Looking back and looking ahead

Last year I ran 1555.9 miles. That is by far the most miles I have ever run in any given year. I averaged 30 miles per week with my longest week coming the first of November at 52 miles. That was the peak week of training for Sunmart 50k. November was also my highest mileage month with 183.

I ran the Houston half-marathon with Jakeb which was the high point of the year for me. I ran the Surfside Marathon (4:11:05). I set a 10k PR at The Bayou City Classic (47:56). Jakeb and I ran a trail race in Austin at Walnut Creek Park called The Maze. It was one of the more fun races I have ever run and gave me the desire to run more trail races. I ran a midnight 25k in July called El Scorcho (2:14:44). It was a bit disorganized but it was fun to run a race in the middle of the night. I finished the year by running farther than the marathon by finishing Sunmart 50k (5:49:15).

I started running in May of 1993 and in 14 years of running 2007 was my best year yet.

In 2008 I think I will try to keep the miles up and take the year as it comes to me. I do have a few hopes and plans. I am signed up for the Chevron Houston Marathon this month and I hope to finally break four hours. My marathon PR is 4:00:55 set at the Dallas White Rock Marathon in December 2006. I wish I hadn’t walked through that last water stop.

If marathon recovery goes well I will start training for the Ouachita Trail 50 miler. I have been intrigued by that race for a while so maybe this year will be the year I can run it.

Mixed in the training for the OT50 will be the Bayou City Classic, which our family tries to run every year. I may run the Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon as a training run for OT50. I am most excited about training with Jakeb for the Hog’s Hunt 25k the first week in April.

After the OT50 I have no plans. In fact it is such a pinnacle experience (pun intended) for me I cannot allow myself to look past it.

Happy New Year!

Tapering again

I ran 19.5 miles last Friday. I would usually run an even 20 but I had run an out-and-back to McLean Park and over the Brazos river bridge on 2004. Then I ran back home and that portion of the run ended at the house at mile 19.5 and I didn’t think a half a mile was going to make that much of a difference to my marathon training.

This past Friday I ran 14 in 2:01 (8:40 pace), which is faster than I intended to run. It felt pretty good though. I’ve run 6 and 8 miles since then. My taper has a little more intensity than normal. I want to be rested enough but there have been times when I have been a bit lethargic going into the last week before the marathon so I am trying something new. Hopefully I won’t blow up because of it.

Houston is just two weeks away.

To the Track and Back to Mute Math

I am not a fan of cold weather so this morning’s 61 degree temperature was welcome. I ran a 1 mile warm-up to the track. Then at the track I ran 4x800 (3:22, 3:25, 3:28, & 3:26) with 400 recovery. Afterwards I ran a 1 mile cool-down back to the house as I listened to Stare at the Sun and Obsolete by Mute Math. Such a good groove to run to…

Wild-eyed and crazy!

I was running my 5 mile route this morning by Brazoswood High School. As I neared Slade Field three guys is an old beat-up red car screamed out of their window in my direction as they passed. It scared the mess out of me because I was in my own world listening to Radiohead’s In Rainbows. I shrugged it off and kept running.

The three wise guys (not in a biblical way of course) turned around and I heard them screaming again as they approached behind me, “You better run! We’re gonna get you.”

I thought to myself “What a bunch of bucketheads.” Then I got mad as I thought about the fact that I pass other people, both women and men running and walking in our neighborhood all the time and what if these guys had been harassing them instead of me.

They told me to run so run I did; right at them as they came towards me. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and the driver kind of swerved all over the road wondering, I'm sure, what kind of crazy guy they had decided to chase and was now chasing them back. I thought for a second about throwing my ipod at them as they went by but that would have been stupid because I don’t really have $150 laying around to replace it.

So instead I chased after them, which I knew was a race I could not win, all the while screaming at the top of my lungs “STOP!” They slowed at the stop light at Dixie Drive and Brazoswood Drive and actually pulled into the Slade Field parking lot.

I started to sprint towards them and had to run about 300 yards. As I approached them they were already near the street. I ran in their direction still yelling “YOU BETTER STOP!” - all the while trying to look as wild-eyed and crazy as possible. The driver pushed on the gas and the tires screeched as they retreated toward Lake Jackson. The old red car had Louisiana license plates.

I don’t have a clue what I would have done had they stopped. I know what I did was not that smart because one of these days something like that is going to happen to me and they will have a weapon. I just wanted to freak them out a bit and let them know that not every person running down the side of the road is an easy target for their stupid games.

Sunmart Pictures

Here are some pictures from Sunmart on Saturday.

New Template

My old template was ...well old and apparently not compatible with blogger anymore. Because I do not have time to mess with it I threw together a new template. Some day I may work on one I like better.

Sunmart

I ran the Sunmart 50k in 5:49:35, an 11:14 per mile pace. At first I was a little disappointed with the outcome but I had to remind myself that it was hot and the hills were more than I had bargained for.

The first 18.5 miles I ran close to a 10-minute pace but the last 12.5-mile loop I started fast-walking most of the uphills, which really took a toll on my overall time.

I ran with my ipod but there was a point at which I realized how different it was to run in the woods and how stupid I was being to ignore it in favor of tunes. So I turned off the music and just existed to run with my thoughts.

Physically I felt pretty good at the finish but I am sore today. I do not feel any worse than when I run a marathon.

Sunmart is a very well organized fun race. I like trail running a lot. I hope to run this race again and others like it.

This afternoon I looked up the results on-line and found out that I finished 99 out of 520 runners and 15th in my age group out of 40 so I feel better about how I did. It is all about comparisons, huh? How sad is that?

Taper Madness

I am in the late stages of my taper for Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance 50k. Typical taper stuff is going on. I am worried about whether I trained enough. I am eating too much and not running enough so I am gaining weight. My lower legs have hurt a bit which is weird because they haven’t given me any problems in training. I have far too much nervous energy that is not being burnt off by running.

The next two days I am off and Friday morning I will run two miles just to loosen everything up. And then Saturday I race. This is another first, to run more than 26.2. I am excited to race and celebrate the way of life - the running life - I am happy to live …

“Running is a way of life, and racing is a celebration of that life.” - Jenn Shelton via Riding the Wind (Anton Krupicka)

Thankful

I am thankful that I have two legs and health enough to run 14 miles on a day set aside for gratitude.

Now let's eat ... and watch football.

Happy Thanksgiving!

20 miles and weather

I ran 20 miles on Friday morning. The weather cooled down long enough for me to get my long run in and then it warmed up again. I must be doing something right.

Saturday I ran 5 on the trails and then Sunday morning I ran 5 in the rain. I really like running when it rains - especially when it is a downpour. When it rains hard I feel as if I am the only one who exists in a world no one else is willing to enter. The feeling is even more intense when it is dark. Sunday morning it was good to be isolated in the dark torrent alone with my thoughts.

Friday long run

I ran 24 slow miles. My legs were still sore from running at the track Wednesday on top of the fact that I did not do a very good job of fueling or hydrating yesterday. I did cover the miles though and today that is what counts.

Track work out

1 mile warm-up to the track, 4x800 with 400 recovery (3:30, 3:29, 3:30, 3:34), 1 mile cool-down home. The mile home was almost euphoric.

Training Normalcy

Training is going well. I ran 18 Friday morning at 8:53 pace. I've run 5, 8, 5, 5, since all between 8 and 9 minute pace. Tomorrow I will run some speedwork at the track.

Nothing extraordinary has happened otherwise. This weekend calls for 24 on Friday morning. It will be my longest run before Sunmart.

Run on …

Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible. - Shakespeare

22 Miles

8 on soft ground, 14 on pavement - 9:28 pace

I feel pretty good. Andrea and I are off for some lunch at Kim Son.

Just running and looking forward to Sumart

I’m still running.

I received my post-registration information packet from Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs yesterday and I am extremely excited about running that race. The anticipation for Sunmart is somewhat different from the anticipation I feel for a marathon. This race is more about pure running than it is about time and technique. It probably has to do with the place I am in emotionally as well.

I am excited about going beyond the marathon distance for the first time. I am excited about running in the woods of Huntsville State Park. I am just excited.

