posting everyday?

Well I've looked around the innernets a bit and I've seen lots of abandoned blogs or blogs of doom that have only a few posts a year. Having had a few of these, I know that it is quite an easy thing to do, so I'm not condemning anyone. Since I've been getting more serious about my training, I've found that my blog is another tool, like running shoes for my mind. It keeps me motivated because I can go back to any given day and see how I felt, what was going on, and how the training went - for the most part. It has definitely gotten easier to post a blog for some reason. I'm not sure exactly why.

Posting everyday may seem like a crazy or even absurd thing to do. What could I possibly have to say about running each day? Well honestly it's been super easy to find things to write about, and when theres nothing interesting in running I can post something else like how I feel or some thoughts that I've had. I like posting everyday because this is basically my daily training journal. So i like to stay consistent in the blog, just as I do in my daily running. Pretty simple idea I suppose, but it is definitely working for me. I do usually try to keep it short just to sort of cut the fat and get to the point, so I hope that has helped with the content a bit.

There is also some kind of accountability to the blog. In essence a blog is nothing. It barely qualifies as existence because it is just out there in cyberspace somewhere floating around. Amazing how something intangible can affect a real person, but it does, at least for me anyway. I don't think it's really about being accountable to "readers" of the blog either. I just post what I think and feel and if someone likes it then that is awesome, and if they don't that is perfectly fine too. So I guess there are many layers and mystique to the blog when you get down to it, but I will continue to be as consistent as I possibly can for myself and my running first, and hopefully readers will enjoy and not get too bored with my daily commentaries :-)

11.30.08

Well things didn't really go as planned today. It was supposed to quit raining, but it never did, at least through the afternoon when it was supposed to be "partly cloudy" around 5. Finally around 3:30 it was somewhat not raining much and so I figured I might be able to get a 2 hour run in. It seemed like everything was going great. I got out to the soccer complex and was running really well. There were some puddles to dodge, but I could see the sun in the distance with an open spot with no clouds. To the east I could see the dark masses of cloud moving away and I was feeling pretty good about that. Then about an hour into the run I noticed more dark masses moving in again from the west, blotting out the sun. It got dark and then there was a sprinkle. No biggie, it probably wouldn't rain. Then another, and within about 10 seconds it was a total downpour. Rain was filling the sky and I could barely see where I was going and had to use my hand as a sort of hat to shield my eyes so I could run.

After about five minutes of this, with no signs of stopping I was nearly back to the car. I decided to just call it a day. I was completely dripping wet and my shoes, shorts, and longsleeve were soaked through. So not exactly a long run by any means. In fact that barely qualifies as a short run. I guess it's better than nothing though. I wore my nike frees and it felt really good to wear them, definitely could tell a difference in speed or at least perceived speed. NO signs of injury remain in the foot!

3:45 pm. soccer complex. 43 degrees, cloudy, then downpour.
1:05:34, bf 584

11.29.08

Rainy day today and I got absolutely nothing done running wise. We went out with friends later and didn't have enough time to run. It was fun to hang out though. I hate missing training, but in a way it's good to have a day off every now and then. Hopefully tomorrow it isn't too rainy.

11.28.08

Lazy day. I slept a lot, I think it was the turkey leftovers... Anyway the run went great. It was really warm today, close to 60 so it was just about perfect for running. I went to the soccer complex and it went really well. The run felt kind of hard for the first 30 minutes or so, but after that I was relaxed and smoking some laps. A guy that I had been running by was like "one more lap!" I actually had two more laps, but I just waved and smiled.

This run really felt great though. I was thinking about how it must feel to be an elite. I mean I wonder how their 4:30 miles feel when they are running. I don't even think I can move legs that fast, let alone run a full marathon near that pace. It's just craziness when you think about stuff like that. Maybe one day I'll be there, but I don't see it in the near future. Hopefully I will be, but a lot of things would have to work out perfectly to achieve it.

So the foot was completely fine today. I can still sense a little bit of pressure where it isn't completely healed, but only when I'm walking with shoes on. Other than that there was absolutely zero pain. I'm excited to be able to get back into my normal training again. I was doing really great before it got hurt, and I plan on getting the miles back up there after that low week of just 16 miles. I'm not sure when hills are going to play their part, but it will definitely be soon. I basically plan on doing speed work for at least 2.5 months before the marathon, so I'll probably be starting with hills as soon as there are no niggles left in the foot. More tomorrow.

