Up this morning at the asscrack of dawn. I'm not talking about a stripper. I'm talking about the sucky time before the sun rises. I decided in my warped logic to run a 5k this morning.
Why:
1. Lovely wife is gone to medical coding class and child is asleep so I'm solo anyway.
2. It's the day before my birthday (warped logic).
3. It's for a program that helps fund PE4Life in school.
4. Its international week in the Premier League no games this morning.
5. Why not?
I've got to leave and go do this now I'll finish this when I get back.
I'm back. It is 44 degrees and rainy. I made all the rookie mistakes. I got there 15 minutes before the start. I didn't do a good job stretching. I had to make a last minute port a potty stop. I started too fast.
I'm pretty sure that wearing the Vibrams Sunday and the Wednesday before the race trashed my calves. They were sooooo tired at the very begining of the race I can't think of any other reason why that would happen.
No PR for me. (UPDATE: around 3:30 off my 5k PR) Oh well there are always more 5ks usually 3 or 4 a day this time of year.
Anyway, it was for a good cause, I didn't walk it and the t-shirt is kinda cool.
In case you're curious the PE4Life program is designed to encourage lifelong fitness and combat childhood obesity by teaching kids about sports, fitness and nutrition.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Happy Birthday to me...
Last weekend I had a birthday party with friends. It was kind strange for me because I generally don't like to do stuff before my birthday. However, schedules are what they are and this was the most opportune time.
I got an awesome Batman cake. It was homemade even better! Sorry bakery cakes can't compete flavor wise with a good homemade cake.
I also got a couple of great running related gifts. I will discuss them more later because I haven't been able to use them yet.
One is a Camelbak Mini Mule hydration pack. This one was hand picked by my good friends Dave and Jess. They are aware of my running and are accustomed to the insane summer heat and humidity in Arkansas so this is the perfect gift. Besides the hydration bladder it also has enough room for cellphone, gels, a small camera, cash or whatever. It even has the front chest strap for comfort. As next January rolls around and I'm looking at 20 mile runs I think this might be my new best friend. Sunday is my actual birthday so I'm going to run 9 miles on the 39th birthday. I'm looking forward to trying the pack out.
The other amazingly thoughtful gift was a pair of Motorola SD-10 bluetooth headphones.
Like dees ones.
I am planning a phone upgrade in the next couple of weeks. Almost certainly a windows 7 Samsung Focus. It integrates my Zune software with a smart phone ( I hope I'm smart enough to use it). Anyhoo, Microsoft say they aren't making Zunes anymore so I figure upgrade the memory on the phone and use it double duty music player and phone. I realize I'm not the first to come up with this idea. With the Bluetooth headphones shown above I can listen to music while running and make and receive calls as well.
My lovely wife loves the idea of being able to get a hold of me in case of emergency. I like that aspect as well but I have to admit part of me like the thought of being in my own head a bit without the interruption. It's a trade off accept the possibility of the unimportant interruption to be able to receive the important message.
Update on the Vibrams: I've worn them on 3 runs so far. Recapping- first run was a 2 miler on Wednesday. After this first run my calves were pretty sore. The second run was the following Sunday (much sooner than they recommend starting off) 2.25 miles. After the second run my calves were fine so the third run was 1 week exactly to the first. I ran 3 miles the following Wednesday (yesterday). Today my calves are fine everything's groovy. I intend to wear them for a 5k this Saturday.
I'll post on how that goes and family bday party we're having tonight.
I got an awesome Batman cake. It was homemade even better! Sorry bakery cakes can't compete flavor wise with a good homemade cake.
I also got a couple of great running related gifts. I will discuss them more later because I haven't been able to use them yet.
One is a Camelbak Mini Mule hydration pack. This one was hand picked by my good friends Dave and Jess. They are aware of my running and are accustomed to the insane summer heat and humidity in Arkansas so this is the perfect gift. Besides the hydration bladder it also has enough room for cellphone, gels, a small camera, cash or whatever. It even has the front chest strap for comfort. As next January rolls around and I'm looking at 20 mile runs I think this might be my new best friend. Sunday is my actual birthday so I'm going to run 9 miles on the 39th birthday. I'm looking forward to trying the pack out.
The other amazingly thoughtful gift was a pair of Motorola SD-10 bluetooth headphones.
I am planning a phone upgrade in the next couple of weeks. Almost certainly a windows 7 Samsung Focus. It integrates my Zune software with a smart phone ( I hope I'm smart enough to use it). Anyhoo, Microsoft say they aren't making Zunes anymore so I figure upgrade the memory on the phone and use it double duty music player and phone. I realize I'm not the first to come up with this idea. With the Bluetooth headphones shown above I can listen to music while running and make and receive calls as well.