I ran 18 miles weekend before last. I ran a really easy pace until about mile 11, and from 11-15 I ran with a friend from church who just happened to catch me. He was running much faster than me and I sped up a bit and he slowed down significantly and we ran a couple together. I paid for it the next day with incredibly sore legs.

Last weekend I ran 20 alone. I ran well within myself and about 8 miles were off road. I felt much better after this run.

Tuesday morning I ran at the track for the first time in a couple of weeks. I have been running tempo runs and fartlek rather than track workouts. Tuesday I ran 8x400 with 200 recovery and a 1 mile warm-up cool-down (1:44, 1:46, 1:46, 1:43, 1:43, 1:43, 1:45, 1:43).

The schedule calls for 21 tomorrow, 18 next weekend and 24 the weekend after before I begin to taper.

I read the article on Tony Krupicka in Running Times as I sat at ate lunch a few minutes ago and my mileage seems meager compared to a guy who does 200 mile weeks. I really like these quotes:

..................

Running sharpens the focus on life and intensifies the emotions.

Is there any better reason to do anything? (Running Times Article)

..................
Going running all day in our present society is completely pointless,

but there is a big difference between something having a point

and something having meaning. (Web Quote)

..................

- Anton Krupicka

Either side of sunrise

I ran a mile to the track this morning. At the track I ran 4 x 800 with 400 recovery. My times were 3:35, 3:39, 3:39, and 3:39. Then I ran a mile home for five miles total. Even though I ran hard I never felt like stopping. Usually when it comes to speed work at least once during the workout I feel like I’ve had enough. This morning I felt good and I was as charged up running the last repeat maybe even more than I was on the first.

Saturday morning I ran 15.5. I was scheduled for 15 but on Oyster Creek Drive I was zoned out enjoying the exploration of my own mind since I left the iPod at home. As I approached Oak Drive I realized I was supposed to have turned on Circle Way and no matter what I did I was a half a mile out of the way. Oh well.

As part of my long run I ran the trail behind McLean Park onto highway 2004 to run over the Brazos River Bridge twice. That is one of the few ways to get in hill repeats in Lake Jackson. On the way out I scared a Whitetail deer (a doe). She ran off into the woods 50 yards ahead of me. On the way back in both me and a eight-point buck scared each other off of the trail as I turned a sharp corner and there he stood. We both jumped at the same time as he bailed off of the trail and into a wetland area.

Both of those runs are examples the reason I run. I am training to run a 50k. That is the destination. But the journey so far has been so good. It feels good to push myself at the track and feel my body respond by getting stronger. It is cool to lose myself on a run so much that I miss my turn. I also like to be surprised by nature when so many people would miss it because they are breathing artificially cooled air while lying in between their warm sheets. I would rather sweat in the damp air of a Saturday morning on either side of sunrise. It is so good to run …

This and that

This weekend I missed my long run. There was just wasn’t enough time to fit it in. I don’t mind missing a scheduled run here and there but I really hate to miss long runs. Last week was a cut back week so maybe it won't matter too much that I missed running long. This weekend is a 15 miler which I hope to run Friday morning before Andrea and I go to Houston to hang out.

Tuesday I ran speed work at the track. I ran a mile warm-up to the track and then ran 6X400 with 200 recovery. My times got progressively slower – 1:41, 1:42, 1:43, 1:45, 1:45, 1:47. I ran a mile cool-down back home. It felt good to run hard.

Friday morning if I make my 15 mile long run the last mile will be my 1000th mile for the year. That is the earliest I have ever reached the 1000 mile mark. My goal was to average running more than 100 miles per month. That should not be a problem since I am really picking up the miles for 50k and marathon training … assuming I do not injure myself.

Also two weeks ago I signed-up from the Chevron Houston Marathon. Andrea and her sister Gwen are signed-up for the half again. Jakeb decided to forgo the half this year for basketball.

Brazosport Relay Triathlon

I was on a team called “Hot Fuzz”. We came in 1st place for the Male Corporate Division. Our team really should have come in 2nd place but the winning Male Corporate team was in 2nd place overall and took the overall Male division trophy. Since there is no duplication of awards we got 1st Male Corporate.

Our swimmer Greg swam the 1k in 14:24. The 1st runner John ran his 5k in 24:05. I ran my 5k in 22:51. Wes rode his bike for fifteen miles in 38:13.

The weather was hot and very humid. I think we did pretty well and it was a fun event.

Austin and Town Lake Trail

Andrea and I spent last weekend in Austin. It was time for us to get away from Lake Jackson and be alone. We had a great time eating good food and shopping as Andrea tried to spend what was left of her birthday money.

We stayed downtown on 5th street and IH-35. Saturday morning I woke up, drank coffee, stretched and headed out of the door to run on Town Lake Trail. It has been years since I ran in downtown Austin but I remember Town Lake (which is actually a river) being an excellent place to run.

As I ran south on Travis toward the river I miss-stepped on an uneven part of the sidewalk and aggravated my twisted ankle. I was mad and limped around for a while contemplating walking back to the hotel room and forgetting about the run. I thought about it while I walked and said “Forget it, I’m running on it”. After a couple of strides my ankle started feeling better and by the time I made it to the trail I completely forgot about it.

I ran past members of the Austin Rowing Club as they cleaned their crafts and got them ready to launch onto Town Lake. I turned down a slight grade and was blown away by the number of people who were running on the Town Lake Trail on a Saturday morning. There were training groups running together getting ready for some unnamed race. There were both moms and dads pushing strollers with kids who were content to ride. There were couples running together and there were runners running alone, some pushing themselves and some running at a comfortable pace.

Town lake is the most festive place I have ever run outside of a marathon. It is like a party of people who have their health and ability to move in common. We navigated the trail together with a sameness of purpose.

I crossed the lake on a foot bridge made especially for those moving under their own power and ran back the way I came on the opposite side of the river. The south side of the river trail passes Runtex – one of the best running stores in the world. Runtex puts out igloo coolers with water, free to whoever is using the trail. I crossed Congress Avenue Bridge and headed back to the hotel. This was one of the best runs I’ve had in a while. I lost myself in the atmosphere and forgot that my ankle ever hurt or that running takes any effort at all.

Town Lake Trail is a great place to run.

I don't need no stinkin rest ...

After Saturday’s long run crash I knew I needed to take some time off. Immediately after the run I mentally made a plan to back off and not run for a couple of days.

Sunday morning I woke up and couldn’t stand it … I ran 3 miles.

This morning I woke up at 4:30 and was out of the door at 5:30 to run 3 more miles. In my mind I was thinking, “Instead of taking days off I will just back off on the mileage and pick it back up next week. These two runs of three miles are much less than the 6 and 5 milers I had on the schedule.” I started making plans to do some speed work tomorrow morning in the middle of a four miler.

As I turned the corner off of Oak and on to Oyster Creek Drive I was feeling good and started wondering why in the world I would ever think to slow down. One bad long run is no reason to back off of a good training schedule.

I barely got that thought out of my mind when my foot landed on a branch about 2 inches in diameter and I crashed to the sidewalk and rolled over to stare at the stars through the branches of a large tree. My ankle screamed at me from rolling awkwardly over the branch.

AHHHH … @#!$&^%

I walked a mile back to the house on my twisted ankle. I took ibuprofen and watched my right ankle swell. This morning my foot was up on my desk with a freezer bag of ice placed strategically on the swelling. I have an ankle brace on and I am trying to walk as little as possible.

There is a possibility that I really did need a couple of days off but I hate to be force into it. I may be able to run again on Friday … I hope!

Not 14

I was scheduled to run 14 this morning. I quit at five. I wanted to quit at one. My legs felt dead. I was sick of listening the same old music and running the same old route. It is time to back off a bit, leave the iPod at home, make some new routes and change the game plan so running will not become stale.

Speedwork, a Garden Hose and Cereal

On the schedule for this morning’s run was a speed session to try to get ready for a faster 5k. I stepped out of the front door and onto the street and headed for Slade Field, which is a one-mile run from the house. I punched the Nickel Creek playlist on my iPod and started the one mile warm-up.

When I turned the corner on Blunk Road I could see a glow in the sky in the direction of the High School. By the time I got to Dixie Drive I could tell that the stadium lights were on at Slade Field. Usually the field is mostly dark.

