RoadID

A few weeks ago I bought a RoadID. I thought I'd give it a quick plug as it is a pretty good idea especially as one begins to run longer distances. If you don't know, RoadID is nothing more than a bracelet that lists the names and numbers of folks who can be called if you happen to keel over while you're running. I've been wearing mine religiously since I've started the longer distances. I have Steph's number, my dad's, and my father-in law's. It is pretty comfortable, and after you get used to it, you don't even know it is there.

I ran 4 miles today. It felt great. Nothing big to mention other than it was fun. On Saturday, I run 14 miles. Then it is off to the WVU Football game with friends. I can't believe that I'm getting ready to run 14 miles. I think if I successfully finish, I'll feel like I can really finish the marathon.

Here's to my half-marathon + .9 !!!

Weight:160lbs
Exercise:Running 4 miles
Weather:72 degrees, cool.

Running is so fun!!!!

I left this morning for my run hoping it would be a good one. Monday's was so-so. As such, I was praying that today's would be good. Like Tony the Tiger says, it was GREAT!!!! I did 6 miles today in the nice, cool early morning fog. And, even more exciting, was that I lost myself in the run. I love it when that happens.

My marathon training book talks about this thing called "flow". They claim that athletes can get into this vibe where everything seems to go right with their exercise. They call it flow. I think I've had that a few times and I really like it. It is like I'm not even exercising. I think I had that again this morning.

One of the things I haven't mentioned in a while is Steph's running odyssey. She has been diligently working her way up to running most days of the week. I can't tell you how happy I am about that. She runs close to three miles a day most days of the week. On top of that, she also walks the dog every day. I'm not one for walking our dog as she sniffs at everything and I don't have much patience with her when it comes to that. She also poops at the most inopportune times when she is with me. So, Steph is the good parent.

Anyway, here's to Steph's running!!!

Weight: 160 lbs
Exercise: Running 6 miles
Weather: Foggy, cool 72 degrees.

Back in the saddle again....

Man, what a busy weekend. So you know about my debacle on Saturday. That had to be the worst I've felt in a while. Nonetheless, I think I'm finally all the way recovered. I did 4 miles today and it felt pretty good.

More importantly, I am a Certified Open Water Diver. WOOHOO!!!!!! That means that I can dive up to 60 feet anywhere in the world. We did all of our final dives at the Youghiogheny River Dam and man it was so cool. On Saturday, we did some surface skills and underwater skills similar to what we had done in the pool. Then we had a underwater tour of the lake. We didn't get much deeper than about 25 feet or so. However, I did recover an artifact from the bottom of the lake. It's of the modern period, apparently used by homo sapiens.....possibly even homo sapiens infants.

Uhmm.....*ahem*.....it is a little cup kids play with at the beach. Not very exciting, but it was still pretty cool to find something. I was the only one who found something so I took it as a sign that I'm supposed to be diving in wrecks because I can recover things....yeah I know...shut up.

On Sunday, we did some more skills, both surface and underwater, and then we had another trip along the bottom of the lake. This time, however, we went about 45 feet deep. Until you go that far under the water, you really don't know what cold and dark really mean. We had some light but it was still pretty dark and it felt really cold. Nothing spells panic like cold and dark under 45 feet of water. Anyway, it was exhilarating. I really enjoyed it and am even more excited about my additional upcoming SCUBA courses. In two weeks, I'll be taking the Advanced Open Water Diver course where I get to do a deep dive and a night dive. The deep dive goes down to 100 feet. I can't wait. Later in September, I will also be taking the Rescue Diver course. After that, and a few more dives, I'll be a Master Scuba Diver.

I'll also be purchasing my own regulator this month as I really hate using the ones that everyone else uses in the classes.

Because of my marathon training and the fact that SCUBA is slowly taking over my life, I've decided against Fencing. It is just too much I think.

Anyway, here's to a great week running. My schedule is 4-6-4-14.

Weight: 161lbs
Exercise:Running 4 miles
Weather: Cool 70 degrees.

Worst Training Day Ever (12 miles)

Some of you may not know, but I am, in reality, Batman. So, what does Batman do when he has 5 hours of SCUBA to do on his long run day? Well he moves his long run to the afternoon so he can get his SCUBA in. And, being Batman, he doesn't care that the temperature this afternoon was somewhere around 93 degrees, with a heat index over 100. He also doesn't care that his SCUBA instructor told him that the nitrogen will make him very tired.