My lovely wife loves the idea of being able to get a hold of me in case of emergency. I like that aspect as well but I have to admit part of me like the thought of being in my own head a bit without the interruption. It's a trade off accept the possibility of the unimportant interruption to be able to receive the important message.
Update on the Vibrams: I've worn them on 3 runs so far. Recapping- first run was a 2 miler on Wednesday. After this first run my calves were pretty sore. The second run was the following Sunday (much sooner than they recommend starting off) 2.25 miles. After the second run my calves were fine so the third run was 1 week exactly to the first. I ran 3 miles the following Wednesday (yesterday). Today my calves are fine everything's groovy. I intend to wear them for a 5k this Saturday.
I'll post on how that goes and family bday party we're having tonight.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Are you looking at my monkey... feet?
Happy (early) Birthday to me! It's early but I got my birthday present from my lovely wife and daughter last night. I got just what I tried on at a local store and then ordered from the ol' interweb. A pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes.
As a disclaimer, I always try to order from local companies. I believe in supporting the community even if it costs a couple extra dollars. In this case, none of the local retailers had the style I wanted so I had to confirm proper sizing in the store and then I ordered online.
That said, my lovely wife and daughter hate them, but they're what I wanted so I got them anyway. Thank you girls.
What are Five Finger Shoes?
I'm glad you asked. Here's a picture.
Fit your foot like a glove. The idea is we were made to not wear shoes and this is as much like bare foot as you can get but still protect your feet. This model in particular is made fro running.
They make me look like this...
Obviously, I don't obsess about my appearance.
I did a lot of research before buying these shoes. How to run in them etc. All the books say start slowly and gradually add distance. They say use the 10% rule. No more than 10% of your weekly mileage should be run initially. For me, that's 2 miles.
I was so excited I got up and did a 2 miler on my usual day off just to try them out. It seemed to be a big success. We'll see tomorrow I guess.
The usual problems people encounter are foot problems (too much reliance on cushy shoes), Achilles tendon problems (it natually shortens because of heeled shoes) and calf soreness ( back to the cushy shoes). Several months ago I changed my stride because of achilles tendon and hip flexor issues I went from the typical running shoe heel striker to a more mid-foot strike. Because of that change the Vibram were not much of an issue with the footstrike and while I have some calf tighness my foot and ankle feel fine.
If I can walk tomorrow I'll do another 2 miler with them Sunday.
I can say that my average pace was up a good bit. I don't know if it was because I felt like I was running in socks or just the general feeling of freedom. I was like the return to a simpler time when I was a kid and went barefoot all the time playing in the yard. It felt good.
I know I won't wear these for every run. My wife my not let me wear them in her presence. So far though no buyer's remorse.
UPDATE: The day after using the new shoes my calves are really tight and kind of sore. Still no buyers remorse but I'm glad I took the advice to go easy.
As a disclaimer, I always try to order from local companies. I believe in supporting the community even if it costs a couple extra dollars. In this case, none of the local retailers had the style I wanted so I had to confirm proper sizing in the store and then I ordered online.
That said, my lovely wife and daughter hate them, but they're what I wanted so I got them anyway. Thank you girls.
What are Five Finger Shoes?
I'm glad you asked. Here's a picture.
They make me look like this...
I did a lot of research before buying these shoes. How to run in them etc. All the books say start slowly and gradually add distance. They say use the 10% rule. No more than 10% of your weekly mileage should be run initially. For me, that's 2 miles.
I was so excited I got up and did a 2 miler on my usual day off just to try them out. It seemed to be a big success. We'll see tomorrow I guess.
The usual problems people encounter are foot problems (too much reliance on cushy shoes), Achilles tendon problems (it natually shortens because of heeled shoes) and calf soreness ( back to the cushy shoes). Several months ago I changed my stride because of achilles tendon and hip flexor issues I went from the typical running shoe heel striker to a more mid-foot strike. Because of that change the Vibram were not much of an issue with the footstrike and while I have some calf tighness my foot and ankle feel fine.
If I can walk tomorrow I'll do another 2 miler with them Sunday.
I can say that my average pace was up a good bit. I don't know if it was because I felt like I was running in socks or just the general feeling of freedom. I was like the return to a simpler time when I was a kid and went barefoot all the time playing in the yard. It felt good.
I know I won't wear these for every run. My wife my not let me wear them in her presence. So far though no buyer's remorse.