The lights were blazing at Slade because the Brazoswood Buccaneer football team was about to start an early morning practice. One coach and a couple of players were on the field early getting in extra work by running lines before official practice began.

I ran on the track and changed my playlist to “run – tempo” and kicked it into a higher gear for the first of four 800 meter repeats with 400 recovery. The 800’s were 3:32, 3:32, 3:35, 3:42 – I was dying at the end as you can see by that last time.

When I finished I stopped by the water fountain and drank too much. The first two hundred yards or so of the cool-down run home were rough. Pushing myself and then drinking too much water immediately afterwards made me feel a little nauseated. I know I’ve had a good work-out when I feel like I’m going to puke.

When I got home I fed the dogs and then turned on the water and stood under the stream of the garden hose. There is nothing like rinsing off in the water hose in the summer after a hot run. The water hits my head and it is so cold I lose my breath for a couple of seconds. The routine of rinsing off in the water hose started years ago because I need to get the sweat out of my clothes so they wouldn’t stink up the garage as they dried during the day. Now I enjoy the wet cool-down beyond the mere functionality of the routine.

After taking a shower another of my favorite post run sensual treats is to fill up a big bowl with cereal and skim milk. My body seems to crave fuel and most of the time the cereal satisfies my craving more than anything I eat for the rest of the day. I add more milk than is necessary for the amount of cereal in the bowl so that there is some flavored drink left when the cereal is gone. I drink what is left straight from the bowl. Mmmmm …

The joy of running lasts even after the run has been run.

Brazosport Relay Triathlon

I ran hard this morning. As always I use words like “hard” realizing that it is a relative term. So to restate: I ran at the edge of my limitations this morning.

A friend of mine asked me to run one of the 5k legs of the Brazosport Relay Triathlon on September 8th. I was not asked because of my blazing speed that is for sure. I think all of the really fast runners are either on a team or out-of-town that weekend. I am looking forward to it.

Most of my training has been geared to running further so I have been running more miles at a slower speed. So over the next couple of weeks I am going to work at getting faster. I do not know how much good I will do in a month’s worth of time … we’ll see.

This morning I ran five miles. The first mile was a warm-up, the middle three were fartlek miles, and the last mile was a cool down. It felt good to push it but now I will probably drag through the rest of the day.

I put "Ride" from Ty Tabor's Rock Garden on replay through the second mile of the run. It is a good song to push the pace to.

Arkansas Vacation 2007

The family spent the weekend in Arkansas. It is our annual “before school starts” trip to Lake Catherine. It took us a while to get there though because we made a stop in Longview to meet with the couple I am doing a wedding for this weekend. Then we stayed at Andrea’s sister’s house for a night in Little Rock. Sunday we left Little Rock and spent the rest of the time (till Wednesday) at Lake Catherine State Park.

Saturday evening Tori Jakeb and I climbed Pinnacle Mountain. It was cool to climb with the kids.

Then Sunday morning I woke up and ran from Maumelle Park to Pinnacle Mountain State Park, on to the Ouachita Trail until it comes to Pinnacle Mountain. Then I “ran” over Pinnacle Mountain and ran back the way I came.

I ran this run because it is the beginning of the Ouachita Trail 50 that is run in April. I wouldn’t mind running this race but half way up the side of Pinnacle I thought “this is the most stupid thing I can imagine – to climb over this mountain and then run the rest of the race.” But after I finished running I got to the car and thought “That wasn’t too bad.”

If I decide to run OT50 I will have to find some hills to train on.

On Monday and Tuesday I ran the trails in the park. One of the trails comes off of a hill and has these long smooth switchbacks that make for fast fun running. I had a good time running in Arkansas. I enjoyed the relaxation of the rest of the day hanging out with the fam too.

El Scorcho Pics

El Scorcho in the dark ...

Andrea and I have friends who live north of Dallas. Since we were in the area, on Saturday evening we decided to travel up and go to church with them. I shook hands with my friend and he said “I heard you were running today. How did it go?”

“I am running but not until tonight … at midnight,” I told him.

“You’re nuts,” was the only reply he had.

That is the reaction I got from most people when they found out that I was going to run a midnight 25k. Andrea is to the point where she kind of understands, or at least tolerates my running, but even this race seemed a bit extreme for her too.

I was concerned that the change in schedule would mess up my running. I am a creature of habit and I run almost exclusively in the early morning. I tried to rest Saturday afternoon as much as possible and took about a two hour nap. Nutritionally I ate lunch at noon and then did not eat anything else until about 9:00 pm, then I ate a bowl of cereal and a banana just like I do on race morning. I also took a Succeed Scap electrolyte capsule.

I got to Trinity Park right at 10:30 pm Saturday night to pick up my packet. I was planning to pick up my packet at Fort Worth Running Company on Friday afternoon but they sent an email late last week saying packet pick-up would only be available the night of the race. Things went well except that they only had small and extra-small t-shirts. They said they would have to mail the rest at a later date.

People milled around until the race director made a couple of announcements about 15 minutes before the race. The course was advertised as a “well-lit trail” through Trinity Park. The race director informed us that apparently there were communication issues with the city and many of the trail lights were out. People who had head lamps or flash lights were asked to team up with people who came without any lighting. Andrea is the organized of the two of us and before I left the hotel she gave me the mag-light she walks with. So I had a light but it was not necessary.

The course was very dark. I took the flashlight out on the first loop but I put it back up because it was cumbersome to carry and I really didn’t need it. Once my eyes got adjusted to night running I was able to run even the darkest parts of the course without any problem. It was cool to run in the pitch black and it gave the race a bit of mystery. It would have been an entirely different story if the footing was bad, but that was not the case.

The course was also a 5k loop so I had to run it 5 times. I usually despise multiple loop courses but this was not so bad. Most of the course was soft (grass or crushed rock) with a little bit of concrete sidewalks and some asphalt.

I ran pretty hard the whole way. At first I thought I was running too hard but I never really hit a spot where my mind or body told me I would have to slow down. When I finished there was nothing in reserve.

I finished by my watch at 2:14:44 with official race results coming out later this week. The volunteers were great and did a good job encouraging the runners. I had a great time. It was good to get a break from the typical road race and be able to do something different. If it weren’t in Fort Worth I would say I would like to run this race again. But I doubt I will travel all the way up there for El Scorcho alone.

El Scorcho 25k

This morning I ran 10 miles to finish my training for El Scorcho. The coming week will consist of a couple of short runs but mostly rest, hydration and fueling so I can run a 25k Saturday night/Sunday morning @ midnight in Ft. Worth.

Andrea has a conference this weekend in Grapevine and I am just tagging along. A couple of months back I started surfing the internet for a race that same weekend in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area. All I could find was a 25k/50k run at midnight at a park in Ft. Worth. I signed up immediately.

This is the first year for El Scorcho. It is limited to 200 runners because of the permit with the park where it is held and they filled up months ago. Now there is a waiting list. The race is called El Scorcho because even at midnight in July it will be hot.

Little did I know when I signed up how hot of a race registration I was getting … in more ways than one.

Firecracker 4 2007

Andrea, Anna, and I loaded up at 6:40 am and headed to Dunbar Park to see if the Firecracker 4 would still be run in the rain. When we got to the park there were people everywhere even though the rain was coming down pretty good.

I dropped Andrea and Anna off in front of the pavilion and after parking caught up with them to register for the race. Andrea and Anna signed up for the 2-mile walk and I signed-up for the four mile run. Andrea’s sister Gwen and Gwen’s son Matthew signed up for the 2 mile walk as well.

At about 7:15 we headed to the starting line and stood in the rain. After a moment of silence and some instructions the race director yelled “Go!” and we were off right on time at 7:30. I had my iPod wrapped in a Ziploc in my Nathan runner’s belt. I had the volume way too loud as the race started and struggled with it for a little while at the start.

My first mile was fast (for me) at 7:14. The rain was still coming down and I tried to avoid the puddles for the first mile. There was a large group of runners ahead of me in the distance and a string of people behind so I ran alone for the most part. The third place female passed me at the beginning of the second mile.

I passed the 2-mile mark on the Yaupon bridge over Oyster Creek in 7:34. The sidewalk on the bridge was full of water and I decided at that point that I would splash through the puddles like the big kid that I am.