4:30 pm. soccer complex. 53 degrees.
1:22:45, gm 576

11.27.08

Well I had planned to get up early this morning, but it didn't happen. I ended up running before noon. It was a GREAT run. Not because it felt great, but because my foot felt great! Whoooo, I seem to be on the mend. There was literally no pain. It actually was a bad thing because I took off the first three miles and pretty much killed myself. By 25 minutes I was considering quitting the run early. I told April that when I got home and she didn't really understand. "how can you run for 3 hours and not get tired, that's not like you", just goes to show what pacing does for you.

So the run was quite hard. Partially because of the pace, partially because of the time of day, and of course because of all the days off. Luckily around 45 minutes in or so I settled down a bit and started feeling okay enough to think about finishing the run. I also had to burn some rubber because we had to be at April's parents at 12:30. We were a little late to say the least.

Thanksgiving was good. I ate a little more than usual and we still haven't had dinner so I don't know what we'll do for that, probably leftovers. It was good to be with family, but by the time we made it to the second one I was tired and both April and I passed out on the couch. Turkey day is officially over. I'm not going shopping tomorrow for two reasons. For one I have no money, and for two people are crazy. We got up early a few years ago at like 3 or something and still were just at the middle of the line. Maybe if I had camping gear I'd just camp out there all night by a warm portable heater, but in the end it's just not worth the few dollars you end up saving. Happy Thanksgiving!

11:15 am. home. 46 degrees sunny.
1:02:02, gm 566

11.26.08

update in a min, fingers to frozen to tipe.

Alright, all is good now. Food in the belly and showered. Today was a kind of madness sort of day. Work was kind of insane, with three different jobs needing to be mailed out, and us not knowing that two of them hadn't even really been worked on till after lunch. Lunch was nice by the way. The bosses had it catered. There was meatloaf and colored greens and cheesy potatoes and all the good desserts. I didn't over eat, although I probably should have judging by how hungry I was at the end of this run, my stomach was growling so loud I felt my calves jiggle.

So we finally get off work and get home. I make my way to the park with my shorts and t-shirt covered by a longsleeve, as well as my trusty headband which I love. Just getting into the car is no fun. I'm not Donald Trump, and cannot afford self-warming seats, so I have to just shiver a bit as I drive the one or two miles down to the park. Getting out I make sure I have my keys and then it's time to take a few steps and click the old center button on the ipod. And the first few steps are normally the worst. The wind starts zapping into the exposed legs and for a second I wonder why in the heck I don't have something better. Then I make it into the grassy area and before I know it I totally don't notice I have shorts on and I'm just running.

Today I listened to Steve, over at steverunner.com. I enjoy his podcasts and you can download them through itunes or from his website. He's a great person. I don't know him, but in a way I really do. Podcasts are funny that way in that even though he's never met me, and likely never will, I know him. I know his personality, his likes, dislikes, and his opinions on a variety of topics such as wine, youthful exploits, and of course his philosophy on running. Today's episode was an older one, but it was about CPR. He gave some really good info. I'm always impressed with the quality of his cast, and if you ever have some spare time you should totally check it out.

So by the time that was over I only had five minutes or so left to go. The foot, by the way, was much better today. Definitely some healing going on, although it's still tender and probably needs more rest than I'm going to accommodate to it. It was very minimal, and only by mile 8 or so did I significantly notice any pain. Breathing wise the run was good. I can definitely tell I've lost a touch of fitness from the days off. On the same token I feel like if I didn't have this nagging ankle/foot pain that I could go much farther than what I am.

So things are looking good. I'm glad I can run. I also have found the BLESSING I've been looking for. Since I've been taking "rest" days, I've made more time to do calf raises, sittups, pushups, leglifts, and other various exercises. I have done that for 3 days straight, and without the injury I don't think that would have happened. I'm kind of glad it happened as I had been neglecting those areas and I said I was going to work on them. So thank you injury for giving me that opportunity.

5:45 pm. ball camp. 40 degrees
1:15:03, gm 558

11.25.08

Interesting day. When I first started walking around this morning I thought I was healed!, as my foot didn't hurt. But after walking around work for a while, it definitely wasn't the case. Still the pain isn't so bad as it was. I decided to do another test run tonight. It was dark by the time I got home, but I didn't care and went to the park anyway. The park is dangerous. The sidewalk is cracked in many places, there are low hanging ropes and fences and plenty of holes to fall in or trip over. Either way I kept my strides short.

