Run the Boulevard "and the HILLS" 5k

Well another 5k run is behind me, oh boy am I glad. This one seemed to be an innocent run but the hills seemed like they were transplanted Rocky Mountains. Maybe it was just the cold and windy weather(45 F and 20 mph wind at times). The start of the race we were all happy to be out for a run and excited to be sharing time with friends and making new friends as well. It was great to finally meet you in person Lissa!

This run was different than others that I've done. Early on, before we had even gone a mile I seemed to be struggling to breathe at times. At the 1/2 mile point I even considered stopping and retuning to the starting point, but I kept on. My first mile was still a bit too fast, 9:15 I believe. I've got to learn to let the 19 and 20 year olds take the lead and just listen to my body and run to have fun and finish the race.

I crossed the finish line today in 36:09, not a great time and no where near my best. But I did finish, so I'm happy. There will be other days for besting personal marks.

I'm not too far from the finish in this pic and I struggled to get there. There was yet another slight incline here to get to the finish. When I could see the clock and realized I would be over 36 minutes I could feel that I gave up just slightly.

Tomorrow there is a training run on the course for the OKC Marathon and Half Marathon. I'm planning on running and seeing how much of the half marathon course I can manage. Will give an update after that.

Fond Memories

(Warning: This is a long post...sorry but I felt the need to put it out here....)

I just read a fellow runner's blog for the first time and saw where he posted about an event that he is working on with his senior daughter, a Daughter/Dad dance event that sounds mysteriously like a Daughter/Dad event that I participated in with my daughter when she was a high school Senior Drill Team member. What great memories his post brought back for me, especially as April is fast approaching.

What makes this event truly funny is that my wife and I attended my daughter's "Spring Fling" as I believe it was called when she was a Junior and saw that the "senior Dads" had several routines on stage with their daughters. That year they wore tuxedos and it was very formal.

The following year the dress was much more casual and the theme was Las Vegas/Elvis. We (the Dads) were dressed in black shoes, white socks, black pants, white t-shirt, and a satin black jacket that had "Elvis" across the back in glitterly lettering.

What makes this event so memorable for me was that in addition to learning her many routines, my daughter also took it upon herself to learn the Dad's routines as well. See I was a long distance Dad, living about 5 hours away. She came out to our home two weekends before the week of the big performances and taught me the dance routines that I would need to know. We spent all day Saturday from 7 am to 11 pm working on my routines. She was truly awesome and amazing that she could teach me enough to get me through the routines. See, I'm a Dad with no sense of music, unable to keep a beat, and never learned to dance.

The week of the big performances (there were 3 plus a parents night only dress rehearsal) I took vacation and finally got to practice with the other Dads. They all knew their places on the floor and that was something else that I had to learn.

Well it went off like clockwork and I didn't miss too many steps. I felt so honored to dance with my daughter that week. I know she thinks otherwise, but for this Dad she was the star of the entire performance. A very special time for me.

April is a truly special month, it is my birthday for starters, it is also the month for Aggie Muster (my birthday for any other fellow Aggies), the month I danced with my darling daughter, the month that God gave me a second chance by guiding me through my quadruple bypass surgery in 2005, AND in 2007 it will be the month of first half-marathon. OH What a month of celebrations.

What is in Store for Today

Today I travel to the Houston area and will be playing a round of golf, weather permitting, guess I should peek at their weather before I leave. Golf will be from a cart I'm sure so I can't really count it as a workout. Afterwards though I hope I still energy to run at least 2 miles, though I would prefer 5 or more. Till later.

What a Windy Day

Good intentions gone bad. I took my lovely wife to Lake Hefner and she was going to walk the park as I ran my 5.5 miles or so. However, the wind had a mind of it's own and I ended up running only 2.0 miles. She was able to walk the same distance so we both benefited.

My first mile was in 9:53 and the second ballooned out to 12:58 due to fighting the very gusty wind. So I decided to call it a day. I figured 2 miles were better than none. Plus we could always do the neighborhood after church tonight.

Woohoo as I type this our new bedroom furniture is being delivered and set up. For the first time in her life my lovely wife has a bedroom set that all matches.

Somewhere this week I have to find a time and place to do at least an 8 mile or maybe a 10 mile run.

Oh yes ran in the new shoes and had no problems with the shins today at all. That is a wonderful feeling again. Plus the left heel did not hurt either.

Overall a good day.

Finally Figured out How to Add Titles

Blogging is still so new to me. I feel great pride in figuring out how to add titles to my blogs oh what a day this will be...giggling to myself.

Since Saturday I ran the same 8k route on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Monday I ran it in 1:03:15, not as good as Saturday, drats. However, on Tuesday I ran in 1:00:56 a better time than either of the other days. On Monday my shins hurt for maybe the first 2.5-3 miles and then got better. On Tuesday they only hurt during mile 2 and were better after that. Tuesday it felt good to be running.

However, on Wednesday when I got up I had a problem with my left heel and I just learned today that I strained some tissue that ties there and then runs up the ball of the foot and ties there as well. I can't remember the technical name for it but it is better today.

Also, today I got professionally fitted for a better shoe, turns out to be a New Balance. They feel good but I'm holding off running in them until tomorrow. No race this weekend which is good as we have some furniture being delivered tomorrow, so I will run sometime after that.

It's St. Patrick's Day, wear your green. Today is the 8k St. Paddy's Day Run that starts at Lake Hefner on the East Wharf. This will be pretty much a similar course as last Saturday's 5k just a bit longer.

I've not run much this week, only on Sunday and Monday because of shin splints. They feel better so I will see how the run goes. It is all on level ground which will be good.

