out of touch

I have been away for some time... yesterday was my first run since the trail run race back in November (also my last blog entry). It was only three miles, but it felt longer. I am starting back at the beginning (again). Life has kept me pretty busy. I am not complaining, but it has been tough. One can never really be prepared for a baby. They don't change everything, but they change one big thing - priorities.

I am going to still work on getting back to my running on some sort of routine, but with the holidays, it is difficult. Every weekend something is going on, not to mention an attempt to catch up on sleep.

For now I am going to lay low from blogging for awhile, but when I return, look for a new and improved blog. Until then, Happy Running and Happy Holidays!

race report

Yes. You read it correctly.

I said RACE REPORT.

I actually ran this weekend.

I will actually blog about some running.

It had been one day shy of two weeks since I had run. Oh boy did it feel like it too. Actually it felt like it more this morning than yesterday. My legs were tight when I woke up - most likely from running up and down all the hills from yesterday's race.

Okay. The race report:

It was the last DINO trail run for the year and it was held at Fort Harrison State Park (my "home turf" of sorts). I had not been trail running in three weeks (the last time was Sunday morning of the day when Steph's water broke) and had only run two other time since Lilli was born.

I didn't know for sure if I would run the race or not until that morning. It all hinged on Lilli cooperating with her schedule (i.e. sleeping between feedings). Thankfully she did pretty well and I was able to get ready and go. Steph didn't want to deny my need for running and was happy to let me get out - she knows it makes me happy.

I showed up at the state park and saw a vast sea of cars everywhere - probably the most I had ever seen at a trail race. I was determined to run the 15k even without running for almost two weeks. Probably not the best idea, but I wanted to see if my legs could handle it.

I met up with Brooke just before the race started and ran with her for the first half. We were keeping a pace right around 8:30/mile even with some pretty challenging hills. But after the turn around point, I felt I was losing steam. I was feeling it and wondered if the 5k wasn't a better idea - oh well - too late. I pushed on and kept focused on the person in front. I actually ended up running with a guy named Josh who was a first time trail runner. We talked a little bit and eventually he headed out past me around mile 6. By this point I was on more familiar ground with the trail since I had run this trail throughout the summer, but my knee was feeling the pounding of the downhill running. When I hit the road, I felt a sense of ease and picked up my pace, only to slow down a bit on the way up the sledding hill. Back down the hill my knee protested a bit, but I pushed on with the finish in site.

I finished in 1:21:58 - about a 8:48/mile pace which I was pretty happy with given my running over the last few weeks. So I am hoping for a more regular routine, but we will have to see. Maybe I'll try to run the Drumstick Dash on Thanksgiving morning, but again, it will depend on how my running goes. More to follow... until then Happy Running...

sleep is overrated

To say that I have not been getting much sleep is an understatement. I am tired, but so is Steph. Lillian is on a schedule of sorts (hers), but it is becoming more regular (whatever that means). Today is her first Pediatrician appointment, so we'll see how she is doing. We think she has gained some good weight since she was born, though she still swims in most of her clothes.

My running is still non-existent, but I still have hopes of trying to get out for a run. I can't seem to find the time to do it. It is always in between a feeding and Steph needs time to rest too, so I'm just not sure. If only her mom could have spent any time helping out like she did for both of her sisters boys, but it has been just Steph and myself. My mom did come up for one day last week, which was a huge help. Hopefully she'll come back soon. I know it's only temporary, but I am itching to get out there for a run... especially with the weather being as nice as it has been (minus the rain).

That is all for now - just an update. Hopefully more to follow.

the game of life

As you might have noticed, my running totals for the last week or two have plummeted to almost non-existence. I am not complaining mind you. Besides, I am too tired to complain. Lillian is finally getting accustomed to her surroundings and seems to be on a schedule of sorts. The first few days was rough. She wasn't eating as much and it was sporadic. She slept a lot and it was tough to get her to eat at times because she would fall asleep during the feeding.

This week has proven to be rough, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. With feedings every three hours Steph and I still trying to find time to sleep. I am actually doing okay - I am used to little amounts of sleep. But I am not finding any time to run. This morning would have been a good morning, but I have lots of work to get done that I haven't gotten to this week and I felt like I was run over by a truck.

Hopefully next week things will "normalize" to some extent so I can get back into a routine. I had it figured out that I could slip out for a run between feedings in the early morning or shift my runs to after work... we'll see. Last weekends 7 mile run was nice. I ran at a good pace and felt good, but I've done no running since and I don't want all my training to go to waste. My plan is to get out for another run this weekend - perhaps even a nice long trail run. I am still hoping to run a trail run race on the 17th... and maybe a few more races before the end of the year, but I'll be happy with just getting out for a run.

That's all for now.

finally...

It has been a long and tiring week, but Lillian is coming home tomorrow! The doctor has cleared her and she has passed all of her tests with flying colors. We spent the afternoon with her and came home for a nap before we have to go to a work function for Steph... she's feeling guilty about this, but this is very important to her because they are honoring a former client whom she helped and it was planned long before Lilli decided to come early, but it still isn't making it any easier (and her work is not been as understanding as one might think)... hopefully it will be a quick ceremony and then it is back home for our last chance at sleep - something that neither one of us have really had all week.

Both of us are excited, but nervous about bringing her home. We are both doubting our ability to be good parents - why? I guess because we have never been parents and this is for keeps and she is just so tiny... but I am pretty confident it will be fine once we get in a routine. I am going to get something worked out with my job to see if I can work from home for a few days to help ease the transition.

With Lillian being early, we have found ourselves a little caught off guard. We have to finish organizing the kitchen still, but her nursery is all set (even though she'll be in a bassinette in our room - initially anyway).

Lots of other little things that I didn't get to, but none of them important at this time. When they say "You're never ready" it is true. Nothing can prepare you to be ready to have a baby - you just learn to adapt and be flexible.

I'll be honest - I'm a little scared, but my excitement outweighs my fear.

That is all for now. I'll post more as time allows. Tonight's mission is to get the best sleep possible.

baby update

Mom and baby doing well. Lillian has been in NICU since delivery since she was 5 weeks early, but she has been proving to everyone that, while she was early, she was ready.
She did have a heart murmer, but this is normal, as the top valve of the heart is open while in the womb since it is not needed. In just one day it has improved dramatically to where it is almost gone. Her lungs were were just fine and she has beathed on her own since the delivery as well. She is also no longer having to be under a warmer so is now in a regular bassinet. Lillian is strong - just like her mom.
Steph was able to change Lillian's diaper and feed her twice yesterday. Lillian loves to eat - just like her dad.
Steph gets to go home today, but Lillian will have to stay for about another week - though we have not been given an exact date yet. This is proving to be very difficult for us. We truly love this little girl and don't want to be separated from her, but we also want to make sure she is ready to go home as well.
That is all for now. I'm going to try to go back to sleep...

daddy by design

As of 5:16 this morning, I am officially a daddy by design.
Lillian Violet is her name... More to come

on the road again

So after a few days off I came back to the running world for a nice easy s-l-o-w run this morning. The weatherman was saying it was 44 degrees, but with a wind chill it felt like 33.

What?! Did he say "wind chill"? Yep. With wind gusting at 17 mph, it was a brisk one out there in the dark, but dressed with a hat and gloves I was fine.

I even ran without my music or my watch - it was actually quite nice. It was a bright, full moon and a clear sky. It was also very quite - almost too quiet, but it was great.

This weekend I am going to attempt to get back to my roots. By roots I mean trails, by trails I mean going for a trail run. My last trail run was back in June some time. I have missed two races that I had planned at the beginning of the year to run, but marathon training got in the way. With all of that aside now, I need to get reacquainted.

That's all for now... Best of luck to Yumke as runs the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday!

indianapolis marathon race report

It was a beautiful day. The sky was cloudless and the temperature was perfect at 52 degrees. I am not sure I could have asked for more perfect race conditions for my third attempt at a marathon and second attempt at the Indianapolis Marathon.

I met up with Brooke, Jason, John and Andrea before the race. The race was delayed 10 - 15 minutes due to heavy traffic near the race site and they wanted to make sure all racers could get there in time. So we got lined up and talked a little more. The plan was to run together at about an 8:30/mile pace - the fastest I would want to run (especially since I was the only one running the full marathon). I felt I could reasonably run at this pace and be just fine, though I only need a consistent 9:00/mile pace to accomplish my goal.

