Papa Bear's Marathon "MANIAC" Training

2008-09-27T10:04:00.002-05:00

I couldn't resist another "teaser" from Maui, you can still see the ocean over my left shoulder. This photo was taken somewhere in Lahaina, near Bubba Gump's Restaurant I believe.

This morning I got in 8 miles, the first 4 by myself at a pace of 11:56 and the last 4 with Bonnie at a pace of 14:56. Yes I was definitely tired for the second 4 mile loop. Both loops were over the same streets, ran one direction the first time and then when she joined me we reversed and did the route the opposite direction. Still I figure not bad for giving birth to a 5mm kidney stone earlier in the week.

Also, another worthy announcement....at the WW weigh-in this morning I was done another 6.2 pounds to 218.4. Again not bad I say from my high the second week in August of 236.8. Patting myself on the back.

Now I'll mention Bonnie's version of our run together this morning. She said it was great to run with me when I had already worn myself out because we actually got to run together. She also made a comment at one point when I was running behind her that it must be nice getting to chase her tail for a change.

There was some woman at the Maui Marathon that she kept cheering for when she would see her and the woman told her at one point that she felt like Bonnie was her own cheering team. Bonnie told her that it was because I was chasing the other woman. The lady then asked Bonnie what she thought of her husband chasing strange women for 26.2 miles. Bonnie said she was used to it that I do it all the time.

The Spirits have been GOOD!!!

2008-09-26T16:35:00.003-05:00

Ok, so this is an "edit update" the Maui Marathonfoto CD came in the mail today and I just had to add a new image...yes see...there I was running THAT close to the water, it was so awesome and yes I was actually running for that photographer...tho I looked like death warmed over I think..."end of edit".....

Three full days of not trying to enduce child birth from the male body....ladies I will never ever make smart talk of what you go thru in that process. I did run on Wednesday morning and then couldn't stay at work all day because I became nausated and weak, I know poor me...go with it ok...the run felt good even tho I wasn't my full self. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever my full self when I'm running.

Oh by the way, I've lost at least 12 pounds and I'm hoping more towards 14 pounds when I weigh in at WW tomorrow morning after our run. I'm going to be doing 4 miles without Bonnie and then another 4 miles with her. I've made a decision that if I'm ever to improve my marathon times and get anywhere near my PR (5:29:00) that I need to speed things up in training. So I'm going to concentrate on myself for the first 4 miles and then relax on the next four with Bonnie so she gets her road mileage in too. Weight wise I'm hovering just over 220 now, down from a high of 236 the first Sunday of August and I can "feel" the difference it makes in my running. I've still got a long way to go tho, somewhere under 180 to reach my goal, but I know I can do it. I've forsaken peanut M&M's for over 4 weeks now, that is a huge success for me!!!

It sort of feels good right now to not have a race on the horizon, tho I am toying with the Las Vegas Marathon in December if it is still open, I haven't looked lately. I do plan on hitting things starting in January one way or another, maybe the Phoenix RNR, and I would really like to do the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer in Jacksonville, FL because it is a highly sponsored race by Jeff Galloway and they have Galloway pace groups there and the course is relatively flat I believe.

Well I'm rambling today, but hey it's Friday and it's payday, and tomorrow is Saturday and I'm happy to be well again and alive!!!!!! Go out and hug someone you love...I bet they hug you back..and maybe more...

Did I mention Kidney Stones

2008-09-24T03:28:00.002-05:00

During the Maui Marathon I felt what I thought of at the time was a muscle spasm at the midway point but kept on going. Admittedly it slowed me down quite a bit. Upon returning to Oklahoma though I learned I had a kidney stone that wanted out. I spent last Friday night in the ER and was basically looped on pain meds over the weekend and thru yesterday morning. The urologist that I saw yesterday feels pretty confident that I've passed what showed up on a CT scan Friday night so he encouraged me to go out and be active. Well, I'm joining our normal Wed morning group for a hour and will see how things go for me. I'm in no pain as I write this but will see what the run brings along for me. I hope everyone has a great hump day!!

Maui Marathon "We Done It"

2008-09-23T18:27:00.013-05:00

On Sunday September 14 TeamAutism.org was again on the road. This time we surfaced in Maui, Hawaii to participate in the 38th annual Maui Marathon!!!! We had a blast. Our team was small but strong, from left to right, Rosemary (walking her first marathon), yours truly, and Stacey (co-founder of TeamAutism). Bonnie was our coach, cheerleader, and photographer for the event. Three brave souls rested and ready to pound the pavement.

Below is my terrible attempt to capture the sunrise somewhere around mile 3 or maybe 4, I can't remember. Yes I know I need to put a great deal more effort into this self-photography thing, or maybe I just need to find a better model; where were all the bikini's when you needed them.

Now this is a much better rendition of sunrise that Bonnie captured while waiting on us to show up at the first spot she had selected to provide drink and good cheer. We found out later that she not only was cheering TeamAutism along she was a favorite of many of the runners. More than a few offered her thanks after the race it seemed for being a big part of their support system as well, most of those I might add were men, and I thought she came with us to be "my" cheerleader. She is the greatest though and can also be the loudest at times too and that is great!!!

In Lahaina there was a Bubba Gump restaurant and being nicknamed Forrest at work, I couldn't resist the pose outside the restaurant. As the saying goes "There's an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes"...Run Forrest Run...Run Randy Run...

This trip we did find some time to tour the island and ran across several beautiful waterfalls, the colors were lush and everything was beautiful...very close to paradise I've heard.

Need I remind you that Bonnie took some of these photos and I am not responsible for the content, but did you also notice the blue water and surf, and the view was awesome. There were surfers below us that we noticed a bit later. This was part of a road trip that we made called "The Road to Hana", what an excursion into the backcountry, beauty, waterfalls, cascading waves, old lava flows, and 56 single lane bridges on the way to Hana, what a day.

Back to the grind of the marathon, here I am toiling along the way, somewhere past the halfway point. I didn't know it at the time but I had developed a kidney stone around the halfway point. I just thought I had a muscle cramp in my lower left back. It bothered me from mile 12 out to around mile 17, so I did alot of walking and tried to keep my breathing under control. I didn't find out until we got home though about the kidney stone oh was that an experience. I would gladly run a marathon to keep from going thru that again.

Yes the water and the waves are often as close as 10 or 15 feet from the course. It was like running in paradise and some water stops even included hula dancers to remind us how close to paradise we truly were. The trade winds were not blowing the day of the race thus we had to contend with something the locals called "VOG", which is the Hawaiian version of fog, generated when the trade winds do not blow and volcanic clouds settle over the islands.

Here comes Stacey on her way to a 5:09 personal best for her, she rocks as our lead runner. This was her third marathon and second in Hawaii.

These are the three women that I had to chaparone while we were in Maui, oh boy was that ever a tough job. Bonnie, our coach and cheerleader, Rosemary (she walked her first marathon in 7:46 woohoo!!!), and Stacey 5:09. I managed to finish in 6:13, better than I did last year in Honolulu, but I was sure wanting to finish under 6 hours.

And I will leave you with a look at our final sunset before we left Tuesday evening, oh yes paradise can't be far away, what beauty lies in waiting if you haven't visited these islands.

Random Grandma' Marathon Photos

2008-08-01T06:50:00.011-05:00

These photos are not in any real particular order, but hope they capture the momentThe pic above was actually late in the race, less than a mile to go at this point, but I don't really look all that tired, even though I felt it. This is a photo from Marathonfoto, for once they did some decent pics.

This photo was near the 5 mile mark, and for the life of me I have no idea why my arms are in the position that you see. I was already tired here, the sun was warming things up already. Bonnie took this pic.

The photo above shows Lake Suprior in the background, the entire course is run along the lake and it is seldom ever totally out of sight. At this point either mile 13 or 19 I may have been walking, probably was walking, was happy to just be walking. Bonnie took this one too.

Now I can "smell the barn", in the finish "chute". This is a Marathonfoto.

The lady above and I walked together for the better part of an hour before I finally decided that I "might" be able to get to the finish before 6 hours...but it was not to be. This was her 13th Grandma's I think. Again taken by Marathonfoto.

Yes it did rain, at least for us late finishers. It rained, the wind blew, but not directly in our faces, and thanks to Mother Nature the sun disappeared for a few minutes. Courtesy of Marathonfotos.

I finished, ahead of four men that I managed to pass in the last mile and I was able to determine that all four were in my age group...woohoo. 6 hours 19 minutes, chip time. Courtesy of Marathonfotos.

Here is Bonnie's photo showing me at the finish with a gun time of 6 hours 27 minutes.

Monday/Wednesday Recap

2008-07-30T06:24:00.002-05:00

Monday was a slow day 4.2o miles, 1:01:52, pace 14:44...Wednesday was a bit faster but still slow 5.00 miles, 1:09:10, pace 13:49.

This has been such a lackluster year for me. Ever since the start when my left knee was hurting it's just been so entirely different than last year. I'm not running as many miles, I don't blog as much, I'm not doing as many 5k/10k runs on the weekends, I've gained some weight back, tapping out at a high of 238, but now hovering around 230 again, I don't even have a good idea of how many miles I've run this year.

I have run 4 marathons since the first of the year, working on number 5 in Maui in September and my knee pains have all but gone away.

Today I forgot to take either of my knee wraps for our run and I feel tired but no extreme knee pain.

Perhaps later today I will put up some Grandma's Marathon photos....will make the attempt anyway...hope everyone has a fantastic hump day.

Where Have I Been???????

2008-07-29T06:17:00.003-05:00

It's been well over a month...ok ok ok...two months since the last post. I was reminded at a club meeting last night that the commitment we make to running is so much more than just running and that our running extends into so much of our life. I've neglected my blog and my blogdom friends long enough and for that I apologize. I'm even learning that there are folks reading this that I wasn't remotely aware of and that is certainly encouraging to me.

Since I last posted, Bonnie and I took a much needed vacation. Well we drove like bats from you know where to get to Minnesota in two days, then a day of relaxation, and on June 21st at 7:30 AM I find myself in the mass of folks starting the 32nd annual Grandma's Marathon. The run ends in downtown Duluth, but it starts 26.2 miles away in Two Harbors, a sleepy little town on the edge of Lake Superior.

The race was great, the course is awesome, the spectators were beyond awesome. But....I keep asking myself why does that "but" keep getting in the way...but...it was "hot" not just hot but HOT!!!! very little wind, NO clouds, and being that close to the edge of Lake Superior added to the discomfort I think. I ended up with a tan/burn to the left side of my body, looked a bit weird for a while.

The heat seemed to slow everyone down. I found a walking buddy and walked at least an hour of the race due to the heat. But then I decided I might still have a shot at finishing in under 6 hours so I gave it my all, and that "all" lasted all of about 2 miles and there were still 6 miles or so to the finish line.

Well long story short...as if there was such a thing with my blogging, I finished in 6:19 something. Not a great time, but I was running at the finish line, not hobbling and I went across under my own power in a vertical position!!!

Bonnie was able to meet me at 7 places along the course and that was fantastic. I believe she met me at miles 5, 9, 13, 16, 19, 24 and the finishline. Having someone at a race of this distance that is there to cheer you on and offer oranges, and ice cold water, words of encouragement, and yes in this instance a kiss or two is a great inspiration and boost to the morale and mind.

I was on the course long enough to get rained on the last couple of miles. As we came into downtown Duluth on Superior Ave it started to sprinkle then rain and the wind picked up too and it felt like heaven, well at least like Mother Nature was watering her garden. But unfortunately from a timing standpoint, it was too little too late...had we gotten the rain say at mile 10 things could have been different, well maybe.

One positive note with the finish. I passed four men in the last mile or so that all looked to be in my age group and when I saw the list of finishers I believe all four to be in my age group. It felt good to know that I had enough kick left to pass them and not give up. My hat is off to the lady tho that passed me about this same time. As she ran briefly with me she told she had been chasing me for miles. I decided that I would stay close to her and she became the inspiration that I needed for that last bit of the course. Sorry to the four guys that I did pass.

Another marathon is in the books, marathon #7, state #6. The Maui Marathon is coming up in September, another TeamAutism.org event.

Oh yes about the rest of the vacation...well if you've read this far, I'm sure you are either tired or sleepy so I'll include that in the next post. Happy Running to all.....it's great to be back here....

Bonnie Got Gold and I Bombed

2008-05-17T16:53:00.002-05:00

Today was the Sooner Games (5k, 10k, and half marathon) here in Oklahoma City. Bright sunny day great for running but it did end up getting a tad bit warm, but I'm not complaining I'll take that over frigid weather any day.

Anyway, Bonnie ran the 5k, 39:33, not a PR, but good enough to come in first in her age group!!! Yes she got a GOLD medal for her efforts. Another great effort on her part and once again I wasn't around to see the results, but let me be the first to tell all in blogland I did HEAR about it after I finished!!!! I'm very proud of her and how she keeps improving.

Me on the other hand, I ran the half marathon, was just trying to get in under 3 hours. Well I wish almost counted in running like it does in horseshoes. The gun/chip time officially said I did 3:00:06 and it wasn't because of a bathroom break that I missed the sub 3. My watch on the other hand said 2:59:56. Well there will be other races and other days.

We had fun that is what counts!!

Finally it Seems to have Warmed Up!!!

2008-05-05T06:21:00.002-05:00

Maybe just maybe we are seeing a warming trend...but I have to head to Baltimore tomorrow then on to York, PA. Should be an interesting trip, I've never been to that part of PA before. I'll be home on Thursday in time to participate in Nancy's Virtual 10k...that should be alot of fun!!

Today's run, rather erratic:

Total Miles: 4.53
Total Time: 1:03:28

Mile 1: 14:23
Mile 2: 17:33 (extended bathroom break for 2 runners)
Mile 3: 12:46
Mile 4: 11:57 (where did this come from)
.53 mi: 6:47

"Marathon Freak" and "Runner Girl"

2008-05-03T10:37:00.003-05:00

As promised.....here is the "Marathon Freak" and "Runner Girl" magnet pics, if you see us on the road honk!!

What a crazy morning for a run. Clyde picked me up at 5:15 and we then picked up Rachel at 5:30 and I discovered that I had left my Garmin at home. Why would I do such a thing? Anyway we did a 2.2 mile loop, then Bonnie joined us. We had intentions of then doing another 4.2 miles or so, but my right knee (outside back edge began to hurt some again) so Bonnie and I repeated our first 2.2 mile loop and called it quits. Clyde and Rachel finished out with something over 6 miles. We then met for breakfast. What a great way to start the day.

Rachel has decided to try and "qualify" for Boston for next year. Her son is already qualified and she believes it would be awesome to be able to run with him in that most prestigious of marathons. Rachel received a complimentary entry into this years Boston and ran a respectable 5:42:00. She will need a time of 4:59:00 or less to qualify, so we are now strategizing how we can get her race time to improve towards that goal. That will be a great thing for me as well, as doing a marathon under 5 hours is also a goal of mine...then maybe I can set my sights on a Boston qualification at some point after that.

OKC Marathon Photos

2008-05-02T06:45:00.008-05:00

Ok, as promised here are some photos from last Sunday's marathon. Some of you know that I ran for TeamAutism.org last December in the Honolulu Marathon. Well Bonnie, Scott my future son-in-law, and I ran for TeamAutism.org again on Sunday. Overall I believe we had 21 runners between me in the full, 4 I believe in the half, and 3, yes 3 relay teams in the full. Bonnie and Scott were on Relay Team 1. Bonnie ran the middle position (12K) and Scott was their anchor person, bringing home the final medal for his 10K effort.

Here I am at the 12 mile mark, note the wet streets, it had finally stopped raining, but it was still very windy and cold, hence the jacket and long pants....I had at least put the mittens away for a bit.....

Then here comes Bonnie at the same 12 mile point, but this was like mile 3.5 of her 12K relay run, she's saying "piece of cake". I did some calculating with my Garmin and determined that she actually was faster for her 12k here than I was when I ran the same 12k stretch...she was faster by almost 2 minutes...then I had to go and spoil it by telling her...honey I had already run 9 miles ahead of that. But none the less I think she looked fantastic and she did awesome in her first ever relay event!!!
Then as promised, I had my daughter hustle back to the finish line...I so wanted a finish line photo of me with the clock in the photo....yep, there I am on the right...see Marcy I can keep up with you speedsters...4:32:26...isn't that an awesome marathon time for a 53 year old...oh dang...I forgot we started early so you have to add 2 hours to that time....sheeshh....

Talk about hustle though...that is Scott our future son-in-law in the blazing red shorts and that is his relay team strung out behind him at the finish line. At the OKC Marathon they allow the other team members to run with the final runner as they cross the finish line...but someone forgot to tell Scott to slow down so they could stay with him...no they were all actually screaming at him to keep buring the pavement to the finish, but it was a great race for them all and for TeamAutism.org.

Here is a photo that I'm especially proud of, at long last I'm not running these things alone and I love that, I'm on the right, the roly-poly one, Bonnie is next to me, then Scott with their relay medals, and then my daughter Lindsey, she is the best fan, supporter and photographer, what a team!!!!

And the other great team....TeamAutism.org....we were missing our third relay team in this photo...at that point we weren't sure where they were on the course or if they had finished. If anyone is interested TeamAutism.org will be running again in Maui and we could use some teammates on the marathon team, but no relays in that race.....

Grandma's Marathon

2008-05-01T08:48:00.004-05:00

The Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN is Saturday June 21 this year. The registration for it is already closed but I was wondering if there is anyone else in blogland that is signed up to run it besides me? We have family in the area (grandkids) and Bonnie wants to use my running as an excuse to visit them, as if we needed an excuse. Sure Randy can just whip out and do 26.2 miles as we visit on the sidelines.

Anyway, if there are others that will be there I would like to try and maybe catch up before or after the race.

Hey Marcy, I sent an email to an Etonic shoe rep this morning about feedback from the marathon on Sunday. I am running in Etonic Japara's now and I met him at the expo before the race. Maybe I'll get a pair of socks out of him!

Is anyone else having trouble getting their posts to show up on their blog? Mine seem to be delayed for some frustrating reason...grrrrrrr!!!!!!

Negative Split Recovery Run

2008-04-30T05:58:00.002-05:00

Well I wasn't able to have a negative split on Sunday's marathon run, but this morning during our recovery run, one that was very slow, or at least I thought it was we ended up with nice splits:

Total Distance: 4.27 miles
Total Time: 1:00:00
Mile 1: 14:12
Mile 2: 14:15
Mile 3: 13:58
Mile 4: 13:32
.27 miles: 4:08 (this was part of our cool down)

I feel mostly good, I've got one toe (second toe right foot) that is beat up pretty good, and the back outerside of my right knee has a small amount of pain. I am glad to report tho that my left knee (kneecap) seems to be over the pain that I had been experiencing with it since last December, so maybe the layoff time was good in that respect.

Edmond Running Club

2008-04-29T08:33:00.005-05:00

We had our monthly meeting last night, the day after the Oklahoma City Marathon. It was a great meeting, everyone in attendance got to tell how they participated in the marathon, most everyone either ran or volunteered in some way. We also had officer elections last night for the new year and I was elected club Secretary. I hope I can continue forth with the same degree of effort that our previous Secretary had, he had been in the position for several years. I'm looking forward to the role and hopefully will be a part of taking the club to new levels during the year.

We had one club member qualify for Boston and I believe this is his 5th time to qualify. We had at least a couple of people place in their age group, one of which happened to be Rachel, who had just run Boston the previous Monday!!!

Update on my legs....everything seems to be recovering really well. The knee soreness is all but gone unless I sit too long. We start our runs again tomorrow morning and I'm really anxious to get back into a consistent level of training.

At the expo on Saturday Bonnie bought me a new magnet for our vehicle to go with the 26.2 that is already there...the new one says "Marathon Freak", I guess that fits. She also bought one for herself that says "Runner Girl". I'm really proud of her effort and that she was willing to participate in the marathon relay. She did the long leg of the relay, 12k. Our future son-in-law Scott did the last leg of her relay team, a 10k leg, and he really brought the group home. He did his 10k in 58 minutes I believe. I also think we may have a budding marathoner in him as he expressed an interest in going to Disney World in January with us to run that marathon for TeamAutism.

Oklahoma City Marathon....Done!!!!

2008-04-28T08:54:00.003-05:00

Last year I ran the OKC Half Marathon, this year I graduated to the big league here and ran the OKC Marathon. Despite the dead of night (we did an early start at 4:30 a.m.), rain (between miles 2 and 11), and wind (oh that dreaded north wind all race long) I did finish. Not the fastest of my times, but not the slowest either (6:32:06). I was beat when I crossed the line and so glad to be done.

During the rain which pretty much happened almost all before daylight, the streets were really slick, almost to the point where you felt like you were skating.

I am so out of shape. I did do more training for this race then I did for Little Rock or Houston earlier this year, but it shows in my time and how I felt for much of the run. I'm getting back into the training mode with my local running partners though and look forward to the next bunch of weeks, training hard for Grandma's in June.

My hat goes off to one of my running partners, Rachel, who finished Boston last Monday in 5:42:00 and then ran ahead of me and finished yesterday in 5:50:00 like she was not even winded. I felt honored to run with her for the first 2 or 3 miles before I had to slow down. The kicker here is that she's 68!!! I have all the respect for her abilities and talent.

I'm sore today, my right knee is most sore but it is much better this morning than it was all day yesterday after I finished. I'm hoping that by the weekend I will be ready to get back into training full tilt again.