The third mile was slower and I struggled with whether I should keep running as hard as I was or just slow down and enjoy the rest of the race at a moderate pace. I was having the internal arguments that come in almost every race. I decided to keep pushing.

Mile three was the slowest at 7:46. At that point I realized I had a chance to break 30 minutes. I messed around to much in the third mile arguing with myself though and even though I pushed I missed the 30 minute mark by 12 seconds. I tried to catch a runner in front of me but it was not to be. I was out of gas and he had some left. I ran the last mile in 7:33 and finished the race in 30:12.

Anna won the female division of 2-mile walk. She was extremely excited about that. Gwen came in second and Andrea in third. Matthew won the male division of the 2-mile walk for the second year in a row.

Western States 100

This weekend I followed the Western States Endurance run via web cast. I am amazed at how long 30 hours is when it comes to running 100 miles. I ran my Saturday morning long run (13 miles) and my Sunday morning 4 miler twenty-four hours later. In California there were people who had never stopped running their 100 mile race over the same period of time.

Wow …

One Hundred?

I’ve been reading a lot about ultra running lately. I read blogs written by people who run from 50k to the 135 mile Bad Water Ultra that starts in Death Valley.

All of this reading has started me to wondering what my limitations really are. Have I ever really pushed myself? My running this year has increased tremendously over previous years mainly because I have been consistent through the middle of the year rather than dropping off.

So I wonder …can I run a 50k? Surely I can. It is less than six miles longer than a marathon.

Can I run 50 miles? … almost two marathons back-to-back?

What about 100?

Late last week I had been reading blogs by people who are attempting the Western States Endurance Run (100 miles) this weekend. I started looking at 100 mile races closer to home without the insanity of mountains and canyons. I found the Arkansas Traveler 100 - one hundred miles in the hills of Arkansas in October. I thought to myself “maybe someday …”

Then I woke up Saturday morning and struggled through a tough, hot, humid 12 miler and my hopes were dashed. How stupid could I be to think that my body could hold up to running 100 miles?

Today at lunch I read through the Western States Endurance Run program. I wonder …

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
- T.S. Eliot

Blue Planet Run

The Blue Planet Run is a relay run around the world. A team of 20 runners will run 10 miles a day until they have circled the globe. The Blue Planet Run is organized to raise money and awareness to provide safe drinking water to every person on the planet.

For more see the web sight here … link.

Dow Chemical is a major sponsor of the Blue Planet Run. There is going to be a Blue Planet Run test event here in southeast Texas to test the logistics of the main event. I work for a contractor within Dow.

The event organizers were looking for runners interested in participating in the test even. The only requirement was that the runner could cover 10 miles in 90 minutes. I emailed the organizers and told them I was interested in running in the test event and I was chosen as one of the runners.

I will run a 10 mile leg sometime in the middle of the night/early morning on March 31th. It should be fun. I think it would be even more interesting to run the big event. I just do not have 100 days to give up to run around the world.

Bayou City Classic and Stuff

Jakeb, Tori, Andrea and I ran the Bayou City Classic this morning. We took a friend from church (Greg Harris) with us.

I PR’ed – 47:56

Jakeb came in right behind me.

Greg won second place in his age division (15-19).

Andrea and Tori walked approximately a 1:30 about 15 minute pace.

It was a good day.

I haven’t felt much like blogging lately. I took 8 days off from running after the Surfside marathon and gained some weight.

I am running the Blue Planet Test Run at the end of March and Jakeb and I are running The Maze in Austin in May. It will be my last race as a less than 40 year old.

Next week Jakeb and I are going hiking.

That’s life. Now you are caught up … my 1 person per day average reader.

Surfside

I finished the Surfside Marathon in 4:11:06. It is not my worst marathon time and not my best. The wind was tougher than I imagined it would be. At thirteen miles I was under 2 hours but I started to have some cramping in my legs. From that point on I slowed it down and ran comfortably. I walked some in the last four miles.

Over all it was a good experience. It was kind of weird to run a marathon so close to home. This was the first marathon I’ve run without Andrea in attendance so that was weird too. I saw Barbara (whom I’d never met) before the race and said “hi”. I saw Edwin, and Mark working the race for BARRA. I talked to Jason too.

Surfside Marathon

On Saturday I will attempt to run the Surfside Marathon - 26.2 miles on the beach. My goal? To finish… that’s all, just to cover 26.2 miles and get a medal.

In December I ran the Dallas White Rock Marathon. I set a PR and felt pretty good when it was over. Around the same time that I finished White Rock, my mom was asking what I wanted for Christmas and telling her “surprise me” was not an adequate response.

In the afterglow of a good performance at White Rock and in a fit of optimism, I asked her to buy me an entry for the Surfside Marathon.

I reverse tapered to recover from the marathon and started training for another one. The training has gone okay but it has not been near as focused as training for White Rock.

I am to the point now where I am a bit tired of having to run so far. I am ready to run some middle distances on the weekend or take off a day or two without worrying about losing conditioning.

I am ready to not have to eat carbs. Don’t get me wrong I love carbs, but I feel like I am eating to run.

This weekend I am going to run as hard and fast as I can, but it will not hurt my feelings if I do not run the fastest race ever ….

You're freaking me out ...

I ran 20 yesterday morning.

I was running along the side of FM 2004. It is a fairly busy road with a wide shoulder. As I crossed the railroad track between Richwood and Lake Jackson, a guy in an Explorer waved at me and I waved back. I thought nothing of it because people give me a wave often. A quarter of a mile down the road I passed a convenience store and in the parking lot was the same guy who waved at me and he stared as I ran by.

I continued to run and as I passed him up he pulled out on the road the same direction I was running. The Explorer pulled into the bowling alley parking lot ahead of me and he turned around and stared at me again and slowed as he passed.

He apparently turned around again in the convenience store parking lot and passed me again pulling ahead in the Family Fitness parking lot. He turned around and passed me yet again. This happened a couple of times.

As I approached the Family Fitness parking lot he was approaching the highway. At first I picked up my pace so I could beat him to the pull out drive. As I passed the Explorer I thought, “This has got to stop.”

So I spun in my tracks and made two strides toward the Explorer. The guy had his window down and a funny grin on his face.

In as gruff a tone as I could manage I said, “Are you following me?”

His funny grin turned to a startled look.

He stammered and said, “No, I’m supposed to meet some family in this area.”

“Well,” I said, “you’re freaking me out by driving back and forth past me.” I shook my head and ran on.

I never saw him again and the rest of the run was uneventful.

It’s time to taper for the Surfside Marathon.

Half Marathon Pictures

We're all smiling because we all had a lot of fun.

Andrea

Jakeb

Tommy

Houston Half-Marathon

We made it to the race just in time to stand in the line at the porta-jons and line-up. Andrea, Gwen, Jakeb and I walked around just a little bit before the start but we never made it into the George R Brown Convention center. At the back of the corral we ran into Wes, Jenny and Dan (Jenny’s dad). We talked with them for a while and then we were off to find our places.

Jakeb and I told Andrea and Gwen good luck and we headed to the green corral. Jakeb and I had trained for this race for a while and we were both ready to get started. We got in place and Wes walked up to us wearing a trash bag. Jenny and her dad were right behind him. After standing for a while the gun went off and we were running.

We hit the first mile in 9:24. We had planned on running 9’s and hitting the finish in just under 2 hours so the first mile time was okay. Jakeb looked over the crowd as we came down the overpass and said, “This is incredible, look at all of the people.”

We ran the next couple of miles a little faster, 8:37 for 2, 8:32 for 3, 8:47 for mile 4. Wes, Jenny and Dan were running with us. We all stuck pretty close together.

Then we picked it up and started to run faster. Wes was pulling us along and pacing us faster than I had planned for us to go and it worried me a little for Jakeb because I was not sure he would be okay in the last couple of miles since we were pushing it this early. I asked him if he needed to slow down and he said, "No, lets keep it up."

Mile 5 – 8:23
Mile 6 – 8:25
Mile 7 – 8:38
Mile 8 – 8:33
Mile 9 – 8:26
Mile 10 – 8:13

The 15k and 10 mile signs had been switched. We joked with a lady beside us that we had run the 10th mile in 2:09 and congratulated her on setting a new world record in the mile. She laughed and we ran on.