With everyone lined up under the large American Flag, the national anthem started. There was a problem with the sound system and it cut out a few times at the beginning, but when it did, there was a low murmur in the crowd singing along, getting louder as we went along. Kind of gave me goose bumps.

Then it was time to race. Luckily where we were lined up we were close to the start - probably 45 seconds from the start line. Once we got started, we took off with the group. The first mile was right on pace and I was feeling good. The next couple of miles I had noticed that we were going too fast - about 8:00/mile. This is when Jason and John pulled away and Brooke and I tried to slow it back down to the goal pace. I wasn't sure if those first 5-6 miles above pace would hurt me, but I was feeling good so I didn't worry about it. I had a few minutes in the bank, so even if I slowed down on the back half to 9:30/mile I would still be okay.

At mile 6 I took some gel and water and continued on. We approached my neighborhood around mile 6.5 and Steph was out in front of our house with our neighbor cheering everyone on. We pushed on and then I started thinking about the hills in the state park - the ones I trained on - the ones I knew I could run. I am not sure what I was dreading, but it was at the back of my mind. Just after mile 8 we saw Brooke's husband Keith and her mom. We waved and headed towards the state park. Once in the park we were able to relax a little for a nice gradual downhill section of the course (of course the hill was on the back side of the loop still to come). The park looked amazing today - the sun and the leaves seemed in perfect harmony and they seemed to just glow. We rounded the back side of the loop and took the hills with no problem. It was a little work, but it was over before we knew it. We headed out of the park towards mile 12. I took a gel and water at the next water stop to keep up my energy, I was still feeling good and was having visions of crushing my goal at this point (not a good idea).

Brooke and I separated at mile 12.5 where she headed to the finish (she PR'd) and I headed into the state park, this time at the main entry where I would run straight through and do an out and back. At this point I was on my own. This was the part I had been dreading all summer long. This is where I had to prove to myself I was mentally strong enough to keep going on my own because this is where the fan support tends to drop off.

I was still feeling amazing. My pace was still around 8:30 - 8:40/mile so I figured I would push to stay at this pace as long as I could. I still felt like I would crush my goal and come in well under 4 hours even if I had to slow down to 9:30/mile further on.

Mile 14 got me to the back of the park and then I headed out to to the turn around point at mile 19. I tried to keep my mind busy with taking in the sight of colorful trees and looking at all of the runners. My pace was still holding steady up until around mile 19. I started to slow down and I was now running about 9:03/mile. I was starting to feel a little tired, but strong enough to keep up this pace. I took my last gel at mile 21 where I walked through the water stop and I pushed on. It was at this point I was trying to conserve some energy and I was planning on a walk break every mile - I still had plenty of time in the bank so I wasn't too worried, though I really didn't want to do any walking at all.

It was getting harder and harder to keep myself going. I finally made it back to the back of the park at mile 24 and I started walking at the water stop some more. At this point I was not feeling well. I couldn't tell if I drank too much or if I was at my limit. I continued to walk some more until I saw a photographer taking photos. I immediately threw my drink down and started running. I got a few good photos (I hope) and was about 25 feet past him when I felt light-headed and nauseous. I stopped and was walking once again. I had hit the wall HARD. It wasn't my legs at all - they did not hurt, it felt like my body had no energy left to give. I tried taking deep breaths, but couldn't seem to relax. My GPS had somehow gotten messed up at the very beginning of the race, so I wasn't even sure what my overall time actually was at this point, but I knew my banked minutes were disappearing quickly.

Brooke had promised to meet up with me somewhere in the park and pace me in. Unfortunately I was in no shape to be paced. She found me at about 24.5 miles walking and I had nothing in me to start any kind of shuffle, let alone run. She walked with me to the next water stop and then to mile 25 where I stopped to stretch. I though it might help, but I still felt awful.

This is the part I keep going over in my head. I keep thinking I could have started running at this point and made the last 1.2 miles, but I know at that given moment I could not. It wasn't until mile 25.5 that I was able to start a jog. I tried to pick up the pace for the last .2 miles and I am not sure if I did, but as I turned the corner I had a sudden surge of energy and I felt like I was sprinting to the finish.

My official time: 4:12:59. I am always happy to PR by ten minutes, but I still feel a bit disappointed to have made it so far into the race feeling strong only to crash and burn as I did so close to the end. I don't know if the first few miles hurt me (most likely), but I am going to try to not over analyze this anymore. It leaves me open for another PR for my next marathon and thw same goal to finish in under 4 hours still.

I have to thank Brooke for sticking around and helping me finish. I am not sure I could have started running again without some encouragement. Also, thanks to Jason who was at the end to see me finish (and to hand me some Propel, though an ice cold beer sounded better!). Without the support of my friends, it would have been a miserable experience.

That is all for now. I am taking a few days off and then will get back to it. I think my next race will be a trail run at Fort Harrison State Park on November 17th . Until then... Happy running to all!

i made it

I have finished the race. I did PR, but I did end up short of my goal to finish in under 4 hours... I am awaiting official results, but gun time was somewhere around 4:13. I'll fill you in in my up coming race report... but I will say it was a great race and a great experience...

'twas the night before marathon...

and all through the house,

Dave was excited,

annoying his spouse.

The weather looked better than ever before,

now Dave will try to run it in under four...

Yes, that's right, the weather is about as perfect as it can get... no worries except that I do not have any excuses for not running a good marathon tomorrow. It is just over 12 hours away, but for the most part, I am actually calm - not like I have been for any other race. So I guess that means I am as ready as I can be.

Tonight, Steph took me out to carb load at Maggiano's. I had my favorite spaghetti and meatballs dinner and lots of water. Afterwards, I headed over to packet pickup and expo. It isn't much of an expo (not like Chicago or the Mini-Marathon) but it is a nice, quaint expo - very small town - and I mean this in a good way. The whole race has that feel to it which is why I like it so much - plus it was also my first marathon, so it is special in that way too. After I got my packet I came right home and now I am preparing to go to bed early - all of my racing gear is out and ready.

So stay tuned for the race report soon to follow. Results will be posted HERE.

P.S. Bib #809

changes: some good, some not so good...

As I drove home this evening, I noticed a number of trees had changed color in just last last few days. It looks to be a very scenic marathon this year... this is the good.

Feeling inspired, I decided to drive by the start/finish area and noticed the tents were already set up as well as all of the port-a-johns lined up. I even noted that the arrows were painted on the pavement that direct runners and walkers alike on which way to turn. As a runner and a past and present participant in the race I am thrilled that it runs right through my neighborhood and right by my house. Seeing all of these things get me excited - even if there are some not so good changes - such as the weather forecast changing. And not in the direction I had hoped. I guess the good thing is at least the humidity will be lower than previously forecasted...

Trying not to obsess, but just wanting the perfect racing conditions... always seems to be a week to two too soon or too late... oh well.

My final tapering is going well, though I must admit that I had a tough time keeping my pace slow during my run yesterday. I was closer to marathon pace for almost all seven miles of my run instead of just the two miles I was supposed to run. I think my body is ready to run this thing...

like a ton of bricks

So it just hit me this evening...

I am running 26.2 miles next Saturday Morning.

I am slightly nervous, slightly anxious and very ready to run this thing in under 4 hours. I just looked at the forecast and it looks so much better than it did a few days ago where it was 60% chance of rain...

But I don't think rain would be terrible - not like the heat Chicago Marathoners faced. I could deal with it -- in fact I am trying to be more zen-like and be at peace with whatever mother nature throws at me and just not worry about it... but who am I kidding? I will obsess and then prepare like I have every other time before. I am as ready as I can be.

On another note, I just received an e-mail that the Indianapolis Marathon is actually reaching it's cap! For the first time in 12 years it will be sold out before race day... this small-town race is growing up and I am glad to be a part of it...

Taper is winding down... just a few more runs and then it's showtime!

Until then, Happy Running to all!

week 17 recap -- hello marathon week!

It certainly felt like a taper week this week. I got in my runs and felt a desire for more... strange considering there have been runs over the last 17 weeks where I couldn't make the mileage due to time or just had a bad run.

