my face betrays my true emotions. I was having fun.

Body Worlds 3

Thursday I was a chaperone for my oldest daughter Tori and her biology class’ field to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the exhibition call BODY WORLDS 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies.

The exhibition is quite controversial. Here is some of what the HMNS web sight says about the exhibit:

Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, BODY WORLDS 3 is the culmination of the German scientist and physician’s 30-year career in anatomy. Like its predecessors, BODY WORLDS 3 presents more than 200 authentic specimens, including organs and whole body specimens, that have undergone Plastination—von Hagens’ groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977. But von Hagens says the Houston exhibit captures the evolution and refinement of his invention to its outer limits.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. It was good to hang out with Tori and her friends. I was fascinated by Body Worlds. The first time I heard about it was when I read Phillip Yancey’s book Rumors of Another World. I am glad I went.

Weekend Road Trips

As of Saturday there are two teenagers in the Stunz house. Jakeb, our son turned thirteen. For his birthday he wanted to go to Cabellas in Buda Texas. So he picked five friends and we woke up early Saturday morning and took the first of three Texas road trips.

We got to Buda at about 9:30 a.m. and spent the day exploring the huge outdoor store. The boys went to workshops on fly casting, flounder fishing, and archery. About mid-day we ate lunch in the Cabellas restaurant. Some of the boys ate venison brat and bison brat. I’m sure it made them feel more manly. After lunch Andrea parked in a booth in the restaurant with a lap top to get some work done and rest her feet while everyone else continued to explore the store.

For his birthday Jakeb got money, which I assumed he would spend while we were at Cabellas, but he only spent about $25. Before lunch over the intercom a voice said “Jakeb Stunz please come to the customer service counter.” Jakeb assumed they had done something wrong and he was scared to go. But he went anyway and found that his aunt Edie had phoned in a Cabellas gift card for him. That was the $25 he spent. He has decided that he wants to save for a kayak.

I bought a backpack for my Nepal trip in May. Overall it was a good day. We left at about 4:30 p.m.

On Sunday I preached for my friend Danny at The Way Fellowship Church in Spring. Phillip and Jenny lead music along with Andrea (my wife ) and my daughter Tori.

Yesterday Andrea and I went to Clear Lake and ate a late lunch or early dinner at Pei Wei and finished the day at Jakeb’s track meet in Santa Fe, TX.

This weekend has been full of driving. I think I spend a billion dollars on gas but it was all worth it.

Picture from the LSTR

A bit of a blur but that's because I was moving so fast (ha). My feet and my left hamstring hurt just looking at it.

25K

I ran the Lone Star Trail run today. I was not fully prepared for what I would find there. It was a smaller race (a couple hundred people) it felt like everyone knew everyone; although I only knew the guys I rode with.

Trail runners are a prepared lot. I had a belt with some ibuprofen and a couple of gels. But the experienced trail runners had water bottles with hand grips, impressive fuel belts and camel backs with special pockets that could hold a steak and baked potato for race fuel (okay not the part about steak and baked potato). And the aid stations had M&M’s crackers, cookies, banana’s, peanuts, oranges, water and Gatorade. I felt like I needed to order and then sit for lunch. The race organizers knew what they were doing.

Footing was precarious at times so I had to watch closely where my shoe landed. I almost crashed once. I had to restep many times so I would not twist my ankle.

I ran the out too fast so the back was tough. I finshed in 2:31:52 (9:47 pace) according to my watch. Race organizers are supposed to post official results by Monday evening.

My marathons have been an accomplishment but this was just plain fun. It was incredible, running through the woods.

Now it’s time to tone down the distance some and start running to run – not run to prepare for a race.

Lone Star Trail Run

As usual I have found other things to do besides blog. No excuses just life.

In my last post I said I would start writing about stuff that had nothing to do with running, and I will, but not this time.

This weekend is the 25k trail run and I’m excited about running it. My training for it has been a disaster. I got sick and missed a week and when I started running again I had no energy for it. So I hadn’t run longer than 12 miles since February 4th.

Last week I started panicking. I don’t care if I run this race fast, but I at least want to be able to finish. So Monday morning I ran 12. It wasn’t a pretty 12 miles, but it was 12 and I felt like I could have plodded out four more if I had to.

So I think it will be cool to run in the woods.

My trip to Nepal in May is becoming more of a reality. I’ll talk more about that soon. Also there is weirdness going on in my world ... good weirdness, but weirdness none the less.

Run hard …

bloghonesty

I am having a hard time writing here. It’s not that I haven’t been running – I have. But I don’t really feel like writing about my running. There is more to who I am than just a runner. Running consumed me at the end of the year because I was training for a marathon but right now it is not consuming me as much.

This is my second blog. The reason I quit writing on my first blog is I felt as if I had to write for a specific audience and increasingly felt like I couldn’t be me. I've considered going back and posting on that blog because most of its readership is gone, but that would be crazy for a multitude of reasons.