At first it seemed like I had forgotten how to run. I mean I was doing it, but I really had to think about it. Kind of weird. But that wore off after a few minutes and before I knew it I was heading around the five or six soccerfields that are next to each other at the back of the park. There is a gate that separates this area from the rest of the park, which has a small drive with parking inbetween, and two more soccerfields with a "track" paved around those. It is a good place to run because the grass is mostly flat, and of course soft turf is great for a foot injury like the one I have. It must be some sort of sprain? I'm still not sure how it happened. I must have rolled it or stumbled or something and forgotten, but I'm still clueless as to what I did on that treadmill to create this nagging pain.

Last night I did some calf raises, the whole deal and I think that helped somehow. It's great to be able to do that, because I'm building strength in my calves, and since I'm on my toes there is no risk of hurting the injured area. For the majority of the run, my foot pain wasn't even noticeable. But by the end I started to feel it, especially when I got off the soccerfields and back onto the pavement. Still, it wasn't bad at all. The only reason I don't want to run on it is just more of a precaution so I don't further or prolong the injury. Otherwise I'm perfectly capable of running on it.

So I'm just happy to get a run in. It felt great and I think as I don't push too early, the foot will heal to %100 and I'll be ready to get back into full training. My next goal is one hill workout every week, and considering where I've been doing my long runs, I think I'll be ready for it.

5:45 pm. ball camp park. 40 degrees
1:13:00, gm 549

11.24.08

Well same old news again. The foot still hurts to walk on. The only good part about it is that I can still do things on my toes. Landing on the heel/midfoot is what causes the pain. So tonight I did some jump-rope without any pain at all. I've also been doing calf raises, wall sits, and crunches. I'm still kind of out of it though. I miss running every day. I have had a headache since about 3 (it's 11 now) and I think it's because I haven't had my daily oxygen uptake. Anyway I guess core work will have to suffice for now.

On another note I may have some mural stuff to work on. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I could have a really good lead into some present and future jobs. I'll keep you posted.

11.23.08

Foot didn't feel much better today. I figured I might as well take days off now if I'm going to have to, so that way I can get back to serious running sooner. A few miles here and there at this point I'm not sure is going to help recovery or fitness much. Now a long run today would have been beneficial fitness wise, but who knows how detrimental on the injury side. I'm just going to do the minimum to keep my fitness up for now. Then once the foot isn't hurting so much I'll be able to add miles. Until then I'm going to go hardcore on sittups/core work.

11.22.08

Another day at work, ugh on Saturday. At least we got out early around 4, so I actually got to run in the daylight when I got home. I was wanting to test out the foot and kind of re-evaluate after these past 3-4 days off. It was hurting while I walked around work, and I actually got the back of my ankle clipped by a wire (huge heavy metal wire on wheels) and that gave me a scare. The run went okay though. The foot didn't really hurt until mile 2 and on a scale of one to ten it was about a two. At the end of the run, maybe in the last mile or so it started flaring up a bit, but only about a 5 out of 10 as far as pain goes.

The good part was just getting to run again. I've been deprived and angry these past couple days, but haven't really had time to show it due to work. As far as "getting back" there was really none of that. I felt really in shape and 8 miles didn't feel too far at all. Actually I wanted to run longer if it weren't the foot I would have. Well my post-evaluation prodding seems to point to a possible ankle sprain or ligament strain somewhere below and in front of my ankle. It hurts worse to turn left, so I think some tendons in there got overpulled or stressed, and while poking around I found that the pain was actually coming from above the base of my foot, so it's not from the bottom of my foot pounding anything too hard for sure. Right now I'm going to keep running on it. And if need be either cut back miles or if it gets too bad I'll have to take more days off. I'm wanting to get as much running in as possible still, so I think twice a day might be back in the mix to break up the longer stuff. At the same time a single run would give more recovery during the day, so it just comes down to how it feels.

4:30 pm. home. 40 degrees.
1:05:35, gm 540

11.21.08

Pretty much another day the same as yesterday. Didn't get home till sunset. April's having a party tonight for her friends wedding so I'm kicked out to her parents for the night. I'm also working tomorrow too, so looks like another day down the dran-o, but at least it's overtime pay.