Today's run was an amazing opposite from last weekends hot and humid run... once again, congrats to all of you who ran Chicago last week - whether you were able to finish or not you are all superstars.

Looking back, it has been quite a roller coaster - seemed like a lot of bad runs for quite a long time and it seemed that I was always behind or out of sync with the training program. No doubt about it - Pfitz is tough and requires a lot of discipline. I feel better having gone through it even though I probably accomplished 85% of it... I feel more prepared than I have in previous years, but I am not sure how or why exactly. I have not compared my training plan from last year to this year, but I am pretty sure I ran more miles than I ever have in any training.

Yesterday I got a belated birthday present / early marathon present from Steph... a new running shirt personalized just for next Saturday...

week 16 recap

It wasn't the easiest taper week I have had - mainly because the weather has been like it was the middle of August. Other than that, my runs were good, but my pace was a bit erratic on my runs. My average pace was where I wanted it, but my splits just didn't seem right.

Next week looks a little easier, but still challenging... still doing strides and VO2 max runs and finishing up with a 12 mile run.

For all of the Chicago Marathoners out there - good luck and stay cool. Here's a little AC/DC for you ...

let the taper begin

Wow, what a month it has been. I finished my last 20 mile run in high spirits today. I averaged a 9:00/mile pace and felt great the entire time. I feel ready, so let the taper begin. Unfortunately, the taper is the worst part of the training for me. I always feel like I am losing my ability to run and therefore second guess myself... I just need to remember the great runs I have had and I think I'll be okay. I have not looked at the training schedule for next week, but I am not worried. For now my focus will be on tomorrow only.

Tomorrow is Steph's baby shower. Everything is ready, so now she can relax and enjoy her day. After that, it will be a big focus on work to get a project out the door on time... then it will be time to run 26.2 miles in under 4 hours...

week 14 recap... 4 weeks to go

It was a decent week of running for me. I got all my runs in and felt good for all of them. Yesterday's 17 miler was no exception. I started out at 6am and got my first 5 miles in by myself, running right around marathon pace... not planned, but it felt good. I met up with Jason and a couple of friends we had run a relay race with back in July. John and Andrea ran the first 7 miles with us - it was a nice relaxed pace. We ran on the half/full marathon course for a little practice - especially on the hills. No problems, the hills actually felt pretty easy (though the second time around they were a little more difficult). All in all, my average pace for the 17 miles was 9:31/mile - right where I wanted to be for this run.

During our final 5 miles, Jason and I saw Brooke and her husband Keith looking like they were just getting ready for their run... we shouted out hello and kept going (hopefully we didn't offend them by not stopping - I had to be back home in time to get cleaned up to go down to Steph's grandmother house to do some landscaping... )

Next week is a tough schedule for me... I'll start out with a 5 mile recovery run mixed with 6x100m strides, then I will follow that up the next day with a VO2 max workout of 10 miles with 4x1200m at 5k race pace... Wednesday I am out of town, so no running for me then... I finish up the week with a 10 mile run Thursday, then a 4 mile recovery run Friday and capped by my last 20 mile run on Saturday. Then it is all taper after that... oh boy, this marathon is coming up quickly...

35

Well, I'm officially another year older.

Another age group to race in.

Happy Birthday to me.

rock star-in-training?

It happened.

I had an amazing run this morning.

I feel like I have been raised to rock star status...

I give most of the credit to the incredibly cool temperature this morning... a wonderful 48 degrees when I started and about 55 when I finished. Truly an BIG help. Now if only marathon day can duplicate the weather then it will be awesome...

I started out just past 7am and ran six miles solo. I was meeting up with Jason at 8am so I wanted to make sure I had time to get some mileage in as I had 17 miles to do (14 at marathon pace). Jason had planned to run 9 miles with me so it would leave me with an easy 2 miles at the end.

Once I started, I was right on pace (mainly to try to get warmed up quickly). I soon noticed that my pace had picked up and was remaining steady (and faster) than I had expected. I was feeling good, so I thought "why not?" I finished my 6 miles up and checked my watch - 49:50 - about an 8:18/mile pace. Awesome...

I let Jason know we could run a pace between 8:30/mile and 9:00/mile. He was fine with keeping it closer to the 8:30, so off we went for 9 miles. It didn't slow down at all, and it was feeling pretty good. I did start to feel a little tired at one point, but a gel and some water and I was feeling better again. As we approached the end of the 9 miles Jason decided he was feeling too good to stop, so he finished out the last two miles.

Average overall pace: 8:29/mile right where I was supposed to be. I honestly believe that I could have run another 9 miles at that pace too. That is how good I was feeling. The running gods were smiling down on me today and I hope they do it again come marathon day...

For one day at least, I was a rock star out there!

Happy running to all!

open letter to my body

Dear Body, You let me down on Saturday. Though you did get me through 20 miles, you were still conspiring with my mind to work against me. You have probably noticed that our last two runs were a little more work than usual. This is your pay back. I am upping the pace and proving that we can do this. Every time you let me down, I will come back stronger and harder - this I promise.

Monday you remained strong and averaged an 8:40/mile pace without any problem - even with some slight humidity left in the air, it was nothing compared to Saturday. This morning, even though it began to rain just as we stepped outside, you did not fail me. You started out stronger than I thought you could and you averaged an 8:29/mile pace. You are proving to me that I did not make a mistake by signing up for the marathon. With just under 6 weeks to go, you still have a lot to prove, but we can get through this together.

I hope we have an understanding from this point forward.

Your Truly, Dave

week 12 recap

With a rough week last week, I was hoping for some better results this week as I began mesocycle 3. Here's how it went:

Monday was an VO2 max - 8 mile run with 5x600m at 5k race pace - no problem, felt good after this run.

Tuesday I got in 7 miles out of 11. Time was an issue here... I must learn to run faster...

Wednesday I did 4 miles recovery with 6x100m strides - no problem.

Thursday was supposed to be an 8-15k race pace "tune up" run, but I pushed it off until Friday.

Friday - my body was not feeling it. I was exhausted and could not muster the strength to get up and out the door. So no "tune up" for me...

Saturday was supposed to be 17 miles, but I insisted on a 22 mile run to make up for my previous shortened long run... well, I eked out 20 miles and it was not pretty. I felt awful for almost all 20 miles, but I pushed through it. There were plenty of times I had wanted to quit, but I had to prove that I could do this. Unfortunately, this was not the run I had hoped to have. It did not give me any confidence that I could run the marathon in October - okay, I know I could finish it, but I do not want to run slower than my previous marathons. I was really hoping for a faster time. Now I am undecided about the marathon... I am leaning very heavily towards the half instead, but feeling like I'd be giving up, which is not my style. But there is some feeling of relief in the back of my mind by only running the half. I hate being in this position...

My plan is to continue my training regardless of my decision, though. I will modify my pace and long run mileage most likely. Anyone have any thoughts? Ugh... six more weeks to go...

does the good outweigh the bad?

Week 11 recap...

It seems like so many of my posts have been about bad runs. I had hoped to write about a great run I had on Saturday - completing my first real 20 miles run for this training season... well, first off, 5k races and 20 mile runs do not mix... I got up early to run before the 5k race and I was able to do 6 miles. Then came the 5k race and I decided that I would not try to see how fast I could run the thing. That was a good plan, since the race was mainly cross country and trails.

After the race, I got home to prepare for my remaining 11 miles, but my body did not feel up to it. I could not get myself out the door. It was already 10am, and it was getting warm out, so I mentally do not think I wanted to deal with any heat. I convinced myself that I would run in the evening - not exactly what Pfitz had in mind for the long run, but it was going to have to do.

Well, that didn't happen either. I felt sluggish the rest of the day - even after a 2 hour nap. I conceded that I would have to make up my mileage on Sunday even though I use this as a rest day. Sure enough, I kept it as a rest day. I still felt out of it and un-inspired. Steph asked me if my heart was really in this training for this marathon and I began to wonder... Physically I am getting prepared, but mentally I am not sure I am capable of it. I have until September 12th to decide if I am ready.