The Maniac Is Back!!!!

2008-03-30T07:39:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone, sorry that I have been AWOL for so long and have not kept in touch. There are many reasons, most notably is that I've determined I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather running it seems. Add that to a work schedule that has kept me out of town more than in town of late and I'm just able to not find the time or energy to drag myself out of bed when I should be to get the morning run going. Excuses Excuses Excuses...a dime a dozen and with enough of them and a pocket full of money we can all stop in at Starbucks for a needed caffiene kick can't we. Well I"M BACK.

Not only did I take off most of February, but I managed to not do much for March either. I did show up for the Little Rock Marathon on March 2, and yes I did finish the full marathon under my own power, but not overly happy with the results (6:33:36). I wasn't the last off the course but dang near it. I got one of their big honking medals, and I do mean BIG. They advertise that they give the biggest medal in the marathon world, what they don't tell you is that it weighs the most too. I told the lady when she put it around my neck that I wasn't sure I could carry it, but she assured me that I had just completed the truly difficult part. Their course....I can say it all in one word...HILLY. The first 16 miles are hills of some sort, up or down, but always one or the other, and as a runner it seems we climbed alot more than we bounded downhill. As an engineer I know that for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction, so that for every time we ran up a hill we would need to run down a hill at some point. However, miles 14, 15 and a part of 16 I think were all up Mount Everest, or what seemed it's equivalent in Arkansas. But I do have to admit that the back side of 16 was almost like a slide, where were those shoes with the wheels underneath them at that point!!! I can add more detail if anyone might be interested in running this race in the future, I don't think I'll be adding it to my conquests to repeat, at least for a while. But it is certainly a fun race and scenic.

So as a quickie recap I've done 5 marathons in 7 months, and preparing to do #6 in 8 months. I missed in October and February. The upcoming marathon is the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. If you've not run this it is a great event originating as a memorial run on behalf of those that lost their lives in the 1995 OKC Bombing, but has evolved in a memorial race for many others.

In fact this year the Edmond Running Club, where I am a board member, will be sponsoring special bibs for ERC members to wear on behalf of Rachel Davis. Rachel's mom Karen is a member of the ERC. Recently Rachel was tragically taken from us as the result of a car accident where she and a fellow Oral Roberts University classmate died while enroute from Tulsa back to Rachel's home in Edmond, OK. Those of us from the ERC will be running in rememberance of Rachel and all the good that she stood for as a young adult whose life was cut short, but has gone to live in eternity with our God and Savior.

So yes I'm back. I've not felt much like blogging this year because I'm just not running felt that it was not justified to blog about something that wasn't happening. But I'm back....with a vengence....well I'm not sure about that, we shall see...will be looking forward to catching up with everyone though....hope you all are well and still around.

February

2008-01-29T03:49:00.000-06:00

Well here's the long and short of things. I've decided for several reasons that I'll be taking a rest in February. It will give me time to put some shorter mileage runs on my knee and hopefully allow it to recuperate some. I can always work on upgrading the Marathon Mania status later. At this point I think I would just rather not push things too far.

I am still scheduled to do the Little Rock Marathon on March 3, and the Oklahoma City Marathon on April 27. After that I'm toying with the idea of MAYBE doing Grandma's in June. It's really just an excuse for Bonnie to get us to Minnesota to see the grandbabies. See how that works, I go run the marathon while she's playing Grandma. Me, I do whatever to make her happy, including going out and beating my body into the pavement for 26.2 miles. Well, as you know that isn't entirely true, I do the races because I want to, because I'm a maniac. This should also give me some time to focus on losing some weight, and I'm hoping that will help the knee as well.

So now I'm looking for some decent weather, it has been so windy here, over 30 mph and gusts even higher for days now it seems. Today I fly to Grand Junction, Colo and I'm taking my running things but I'm not hopeful of getting much done there, well maybe some time on a treadmill I guess.

Decisions

2008-01-20T08:32:00.000-06:00

I've run marathons in each of the last three months and I have marathons scheduled for March (Little Rock) and April (OKC Memorial Marathon). Now it's time to decide if I continue the streak by stepping into something in February, perferrably early February or not. One week after the Houston Marathon my knee feels fine, so I'm seriously leaning towards maybe the ARR Desert Classic in Arizona. I have a free flight available to me on Southwest so I could go out for free and just have one night's stay on Saturday and return Sunday night, provided I can get the ticket thru Southwest....that's a very strong possibility. There are some others that are back east that weekend or the next weekend that might work as well.

I hate these kinds of decisions. I'm sure some would or will say to rest too. I could go with that option as well and then the 6 in 6 months is out the window. I feel that I can do one in February though so am I just rambling aimlessly here for no reason?

Marathon Mania - The Houston Saga 01/13/08

2008-01-15T09:09:00.000-06:00

Bonnie and I drove down to Houston, starting on Friday evening, stopping in Dallas long enough to have a quick cup of coffee with my daughter and to admire her new engagement ring. She’s so proud and so is Dad.

We got to Houston Saturday morning before lunch and met up with my Dad and my middle brother Ben (who ran the Houston Marathon last year and got me started down this zany road). We piled into my Dad’s car with my brother driving and headed for the marathon expo. There we met up with one of Bonnie’s many adopted families. We met them in October at the Madill, OK half marathon. Bonnie ran the 10k run that day with the Mom of the group Rae Ann. I didn’t realize it but I was leap frogging with her daughter-in-law, Cindy. Anyway, Bonnie being her quiet, shy self, introduced herself to their cheering party as she and Rae Ann finished the 10k and waited on our group of half marathoners to come in. We also had a Cindy in our group that day that ran in about 3 minutes ahead of their Cindy.

One of Rae Ann’s son’s, Craig, ran the full marathon in 4:29 and some change. The rest of their group ran the half marathon in good times between 2:10 and 2:35 or so.

Now on to Sunday morning. On the way to the George R. Brown complex, my brother picked up a friend of his, Eddie that was running his first marathon. He was expectedly nervous. I tried to convince him that the important thing today wasn’t time but to finish. Once at the complex we met another of their local running friends, Earl. Earl was starting his 32nd marathon. We talked for a while in the complex avoiding going back out in the chilly weather and wind that was whipping around the downtown buildings, but finally we decided it was time. On the way to the intersection where our wave would standby while the first wave left, we stopped for a potty break and were amazed at how short the lines were there. We were walking to our intersection when we heard the gun signaling the start of Wave 1. We had ten minutes. As we got up in the waiting crowd I decided I would leave our small group and head up closer to the 5-hour pace group. When the fired the gun I was just two minutes crossing the start line.

In the first mile we saw Elvis, yes a bit too early to be hallucinating I agree, but there he stood on the bridge median over Hwy 59, bigger than life. On that bridge I had to make a quick stop to retie my left shoe, got that done and was on the road again, where is Willie? First several miles were under 12 minutes. I believe mile 6 was my first mile to take longer than 11 minutes. I think I made the first “on course” bathroom break in that mile. I ditched my gloves during mile 2 and my long sleeve throw-away during mile 4. The weather was turning out to be great.

I saw my brother, got double high 5’s from him, then Bonnie and my Dad. Bonnie was trying to take a photo and at the same time ask me what I needed. I surprised her, brushed the camera out of the way, and gave her a big wet kiss….yes there was tongue involved too. That was all I needed at the time, so much better than any other energy boost.

Miles 8 through 11 were uneventful, except that we lost the half marathoners somewhere in mile 9 I believe. There were still a lot of runners though. Just past mile 11 I say my cheerleaders again, my Dad walked along with me as I approached Ben and Bonnie, asking me how I was doing and how my knee was. I told him at that point that I felt good. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t see the 5:15 pace group any longer. Bonnie gave me a bottle of water and lip balm.

During mile 12 or 13 I took another potty break and as I came out the 5:30 pace group came by, another disappointing site. At this point, I was figuring out that when I stopped and then started to walk or run again my knee would hurt the most. Stopping was causing it to tighten up I presume. At every bathroom break, I took it hurt as I got back on the street. That caused a huge debate with myself just before the 25 mile mark that I’ll explain later.

Mile 14 I again saw my cheering group as expected. They had bought me a bagel and I took half of it at that point. I think I got another bottle of water from Bonnie at this point.

I had been taking Gatorade at each water stop and between water stops I was also taking in some GU. After mile 15 the GU started to not sit well on my stomach so I stopped using it. The Gatorade did not taste like it was being cut and I felt it was giving me the electrolyte balance that I needed.

At mile 16 I got a big surprise, this was in the Galleria area. I heard my name being called loudly from the right side of the street and I was on the left side at the time. I looked over to see my Dad, Ben, and Bonnie there. They were supposed to be at mile 19 next. I didn’t need anything at that point but it was great to see them again.

Onward I went from that point. First west on San Felipe for a short stretch then north again heading thru a neighborhood I think is called Tanglewood, heading to Woodway. I expected to see my group again just after I made the turn onto Woodway near the intersection with Sage but they weren’t there. I continued onward and between miles 19 and 20 I neared the Loop 610 overpass where last year I met my brother and ran in to the finish line with him. I thought maybe they would be there again, but again saw no one around that I knew.

Near mile 21, I looked up to see my brother standing in the grassy median of Memorial Parkway that we were now running on. At this point, it was beginning to feel like the home stretch. We were headed back to downtown Houston. After I saw him I encountered my Dad by himself and he walked with me towards Bonnie. She got a photo of us walking together. I haven’t had a chance to review the photos much yet and will post some later. I think this one will be one that I’m proud of though. I’m glad he could make the race. This was his first opportunity to see me run since my high school basketball days, many years ago.

They left me with cheers of my name and saying they would see me soon at the finish line, it felt incredible. I haven’t mentioned it but after I got to mile 8 or 9 I reverted back to my old run one minute/walk one minute routine that I did most of last year building my mileage base. This seemed to cause my knee to hurt less than trying a 5 and 1 interval.

As I was running between miles 22 and 23 I heard my name being called by someone to my left. I sometimes get so focused on the race that I hear my name but will ignore people. This time though something made me look and it was Robert another friend of my brothers that had run with us over the last several miles last year. I stopped long enough to shake hands and say hello letting him know I was good to go. He called Ben after I left him to let them know he had seen me at that point and that I was still looking good.

Just a couple of minor hills/rises and then into downtown, I was going to make it on my own power. As I approached the 25 mile marker I saw another row of port-o-potties and debated with myself to make a stop or not. I knew I could go and should go but I felt like I was starting to push the 6 hour window and really wanted my gun time to be under 6 hours. I decided I should stop though (I know my system, I have TB...tiny bladder). Again, as with the other times, my knee hurt as I got started walking again, but one cycle of walk/run and I was ok once again.

Into downtown we ran, turning left I believe on Louisiana and running there for 2 blocks, then right onto Rusk and you could see the finish line in the distance. I knew it was several run/walk cycles away and decided not to push things. I was confident that I would be under 6 hours for my gun time. I had the remnants of a bottle of water that I had picked up from Bonnie at mile 21 that I had been refilling at later water stops. I had hoped to find a trash can to drop it because I didn’t want it in my hands at the finish line. I was able to locate a trash can though and ended up dropping it on the street. I felt bad about that because there wasn’t a lot of other race related litter there. I was able to spot first my brother, then my Dad, then Bonnie, all yelling my name. It felt so great to see and hear them there for me. I could see the clock and it was reading 5:57 as I crossed. I later learned they adjusted our gun times in the second wave so that my gun time was actually 5:47:55, just two minutes more than my chip time.

I got my finishers medal and t-shirt and met my group and then we waited on Eddie and Earl to come in. I believe they both finished around 6:10:00.

I was treated to a great steak at a Saltgrass Steakhouse about an hour later and felt really good but very tired.

This now makes 4 in 5 months and 3 in the last 3 months. What will February bring? I am currently signed up for the Little Rock Marathon on March 2, and will soon sign up for the Oklahoma Memorial Marathon on April 27. If I decided to try one in February, it will give me 6 in 6 months and I believe I move up a level as a Maniac.

Houston Marathon "Quickie" Scoop

2008-01-14T19:55:00.000-06:00

Here's the quick version of the race. Yes I did start, yes I did finish...wooohooo!!!! My chip time was 5:45:55, gun time they say was 5:47:55. I don't understand the two because while I was on the course early on I saw that I was exactly 12 minutes off the gun time. But they did have two starts and I was a part of the second wave that started 10 minutes after the first. Sooooo, maybe it only took me 2 minutes to cross the start line when "our" gun was fired. I know the clock at the finish line was reading 5:57:XX when I crossed, so I think I just realized the clock time at the finish had to be for the overall time from the "first" gun. They have adjusted my gun time to reflect my second wave start I guess. Who cares, right? I finished, under my own power, in a vertical position, etc, etc....and I'm mostly ok today.

My knee did hurt some but not like in Honolulu. I wore a brace around it to help keep the knee cap in place and that turned out to be a big help. It's kind of funny but the most it would hurt was when I had to stop to take a potty break. Standing still on it seemed to make it hurt as I would start to move again, weird...maybe TMI...but that is the truth. And of course I set a course record for needing to pee during a marathon...at least for me...I can remember stopping 4 times, maybe 5, but normally it's one time and I'm good to go.

The weather was great, started out around 42, with a light breeze, then it warmed up to the low to mid 60's by the end of the race and it was bright and sunny no clouds anywhere. I heard that 7,000 started the marathon but I believe 5,594 finished, I finished 5,336 and was 3,368 out of 3,502 males. Not sure where I was in my age group, but definitely still back of the pack material here. I did not get my Maniacs yellow/gold shirt in the mail in time to wear it for this race, it was delivered apparently on Saturday.

Anyway, I hope the other runners from this weekend had great races, I know several were out doing the P.F. Chang in Phoenix....I'll have to wait till tomorrow night to catch up as I have to get re-packed to leave for Wyoming in the morning.....bbbbbrrrrrrrr.

Introducing "MARATHON MANIAC #788"

2008-01-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

It's official tonight I've made it into the InSane AsyLum for Marathon Maniacs!!!!!! Newest member #788. Wow this is so incredible, I'm excited and amazed that I was able to pull this off and on top of it all, I didn't even realize that I had done it...doubly incredible. 2007 was truly a wonderful and wild year for me. Three marathons, two half marathons, a 15k, and numerous other "smaller" races....all I can think of writing is wow...Wow...WOW!!!!!

Oh my God, I can't believe I can't think of anything to say....that's not entirely true because I can think of something very special that I need to write about and share with this group. You guys and gals have been the best support group, cheerleaders, mentors, and fans that a person could ask for. Without your backing almost daily from so many of you I don't think I would have continued to where I am today and to each and everyone of you I am indebted and owe a tremendous THANK YOU!!!!!

I'm also thankful to the members of the Edmond Running Club that I've had the privelege of running with over the past year. Special thanks to Clyde, Rachel, Lissa, and Cindy my frequent training and race partners. It's been a very short year but there have been so many "stories" that evolved in that time frame. I so appreciate your training knowledge, your patience, your concerns with my health at various times, but most of all your total support and backing that I could set out to accomplish such a crazy and insane goal. I also want to thank my coach/trainer/mentor James who has done his darnedest to get me into a pair of motion control shoes but I've resisted...but I know you are right that I need to go that direction and will promise to work in that direction for 2008.

My biggest thanks I save until last and that goes to Bonnie "the woman in red", that beautiful lady that I formally met in 2000 in the Fargo, ND airport where she stood waiting for me dressed in red...so that I would recognize her...see we met on the internet..but that is a whole other post or two or three. She was there with me when I had my open heart surgery (quadruple bypass) in April 2005, and she's been there either physically or in spirit with me for every race. She's even begun to run her own races and I am more than just thankful for all her wonderful, I'm so very proud of her own efforts. You see when we met and when we were married she wasn't a morning person and she definitely wasn't a runner. Well today she is both. In fact I may have a designation as a Marathon Maniac but she's my "trophy bride". She will be so very quick to tell you that for all my efforts in 2007 I've brought home t-shirts and medals, but I have yet to bring home a trophy. She did that in her first effort at a 10k run, finishing first in her age group. She means so much to me and is so special...I'm so proud to call her my bride.

Yes I can go from nothing to say to needing to have someone shut me up. I feel like I'm on top of the world tonight. What a wonderful way to culminate 2007 as my first year as a runner. Thanks again to one and all for the support.

GOOF Award of the Year - "Me"

2008-01-06T18:59:00.000-06:00

After the post I did earlier today the anal-engineer kicked in and I decided to reconfirm the number of days between the Tulsa Route 66 marathon on 11/18/07, the Honolulu marathon on 12/09/07, and the Houston marathon on 1/13/08, and I get a total of 56 days, not even close to 90 days, whew right......well there's more to the zaniness....

Then a very feeble light bulb started to shine and I decided to count the days between the Lewis and Clark marathon on 9/16/07, the Tulsa Route 66 marathon on 11/18/07, and the Honolulu marathon on 12/9/07, and I get a grand total of "84" days!!!!!!

OH MY GOD....

I qualified as a Marathon Maniac with the Lewis and Clark, Tulsa Route 66, and Honolulu Marathons inside the 90 day window to become an entry level "Bronze" Marathon Maniac.

Would someone check my numbers, please...I can't believe this.

I'm still going to Houston though. This is where my true street running started in 2007 when I ran/walked the last 6.5 miles of the Houston Marathon last January with my brother. I'm still really proud of his effort and will always know and remember he did the first one first and it's because of him that I'm running like I am today.

Houston - A Week From Today

2008-01-06T17:05:00.000-06:00

I finally got in some very slow mileage today. Bonnie and I did 2 miles at a 13:40 pace. It just felt good to be back out running again. I had a dull kind of ache in my knee but now, we've been back maybe 20 minutes and it's about gone away. I'm supposed to run in the morning with my old Monday/Wednesday gang. I haven't run with them since before the Tulsa Route 66 marathon back on 11/18/07. I will definitely be the slow horse tomorrow morning.

Looking ahead to the marathon, we are staying Saturday night at the Doubletree Hotel that is just off the start/finish area of the marathon, so I should be able to get dressed, do the bathroom thing and go start the run....oh yes and get in a warm up jog for a bit. The weather says that the start time temps should be in the mid-40's and will warm up into the mid 60's by early afternoon. This marathon puts a 6 hour cap on finishers getting a medal. So, I want to finish the race, first and foremost; and secondly I want to finish under 6 hours...and a far distant third...is maybe a sliver of a chance at finishing between 5:00 and 5:30. It's a very flat course and the temps are right so maybe I'll do really good.

This is the third race to gain the Marathon Maniac status. Three races in 90 days, oh God I hope I've counted things right from 11/18 to 01/13. I think I should have about 5 days to spare.

My Apologies for Being so Absent

2008-01-05T08:03:00.000-06:00

I apologize for not being around, but not running can take one out of the mood to blog it seems.

I went back to my sports doctor and fellow runner yesterday. I FINALLY had my MRI done on Wednesday. The end results.....I'm getting old. It seems that the area behind my kneecap (patella), has eroded some but it does not warrant surgery at this point to correct anything. In fact he said there was much better odds that surgery now would just make things worse and I might not be able to run. So...NO surgery. He has cleared me to run in Houston a week from tomorrow...woohoo...I'm so glad he confirmed that. He feels I've got enough mileage base that this off period between Honolulu and Houston won't hurt me and it's given the irritation in the knee plenty of time to recuperate. It's hardly sore any more. He did tell me that with the longer runs it will hurt and that I need to follow the run with ice directly to the knee as soon as possible afterwards as I can...and Advil.

So Bonnie and I leave for Houston, either early Saturday morning or late Friday afternoon, not sure which yet.

"The KNEE" - Good News...But Not the Rest of the Story...Yet

2007-12-21T10:34:00.000-06:00

I saw my sports doctor this morning and I walked out feeling better than when I walked in. He told me that the Route 66 course in Tulsa is not the best running surface around and I would have to agree with him. I'm not sure of the total mileage we ran on concrete but it was alot. I also told him that I had finished the Honolulu Marathon last week and he seemed impressed.

He took the typical medical history and was impressed that I was even running after my heart surgery from 2 years ago. He had me stand in my barefeet, on tiptoes, squatted, and then took my left leg through a series of bends and manipulations as I lay on the exam table. Only one point did I experience any abnormal pain.

His take on the situation is this: The bone surface on the back side of the knee cap should be smooth, alot like ceramic. He thinks that mine has gotten rough and porous like over the years. He said that it wasn't necessarily caused by the running. He also thinks there may be a small sliver of cartilege torn that is behind the knee cap and that is a large part of the potential irritation that I feel. What he wants and is scheduling is an MRI and will see me again next Friday to discuss our options.

He gave me some exercises to strengthen my quads and stretch my hamstrings. To strengthen my quads I sit near the edge of a chair or table, raise one leg until it is parallel with the floor, I lock the leg straight and then slowly lower it to about 30 degrees. I do this several times a day. I have the remnants of a quad in my right leg but my left leg quad is non-existant, or nearly so. For the hamstrings it's the typical stretch, putting your foot on a chair or table from a standing position and then pointing the toes back to the chest and holding for 15 seconds, repeating this 8 to 10 times a day. I think I should have been doing both of these all along.

The good thing about strengthening the quads is that I believe I can do that exercise from my office chair, or in a restaurant, or a meeting.