Foot is still hurting so no real reason to push anything. I really wanted to run today, but again when it's dark before 5:30 and you don't get home till 5:40, there isn't a lot you can do except run in the dark. Running in the dark is fine and all, until you bust a kneecap on a rope, or trip on a divot, or slip on the sidewalk because you couldn't see it. So I'm just playing it safe and hopefully by Sunday I'll be able to do a long run and assess the situation a little better. The foot isn't really hurting, but I think it would be if I was running all this week. So again, I'm hoping it's a blessing in disguise.

11.20.08

Could barely sleep last night due to the head cold I have. Was horrible today at work, used about a million tissues and my nose is raw. Still don't feel so hot tonight with a throbbing head and snuffling up goop. Thought about running just for the heck of it, but April locked her keys in the car, we ended up having to do all this craziness and didn't get home till 7. Well actually I got dropped off so April could go back to her car as her mom had to pick us up from her aunt's house who picked us up from work. Yeah, not such a fun day.

I'm hoping it's a blessing in disguise as it'll give the foot more rest.

11.19.08

Worked today. Also I didn't run yesterday. Foot is still hurting. Another day off today too, had some sniffles at work.

11.18.08

Found the results yesterday. Drumroll.................18:35! Yeah I broke into the 18's. I wasn't expecting such a big drop in my time, but hey there it is. A 26 second PR in about a month's time! I'm very happy with that race. It's a shame my foot is hurting now. I won't ever take health for granted again. I think I'll add something on my front page about that. So yeah I didn't win any age group things, but there were a ton of great runners out and I knew there would be because it's a bigger race. I got 26th overall and 7th in my age group.

I couldn't find the results anywhere but here http://www.totalracesolutions.com/2008/Nov/buddyssplitoverall.html so you can scroll down and find me if you want I of course took the chip time considering it was about a 4 seconds difference to get to the start line after the gun. It feels great to see a time come down that much. I mean, you just know that your training paid off. I really see that time totally dropping again though because of how I felt during the race. Yes, it was hard, yes I was tired, but I could have been "more" tired. My legs were the only thing holding me back really. Breathing wise I was fine. All that says is that with hill-training and speedwork I'll be able to maintain a faster pace easily, instead of willing my legs to go faster than they normally do.

Yesterdays run was a good indicator as well. The foot was hurting, but the run felt faster than normal. I did enjoy running on the grass though. It takes a more conscious effort to maintain as you really have to get your feet off the ground quickly. I plan on running on grass a lot more. I was thinking if we had a golf course around here that would be nice, but they'd kick me off because there'd be a path around that sucker in a month or so.

I'm excited and worried right now. I'm worried about the foot dragging down training, but I'm excited that I have so much improvement left to be made. It's crazy that a year ago I was 20:47, now 18:35. That elusive high school time is growing closer and closer.....

will post more after I run.

11.17.08

The foot is still "broken". Well maybe not, but it hurts like crap. I went running today anyway at the ball camp park. I figured if I stayed in the soccer fields on the grass I'd be okay. It still hurt. I'm not sure what happened? I mean one treadmill workout and it feels like it got beat by a hammer? I hardly even land on that part of my foot. It's right in the middle, so it should be a transition impact, not a direct one.... anyway it is definitely hurt I just don't know how bad.

Either way as long as I can run I will. I plan to stay with the grass idea and hopefully by this weekend it will either feel better or fingers crossed, be completely gone. Things sometimes happen like that. One day you're hurt and the next day it's like nothing ever happened. I hope it's one of those times.

Still no results posted for the race yesterday. I hate waiting to find my time. I almost stayed for the awards yesterday, but it was freezing, I didn't feel good, and my foot was killing me so I wanted to just get out of there.

5:10pm. ball camp soccer fields. 42-38 degrees.
1:05.02, bf 744

11.16.08 - Buddy's Race

Well I was so busy trying to get to the start line on time I didn't even think about the foot hurting :) I made it with about 5 minutes to spare, although I didn't really get a warm up in which sucked. Especially for a cold day like today where we had snow flurries in the morning. It was a little over 40 degrees at the line, with some here and there. I was nervous driving there, and really I didn't feel ready for the start. I mean I did literally zero jogging other than from the hotel to the line.

Soon enough there was a bang and I was definitely farther back than I had planned to be. Tons of people were ahead of me, but I knew they would all die sooner or later. I worked my way through them. The pace was pushing it, but I definitely knew I could probably hold it for 5k. It was cold. I heard a few guys complaining or commenting on it, and I was feeling it too. The legs were pretty numb. Made it to the first downhill and passed a few people, and few more right after that on an uphill section, starting to find a groove. I felt good about then and the cold was starting to fade.