Wes started to realize that he had a shot at a PR. This was mine and Jakeb’s first half so we would PR by finishing. So our new goal was to push it and try to help Wes PR.

Mile 11 – 8:16
Mile 12 – 8:15
Finish – 8:35 (1.1 miles)

Total time - 1:51:07

Excellent time. Jakeb ran better than I imagined he would. I knew he would do well but I am amazed how well he did. This half marathon was as much fun as any race I have run. It is an awesome feeling for me to train with my son and watch him reach a goal he has worked so hard for. After the race Jakeb said, “Thanks dad for training with me. This was awesome and incredible and I would never have done it on my own.”

That was enough for me…

Andrea and her sister Gwen finished the half in 3:17 – a 15:03 pace. It is faster than they walked in all of their training. I am proud of my wife for working toward her goal of walking a half-marathon and exceeding her expectations.

We had a lot of friends who did well today too. Cindy finished the half in 2:10 overcoming an injury she had in training. Laurie and Melissa finished the half in 3:31:22. Nathan debuted by blazing through the marathon in 3:29 … wow!

It was another good day.

Believe In Yourself ... It's Alright, It's Alright

I ran 4 miles this morning with my Nike + iPod sport kit. It would be very easy to get addicted to running with it. That could be bad because I used to pride myself on the meditative effect of running with nothing to interfere with the brain waves. I need to leave it at home some of the time.

Having said that though, I have built a “running tempo” playlist. The first four songs are Believe by King’s X, Hitchin a Ride by Green Day, Vertigo by U2, and What Would You Say by The Dave Matthews Band. This morning my plan was to run an easy four wherever my legs took me while my iPod measured the miles. I usually run a familiar mapped out route. The problem is that I heard the beginning notes of Believe and I had no chance at running “easy”. I finished at a 7:50 pace which is pushing it for me.

Jakeb is ready to go. Andrea is ready too. Sunday we all three will finish the Houston half-marathon.

2007 - A Look Ahead

I've never really been much of a planner. I do not set long range goals in my life. Usually I try to live by a set of principles and values I believe in deeply and then I just take what comes my way. I could have never planned what happened to me last year. If you would have asked me when I was 18 where I would be at 40 and how I would get there I would have never even come close to picking my current situation. I am not complaining. I like my life and it is good to be Tommy.

With that stated, I have to look ahead somewhat in running or I could never prepare for what the distances require. So this year here is what I am thinking:

On January 14 Jakeb and I are running the Half-Marathon in Houston. Together we have prepared him for it most of last year. Our goal is to finish, but I think Jakeb has a secondary goal of less than 2:00.

This year for Christmas my mom bought me an entry into the Surfside Beach Half-Marathon BUT the week after the White Rock Marathon I put together a training schedule to get me in shape to run the full that same day so I switched races.

Andrea and I both like to do the Bayou City Classic 10k in Houston. I think we will try to do that again this year. No time goals, just a run for fun.

In the summer I'd like to do some speed work and lower my 5k time a bit. My PR is 22:06 which I ran in 1996. I'm not sure I can beat that PR this year but I would like to lower my times from last year. In 2005 I only ran one 5k (the Mosquito Chase) which I finished in 23:34. I think I can do better.

Every year on July 4th our family likes to do the Firecracker 4. Every one of us did something last year and we all have matching t-shirts. I assume we will do that again this year. I will have to talk to the family logistics coordinator - Andrea.

I am thinking about doing Sunmart 50k next year. It is just a thought though. If I don't run Sunmart I will run a marathon again. I really want to move beyond 26.2 - if only once.

I've considered doing some multi-sport events but I am really enjoying just running right now. Besides I hate swimming for competition. My technique absolutely stinks. If I do a multi-sport event it will be an adventure race that has nothing to do with swimming like a run, bike, paddle - we'll see.

And last a reminder from an old Hebrew Proverb - "Man makes his plans but God guides his steps."

2006 Running Year in Review

This has been a good year of running, which I am happy with considering what has been happening in the rest of my life. I have thought through transition and done some soul searching while I’ve run this year. I’ve perpetuated bad thinking but eventually turned it around and started thinking well, all while I put one foot in front of the other.

This year I ran more than ever with Jakeb which has to be the highlight of the year.

I ran two marathons. On January 15th I ran the Houston Marathon in 4:13:41. It was the marathon where I hit the wall and blew up in the last five miles. Then on December 10th I ran the Dallas White Rock Marathon in 4:00:54 improving my PR by close to 13 minutes. It was a tough marathon but good for me.

On March 4th I ran the Lone Star Trail Run. It was my first trail run and I learned some valuable lessons like wear trail running shoes – they’re made for it. And I learned to bring something to carry your own water in, because even though they have it on the course it might be a long time before you get to it. I finished the 25k in 2:31.

This past year while I was on the road I ran in Dallas, Chicago, Lake Conroe, Lake Catherine State Park in Arkansas, and the Arkansas River Trail along the Arkansas River in Little Rock. I dig running in new places.

If I finish this week as planned I will have run a total of 1255 miles. This year was my longest year beating last year by 213 miles (1042). May was the month I ran the least amount of miles with 48. May is also the month I went on a hiking mission trip to the Himalayas in Nepal so I didn’t lack exercise. November was the longest month beating October by a mile coming in at 162.

I am looking forward to what 2007 running holds for me. I’ll post more about that soon.

Fog

I sweat like a pig when I run, but this morning during my five miler the moisture on my skin was more from the water in the air than it was from the liquid that seeps from my pores. My goatee had drops of water in it from the mist that hung in the air. It reminded me of a Stephen King novella I read once.

I felt abandoned by the rest of the world and almost claustrophobic as the fog closed me in and my iPod isolated me from any sound other than the Dave Matthews Band. Cars would appear as if from nowhere as the fog concealed them until they were just in sight. It was a good morning to stay off of the road and on the sidewalks where my ankles fear the uneven pavement I can barely see.

It is another typical December in Lake Jackson Texas where the weather feels more like April than a holiday morning. I am not complaining though because the heat and humidity suit me better than ice and cold wind.

It will probably sleet tomorrow.

Dallas White Rock Splits

1 - missed the mile marker
2 - 18:35
3 - 9:10
4 - 8:56
5 - 9:09
6 - 9:00
7 - 8:48
8 - 8:45
9 - 8:38
10 - missed the mile marker
11 - 18:36
12 - 9:27
13 - 8:34
14 - 9:00
15 - 9:29
16 - 9:29
17 - 9:25
18 - 9:20
19 - 9:18
20 - 9:43
21 - 9:27
22 - 8:33
23 - 9:06
24 - 10:09
25 - 8:01
26.2 - 12:05

Marathon web sight says I finished in 4:00:54

I plan to try and run 3 with Jakeb tomorrow morning. My legs are starting to feel normal again.

Dallas White Rock Marathon

I ran the Dallas White Rock Marathon this morning in 4:00:55 (chip time by my watch … unofficial). I wish it my time had been 55 seconds faster but I am happy with it and I cannot complain. It was windy during the second half of the race and the hills from mile 18 to 21 were more than I bargained for. This marathon was more of a mental battle for the entire distance than the other two I’ve run.

Andrea and Jakeb made the trip with me. It was good to have the support of my wife and son. The three of us will attempt the half-marathon in Houston in January.

I saw EQ there. We picked up his packet yesterday and I saw him this morning in the American Airline Center before the race.

I was going to post some pictures but our dial-up is painfully slow. We’re scheduled to get fast Internet later this month.

I may write more later I may not …

Getting ready to leave ...

Today I’m off of work and I am hyped up. Tomorrow we leave for Dallas and Sunday I run the White Rock Marathon. I had a friend who told me good luck and asked if I was ready.

I said, “Yeah, I’m ready. Even though I have run two marathons, the distance still scares me to death so I am a bit nervous.”

Hopefully I will be okay and be the finisher of a four-hour marathon on Sunday afternoon … we’ll see.

Tapering is a pain. I have been eating a lot and running a lot less than I had been.

Since I have felt good I have been running my miles too fast. I think I will have to jump into a pace group so I don’t take off too quick.

Last week I ran 8 on Friday and 6 with Jakeb on Saturday.

I let you know how it goes.