I asked about the upcoming Houston Marathon and then held my breath. He said at this point he believes I can go. He said that if I had to I could walk the course. So I'm planning on going, woohoo.

So there should be more news next Friday. In the meantime I'm going to try and do a very easy light run on Monday morning, weather permitting.

I'm in a Quandry

2007-12-15T21:01:00.000-06:00

What does one write about when one doesn't run due to a potential injury? I didn't get to see our sports doc yesterday because they had been closed all week without power. I have an appointment next Friday to see him.

I HATE not running, but I also can't STAND the thought of running on my knee to soon and risk a sliver of a chance of doing the Houston Marathon in 4 weeks, well ok, 3-1/2 weeks. I've got the mileage in but I would like to get around 15-20 miles a week next week and the week after that, but I'm beginning to believe it isn't going to happen.

I noticed last night that at one point, I can't remember what I was doing, but my right knee popped, alot like when you "crack" your knuckles. At times that is what my left knee feels like it needs. I wish I knew more.

We still have several hundred thousand people without power in the state. Fortunately for us here in the OKC metro area we didn't get as much snow last night and this morning as they originally predicted.

Now I'm having thoughts of what we were doing last Saturday in paradise.

There was alot of concrete surface that we ran on in the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa in November, I'm wondering if that is what aggrevated my knee. I can't think of anything else that would have done any damage......grrrrrr.....

They used a new type of timing chip at the Honolulu Marathon that didn't work out too well. It's the same chip they were going to use in the Houston Marathon..and I stress the word....WERE...now Houston has backed away from it and will be going back to the older more reliable ChampionChip type of timing device.

It would appear that I'm rambling tonight, guess it's because I really want to be out on the streets somewhere, even though it's 28 degrees here right now. I took communion tonight at church and I asked for God's Will to help my knee heal.

After church Bonnie and I went out to do some last minute shopping for a "dirty" Santa gift for our church small group Christmas Party tomorrow night. Each person that comes brings a wrapped gift for playing dirty "Santa". Bonnie gets to pick a nice gift and I get to pick one that according to her is "butt ugly". At least that was her thought last year and MY gift ended up being traded and fought over the most by the group. I'll try and remember to post pics tomorrow of what we are taking before we wrap them up. Guess that will pass some time of not running too.

Well....Goodnight JohnBoy.....

More Hawaii Pics

2007-12-14T05:39:00.001-06:00

The day of reckoning, race day, 3:00 AM for our photo opportunity as a group, the Edmond Family Center for Autism group..."TeamAutism". From left to right Cristy, Phil, Angel, Stacey, Alan, Randy, Steve. We were pumped and excited, little did we know that a scant two hours later we would all look like drowned rats.

Stacey was our first runner across the finish line in under 5 hours 30 minutes, hats off to her effort. I ran with her for 11 or so miles before I began to fade with my knee issues and we agreed we should both run our own race at that point, she was a great organizer for our trip and coach to those that had never run a marathon before, she ROCKS!!! That is Taylor with her after the finish line. Bonnie stayed with Taylor while Stacey and Alan were on the course, when she suggested they head to the finish line to see everyone run to the finish he got upset and said there was no way he could run a race that far. He thought she meant they were going to run the 26.2 miles to the finish. When she got him convinced they wouldn't have to do that he then thought it would be cheating to just "show up" at the finish and again didn't want to be seen as a cheater. More explaining but he was there when it counted for us. We are all so proud of him for making the trip with us and being so upbeat all the time....he's truly an inspiration!!

Yours truly after the finish line, tired, sore, and yes in some pain due to my left knee at that time. After crossing the finish line we got a "lei" of seashells and then had to walk thru water, mud, and muck for another 1/4 mile to get our finisher's medal and t-shirt. That was the worst part of the day.

I had told Bonnie before the race that if we finished close enough to the beach that I was going to give her my shoes and I was going into the Pacific in lieu of an ice bath. The water wasn't as cold as ice water would have been but the wave motion on my legs and feet felt really good. That is Taylor in the foreground with me.

This is Alan one of our walkers and the last of the EFCA participants to cross the finish line. Bonnie was our sideline cheerleader and photographer and she watched over Taylor while his Mom, Stacey, and Dad, Alan were on the course. Again we had some explaining to do with Taylor to convince him it was ok for him to walk with his Dad and that it would excite Alan to see him coming out to meet him. What a wonderful supporter Taylor made for each of us.

Here's one of those famous Hawaiian sunsets as seen from the balcony of our room, the sky sure lit up that evening when that big fireballs slipped into the ocean.

LUAU PHOTOS

Monday night after the race on Sunday we were treated to a wonderful Hawaiian Luau on the north shore of Oahu. Here is Bonnie and I at the hotel just before we left on the tour bus with our group. Keep that purple dress in mind as it will show up in an unlikely photo in just a bit.

Oh my, here it is already, Bonnie learning to do the Hula Dance. You should see her instructor, no wonder she is smiling so big....he's in another photo just a bit later too. The ladies on the stage did a great job and had a lot of fun with this part of the festivities. We had Hawaiian pig that had been roasted in a covered fire pit, and several other Hawaiian vegetables that we could sample thru their buffet line when we ate.

The theme thru the dancing portion of the luau was based on the Christmas Holidays and it was exciting to see the different island cultures that were represented during each of the different dances.

More of the dancers in various Christmas dress. Even with the Christmas theme, the things you would expect at a luau were never far away, the grass skirts, the dark tan, the festive atmosphere.

Here is Bonnie's hula dance instructor, she said the eye candy made it very easy for her to follow his instructions as he stood just off the camera showing her and the other ladies how to do each of the various steps associated with the hula.

OUR LAST DAY

On Tuesday as we waited around the hotel for our evening ride to the airport, we were fortunate enough to meet Eric Mzioki, third place runner from Kenya, and Boniface Mbuvi, fourth place runner also from Kenya, near the hotel hot tub. It was a bit difficult communicating with them, but they very much understood a photo opportunity.

Then to top things off about an hour later we had the good fortune to meet the winner of this years Honolulu Marathon, Ambesse Tolosa from Ethiopia. Ambesse was a bit easier to chat with and also had an intrepretor with him. He was also the winner of the Honolulu Marathon in 2006. It was very exciting to spend a few minutes with him and to realize that he was every bit as tired as we were.

This is Diamondhead taken from the beach in front of our hotel. The marathon took us thru the street in front of our hotel, paralleling the coast and then eventually up over the right hand shoulder of Diamondhead that can be seen on the very right of the photo.

It was a fun and wild 6 days in Hawaii and I debated on adding this photo, then decided not to put it in, then decided oh heck I need to add it. Taken from Senor Frogs, was I surprised when I had to make a bathroom stop while Bonnie and I had chips and salsa there on the day that we left to come home....Add this to those crazy things you might see while on vacation I guess.

Back Home

2007-12-13T06:13:00.000-06:00

Bonnie and I arrived back home yesterday afternoon. I felt as though I had lost a night somehow. We left Honolulu at 10:30 PM Tuesday night Honolulu time and arrived at the Oklahoma City airport at 12:50 PM on Wednesday afternoon. This is alot of flying time, I don't know how pilots cope with that sort of thing.

We saw alot of the devestation in the OKC area from the ice storm that they experienced while we were lying on the beaches of Hawaii over the past 6 days. We live in one of the lucky areas that did not lose power during all of the cold weather. Yesterday and today were days of reprieve from the icy mess. Tomorrow (Friday) is promising more weather tho in the way of snow, at least 4 inches plus they are saying thru Saturday night.

On the long flight back to Houston (7.5 hours) my knee gave me fits all night long even with ibuprofin. I noticed that my feet and my lower legs seemed to swell during the flight but didn't say anything to the others that were traveling with us at the time. At the Houston airport we got to talking about general discomfort during the flight and noticed that all of us that participated in the marathon seemed to have similar issues with swelling. Bonnie mentioned that she too felt that her feet had swollen during some part of the flight.

I slept pretty good last night, only having to take ibuprofin at one point during the night and I've got pretty good movement of my knee this morning. Because of the weather I'm not considering running at all until sometime next week.

Now I officially have two of the three marathons behind me in my hunt for Marathon Maniac-dom. The Houston Marathon looms ahead on January 13, a month from today!!!!

I'm trying to get an appointment made with our local sports medicine/podiatrist to talk to him about my knee and get some recommendations from him towards a better recovery effort for me. It seems the weather has played havoc with their office hours this week, but I am hoping to be able to get in to see him tomorrow. He's a member of our running club and that usually helps to get us in or to work us inbetween others on his schedule from what I've been told.

It's good to be back home, sleeping in your own bed, but I do have to admit I miss the weather that we experienced in Hawaii already.

"The Race Report" - - "The Engine That Almost Couldn't"

2007-12-10T15:40:00.001-06:00

I'm going to try something different with this report and list/focus on the pluses and minuses and see where that takes us. First for the pluses:

+ I finished the race in an upright position under my own power.
+ I finished with essentially no new injuries or blisters....wooohooo!!!
+ I ran with a great group sponsored by The Edmond Family Center for Autism.
+ Having Bonnie here was a positive thing for me.
+ The fireworks they use at the start at 5:00 AM were beautiful.
+ The rain that came thru at 4:30 AM while standing in the potty line was "refreshing".
+ The rain that came just before the gun start was as good as a shower at home, but no soap.
+ The scenary has to be the best of any race that I've run, though my career is still young.
+ The water stops offered plenty water, gatorade and icy cold sponges.
+ Remembering to bring extra socks in a zip lock baggy.
+ The sun was not a big issue until later in the morning, the clouds were a very welcome veil.
+ The course is challenging but not overpowering, with Diamondhead the only real hill section.
+ The spectators were totally awesome, tho many were Japanese so I couldn't understand them.

The minuses were present but were overpowered I think by the more positive aspects of this race:

- Finish time was 6:49:48 (chip time) for a terrible pace of 15:19.
- Too many participants (over 20,000) left you running in a constant pack.
- The torrential rain at the start slowed things down considerably.
- Wet socks, what else can I say about that.
- My knee giving me trouble early on and throughout most of the race, forcing alot of walking.
- Taking waaaay too long to cross the finish.
- I was too worried about my knee to take any photos even though I did have a disposable camera with me.
- The finish area was LOUSY for a number of reasons, mostly because it was a quagmire.
- We got a shell necklace at the finish line but had to slog thru mud that reeked of raw sewage for a 1/4 mile to get our medal and finisher's tshirt, not something you want to do after 26.2 miles.
- For the finishers they had apples and cookies, not the greatest of food for the end of the race.

While there were some negatives about the run, the positives so far outweighed them, looking back at them the next day makes them seem almost inconsequential. Today after reflecting on things, I would say the mud in the finish area that smelled of raw sewage and the distance the finishers had to walk to get their medals was the biggest issues. I would still put this marathon on your radar screen if you have yet to run in Hawaii it is crowded but still a beautiful run.

I'm down because of the poor finish that I had, but I'm also upbeat that I was able to finish in any time. I feel that I didn't post as good a showing for all that donated on my behalf, it's a personal thing, just makes me feel like cr%p. This makes me want to come back and redeem myself with a better effort.

Thursday and Friday Catch Up Time

2007-12-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

There are 5 couples/families that are making this trip to participate in the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday, (Bonnie and myself), (Alan and Stacey and Taylor), (Angel and Phil), (Christy and Matt), (Steve and Debbie). Of this group Bonnie, Debbie, and Matt will not be bib carriers in the marathon. Alan, Angel, and maybe Christy will be walking the marathon; the rest of us will be running.

Yes Bonnie did go with me on this trip. No there is no way that I could have gone out the front door with her. She will be part of our cheering squad, our photographer, and supporter, and she will be watching Taylor while Alan and Stacey are participating in the marathon on Sunday.

We've made it to the Houston Airport (Taylor, Angel, Stacey, Phil, Steve and Bonnie), the others are up near me when I took the pic.

Here's our running mascot Taylor, he is now 7 years old and is a delight to be around. He is a barrel of energy and so willing to do just about anything. When we boarded the jet to Honolulu when they announced our seating group they announced his name as well and that got him very excited.

It was almost an 8 hour trip from Houston to Honolulu. We spent the time sleeping, doing Soduku, eating, and looking out the window....I thought this pic was interesting with the sun dancing off the wing of the plane.

As we made our approach into Honolulu I happened to look down and saw this submarine leaving the area, apparently coming out of Pearl Harbor. I thought that was an interesting thing to see.

"We've arrived in wonderful Honolulu!!!!!!!!!

At this point we had all received our lei's. Angel's right cheek, Debbie, Steve, Matt, Christy, Phil and Bonnie's left cheek. Not sure where Stacey and Taylor were for this pic. Alan joined us later Thursday evening.

Friday we visited the Arizona Memorial, this was December 7, the 66st annivisary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In the distance here you can see the Arizona Memorial, sitting atop the sunken remains of the battleship Arizona and the tomb of so many of her young sailors. The battleship Missouri is anchored just south of the Arizona. The Missouri is where Japaneses surrender was signed in 1945.

This is one of the Pearl Harbor survivors. He was on our tour and was visiting the memorial for his third and what he feels like his last time. He had visited a friend aboard the Arizona in the engine room about an hour before the bombing started. He had been discharged already but his discharge papers were ripped up and he served for 4 more years. Bonnie got autographs of several other survivors from the bombing at the museum before we took the boat ride out to the memorial.

The watery grave of over 1,000 of the Arizona sailors. Even today the other survivors of the Arizona can be cremated by the Navy and interred in the ship with their shipmates by Navy divers. One new interment was to be made Friday night after all the ceremonies of the day.

Close up of the battleship Missouri.

Here's some of the Edmond Family Center for Autism gang (Matt, Christy, Randy, Bonnie, Stacey, Taylor, and Alan) in front of one of the anchor's that were taken off of the battleship Arizona. The other anchor is on display at the Arizona State Capitol.

At the entrance of Honolulu Marathon Expo.

Friday night we ate at a place called Cheeseburger's in Waikiki. They had the best cheeseburgers I've eaten in a long time.

As for the weather, yes it's rained alot. The temperatures have ranged from 68 to 82 since we've been here. We keep hearing flash flood warnings for the area but have only seen the streets flooded in isolated areas once or twice. The rain never seems to last very long even when it gets really heavy.

Here it is early Saturday morning, Stacey, Bonnie, Christy, and I met downstairs for a 2 mile run. We had a time of 23:36, taking it very easy. Our pace was 11:47 and it was never a struggle even with the high humidity. My knee feels fine so I'm hoping for a great race tomorrow morning.

More later.

Honolulu Bound

2007-12-06T07:23:00.000-06:00

Well we have taken the first steps towards Honolulu...wait I guess I've actually taken quite a few steps towards Honolulu in the last 6 months. But at last we are "on our way". We are at the OKC airport waiting to board our flight for the first leg to Houston, then non-stop to Honolulu. We arrive around 3:30 PM which is 9:30 PM Central time.

In checking the weather for Hawaii last night they are having flooding due to rains it seems. PLUS, the mountains actually had a snow advisory!!!!! Yes in Hawaii a snow advisory for the mountain areas. I had no idea that Hawaii had mountains that tall, or that they ever got snow.

More to come later today with some photos.

I "Feel" Like I'm Ready

2007-12-02T14:01:00.000-06:00

Thanks to so many positive comments and prayers yesterday I finally reached the point where again I felt that I am truly ready to "run" the Honolulu Marathon. So many of my blogging buddies have left comments that have in one way or another had a very positive impact on me over the past several days, and last night at church it was astounding the numbers of people that were asking if next Sunday is the day that I am to run and they were all so upbeat, positive, and happy that I'll be running. Thanks to all of this wonderful support my body and mind seem to have merged and once again I truly do feel ready to "run".

Up to this point I had been having thoughts that I could "settle" for a walking marathon, knowing that I could finish that. But I've got the confidence back that is enabling me to "see" the finish. Thanks to all of you. I'm feeling great, I'm ready, I'm excited.

Bring it on!!!!!!!!

OMG - Honolulu is but a WEEK away!!!!

2007-12-01T06:50:00.000-06:00

Finally, after 6 months it's just around the corner, the Honolulu Marathon. We've got our airline tickets, I've got my bib number (6532) and I think you can follow things on the website the day of the race...just remember they are 6 hours behind those of us here in the Central Time Zone...so I'll leave it to you to do the math...

My knee seems to have recovered from the aftermath of the Route 66 Marathon. Yesterday I started seeing running images again of me any time I closed my eyes, images of the Honolulu marathon course and I've never been to Hawaii...so go figure. I did the same thing though prior to the Route 66, all I would have to do is close my eyes and my focus became the race, it is so strange.

I've still not run since the Route 66, it will be 2 weeks tomorrow, but I've been listening to my body and have decided that I am at a level with my training that I need this break and it is just a part of the taper. I will try to run a couple of miles this weekend if the weather will allow it and see how things turn out. The ibuprofin and ice seem to have done the trick with the recovery for my knee.

I'm sooo excited....we leave on Thursday....finally I don't have to say something 2 weeks from this Thursday...it's THIS Thursday!!!! We will take plenty of pics and yes I will try and keep the blog updated more often. I'm sorry that I fell into the funk of not running and not blogging, Molly you woke me up on that...thanks.

Update on the Knee

2007-11-20T06:48:00.000-06:00

My left knee started to hurt shortly after finishing the marathon on Sunday. It never gave me any indication of being overused, or sore, or in any pain until AFTER the finish. I worked my way thru the finish chute and met Bonnie at the exit of the chute. I was still standing at that point and looking around for perhaps an ice pool but didn't see any for this race.

I did spot a food tent for finishers and told her that I wanted to head that direction. She asked if I wanted to sit down but I said no I felt that I needed to walk. The food tent was across a field so we started that direction, slowly. I took my time letting my legs and body get back to some semblance of normal vertical activity. I went into the tent and had two orange slices then moved on to find all they had left was pepperoni pizza, which at the time sounded like a 16 oz prime rib to me. I took a very large slice and walked out the other end of the tent.

I could see Bonnie waiting on me at the entrance and thought I would get her attention to come to me rather than me walk back to her. Then I did my biggest mistake.....I sat down in a chair to eat the pizza. I sat there long enough to eat it, and Bonnie eventually saw me and came over and sat down too. I finished the water that I had and began to realize that my knee was hurting all of a sudden.

I was panicking that I had done something to it in the race but could not remember anything that caused any problems on the course.

Well, my coach says that by sitting down too soon and bending my knee at a 90 degree angle that quickly and for a prolonged period of time I was pushing my thigh bone into the knee cap and aggravating the cartilege there. He says that the running naturally aggravates it some but as long as you don't sit too quickly after the race or sit with your leg bent 90 degrees or more that you shouldn't have alot of pain.

Today it continues to feel much better. I just have to remember to not sit that same way even now as it brings the pain back when I do. I will take his advice and not run until at least the weekend and maybe into the middle of next week. It's again my taper time for Honolulu anyway.

Race Photos

2007-11-19T18:17:00.000-06:00

The Night Before: Our race gang, well at least part of the Edmond Running Club, Lissa, Julie, William, Cindy, yours truly and Bonnie. We met at a quaint Italian restaurant off the corner of 15th and Peoria and enjoyed pasta and good conversation. Some innocent bystander going in agreed to take our photo as we were coming out.

A loving couple enjoying time with great friends. We were both excited about the upcoming race, Bonnie running the Route 66 Quarter Marathon and me running the Route 66 Marathon, my first leg towards Marathon Maniac status in January 2008.

Race Prepartion: Remember crib notes in school? I decided that my feeble mind wouldn't be able to accurately remember the various paces that I felt I had a potential to run in this race, so I decided it was time for a bit of descriptive artwork. Tattoo artist I'm not....but they didn't run....while I was running and sweating.

At the Start Line: Papa Bear is ready for the gun on Sunday morning. I ended up not needing the headband/ear warmer for this race and it was lost along the way...it didn't make for much in the photo either. I do have to admit the smile was an unusual thing for me to show.....I can't remember what Bonnie said to get it. We started in the same chute that we would finish the race in a few hours later.

The Finish Line: Time lapsed photography and a wonderful wife brings this finish line dash to you. I don't honestly remember "dashing" to the finish. Somewhere just before this was taken I could tell I wasn't going to have my gun time be under 5:30, but I was pretty certain that my chip time would be...and it was 5:29:34.

The Medals: And...here's the end result, they have some of the nicest medals. The lady at the finish line asked if this was my first marathon. I explained to her that it was my first Tulsa marathon and first Oklahoma marathon. That at my one previous marathon they didn't have such a finisher's medal. She said with the effort I had made she felt I should have this to hang in my collection. She wished me well in my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states.

I'm equally impressed with Bonnie's Quarter Marathon Finisher's Medal too....it's very impressive and really more "shiny" than the one that I got. I'm so proud of her efforts and all of her support during this year. She has evolved into much more than what she termed early on as my "atheletic supporter"...yes she does know what that is.....she's my cheerleader, my coach, and most importantly....The Love of my Life....

The Long Report - 0ne Day Beyond

2007-11-19T05:44:00.000-06:00

Well a quick check on what I posted yesterday, my knee seems to be better this morning thanks to alot of ice and ibuprofin. More ice today at noon I think and ibuprofin.

As for photos, I still don't have them downloaded yet and the cable to get that done must be in the bedroom and I'm not going to wake Bonnie again. I promise later today.