At the 1 mile mark I ran by the timers and heard nothing so I yelled out TIME! and they said 5:50. i figured I might have even been a little ahead of that since I was past them. Good, I thought. I feel like I'm running about what they said, and that's a good sign because I wasn't going too fast. Another hill to traverse, then a long flat out. I had a few people in my sights, one of them a kid. Not sure how old, but certainly younger than me. Then I pass another kid, who happens to be one of my track guys! He said "hey coach". Actually he was the second, I saw another earlier just after the mile mark. That one said hey coach too, but I replied, I'm getting in shape here! and took off. My other track guy was doing well, but was fading, as was the younger kid. I could hear him breathing heavy. I found an extra half step at 2 miles and reached it in about 12:05, just leaving those two behind. I calculated another 6 minute mile I might be able to run would give me my 18, but I forgot to add in the .1 or I might have pushed it even a little harder ;)

Now was a straight shot to the huge brick bridge. Unfortunately it was right into the headwind and the hills were coming too. Now I felt the calves and legs starting to burn. A big hill, then another. The brick bridge gave me some problems as my shoes with 700+ miles offered little grip and I could feel them "slipping" a bit each time I pushed off. I really wish I had been able to obtain a pair of Lunar racers. Heck that might have even prevented the bottom of the foot pain I was having from that crappy treadmill run.

A few guys in red were ahead of me, but I couldn't close the gap. I just didn't have the legs. They were burning from those hills, but I knew the other guys were burning worse and I kept pushing. At one point I even thought to myself "Is this the same course I ran a month ago?" It felt a lot harder now for some reason. Last hill I struggled up, but maintained. I was closing a bit on a redshirt, but the other red had passed him and taken off. It was the last downhill section and I was really turning over, but not smooth. I was bumbling down like a maniac and trying to catch this guy. I saw him turn the corner for the last 20 meters to the finish and I kicked a little. Breathing was good, but legs were totally gone at this point. I almost caught him at the end, but just didn't have it, maybe came within 5 or 10 feet.

It was a good race. But afterward my foot was killing me. I had to sit down and practically limped to the car. It was also cold and I just wanted to go home. April said there were only about 8 people ahead of me, but there may have been more. I guess I will find out when the results are posted. Hopefully the bottom-outside foot bruise thing will heal up in the next few days. I still plan on running, but might have to go down to ball camp park so I can run on the grass- that actually sounds like a good idea. I'll do that and just go cautiously from there. As for the time today I'm going to take a guess at 18:30. I HOPE it was that fast. I knew if I held on the last mile I had a chance, so we'll see. I KNOW I'm capable of running faster than today, but given the foot and the crazy start I'll be happy with whatever time shows up.

3pm. Buddy's Race. 40 degrees, 10 mph wind.
3.1 miles, bf 736

11.15.08

Not so good today friends. My foot is hurting pretty bad when I run. It feels like some sort of bruise (of course) but I'm not sure how it happened. My foot is sitting in a bucket of ice right now. The pain seems to be coming from the center of the foot along the bottom outside of the heel. Basically every landing there is pain. Sometimes I get lucky and things like this go away, but I'm not so sure about this one. I'll just have to find out tomorrow really. I went for a run today anyway and it went good other than the pain. For a while there was no pain at all even, but by the end of the run it was back in full effect.

Anyway I still plan on running the race tomorrow. It is pain yes, but that's half of running, so no difference there really. I think I might try to take an advil or something as well. If it were a little more serious I'd just as soon not race, but I really think since I ran 8 miles today on it that I'll be okay. Only time will tell if it was a good decision or bad. If it is something serious I'll have to take time off anyway, so I guess I have nothing to lose.

Well I'll update tomorrow after the race. I'm glad it's in the afternoon, it's supposed to snow in the morning :)

4:30pm. soccer complex. 45 degrees 10 mph wind, few raindrops.
1:04:00, bf 733

11.14.08

Almost ended up going to work today, but then we realized I had to stay for the cable guy. Got my run in before he got here around noon. It's been rainy and overcast for days now and it's just a gloomy dreary day. Anyway the run was okay, except my left foot is still kind of hurting on the outside edge. It hurt while walking around today. Not real sure what the deal is, I'm almost positive it is just from wearing those different shoes. More of a niggle than a real injury so I'm just going to wait it out and see how it is Sunday. Legs felt really stiff since I took the day off yesterday, wasn't too happy about that. Breathing wasn't much better. Amazing how one day off makes you feel like crap the next.

