Periodical Ramblings

Spring Training

2012-02-05T09:41:00.001-06:00

As mentioned previously, I would post a pic or two of our new daughter, Sophie. As of today, she is about three and a half months old and has her dad wrapped around her little fingers. I'm a sucker for my baby girl! Maybe she'll be my trail running princess someday. (!)

Running is coming back into form for me but still is not as consistent as I would like. I'm working new hours at work and my sleep schedule has changed as well as our whole family's routine. I'm able to get in about three days per week right now, hope to get that up to at least 4, then 5 days/week over the next month.

I've signed up for my first race since October, and it is nothing to sneeze at either. I've never raced the 25k distance before and I thought the Jack Rector Beacon run at Lake Hefner on March 10 would be a good place to start. It will also be billed as the Oklahoma state championship race for the distance. I would like to see how I measure up to others in this run.

The next large event on the list is a possibility of being a pacer at the OKC Memorial Marathon in April. With these two events looming, I need to find some extra motivation to get out and run more frequently.
Looking further down the road, I'd like to hit another ultra in the fall. My first 50 last July was a great lesson and I learned a lot from it. I learned that running that far in heat requires steep dividends in energy, I should have had a pair of shoes a half size too big (swelling) and that I loved every minute of it, especially the not so great moments and can't wait to do it again. I'd like to see how my body does in cooler temps during the fall season.

Still Here

2012-01-12T08:02:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since the last post. Yes I know this. I last posted a race report back in September 2011 and it is now January of 2012. A lot has happened since September. I ran another 10k for the year on October 1st (won't get into a race report about that, suffice to say, ran hard, pushed hard finished well. See results to the right of the screen). Most notable of happenings this fall was the birth of our second child, Sophie. She was born October 19th at about 7:55am.
Perhaps at a later date I'll post some pics, but you can see plenty of pictures on my facebook page (that is, if your already "friends" with me).

Running lately has been maintenance at best. I'm realizing two kids is better than one, but also more work. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything and I can only look forward to what the future has in store. I think One Republic says it best- "this is gonna be a good life."

More updates to come.

Swazi 5k

2011-09-18T10:15:00.003-05:00

The Swazi 5k is a race put on by my church to raise funds for the Swaziland Partnership, a mission of sorts. I signed up for the race entirely in support of the cause and thought it would be a good opportunity to shoot for a 5k PR.
The few weeks leading up to race day were fairly unproductive from a training standpoint. I've been learning some new duties/responsibilities at work and most of that has been taking my time. Running has sort of taken a back seat as of late.
Going into this race I knew I wasn't trained to run a PR so I just went into this with a fun run mentality and decided to just do my best.
The gun went off and I stuck with a small group of guys that were running a pretty decent clip from the beginning. I could feel my body taxing itself as I hadn't run this hard in quite some time. The lungs were burning a bit and the legs felt like they were filling up with concrete but I managed to press on.
Skipping ahead to the final two turns, about a quarter mile from the finish, I looked at my watch and notice the time was ticking over to 13 minutes. This wasn't possible. I knew I started my watch when the gun went off and so I was somewhat perplexed.
I slogged through the finish in about 14 minutes and 23 seconds but I knew this wasn't right. My best 5k so far has been a time of 20:22 and that was with training and feeling good.
It hit me pretty quick that a wrong turn was made or a turn was not taken because the guy that was way out in front of the whole field, following the motorcycle police officer pacing the leader came in after me.
It was fun, what little part of the 5k I did complete but it was discouraging that course Marshall's or whoever was responsible for making sure we ran the right course failed. I'm not mad at anyone in the race committee or the volunteers but I simply wish more attention to runners was paid.
Hopefully, the Geico Race for Freedom 10k on Oct. 1st will be a better race.

Midnight Madness 50 Race Report

2011-07-09T08:57:00.001-05:00

My first 50 mile race is now in the books. This was certainly the toughest run I've ever been through in the sense that multiple times I felt like just sitting down and saying no more but with the help and council of my two crew members/pacers, Mike and Clint, I was able to find the resolve to keep moving forward and finish.

Pre-race meeting, minutes before the start.

We got to the park where the start/finish line is located around 9:30 pm. We got some gear unloaded, got a tent set up and Clint and Mike headed out to grab some food and a few more supplies while I stayed back to relax as much as possible.
There was really nothing going through my mind during this quite time other than thinking how warm it still was and how warm it would remain through the night. I tried to not think about the actual running part for fear I might start stressing myself out. I kept telling myself, its just running but walking is also acceptable. Just get it done.

Around 11 pm I changed into my running shorts and shirt and slipped on my CEP calf compression sleeves. I got my packet picked up from the booth and prepared my bib number, got a bottle full of water and continued to wait. By this time Clint and Mike had made it back from their errands which helped the last half hour or so before the race meeting go by quickly.

At 11:45, runners were summoned to the start line for the mandatory pre-race announcements and last minute instructions. This was a bit of a pain because it seemed like the longest 15 minutes of the entire night yet I know how important these things are for race directors and participants alike. But finally, the one minute countdown began and what seemed like only 20 seconds later, the horn blew and we were off.

Lap One

From the very start, I employed a strategy of run for four minutes walk for one minute (4:1) ratio to conserve as much energy as possible without going too slow at the same time. I had tried this ratio a few times in training and it seemed to be a good balance. I did my best to relax during the first few miles and just concentrate on keeping my heart rate low, breathing under control and a steady intake of fluids. I tried to take in some of the sights of the night time views of the river, such as the downtown Tulsa skyline which was actually rather pretty on this particular night. The wind was calm which concerned me a little with not much breeze to keep our warm bodies cool. There was however a slight breeze off the river which felt great later into the night and remained steady during the day light hours.