1111.1

Today after I ran my four-miler and posted the distance in my training log, the yearly total reads '1111.1 miles'. It must be a sign ... of what I do not know.

11 Days until the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

Thanksgiving morning run

This morning I ran here … link.

Nice asphalt trail with excellent scenery and distance markers every quarter of a mile. Perfect weather too.

Happy Thanksgiving

Don't stand so close to me, shorts and 20 miles

A couple of weeks ago I was running my scheduled five miles at 5:30 am. At about 2.5 miles in I was lost in John Mayer's cover of Jimi Hendrix's Bold as Love when I was startled to realize that there was another runner right on my heals. I sped up trying to shake this person who was rude enough to run up on another runner and then match him stride for stride for a moment or two. As my pace quickened my heart beat did as well as I found that I couldn't lose him/her. It may be an axe murderer rather than a runner. When I finally was brave enough to look around, I found that there was no one behind me.

The city of Lake Jackson has just completed construction on Oak Drive near down town. It has a wide sidewalk that is good for running. I wish they would have chosen a softer surface than concrete but it is nice to run on none the less. Part of the new construction includes street lights on both sides of the road. The lights on the side of the road where I run casts a shadow in front of me and the light across the street casts a shadow behind me. As I progress down the street the shadows alternate occasionally giving me the illusion that there is someone behind me. This has happened a couple of time since but now I understand what is really going on faster than I did the first time. When it happened the first time I almost had to stop and clean out the running shorts.

Speaking of running shorts, I bought a new pair last week, which is a rare occurrence for me. I wear my running clothes until they are threadbare. I bought some Nike shorts that are longer than typical running shorts. The bottom thread almost touches my knees and I like them a lot. I have always hated the super short short running shorts for guys. How much faster can shorts with a slit up to my hip bone actually make me? I really would rather not wear something that short. I hear that Lance Armstrong told the Nike reps the same thing when they brought him a pair of running shorts to wear in the NYC marathon. I'm sure Armstrong started a new trend and I have benefited personally.

I ran 20 miles on Friday and it went exceptionally well. I ran it in 2:57 for an 8:51 minute per mile average. The weather was much nicer than the previous Friday and I felt like I could hold my pace forever.

The taper has begun in earnest. I ran a hard 5 miles this morning with Dave Matthews playing in my head. It feels good to know I'm past the hardest part of my training and that another marathon is close to being a reality.

Friday am 20 miles

I ran twenty this morning. It was hot and humid - relative to what the weather should be this time of year. The last five were brutal. I ran it at 9:30 pace. The first half was too fast. I should have quit at ten.

I am going to run 20 again next Friday. I messed up on my training schedule and set it up a week off and didn’t realize it until after my run today. I need another 20 anyway to redeem for today.

20 next Friday and then a taper.

Friday am 12 Miles

Twelve miles seems like nothing now. Just a middle distance run that doesn’t take up half of the morning. It was an emotional roller coaster kind of run though. My mile splits aren’t marked out all that accurately so they vary as far as times go. I am pretty confident in the total distance.

The first mile I clock 8:01 and thought, “a marathon in less than four hours will be a breeze.”

Then the second mile I ran a 9:41 and thought, “dang it I’ll never finish close to four hours. I’m doomed to 4:13.”

Total time – 1:42:24 (8:32 pace)

Overall I’m happy with it and feel confident again. Just don’t ask me tomorrow.

Friday am 20 Miles

The weather cooled off just in time. As I walked out of the door this morning it was 72 degrees and a little humid and overcast. During the first mile the wind switched directions and it started to feel a lot better. I’m not sure the temperature dropped that much but the humidity did.

I felt good for most of the run. I had to run into a four hundred thousand mile per hour head wind between miles seventeen and nineteen and that was rough – it is amazing I survived. But the last mile felt pretty good. I will definitely be sore today.

Instead of keeping each mile split I ran four 5-mile loops and kept my time for each loop. I didn’t want to spend the whole run watch watching.

Here are the splits:
1st 5 – 44:39
2nd 5 – 41:40
3rd 5 – 45:38
4th 5 – 46:08

Total – 2:58:06
8:54 pace per mile

Seven Miles with Socrates

I got up really early this morning and was out of the door by 5 am for four miles by myself. Then I looped around and met Jakeb at the house and we ran 3 more together. Tomorrow is the first of two 20 mile long runs before I start to taper for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. I wanted to be a little fatigued but I hope the seven miles wasn’t over doing it.

Running this year has been good. This is the part of the training where I get more introspective because I wonder if I have it in me to finish my training at the level I desire. I wonder if I have it in me to finish 20 when I am not as rested as normal. I wonder if I can run a marathon in less than four hours. If I fail at either it will not be the end of the world and I will try again.

Training for a running a marathon is a great form of self-examination and Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Thirteen miles Friday am

I ran thirteen this morning. It seemed like it was over before it began. The weather was good and I felt pretty strong. I just ran and did not keep up with my splits.

Total time – 1:53:02 (8:42 pace)

White Rock

I registered for the Dallas White Rock Marathon tonight. I am (or should be) committed.

18 miles Friday a.m.

The cool weather felt great and I felt as strong as I ever have on a long run.

1 – 8:36
2 – 9:01
3 – 7:48
4 – 7:40
5 – 9:21
6 – 9:22
7 – 9:03
8 – 9:25
9 – 9:01
10 – 8:31
11 – 8:45
12 – 8:39
13 – 8:49
14 – 9:22
15 – 8:23
16 – 8:24
17 – 8:52
18 – 8:12

avg – 8:44 pace

I’m happy with it.

Long runs, China, and Garage Sales

I ran 17 on Friday. It was okay but not my best run ever. Jakeb ran the first three with me and I felt like it would be a really bad day but it ended up being okay.

I went to China in 1994 and at the time it was rare for the locals in that part of China to see westerners. I would run through Ningbo, a relatively small place for its 5 million people, with my neon shorts and white t-shirt I had earned back home at a 5K. People would see me on the streets and tap their friend on the shoulder and point at the 6’2” white guy with round eyes. Even though I was out of place I never felt like I was in any danger.

I can’t say the same thing about Friday morning in Lake Jackson. The early morning is not usually too busy but this morning was because all over town there were garage sales. Going to garage sales must be a big deal because in front of every one there were cars parked wherever there was space (in the driveway, in the ditch, in the street). The people who go to these things are aggressive. They are in a hurry to get to the garage sale to buy someone else’s junk. They are so aggressive that they are not in the mood nor do they have the patience to slow down for a runner who might just be trying to get out of the way. I feared for my existence a few times and bailed into front yards and ditches twice. The sidewalks are not safe haven enough because they are fair game for parking as well.

I ran four on Saturday and six this morning. The cooler mornings are making the runs a little easier.

Transition

I have been transitioning to a new job so it has been a while since I've written. I've been running quite a bit (for me). September was a 145 mile month which is one of my longest ever.

Last Monday I ran a 15 mile long run. The cool weather made the run seem almost effortless. I ran the first five alone with no music. I ran the second five with Jakeb. He felt so good he wanted to run the last five with me but I wouldn't let him. Instead he got on his bike and rode beside me as I finished the last five with my ipod playing in my ears.

The rest of the week went well and Saturday morning I ran an 11 mile long run. I ran it Saturday instead of Monday because I no longer have Mondays off. I do have Friday off now so I am switching my long run to the other end of the week. My 11 mile run was not near as easy as the 15 miler. It was hot and humid, I had stayed up later than normal the previous night so I slept late and didn't start running until 8 am when the sun was up. I ran the first four miles way too fast which made the rest of the run rough. Jakeb ran the middle 4 with me and he had a rough time of it as well.

This week has been messed up because I haven't taken the time to redo my training spreadsheet to reflect Friday as my long run day. My day off will change as will my track workout day and tempo day.

Change is good but it is hard to be in-between.

HALLELUJAH

Yesterday morning as Jakeb and I ran in the dark we passed a guy on Azalea who was seeing his wife off for whatever she had to do that day. That is not all that unusual. What was funny though is that he was over 300 pounds and was wearing nothing but a pair of white boxers. As she pulled out of the driveway, he raised his hands in the air and shook his hips like a person trying to hoola hoop. While he did his dance he kept yelling “HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH!”