Well, Batman learned his limit today. Ugh!!! I got up about 6:00am this morning so I could get to the lake in time for our SCUBA. I'll fill you in tomorrow how SCUBA went as there is way too much to tell you and I'm dead tired right now. I left the lake around 1pm or so. Came home, ate a Subway sub and then tried to get a little nap before heading out to do my run at 5:00pm. I got to the trail and ran the first 6 miles. After that, I had to alternate running and walking. It stunk. This is the first run that I've had so far in the training where I had to walk. With the walking, I ended up finishing the 12 miles in about 2 1/2 hours. I'm pretty happy with that considering how much walking I did.

So what did I learn?

1. Don't SCUBA and do a long run on the same day.
2. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS run in the morning.
3. Batman is human.

Weight: 160lbs
Exercise:Running 6 miles, Running/walking 6 miles
Weather: HOT!!!!!!!!!!

Why do I run?

Last week I was planning a post on motivation and simply ran out of time. So I decided to do it this week. Actually, this post is not so much about motivation as it is about what motivates me to run. Rob, over at Running To Lose, posted a couple of weeks ago about this idea of Inner Defiance. And, I have to say, this is a part of what motivates me to keep running, but it doesn't really hit on what gets me out the door. Inner defiance keeps me going once I'm running, but what motivates to run is different. For me, why I run is almost a completely external thing. That is, I run because something outside myself makes me.

So what does that mean? It's a little hard to explain. The reasons I have for running are not because of anything it does for me. Don't get me wrong, I really like the feelings I get from running. I love the physical benefits. But what gets me out the door is something outside of me. I run because I feel like if I don't, I can't take care of those close to me. How did I get that idea? It's a little bit of a story, but here goes.

My father died of cancer (melanoma) when I was two. My mother died of cancer (esophageal) last year. I was 32. My mother's death was a very long and horrible process for her and for our family. For most of my life, she raised me by herself. She put herself through college and worked a full-time job while raising a very obnoxious little boy. I used to wonder why she did it. Why go to school and work at the same time? Why go through all that? Why not just work and be done with it? It seems that so many people just quit when obstacles like that face them. So why did she do it? I used to wonder that, until one day, I got the courage to ask her. She told me that she did it for me. When she said that, it floored me. She did it for me? Huh? If she hadn't told me, I would have said that she did it to better herself. To be a better person. But, she told me the reason she got up at 5am and got home around 8 or 9pm every weekday was so that I could have a better life.

And, because of her, I did. Because she went to school, she was able to get a better paying job which then enabled her to work different hours, which allowed her to spend more time raising me. And, it allowed us to purchase and do things we could not do before. We went on vacations, we had new clothes instead of hand-me-downs, we could eat out every now and then. You get the idea. She did what she did because of me.

Late last year, soon after my mom's death, Steph and I went hiking at Cooper's Rock. Cooper's Rock is a nice area with tons of great trails. We hiked this one particular trail that was a tough one. Very steep, lots of rocks and things to make the hike hazardous. As we were walking, Steph was having difficulty keeping her balance because of the condition of the trail. I was have trouble too. As we were walking, I kept thinking about something bad happening. What if she fell and hurt herself? What if she broke a leg? What if she sprained an ankle? How would we get back? I guess I should say that I was in horrible shape. I weighed 230lbs and hadn't exercised in I couldn't tell you how long. Given that, its not like I could have run back to the trailhead and summoned help. So, I decided right then and there that if I ever expected to be a good husband and save my wife should anything bad ever happen to her, I would need to get in shape. Kind of corny, I know. But, like my mom who worked very hard for me, I began to run because of my wife.

What has happened is that now, I run for more than just my wife. I still run because I want to be able to take care of her, but it seems now that I also run because I can and other people can't. There are so many folks who cannot run because of physical disability. I figure if I have the ability to run while others cannot, then somehow I'm not wasting the gift of running that I have been given. I'm not taking for granted the ability to run. Last month, Steph and I were eating out at a restaurant near her dad's place. As we were eating, I noticed a young man who was leaving with his parents. They were paying the bill at the cash register and I noticed that the boy was blind. He was holding on to his dad's arm as he couldn't see. I felt pity. I know I'm not supposed to feel bad for disabled folks because we are always told that folks who are physically limited don't want our sympathy. I don't know that I believe that and I've never really been politically correct, but either way, I felt sad for him. I felt as though I shouldn't be wasting the abilities that I have.

I guess what I'm getting at is that what gets me on the road each morning is not my inner defiance, but the belief that there is something bigger than me that is served by my running. In my particular case, that bigger thing is my family and the idea that I have the ability to run. For you, it may be something entirely different. But, I think if you look hard enough and deep enough, you'll find that although you run because it feels good and because you are in better physical health, there is something else at work. Something bigger. In the end, it seems that we run for something larger than ourselves. It's almost as if we run for each other.