Some good things that happened this week was a visit to my GP to have her look at my sinus problems and she feels it is mostly spring time allergies. She was pleased that my weight is down, my BP was down and that I am running. In fact she was excited that I'm running as much as I am and that I've entered the half marathon on April 29 in OKC.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.....wish me well....

Well it's Saturday, another race day, the Panera Beacon by the Bay run, a 5k run. I finished this run in 34:55, which is just over a minute faster than last Saturday's run (35:59). That made me feel good, two runs, two finishes and the second was a time improvement. However, as with last week I was still last in my age group (8/8). With this run I could feel shin splint type of pain in my legs, mostly my left, but evident in both legs. Overall I feel good about my finish today. Once again I was able to sprint the finish line. More info later with photos.

Tomorrow is another Saturday and is the Panera Beacon on the Bay 5k and 25k runs. I will be in the 5k run. It should be a warmer day and hopefully a bit less windy than last Saturday. The course is also over a flatter area, so I am hoping to improve on last Saturday's times. I am feeling a bit of pain at times in my shins....but Aleve seems to be helping with it. Originally there was rain in the forecast but I believe that has been pushed out to Sunday now.

Saturday's Run - Panera Beacon on the Bay

This is another 5k run that I am hoping I finish better than last Saturday's run. It is more of a flat course. However, weather forecasts are calling for light rain Saturday which I am hoping proves to be wrong. I am going out this afternoon to look for a weather suit that I can run in, just in case.
I'm really feeling good about my improvements on time in Mitch Park. I'm up to roughly 20-22 miles per week now. I need to find a day that I can run long, at least 6-8 miles though. I haven't done that yet. I may try in Mitch Park tomorrow afternoon if the weather cooperates.

Wooohoooo

My Polar watch says that I did a 5k in 34:01. It was in the low to mid 70's temp-wise, and I think the wind was 15-20 mph. I feel great and I'm looking forward to Saturday's 5k at Lake Hefner even though the forecast is for light rain. I'll try to locate some kind of light raingear before then. Maybe I can use the $50 gift certificate I won at the February Edmond Runners Club meeting. I did my normal outside run thru Mitch Park (3.42 miles) driveway to driveway in 37:02 another personal best. I would so like to be doing a 5k in 30 minutes by the end of the month, plus I would like to be able to run the entire 5k without walking. Lofty goals I know but if I don't make them by the end of the month, there is always next month. It's just a target to shoot for, something to keep me focused and going forward.

SOME PHOTOS FROM THE DEER CREEK 5k

Here are several photos that Bonnie took before and during the Deer Creek 5k run on March 3, 2007. It was a cold day and the first photo shows just how cold. I had many layers on and was still cold in the 20+ mph wind. The wind was the worst on the last 2k back to the finish line.

This next photo is the young man that we met before the race started. His name is Tyson, he is a freshman at OU I believe. He finished the 5k in 21:00 and stayed with Bonnie at the finish line until I came across later. He was a runner in high school but hasn't run competitively since then. He will be at the Panea Beacon on the Bay run this next Saturday so we will look for him there as well. Go Tyson, awesome finish.

This course had 2 fairly large elevation changes, one going out and one coming back. I'm not sure how much of an elevation change occurred but it made you realize that you were not on flat ground anymore.

In approaching the finish line, I knew that I would finish and that I still had enough to sprint a bit. When I could see the clock at the finish line I realized that I had a remote chance of finishing in under 36 minutes. I sprinted and even as I finished I knew it would be close and it was. I finished in 35:59, but just enough to say that I completed my first 5k in under 36 minutes. A far cry from Tyson's 21 minutes, but I'll take it. For a 51 year old former quadruple bypass patient to this is a good start I believe.

Improvements to come in the future.

Just a quick post here before jumping off to church. I finished the 5k yesterday morning and despite the wind, over 20mph and the cold temps 31 degrees I finished in a personal best for me. My time in my age group bracket says that I finished in 35:59, so I think that allows me to say that I finished in "under 36 minutes". I was shooting for a 38 or 39 minute time frame, so woooooohoooooo. There were 10 of us in m age bracket, 50-54 and unfortunately I finished 10/10.

Well next Saturday is another 5k, and my primary goal will be to finish the run of course. Secondary goals will be to finish under 35 minutes, run more - walk less, finish ahead of at least one person in my age group.

As soon as BOLD, my wife, gets the photos off her phone I should have a couple of photos from yesterday's run.

We also met a young college freshman runner yesterday that was at the run all alone, and BOLD, being her shy self, volunteered to hold his bag for him while he ran the 5k with me. Well he really "ran" the race, finishing in just 21 minutes even. Way to go TM. He was wonderfully nice and polite, refusing to call BOLD by her first name, insisting that he call us Mr & Mrs........what chivalry his Mom has taught him...such manners are not often found today. Anyway he too will be runnnig next Saturday so we will be looking for him as well.

Well today is the day of my first timed run, the Creek Classic here in Edmond. I'm up this morning at my normal time, 5 am, showered and dressed casually until it is time to wake up the wife...then i'll start getting my running clothes on. The computer says that it is currently 31 and there appears to be a light breeze already. I will be layered and should be ok. Will post again later about the results of the run...all I'm focusing on will be to finish....I said last night that I know I won't finish first but I don't want to finish last either...but mainly my goal will be to finish and then move on....

Tomorrow is the day of my first official run, the Creek Classic here in Edmond. It's a 5k event and I believe that I am ready. Last night I did 3 miles in 36 minutes over a course that has alot of elevation changes to it. The course for tomorrow won't be that strenous so I'm hoping to finish under 35 minutes.