UPDATE: The day after using the new shoes my calves are really tight and kind of sore. Still no buyers remorse but I'm glad I took the advice to go easy.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The time is now
So...
The Little Rock Marathon has come and gone.
When I started this I said that I was shooting for around 2:15. I threw that out the window after injury and illness and told myself "just finish with out having to walk" and it's a success.
I have 0 experience with races. One 5k is all I've ever run so I have no clue or strategy. Anyone surprised?
I did try to keep in mind one phrase I read somewhere "you can't bank miles." It means you can't win the race in the first miles. You win it in the end so save gas for the end.
Fortunately my friend Special K and 2 of her friends were running so I had good company to chill with ( see what I did there?).
It was cold.
I was expecting a temp of about 50 degrees. Instead I get 38 with a windchill of 32. No problem it's what I trained in. However, I did not do a good job of stretching beforehand so my left shin burned for the first 2-3 miles. It finally worked out but I really though it was going to be a looooong day.
I started the race having to pee. That sucked. I thought I had that handled but an hour out in the cold proved otherwise.
At mile 2 this was most of the other guys. North Little Rock you can thank me for not marking my territory. I did lose 5 minutes around mile 4.5 waiting on a port a potty.
After reliving myself I was relieved (see what I did there?) to find I felt good. Mile 5 hit and I felt good. Mile 7, halfway there, still good. 8, 9 10? At mile 10 I literally got chills when I realized all I had left was a morning run. Just over 3 miles left and I felt great.
I was too conservative. So, I decide to leave it all on the road and start passing people, Never mind the fact that I'm screwed if I'm too tired to move afterwards. I have a 3/4 mile walk to the card and I'm all alone driving myself home.
I turn onto La Harp at the old Balch Oldsmobile building and I'm feeling great. I'm still passing people
One woman actually cheers me as I pass her. For that, I say to her thank you. Not many sports where that happens, it's nice. All us mere mortals are competing only with ourselves.
I finally see the finish line and break into a run. I can hear the announcer saying every body's name as they cross. Then I cross and... he mispronounces my name. No biggie, I'm used to it just gimme my medal!
The finish line was great someone ran up to me and put one of the astronaut silver foil blankets on me. They put a medal around my neck. I got my picture taken. People are holding out food to me. I'm special!
It was somewhere in the haze of bananas, Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls, beer and chocolate milk I realized I was soaking wet and freezing my a$$ off. The astronaut blanket is for $#/T!
The astronaut blanket is a silver freakin trash bag. I was so disappointed. I very quickly realized I was not so steady on my feet. My legs had been running for 2 hours straight and didn't quite grasp that they could do other things. Standing, walking it all took concentration. I waited for Special K for as long as I could stand it (i waited1 banana, 1 swiss roll, 1 milk and 2 beer if you are wondering) and had to bail.
My time was 2:10:56 under my goal but not my best. Got a medal anyway.
I have a 5K in mind for the day before my 39th birthday and another half marathon in line for October. This time I want under 2 hours. The full marathon next March is coming soon. So is 40.
If you want to see my dramatic finish you can go to the link below and watch. I'm the dashing fellow in all black with the white hat (that's how you can tell I'm one of the good guys). I come in at the top at around 13 seconds into the video.
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event_video.asp?EVENTID=75437&BIB=4593
The Little Rock Marathon has come and gone.
When I started this I said that I was shooting for around 2:15. I threw that out the window after injury and illness and told myself "just finish with out having to walk" and it's a success.
I have 0 experience with races. One 5k is all I've ever run so I have no clue or strategy. Anyone surprised?
I did try to keep in mind one phrase I read somewhere "you can't bank miles." It means you can't win the race in the first miles. You win it in the end so save gas for the end.
Fortunately my friend Special K and 2 of her friends were running so I had good company to chill with ( see what I did there?).
It was cold.
I was expecting a temp of about 50 degrees. Instead I get 38 with a windchill of 32. No problem it's what I trained in. However, I did not do a good job of stretching beforehand so my left shin burned for the first 2-3 miles. It finally worked out but I really though it was going to be a looooong day.
I started the race having to pee. That sucked. I thought I had that handled but an hour out in the cold proved otherwise.
After reliving myself I was relieved (see what I did there?) to find I felt good. Mile 5 hit and I felt good. Mile 7, halfway there, still good. 8, 9 10? At mile 10 I literally got chills when I realized all I had left was a morning run. Just over 3 miles left and I felt great.