I don’t know if he was trying to embarrass the poor woman but he was embarrassing me. Jakeb asked, “Is he drunk?” He was either drunk or odd for God. It was funny to watch and our whole family had a good laugh about it as we ate dinner last night.

This morning Jakeb and I rode our bikes to the track. He ran two and went home. I did ladders.

2x200
400
800
1 mile
800
400
2x200

I didn’t start my watch so I don’t know how fast I ran. The rate of perceived exertion was “painful” towards the end. It felt good to finish though.

Long runs and new shoes

I ran 14 yesterday and felt pretty good. This morning I ran three with Jakeb and it went so well I tacked on two more after he finished.

My forefoot on the right side has been hurting lately. I got a new pair of shoes Sunday and I think it helped. My foot doesn’t hurt near as bad today as it has the last couple of weeks the day after my long run. I bought some Brooks Adrenaline GTS-6.

Jakeb told me a couple of mornings ago that running is getting easier for him. I feel the same way. The weather this morning sure helped.

"In-Training" motivation

Yesterday we loaded up in the Explorer and Jakeb, my wife Andrea, her sister Gwen, our nephew Matthew and I headed to Memorial Park for the Marathon kick-off party. We registered for the half-marathon in January. Jakeb and I are running it and Andrea and Gwen plan to walk it.

There were vendors and charities there and you could sign-up for other races as well. I want to run “10 for Texas” in October. We’ll see if the family schedule will allow it.

I plan to run White Rock in December. I want to be like EQ.

The party was good motivation and today Jakeb, Andrea, and I are wearing our “In Training” t-shirts.

Accomplishment of the week

Jakeb and I took off in the muggy overcast morning for what was supposed to be a four miler. We hit about a mile and a half and I felt good so I asked Jakeb how he was doing.

He said, “I feel good.”

“Good enough to run five?”

“Sure, I’ll try it”, he said.

So we stretched our four miles into five. At about 3 and a half it started to rain which made the run much nicer since it was hot.

Toward the end Jakeb said, “This is my accomplishment of the week.”

I asked, “Are you ready to run eight more?”

To which he replied, “I will be in January.”

Good answer.

Full Track Workout

I finished my first full track workout of this season. I’ve stopped short of what my training schedule called for me to run on every other track workout so far. I felt much better this morning. I think the main reason I finished this workout was because I recently got an iPod and it sure helped me keep running to have music in my head.

The Brazoswood High School drill team showed up about half-way through my workout and decided the best place to meet before they started practice was on the track. They left half of the outside lane for runners and walkers to pass through. It’s their world … we just take up space in it.

Jakeb made the trip to the track with me. He ran two and then went home on his bike ahead of me.

800 warm-up
1 mile (400 recovery)
800 (400 recovery)
2x400 (400 recovery)
4x200 (200 recovery)
800 cool-down

All of the blue stuff was at about 7:00 per mile pace

Lake Conroe

I spent the last four days on Lake Conroe at a Leadership Team Retreat for our church. The last two days of running in the morning were great as the weather cooled down to something pleasant rather than the hot humidity that is the norm. I am used to running on the completely flat Lake Jackson roads so the “hills” around Lake Conroe at the beginning of every run were somewhat of a challenge.

It is good to be back home with the fam and running where running is familiar.

I jinxed Andrea

I didn’t mess up my running mojo but I think I jinxed Andrea. Yesterday I wrote about how well running was going for me and how Andrea is training to walk the half marathon in Houston. At about the same time I pressed the button to post that entry on my blog Andrea started having some pain in her left heal. She took off this morning to rest and iced it last night. Hopefully she will be back at it soon. Like I said I am not superstitious but if it were possible, I would give some of my running mojo to my wife so that she could walk again.

Jakeb and I took to the track this morning. I only ran half of my workout but it felt good to run faster than normal.

Running mojo

Running has been fun lately. Usually this time of year I hit a spot where it is really hard to walk out of the door in the mornings and run. For some reason it has been different this year. Maybe it is because Jakeb is running with me some. Maybe it is because Andrea is training this year to walk the half-marathon and watching her leave for exercise before me motivates me to get out there too. Maybe it is because I am in better shape to train for a marathon. I don’t know what has made the difference but I have not hit a low spot yet this season. If I were superstitious I would cross my fingers and knock on wood and throw salt over my shoulder or something to keep it going.

This morning Jakeb and I ran three miles together and it was good, then I ran 2 more alone. I felt like I could run for a while longer but I had to come in and get ready for work.

Hopefully this post won’t mess up my good running mojo.

I rode alone on my bike to the track this morning. Jakeb decided to switch his 3 mile run to tomorrow because he had a full day yesterday.

I ran an 800 warm-up, 1 mile, 800, 2x400, all at 7:30 pace with 400 recovery and an 800 cool down.

There were a lot of people at the track this morning. A couple of guys were running laps and everyone else was walking. I am not used to having a crowd around when I run. I’m sure that a majority of the people at the track did not even care that I existed but it felt like I was in a fish bowl and people were watching me run. Weird.

Into the fishbowl

I make my stand

Among the red fish

That shake my hand

The left of never

The right of me

The yellow water

Eternity

I'm in a fishbowl

I'm a fishbowl man

Why ride when you can drive?

My 1994 Ford Explorer died on Saturday morning. Since my dad is a mechanic he has been working on it. We’ve done fine as a one car family for a couple of days but I wonder what it would be like to have only one car long term.

I ran four miles this morning, fed the dogs, did some crunches, and then took a shower and tried to cool down. Since the Explorer was fried I rode my bike to work. When I got here I was a bit sweaty so it was good that I brought another shirt.

Without cars we would have to live closer to work. We would be in better shape. We would have to endure one another’s odor from the human powered travel to the office. Life would definitely simplify.

Dad just called and said the Explorer is fixed. Tomorrow I go back to my self-absorbed, air-conditioned, gas powered journey to work.

Tired

I woke up at about ten after six this morning (late for me), put on my running stuff and went out of the door at a little after seven. I ran about ten steps and thought “forget this” and went back home and ate breakfast and got ready for church.

I slept terribly last night and I was tired all over. I’m glad I didn’t run. It would have just worn me out and tomorrow is my long run - long for this time of year.

It’s time for an afternoon nap.

I run at 6 ... A.M.

The student ministry at our church had a dodge ball night at a local pizza restaurant/indoor soccer field a couple of weeks ago. One of the guys there is a high school runner and knows I run.

He came up to me and said, “Hey I want to run with you sometime.”

“You’re faster than me”, I told him.

“I don’t care, you run farther than me.”

“I run at six in the morning.”

He gave me a funny look and just walked away. He didn’t say “never mind” or “no thanks, that’s too early”. He just wandered off.

A couple of days ago I saw him in the office and I said, “Every morning I stand at the end of my driveway and look at my watch. It says ‘6:00 a.m.’ and I look up both sides of the street and you are not there. What’s up?”

He said, “I’ll meet you in the morning…at the track. I’ll ride my bike and meet you there”

Jakeb and I rode our bikes to the track the next morning and I looked at my watch. It said ‘6:00 a.m.’ and no one but me, Jakeb and a couple of walkers were on the dark oval.

A morning runner waits for no one. I think it has to do with that red line.

Blog Redesign

I was tired of the old blog look so I started messing around with a new template. I like the new design because it gives me greater flexibility with the header graphic. I find that tinkering with the design of the blog is way too addictive so I will stop now.

A horrible seven

I ran seven this morning and it was horrible. The first two and a half were with Jakeb and then I finished on my own. It was incredibly hot and my legs were dead weight. My shoes were sloshing by the time I made it home. I walked some between mile 5 and 6.

Andrea said, “At least you did it.”

Mosquito Chase photos

The worst race picture ever…link

I was trying to stay ahead of the guy in the black shorts behind me and I was not interested in posing for the finishing photo. It shows.

Here is a good picture of Jakeb … link

These are pictures from The Mosquito Chase … the race where my wife Andrea stood in the hot sun after her walk at the track and cheered me on.

Mosquito Chase

Jakeb and I ran the Mosquito Chase yesterday morning. The race is part of The Great Texas Mosquito Festival in Clute. It is normally the hottest local race of the year and this year was no exception.