10:50 am. home. 58 degrees wet and foggy.
1:05:14, bf 725

11.13.08

Well I know it's anti-me, but I took the day off day. The whole day no running. For a normal person that would seem like a great thing. But for me it's the opposite. Running is my norm. I feel better after a good run. To not run is to take that part of my daily life away and so where some might enjoy a day off, I feel regret.

At the same time sometimes you just have to relax. Honestly I haven't been feeling "it" these past few days. I just sort of had a general lacking of enthusiasm. I'm already on the rebound and ready to get up bright and early to resume normal life again. This week is a low week for me, even though I've already put in close to 50 miles. Doing a 20+ miler on Sunday really pushes those miles up right away. The legs should be nice and rested for raceday though. It's sort of a mini-taper. I hope it gives me the rest I need to run hard, but still builds on my fitness. Only time will tell.

day of rest
abs (couldn't entirely do nothing)

11.12.08

Not a lot to say about today, just an easy run. The outside of my left foot was kind of hurting tonight - might be because of the shoes? I should have been switching them, but haven't. I'll keep an eye on it.
4:26 pm. soccer complex. 58 degrees cloudy
1:14:30, exp 53
form drills

11.11.08

Started at the soccer complex, but when it started to rain I decided I didn't want none o' that. I sat in the car for oh about a minute, then said forget that too and drove home. I decided it would be better to run on the treadmill. I've never done much if any speedwork on a treadmill, and I really wanted to get some fast stuff in as I wanted the rest of the week to be easy running.

stayed at 7.6, then increased 8.1,8.6,9.1 and back down holding for 1mile/.5/.25. Then I took a quick break as that took about 22 minutes. Next I went 7.7/8.0 for over a mile, then held 8.6 for .5, 9.1 for .5, 9.6 for .25, then 10(max) for .25 and then back down. That took a good 30 minutes as I held 8.0 for a while at the end. Yeah my treadmill only goes to 10, but it was pretty fast and there's no way I could hold that for longer than I did. I did like going up to fast speeds and coming back down because it makes 8.0 seem so much easier.

Treadmill running is good for turnover, but not strength. I think you can get faster on a treadmill, but I don't think you can get stronger. So for those who solely rely on a treadmill I think they will have excellent turnover. I mean basically I turnover twice as fast just to hold the same speed on ground. So as long as you do some hill running every now and then, I think you could totally run almost everything on a treadmill. Unfortunately it is rather boring. I had the great internet streaming video movie playing, so it didn't seem too long, but I also took a break halfway and that helped too.
5pm. soccer complex/tread. 54 degrees/treadmill.
1:12:01, exp 44

11.10.08

Nice run tonight. Wore my explosions. I could really tell a difference when going uphill, I could feel a lot more cushion under my forefoot. They are light which is good, but almost too light. They seem to have a little extra space on the sides of my feet. That's fine, but I would like a few eighth's skinner. Anyway the run was really good. You never would have known I had a long run yesterday. I really picked it up the last mile and breathing was perfect. I really wish I could try out those lunar racers, but unfortunately I'm holding off. Plus, I can't find them ANYWHERE even if I did want to buy them. Eastbay is sold out, except for like size 6 which is basically a kids shoe. I'm thinking about visiting a running shop, but I doubt they have them either, and even if they do they'll be expensive and I only buy shoes that are 60$ maybe a little more if I need them. And I don't really need these just yet.

4:30 pm. soccer complex. 54 degrees sunny
1:13:15, exp 35

11.9.08

Long, long run today. Went out really slow. I ate a huge lunch and it hadn't quite settled. Took about 45-50 minutes before I really started feeling right. Took an extra detour by walmart on a little greenway, added a good 15 minutes or more to the run. Still had 30-35 minutes when I made it back to the park. Felt good to run on the grass, but the knees were killing me. Also the left ham was really tight at times. I attribute that to the 100+ miles last week, and 89 the week before. I'll get used to it, but not until after my next race coming up this weekend. 23 miles today, kinda crazy but it was a good run and other than the legs I felt great.