Start Line: I talked with a couple of folks from the Edmond Running Club (Joanne and Maurice) that were running the full that I knew would be up in front of me.I lined up with the 5:00 pace group for the start and at 8:00 sharp.

Mile 1 - 11:15
The start of the race was great. They let the elite runners go out about 2 minutes ahead of us, then it was our time...."Runners Set"......then the shotgun blast and we were off. I was able to run with the 5:00 hour pace group with real ease over this first mile. We ran over a bridge spanning the Arkansas River, so that was the first of many hills for the day, and was probably one of the smaller hills. After the bridge we ran west for a ways then turned north on a part of "old Route 66" the historic American highway, the namesake of the race, so we can say that we "Kicked it on Route 66" as our finishers shirts would later indicate. Toward the end of Mile 1 my bladder made it's one and only stop of the race, throwing me about 30 seconds behind the pace group.

Mile 2 - 12:19
Mile 2 started near the center of the second bridge that I believe was the Southwest Blvd Bridge, we were headed east back over the Arkansas River and would be turning right onto Riverside Drive. Riverside Drive is the long stretch of the race that will take us all the way to just past Mile 11. Mile 2 was catch up time to get back with the 5:00 pace group. My pace had fallen to around 11:40 if my memory serves me right. But try as I may I couldn't catch those guys again. I would keep them in sight up to mile 15 though. Still running strong.

Mile 3 - 11:47
During Mile 3 we completed a loop that took us back under the first bridge that we had run over. The significance here was that I got under that bridge before the half and quarter marathoners took off at 9:00 AM. Actually I was hoping to maybe see Bonnie but it was not to be. Again continuing to run strong. I was running between water stations and not feeling any discomfort at all. I started to notice bronze looking statues of wild animals in the grassy way between us and the river that was now on our right. I wish I had a portable camera to take photos of them as I noticed several other people doing. I remember deer, big horn sheep, bears, a seal, antelope, and others that apparently escape my still tired memory. I remember passing the turn around point for the quarter marathoners (Bonnie) during Mile 3 and saying a prayer for her and the other racers in that group.

Mile 4 - 11:46
Somewhere in Mile 4 I think it was we saw a woman standing in a large picture window with a very large cat. She had the cat standing on all fours and was waving with its forepaws to all the runners as we went by. A stranger sight indeed. There were also a fair number of spectators along this part of the course and near the water stations. Still keeping up a consistent pace to this point.

Mile 5 - 11:57

Mile 6 - 11:42

Mile 7 - 11:54

Mile 8 - 12:03
Somewhere during this mile I had a couple of guys catch up with and we leapfrogged for a bit then ran together until we were in Mile 11 crossing the bridge over the Arkansas River again. One had run many marathons and had heart surgery (stents) and the other...this was his first marathon. I asked them what time they were shooting for and the older gentleman said 5 to 5:30. The younger guy said he was shooting for 5, but he was looking at 5 PM. We got a good laugh from that. They were very complimentary of me when they learned of my quadruple bypass surgery 2 years ago.
Mile 9 - 11:44
I think it was during Mile 9 that I saw the marathon leaders coming back in from the turn around point. They looked awesome.
Mile 10 - 11:58

Mile 11 - 11:54
Once again we crossed the Arkansas River as we would near the turn around point for the race. I saw Maurice, Casie, and Joanne all running strong but going the other direction on the bridge. I'm glad I saw them it gave me a boost to keep going. The funny thing about seeing the runners ahead of me coming back in it seemed to pump me up some to run strong. For a while I wasn't just running with those around me at or near the same pace I was doing.
Mile 12 - 11:56

Mile 13 - 11:40
When I crossed the halfway point, my Garmin indicated 2:34:52, ahead of my pace that I did in the Lewis and Clark Marathon in September by about 2 or 3 minutes. Still running and feeling pretty strong at this point. I knew that I wouldn't be coming in with the 5:00 hour group so was now focusing on a 5:15 pace and this seemed very "doable" at the time. I didn't realize at the time that this was to be my last sub-12 minute mile.

Mile 14 - 12:23
Things slid a bit here with the pace, I think I was now moving into the 11:50ish area for a race pace. I was getting a little tired but still felt strong overall.

Mile 15 - 12:04
This mile felt like a bit of a struggle at times. By now we were back on Riverside Drive again going north this time. I was again running alone, chasing shorts in the distance, passing some, watching others pull further away. When the relay runners would zoom by it played havoc with my mind, at first wondering...how can these people be so fast so far into the race...the answer...they were alot fresher than we were.

Mile 16 - 12:02

Mile 17 - 13:03
The first 13 minute mile that I would do in the race, but definitely not the last. I could see the 5:15 pace passing me by even though there was no 5:15 pace group for this race. I made a vow to stay close to the 12:00 minute/mile pace that was needed for that though.

Mile 18 - 13:04
I'm not sure if it has any real significance or not but I was able to "clump" my times all pretty close together....running earlier in the 11:40's, then the 12:05 range, and now low 13's. Another significance of starting mile 18 was that Bonnie was supposed to try and meet me near the 18.5 mark where Riverside Drive intersected 61st Street. Well 61st came and went and no Bonnie. The next big intersection also went by, and I'm getting a bit worried about her race now...did she finish...was she hurt....but she made contact with me between Miles 21 and 22 and said she was at 61st street asking where I was and I told her...she said oops, it took her longer than she thought to get out of our hotel after showering and changing so she missed me, but I assured her that was ok and I was just glad to hear from her. She would meet me at the finish. Finally I have started to throw in some additional walk breaks in between the water stations, but I'm still running considerably more than walking.

Mile 19 - 13:22
5:15 was now definitely slipping away. I was beginning to think about the hills to come and hoped that I could maintain some sembleance of pace for them. During this mile we ran past a belly dancer providing entertainment but to be honest I can't even remember what she had on as we went by.

Mile 20 - 13:38
Each mile is getting to be more and more of a struggle now. I'm having to talk to myself mentally to keep going....to keep running when my body wanted to walk. I walked quite a bit this mile it seemed. The end of Mile 20 took us onto Peoria Avenue. We had been on Peoria 3 weeks ago for the Tulsa Run 15K race, so it was familar ground for me. There were again crowds of people out to cheer us along. It always felt good when someone would pay attention to the bibs and call out your name...Run Randy Run....well ok Forrest Gump I'm not.

Mile 21 - 13:54
Definitely doing some walking here. This mile saw the first of the hills, though the Peoria incline was very gentle compared to what was to come...the "Hills from Hell".....

Mile 22 - 13:52
This mile was spent on Woodward Blvd and Owasso Place and these people all must have problems during ice storms. The fun part of this mile was running thru all the colored leaves on the street. Fall has made it to Oklahoma and the leaves are painting the area in a beautiful array of Thanksgiving colors. I walked up most of the hills starting in this area. I thought I had seen the worst of them, but ohhh nooooo.....

Mile 23 - 14:06
We crossed over Peoria doing a weave up a hill that would make you think once you got to the top you had to be King or Queen for the moment, you wanted to stop and do a Rocky Balboa victory dance with arms raised...but there was no time...there were more hills yet to come...but this one indeed proved to be the worst of the group.

Mile 24 - No data
The tree coverage in this area was still pretty thick and for the first time ever my Garmin registered only limited data showing that I only went 483 feet for this Lap or mile. My Garmin stayed on track though overall for the chip time that I knew I was running, so it was strange to see this when I had finished. This mile started with a climb for maybe a quarter mile up to Utica Avenue, then a downward turn, with a rolling hill at the bottom then another climb up towards 15th Street.

Mile 25 - 14:03
It's funny, at Mile 25 we passed the Italian restaurant where we had eaten the night before, but I was sooooooo focused on trying now to stay under 5:30 I never saw it. I knew that 5:30 was going to be a battle...there were times that my mind would say..."just slack off you aren't going to make it any way"...that had to be the left side....then the right brain would kick in and say " don't back off you can still do it...we have some kick left, show them you are capable". I think I failed to mention earlier that I was altermating talking to God and talking with those Nigerians and Kenyans that often I find running with me as I zone out or hit a runners high....I was being pulled along by fierce competitors and a wonderful Higher Power, I decided I could do it. 15th Street had one last hill to climb and then it was down hill to the turn onto Boston I think it was. As we turned to Boston I could hear the finish line, basically 2 turns away. I was still struggling with the 5:30 pace though.

Mile 26 - 13:27
One more turn, the finish line could definitely be heard, the streets were somewhat lined with spectators again, many that had finished the course ahead of us cheering us along. I turned the corner and could see the finish line, the same chute that we had run thru over 5 hours ago. The clock was ticking it's red numbers at us, the seconds were winking by as we got closer. Still short of the mat I could see the blink of 5:30:00 and kind of lost it a bit thinking I had failed. I hit the mat at 5:30:39, but the chip time was 5:29:32. My Garmin read 5:29:34, close enough for government work and since I don't consider myself one of the elite that has to follow gun time, I give myself credit for finishing under 5:30...just barely.

At the finish line
I struggled to the lady that would give me my finisher's medal, then was a bit confused as to who took our chips and she pointed me in the right direction. Some guy in a red t-shirt shook my hand and wanted to know if I needed to sit down...I tolk him no I needed to walk for a bit. I struggled to put my foot up on the bar they had for the chip removers and thankfully they had a higher bar for us to lean on. Then someone gave me one of the thin space blankets, but I was hot and didn't feel like I would cool down anytime soon so I soon lost that. But before I took it off I went to the tables where they were giving out nice finishers shirts and asked for a Large. The man behind the table was told by someone else that these shirts were only for those that finished the full marathon. I looked at him and said I may not have alot of strength left but I would fight him for the shirt....I then moved the space blanket to let him see my bib and he quickly apologized and I got my shirt. He said that he was confused by the green ribbon attached to my medal. I got a "My First Marathon" medal since it was my first marathon in Oklahoma, there wasn't that kind of option in Missouri and another race buddy said that I should take it if they offered it to me. The lady that gave it had no problem with it.

Overall I feel good. This morning my knee doesn't hurt, I'll exercise it some today, walking but no running and icing when I can. What a taper run for Honolulu....here we come....!!!!!!!!!!!

Route 66 - Short Report

2007-11-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

Well here's the skinny for tonight. We are back home, it was a beautiful day to race, it started out at 45 degrees at the start and finished in the mid 60's I think, little to no wind, AND it stayed mostly cloudy the entire time. Now if you could have just gotten rid of the Hills from Hell between Miles 23 and 25 it would have been near perfect. There were like 6 hills in that span that just kept coming at you....very overpowering to the mind.

Before I forget, Bonnie ran the "Quarter Marathon" there today and did a very respectable 1:27:32 which equates to a pace of 13:21. She actually ran this 6.55 miles faster than she ran her 10K (6.2 miles) back in October (1:28:22 pace 14:13). I'm just waaaaay proud of her for her tremendous efforts. She does all this while juggling work and putting up with me.

Me on the other hand, well I did ok. I finished going across the finish line vertically, which as I mentioned above the last hills were worse than the worse sex I've ever had.

Total Distance: 26.2 miles
Total Time: 5:29:34 (chip time)
Pace: 12:34
Avg HR: 153 Max HR: 167

I was hoping for a time around 5:15 but I'll take this time, it's 26 minute improvement over the marathon time (5:56) that I did in September. Even with the hills I can't really say that I saw a wall today, not like I did in September. I did get tired and I had to talk myself thru a few points but overall I had fun. Tonight I do have a sore left knee. I've been icing it and will ice again when I get done here.....what should I do with it tomorrow....more ice?

I do have a few photos that I'll try to get up with a longer report tomorrow sometime. The first leg of the Marathon Maniac quest is now history!!!!

Route 66 Race Day!!!!!!!

2007-11-18T06:05:00.000-06:00

Well it's here, and it's 6:00 AM and I believe I'm ready. We are going down stairs at the hotel to grab a bit of breakfast at 6:30 then Bonnie is driving me to the start line. The race starts at 8:00 AM. We are planning on trying to get me to the start line about 45 minutes before the start.

Bonnie is running the quarter marathon (6.55 miles) and they start at 9:00 AM. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers this morning. We've also got a number of other friends that are running the half marathon that starts at the same times as Bonnie's race (Bill, Lissa, Cindy, Julia, Karan, Cara, and perhaps others).

Running the full marathon with me are Casie (she finished the Chicago Marathon earlier this fall), and Joanne (Joanne is our club marathon maniac and has run a number of marathons this year).

The jitters come and go, but I'm ready. Today as always I just want to finish the race without injury and secondary to that I would like to finish under 5:30:00.

Full report later today. Good luck to anyone else racing today.

Jitters and Confidence

2007-11-13T06:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I ran with my run/walk buds and stayed with them the entire hour that we ran. They wondered if something was suddenly wrong with me. They seemed to have forgotten that I'm running a marathon on Sunday....yes as of today it's a mere 5 days away.

I'm getting nervous jitters...I know they will go away at the start line, or certainly by the time the first mile is history. I can close my eyes and see myself on the course and I don't see any struggles, even with the hills that are at the end of the course...these are the same hills we struggled over just over 2 weeks ago in the Tulsa Run 15k and I got thru them just fine then.

I close my eyes and see that dreamweaver taking me down the road, the tapestry is one of mile after mile filled with the jubilation of the effort, knowing that success is only steps away....I see that the pace is new, it doesn't come without some effort but it's there pulling me closer and closer. This feeling is so incredible, the journey to get here has been difficult, but the reward is like no other...what is truly incredible is that the journey is truly just beginning...moving forward, looking for ever to the front, knowing that I'll reel someone else in.

I pray each day for a safe race, not just for me but for all others, I pray for a complete race, and I also pray that I am allowed to run my best whatever that is for that day. I pray for peace and healing, feeling that by my running I am making a difference somehow, somewhere for others.

Is it possible to find that runner's high yet not even be on your feet? Not even sweating? In closing my eyes the visions that come are real, they feel so true, I am there, I hate to keep using the word incredible....but it's the single word that best describes what I feel. Is this a sign of training done to sufficient length to prepare for who knows what?

Yes I'm prepared for Sunday, yes I'm ready, yes I am jittery, but most importantly, yes I have the CONFIDENCE that I can compete and finish.

Monday's Easy Efforts

Total distance: 4.43 miles
Total Time: 1:03:01
Pace: 14:13
Avg HR: 120 Max HR: 141

Interesting Race Today - Strange Results

2007-11-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

Today was a really different day, it started out in the low 50's with 95% humidity and very very foggy. By race time the fog had only lifted slightly and the temps still hovered around 55. It just wasn't quite heavy enough to say it was raining but you could feel the water particles floating around in the air, very different.

They started the 5k and 12k groups off together, don't ask me where they came up with the idea of a 12k race. I just know it was a good distance to include in my taper before the hunt begins next week for Marathon Maniac status.

I was surprised at the .5 mile point to have one of our quicker club runners shout my name...from BEHIND me!!! Well seems she had been out running before the race and had done 4 or 5 miles already. She ran with me for about half a mile making me feel good...that "I" was running with her at "her" pace. But alas, she said I'm going to take off now....and left me in her dirt...drats!!!!! In looking at things when we finished though, she only finished 8 minutes ahead of me.

I was able to run to the turn around point for the 5k folks and at that point I walked thru one of the two water stops, the other being waaaaaayyyyy out at our turnaround point, at the 6k marker. I ran at least a mile and then walked for a minute or less from that time until the turnaround. I did the 6k turnaround in exactly 40 minutes. I knew though that I had started very very fast for an old fart and I would have to really find something deep to get equal or negative splits today.

Well it wasn't to be. I did meet another runner that surprised the dickens out of me. We were between the 8k and 9k points and she came up on my left and said "Come on you are doing great". She surprised me to the point that I had to walk for just a short bit..it was unnerving. Then we seesawed to the 10k marker and she caught up again and we introduced ourselves and from that point we ran in together, finishing with the same times I believe. As it turns out her boyfriend was a former employee of my company and while we had never met face to face we both recognized the others name....strange yet again. He ran the 12k and finished in 1:05 I think.

Anyway as I mentioned the negative splits weren't to be for me today....my chip time was 1:24:09. Just 4 minutes off the pace for negative splits. My pace for the day was 11:10 and with the exception of the recent 5k training runs that I've been doing without any walking, this is the best pace time for a race that I've had since mid-May when I PR'ed at a 5k with a pace of 10:40. I calculated my 5k pace today and discovered that I had a 32:30 for the first 5k for a pace of 10:27. When you see the times you will see....again..for an old fart I was moving faster than I normally do.

Before I post my times...I want to say that Bonnie also ran the 12k with me today, she did a time of 1:48, though we don't knwo what her official time was and are waiting on final times to be posted. She did great, even though her pace today was slower than the 15k she did two weeks ago...I attribute that to the humidity that we ran in.

My numbers:

Total Distance: 7.53 miles (according to Garmin)
Total Time: 1:24:09
Pace: 11:10

Lap 1: 9:51 (woohoo...too fast a start..but it looks good and felt good too!!)
Lap 2: 10:53
Lap 3: 10:42
Lap 4: 11:44
Lap 5: 11:17
Lap 6: 11:41
Lap 7: 12:23 (this seemed to be all uphill on the way back to the finish line)
.53 Mi: 10:25

Overall, I had a PR since this was the first time I've run this distance....but I think more importantly was the significance of the pace I was able to maintain, that made me feel really good.

One Last Short Race

2007-11-10T05:10:00.001-06:00

Today Bonnie and I have decided to run a local race that will be a new distance for both of us...a 12K. It's part of my taper as next weekend is the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon...yes I'm getting some of the race jitters already. I haven't run this week since Monday morning, but I'm looking forward to the race today. I'm hoping to run with a club friend, at least for part of the way. She's younger and faster than I have been in the past, but I'm going to make a bit of an effort to stay with her and see what happens...my plans are to run except for the water stops and to not overdo things.

Next weekend the Maniac in me starts to work it's way out...the first of 3 marathons within 90 days....OMG....am I truly doing this??? I'm insane....crazy...I know maybe even a MANIAC...I hope so....one step at a time...one breath at a time...

Mary...I have to apologize I got so busy on this trip to Colorado and had more people to deal with than I thought I would....several folks that I worked with when we lived in Midland that I totally spaced giving you a call. I will be back in Denver in a couple of weeks it looks like and I promise I will call then. That cup of coffee...especially Starbucks if you have a hankering for that sounds sooo good. I hope you continue to get beyond the ailments....

Bonnie...I can't wait to see you crossing the finish line today...you do so well in your runs and seem to find such great energy lately...it's truly impressive...to see my TrophyBride in these races.

Saturday Stroll

2007-11-04T17:10:00.000-06:00

We did our last long run yesterday, a 20 mile repeat of a route we did in August as our final long run before the Lewis and Clark Marathon...this time I'm two weeks away from the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon. I feel like I'm ready. I had thought of going beyond 20 miles but I felt good when I got to the 20 mile point, tired but good.

The run was pretty much uneventful, I ran with one of my normal buddies for about 1.5 or so miles. We did a 1 minute run/walk interval up to that point and I was warmed up and ready....so I took off. We had water spotted at roughly each 3 mile point.

I was able to run to the first water stop from that 1.5 mile point, roughly 1.75 miles further. I only stopped for a bathroom break on the next three mile stretch and then walked again to get water. Things progressed that way until I got out to the 17 mile point and I started to get a bit tired...I never felt the "wall" like I had done in our 20 mile training run in August and during the marathon in September, but our temperatures were alot cooler yesterday, mostly in the 40's and low 50's.

***Run Update*** - I was just informed that I failed to mention that my biggest supporter joined us at Mile 14 and ran the last 6 miles with Clyde. She is such a trooper, even if she did get to sleep later than I did...Bonnie has come so far so quickly...she's registered now to run the Quarter Marathon at the Tulsa Route 66 event on November 18.

In August I completed the 20 miles in 4:55:14....yesterday I did the same distance in 4:15:31.....40 minutes quicker!!!!

Today the bottom of my feet are a bit sore, behind the 5th metatarsal on both feet, not sure what is going on there and I leave town tomorrow morning before I can talk to my coach.

Results:

Total Distance: 20 miles
Total Time: 4:15:31
Pace: 12:46 (woohoo....not as fast as some..but better than 14:37 in August!!!)
Avg HR: 143 Max HR: 160

Lap 1: 14:49
Lap 2: 17:50
Lap 3: 11:12
Lap 4: 11:49
Lap 5: 12:38
Lap 6: 12:10
Lap 7: 11:32
Lap 8: 11:40
Lap 9: 13:59
Lap 10: 11:36
Lap 11: 11:47
Lap 12: 12:13
Lap 13: 11:56
Lap 14: 13:15
Lap 15: 13:48
Lap 16: 13:20
Lap 17: 12:28
Lap 18: 12:12
Lap 19: 12:47
Lap 20: 12:21

***One More Update*** Splits for this run....1st half 2:09:15...2nd half 2:06:07

I've got to pull a 12:35 or better pace out of some pocket somewhere to get in under 5:30:00 in Tulsa. Can I do that? That is 10 seconds faster per mile than what I did yesterday. I felt strong to the end....my heart felt good, I never felt like I was every overtaxing anything....so we shall see what happens.

New Training 5k PR!!!!!

2007-11-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Wow do I feel good. I did this run this afternoon...one of the non-stop 5k efforts that I've been working on over the past few weeks on Tuesday and Thursdays. Well I finally managed to best my previous 5k time. I ran a race back in May where I did 33:05, it was an early morning race and since it was after the OKC Memorial HM I must have run it using the run/walk that I had started to do back in mid-April.