I was too conservative. So, I decide to leave it all on the road and start passing people, Never mind the fact that I'm screwed if I'm too tired to move afterwards. I have a 3/4 mile walk to the card and I'm all alone driving myself home.
I turn onto La Harp at the old Balch Oldsmobile building and I'm feeling great. I'm still passing people
One woman actually cheers me as I pass her. For that, I say to her thank you. Not many sports where that happens, it's nice. All us mere mortals are competing only with ourselves.
I finally see the finish line and break into a run. I can hear the announcer saying every body's name as they cross. Then I cross and... he mispronounces my name. No biggie, I'm used to it just gimme my medal!
The finish line was great someone ran up to me and put one of the astronaut silver foil blankets on me. They put a medal around my neck. I got my picture taken. People are holding out food to me. I'm special!
It was somewhere in the haze of bananas, Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls, beer and chocolate milk I realized I was soaking wet and freezing my a$$ off. The astronaut blanket is for $#/T!
The astronaut blanket is a silver freakin trash bag. I was so disappointed. I very quickly realized I was not so steady on my feet. My legs had been running for 2 hours straight and didn't quite grasp that they could do other things. Standing, walking it all took concentration. I waited for Special K for as long as I could stand it (i waited1 banana, 1 swiss roll, 1 milk and 2 beer if you are wondering) and had to bail.
My time was 2:10:56 under my goal but not my best. Got a medal anyway.
I have a 5K in mind for the day before my 39th birthday and another half marathon in line for October. This time I want under 2 hours. The full marathon next March is coming soon. So is 40.
If you want to see my dramatic finish you can go to the link below and watch. I'm the dashing fellow in all black with the white hat (that's how you can tell I'm one of the good guys). I come in at the top at around 13 seconds into the video.
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event_video.asp?EVENTID=75437&BIB=4593
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Gods Must Be Angry
It's been a while since I posted and there's lots to update.
So the leg thing worked itself out with lots of stretching, time and flexoril but, I missed several days of much needed runs.
Then came the flu or whatever it was. Thursday to Tuesday with 103+ degree fever and all the coughing and joy that goes with it. Right in the peak of training. No 12 mile run.
I went to the Dr and got my brain swabbed. They call it a flu test. Turns out it's not the flu he doesn't know what it is wrong with me so... Amoxicillin it is! After a week of horse pills I got well enough to run and then the leg acts up again. 2 weeks from the race and the longest run I've got is a 10.5 mile. At this point I'm not sure the leg will hold up for 13.1 or that I have the endurance to run the whole thing if the leg doesn't go out. Nothing against the run/ walkers but I wanted to run the whole thing!
I'm pretty much following the taper plan. Pretty much. Business trip to Vegas means running schedule is okay in fact I'm running more because of the time difference. Diet is FUBAR. Not watching what I eat so I probably gained 5 pounds.
I'm consoling myself with the fact that this is just the first step and my actual goal is the full marathon 1 year away. This race is as much a trial run as anything else. A building block. By the way that's not me in the picture.
So the leg thing worked itself out with lots of stretching, time and flexoril but, I missed several days of much needed runs.
Then came the flu or whatever it was. Thursday to Tuesday with 103+ degree fever and all the coughing and joy that goes with it. Right in the peak of training. No 12 mile run.
I went to the Dr and got my brain swabbed. They call it a flu test. Turns out it's not the flu he doesn't know what it is wrong with me so... Amoxicillin it is! After a week of horse pills I got well enough to run and then the leg acts up again. 2 weeks from the race and the longest run I've got is a 10.5 mile. At this point I'm not sure the leg will hold up for 13.1 or that I have the endurance to run the whole thing if the leg doesn't go out. Nothing against the run/ walkers but I wanted to run the whole thing!
I'm pretty much following the taper plan. Pretty much. Business trip to Vegas means running schedule is okay in fact I'm running more because of the time difference. Diet is FUBAR. Not watching what I eat so I probably gained 5 pounds.
I'm consoling myself with the fact that this is just the first step and my actual goal is the full marathon 1 year away. This race is as much a trial run as anything else. A building block. By the way that's not me in the picture.
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I've been thinking a lot lately about a song released in 1988, on the album Hot Water by Jimmy Buffett, called "That's What Liv...
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I've been thinking a lot lately about a song released in 1988, on the album Hot Water by Jimmy Buffett, called "That's What Liv... -
Last night was a tough night for west Arkansas. The weather people got one right as tornadoes blew through Arkansas. It was a tense evening ...
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So... The Little Rock Marathon has come and gone. When I started this I said that I was shooting for around 2:15. I threw that out the ...