After today's run, I feel ready. I actually had a great run. I started out later than I wanted, but I only had an VO2 max run -- 8 miles with 5x600m at 5k race pace. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but as I headed down the street I felt pretty good - not fast, but good. I ran to the track about a mile away and ran my 600m repeats. I was tired by the end, but even my slow jog was faster than expected. I finished my run strong - my last mile at 8:14... hmmm... So, maybe I can do this marathon thing again... I am looking at reworking my schedule on the weekends too so I can recover some 20+ mile runs. Next weekend is a 15k trail run so I am deciding if that will work into my schedule. I have until the beginning of October until I begin my taper, so September is going be a busy month.

week 10 recap

It was a great recovery week. I got all my runs in and all my mileage - I even added half a mile on Saturday's 14 mile run.

Saturday was a great day for a run - rain and all. Brooke joined me for my run and kept me company for all 14.5 miles. Had a great time catching up on everything. The rain was actually a nice distraction from the humidity, though I was drenched by the end of the run and my feet felt like they each weighed 10 lbs.

I was also able to finish another piece of furniture for the nursery this weekend. It was an end table/nightstand for next to the rocking chair. Steph helped out by painting the carved flowers on the front of the door to give it a little more girly look to it. I'll try to post photos of nursery soon. My remaining tasks are to add an overhead light and refinish a child's rocking chair. I am also helping Steph's sister and best friend with the baby shower - at least as much as they'll let me anyway :)

This week has me very busy at work and once again I will have to be flexible with my running schedule. Awaiting me at the end of the week are two things: a 5k run I almost forgot about and a 20 mile run... not sure how I am going to handle this...

halfway through...

I completed nine weeks of training so far and have nine more left. I capped off my week with my first marathon race pace run. I will admit, I was nervous about this run. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to maintain the pace I wanted, as previous runs I found to be difficult (though these were at half marathon pace and in high humidity). Yesterday morning was almost perfect -- a wonderfully cool 60 degrees and low humidity.

The plan was to run with Jason for the first ten miles and he was wanting to pick up the pace for his run, so we planned to start out right at marathon pace (8:30/mile), but we didn't get there on the first mile, which was probably good. We ran together for the first 7.5 miles, then I was out on my own. My pace was kind of all over the place, but within the range I had hoped to run - in fact some much faster than I thought I would be able to. In all honesty, I felt awesome! My overall average pace for all 15 miles was 8:35/mile... here are my splits:

1. 9:11
2. 8:44
3. 8:38
4. 8:48
5. 8:19
6. 8:39
7. 8:02
8. 8:13
9. 7:47
10. 8:02
11. 8:13
12. 8:22
13. 9:39
14. 8:53
15. 9:15

I felt great for the entire run. I wish I had run a full half mary at this point - I think I could have PR'd. I am now contemplating running a half in September (I actually have two to choose from).

Nine more weeks to go six weeks before taper... wow, lots to do between now and then...

running short

It's been awhile since I have posted anything, but I have been busy. I have been able to run, but my runs have been shorter than scheduled. This past weekends run was a scheduled 20 miler, but I only mustered up 18...

And it wasn't because I couldn't physically do it, it was that I was mentally bored. I was lucky enough to run my first 7 miles with Jason and the next 7-8 miles weren't too bad, but as I got to mile 16, it hit me that I was bored and I did all I could do to get to 18. I am not sure if it was because I ran without music or just was bored in general, but I just wanted it over with.

Then this past week I had a 14 mile run scheduled for Wednesday. I only had time to get 7 miles done in the morning and no time to run after work. I am trying to make up for this in my other runs this week, but I will still fall short on my mileage once again this week...

Luckily, this weekend's run is only 15 miles (though 12 miles are at marathon pace -- my first one), so I am actually looking forward to it.

With all that is going on, I am once again undecided if I will run the full marathon in October, or if I will fall back to the half... for now I will continue to fight for my mileage and will decided in a few weeks, just before I officially sign up (deadline before cost goes up is September 12th).

More to follow after this weekend's run... until then, Happy Running.

recovery + speed

This seemed like a weird combination in a workout, but I followed through with it. The recovery part was the easy part - I was still a little sore/tired from the 20 miler on Saturday. When it came to the 100m strides, it was a little more work, but I got through them.

I also was FINALLY able to get new shoes! I had problems last time around because I was told that Asics did not make my size in the updated version of the Gel Fortitudes... well they do, they just didn't publish that information. So here they are in an updated look - no more orange and grey:

week 7 recap

In a word - "brutal". Once again, I wasn't able to get all of my runs in, but I did get my 18 mile run completed yesterday morning - barely.

I woke up around 6am and felt tired. That was not a good sign, but I managed to get up grab a bite to eat and get ready for my run. I took my time, seeming to try to delay the inevitable. I was almost convinced that I could run on Sunday instead and to go back to bed, but I got out the door and started my run.

I decided the night before that I would try to run on as much of the marathon course as possible. I was still tired and was taking it easy on my run. It wasn't until mile 3 or 4 that I felt better. The temperature was not too bad - low 70's and the humidity didn't feel overwhelming.

I was feeling good at mile 9 and was soon approaching some hills. I sort of had a bit of a panic attack thinking about them, but I had run these hills in many of my runs, so I am not sure what that was about. I climbed them just fine and never really slowed down.

The toughest part of the run was the last three miles. It was dreadful. I was thinking about stopping and having Steph come pick me up. Then I thought I'd run to the local coffee house instead and have her meet me there so I could get an iced coffee, but if I didn't finish this run I wouldn't deserve it so then I told myself to shut up and run and finish what I started. I was feeling the mileage, but I was able to keep pushing. In fact, my pace started to pick up over the last two miles - I really wanted the run over with.

I got done and was even more tired, but also sore. My legs felt like lead. I stretched the best I could and then settled in for a nice soothing ice bath. Afterwards, I grabbed some lunch and then took an hour nap. I felt a little better. So 36 miles for the week - short of even my modified training schedule (Pfitz had it scheduled for 50 miles). I am convinced that I will not be able to follow Pfitz completely - not with my schedule. I know there are people out there who can squeeze in their runs better than I, but so far I think I am doing pretty good.

Next week is another long week. I am going to attempt 40+ miles - 20 of which are my long run. Wish me luck...

Until then Happy Running.

full moon fever

How early is too early?

I found out Wednesday morning - I guess it was morning technically...

First of all, I woke up early on Tuesday to get in my 8 mile run with 4 miles at half marathon pace. I wanted to do this run while it was comfortably cool. It was a great run - quiet with a clear sky and the full moon as bright as could be. Not wanting to lose my momentum and having a very early departure time to head up to Michigan for a long day of meetings on Wednesday, I woke up at 3am.

What?!

Yes, Three. A.M.

It was only a 4 mile recovery run, but I didn't want to skip a run if I could help it. So there I was, running in the eerily quiet streets of my neighborhood, not a single car on the road and the only sounds were from crickets and air conditioners. It was the kind of quiet you hear/see in horror movies. But I got my run in and was able to get to the office in time to get some work done before we left. I didn't get home that night until 8pm - very tired and very hungry.

I slept in a little yesterday, so didn't get a chance to go out for my run in the morning so it was a run after work in the heat and humidity. I was still tired from my trip, so I decided to cut it short. Surprisingly my pace was faster than I intended and that was on hills. Maybe I am regaining my speed? Anyway, I got towards the end of my last mile and I coaxed myself into one more mile. I felt better for getting that extra mile in even though I shorted myself 3 miles.

So now the question is: Do I run tonight or rest and focus on a good long run (18 miles) Saturday? I am leaning towards the rest...

week 6 recap

After getting all of my mid-week runs in, Friday I slipped and missed my recovery run. I had obligations and did not make it out. Saturday I spent the day at my parents and helped my dad install a window in the upstairs of his barn while my mom and Steph went shopping.

I also decided to pick up an X5 on Saturday...

No, not this one:

This one:

Yeah, that's right a new vacuum. I get excited about little things I guess, but it is a cool vacuum - and much cheaper than the Dyson. I was shocked by how much more cat hair came up with it than the old vacuum…

On Sunday I got up a little later than I expected and didn’t get out for my run until a little after 9:00 am. It was already a little humid and the sun was promising to make it warm, but it seemed pretty comfortable. When I started out I felt great. It seemed like an easy run and my pace was right where it was supposed to be. I got through my run feeling great – not euphoric, but just feeling great. Afterwards I was tired, but my lack of sleep is catching up with me. This week will be another hectic one at work, so we’ll see how my running schedule goes… It is the beginning of mesocycle 2 and there is a whopping 18 mile run to cap it all off.

sex and six

Do I have your attention?