Today though I ran the entire distance. Granted this wasn't an official timed event, just the World According to Garmin.....I did the 5k in 32:33.....still no sub 30 run on the books yet...but just I did shave just over 30 seconds off my previous best. AND there were some hills involved with this run, not gargantuan hills but none-the-less inclines. Still not a "Marcy" paced run, but not bad for an old cardiac-fart.

Total distance 3.1 miles
Total Time: 32:33
Pace 10:30 (oh baby yes!!!)

Lap 1: 10:03 (almost a sub 10 mile...I've got it in me....)
Lap 2: 10:23
Lap 3: 11:00 (why couldn't I have shaved a second off this)
.1 Mi: 11:13
Avg HR: 155 Max HR: 168

Beat the Train

2007-10-31T06:12:00.000-05:00

*Edit Update* - Looks like I will finish October with 123.4 miles, most in one month!!

On a part of our normal route we cross over the north/south train tracks that run through Edmond. There have been times when we had to take an unplanned detour because of a train that was passing through town. Well today we had crossed the tracks to the west and were on our way back across the tracks to the east when we heard a train whistle. As we got closer to the crossing we wondered if we were going to get caught "on the wrong side of the tracks". The crossing had lit crossing arms that would come down when the train was near and they had yet to light up, so we thought we would try to "beat the train". Well about 10 steps before the crossing the lights came on and the arms began to come down. We could see the train to our south but decided to get across anyway. We had to be careful to not get hit by the arms as they dropped, but we made it safe to the east side. I think that was a first for all of us.

Total Distance: 4.82 miles
Total Time: 1:07:20
Pace: 13:58 (Faster than Monday's pace, but we ran about the same length of time)

Lap 1: 17:22 (bathroom break)
Lap 2: 12:51
Lap 3: 11:55
Lap 4: 15:24 (bathroom break)
.82 Mi: 11:56
Avg HR: 127 Max HR: 158

Saturday we are doing a 20 mile run, then the taper starts in earnest for me for the Route 66 Marathon on 11/18.

Monday Morning...Again

2007-10-29T06:21:00.000-05:00

Well Monday is back. This is supposed to be the start of the taper for the Route 66 Marathon on November 18, but I'm running my 20 mile run this coming Saturday. The 15k Tulsa Run this past Saturday sort of threw things off a bit. I really don't mind though and I'm looking forward to just a two week taper....

Today was all run/walk...

Total Distance: 4.69 miles
Total Time: 1:07:24 (included a bathroom break for all three of us)
Pace: 14:23
Avg HR: 121 Max HR: 145

Lap 1: 14:42
Lap 2: 12:52
Lap 3: 13:15
.69 Mi: 12:44

Recovery day most definitely.

Race Report Details

2007-10-27T21:27:00.001-05:00

Bonnie and I were picked up by Clyde at 5:20 this morning, then we drove to Rachel's and from her house she and Bonnie drove to Tulsa in her vehicle and Clyde and I followed in his. We left pretty well dressed for the race. I was wearing long pants and had on a short sleeved compression shirt, long sleeve shirt and once we arrived in Tulsa I decided to wear my new pull over Mizuno jacket. I attached my bib to the jacket thinking we would need the outer wear for a while into the run.

We parked near the finish line and then we walked the mile to the start area as a warm up. It felt good to do that. We got to the start area with about 45 minutes to spare, did our bathroom breaks, walked around and ran into nother club member, Joanne, then another bathroom break before we moved towwards the start line. While in the starting area we saw another race club member Linda and wished her well. She did great with her run at 1:24:08. Once the gun was fired it was about 2 minutes beofre I could cross the starting mat.

The first mile was mostly all downhill and was run in a very large pack of people...a sea of runners. Behind me I could hear the Army contingent that was running the race in formation and their cadence was fun to listen to. Just after passing Mile 1 they came by me looking strong.

As Mile 2 started I saw a fairly large hill that had to be scaled, it turned out to be the biggest incline of the race. About half way up I decided I needed to get out of the Mizuno jacket. Well unfortunately my bib was pinned to it. So I slowed to a walk, figuring with the hill I could walk to conserve energy and shed the clothing at the same time. It felt like I walked for 5 minutes to get that accomplished. I did get out of the jacket, didn't loose any safety pins, but I did manage to drop my bib...but fortunately there was no wind and I was able to retrieve it without too much trouble. I got it repinned on my long sleeve shirt, pushed the sleeves up and again I was set and I was near the top of the hill. I started to run again.

Mile 2 had two large hills, the biggest that I mentioned above and another after that with one fairly significant downhill. As Mile 2 ended, we rounded a corner onto Peoria. There was a line of port-a-potties at the corner and I took advantage. As I was coming out I could see that Clyde had passed me again and was maybe 75 yards ahead. We stayed close or together for about a mile, then I moved ahead again to stay.

Miles 3-5.75 was the out route on Peoria then we began the return back up Peoria. There were many merchants out as well as spectators that were cheering us along. There were also a large number of families out with trick-or-treat kids along the way. It turns out that this day is a trick-or-treat festival along Peoria and after the race it got even more crowded with the trick-or-treat bunch.

We left Peoria near the 7.8 mark turning onto 31st to the west. Again, here was a nice downhill area. We turned right onto Riverside Drive and ran along the Arkansas River as we headed north back towards downtown.

The finish line for the race was in Veteran's Park.

As I mentioned above the spectators were fabulous. They were out and very vocal as we would pass. The intersections were well controlled with race volunteers and Tulsa Police.

The water stops were AWESOME!!!!! They were well manned, were frequent and had plenty of water. I don't believe any of them had any sports drinks at all and there was no GU or other energy eats along the way...but for a 15K run I wouldn't expect that either. The water stops were more frequent than at any other race I've been in this year....again they were truly AWESOME.

Before I give the details of my run, I've got to mention that this was Bonnie's first 15K, first run at this distance and was her longest run to date. I was at the finish line this time to cheer her in and I believe between the four of us that started out together she finished the strongest of everyone, she powered her way through the finish line and looked like she was running with great ease. I am so very proud of my TROPHYBRIDE!!!!

My Garmin worked great today and though the race was a 15K, 9.3 miles, it registered 9.44 miles which I'll give to the corners and such as I took them perhaps wider than what the race committee had measured.

Total Distance: 9.44 miles
Total Time: 1:51:25
Pace: 11:48
Avg HR: 149 Max HR: 166

Mile 1: 10:24
Mile 2: 13:41 (Uphill and fighting with bib and jacket, lot of walking here)
Mile 3: 12:33
Mile 4: 11:53
Mile 5: 11:18
Mile 6: 11:25
Mile 7: 12:00
Mile 8: 11:52
Mile 9: 11:35
.45 Mi: 10:34

From mile 4.5 to the finish line I was able to run between the water stops and I only walked the short distance thru each water stop. That is a first for me...wooohoo!!!! I'm not sure how far I ran versus walked for this race but it is definately the longest I've run in any race. I am slowly moving away from the run 1-minute-walk 1-minute intervals and I feel great from it.

"Quickie" Race Report - 15K Tulsa Run

2007-10-27T21:20:00.001-05:00

It was chilly, more on that in the longer report. We did good for the run, there were over 9,000 entrants in the 15k, 5k, 2k runs combined. Bonnie and I ran with Clyde and Rachel from the Edmond Running Club and we had a great time. Most of the time I ran alone. I did the 15k in 1:51:25, Bonnie did it in 2:06:42, Rachel ran 2:04:50, and Clyde ran in 1:53:30. We were all close together but still strung out.

TGIF - Day of Volunteering

2007-10-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

Well today was a great day to run, except it is a day before we run our 15k race in Tulsa, so what do we do instead....our local club volunteered to go to Tulsa and be responsible for the "chip check" table for the race participants picking up their packets today. Cindy, Julia, and I spent from 10 am to 1 pm doing "chip checks" for runners and had alot of fun. But I'm also tired of standing on my feet for all that time. I got to thinking about it and it's like running the 15k while standing in place. Ok, so maybe I didn't break a sweat, but my ankles are sore and my feet are tired...doesn't that count for something...or am I just looking for sympathy here???

Tomorrow promises to be in the high 30's or low 40's at race time, clear, low humidity and very little wind. Well the race starts in downtown Tulsa and we all know how just a little bit of wind turns a downtown area into windtunnels, so we shall see what comes of the dawn. The race doesn't start until 9:00 am so the temps will climb just a bit from the typical morning lows. So maybe I can brave the cooler temps and run in shorts and a long sleeve shirt, we shall see. I'll take a pair of pants just in case.

Thursday Travel and Run

2007-10-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

Well today was another travel day, back to OKC from Denver. I didn't run last night as I wasn't sure of the neighborhood that I was staying in and I opted out on the hotel treadmill, wimpy me I guess.

Today though I did meet one of my running buddies, Cindy, and we did what has become our normal Thursday 5k "run" with no walk breaks. But today I did have to take a potty break close to the 2 mile point. So I crashed our time. Still it wasn't bad. I had the 3.1 miles at 33:40 and Cindy had the same distance at 32:52 or so. I don't stop my watch though for breaks, I'm thinking that she must have.

Total Distance: 3.1 miles
Total Time: 33:40
Pace: 10:52
Avg HR: 154 Max HR: 165

Mile 1: 10:08
Mile 2: 11:30
Mile 3: 10:59
.1 Mi: 10:30

I was tired when we were done, but then I haven't been pushed like that for over a week.

Saturday is the "Tulsa Run", not the marathon, but a 15k race that is supposed to be alot of fun with some really good SWAG. Hey speaking of that, does anyone know what SWAG stands for? Bonnie will be running the 15k with us. It will be the first for that distance for both of us.

Marathon "Maniac"

2007-10-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

For those that don't know this refers to a group of crazy people that seem to take marathon running to an entirely different level. If you visit the Marathon Maniacs website you will learn more about the group. Click on "criteria" on the left side to see the various Maniac designations and requirments that must be satisfied to earn the designation.

I am shooting for 3 marathons within 90 days. This will start with the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon on 11/18/07, the Honolulu Marathon on 12/09/07, and end with the Houston Marathon on 1/13/08. The Route 66 is spaced just far enough apart from the Honolulu Marathon that it will be my last long run going into my taper. I intend to use the Honolulu Marathon in the same fashion in preparing for the Houston Marathon.

Craziness to say the least, but it's just something else to give reason to the running and all the training. I sat by this past spring as fellow blogger Back of the Pack completed her Maniac craziness by running four marathons in four weeks that earned her an Iridium Level designation. I decided then that when I had more of a base built that I would try for some level of the Maniac group...

The 3 marathons in 90 days will get me in the door at the Bronze Level. Just a toehold but nonetheless I'll be a Maniac!!!

Tuesday Junk

2007-10-23T19:09:00.000-05:00

Elevation changes and flying don't do well for my body it would seem. I started out with the intent of doing 4+ miles but it didn't take even .5 miles to realize that wasn't going to happen. No I'm not in Oklahoma any more.....I'm in Grand Junction, Colorado today. I flew into Denver then drove over, a 5 hour trip, with stopping for breakfast in Vail, plus a couple of other "necessary" stops. So the difference between Edmond and Grand Junction....I knew you were going to ask.....Edmone elevation about 1,000 feet.....Grand Junction about 4,700 feet. The travel combined with the elevation change convinces me that it's not a good idea to fly to some vastly different place and then expect to run the same day...not a good idea.....let the body acclimate....remember that Randy.....

Anyway, I did manage to run/walk for 3.1 miles, but...and this is the wild part....it took me 39:02 to get that far. Tomorrow night I will be in Denver so I'll see what happens then.

Total Distance: 3.1 miles
Total Time: 39:02
Pace: 12:35 (Actually I would take that for the 15k that is coming up this Saturday I think)

Mile 1: 11:55 Min/mile pace
Mile 2: 12:41
Mile 3: 13:16
.1 Mi: 11:32
Avg HR: 133 Max HR: 152

Try as I might I couldn't go more than about 1.5 minutes without having to walk.

Crappola Monday

2007-10-22T11:08:00.001-05:00

What a day, it's been raining here since like midnight, PLUS it's cold, almost as cold as a well digger's butt, or at least it feels like it is. This is a sucky kind of day, no running this morning, so I was going to go home and run at lunch....well guess what!!!! It's still raining!!! Someone is trying to mess with me mileage and I don't particularly like it.

So all that said, this is also the day of our monthly running club meeting. My cardiologist was supposed to be our guest speaker but had to cancel at the last minute...which I can understand...more important issues...like someone's well-being take a precidence over a meeting, so she wants to reschedule for another month...so that is good that she just didn't say forget it altogether.

Now for some running ramblings with Randy....since I can't run, or choose not to so I don't catch some viral problem, at least I better not....it's getting too close to my "3 marathons in 90 day dash" and a designation as a Marathon Maniac!!!!! Insane? I know but it gets worse.....I've noticed that on the longer runs where I'm starting to get away from doing our run/walk routine and allowing my running intervals to steadily lengthen in time I feel that I'm hitting what I can remember as a runner's high....it's such a rush!!!!

But I've got to admit the things that run through my brain during these times is a bit wild...but I've got to blog about them before Bonnie tells the world. I'll be running along...won't even realize that my brain has gone off into some "other zone" then what wanders back are thoughts..not about my running, but thoughts that I'm some Ethiopian or Nigerian runner out ahead of the pack in some marathon, maybe it's Boston....then I'm back in my body...silly I'm out in front because there is no one else running at 5fricking-o'clock in the morning.... So I go a bit further and then once again my mind wanders off on its own...I'm always so astounded that it can find me again when this happens because I'm never at the same place where it left....well am I really that slowt that it can leave and still is able to locate me....anyway......the next thing I know is I'm seeing the finish line of some marathon...again unknown...I'm not sure that I am the winner....but the way people are cheering and yelling my name I must be in the top 5 or so...and then again I shake this off to realize I'm running thru a traffic light.....not some finish line somewhere.....

These are truly incredible times...notice I didn't say incredulous...I will leave you to your own conclusions in that regard. I just know that when these things happen I am at a point where I don't even feel that I'm running...sometimes I want to do a reality check to see if I'm really on my feet or not. Delirious....maybe.....runner's high....maybe....feeling great when it happens...absolutely. It is like I'm at a whole other level....sensing that changes are coming...I know I can run faster, have better endurance, I can "see" what I am capable of and it fills me with a higher energy......hard to explain...but so wild to experience.

Saturday Run and Run and Run

2007-10-20T21:02:00.000-05:00

It seemed like we ran forever, before it ever got daylight this morning. We started...according to my Garmin...at 5:24 AM. We ran a nice scenic route but alot of it was in the dark. In all I did exactly 17 miles.

Bonnie joined us near the 10 mile point and ran 7.5 miles with Clyde. I was ahead of him at that point. She did the 7.5 miles in 1 hour 42 minutes and 30 seconds at a pace of 13:40. We are turning her into a bona-fide runner it seems...my "TrophyBride". Meaning the one who brought the hardware home last weekend.

Me on the other hand, well I managed to run my 17 miles in 3:54:27. I think when I compare the numbers I'll find negative splits for my efforts, and that includes running into a 25+ mph wind for the last 3 miles.

I did see a shooting star before it got daylight, the second one I've seen this week!!!!

Total Miles: 17
Total Time: 3:54:27 (Not 1:54:27 like I had originally posted!!!)
Pace: 13:47
Avg HR: 132 Max HR 159

Mile 1: 15:02 Mile 9: 12:19
Mile 2: 16:39 Mile 10: 10:55
Mile 3: 13:05 Mile 11: 14:51
Mile 4: 18:11 Mile 12: 12:01
Mile 5: 12:58 Mile 13: 13:42
Mile 6: 13:45 Mile 14: 10:56
Mile 7: 13:57 Mile 15: 12:06
Mile 8: 18:40 Mile 16: 12:42
Mile 17: 12:28

The good thing about today is that even with the wind, when I was done I still felt strong, alot stronger than I did after completing 17 miles in the marathon last month. Miles 2 and 4 were definitely bathroom break miles. I have no reason or justification for Mile 8 taking over 18 minutes. I believe at that time I was running alone, scratching my head as to what I was doing then???? Mile 13.5 to 14.5 I managed to run the entire time, which surprised me that I would have the energy that late into the run to go for that distance.

The Weekend....Finally!!!!!!

2007-10-20T03:56:00.000-05:00

Everybody's workin' for the weekend.......

Work...doesn't quite fit the definition for today's 17+ miles, fun, exhilerating, wild, involved...those seem to fit mo' better.

Why am I in such a good mood today, up at 2:30 am to get picked up at 4:15, ate breakfast....heating up legs...doing some stretching on the living room floor...getting fanny pack set, bag of clothes ready.....

I'm less than a month now till my next marathon.....the Tulsa Route 66 on November 18...getting nervous about it...but also feeling well trained at the same time....

Good luck to all racers this weekend....

Remember....enjoy it today....tomorrow is just another day....so we desperately need to figure out what the "it" is.......

I'm Up....Waaaay Early....Work Stress I Think

2007-10-19T03:43:00.000-05:00

I've decided to "plant" a question before the rambling that I wrote about why I can't sleep....Is anyone signed up to run the Houston Marathon in January? If so maybe we could somehow hook up before or after the race....I am going to have to check but I think we are staying at the Doubletree near the finish line the night before the race....

And this hasn't happened to me in months....maybe over a year. I woke up from a good sleep at 2:05 AM, did the bathroom thing and as soon as I lay back down my mind is racing about issues at work, things that I don't have alot of control over but are still upsetting. In the past I've not had a blog to even consider using as a sounding board, so maybe this will help work things out, but I don't know that sleep is in the picture for the rest of this morning. Luckily Friday is officially a rest day for me, unless I run again with Bonnie tonight, but I do 17+ tomorrow morning so I think I will opt to not run tonight.

Work, I'm really reluctant to unload here since this is a running blog and not a psychiatric couch, but I don't want work stress to start impacting my running either. I work for an oil and gas mid-stream company, which means we take oil and gas from the folks that produce it from the ground, clean it up in various forms and then some product is considered to be saleable and is passed on to those that market it to end users, while other products find their way to the bigger refineries in the US for final processing before sales. Anyway, one would think that we make alot of money with the price of gas at the pump and heating oil and such.....well we are, but the powers to be seem to think that we are capable of making more. Anyway, we are going through budget issues and that along with other issues are creating morale issues across the company and that leads to problems with employee safety...which is my main interest, and no one seems to be willing to admit that the overall company attitude may be affecting employee morale which takes a heavy toll of people's focus, thus allowing their guard to slip when it comes to safety.

Anyway, I'm rambling and I didn't want to do that. I have written this and refuse to delete it, so I'm awake, not feeling alot better for having written it, but shall see what happens in the short term.....

Thursday with Bonnie

2007-10-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight when Bonnie got home from work we ran together. Well she will tell you that I ran slightly ahead of her, but the important thing is I didn't run off and leave her. It got dark on us as we ran, so I knew better than to do that. See a good hubby learns from experience, especially bad experience, like when I did run ahead of her a couple of months ago just after it got dark and all of a sudden she wasn't sure what direction I had taken.....yes the male species is capable of learning....and even remembering.

It was a good recovery run for me, slow and steady, it provides a time of reflection on my ability to run a much longer distance all of a sudden than I had been so used to running. This new found ability has me excited, I'm seeing improvement for my efforts and I'm being pushed again to continue to better my efforts.

Total distance 3.1 miles
Total Time: 43:39
Pace: 14:05
Avg HR: 121
Max HR: 134

It's not my fastest time, but that isn't the important thing....it's that we are able to exercise together....to run together that I'm more excited about. We talked about the fact that Bonnie is running her races at her pace and she doesn't feel it necessary for me to run with her knowing I'm becoming more capable of faster speeds and that makes me feel good. It really felt good to have her at the finish line this past weekend when I completed the half marathon....but it also made me think she crossed the finish line of her 10k...the one where she won the trophy and I wasn't there to cheer her across the line....it's not quite the same as missing the first steps of your first born when they learn to walk...but it's awfully close....I'm really proud of her effort this year, and glad that we are able to run together....it makes me feel even closer to her.

Run/Walk Wednesday

2007-10-17T06:21:00.000-05:00

This morning I don't know if it was a combination of the rain, feeling full from the broccoli that I ate last night, or just that it was an off day for running...I felt sluggish and never had the desire to run without walking...as a consequence I stayed with my running partners for the full route and the time reflects that.

Total Distance: 4.5 miles
Total Time: 1:08:00
Pace: 15:06

Mile 1: 19:15
Mile 2: 14:04
Mile 3: 13:58
Mile 4: 14:08
.50 Mi: 13:03

Yucky feeling, yucky pace...but it is what it is and I can say that it is done for the day...unless Bonnie wants to run after our church meeting tonight.

Today I get to spend the day putting my new office together...at least part of it, since my new bookcases won't be here until at least Friday it seems.

Happy Hump Day all!!!!!!!!

Tuesday Trot....With an Update

2007-10-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

I did another 5k distance today and ran the entire time. It was windy here though and we ran along the east side of Lake Hefner so we fought the wind for the first half but I can't honestly say that I felt like we were pushed by the wind on the return.