So starting soon the subject matter will expand somewhat. I’ll still write about running, but there will be other stuff too.

Neglect

This morning my daughter told me, “You haven’t posted in a while dad.” It’s pretty bad when she is giving me a hard time about not tending to my blog so here it is … a new post.

My sick stuff started going away on Tuesday so I ran 3 on the treadmill. The next day I did some speedwork on the treadmill to King’s X. Born to be Loved and Over My Head are two of the best "run fast" songs ever.

Wednesday I ran 4 outside and felt like a had no power in my legs. It’s the treadmill’s fault. And then yesterday I did some tempo stuff.

I am bummed that it’s going to get cold again. I hate cold weather. Have I ever told you that Tori?

Later …

Ehh ...

I hate cold weather and I feel kinda nasty so I blew running off this morning.



Yesterday I went to the track for intervals. 200X4, 400X2, and 800. I was supposed to finish with a 1mile repeat but I stopped short. I finished with four miles total.

I’m ready to feel better and for the weather to be warm.

"Crazy stinkin runner"

I ran 12 miles this morning (9:05 pace average). I run two four-mile loops back-to-back and then run the first four-mile loop backwards. Make sense? At the end of eight miles I have a water bottle and a Gu hidden in a hollow at the bottom of Mr. Porter’s oak tree. I’ve never asked him if I could put it there, I just do.

As I finish my eighth mile this morning I looked up ahead at the oak tree and who was there? You guessed it … Mr. Porter; shoveling dirt out of the back of his truck to fill in low spots in his yard around the base his oak tree. For a second I thought about running on and just waving hi. But I was thirsty so I slowed to a walk and waved. I don’t think Mr. Porter really even knows who I am.

I stopped and said, “I hope you don’t mind but I hid my water bottle in your tree.”

He gave me a funny look and as I picked up the bottle and Gu I could see that the light went on and he said, “Oh … that’s okay.”

And I said, “Thanks for the good hiding place.”

He said, “You’re welcome.” And as I ran on he gave me that “crazy stinkin runner” look.

Treadmill in the afternoon

Andrea had outpatient surgery today on her foot to remove a neuroma. She is doing well and hopefully this will fix the pain she has had in her foot. She is stuck with the pain in her neck though (me).

Because of the surgery I changed my running around today. I ran in the afternoon since her surgery was in the morning. And I ran on the treadmill so I could be here at home if she needed me. I rarely run anytime other than in the morning and I don’t like to run on the treadmill much. But today neither was all that bad.

A friend of mine gave me the training schedule he used to run a 3:09 marathon at Houston and qualify for Boston. I adapted it to where I am and did some speed work today. I warmed-up with an easy 800, then ran a hard mile (hard for me any way) with 400 recovery. After that 800 with 400 recovery. 400x2 with 400 recovery. 200x4 with 200 recovery and finally 800 cool down for five miles total.

I liked running on the treadmill because I had no choice but to run a consistent pace.

“I liked running on the treadmill” … did I just type that?

Tomorrow it's back outside where I was meant to run.

Catching up

How’s life? I’ve been on a reading and writing blog vacation of late. For those of you who have commented – thanks! My lack of reply is not because I am ignoring you … I am just ignoring my blog in general.

My world has been a little busy and I was in Dallas with Andrea and some close friends from work for the last couple of days for a conference. The running is getting better. I’ve run some this week and I ran 10 this morning. It almost felt normal but still not as well as I felt premarathon.

Running right now seems kind of aimless. The miles I run are not specific to training for an upcoming race so they feel somewhat useless. I am relearning to run for the joy of running rather than for the purpose of training for a race. It is a good mental discipline.

I am thinking about running a 15-mile trail race in March.



Also there is a possibility I may go hike the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal in May as part of a mission trip. That will be too cool. Plans are not finalized yet but the trip organizers want people who are in decent shape so running is once again serving me well.

More Marathon Pictures

My legs have decided that they want to be a part of my body again. On Tuesday they were in complete revolt and I assumed they were just going to leave me. I didn't want to have them either because they hurt so much. My quads wanted my legs to be bent. My hamstrings wanted my legs to be straight.

Yesterday I felt good enough to run three. Three slow miles.

Here are some pictures from Sunday:

Experiences just are. And they are unique to each individual. … My running experiences have been overwhelmingly good. With my knowledge and limited skills, I still experience running as something I enjoy and want to encourage others to do. Since there is no hierarchy in experiences, I don’t worry about whether my experience is better or worse than anyone else’s. It is possible at the end of the race to rank people based on the quality of their skill that day but not on the quality of their experience.

- John Bingham

I didn't win, or even run as fast as I hoped, but I learned a lot about myself. The experience was incredible.