Steph ended up going to the doctor yesterday to be checked out - she had a concern and they decided to do another ultrasound to make sure everything looked alright. This time "Squishy" cooperated and we found out that we will be having a baby girl :)

On the running front, I got out for my 6 mile run - no rain, and not terribly humid, though I did sweat quite a bit... an easy recovery run tonight (hopefully) and then try to squeeze in 12 miles this weekend... busy, busy...

strides and recovery

After my race/long run Sunday, I took Monday off as a rest day. And, quite honestly, much needed. My knee was "complaining" a little - most noticeably on stairs. Then yesterday, it was fine. When I set out for my run I tried to take it somewhat easy, knowing that I needed to do my 100m strides. I was able to do my strides relatively easy, though the last one I definitely felt. Today was an easy 3 mile recovery run and I had a hard time keeping an easy slow pace. Felt good during the run, muscles still a little sore, but otherwise felt good. Tomorrow's run is another general aerobic run. Looks like it might even be in the rain... can't wait.

42k relay race report and week 5 recap

The weather was more cooperative this year than last. It was a beautiful day - starting out in the low 60's and reaching low 80's late in the afternoon.

The team name for the relay was "2 Fast, 2 Furious" - a bit cheesy, but appropriate. Our team members were myself, my friend Jason, our co-worker Andrea and her husband John.

I was first to go again this year and also ran the last lap, so my total mileage during the relay was 8.2 miles. We all did a great job, though I started out a little slower than last year, my overall pace was faster - 7:42/mile. I was very happy with my results. Our overall team time for the relay was 3:24:31. About 6 minutes faster than last year.

I did have one mess up during the relay - John, who was last in the rotation ran much faster than he thought and caught me sitting down - I thought I had another minute or two before I had to be at the exchange zone. I was about ready to get up and go over there when I hear my name being screamed... oops. I think we lost about 15 second on that transfer... oh well, we still had lots of fun and are already talking about doing it again next year - but with maybe another team or two...

After we got done, we packed up and Jason, John and Andrea headed out for some lunch, but I, trying to stay dedicated to my training schedule, headed out to get the remaining 8.8 miles in. My plan was to go nice and slow and just get my miles done and I even ran it faster than I expected - at a 9:37/mile pace. Most of the path was shaded and it was very pleasant, but as I got to 6.8 miles, my legs just wanted to rest they were done for the week.

The good news is: I got all my runs in and just 2 mile short for the week, but I think that is still a victory. Next week is a step back week of sorts, so I can let my legs rest a little.

18 week update

This is a photo from our doctor appointment two weeks ago (18 weeks along). We are actually now at 20 weeks and a day... Unfortunately we could not determine gender of baby much to my disappointment, but from certain measurements that they took, they feel there is a strong chance it is a girl. But since we are not sure 100% we have given the baby a nickname for the time being... we're calling it "squishy" since it seems so squished up... the good news is that mother and baby are healthy and everything looks great.

easy 8

I got my 8 miles in this evening. There was a chance of rain, but when I started it only looked a little cloudy, but it was still sunny and humid. At the half way point the dark clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. I seemed to be staying in front of the clouds, but they soon overtook me and my pace picked up trying to beat them home, but honestly was looking forward to running in the rain again. With about a mile left to go, it did start to "try" to rain, but it never amounted to much more than some scattered large drops.

I finished up in a decent time (74 minutes), averaging a 9:16/mile pace... felt good for the run. Things seem to finally be coming together for me.

Tomorrow is a 3 mile recovery run, so I hope to get back on the trails for this one. It has been quite a while since I have had the opportunity to run some trails, so it should be a nice change of pace.

wet behind the ears

and everywhere else...

I started out my recovery run yesterday morning at 5:30am, squeezing it in before I had to be at work to head up to Michigan. I checked the radar before I left and the rain looked to be north of me, so no big deal. One mile into my run it started to rain, then pour. Seeing that I could not possibly get home without being drenched anyway, I continued my run to get my 4 miles in. I actually enjoyed running in the rain. The only downside was the "squish, squish" as I ran...

Looking to do 8 miles this afternoon if all goes well... maybe it will even rain on me...

break on through to the other side...

I began my week without any expectations. On the schedule for Monday was a 7 mile LT run with 3 miles at half marathon pace.

When I started out, my pace was 10:18/mile...much slower than I thought and it felt faster than that. The plan was to run the first two miles nice and easy (no problem there), then run the next three at half marathon pace (which I am not sure what that really is, so I guessed at around 8:30/mile). As soon as I hit the beginning of mile 3 I picked up the pace - surprisingly effortlessly. I wasn't sure if I could manage it for all 3 miles, but before I knew it I was there. Then I tried to slow down, but it didn't happen as easily as I thought. my last 2 miles were still sub-9's.

So, a little redemption for me and a nice way to start out the week. A nice recovery run tomorrow morning then 8 miles on Thursday. So far so good...

week 5 looking ahead

With two more weeks in the first mesocycle in Pfitz's training plan, I am going to try to establish a better routine, but also try to be as flexible with my time as possible. It appears that I will have to adjust the schedule as I move forward and hope that I can still do the long run mileage on the weekends. On tap for this week:

Monday: LT run Tuesday: Recovery run Wednesday: XT Thursday: GA Run Friday: Recovery run Saturday: Rest Sunday: 17 miles*

*I have a 42k Relay Race that morning and will be running 8.2 miles in that and the other 8.8 miles afterwards

the ultimate betrayal

With week 4 having been less than perfect for me, I was looking for some redemption in my running with my long run this morning. The weather was practically perfect (starting out around 60 degrees with a nice breeze).

On my schedule was 15 miles, so the idea was to do an out and back to force me to get my mileage in. I felt pretty good for the first 7.5 miles then it was time to turn around... I think it was all mental, but then it seemed like a daunting task to run back to where I had started... I stretched and took in some sport drink and started back. It was about a mile into my run that I was passed by a runner who I would have guessed to be Kenyan, but I later found out it was just a guy who runs and has never run a marathon... that probably made me feel even slower... another mile down the road I take another break and drink a little more and push on a little further. With 4 miles to go, my body was giving up. It did not want to do anything with running and it was becoming such an effort to maintain any sort of forward momentum. I pushed for 2 more miles and then I had to stop and stretch. It took every ounce of strength I had to get going again only to see a bench about a 1/4 mile later that called my name. I stopped, sat down and massaged my aching muscles for about a minute then I pushed on to then end.

My body had betrayed me today, but in all fairness I think it was my fault. I didn't have much of a dinner last night and I never have much for breakfast before I run, so it had no fuel to keep me going. I felt like I had run a full marathon when I was done - and it got me thinking about my ability to train for a fall marathon... I think the good thing is it is still early in the schedule and I believe I have time to make this work... another tough week coming up...

On another note, my friend Brooke will be running the US Half Marathon in Copper, Colorado tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Check her blog next week for a race report... Until then, Happy Running to all.

we interupt this training schedule to bring you...

LIFE

It has been awhile since I have blogged... life seems to be getting a little out of control - or at least not as orderly as I like things. Everything has its place you know. My running was going well last week. I got all my runs in, went to dinner on Friday night where I ordered a pasta dish that apparently did not agree with me at all and left me hurling all night. Needless to say, my 14 mile long run the next day did not happen, nor did it happen the next day. A big "bagel" for mileage this past weekend.

Then my work schedule kept me from getting any runs in early on in the week. I was up early to go to Michigan Monday morning, not getting back until 11pm, then up at 4:30am on Tuesday to go to an early meeting, working late to try to "catch up" which didn't do any good. Then it was up early again to go to Michigan on Wednesday, getting back around 7pm, but feeling so incredibly drained that running would not have been a good idea. I literally had no time to get a run in. It has left me stressed out and reconsidering running a marathon this fall. I do not like it when I fall short of my goals and I really do not like missing any of my runs.