Total Distance: 3.11 miles
Total Time: 33:42 (I think this is my second best 5k distance ever)
Pace: 10:50
Mile 1: 10:40
Mile 2: 10: 55
Mile 3: 10:59
.11 Mi: 10:02

Avg HR: 157
Max HR: 170

Hey each of the miles were under 11:00 minutes per mile....woohoo!!!!!

After Bonnie got home I decided to run with her so she wouldn't have to run alone. We did 3 miles in 14:29 for an average pace of 13:50. That gives me 6+ miles for the day. I'm tired but glad I ran with her. She ran almost all of the three miles, and to think that just a couple of months ago she wasn't a runner at all!!!!!

Mile 1: 13:43
Mile 2: 13:35
Mile 3: 14:09
Avg HR: 132 (My heart rate)
Max HR: 141 (Should I blame this jump in my heart rate due to her flashing her "tatas" at me at the end of the run). Shameless bride of mine....LOL

Today's Run

2007-10-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

I"m gaining more and more confidence in running longer and walking less. Today I did a total of 4.5 miles but I actually ran just over 3 of it I think. It was a slow run, but it felt good again, will little or no shin issues.

Total Miles: 4.5
Total Time: 1:01:25
Pace: 13:39
Avg HR: 131
Max HR: 157

"The Rest of the Story....Madill Half Marathon

2007-10-15T06:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not sure what I can add to Bonnie's race story, nor do I truly want to take away from it. I did run more this half marathon distance than I have in the past. I officially PR'ed by just over 8 minutes from my half marathon in April......wooohoooo!!!!!

My time was 2:38:20 and my old time was 2:46:40. I had an 11:59 pace, I'm surprised I came in under 12 minutes per mile. I felt good the first half, making the turn at 1:16:00. At mile 4 I encountered a couple of dogs, large dogs, large barking snapping dogs that threw me off my gait for a while, plus they scared me to the point I thought I was being attacked.

The last 5 miles I ran and walked, but ran more than I walked, it was definitely not the run/walk pace that I had done for other races. At mile 11 though I hit a pretty hard head wind that seemed to just about bring all runners to a standstill. I did run the last 6 miles or so leapfrogging with 2 women that were also doing more than just a run/walk routine. It turns out that Bonnie had be-friended their spouses and family at the finish line...and when Bonnie saw me coming down the stretch...just over a quater mile and let them know...they also told her that their wives were just behind me.

I had a great cheering section at the finish line...making sure that I stayed ahead of the two women...I felt great at the finish, feeling that I could have run further.

I did start out with some sort of pain in my left ankle and foot that made my foot seem almost dysfunctional for about 5 of the first miles....it eventually went away.....at least somewhat, but it was a hinderance to start out with.

Total Time: 2:36:20
Pace: 11:59
Avg HR: 151
Max HR: 180

Mile Avg Paces:
Mile 1: 10:47
Mile 2: 11:12
Mile 3: 12:16
Mile 4: 11:49
Mile 5: 11:55
Mile 6: 11:58
Mile 7: 11:38
Mile 8: 12:30
Mile 9: 11:53
Mile 10: 13:46
Mile 11: 11:43
Mile 12: 13:13
Mile 13: 11:40
.20 Mi: 8:31 (Wow where did this come from?)

Nice course, very scenic around their town lake.

Bonnie's 10K - She Did AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

Center stage...where else would you expect Bonnie to be!!! (well ok you have to know her to understand that comment). Today she ran in her very first 10k run in Madill, OK and she placed first in her age group...and YES I'm very obviously totally proud of her efforts in this race and her training that led up to it. She ran the race on her own as the rest of the Edmond Running Club that was at Madill today all ran in the Half Marathon race..more on that in another post.....

Here we are pre-race and ready. Us half marathoners started at 8:30 and Bonnie and the rest of the 10k'ers started at 9:00. The start and finish point in Madill has a really nice meeting room where the winners trophies were given out. They also have shower facilities that each of us took advantage of before we left.

The story here though is that Bonnie and I were both in the shower (not together...seperate areas...shame on you for thinking such thoughts) when they announced her age group for the 10k women's results and that she was the winner. One of the other ERC ladies had to run and grab her before she had gotten totally undressed and get her to come out to receive her trophy. We don't have a photo yet of her on the winners podium. AND to top this off no one thought to come and get me so I didn't even know she had won until I got done with my shower...so I missed her on the podium receiving her trophy.

We aren't sure of her time since it was not done with chips...she thinks it was 1:30:00 something, hopefully we know something later today or tomorrow.

This is Bonnie (left) and the rest of the Edmond Running Club that went home as trophy winners in their respective age groups. Cindy is just right of Bonnie, then Bill (he placed in his age group even though he ran an extra mile in the half marathon when he took a wrong turn and had to back track), then Clyde. We are proud of all of them for their efforts. Yes my photo is lacking here, in fact I was the photographer...see someone always has to tell the story...

Anyway....congratulations to my lovely, fabulous running wife Bonnie today for her efforts in her first 10k race!!!!!!!!

10K and Half Marathon Today!!!!!

2007-10-13T04:46:00.000-05:00

Today is Bonnie's debut 10k run.....I think she's ready...I know she can run over half of the distance without stopping...she's been working on her endurance and getting longer and longer runs in here lately....you rock girl!!!!!!

30 minutes before her start our half marathon will take off. I'm shooting for a 2:30:00 time....that would be 12 minutes better than we did the half distance last month in Missouri when we did the marathon....I believe I can do that knowing that I won't have another 13.1 to run after I get this one done....but I'm nervous....and it's 3.5 hours to race time....I hope I can sleep in the car....we have a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us....race report later today......

Good luck to Mary and all others racing today......

Another Improvement

2007-10-12T06:46:00.000-05:00

I managed to squeek in one more 5k run yesterday. Again I was able to run the distance without having to walk. My heart rate is staying much more level with these types of runs, not going up and down as it does when I do the run/walk. I just need to work on more endurance and I know that comes with time and mileage, and then there's always speed.

I do feel alot more confident though today that someday soon I will be able to break a sub-30 minute 5k, especially with the temeratures starting to cool off significantly in the mornings.

Total Distance: 3.12 miles
Total Time: 35:14 (almost a full minute improvement over Tuesday's run)
Pace: 11:18
Avg HR: 153/Max HR: 168

Two Days Before......

2007-10-11T06:08:00.001-05:00

The Madill Half Marathon....and it's two days before Bonnie's very first 10k. After our church meeting last night....she went out and ran 2 miles in the neighborhood.....I'm so very proud of her efforts...she's now able to run the full 2 miles without a walk break...she's progressing alot faster than I am I fear...but then I'm a year older than she is.....

If time permits I may work in one last run this afternoon. It should be at least another 5k "solid" run. These are really building confidence for me that I can do that and more. I'm still thinking I'll at least start the race though at our normal run/walk type of pace...then after 3 or 4 miles....who knows....

We are going to dinner at another marathoner's home tonight here in Edmond. She is one of the "unique" true finishers of last Sunday's Chicago Marathon....she was also a part of I think the Mt. Hood to the Coast.....or one of those recent relay type races that covered 197 miles, so we are going to swap stories and I am going to be paying attention and hopefully getting some very useful advice from her.

Another Day....Another 4 Miles

2007-10-10T11:15:00.000-05:00

Down the road we go, slow, steady, consistent, another 4.57 miles is behind me. Part of it was a run/walk effort and part of it was just running. I feel like a puppy that is learning that it can actually get up and move without falling down. My legs are getting to be more and more supportive of my mind's desire to run more and more of the time and it actually feels great when I'm done.

Everything has to come together, the pace that I need to maintain now, the gait that I need to keep from injuring anything, the motion of my arms, the relaxed position of my hands, the breathing...the all important breathing that does so much to help me maintain my heart rate. But I can honestly say that this is all starting to evolve into a positive thing for me, one that builds more and more confidence in my ability with each day. For so long it seemed that I was just logging miles, step after step. But now it feels differently, I feel as if I'm making progress again, and that feels great.

Total Distance: 4.57 miles
Total Time: 1:03:21
Pace: 13:52
Avg HR: 127/Max HR: 160

I am really looking forward to our half marathon this weekend in Madill, OK but I'm not sure how I will approach it. I believe I will start with the run/walk until I can be assured that I'm not going to overdo the initial pace. Then as I get warmed up after a couple of miles then maybe I will work into a constant run, depending on the signals I get from my body. The course is mostly all flat, so there aren't any issues with hills. Yes I would like to PR (2:46:00) but if I don't there will be other times. The weather is supposed to be nice in the low 60's at race time.

Tuesday Afternoon "Stroll"

2007-10-09T19:17:00.000-05:00

For the first time since early summer I went out after work and ran. I did another 5k distance with a new running buddy...Cindy...and with her as an inspiration I ran the full time....woohoo...still not great times but I ran the fully monty.....for an old fart that is something.

Total Distance: 3.12 miles
Total Time: 36:09
Pace: 11:35
Avg HR: 159
Max HR: 171
Temp 83
Humidity: 46%

No negative splits though today:

Mile 1: 10:45 (Started too fast....but is this dreams of speed to come?)
Mile 2: 11:45
Mile 3: 12:15
.12 Mi: 11:38

The heat was a bit much it seems, and makes me wonder what would I do at a full run on a cool morning???? Time will tell.

A New Monday

2007-10-08T06:11:00.000-05:00

Today was a different sor of day. It started out with the normal run/walk routine and included a bathroom break at one of our normal stops. But at roughly the 2 mile point I noticed even with a run/walk interval I was pulling ahead of my partners. So I slowed down a bit to let them catch up and to verify the route we were taking today. At the 3 mile mark I was again ahead and decided to test out the coaching I had gained from yesterday's workout and run in to our finish point.

I ran the final 1.56 miles and felt great when I was done. My heart rate never exceeded 158 during that part of the run and any time my breathing became labored at all I just slowed down until I had it more under control and it worked!!

So today's numbers are a bit skewed, but definitely offer negative splits again:

Total Distance: 4.56 miles
Total Time: 1:02:46
Pace: 13:46
Avg HR: 131
Max HR: 158

Mile 1: 14:22 min/mi
Mile 2: 16:06
Mile 3: 14:24
Mile 4: 11:36
.56 Mi: 11:14

It was a GREAT Day!!!!

2007-10-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday and for alot of runners it was the Chicago Marathon...way to go Casie, Jess, Laura, and Tim, those are at least the runners that I remember that made the trek to the Windy City. I know that Casie and Laura finished, I'm concerned about Jess I didn't see her times after the 10k point and I'm not sure of Tim's bib.

Another great thing occurred today. I had another session with my coach. He spent about an hour with me and another running buddy (Cindy) helping us with our gait and breathing and a few other body mechanic issues (shoulders, arms, hands, hips). We ran more or less for about 45 minutes with the following results:

Total Distance: 3.12 miles (We stopped once to talk about gait so this wasn't a fulltime run)
Total Time: 43:10
Pace: 13:49

Then his next appointment showed up and Cindy and I stayed and talked in the parking lot about a variety of things and didn't realize we had passed away another 40 minutes and coach showed back up with his student. Apparently they had made a circuit of the park and she was done. So he asked if we wanted to run another 1.5 miles or so with him so he got his 8 miles in for the day. Who were we to say no, so off we started, at a slow run or jog. It didn't take us long to realize we were going to run the circuit of the park and then just a bit more. That gave us a 5k total run....YESSSSSSS I did a 5k training run today and didn't stop from the time we started until we got to the 3.1 mark. Unofficial but still the distance. The results:

Total Distance: 3.12 miles
Total Time: 37:34
Pace: 12:04

Mile 1: 12:28/mi
Mile 2: 12:09/mi
Mile 3: 11:40/mi
.12 Mi: 11:14/mi

Yes!!!! negative splits too!!!!!! Ok, it's not record time or anything but it's just the fact that I've been kicking myself for sometime for not being able to go the distance for a 5k, and I did it today. Oh, and the other big thing was that this route in the park has quite a bit of hill to it...so I"m thinking on a flat course I could have easily been in the 11:45/minute pace range. Yes I'm a happy camper tonight. No I didn't run the Chicago Marathon today but I feel that I did something creditable for myself and it's a first step towards more PR's down the road.

Saturday Long Run

2007-10-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

We did 15+ miles this morning, it was windy, looked like rain, and was humid. It didn't rain until after lunch though. The run was long but enjoyable. I had hoped I would be running in new shoes (Etonics) but I didn't get to pick them up until after our run today. So I'll be spending some time in them tomorrow and all of this week, prior to our half marathon race coming up next Saturday.

Bonnie joined us for the last 5.5 miles and she did great. This was the part of the route that turned a bit hilly and she did them like a trooper. I'm very proud of her efforts and I can't wait to see how she does in her first 10k next Saturday while others of us will be doing the half marathon.

On our run today, which was another of those "virgin" experiences for me as I had never ran this particular route before, we actually found close to $1.00 in change on the street...woohoo.

Besides the coins other things noted included:

A Key
Nails
Several screws
A Bolt
Dead squirrel
Banana peel (saw this near the 13 mile marker...I wanted to stop and suck on the peel)
Partially eaten cheese sandwich (Bonnie saw this)
Very large dog on a chain...thank God for the chain
Beer cans (no I didn't attempt to drain them)

I ran relatively pain-free again today, but after our run I noticed that my right foot is sore behind my 1st metatasal, am wondering if I might have bruised it. Shins hurt but only in a minor way.

Total Time: 3:39:18
Pace: 14:17
Avg HR: 143
Max HR: 175

Rough Splits
1st Half: 1:54
2nd Half: 1:45

Woohoo to the negative splits....but I have to admit that bathroom breaks up front certainly help the negative splits on these runs.

Rest Day

2007-10-05T07:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a rest day. We actually had a dinner to attend last night for one of Bonnie's co-workers that is leaving their firm and moving out of state. So we did not have time to get her run in yesterday. Maybe a light run this evening, or a neighborhood walk, since I will be doing 15 miles tomorrow morning and she will be joining us for the last 6 of those miles.

My legs continue to feel good, very little pain in the area before where my shins were hurting.

It is so incredible, we have a half marathon coming up on Saturday next week and I'm truly only looking at it as just another training run. I remember the days back in April when I was freaking out and all nervous about the OKC Memorial HM. I'm sure come race day I will have some race jitters, as is to be expected.

I've got a map of the U.S. on my wall at work and Missouri is greyed out. One down, 49 to go!!!

Ok, what is it with Blogger that sometimes the post will show up right away but then there are those days like "today" when you hit "publish post" and the post does not show up? Frustrating to say the least.

Hills...Yes...Hills!!!!!!

2007-10-03T12:11:00.000-05:00

This morning before the sun was up, before the roosters were crowing, we were out doing something totally different. My two running partners and I did our run thru a part of Edmond that had us encountering 4 different hills, or was that 5 hills. Needless to say, it was an effort but not in futility. According to Garmin we conquered these beasts in 13 minutes/mile and some change. I don't have the exact pace numbers with me. We did 4.68 miles in 1 hour 3 minutes and 56 secs.

The unusual thing is that here I sit 6 hours later almost at noon and my shins don't hurt....go figure.....This was definitely a change in our routine, but in the end it was enjoyable...or at least it was once they were all done.

I will update this post later with all the actual numbers. I'm glad we did it, I feel good, and I'm looking forward to our 15 miles on Saturday.

Total Distance: 4.68 miles
Total Time: 1:03:56
Pace: 13:40
Avg HR: 133
Max HR: 172

Updated

Training with Bonnie

2007-10-03T04:10:00.000-05:00

For the first time in quite a while I had the opportunity to train with my bride last night. When she got home from work we got ready and ran out the front door to the park across from our subdivision and we did 3.45 miles together.....in a light rain....it was somehow kind of romantic....is that too yucky, well it was really nice to be running with her.

Bonnie is training for her first official 10k race which will be next weekend when others of us are running a half-marathon in Madill, OK. Then on Oct 27 she will do her first 15k race....which I might add will be my first 15k race also. She's really coming along and I'm very proud of her efforts.

We invoked our rain rule.....if it isn't raining when you start but it starts to rain during the run you finish the run...unless lightning drives us off the street. Well there was no lightning, so we ran. It didn't rain the entire time and it never rained hard, but in addition to our sweating because the wind quit and the humidity was over 90% when it wasn't raining we got very wet, but it felt so good.

Total Distance: 3.45 miles
Total Time: 47:35 minutes
Pace: 13:48
Avg HR: 131
Max HR: 150

Back to Normal Monday Run

2007-10-01T06:20:00.000-05:00

Finally I'm back in town to be able to run with my buddies again after what seems like forever. We did an easy hour of running thru the streets of Edmond. I found .50 cents in the way of 5 dimes for the cause. We are saving all the loose change we find on the streets so that the one person that is running with us who is retired can use it eventually as entry money for a future race. I'm not sure how much we have but I believe it is something over $5. We've determined that some areas are better to run and and find loose change than others. Guess we need to be careful that we aren't labeled as "street people".

Time: 1:08:54
Pace: 14:22
Avg HR: 140

First Run with a Coach

2007-09-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

I set up an arrangement with the guy that owns one of our local running stores to help coach me to improve my form, gait, speed, etc. We met this morning at 6:15 and he spent about 40 minutes with me. He helped a great deal with my breathing, hand and arm movements, and with my gait. I don't remember all the medical terms that he was referring to with me gait, but I was basically striking my right foot so my heel was inside and I was planting my foot toward the outside. In doing this I also was swinging my right heel behind me extremely to the left. We concentrated on working towards a more neutral heel strike with that foot and improved it greatly before I had to leave. I didn't turn my watch on for this session but I figure that we must have done close to 1.5 miles.

Probably the most significant difference that I noticed was in my breathing. We started out the session doing a short very easy jog that when we stopped it had me winded. In seeing that how winded I was he had me try to regulate my breathing more and it was amazing how much better I felt in just paying attention to how I was breathing.

This was my first session and I felt I made big strides (pun intended) with what he was showing me and I"m looking forward to more from him later.

Bad Run that Turned into a Good Run

2007-09-29T10:53:00.000-05:00

We did 12+ miles today, total time of 3:01:19 and the overall pace for me was 14:17. It started out very slow, the wind was blowing which for OKC and this summer that was unusual. I struggled with the first 5 or 6 miles, with right leg shin pains and with my breathing it seemed for some reason.

However, it did get better and I finished pretty strong.....at least for me. The splits looked good, definitely negative, way negative in fact...first half 1:33:45...second half 1:18:45. My leg quit hurting...well almost quit and I felt good...I finished about 3 minutes ahead of my running partners...I'm sure I'll pay for that next weekend.

We have a half marathon coming up on October 13 and I think we are ready. We are going to be doing 16 or 17 miles next weekend, so the half marathon will actually be an easy run for us, but a race none the less.

Marathon Photos...I Hope

2007-09-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

At long last here are some photos from the Lewis & Clark Marathon on 9/16/07. It is so incredible how the photos tell the story of my energy levels.

I'm somewhere on the first half of the course in the photo above, I'm just not sure where, but I'm still full of &%#* and vinegar at that point. Bring on the world!!!

Here I am near the half way point just before or right around mile 13, being crazy. My running partner is just out of the photo doing the same thing. My tongue is not hanging out because I was tired...not yet anyway. There is hardly anything I do that my tongue doesn't try to get into the picture somewhere (ok Marcy here is your point to step in for comments).

This was taken about a quarter mile from the finish line. A whole different image than two pics above it. The vinegar and everything else has been drained or consumed. I'm running almost on empty at this point. I was so surprised to see that my Garmin showed I was able to get back into the low 13 minute per mile pace for miles 25 and 26. My guess would have been that I was crawling.

WHOOOSH!!!!! finished at long last. The time is gun time, my chip time was 5:56:02!!!! Just after this photo was taken I stopped dead in my tracks and realized I don't have to take another step, I finished I was a marathoner. Then I quickly realized that if I didn't move I would probably fall down. What an experience!!!!

Today's Question and Deep Thoughts

2007-09-24T13:52:00.000-05:00

I noticed that in deducting the difference between the chip time and gun time of my Lewis & Clark Marathon I ran the first half about 5 minutes faster than what I ran my half marathon in April. I believe that the training at greater than half marathon distances was beneficial in the improved HM time. That leads me to today’s question:

In order to improve full marathon time and to build better stamina for the 26.2 miles, shouldn’t I work towards longer than marathon training runs? If I continue in my training to max at 20-22 miles, how will I ever see any significant improvement? What distances is everyone maxing at in marathon training? We are currently running 4-5 miles on Mondays and Wednesdays with our long runs on either Saturday or Sunday each week. Would it also make any sense to up my weekly mileage? We are currently in the 14-18 mile range just after completing the marathon less than two weeks ago. I do know that incorporating some speed work into my routine at least every other week will help improve time and endurance, so I’ve got to get beyond talking about it and just “get it done”. I know I may not be the fastest horse in the race but I also know I’m not the slowest mule on the course either. While I’m able I still want to do the best that I can in my runs and that means improving my times when possible.

It was sort of funny today sitting in the Oklahoma City airport, yes I’m traveling again. This time I am off to Colorado from Monday to Friday. Anyway, the fact that I finished the Lewis & Clark Marathon is finally sinking in for me. I sat and was people watching, a favorite time passer for me when I travel. In watching the other travelers I felt a pride in knowing that I’ve accomplished something that so many others haven’t even thought about much less attempted. I’m not really feeling all that cocky just good about what I’ve done and the journey that I’ve walked and ran over the past 2 years.