3:07 pm. ball camp park. 50 degrees, kinda windy.
3:04:10, gf 354

11.8.08

wow 365 entries!
Went to McyD's for breakfast this morning. Mexican women working totally got our order wrong. We had to pay 2 extra dollars, but just said screw it because we couldn't understand them to argue for our money back.

Didn't really sleep in this morning, but considering I didn't run it felt like it.
Waited till night to run which went fine. Just a real easy run, with a few very subltle increases here and there. Legs are still pretty tired, but I've done a ton of miles. Thank goodness next week is my race, so it's an easy week.
5pm. soccer complex. 55-52 degrees.
1:37:33, gf 331

11.7.08

morning run went pretty good. Quads are achy, but once I got going things were fine.
6:10 am. home. 50 degrees.
1:04:26, gm 532

Started this one out wet, ended even wetter. In the movie "without limits" Steve Prevontaine is being recruited by Oregon (pretty much the awesomest college to run at, even still today). Bill Delenger brings along two of their best runners, Roscoe Divine (3:56 mile) and I believe Kenny Moore (great marathoner). It is a total downpour and he looks at them and says "At least you won't have to get your running shoes out." Pre meets them at the door and says "Hi Mr. Dellenger, mom's got some food inside....so guys, how about an easy 10?" The two just look at each other and say "We left them in the car". Then Steve says with a smile, "Well, do want me to get them for you?"

I felt a lot like that today. I would have dragged some total strangers out into the forest (if I had a forest) to do a ten mile run. The only bad part about running in the rain is that it was dark. I hate daylight takings time, but it always means morning runs so that is good. There is something about getting up early that just makes it feel more important for some reason. Anyway the run was tough with being pelted in the face by rain, but at least it was wam(er) so it wasn't too bad. It just sucked being wet. All the same the run went well enough and I was happy to get warm and dry.
5:30 pm. home. 60-55 degrees, totally raining.
1:12:58, bf 717

11.6.08

Morning medium run went fine. Went slow and steady the whole time. Didn't want to get up though.
5:40 am. soccer complex. 44 degrees.
1:44:32, gm 524

Legs were tight during work today, but I mostly just stuffed envelopes so that was good. Wore my free's tonight after not having worn them for a few days and felt extremely fast. I've been considering getting the nike free "everyday". They have more cushion, which is why I'm leaning towards something else. I need them as light as possible.
6pm. soccer complex. 60 degrees.
1:05:04, bf 708

11.5.08

Man days are flying by. Worked again today, maybe the rest of the week. Legs pretty tired this morning, but at least it wasn't as early as yesterday.
6:15 am. home. 44 degrees
1:05:01, exp 18

I didn't leave work early because I rode with April so this run was in the dark mostly. Scared of cars when that happens. Legs felt much better. Been wearing the explosions and they actually feel pretty good.
5:30 pm. home. 66-60 degrees got cold.
1:05:07, exp 26

11.4.08

Started in the dark, ran past sunrise - interesting run. Then went to work.
5:40am. soccer complex. 42 degrees
1:44:00, gm 511

Blister between my toes on the left foot, nothing bad. Decent run, legs are feeling the miles.
5pm. home. 65-58 degrees.
1:04:45, bf 700

11.3.08

Worked the folding machine today at the printing shop. Easy run into the dark. That's my whole day. Working again tomorrow.

5pm. home. 70-63 degrees
1:14:50, bf 692

Photos from our Halloween Party!

First, some of the craziest cat on the planet: Bentley

in my sink every morning.

and he likes to do the gopher,
most of the time unsupported.



Pumpkins I carved for the party

it's a cheshire cat.



Kelli was a Dali Painting

April was the White Witch from Chronicles of Narnia


I was DOG the Bounty Hunter, don't even try it punk.

we have more pics, but someone is emailing them to us later

and how can you not end a 20 mile long run without an icebath?
I don't know either.

11.2.08

Ah, the wonders of the time change. An extra hour of sleep? nope, got up at the regular time. An extra hour of procrastination?, check. Well I thought I would catch the marathon this morning before church, but only got to see about 3 minutes of it then we had to leave. And of that 3 minutes, only about 1 was quality because they had the crappiest live camera's ever. On the "men's" camera it was just a bunch of guys sitting by police bikes talking about crap and absolutely no running. I think they got their cameras mixed up.