After my day at work yesterday, I left just a few minutes early to get home a go for a run. I needed it, I needed an outlet for my stress and frustration and running was my only hope. I headed out to the park and settled on 7 miles. I was ready to get started and went to get my watch ready when I realized I had forgotten it at home... just one more small thing to piss me off. I shrugged it off and decided to just run - to hell with time. I knew the distances, so that wasn't a big deal. I headed out and just ran. It was me and my music, running as hard as I could, charging hills and trying to pick up the pace whenever I could, leaving my stresses behind me - kind of like that Propel commercial with the song "Pressure" playing in the background (which is a great song to run to BTW) . So, I am struggling to get back on track, but am finding myself falling further and further behind in my mileage. I am going to rework my schedule once again to attempt to get "caught up" before the weekly mileage really climbs. I have some baby news updates, but will save it for another post. I'd rather keep my dismal running performance separate from that stuff. Until then - just keep on running - I'll catch up with you...

pre-inaugural geist half marathon

With 13 miles to run I decided to try a new route. It was announced early in the year that there will be a new half marathon with the inaugural race being next May. So I somewhat jokingly suggested it to Brooke, who took a couple of days to look it over and decide to join me.

So, starting out at about 7:30am, we headed on the route to see what it was like. Actually, it was not too bad -- even with some "dicey" moments on the side of the road with no shoulder, but these were few and far between and only for short stretches. We paid careful attention to the cars and most were nice enough to move over for us.

Felt good for most of the run, though there was a time that I was running out of steam, but the last 2.5 miles I was good. Our time wasn't bad - 2:04 with an average pace of 9:32/mile. A beautiful day out there - slightly overcast, slight breeze and low humidity -- it was just about perfect. We had a few rolling hills to deal with, but they weren't too bad. All in all, it was a good run and a good route. I think I'll be trying it again later on.

That's all for now. Happy running.

8 miles - 10x100mstrides

First off, I tried.

I left work early to get started on my 8 mile run and then my strides. I had the course all plotted out so I could get to the track and do my strides on the way back. I got to my turn around point and stopped to get a drink...I was dripping. I was hot. My sunglasses were fogged up and wet at the same time. It was not pleasant. I pushed on trying to run in the shade as much as possible, but there seemed to be a lack of it.

By the time I made it to the track, I was overheated, felt drained and I wussed out - plain and simple. It took all I had to get home (and about a half mile short of a full 8 miles at that). Perhaps I ran too hard - I averaged a 9:34/mile pace... Anyway, I cooled down while stretching, then was able to eat. I am reviewing my schedule for the week and may cut some of my runs shorter (except for Saturday's) just to ease my mileage up. I was not at a base level I should have been to begin this training plan, but I think I can still manage it - it will just require a little more effort.

On another note, during my run I met a member of the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association. I learned that they are going to be reworking the trails in Fort Harrison State Park, making them less steep in spots and making them longer. I was glad to hear about this an am looking forward to it happening (though I doubt it happens until next year).

week one over, 17 to go...

My first week of training went okay. Afterall, I didn't exactly get started out exactly as Pfitz would have had me, but nevertheless it ended on a strong note. Saturday's run was a scheduled 12 miler. The weather finally did something other than be sunny, hot and humid. It was a pleasant overcast, cool and humid.

On my drive over to the Monon Trail I drove though patches of rain. Not what I had hoped for, but better than heat. The plan was to run a few miles and then meet up with my friend Jason for at least 6 miles, then finish up my run by myself. I got there around 6:45am and got right to my run. I decided I could get in 4 miles and then see if I couldn't convince Jason to run more than 6. I finished up four miles and was back at the meeting point right on time. I didn't check my pace during this part of my run, but waited until it was all over to see how I did.

Jason was a good sport and decided he'd give 7 miles a shot, but 8 would be pushing it. So we headed north for 3.5 miles up and then back. On our way back we both felt pretty good, hitting our stride and picking up the pace. Jason picked it up the last 1/4 mile and finished up, I had just 1 mile to go so I headed down for another 1/2 mile then turned around. I met up with Jason at his place for some water and to relax.

I checked on our results and was pleasantly surprised... our splits were good, in fact we got faster towards the end...

1. 9:26/mile (solo)
2. 9:28/mile (solo)
3. 9:40/mile (solo)
4. 9:40/mile (solo)
5. 9:30/mile (started w/ Jason)
6. 9:46/mile
7. 9:37/mile
8. 9:53/mile (includes a water stop)
9. 9:08/mile
10. 9:01/mile
11. 8:59/mile (Jason's last)
12. 8:36/mile (my last)

It was a good run, it felt easy, though I was a little sore when I was done, but I stretched really well when I got home and that made a big difference. So we'll see how this weeks training goes.

This week's schedule:

Monday: 8 miles w 10x100m strides

Tuesday: Cross train

Wednesday: 10 miles

Thursday: rest

Friday: 5 mile recovery

Saturday: 13 miles

scorched earth

It was a hot one today, or so it seemed to me, so I headed to my favorite running spot for an easy 4 mile recovery run. My legs were pretty sore from yesterday's "homework" so I tried to take it easy. At first I felt like I was awkward and my form was that of a novice. I could not seem to find a rhythm, so I kept pushing on. I felt slow and I thought I was doing a good job of taking it nice and easy, but when I was finished I found out that my splits were a little fast...

1. 9:12/mile
2. 9:04/mile
3. 9:15/mile
4. 9:09/mile

Unless... maybe I am getting that fast that a 9 min/mile pace is slow...

summer school

"Yo' sound the bell, school's in sucka..."

Yes, that's right it is time for Marathon Training to start (a day before the first day of summer no less)... and I did my first homework assignment tonight - 8x400's. Admittedly I am a few days late getting started, but with the bug I had, I wasn't ready to jump right in and I am taking these first couple of weeks and using Dave Keuhl's 4 months to a 4 hour marathon training, but jumped ahead a few weeks to sort of match the Pfitz plan... crap, they sure kicked my butt... I went out way too fast and couldn't find the right pace, but I got to start somewhere. I will spare the details...

The other news is I did not go to New York this week and in fact will not be on that project afterall. On one hand, I am disappointed, but on the other, I am glad -- I am too busy and I have a lot going on in my life to be traveling so much, so it is all good.

So, it's on. I have a long 18 weeks ahead of me. Starting out this weekend is a 12 mile run -- ugh! We'll see how this goes. I think it will be up early to avoid the heat... more to follow. Until then, Happy Running!

crash and burn

Since Thursday evening I have been down and out with some sort of bug. I never get sick - well, almost never. When I do, I like to be left alone and just let myself get over what it is I have. I feel better this morning. I feel "normal" today -- slightly tired and already thinking about the 100's of things I have to do for the week. Oh, and to top it off, marathon training is supposed to start THIS WEEK! Ugh!

The good news is two weeks ago my running went pretty well. I got three mid-week runs in and then topped it off with an 11 mile run. I found out that the 11 miles was pushing it slightly. I quickly got into an ice bath when I got home. Then last week I had a nice recovery trail run on Tuesday and then that was it, I was up in Michigan for a long day on Wednesday and then busy with some side work when I started getting aches and chills. I knew I was in trouble at this point so I went to bed early and woke up feeling okay - not great, but well enough to go to work.

Yeah, that lasted until noon and it was back home for me. I slept the rest of the afternoon, was able to eat dinner, then early to bed for me again. I slept pretty much all day Saturday. I got up some time in the afternoon to sit around and try to clear my head.

Sunday I felt well enough to go to brunch with my parents for father's day, then it was back home for a nap... a much needed nap.

So now I am trying to ease back into things and it is going to be an interesting running schedule this week. Not sure how one eases into a Pfitz training plan, so I am working on some "adjustments" for the first few weeks so I do have a relapse of this weekend.

That is all for now. It is off to New York for me on Tuesday and Wednesday, so it will be an interesting week all around. I need to rest up for 12 miles this weekend...

hoosier daddy

So here's my big annoucement... I'm going to be a dad... *big smile*

Steph is 14 weeks along and is due December 5th. We'll hopefully know the sex in 6 more weeks...

motor city madness

We just got back from our Detroit wedding weekend. We had a good time seeing some old friends, and saying goodbye to some for awhile... as the couple getting married are moving to San Francisco this Thursday... they are quite the crazy couple. Not only did they get married last night, she was graduating from Med School today and they are moving to San Fransisco for her to begin her residency. All of this occurred in the span of about 4 months... we wish them the best of luck. They are a great couple.