My shin problems are back again it seems, still in the right leg. Today the pain wasn’t as noticeable when I got up as it was yesterday. I’ve started taking my liquid anti-oxidant again (Monte Vie) and I’m wondering if that is truly the reason the pain is lessening. I know that anti-oxidants are capable of great things in the body.

It is so incredible to think that I’ve got a half marathon coming up in less than 3 weeks and I’m not nervous about it or apprehensive about the distance at all. The feeling is that it’s just going to be another training run. I’m really looking forward to what November, December and January will bring. Running 3 marathons within 90 days to achieve my first level as a Marathon Maniac, that creates a bit of the jitters.

The time between now and November 18 will be spent training again, building base mileage as I work towards new goals. Now that I know I can do the distance, I’ll be signing up for the Tulsa – Route 66 Marathon this coming weekend. I am already committed to the Honolulu Marathon on December 9 and the Houston Marathon on January 13. I’m excited to have these targets out in front of me and equally excited that upon completion of them I will have four marathons behind me in four different states. On a long term note, I’m toying with the idea of eventually running 50 marathons in 50 states, a lofty goal for a newbie, but food for thought and another reason to run.

Looking ahead to next year, at least the first half of the year, I see an entry into the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (running the full this time), then about a month and half later entering the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN because that is within an hour of our grandkids and a good excuse for a vacation with them.

Lewis & Clark 2007 Marathon Stats

2007-09-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

Well here are the mile by mile stats from my race last Sunday. I was in great company it would appear. Dick Beardsley was running in my age group and managed to just beat me. He finished in 2:56:49, and I ran behind him at 5:56:02...waaaay behind him *LOL*.

Ok, now for my stats:
I believe these times are based on the gun:
First half: 2:46:55 Pace: 12:45
Second half: 3:09:07 Pace: 14:26

These times are from my Garmin:
Mile 1: 12:51
Mile 2: 12:37
Mile 3: 12:41
Mile 4: 14:01 (Think this included a potty break)
Mile 5: 12:09
Mile 6: 12:09
Mile 7: 12:13
Mile 8: 12:00
Mile 9: 12:12
Mile 10: 13:13
Mile 11: 12:15
Mile 12: 12:22
Mile 13: 12:35
Mile 14: 13:00
Mile 15: 12:34
Mile 16: 13:27
Mile 17: 13:04
Mile 18: 13:07 (Fatigue started to get the best of me from this point on)
Mile 19: 14:06
Mile 20: 14:47
Mile 21: 18:24 (I'm glad I didn't quit here)
Mile 22: 15:49
Mile 23: 15:20
Mile 24: 16:22
Mile 25: 13:18
Mile 26: 13:25
.02 Mile:13:27

So ok no negative splits, but after looking at things and blowing out Mile 21, I'm glad to see that I was able to get back into the 13 minute/mile range for the final two miles...I would have never guessed that I picked up the pace that much....again thanks to that nameless lady that finished just ahead of me for being an inspiration to get in under the 6:00:00 time frame.

Saturday...Home Again At Last

2007-09-22T04:38:00.000-05:00

Well still NO race photos yet. Maybe later today. We are running either 6 or 7 miles this morning around Lake Hefner. I haven't run this week because of a pain I've had in my right shin but it feels better today.

I'm excited about running again, first time since the marathon last Sunday. Other good news is that I've confirmed that I did the marathon with no...none...nada...blisters and I feel great for that.

Thanks everyone for your comments on the race. Yes that was the first and it definitely won't be the last. We have a half marathon in Madill, OK that we are now going to train for that comes up in 3 weeks. I can remember feeling so strong at the half marathon point of last Sunday's race. Glad I felt that way since things seemed to fall apart after that.

I'm No Longer a Virgin!!!!!!! (Caution - - Long Report)

2007-09-17T21:42:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday, Sunday September 16, 2007 I lost my virginity….again. This time it wasn’t as a teenager, or in the back of a vehicle, but it was definitely more memorable than that “other” first time. I lost it at 7:00 A.M. and was in a crowd of at least 5,000, no it wasn’t an orgy. A gun was fired and I officially started my first marathon. The location was St. Charles, MO, just outside of St. Louis and the event was the Lewis and Clark Marathon.

The day was great, low to mid 50’s for temps, cloudy, not much humidity, and little to no wind.

I ran with my two training partners from Edmond, Clyde and Rachel. Clyde was there to run the half-marathon; Rachel was there to run the full 26.2 miles with me. Rachel’s sister Alice was also participating as a walker in the half-marathon.

As for times, well Alice finished her half in just over 4 hours, Clyde finished his half in 2 hours 46 minutes, Rachel finished her full marathon in 5 hours 44 minutes…AND…I finished my FIRST marathon in 5 hours 56 minutes (13:28 pace).

Rachel and I ran most of the first half together and ran a pace of 12:34 for the 13.1 miles. Probably a bit fast for me to be effective with my finish of the last 13.1 miles, but I did finish. No negative splits today, not even close. But hey, the finish today was the key, the fact that it was under 6 hours was icing on the cake for me.

The end result for everyone was no injuries, no blisters, and no quitters. Well I must admit that around the 23 mile point I had some serious thoughts of quitting, I was tired, had no energy and couldn’t formulate complete thoughts, or so I thought in my own head.

This marathon has some fabulous scenery along the way. The last 13.1 miles is all on what is called the Katy Trail, a woodland area trail that is made of crushed rock and dirt base, so it was very easy on the feet and legs. We crossed the Missouri River at mile 7, in fact mile 7, according to their race map sit right at the midway point on the bridge. This was also the “hill” for the marathon. We ran through areas of rural farming (beans and corn and maybe more) through old town St. Charles that was originally established in 1796 and as I mentioned the Katy Trail. The run through the Katy Trail was often covered with tree foliage so we ran in shade, as the sun did come out at times but did not stay out for long. The races both finished on the west side of the Missouri River in the Lewis and Clark Frontier Park area.

Clyde and I shared a room and we were up at 4:30 to get ready to catch a shuttle bus to the starting line area by 5:15 A.M. We were the first on the bus and the driver got a bit disoriented where we were supposed to be let off and we had to get to the start line by a race official using a golf cart. We got there early enough that our first trip to the port-o-potties did not require standing in line, not so for the second trip just before the start time. We were able to hook up with Rachel and her sister rather easily so we were all in the mass start together. The beginning was a slow walk to the actual start gate that took about 5 minutes, so our gun time and start time should be off by approximately that much.

Early on in the race we were dodging a fair number of walkers but it wasn’t a big issue for us. Rachel and I soon were out ahead of Clyde. At the 2 or 3 mile point I suddenly realized for the first time in a long time I was running pain free (no shin pain, no feet or toe pain, no ankle pain) and my shoes didn’t seem to be bothering me.

Mile 3 saw us having to make a bathroom pit stop that was relatively short. Miles 3 and 4 were a short side-trip out and back through an industrial area that was neat because it gave you a really good indication of the number of people that were both ahead of us and then also that were still behind us.

Miles 5 and 6 were pretty uneventful. Well mile 6 led us up to the approach of the bridge over the Missouri River. While on the bridge I lost my visor and had to stop to grab that. I panicked briefly as I did not see my Oakley sunglasses laying with it as I figured if the hat went so did the glasses that were on top of my head at the time. When I didn’t see them I figured I had lost them earlier….till I reached up and felt them still on my head.

After hitting mile 7 at the top of the bridge we had a long down hill off the bridge that allowed us to drive our pace time down in the neighborhood of 12:25 for a while….that felt good.

Mile 8 we had to give way to an ambulance that went running by in the same direction we were headed and we later realized they must have picked up a runner out near the 10 mile point. I hope they weren’t in any severe pain.

Miles 9 and 10 took us through a more rural area just outside of St. Charles, very laid back and quiet.

Mile 11 gave us our first exposure to the Katy Trail for maybe a mile, running alongside the Missouri River.

Mile 12 took us through the historic area of downtown St. Charles.

Mile 13 saw Clyde suddenly appear and pass us by as he finished his half-marathon. He ran a very strong race today, much stronger than the half-marathon that he ran in Oklahoma City in April.

At this point Rachel and I continued on our journey working our way back onto the Katy Trail. For this particular race there were over 4,500 entrants for the half-marathon and only 850 for the marathon. So after we left the halfers it got a bit lonely at times, or was that because my innate ability to run at the back of the pack.

We ran together until Mile 17 when I started to lose energy and then we seesawed some, but by Mile 18 Rachel and pulled away to a commanding lead. By the way, Rachel was the runner that I beat at the Oklahoma Half Marathon in April of this year and she vowed then that I wouldn’t beat her again. Little did I know how seriously she would trounce me in this race. I have to applaud her though, today she was “on her race” from the start and I just feel fortunate to have run with her for 17 miles.

Between Miles 18 and 20 she slowly pulled ahead to the point where I lost sight of her. At 19.5 we made the turn to return the Lewis and Clark Park, via the same Katy Trail and she was smiling as she effortlessly ran by me. Not long after that I lost sight of her for good until I got near the finish line and she was cheering me on along the sidelines.

It was at Mile 18 that the left side of my brain started to try and convince me that I wasn’t capable of finishing a race of this caliber. I kept reverting back to positive affirmations that seemed to keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

At Mile 21 Clyde found the two of us, first Rachel and then he waited on me. It was great to actually get my hands on a 20 ounce bottle of water and a baggy of sugar-coated mini-wheat cereal. During this stop a speed-walking lady passed me by. She was part of one of the several organized efforts that were participating for one cancer or another. By Mile 22 she was joined by a “coach” that had run out to catch her. I caught up with her about the time the “coach” caught up to her and overheard the speed-walker say that if she didn’t finish this marathon in less than 6 hours she would not participate in another. I thought, since I was getting more exhausted by the step I would follow them in, or at least attempt to do so. I was by now keeping a weary eye on my Garmin and the average pace for the race, straining to keep my pace faster than 13:34 which I thought I remembered would be right at 6 hours. As I ran behind this couple I found I could just catch up to them during a run but not pass them. Then when I walked I was left in their dirt due to the pace the speed-walker was maintaining. So I would walk my pace then run a faster pace to catch back up only to be left behind on the next walk. This went on from Mile 22 to the finish line.

At Mile 23 Clyde found me again and gave me a colder bottle of water, a God-send and my baggy of cereal again for several quick mini-munchie bites. Then I was off again to catch my speed-walker again and again. She crossed the finish line just ahead of me and we both finished in less than 6 hours. Without her to lead me in I suspect I would have finished far worse or perhaps not at all.

The finish was great, hearing my name as I crossed the finish line knowing that I had become a member of a select group on Earth that had completely such a distance run.

The end was a bit anti-climatic. We had to hurriedly go back to our hotel to shower so we could check out of our room. To lay some quick ground work here, I run in compression pants and a compression shirt. These are good for not allowing the armpits and thighs to chafe. However, there is an area between the cheeks that I forgot about and the shower reminded me that it had become sore. An error that I hope I don’t make again in the near future if ever.

Overall we had a great time driving over together, meeting Rachel’s sister, preparing for the race and participating in the race. Even though I was doubting my sanity for wanting to accomplish this event around Mile 22, I finished and I feel great now as we drive home Sunday evening.

One last observation, I have to give a great deal of credit to both of my running companions (Clyde and Rachel) for being great coaches over the past 3 months in preparing for this day. I ran out of energy and that can’t be blamed on their training efforts. I feel that without their assistance and guidance I would not have finished today.

Sorry I'm Late...No Internet Connection Yesterday

2007-09-17T05:57:00.000-05:00

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!

I ran the Lewis and Clark Marathon, finished in 5:56:02. I've got a more detailed race report written up that I will put online later today and photos to follow either tonight or tomorrow. Oh my God!!!! what an awesome feeling. I'm really happy and pleased with myself. I accomplished both of my personal goals, finish the race and finish under 6 hours. Thanks for everyone's wonderful support.

Finally Another Run

2007-09-12T06:40:00.000-05:00

We did a very slow 4.12 miles this morning at a pace of 14:54...actually more walking than running, but none the less we were out on the streets again....YEA!!!!

We strategized about the marathon on Sunday, what to take, what to wear, what to do on Saturday...as little as possible, outside of eating and maybe visiting the race expo.

Last night my wonderful bride presented me with an early race present. Several weeks ago I had looked at some Oakley sunglasses and was amazed at how well they fit and the eye comfort they afforded out in the sun. We talked about maybe we could get them after I finished this marathon as sort of a reward....well, she sneakily ordered them for me ahead of time and decided I need them for race day so I got a present from her last night. It was too dark to wear them this morning but I'm looking forward to wearing them this weekend.....I Love You so much and so appreciate all your support.

I'm Getting Nervous.....5 Days

2007-09-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

I'm getting nervous jitters and it's still 5 days until the marathon. I'm not nervous about finishing or anything, I'm just nervous. I'm really glad I'm running this first one with friends that will help, especially with the pace. I keep telling myself, go slow....just finish...don't worry about the time...just finish.. then I wonder what those last 6 unknown miles will be like...but then I can picture myself crossing the finish line and being happy with just being there...oh yes I'm so excited...did I say that already?

I didn't run at all while we were on vacation but did a far amount of walking on a couple of occasions and carried grandkids alot or pushed a double stroller for them...those of you that run and push a stroller my hat is off to you...awesome efforts....still I didn't run at all....

Then yesterday we were rained out of our normal Monday morning run, tomorrow we run and the weather looks like it will cooperate....we are running a very shortened route...more walking really....so tonight when Bonnie gets home we may sneak in a 2 or 4 mile route, if the mosquitos aren't too bad.....

Did I mention that I'm nervous? It's only 5 days.....but I'm ready to conquer the beast....

Where is Randy?

2007-09-02T08:39:00.000-05:00

Well Randy and Bonnie are currently in Minnesota playing with the grandkids. We are waaaaaay up in the NE part of the state in Virginia, MN. Today though we will be taking Bonnie's son and kids to the NE corner of North Dakota to visit a few days with Bonnie's aunt.

I haven't run since last Monday. I didn't get any running in while in Wyoming but hope to run tomorrow morning (Monday) while in North Dakota. I did get alot of walking in yesterday when we visited Duluth, MN. We spent alot of time shopping for our daughter-in-law's birthday since we won't be with her on the actual day. We also visited the coast of Lake Superior, but it was total socked in with heavy fog. There is a story to tell while at the coast but it requires a couple of photos that I can't download from the camera just yet. It seems I left the download cable at home. I'm hoping to transfer photos from the memory chip to a CD or thumb-drive while at Target today.

Virginia is a very small town in what is known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. They do not have a Wal-Mart....yes that is true there is a town in America that does not have a Wal-Mart. They do have a Super-Target though and we will give it a try. So hopefully more photos to be posted later today or later this week.

While at Bonnie's aunt's home we will not have internet access, so may be out of touch for another couple of days. I really appreciate those that were asking about my whereabouts, and I apologize for not getting online sooner.

Run/Walk Monday

2007-08-27T06:36:00.000-05:00

Well this day started out that we were just going to walk, then we finally decided that we would run, so let it be that we did a very slow hour....which after our 20 on Saturday this was a good recovery day. I'm not sore, have no blisters, and I'm ready to go more....

Total Time: 1:02:50
Mile 1: 15:25
Mile 2: 15:50
Mile 3: 13:57
Mile 4: 13:24
Last 0.38 mile: 10:59 pace
Avg HR: 131
MAX HR: 166

Nothing like starting out walking to assure yourself of negative splits....LOL...

20 Miler is History

2007-08-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we ran our longest run before the Lewis & Clark Marathon on September 16...now we start to taper...which is good since we will be on vacation starting this coming Friday until September 9 in North Dakota and Minnesota....but back to the run...

We started at 4 AM...yes that is 4:00 AM. It was just Rachel and I to start with, then Clyde joined us around the 7 mile mark....it rained, or actually drizzled on Rachel and I between miles 1 and 2, so now I guess I can officially say I have run in the rain....it felt good, cooling, but then it was gone.

Oh before I get too far into this...my Garmin worked fine...a report from it will be down below...

In past long runs I've had issues with bathroom breaks....I've not had any urges to take them and have been wondering if something was wrong of if I was sweating out all the fluids I was taking in that my body didn't need...as a result I've been nicknamed "Camel" by Rachel. Well today between 8 and 9 I got the urge and had to stop at a Wal-Mart to use the facilities...oh baby what a relief. I know TMI....

At the 11 mile point I had to stop and take a small boulder out of my left shoe...I was surprised at how good my foot felt just being out of that hot shoe...like a breath of fresh air...I was tempted to "release" my right foot but the rest of me didn't want to take the time....so I'm off again.

Today I felt great until we hit the 18 mile point...I don't know if that was my wall...but at least temporarily I was glad I had other runners with me because I might have stopped otherwise. At this point I was starting to feel something on the forefoot of my right foot and feared a blister the size of Rhode Island...ok make that Montana....more on that later.

Starting at mile 14 we did some weaving through neighborhood streets to take advantage of early morning shade after the sun had come up and burned off the rain clouds that had been in the area. This felt good to be able to duck into some shade as we moved along.

Bonnie joined us at mile 15 and ran the rest of the way with us. She is such a trooper and great supporter...this time it was me that needed the words of encouragement that I could finish, that I was looking good....she was great, and I love her.

My heart rate was so astonishing...it averaged 127 for the entire 20 miles and it only peaked at 158....I was so amazed.

Well the issue with the bottom of my right foot, turned out it was not Rhode Island nor was it Montana...when I finally got my shoes and socks off...after we had stopped at IHOP for the breakfast of champions...or at least tired runners....I discovered my feet were red and hot...but NO blisters!!!!! Yea!!!!!!!

I did sprint to the finish line, which surprised me that I had that left in me.

Today I'm tired, but happy knowing that I can finish the marathon, excited knowing that it will be my first....a little apprehensive about those last 6 miles that I have yet to experience though. I'm contemplating carrying an extra pair of socks with me just in case my feet need some relief on that last stretch.....any ideas there?

Total Time: 4:55:14
Pace: 14:37 (As a training pace I"m happy with that)
Mile 1: 14:27
Mile 2: 13:21 (rain)
Mile 3: 14:34 (bathroom break for Rachel)
Mile 4: 13:40
Mile 5: 14:24
Mile 6: 16:09 (bathroom break for Rachel)
Mile 7: 13:11 (Clyde joined us)
Mile 8: 15:16 (bathroom break for Randy)
Mile 9: 16:02
Mile 10: 15:22 (rock in shoe)
Mile 11: 15:47
Mile 12: 14:05
Mile 13: 17:07
Mile 14: 14:01
Mile 15: 16:08 (Bonnie joined us)
Mile 16: 13:16
Mile 17: 15:27
Mile 18: 13:36 (The WALL)
Mile 19: 13:13
Mile 20: 13:47
Last 0.19 mile: 11:12 pace

With this run I've finally gotten over the 500 mile mark for the year!!!!!

Garmin Update

2007-08-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

I talked to Garmin this morning on the phone. They were most helpful and gave me instructions on how to reset the watch...."hit the mode and the reset buttons at the same time", then hit the power button. It came right on....so I'm hoping I'm safe for now. Time will tell, but I am getting a bit anxious as we get closer to marathon time in September.

This Saturday is our last long day (20 miles...yes a whole 20!!!!) and then we start to taper for the marathon...which is great as we will be leaving for Minnesota and North Dakota on 8/31, and will be gone for a week.

I'm getting excited about the marathon...about running the full distance....wow...yes!!!!!! I can do it!!!!

Another Bust For Garmin

2007-08-22T06:20:00.000-05:00

I tried to turn on my Garmin on Monday and it worked and I thought all was well. But this morning I tried it again and it just sat there not responding. So I guess I will have to do the inevitable and write to Garmin to see what they will do towards a repair or replacement.

We did 5.0 miles at a 13.11 minute/mile pace for a total time of 1:05:55. It was warm muggy humid morning. I will try to write more later if I have time.

Have a Great Hump Day!!!

Back!!!!!! After a Hectic Week

2007-08-20T06:24:00.000-05:00

Well last week was a very loooongggggg week. I was in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah performing due diligence on facilities that my company would like to purchase. That meant 14-16 hour days and NO running. At least not until Saturday.

Bonnie and I did a 5k race "Run With the Bulls" starting from the Oklahoma City Stockyards, fortunately there was a favorable wind that kept the aromatic aroma away from us most of the time. I think my time was 37:26, but more importantly Bonnie ran a 37:16...yes she beat me....it was one of those days when you start good and finish lousy. No excuses except it just didn't feel good. I'm proud of her though even though this wasn't a PR for her, you can't do that every time.

Today I did our typical Monday run/walk route. It was good to be back with my running buddies. I was able to finish strong but was tired when it was all said and done.

Well today I have budget work to finish, so I am not sure how much time I'll get to catch up on everyone's blogs, I'll give it a good try though.

Total Distance: 4.75 miles
Mile 1: 14:39
Mile 2: 15:24
Mile 3: 13:16
Mile 4: 13:28
.75 mile: 8:35
Total Time: 1:05:24
Pace: 13:45
Avg HR: 121
MAX HR: 164

Heart rate seems to be hanging in there, the Max is still coming down and continues to be the "sprint" that we do at the finish.

Have a GREAT Monday!!!! It feels good to be back.

Pancakes, Beer, and Nudity

2007-08-12T16:09:00.001-05:00

According to Runner's World they have 15 ways to add fun to your run!!!!!