I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Love was out to get me
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all my dreams.

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.

I thought love was more or less a given thing,
Seems the more I gave the less I got.
What's the use in tryin'?
All you get is pain.
When I needed sunshine I got rain.

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.

Weight: 162lbs
Exercise: Running 4 miles
Weather: Humid, warm, 75 degrees.

Afternoon running stinks!!!

So I had to do my run in the afternoon today. Our fall semester started on Monday and today was the first day I had to teach. Today's first class was at 10am. I started with the intention of getting up extra early and doing my run this morning before class, but man I just couldn't get up. So, I decided to do my 6 miles this afternoon. Big mistake. It was in the mid 80s and humid. If there was one saving grace, it was the rain. It began to rain as I was finishing up so things cooled off a little. Anyway, I felt sluggish, but my time was decent.

Next week, I think I'm going to permanently alter my running schedule from M-T-Th-S to M-W-Th-S as that fits better with my teaching schedule.

Also, I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to Top 40 music. The first step is admitting I have a problem. So there you go. I like Top 40 music. I have to get it out there as Steph just found out about my addiction.

I feel like such a teeny-bopper.

Weight: 161 lbs
Exercise: Running 6 miles
Weather: Overcast. Hot and humid.

Weird People

Well this morning's run went well except for the weirdo on the rail-trail. For the last couple of runs there's been this guy on the trail who has been there every time I've been there. At first I didn't think much of it, but I run really early in the morning and one time he was sitting in his car playing a ukulele.....that's right a ukulele, in his car. He then got out of his car and started walking on the trail. This morning, I passed him going out on my run. He was coming back from his walk apparently. I say apparently because when I was coming back in, he was walking on the trail again like he was just starting. I should also say he doesn't look like the most stable person. Sooooo, we'll see if he is there again tomorrow. If he is, I may end up calling the cops.

Other than the freak, my run went great. 4 miles...no problem. Who would have thought I'd ever say that. I remember when I thought three miles was going to kill me. Anyway, I have 6 tomorrow morning.

Weight: 162lbs
Exercise: Running 4 miles
Weather: Rainy, cloudy 70 degrees

Moving on up to 12 miles

12 miles baby!!!! Woohoo!!! I was supposed to only run 11 miles, but I bumped it to 12. I'm increasing my mileage more than my plan tells me as my training only calls for 18 miles as my longest run and I want to bump it to 20 or 22 before my taper. I'm not sure that 18 is enough. Anyway, the run was great. The weather was spectacular. I love how I zone out during my longer runs. I completely don't realize that I'm running (of course this is easier when the weather is good). I've gotten to the point that the running feels like walking feels like.....I don't know if that makes sense, but when I run at a relaxed pace it is like I'm walking although I'm not anywhere close to walking. I guess I should pick it up if I'm feeling like that, but the run feels sooooo good when it feels like I'm walking. Having said that, I'm still sore at the end, but it is a good sore.

On a funny note, I actually finished my last 1.5 miles with a 5k that apparently had been set up and subsequently started while I was doing my miles. I was running along and all of a sudden all these folks with numbers on their chests started running towards me. They then passed me, turned around at the halfway point and began to lap me...as I got closer to the finish line of their race, there were all these folks cheering me on like I was running the 5k. Ha!!! So when I got to the corral, a woman asked me where my number was and I politely told her that I wasn't in their race :) Then some guy, who was with a bunch of people and thought he would be funny and impress his friends, came up to me and asked if I was little over prepared. I had my 4 bottle fuelbelt on, so he saw that and thought I was running the 5k. He was a real jerk about it. So I told him that I had just done 12 miles and asked how many he had done. He shut up pretty quickly.

Weight: 162 lbs
Exercise: Running 12 miles
Weather: Beautiful, 60 degrees.

SCUBA is over...what next?

My running today went well. We woke up this morning to thunder and lightning as well as horrendous rain. What great running weather!!!!! Although I waited for the lightning to stop, I did run in the rain. I've mentioned before how much I love running in the rain and this was no different. I can't say I like warming up or stretching while it is raining, but the running I definitely do. Anyway, everything went fine. On Saturday, I have 11 miles. Wish me luck!!!

Last night was the last night of SCUBA class. Since we were able to learn the remainder of our skills last night, we don't have another class period. The weekend after next (Aug 25-26), we have our open dives. If all goes well, I'll be certified after those dives.