Detroit is an interesting city - certainly not what I expected. Admittedly, I expected it to be grittier, but it was actually not bad. With that said though, the planning that went into the layout of that city sucks. I have never encountered a city whose roads were all at angles, many not at right angles to one another.

But, there were some real gems there like these:

Amazing buildings with some great detail. Almost a shame they are in a city that seemed to lack some life... There were no attractions, nothing to be downtown for except perhaps at night. Many of these building were vacant.

This will probably be the only time we visit Detroit (unless I give their marathon a try), so I was glad to get the chance to go, but I wonder if there will be a rebirth of this city? It sure has a lot of potential.

double digits

I finally made it - my long run got into double digits. A big 10 miles.

It was an interesting run for me this morning. I woke up early and got out the door by 6am. I had the route more or less planned in my head, and knew where I could add mileage if needed. So I headed out and felt a little slow and tired, probably from just getting 5-1/2 hours of sleep, but who knows.

I had a weird inner dialogue going on during my run... About mile 3: "My toes feel like they are all rubbing together. What is up with that?" "You should stop and adjust your sock" "Good idea" So, I stop and try to fix the problem, but nothing seemed to help so I pushed on... things were going as well as they could go at this point but I was dripping in sweat... "I'm drenched! I am sweating like a stuck pig!" "I believe that is bleeding like a stuck pig" "Oh, okay. I am sweating like a bleeding stuck pig!" "Never mind"

Around mile 4.5 I entered Fort Harrison State Park: "Ouch! what was that?!" "Just some bug" "Oh, I think it was an African Tsetse Fly!" "It was not a Tsetse Fly" "Well, it sounds much cooler than just saying I was bitten by some bug" "Whatever"

So the entire 3.5 miles that I was in the park I was swatting at these bugs. The good thing was they took my mind off my toes. But when I got out of the park, I noticed them again and it was becoming more uncomfortable. I finished up and was never more glad to be done with a run. My toes felt like they swelled up to twice their size. I ripped my shoes off to find just a few small blisters thankfully.

My splits were not bad:

1. 9:36
2. 9:35
3. 9:48
4. 9:32
5. 9:13
6. 9:46
7. 9:19
8. 8:34
9. 9:36
10. 9:06

That's all for now. Hope you all have a good weekend. It's off to Motown for me...

my trip to cooperstown, ny

Memorial Day was very low-key this year - not much went on for us. Basically tried to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep.

Tuesday was my trip out to Cooperstown, NY (home of the baseball hall of fame). I woke up early and was able to squeeze an easy run in the neighborhood. I got back and headed to the municipal airport on the west side of town to catch the charter flight out. There I was, carrying my golf clubs and boarding a plane - like someone who golfs all the time and travels just to try different courses... yep that's me (not). It had been close to 2-1/2 years since I golfed. At that time, I wasn't bad, but I wasn't very good either.

So, and early morning flight out to Rome, NY and then about an hours drive to Cooperstown. What a beautiful little village. Postcard perfect... I had been there as a kid with my family on vacation, but I remembered very little, so it was like seeing it for the first time. The houses were gorgeous - large Victorian and First Empire styled homes - amazing. I could see myself there if there was enough work to keep me busy the rest of my life...

But on to the golf outing... we arrived just in time for lunch - good food. Then it was time for the shotgun start at 1pm sharp. Our foursome started on hole 14. The views were amazing! Tree lined fairways all with a view of the lake and historic hotel. Just being out there was an experience - I could have had just as much fun driving the golf cart just seeing those views. I imagine it is spectacular in the fall...

I did not play well at all, but had a great time. I would love to take up golfing again, but running to me is so much easier. It requires so little thinking and just doing - I like that. Golfing on the other hand is so mental. I was constantly thinking through my swing and analyzing my shots. It was mentally taxing.

I didn't arrive back in Indy until 11pm and didn't get home until almost midnight. Needless to say I slept in and was moving slowly all day. I finally got around to my run this evening at 5pm. I decided to try to hide from the heat and humidity in the woods, but the humidity found me. With the rain we had last weekend, the trails were a little muddier than before and slightly more slippery on the rocks, but it was still a good run. I looped the trail twice to get 4 miles in. The hills were still tough, but I was able to push through them this time.

Now I am trying to figure out my long run for the week. With our trip up to Detroit for a wedding this weekend, I'll need to squeeze in a 10 miler either tomorrow or very early Friday morning. My choice would be Friday, giving me a slight recovery day just before, so we'll see.

a sticky 9 miles

I just got back from running 9 miles on Fall Creek Trail this morning. It was a humid, but a cool 60 degree morning, overcast, but no rain in sight. Brooke joined me for this run and we ended up running at a good pace - surprisingly faster than I thought we would for 9 miles. We averaged a 9:00/mile pace (81:16 overall time).

Here's the breakdown - pretty even splits, and faster towards the end:

1. 9:04
2. 9:12
3. 9:10
4. 8:56
5. 9:08
6. 8:44
7. 9:05
8. 8:48
9. 8:55

Superstars in the making...

my treadmil is a-l-i-v-e!

Got it all fixed yesterday and it is back up and running.

interesting developments

My running is still not firing on all cylinders, but I did manage to get two runs in this week. I am gearing up for a 9 mile long run this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. The good thing is the weather should be nice and I have stuff to think about during my run...

Things have finally slowed down at work so I can catch my breath (though this is only temporary). I am actually taking next week off and will be heading to Detroit for a wedding next weekend.

To start my week(Tuesday), I am flying to upstate NY for the day for a golf outing - this is business, but I am hoping it will be fun as well. This is related to a client we have out there and I expressed interest in working with them since I am from New York. Interestingly enough, I was approached on Tuesday and asked if I golfed and would like to go. I usually try to get out of things like this as my golfing is so sporadic (every two years), but I was somewhat interested in getting "in" on the project. Then I received a meeting request about the project, so I accepted and will be meeting this morning to discuss... I did get a little information ahead of time. The gist of the meeting was getting me on board to manage a bunch of projects out there... but there was a twist to some of this - not a catch, just a twist. They have asked me to move out to New York to manage them... this isn't a definite thing. I could still manage it from here, with some trips out there as needed, but they thought since I was from New York I might want to move back out there...

Admittedly, if this were about three years ago, I might have jumped at the chance, but things have changed for me significantly in the last few months that this really isn't an option. So, the plot thickens. I will follow up with more details later... and this isn't even my big announcement...

talk-walk-run 5k race report

It was another beautiful day - sunny, a little cool, but all around perfect running weather. I decided to go ahead with the 5k today and my friend Jason joined me. It was held at Fort Harrison State Park, my usual running hangout, so I was familiar with the terrain.

Unfortunately, it did not prepare me as well as I had hoped. We started out at almost the front of the start line and took off with everyone only to find it was just too fast. I don't think we got in the way of too many people, but it felt like we got passed by quite a few people.

The course was a double loop - one small loop (.6 miles) and one larger loop (2.5 miles), both with some aggressive hills. As we approached the first hill, we made a good climb and passed a couple of people. This wasn't too bad, but it was already feeling like it was going to be a tough race. As we came back around to the start line area to begin the second loop I was settling into my pace and was feeling pretty good.

When we hit the first mile marker, I looked down: 7:55/mile pace... not bad I thought, but with a long grade ahead, I was not sure our pace could remain. Our talking stopped and my breathing got heavier, but we made it to the top and once on the flat ground I was able to relax a little. The back half of the course was undulating hills, none too serious. On the last hill before rounding the corner towards the finish I made one last attempt to pass a few people without expending too much energy. We got to the top and held our pace until we hit the three mile mark and then my legs went into overdrive (eventhough my lungs said, "I don't think so"). Final time: 25:01, average pace: 8:03/mile, I was 39th out of 155, and 4th in my age group - I believe this is a PR for finish place, eventhough it is not my fastest 5k time.

