message in a bottle...

"I'll send an SOS to the world I'll send an SOS to the world I hope that someone gets my Message in a bottle..."

I just had the worst run of my life - I'm positive of it.

On my schedule was a mere 8 miles. After 3 miles I was exhausted, my legs felt like lead, but I pushed on, thinking it would get better. I got to my turn around point and headed back. I had to stop twice for just a few seconds to stretch a little and to catch my breath...

WTF?!?!? I felt like I hadn't run in weeks! I didn't even finish my 8 miles. I cut it short by a mile. It was just too much. I even tried to push myself to finish the last mile - telling myself it was an end of marathon simulation and I had to push myself to keep going.

Nope.

That didn't work.

The other side of my brain spoke up and said, "Cut it short, prevent injury, your form is all over the place! Besides, 7 miles isn't too shabby at MP anyway." And I did average my MP for the run, but it was just torture.

I am trying to figure out what has caused this to happen. I think I know what it is and I will be fine by the marathon. I probably did something I wasn't supposed to do... but it was a good thing...

I donated blood.

Now normally when I do this, I have never had any problems running the next day. Today, though, you'd have thought I'd never run in my life! A painful experience all around and it is not settling well on my mind. Not what I needed a week before the big day...

One more MP run on Wednesday and a couple of recovery runs...I sure hope they feel better than this run...

Has anyone else ever suffered in a run like this before?

es muy frio!

It is cold outside (in case you didn't notice).

I mean seriously.

This morning is 33 degrees, but feels like 27... not. ready. for. this. yet.

Last night during my run it felt like 27, but it was apparently in the low 40's... sunny, but very windy, so it felt in the range of the mid 30's. I got a new long sleeve technical shirt on the way home and decided to try it out. I wish I could say I was warm, but it took me 3 miles to "warm up". I wanted to run outside though to prepare myself for the possibility of it being that cold at the beginning of the marathon... it looks like it just might be... a low in the 30's Saturday night. But with the possibility of it getting up into the 50's, it should be great weather - pay no attention to the 30% chance of precipitation. These are odds I can live with. I haven't had to run any of my runs in the rain when the forecast was 30% or less...

On another note, I received an e-mail on an update to the marathon movie, "Land Of The Gods" Read below for the content:

For all of you, who have patiently been waiting for a "Land of the Gods" update, please be the first to visit the film's new site - www.marathonmovie.com - which went online today complete with our most recent trailer. Also, look for the film trailer on the main stage at this year's Chicago Marathon Expo as well as on the giant screens at the finish line. -Producers "Land of the Gods: The Legend of the Marathon"

Can't wait to see this movie!

remaining hopeful

I have been looking at the weather a lot lately. Depending on which website one goes to, it varies. I found one that has an optimistic, if not downright great forecast for the 22nd. I am prepared for anything at this point - having run in every condition, but I would prefer a day like this (as I am sure everyone else would). And I know I may have said Mother Nature redeemed herself this past weekend, but I take it back. She will only be redeemed by giving us great weather for Chicago!

With that said, I still need to acquire a new long sleeve technical shirt for the marathon, just in case. In fact a new short sleeve one would be good too. Most of my shirts are about one size too large for me now, but I have run in them all year. There's nothing like marathon training to help you drop the weight and keep it off! I certainly want a chance to try the new shirt out regardless of whether it is the same shirt I already have or not...

Another wild week at work - hardly the "preferred" tapering environment for me. I haven't run since Sunday. Monday I overslept and woke up at the time I was supposed to be leaving the office to go to an early morning meeting. I have never used so much profanity that early in the morning. I really should have been a sailor. It all turned out okay - I was actually only 30 minutes late - no harm done I suppose. Last night I was at work until 11pm... no rest for the wicked... ugh. I did sleep in until 6:30 this morning, so that wasn't too bad. I slept better than I have in a long time too - exhaustion will do that to you. I am truly hoping to get some quality sleep in the remaining, *gulp*, 10 days?!?! Shit! 10 days?!?! No time to freak out yet.