As soon as the gun went off (or really when the guy starting the race yelled “Go!”) the sun came up over the horizon. I was able to keep pace with EQ for a couple of tenths of a mile but that was only because he started at the back of the pack and admitted that he was going to take it easy. It wasn’t long until he was out of sight.

I ran pretty well. I am not in my fastest 5k shape ever but I am pleased with the results. I passed 3 people in the second mile and picked off eight in the last 1.1 even though my pace progressively slowed.

Mile 1 – 7:27
Mile 2 – 7:42
Mile 3 – 7:50
.1 – 34:44
Total – 23:34 (7:36 pace)

Jakeb ran 26:05 about a minute and a half off of his 5k PR. It was a good race for him considering the heat and the fact that he is just in the beginning stages of training for a half-marathon.

Jake and I finished the day at an Astro's game with great seats behind home plate. We got to see Roy O pitch and the Astro's win so it was worth the trip.

Overall it was a good day.

Holy batphobia batman

Last week I mentioned how I am fascinated by bats. A couple of years ago I noticed that there were bats everywhere during the summer months. It was cool to watch as many as ten at a time flutter around above me as I ran.

I have a friend who worked at the local bird observatory and I asked him why it there seemed to be so many bats in the summer. He said that they were Mexican bats and they were migratory. So every summer I began to look forward to seeing the bats while I run.

This year the route I see them on the most is a run that takes me toward downtown Lake Jackson on Center Way. The bats seemed to be getting braver. Instead of flying ten to twenty feet above me, every so often one would circle a few feet in front of me. I thought it was cool and I never really even reacted to it until I read this article about the City of Lake Jackson finding rabid bats at a local apartment complex.

This morning Jakeb and I ran a new three mile route that he mapped out last night on Gmaps. After we hit the three mile mark, he stopped and went into the house and I ran on so I could get in a fourth mile. Right past the house a bat dove right in front of me. The experience was no longer enjoyable. It made me want to take another less bat infested route. It made me wish it was November.

Who needs a plan?

I ran six miles this morning. Being the imprecise runner that I am, all I know is that I ran it in about 55 minutes (~9:10 pace). This is my “long run” for the week as I start building up to marathon training.

I have been running in ignorant bliss, ignoring my training plan because I knew generally what I was supposed to be running but not specifically. So yesterday I opened my training plan spreadsheet and found that my general knowledge of my training plan was falling short of what I was actually supposed to be running.

This week I’ve run the following:

Saturday – 3 (track), Sunday – 5, Monday – 3, Tuesday – 4, Wednesday – 3, and Thursday – 6
Total – 24 miles

This is what my training plan called for:

Saturday – 4, Sunday – 4 (marathon pace), Monday – 6 (Long Run day), Tuesday – 4, Wednesday – 5 (track), Thursday - 4
Total – 27 miles

Fridays are my rest day. I’ll stick to the plan next week … and say goodbye to 3 milers forever.

Routine running

EQ gave me a hard time this morning @ church for not blogging about my running.

So … yesterday morning I went to the track with Andrea. I ran an 800 warm-up, 2x200 with 200 meter recovery, 2x400 with 400 meter recovery and an 800 with an 800 meter cool down for about 3 miles. I didn’t even look at the watch so I do not know how fast it was. All I know is the sun was up and it was HOT. Andrea and her sister walked for an hour.

This morning I ran five. 8:57, 9:11, 7:37, 9:15, 9:44 for a 45:44 total (9:08 pace).

I’ve been running but it has been very routine. I guess there is something to say for consistency but it is very boring to post on a blog. The bats are back in full force and they fascinate me. Other than that I have nothing to say…

Lake Catherine State Park

The family made it home from camping Monday night. We had a great time while we were away at Lake Catherine State Park in Arkansas. Arkansas has some great state parks. We tent camped for a couple of nights and then spent two nights in a cabin.

Jakeb, Anna and Tori fished. Tori and Anna both caught their first fish on this trip. All three of our kids caught their first fish at Lake Catherine. Jakeb caught his first fish at Lake Catherine a couple of years ago.

We swam … the kids more than the adults. We hiked every trail in the park. Lake Catherine State Park has ten miles of hiking trails. I ran the trails a couple of times and slightly twisted my ankle yet again. Arrgh!

I read two books while I was away and thoroughly enjoyed both. This one and this one. It is rare that I read two books back-to-back that are as enjoyable. Usually there is a dud in between.

The trip was fun and relaxing.

Tonight Tori, Andrea and I are going to Everything is Spiritual … it should be good.

July 4th Firecracker 4

The firecracker four was a family affair this year. Jakeb and I ran the four miler. Andrea and Tori walked the two miler and Anna ran the kids K. Andrea’s sister Gwen and her kids Shannon and Matthew walked the two miler as well.

Jakeb finished in 36:47 – pretty well since it is his longest run in over a month and has done very little training since he has been busy camping.

I ran 32:33.

It was hot but I remember past years being worse. I saw a lot of people that I know. It was a good day to run.

Now it’s off to lunch with my parents – B-B-Que. And fireworks tonight with Andrea’s side of the family if the weather holds out.

We are leaving at the end of this week for a camping trip. All of us are looking forward to swimming, hiking, swimming, running, swimming, and other stuff and swimmimg.

Can't complain about the weather

This morning I ran in a suburb of Chicago. As I ran beside a small lake on an unfamiliar route I heard footsteps behind me. I looked back and a guy was breathing hard as he caught up to me.

As he reached me he slowed and said, “What do you think about this weather?”

It was cool and in the 60’s with 40% humidity and I said, “I think it’s great. I’m from the coast of Texas and it is 75 and high humidity even in the early morning. The weather here is almost perfect.”

He scoffed and said, “Wait until this weekend it will be just like Texas; humid and almost 90 degrees.”

Then he kicked in the afterburners and left me behind.

I won’t be here this weekend; I will be home where it is really hot. Most of our attitude in life is about perspective.

Four-Mile Tempo

I ran a four-mile tempo run yesterday. Jakeb ran the first two with me and he did a good job of hanging close. We put together a half-marathon training program that starts for him in July. I think it seems a little overwhelming for him as he sees the whole training program but we talked about how he will have to take it a run at a time. I know how intimidating it can be to think of how far you have to run towards the end of a training program. I wish I would have had the same opportunity at thirteen.

I was supposed to run my four-miler at 8:30 pace but got a little carried away with the last two.

8:30, 8:23, 8:11, 8:13

This morning I ran slow four and it was hot. The rest of the week will be hit and miss and hopefully next week I will get in a routine rhythm.

Later …

Weird to walk

No one walks anymore. I was at the doctor's office not too long ago to get a shot before going to a foreign place. My car broke down and I was a little more than two miles from home.

I thought to myself, "I run farther than this every morning and I have time. Instead of bother someone I will walk home and get Andrea to bring me back to get my fried ride."

As I walked home a old friend stopped to ask if I needed a ride. I thanked him and said, "No, I'll walk."

He looked at me funny.

Later someone else told me I was weird for walking. "Why didn't you just make a phone call?"

Much of what I do is seen as "weird" or insane.

A walk home from the doctor's office… Running for the simple pleasure of it… Trying to live a life devoted to God...

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Next?

Now that I have returned from Nepal my life is kind of at a transition place. I spent the months leading up to Nepal running and lifting weights so I would be ready to backpack and now I need to work towards another goal. (to the left is another random Nepal pic)

Next week I am going to a conference in Chicago and I will run some there but when I get home I have decided to start training for The White Rock Marathon in December. I chose the White Rock Marathon rather than Houston because my son Jakeb wants to run the half-marathon in Houston in January and I will run it with him.

In terms of the marathon I am ready to run something new. I’ve done Houston for the past two years and I really enjoy it but it is time to end the marathon monogamy.

In the middle of training for The Rock I will run an Adventure Race with my brother Toby. On August 19 we will race in the REI Texas State Championship Adventure Race Series in Muleshoe Bend Park near Austin. This is a first for me so I am looking forward to it.

Now that I have something to work towards running will have more than just random meaning.

Back home ... where I belong.

I am back from my mission trip to Nepal. I hiked until my legs hurt, saw some incredibly beautiful sights, and made some new friends (a goat included).

It is good to be home with the family again. I am looking forward to the routine of running.