That is all for now. Time is quickly approaching to make my big announcement, so stayed tuned...

Happy running to all!

this is not working out...

After getting my recovery run in on Monday, I have failed to run at all the rest of the week. Some of it due to work schedule and some due to being tired. My week has been rather busy -- more than I thought it would be... I was up in Michigan all day Wednesday, getting home late so I slept in a little, leaving no time for running after work. Then I had an awards banquet to go to last night, again getting home late, and as I type this I am rushing off to Lafayette, Indiana for meetings.

The parts for my treadmill showed up yesterday, so I'll be installing these this weekend and then getting it recalibrated. I am planning on running the 5k race I mentioned, so I will report on this later.

Have a great weekend everyone.

recovery run with nature

Trying to stick to a schedule and get serious about my running again, I got home early enough to go for a run. In my infinite wisdom I decided that it made logical sense to do my recovery run on a trail -- it is softer, I generally run slower because of the terrain and it was also cooler in the woods...

I just did three miles, but it was a nice change of pace from road running. I think I'll be doing this more often for recovery runs. I am going to try to squeeze in a couple more mid-week runs and then figure out what to do for my weekend run. There is a 5k race at the state park by me that I might do because this is a step back week for me, but we'll see.

customer service

It still exists... my "dead" mill will soon be revived... think Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein: "He's alive!"

I made a call to the treadmill manufacturer to see if they might have some insight into why my treadmill has acted up and has died. I didn't have high hopes as I tried to wait on hold for probably ten minutes, they did give the option for a call back in the order the call was received, so after ten minutes it was automatically sent to the call back mode. All they asked for was a message where I left my name and model/serial number of the treadmill and someone would call me back when a technician was available. About an hour later they did. I wasn't expecting much as we went through their standard list of questions that are in the owner's manual that I had personally already confirmed. The technician then checked the maintenance history of the treadmill and saw that this was the third time I had had the same or similar problem. So he said that normally they would charge for the parts, but because this has occurred before, there would be no charge even though the motor was the only part still under warranty.

I fully expected to have to pay for the parts and I found out that the control card alone is $170.oo - yikes. A little more discussion with him and I also find out that the lubrication I should be using on the deck of the treadmill is not the silicone that another technician had suggested I use, but something that has a thicker consistency which they sell. Having had trouble with finding a treadmill lubricant, they are sending a couple of tubes of theirs as well.

Finally, a company that stands behind their product and wants to make it right for the consumer and not stand behind their one-year warranty! Maybe the world isn't going to hell in a hand basket afterall...

So, now I will have a working treadmill again. The question is, do I keep it or get rid of it? I had intentions of selling it to make more room in the house, but Steph has presented me with an option of moving it into the other spare bedroom which is larger, but would require a smaller bed in the room... decisions, decisions... guess I'll be measuring the room to see if the treadmill will fit without being too cluttered.

a "special" mother's day

It was a beautiful day - simply perfect! It was sunny, a comfortable temperature in the 70's with a slight breeze. If only the weather was like that every day year round...

My parents and Steph's parents and her sister all came over for a big Mother's Day brunch. I had hashbrowns, sausages, bacon and eggs all going at the same time - quite a production if I do say so myself. Steph had also made some incredible coffee cake and had gotten some fresh strawberries. It was a feast for the senses... The rest of the day was spent lounging, or at least most of it, though I started consolidating my running gear to one location and also took apart my treadmill to examine it - just to see if I could figure out what was wrong. I am no treadmill repair guy, but the blackened spot on the motor control card right at the wire connection seemed like it just might be the problem. The next step is to see how much $ it will cost...

My run yesterday was good. I was tired, but determined to run 8 miles. Luckily I had Brooke for company and like clockwork our miles raced by. It is always great to catch up and get a long run in at the same time - very efficient that way.

We had a bit of a surprise on our run as we started to head out the back of the state park and pick up the Fall Creek Trail, but when we got there they were in the middle of ripping up the bridge (and it was about time! There were patches of patches - it was in terrible shape and somewhat dangerous to run on with all of the potholes and uneven surfaces). We even asked if we could run through, but they said there were holes in the deck and it was a liability issue. No problem. We just stayed in the park and made up our mileage that way. We ran a very consistent pace for the first few miles, then we got just a little faster, finishing up our last mile at a 9:03/mile pace. Overall we were at a 9:23/mile pace and this was with hills.

I am shuffling my running schedule around so I can get my long runs into double digits before mid-June. Pfitz has me starting the 18 week training program with an 11 mile long run for the first week. I have some time to get there, but with training starting soon I have some work to do. I had mentioned it before, but this is going to be a busy summer all around. It doesn't look like we will have much of a vacation this year and we had anticipated this last year, so we made sure we enjoyed ourselves out in Cape Cod. My heart longs to be there right now - running along the beach, the sound and the smell of the ocean in the air... someday we'll go back... but for now it is getting my list of "to-do's" together and start checking them off. I have a good start on the mulching and landscaping this year and have a little more to do, but on top of this there is the painting of the exterior trim, some interior renovation of one of out bedrooms and some furniture refinishing... I have until the end of November to get most of this done, but quite a bit of this has to happen this summer while the weather is good. But enough of all that for now. More to follow on this soon...

I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day and I hope everyones run was great. Until then - happy running to all!

happy blog-iversary to me

Well, how time flies. It has been a year since I started this blog. From my first race report of last year's Mini Marathon through last weekend's trail run -- it has been quite a ride, er I mean run...

I have been doing a lot of thinking about my fall marathon and I know it will not be the Marine Corps Marathon for me, but there is always next year. I am going to train for and run a Marathon, but I will get this figured out soon as training is just around the corner. This year I am going to use the Pfitz plan. I need a much more disciplined plan and I think I am ready for it.

I am planning on heading out for a run after work today to get some more mileage in for the week and then try for an 8 mile run this weekend - probably not on the trails, but who knows - they were a lot of fun...

Tomorrow I am out to the track to see some Indy car practice. It will be the first time I will have been there during Indy car practice in all the years I have lived here - hopefully it will be fun.

where the wild things run

Another week has passed and not much running happened again. It was a busy week at work. I found myself having to do a week's worth of work in the first two days for out of town meetings I had on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The meetings were fine, just made for long days. The first two were both up in Michigan, but I chose to return each day as I had to get a few things done at the office afterwards. By the end of Friday I was spent.

On Saturday I slept in and didn't wake until the starting of the Mini-Marathon. It was a tough time just watching it and the 35,000+ runners and walkers on TV. I wanted to be there running it as I have the past 6 years -- but I know I would not have run my best race. Even if I had trained for it and run it, I was so tired that it would have been painful.

Saturday night, after a little yard work including mowing the yard, I indulge in some margaritas - it was Cinco De Mayo after all! They were a little heavy on the Tequila though, but they were tasty...

On Sunday I did get out for a run. I decided it was time to get back to the trails so I headed over to Fort Harrison State Park to check out the trails. With 7 trails to choose from, there was plenty of distance to run. I started out on the Fall Creek Trail, which runs along the banks of the Fall Creek. It was a nice fairly wide path that I found out the hard way has a set of stairs that are killer. I was breathing heavy by the time I got through those. The trail then curved around, crossing the paved Harrison Trace Trail that I usually run when I am there, and I picked up the Camp Creek Trail which circled back around to the Fall Creek Trailhead. I then ran on part of the paved Harrison Trace Trail to the Lawrence Creek Trail. Wow! This trail seemed like it started going straight up for what seemed like a half mile. It was most likely less, but I did have to stop at the top to catch my breath... the margaritas were catching up with me. I was dehydrated and just felt exhausted. I continued on, circling around back to the trailhead and then hopped back on the paved trail heading back towards my truck.

The times I was out in the sun, I could tell it was getting warm out, but amongst the trees it was cool and just so scenic. I have fallen in love with this park all over again!

I was surprised to see so many people on the trail walking their dogs... I did see one other runner, but she was running with her dog. I got a few weird looks, but people were courteous. The next time I go, I may try to get out a little earlier.

Overall, it was a great run. It certainly kicked my ass. I have a lot of work to do to get back to a decent base before marathon training begins. And my destination marathon is changing for this fall, but more to follow on this at a later date.

Until then, Happy Running to all!