An easy 3 mile run this evening to keep the ol' legs loose and then a 5 mile MP run for Thursday... then it is my last "long" run for the training - 8 miles at MP. I am feeling good and just anxious to run this thing. I am like a race horse in the starting corral ready to go! But rest is what my legs and my mind need most right now.

My wife and I are making this event a mini-vacation of sorts. We are leaving Friday to go up to northern Indiana to stay at a B&B and then take the train in on Saturday afternoon to check into our hotel and go to the Expo. That night we will meet up with my training partners from Indy to go to Harry Caray's for our carb load dinner. It will be a lot of fun... regardless of the weather.

disaster, or how not to have a cookout

My cookout was a disaster. Okay, maybe that is an overstatement, but it was lame. It boiled down to "what can go wrong will."

It started with me forgetting to take the chicken and hamburger out of the freezer in the morning and not remembering until early afternoon... not a huge deal though. Guests showed up and I found out that one of them was allergic to cats (Andy) - oops I forgot to ask about this first, as we have two cats. Furniture had been vacuumed, etc. but I still felt bad.

Got the food on the grill a little late, but no big deal, we had plenty of drinks and snacks (wine, beer, soda, pita bread and hummus, chips and salsa, and veggies and dip) to keep our hunger in check. I kept checking on the food and it was grilling perfect. On one occasion though, I came back and found I had run out of propane... no problem, I had a spare tank in the garage. So I went and got it, hooked it up and the valve was not working - gas would not come out! So plan C went into affect, shoved the chicken and burgers into the oven to cook. The burgers finished before the chicken, so I had people who wanted burger go ahead and dig in. The rest of us had the side dishes, all of which were great! The chicken got done about ten minute later, but no one had any - just me. It wasn't that good - no grilled taste to it... The highlight was dessert - key lime pie and yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Very very good.

It turned out that Andy started having a reaction the the cats - he had a rash forming on his arms...that pretty much ended the get togther. All by about 9pm... as I said - lame.

Actually, it was good it ended when it did. I was still al ittle tired from the work week and I had to get up this morning to run my 10 miles at marathon pace. Needless to say, I did not sleep well and ended up sleeping in longer than expected and then I moved around the house slowly. I finally got myself out the door by 10am and I was glad I did...

What a beautiful day! Mother Nature has redeemed herself for this summer's hot, humid weather we all endured during our training. The skies were a prefect shade of blue and not a cloud was in the sky. The trees were sporting there new colors - quite breathtaking. I chose to run on the Fall Creek Trail today just for the reason of being among the trees and hearing the crunching of the leaves below my feet.

The plan was 10 miles at MP. I felt a little slow but I apparently my body said it felt like doing a tempo run... oops. I will have to say that it did not feel like an all out effort, so an 9:00/mile pace is going to feel easy for the marathon. Here are the highlights:

• 10 miles in 85:33 for an average pace of 8:33
• First half run in 42:47
• Second half run in 42:46
• A negative split to boot!

I still believe...

P.S. I received my confirmation bookelt in the mail yesterday! #35036

the week from hell...

It has been a rough week for me.

Not because of any pain from my 24 mile run on Sunday. In fact, I have felt great.

No, the week has been an extremely busy one for me at work. Early mornings and late nights. I am thankful that it is time to taper - it couldn't have come at a better time. The down side to this is that I am not getting any rest. I am actually exhausted and should be in bed. I need to relax, but before I do that I need to celebrate...

To Celebrate the taper, I am throwing a cookout for me and my friends. Nothing like Bob's Chili Dump - just a laid back get together with my fellow Indy Chicago Bound Runners. Andy, his fiance, Jason and his girlfriend are coming - unfortunately Brooke and her husband couldn't make it :( The weather promises to be perfect, so here's to week 1 of taper complete! Sunday I will get out for my 10 mile run. I plan on doing it at MP to see how it goes this time. I am almost nervous about the run because of how awesome the 24 miler was - I wouldn't want to have a bad run to break my confidence...

In 2 weeks I will be in Chi-town... can't wait!