Today's run was actually 16.5 miles so the pace was a bit better at 13:20 minutes/mile....acceptable for me as a training run.

I got up super early (3:00 AM!!!!!) to get ready and also because I was responsible for 2 of our water/fuel drops. I got my legs warmed up via our heating pad and I was feeling really good. This run would be my longest to date and I was a bit nervous about it...actually apprehensive about it...after all, could I go the distance? I had done 14 two weeks ago and finished strong...but this was 2.5 miles further.

When I arrived at our starting point I was the first one there...go figure. I hit the start button on my Garmin and no go!!! I hit it again and nothing...then I panicked a bit hitting "all" the buttons and even looking for a reset button but in the end it was not going to be on my wrist. Again, I panicked and almost went home, neither Clyde or Rachel had arrived yet so I could just say I had slept in...but then they would find the water/fuel that I had dropped and I couldn't get them to believe some street person was feeling sorry for them, so I stayed. Clyde and Rachel both have other Garmin models and also Timex Ironman watches, so we were not hurting for technology....I just wouldn't have "MY" Garmin.

We set out together and enjoyed the early morning heat (around 80 degrees at 4:30 AM) minus the sun and much of the humidity. As it got closer to dawn though the humidity found us and we each looked like we had been running through lawn sprinklers.

Somewhere around mile 10 Rachel and I got ahead of Clyde for a while and he began shortcutting the route some by taking some alleways and meeting us on neighboring streets...see he's only training for a half marathon so he felt justified that he didn't need our training miles. We also ran into Bonnie somewhere in that 10 mile segment and she ran with me for several miles. Rachel had dropped back to run with Clyde for a while. Around mile 13 I got ahead of Bonnie...borrowing her Ironman to keep my run/walk intervals in check. She returned to her vehicle and had Clyde and Rachel coming by soon after that and ran with them.

Near mile 15 I ran into Rachel and Bonnie running together and Clyde some distance behind them. I decided to run back to our starting point with the girls. They had a good conversation going on...you have to know Bonnie...she can handle a conversation anywhere anytime. They allowed me to break in once or twice but were quick to point out that I was getting them off their subject...so I just ran with them....When I could see the end in sight I began to sprint...maybe the last 1/4 mile or so and I finished strong, maybe 45 seconds ahead of the girls and several minutes ahead of Clyde...but the important thing was that we all finished!!!!

I had run further than I had ever done and I had managed to sprint the finish....I have one sore toe...bruised nail on my second toe of my left foot but it's nothing serious...I'm not experiencing any significant shin pain and it's now mid-afternoon.

BTW...I'm sitting in the Denver Airport waiting on my connection to Grand Junction.

Several interesting features of our run today...I think we collected maybe .20 cents towards Rachel's future entry into a marathon from road change that we found...I thought I had struck a gold mine when I found .06 cents near a phone booth...until Bonnie told me that Rachel had found a dime while they were running together.

I found out after we were done that we had a "mad bird" experience...and I originally thought I was the only one that had it. Turns out I was the first....to be attacked by some crow/grackle looking bird. I had turned a corner and it flew up from somewhere, I didn't see where...to land on a nearby powerline. Then it was behind me. Well a few steps later I felt something brush across my head and realized the bird had just divebombed my head. I kept a wary eye for a bit, but no other episode from it. After the run I was telling Bonnie about it and she giggled saying that the same bird in the same area divebombed first Rachel and then her....grazing their hair before swooping away. It was as if he or she was playing touch and go wiht our heads...maybe it was considered an act of bravery in birddom and a story worthy of telling little fledgling flyer grandbirds that I touched the mighty human as they were toddling down the black mass of rock (road).

This day helped me discover that I would much rather run with people that I know than to run alone. I enjoyed the morning and I feel great now. I am getting big time excited about the September Lewis and Clark Marathon (9/16).

My hat is off to Bonnie as well for coming out and running with us, we figured that she ran at least 5 miles and truly closer to 6 miles. She's a trooper and is making great strides with her running.

The Longest 16 Miles....History!!!!!

2007-08-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

Well this has to be short as I'm trying to get packed and take Bonnie out to brunch before I have to leave for the airport.....I did 16 miles this morning...starting at 4:40 AM....yes that is right....got done in 3 hrs 40 minutes, pace 13:45 min/mile. That's the short end of the long thing. I feel mostly good...my shins aren't bothering me...I have one toe on my left foot that was bruised, but I'm basically ok.

The down side to this....my Garmin didn't work this morning and it seems that it isn't charging. So I need to contact Garmin about it...I've heard they have a great service department...I hope that is true.

Saturday - A Day of Contemplation

2007-08-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

No running or other workout today. We did errands and picked up some GU for my upcoming longer runs. In fact while we were out I got a call that our 16.5 mile run is on again for tomorrow morning. I'm glad to hear that, and I feel that I'm ready for it. This will be the furthest I've gone in one run ever. It should be excitig...plus hot and humid. It's 90 degrees now and it's almost 8:30 PM.

I hope that those who had races today did well in them and if you have a race coming up tomorrow that you will do your best!!!

This day has allowed me to rest yet another day and for that my right shin is starting to feel much better...so perhaps listening to my body was indeed a wise thing. I've noticed as the day progressed that any effort of getting up from a chair or out of a car was less and less painful to the point where tonight I'm not bothered at all. The pain has only been there when I get up and put some weight on the right leg...after starting to walk the pain goes away...kind of weird it seems.

I'm flying to Colorado tomorrow afternoon, so after a 16.5 mile run in the morning I get to sleep I hope on the way to Colorado. I will be on the west slope thru Wednesday afternoon and then back in Denver Wednesday night until Friday morning. So I should get in some more altitude running. I hope at least that it will be cooler than here and I know the humidity will be much less.

Slacker

2007-08-10T06:01:00.000-05:00

I set my alarm for a run this morning and then I proceeded to go right back to sleep after it went off. Slacker comes to mind and today is supposed to hit 100 again, I think it did yesterday too. So I'm not so sure I could run tonight after work, maybe it's time to find my way back to the gym with Bonnie....to keep my eye on her eyeing all the hunks there....or them oogling her...don't get me wrong I'm not the jealous type...as long as they look at someone else....actually I'm very proud of her for her success in losing her weight and working hard to tone things up....I wish I could have the dedication to the weight loss that she's had....She's the most wonderful thing in my life right now. Well it's off to work we go...hiho...hiho....uhhoh...I don' want to go.....

Just Because It's My "Off" Day

2007-08-09T15:23:00.001-05:00

Marcy tagged me and this being my day off from any running activity, I'll cooperate....otherwise I know she would run up my back. Here goes:

Jobs I've Held:
Health & Safety Manager
General Manager
Senior Staff Safety Representative
Safety Supervisor
Safety Engineer (starting to see a trend here)
Bowling Alley Manager (college)
Engineering Technican
Grocery Sacker (wow that goes back a ways)

Places I've Lived:

Palestine, TX (I was born here)
Corpus Christi, TX (I was raised there)
College Station, TX (I went to college here)
Bethel Park, PA (I finally left TX for the first time at age 23...it's a big state)
Lincoln, IL (not much happened there)
Pasedena, TX
Deer Park, TX
Corpus Christi, TX (again)
Rock Springs, WY (Wild Wonderful Wyoming) (My wonderful daughter was born here)
Fort Worth-metroplex, TX
Boulder, CO
Farmington, NM
Flora Vista, NM (I met Bonnie on the internet while living here)
Midland, TX (Just married again, life is good)
Edmond, OK (finally I caught up with myself)

Movies I Can Watch Over & Over:

The Great Escape
Forrestt Gump
The Right Stuff
The Wizard of Oz
A Christmas Story
Any John Wayne movie
Any Jamie Lee Curtis movie (she could eat crackers...oh never mind)

Shows I Enjoy:

Any of the CSI SVU series
CSI Miami
Any and All M.A.S.H. reruns
NASCAR races

Places I've Been On Vacation:

In no particular order:
Grand Canyon
Jackson Hole, WY
Grand Tetons
Yellowstone National Park
Zion National Park, UT
Arches National Park, UT
Steamboat Springs, CO
San Francisco, CA
Lake Tahoe, CA
Branson, MO
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
Park City, UT
Padre Island, TX
Durango, CO
Pagosa Springs, CO
Salida, CO
Cancun, Mexico (this was the best of times anywhere, it was my honeymoon with Bonnie)
Grand Forks, ND
Drayton, ND
Petrified Forrest, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Pinetop, AZ
Grand Lake, CO
Big Bend National Park

Favorite Foods:

Isn't this a bit like asking a drunk what his favorite drink is????
Chicken Fajita's from Ted's Mexican Restaurant in Edmond
Good BBBQ (brisket, turkey, sausage, ribs)
Macaroni and Cheese....with catsup....yes...got to have it
Prime Rib
but even better than Prime Rib....a true Porterhouse steak, not a T-Bone
Lemon Meringue Pie
Chocolate Meringue Pie
Pecan Pie
Good spaghetti
Lasagna
Flounder...broiled, stuffed, fried
Shrimp
Clam strips
Scallops
Green beans
Corn
Fried or stuff mushrooms
Corn dogs
Funnel Cake
Ok....I'm hungry!!!!!

Websites I Visit Daily:

Work
Your blogs
My blog
Weather
RunningAhead.com
MyGarmin.com
Genealogy websites
Google (where would the world be without google)
MSN.com

Body Parts I Have Injured:

Broken Vertabra in my back in high school playing basketball
Heart.....quadruple bypass 2 years on April 9, 2005

Awards I've Won:

I'm sure this is supposed to mean like "The Best Dressed", or "Most of Something" but nothing along that line comes to mind....My treasured award that I've won has to be Bonnie when she said she would marry me....bare none...the best thing that ever happened to me!!!

Nicknames I've Been Called:
Dude
Trash (from college...signified the way I bowled...yet I averaged 185 or better and was on the university travelling team...even have my name on trophies at Texas A&M to prove it...)
Dad (not just from my daughter either.....several of my employees call me Dad as well...I kind of like it).
Old Fart
The names I hear from Bonnie...I better not repeat here

Tag Others:
Back of the Pack
Molly
WS
Akshaye
Jason

If I've tagged someone that has already been tagged...I apologize.....

Hump Day Early Morning 5 Miles

2007-08-08T06:21:00.000-05:00

It's not quite 6:30 AM here in the heart of the U.S. and our 5 miles is history for this day. It started slow and got better which is what we are after. No significant shin pains running again in my aging NB 1061's. My new ones should be here on Friday!!!!

Tonight I'll do another quarter mile in the Brooks Vapors...also will be working on some of my strengthening exercises during the day.

Total Distance: 5 miles
Mile 1: 15:33
Mile 2: 14:04
Mile 3: 13:02
Mile 4: 12:29
Mile 5: 11:29
31 ft: 0:03 (Where did this come from?)
Avg Pace: 13:19
Avg HR: 127
MAX HR: 169

My avg HR is really coming down as I get more and more acclimated to the heat and humidity it seems. I can't wait for the fall cooler weather to see what happens with my run/race times.

Run for Today.....0.25 Miles

2007-08-07T21:11:00.000-05:00

As I promised...only a 1/4 mile run today in the Brooks Vapors...now I'm sitting with my right leg wrapped up in a heating pad....then when I'm ready for bed....ICE....

My gait...wow...it's mine and everyone else has to be totally glad that they don't have it....according to James...in just about a 2 minute time frame he saw me doing 4 different gaits and at times it looked like I was attempting several left hand turns on the treadmill. Like Lisa stated...it's really wild to watch your feet working frame by frame in a video...I would swear that those couldn't have been my feet...no way....

With my left foot...which was the most sporadic of the two....I could occasionally have a good foot plant...but when my foot would come up off the treadmill my heel would kick to the right almost every time, then all of a sudden my toes would be planting as if I were making a left hand turn...but I'm still trying to go forward on the treadmill...there was no corner to turn....

At some points in time...both feet would end up totally in front of the other...tho again the left foot seemed to dominate this action as well...go figure I'm left handed....it would look like at times that I was a one legged runner.....or was that supposed to be a one legged wall paper hanger.....in a butt kicking contest....

In the long run...the Vapors did seem to make my gait move towards a normal motion that was more runner friendly and less likely to be causing injury.....so that is why I'm working on them very slowly....1/4 mile at a time...sneaking into them....trying to re-train the muscles in my fore-legs...and I can't remember their names....I'll have to get that information written down to blog it here.

As for exercises....I'm supposed to stand on one foot at a time...with the other foot tucked up behind the knee of the foot I'm standing on....for up to 5 minutes at a time...or until I wobble over...short of falling....to build up my ankles...

I'm supposed to write the alphabet with my toes extended several times a day.

He wants me to buy and "Ab Mat" from the net to do crunches with that will strengthen my obliques.

I'm stretching the front of my calves.....one foot extended back behind me....the foot pointing in a 45 degree angle inward...then 45 degree outward....stretch on it each way...then relax....then the other leg the same thing....

Butt squats

I'm going to have to get him to give me some better notes on some of these things....or better yet I'll take a pad in next time and I'll take notes and pass them along.....I sound so disjointed with all of this it seems to me.....and add to that I've never taken a physiology course and no little or nothing about various body parts....the foot is connected to the ankle..is connected to the leg....is connected to the hip....and inbetween is the knee....see

Well it's been fun...but it's time to stand for a bit like a pink flamingo.....night all....well maybe I'll be back when I fall over....

Awesome Group of Bloggers

2007-08-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

I want to say that it feels really great to have such an awesome group of friends to blog with and to think we've never met. I so appreciate everyone's comments on my last few posts, what a great bunch of friends runners make.

This afternoon I stopped by our local running store, not by chance but intentionally. James knew I was coming in. I brought my NB's and my Brooks Vapors and my bare feet. He did a gait analysis for me on his treadmill, first bare footed, then with the NB's, then the Vapors, and then back to the NB's. My gait is TERRIBLE, I'm all over the treadmill, at times my left foot gives the appearance I'm making a left hand turn, at times I'm running with one foot totally in front of the other, at other times I'm striking almost flat footed, other times I'm more on my forefoot, then there are those rare times that I'm heel striking...and that's just barefooted and in the NB's. When I'm in the Vapors, which are more of a motion control shoe I tend to keep things closer to proper placement, more often I heel strike with them, but I still feel pain in my lower shins. He says that knowing now more about my gait he believes the pain, while it is associated with the motion control of the Vapors it's more related to my ankles not being strong enough, and that I've built such strong calf muscles and not worked on the muscles on the forefront of my shins...and that my obliques are out of shape as well...I'm a running wreck...in a funny sort of way...I said that he didn't. He's given me some exercises for the ankles and the shins and made some suggestions for the obliques (core area).

My question for the day is along the lines of core exercises. I've heard several bloggers mention that today or tomorrow or whenever is going to be a core exercise day....who has an established routine for core exercises and where did you get it from?

I'm going to start doing quarter mile runs in the Vapors and then a walking return for a week....then build up to half mile runs with walking returns...no repeats just yet....this will help to strengthen some of the along the forefront of my shins that I've basically been ignoring. He assures me that by going to more of a motion control shoe I will be saving my knees and possibly my ITB down the road. I'm willing to try the things he's suggested to see what happens for a month or so. He's also agreed to order my NB 1061's so that I can continue to use them at least thru the marathon in September...he agrees that it is the wrong time for me to totally be switching shoes. But also recommends that I not do more than one or maybe two marathons in the NB's...he says they are a more neutral shoe and that allows my ankles to go all over the place.

Indirectly I believe I've got him for a coach. He wants to continue working with me on my gait, he's willing to be a major sponsor for our TeamAutism running group going to Honolulu for the marathon in December....he wants to donate our shirts and and maybe more for the runners/walkers that are going. Stacey if you read this before I get a chance to talk to you about it...I apologize...I just felt the need to talk about my efforts with James at Elite Feet this afternoon...he's got me very excited. After seeing the vidoe of my gait...I was able to clearly see that I don't have good form when I run....and I believe he can have a positive impact on my future as a runner.

So, I'll use the blog to keep updating everyone on the progress I'm making with the Brooks Vapors. I do agree with everyone that a pair of shoes should feel good right out of the box...but I've got to understand these shoes are trying to get me to run in a way that is different than what I'm accustomed to and I need to give my body some time to adjust.

Tomorrow is a rest day.....no running over a quarter mile...for the Vapors....I don't have to get up before the chickens...woohoo.

Again...you guys and gals are an awesome group....I hope there will come a day when Bonnie and I can meet as many of you as possible......

4:00 AM Rise and Shine....It's Monday!!!

2007-08-06T06:20:00.000-05:00

Normally I type a title to a post and then work from that....today well a title wouldn't come so I'll add it at the middle or end of things if I remember...regardless it's Monday...maybe that's a title in and of itself.

Last night Bonnie and I snuck out of the house and did 2 slow miles on the park route near the house. We were back in the 13+ pace, but that was ok. I ended up keeping my Brooks Vapors and am trying to slowly get used to them....slowly....slowly...well we shall see. The two miles were somewhat painful on the shins to say the least, and I don't think I could have seriously gone much faster.

This morning, a typical Monday run/walk event with my running buddies. We did just over 4.6 miles in just over an hour....the numbers are all below.

Today, for the first time in a long time I felt like I could be running faster. I don't know if it has anything to do with yesterday's run or not. I ran slightly ahead of the other three people that I was with, never far enough away to be out of sight or anything, not even close....but just not close enough to be directly involved in any conversation. It felt weird, but it was as if my body was saying you need to be here. None the less the pace was pretty typical for our Monday route.

Sunday night totals:

Total Distance 2.01 miles
Mile 1: 13:19
Mile 2: 13:01
66.44 ft.: 0:16
Total Time: 26:37
Avg Pace: 13:13
Avg HR: 127
MAX HR: 148

Monday total:
Total Distance: 4.66 miles
Mile 1: 15:01
Mile 2: 15:14
Mile 3: 13:04
Mile 4: 13:35
0.66 Mi.: 7:46
Avg Pace: 13:53
Avg HR: 129
MAX HR: 170

Interesting fact: Through out the sprint at the last and my max HR would have been 147. Today's temp was 76 degrees, humidity 80%....down some that is good.

"That was Yesterday and Yesterday's Gone"

2007-08-05T04:42:00.000-05:00

Wonder who can remember the rest of the words of that song....did Chad and Jeremy sing it?....I'm just an oldie.

News Flash: I did run last night. After working at church and then attending the last worship experience for the day, Bonnie and I did an easy 4 mile run in the park across from our neighborhood. We did two laps in a area that is relatively flat. This run was at a pretty slow pace, the humidity seemed high, probably was around 75% or so, temp was 88 and there wasn't much wind. I'm proud that Bonnie stuck with it and got the entire 4 miles done with me.

Then I got up this morning and did another 4 miles on the streets. I guess my bug has passed or is mostly gone. I appreciate everyone's thoughts yesterday, but I'm glad that I was feeling better to the point where I could run. I don't feel tight in my chest, at least not like I did yesterday morning. I'm pretty proud of the numbers with this run and this includes some minor hills too. I guess I pushed my envelope just a bit on this run, this is the best pace for this kind of distance (4 miles) that I've ever done...wow a PR for a training run...haven't done that in a while!!!!!

Good luck to Mary on her tri today, and to Michelle on her race.

Last night's run with Bonnie:

Total Distance 4.0 miles
Total Time: 51:56
Mile 1: 12:36
Mile 2: 12:51
Mile 3: 13:13
Mile 4: 13:14
Avg Pace: 12:59
Avg HR: 139
MAX HR: 152

This morning's run:

Total Distance 4.0 miles
Total Time: 46:26
Mile 1: 11:38
Mile 2: 11:51
Mile 3: 11:37
Mile 4: 11:19
Avg Pace: 11:36
Avg HR: 150
MAX HR: 169

Yesterday is a Long Way From Today

2007-08-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

Oh how things can change, overnight....or even from hour to hour. Yesterday I ran 4 miles early in the morning. While I was running I was sucking on a throat losenge feeling a twinge in my throat with an occasional cough. Today I was supposed to be up again doing 8 miles with my running partners. I did get up at the appointed time but only to call and say that I wouldn't be making it today. The twinge in my throat has moved into my chest and I felt that any running effort on my part would leave me so short of breath that I would end up on some curb gasping.

So here I sit at 9:30 having slept in. Bonnie put me in a t-shirt at 4:45 this morning and attached a piece of flannel to it and rubbed Vicks Vapor Rub all over my chest under the flannel...don't ask...it's a North Dakota family remedy that she's brought south. I know that from about 5:15 on I slept totally covered and sweating and it felt great. I got up about 30 minutes ago and have already downed an extra large, extra tall glass of orange juice. I also took a Sudafed at 4:45 and can feel it working as well.

Do I feel bad for not running this morning? Not as bad as I might have felt if I had not wrote the post yesterday. My body needed the rest, and for once I was smart enough to allow it to happen. So no run today, and I may go back to bed before long.

There are several bloggers that are running today or tomorrow in races and or tri's of some sort....I wish you all the greatest of luck...actually I hate saying "wish you luck" because you are all trained to a point where luck isn't going to get you to the finish line...your intelligent ability to push your body towards the finish line will get you there, luck has nothing to do with it...therefore...I wish you to have your greatest effort in what you are undertaking this weekend...my prayers of safety are with you all.