So the question is, what's next? Well, as you know, I'm going to take the Advanced Open Water Diver course on the weekend of September 8. But, all that takes is one weekend. After that, I have to get some dives under my belt before I can progress to the next level.

So while I'm getting those dives, what will I do to occupy my time? Hmm.....are you ready? FENCING!!!!! Woohooo!!!! That's right, I'll be taking Fencing lessons. How cool will that be? Those classes start on September 5 and go to November 14. Soooooo, as I continue with my SCUBA, I'll be taking Fencing classes as well.

Here's to becoming a swordfighting, SCUBA diving runner :)




Weight: 163 lbs
Exercise: Running 4 miles
Weather: 75 degrees. Raining.

Break in the Weather

Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. He knows he must run faster than the slowest gazelle or he will starve. Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. He knows he must run faster than the fastest lion or he will be eaten. It doesn't matter if you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running!

What a beautiful day we had today. My run today was done in 60 degree weather and no humidity. Woohoo!!! It was great. It looks like the weather is going to begin to get cooler after this week (at least according to our idiot weather people). We'll see. I have little confidence in their ability.

I ran 5 miles this morning and I was a little sluggish. I didn't eat anything before the run, which is a big no no. But other than that it went fine.

Tomorrow is SCUBA. We have two more classes and then I'm certified. We have our final tomorrow and then some more swimming. Next week is nothing but swimming. Then, on the weekend, we go for our open-water dives which we do in a nearby lake. I have to figure out how to get my long run in and the open water dives on the same day...hmm....I may move my long run to Sunday.

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 5miles
Weather: Beautiful 60 degrees. No humidity.

Podrunner

Today's 4 miles went great. The weather was great and I felt good afterwards. I picked up the pace a little and came in just over 38 minutes. I'm pretty happy with that as I'm really quite scared about pushing myself too hard. The last time I pushed too hard, I did something to my soleus. I'm trying to do everything possible not to injure myself before the marathon. So far things have gone well and I don't want to ruin my streak by pushing too hard.

For the those who listen to music while you run, there is a podcast offered by a guy named DJ Steveboy. His podcast is called Podrunner and it is great. It is basically a podcast of running music that you can get through Itunes. It lasts about an hour and is mostly techno type stuff. He updates it weekly. I listened to it this morning and really enjoyed it.

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 4 miles
Weather: Cool 72 degrees

Here we go 10 miles, here we go!!!

Wow....I think I'm starting to feel like a runnner. I know, I know....I run, so therefore I am a runner. But man, 10 miles (it was actually 11 miles) really makes you feel like a runner :)

Anyway, the run went wonderfully. I think I have become the official spiderweb remover for the trail though. I must have run into every stinking spiderweb out there. Did you know that spiderwebs actually have a taste? Yep, I didn't think so either, but they do.

In terms of the gels I have to say, I'm not really impressed with any of them so far. The best tasting one has been the Clifshot. The gu actually tasted like crap (I got the plain variety). I didn't get to try the Sports Beans yet so I'm hoping they are good. Any advice on flavors? I'd like to try the gu again, so if you have a favorite, let me know. Also, let me know flavors on the others as well.

This week, my schedule is 4-5-4-11. I'm starting to increase my weekly mileage and I can't tell you how happy I am about that. For almost 4 weeks I was running 3 miles twice a week and I was really wanting to run more.

PS. Kudos to Rob at Run to Lose. I think I'm going to follow up on his post about motivation. He's hit the nail on the head and I'd like to expand a little (if he doesn't mind). So look for a post later this week.

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 11 miles
Weather: Beautiful. Cool 72 degrees.

Off to Harper's Ferry

Steph and I leave for Harper's Ferry today. Woohoo!! We'll be back on Sunday. Tomorrow, I'm running my 10-miler at the C&O Towpath near where we are staying. I can't wait. I bought some different types of gels to use this time. I'm going to experiement as I didn't like the PowerBar gel I had during last week's run. It was some kind of strawberry/banana concoction and it stunk. Anyway, I picked up a Gu, Clifshot, and Sport Beans. So we'll see how they work.

SCUBA was awesome (as always). We finally got to get in the deep pool. We learned a few new skills like buddy breathing and handling a tired diver on the surface. We also learned how to become neutrally bouyant. That is, we learned how to hover in the middle of the pool without touching the bottom or being above the surface. Then, we were cut loose to swim around. Ohh, I almost forgot. We got a quick lesson in night diving as the power went out as we were swimming. So imagine being underwater in pitch black....it was pretty cool :)

Anyway, I'll see you guys Sunday.