Church went fine, then we went out to eat with Van and Regina, our marriage class leaders. We went downtown to eat at the square, it was nice. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed their company greatly, it put me way past my start time. We didn't get home till 3:20 and I had a 2.5 hour long run (same as last week). And with the lovely time change that mean't sunset at 5:45 - taking me well past sunset and running in the dark. At least I could run at the park at the end of my run and not be out on the road. Still the likelihood of tripping on something in that park is quite high. Other than the broken, crater-like pavement there are dips, bridges made of uneven boards, and valleys and drop-off's all over.

So to start the run I took off nice and easy - slogging really a quick loop around the park, then off up the incline. Today the legs weren't feeling too fresh. I did run about...**88** miles last week! Gah I can hardly believe that. But surprisingly I felt pretty good. I made sure to take it easier on the hills and just push the downhills. Although at the same time downhills kill your knees, so you really don't want to push either one :-) Anyway I went my new normal route down cedar bluff and into the subdivision.

I found a new trick today though. While making my way back from the subdivision I saw a place where there is a sort of pedestrain crosswalk, just a few lines across the four-lane street. There are apartments on the other side, and I guess they put that in so people could across to the eatery's and tiny shopping center on the other side (but not that any cars actually slow down for it because nobody ever has the guts to cross there because of crazy drivers). So i saw the traffic wasnt coming and I crossed there. It was nice because the apartments had a few different paved lots to run through, and it runs into a church and then on up to middlebrook. This is great because I don't have to run across at the stoplight anymore in fear of my life. So I was happy about that.

Went on down to the Weigels and then turned right down to walmart. Still felt pretty good at this point and was probably 1:15 or further into the run so I was making good progress and didn't feel like I need water or food. So I made my way back to the Weigels and the hill just past it put a pretty good hurtin' on my quads. I was definitely slowed down, but once I got to the top I was feeling pretty good again. Went on down and made it to Aubrey's hill, which actually didn't hurt too badly. For some reason I was just feeling really good today. At this point I had a good 35 minutes left and the sun was just about to go under the trees. I stopped at my car for a quick drink and a tiny bit of laraba bar and took off again. I didn't want to lose my momentum, although my knees were pretty beat up from going a little faster on the downhills, hams weren't much better.

It was MUCH cooler at the park. I think there is a creek nearby, so a ton of cool humid air filled my lungs and cooled my arms. I ended up running three loops, starting around the track, going to the back soccerfields and running them in sort of an L shape along the outsides of the fields. I think there are 8 of them, so it makes for a good half mile extra doing that. On the third "lap" I was still feeling great. My lungs actually never worked much today at all which surprised me. So since I was feeling good and had just hit 2:32, I figured I would just go for 2:40 and see if I could make it. I ran all of this along the main soccerfields, which connect longways so it didn't take too long, plus I veered off and did a little through the park section. Finished really strong and this run was in the books. Did a little walking cooldown, but the legs were pretty trashed. Got home and took an ice bath. GREAT day.

3:30 pm. ball camp park. 73-62 degrees.
2:41:33, gf 319

11.1.08

Not really a morning run - we stayed up way too late last night partying. We threw a halloween party with April's aunt. It turned out pretty good and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately there was only finger food, and so I was starving. Runners gotta eat real food y'know. There were some rolled up hams on toothpicks and I must have ate 25 of those (not kidding) and a smorgusborg of candy, chips, dips, and goodies. Yeah I ate a lot of bad stuff. I haven't had a pop or soda for a good while now. I had sprite last night, which isn't really cola so I'm not sure where my stance is on it. Either way one every now and then doesn't hurt, and this was just a then time.

Anyway I had good morning run. It went by fast enough and I even did a little over 8 miles, but oh well. Much warmer today and it was beautiful outside. No pugs fortunately, but I wouldn't have raced them today anyway.

12 am. home. 52 degrees sunny
1:08:41, bf 683


Did another run in what seemed like 5 minutes later at five or so. I got suckered into it trying to win a challenge on the nike+ website. I do funny thing sometimes I guess. Either way I was pleasantly surprised by the run. It was actually pretty good, I just wish there would have been a little more time inbetween the runs. I like running twice a day. You sort of get more bang for your buck. I was worried about increasing mileage, but I think I'm already ready for it. Sometimes I think when trying to prevent injury you can be a little too reserved. As long as I feel good I'm going to try not to worry tooo much about miles and just focus on running easy. All the same I put in ~88 miles this week, which if I'm not mistaken is about the highest I've done. Feels great though.

5 pm. soccer complex.68 degrees
53:02, gm 498