Others can give you a name or a number, but they can never tell you who you really are. That is something you yourself can only discover from within.

- Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

Houston Marathon Pictures

Here are some pictures from Sunday ...














My wife Andrea, son Jakeb and me before the race in GRB.















Me with friends Jennifer, Mary Margaret and Nathan. The three of them ran the half marathon.
















Me and Jakeb at the starting line. Jakeb ran about a mile with me at the 17 mile mark.
















Edwin at mile 11 running so fast he is just a blur ....
















Me at mile 11 ... I still felt pretty good.

I took a risk

Today I ran the Houston marathon in 4:13:41 (chip time), 5 seconds faster than last year’s time. A stellar marathon PR. My gun time was 4:15:19.Until about mile 20 I was on pace to run under four hours. I knew I was taking a risk by trying to keep that pace because I really did not train to run any faster than I did last year. I ran more miles in training this year but not faster miles.

At mile 20.5 my quads started cramping and then by mile 22 muscles were cramping I didn’t even know I had. For the last 4.2 I mixed walking with running. The last mile ended up being almost as much walking as running.

I feel a sense of accomplishment completing another marathon. Now I’d like to train for and run one faster than four hours.

Sufficiently Encouraged

If I do not run well tomorrow it will not be because I was not encouraged to do so. Earlier this week my wife Andrea gave me a card that said “You can do it.” The next day she left a card in my chair from my kids telling me that I could do it. The following morning I found a card in my office chair from my mom, dad, and brother saying they knew I would run well. The next day it was Andrea’s family encouraging me and the day after that it was a card from friends. This morning I got another card from Andrea reminding me how long I’ve trained for tomorrow. The delivery of these cards was orchestrated by her.

Yesterday when I came home from work at 11:00am to head to the expo and pick up my race packet there were signs in our yard that said “Go Tommy – 26.2” Constantly Cruising” etc. Andrea says she had nothing to do with that one and we still haven’t figured out who is responsible.

This afternoon while I took a nap Andrea and our 14 year old daughter Tori made an Italian feast for a couple of local runners from our church that are still in town. We will carbo load together tonight after our Saturday service.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me by saying they belive I can do it. Especially the most excellent woman in the world; my wife Andrea.

If I stink tomorrow I will be my own fault.

Loosening things up

I ran two this morning just to grease the joints and warm-up the muscles for tomorrow. I started out at a pace that felt comfortable. I was singing Lost in Germany in my head. I assumed I was at about marathon pace. I hit my watch at the first mile and looked down and it said I had just run an 8:05 … WAY to fast, “Slow down Tommy”. So I slacked off a bit and ran the second mile at a pace that felt slower … 8:20 at the finish.

I cannot run a marathon at that pace. I need to slow down. I don’t want to run with a pace group tomorrow, but I don’t think I have a choice for the first couple of miles. I don’t want to blow up.

It felt good to move again this morning after a couple of days off.

I'm ready to run Twenty6.2 ………..

Other reasons for running my second ...

After reading yesterday’s post again … I also am running another marathon because its cool to wear the finishers shirt in public and show off my accomplishment. It fells good to have a finisher’s medal hanging from a lamp in my office. So my motives are not as pure as I made them sound yesterday.

I'm going stir crazy from the taper. I'm ready to run my guts out.

The Pilgrimage

I ran three miles this morning on a route that I’ve run hundreds of times. I call it the “sidewalk” route because I run on a sidewalk that leaves the street and goes behind some houses.

As I ran this last real run before the marathon on a familiar route I asked myself “why am I doing this again?”

Last year I ran a marathon as a “check-box” thing. I’d been running for almost 11 years and had talked about running a marathon sometime before I died. Last year seemed like as good a year as any, so I trained for and ran my first marathon in 2005 in Houston and placed a check in that box. The whole idea of checking anything off of a list is kind of weird for me though because I abhor to-do lists.

Since I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish, why would I choose to train for and run another marathon? And as I thought about it, I’ve come to realize it has nothing to do with the prize at the end. Checking a box, getting a finishers metal, a t-shirt, a mug and a certificate saying I’ve run a marathon is cool but for me none are good reasons for running.

It is about the pilgrimage. Pilgrims travel to holy places and the journey has purpose and significance. In the process of traveling they learn more about themselves – physically mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The holy destination is only a small part of the reason for the journey. The main point is the journey itself.

In running I plan to make it to the destination; the “holy place” at the end of a 26.2 mile course. More than the destination though the pilgrimage has taught me quite a bit about myself. My body can handle far more than I thought it could if I will only push it. My mind is tough enough to push on when my body says it wants to quit. My emotions are worked through and find solid foundations as I think and run. And God is present in every foot fall when my spirit is listening.

So Sunday I will run 26.2 and reach my destination, but I will also become more of who I am as I find myself on the way.