Weight: 163lbs
Exercise: None
Weather: Overcast, 75 degrees

Some brief thoughts on motivation

I have a much longer post planned for what motivates me to run, but I thought I pass along a few hints at what keeps me going while I'm running. The training plan I am following really highlights the idea of visualization and how that helps you run. I'm not talking about the new age crap that you see nowadays regarding The Secret and all that mess (and believe me I have a whole post on that subject as well). This is simply visualizing how you want to perform and then going out and performing that way. If you've ever played any kind of sports, you've done this before. Let's take golf for instance. When I'm up at the tee, I visualize how I want my shot to go. I picture the tee, my swing, the ball, etc. all in my head. Then I picture myself hitting a great shot. Similarly, before I run, I plan and visualize what my perfect run will be. I'm very specific down to what I'm wearing, how much I'm sweating, what my feet sound like when they hit the pavement, what the scenery is like, etc. Then I go out and run that run. While I'm running, if I start to get fatigued, I play back that perfect run in my head.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If it doesn't work, I do something else that's not visualization at all. It's more like peer pressure.

I picture something that other folks have gone through and survived. And then tell myself that if they can survive whatever it is they went through, then I can certainly run a few miles. I read a book not too long ago called The Warrior Elite. It is about the training process for Navy SEALs. These guys are perfect examples of what it takes to stay motivated. They endure some of the most horrible physical training around and yet they get through it. The run on stress fractures while battling pneumonia. They carry boats over their heads for miles, covered in sand, while walking on broken legs. What keeps them going? (you'll have to wait as that's for my other post on motivation). The point is that they get through it. I figure if those guys can do that stuff, I can run a few miles.

So, I do it.

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 3 miles
Weather: 75 degrees low humidity

8 miles is great!!!

So I did my 8-miler on Saturday and it was awesome. My father-in-law (you know the guy who made some of those music recommendations from the 1970's that...uhmm....no one listens to anymore) planned a great 8.5 mile route for me in Hopewell, VA. I used a gel from PowerBar that I wasn't too impressed with, and then hydrated using all four of my fuelbelt bottles. With that combination, I ran for close to 9 miles without losing any energy at all. I felt great afterwards and I have to really thank my father-in-law for taking the time to map out the route for me. I really appreciate it. It's amazing how many people help you run a marathon...although it may be me out on the course, I never run alone.

I did 3 miles yesterday and 5 miles today. The 5 miler today was a great run, but man the weather was awful. It was 75 degrees with like 80% humidity. I thought I would die. In fact, since I started training for the marathon, this is the hottest I've been. Blech!!!

On Thursday I'll run 3 again and then I have 10 miles on Saturday. My wife and I are going to Harper's Ferry for our anniversary so I'll be running there. The owner of the Jackson Rose bed and breakfast we are staying at is a runner and she has agreed to give me a route to run. I, again, can't wait.

Tomorrow is SCUBA!!! Woohoo!!!

PS. It is nice to be back home :)

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 8 miles Sat, Running 3 miles Monday, Running 5 miles today.
Weather: Weather today was horrible. 75 degrees, very high humidity.

I'm in love with Clif....

Clif Bars that is. They are energy bars and man, these things are awesome!!! I had my first one this morning for breakfast. I had a banana and a glass of OJ before I went for my run and then, after I was done, I tried me a tasty Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Clif Bar. Whoah!!!! This is almost like eating a pop-tart. If you haven't tried these things, please do yourself a favor and pick up some. If you have a Target store near you, you can find pretty good deals on them there.

My run went well. Three miles today...nothing major. I'm sticking with the morning runs as the weather is nice and it feels great to get the run in before the rest of the day starts. On Saturday, I have a long run of 8 miles. I will definitely be hydrating and I may even try me a gel as I figure I'll be running for like 80 minutes or so.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am headed to Richmond for the weekend and will be staying there and Charlottesville until the beginning of next week, so I probably won't be blogging until I get back home (probably Wednesday).

SCUBA again was awesome. We practiced some more skills (mostly emergency skills) and I aced my quiz again. We learned how to swim without our mask while still breathing through the regulator. In addition, we learned to remove our mask, breathe through our regulator without it and then replace the mask and clear. Then we put those two together: removed our mask swam the length of the pool while breathing through the regulator and then placing the mask back on and clearing it...all underwater. Woohoo!!! Oh, we also had to swim the length of the pool while alternating our regulator with our snorkel. Next week, we get in the deep pool and I can't wait.

See you guys next Wednesday!!

Weight: 164lbs
Exercise: Running 3 miles
Weather: Nice and cool. 72 degrees.