Lap Two
I felt great after the first lap, bouncing into the start/finish area I was enthusiastically describing the one elevation change in the course profile which I think I called "bitchin." The elevation profile for the course is fairly flat, except, approximately between miles 5 and 7. Starting from about mile 5.5, you make a cut east onto the famed Turkey Mountain ("Tulsa's playground" as they call it) and begin climbing on the mountain's west side. In about a half mile you gain approximately 120 or so feet with grades well in to the teens on the steepest parts. At the top of this climb is the loop's second large aid station where some familiar faces from the OTRA club in Oklahoma City were logging some volunteer hours. Upon leaving the aid station you get to go down a long gradual incline that takes you past the 7 mile mark. On this second lap however, and the course alternating direction each lap, I had the pleasure of going the reverse direction; climbing the long gradual gradient and having a good time keeping my quads in check going down the steep parts on the west side.
I cruised comfortably into the start finish area to complete lap two and my legs felt as they do at the end of any 20 mile run: tired.

Lap 3

I picked up Clint for the third lap and we resumed by 4:1 strategy. It was still dark out but about the time we made it to the OTRA aid station on Turkey Mountain, dawn was beginning to break. Fatigue was also beginning to mount and take its toll and reducing some of the wind in my sails along with it. I really began to doubt myself around mile seven as Clint and I were starting a "light pole interval" game.

I had reduced myself to running between one or two light poles and walking between one or two and alternating that for the remainder of the lap. I began to become highly self aware of things too: The twinge in my knee that seemed to shoot pain down my leg with every step. The pain in my swelling toes as they were being pushed farther into the toe box of my shoes. The soreness coming from the entire bottom of my right foot.
The morning light was not making matters any easier either. With the light of the day I could see the entirety of the loop I was about to complete for the third time and comprehending the distance of 50 miles really started to embed itself into my mind. I was looking across the river at a point I had been about an hour and a half prior and thinking I would cross that point two more times before this run was finished. I really didn't think I could do it.

I began thinking of the things I would tell people, reasons why I couldn't finish. Around the ninth mile of the third lap all these thoughts in my mind was enough to make my eyes well up and push me to the brink of tears. Luckily a short time later I was able to see the start/finish area which lifted my spirits a little but I was still seriously considering a DNF. I sat in an ice bath for a few minutes, went to our tent, drank some protein and ate and discussed the situation with my crew mates. Mike brought up a good point, "you've gone to far to quit now" he said. He was fucking right. I stood up, Mike was already in his running clothes ready for his lap four pace duties and at the very least I couldn't disappoint him since he came all this way to get in his run for the day. The ice bath helped, my feet felt better but not good. We moved forward.

Lap 4

On the fourth lap, Mike provided some much needed comic relief. The River Parks trail system in Tulsa is very similar to the Hefner Trails that circumnavigate our beloved Lake Hefner... except much nicer. There also seems to be a much larger active/athletic community in the Tulsa area based simply on my observations of the sheer number of people that were out for their morning jogs and/or bike rides. Several groups of people we saw, anything from Team in Training groups running their summer training schedules to pro cycling teams cruising down Riverside Drive on their way out to the country side for their Saturday morning long training rides. This was a fitness mecca, with endorphins ricocheting off everything in sight. It was the perfect place to be for sarcastic pot shots at weekend warriors.

We overheard the usual topics, things we are all familiar with as athletes that run in herds. We heard the knee excuse probably several times but I recall one as a guy passing was explaining to his comrades why he was unable to run more than a few miles at a time. Introduce someone new to a sport and almost instantly they seem to transform into a physiology expert when you put groups of athletes together. There is always at least one in every pack. We overheard a man explaining muscle function like a dissertation to two other running partners that could have looked less interested.

We got hoots and hollers from some passers by that knew what the few of us wearing race numbers were up to. Some earnest words of encouragement came from some of the Team in Training folks as they were stopped, taking nice long draws of water while they were resting at the half way points of their four mile runs for the day. I thought it was quite funny as Mike and I were working on our 34th mile.

As the lap wore on and we weeded our way through to the thinner areas of people, I was reduced further to simply walking and running when I felt like it. We took our time up the long gradual hill that led to the OTRA aid station and gingerly made our way down the west side of the mountain on the steep sections. My quads were protesting this descent as the cost of 36 miles was mounting. Mike kept me distracted though, in his never ending search for a girlfriend, we examined possible prospects along the way, discussing pros and cons of each subject as they passed and subsequently deciding these specimens were sub par. The search will continue.

Mike on the right and I in the hat. End of lap 4.

We finally rolled into the start/finish area sometime prior to 10am, Mike having completed his jog-break-between-awesome-walking-workout. My folks were there which probably meant more to them than it did me but I was still happy they came. Another trip to the ice bath, reloading some fuel, changing shirts and it was off for the fifth and final lap.

Lap 5

By the time we rolled out for the fifth lap I could smell the finish - both literally and figuratively. I could smell it because I knew I only had one more lap to go, 10 more miles and I would be done. I could also smell it because it was literally a few hundred yards behind my back. Gotta love loop courses.

I started by walking first, and munching on some energy food I grabbed from the tent before heading out. After I finished my light snack, coach Clint immediately employed the "light pole intervals."

A coach is someone you need during a run like this. Someone that knows the boundaries between pushing and not pushing too far but still pushes. Clint is a coach by nature and trade. He comes from a family of coaches and is employed as one. Clint is also my regular running partner and knows me pretty well when it comes to logging miles on pavement. I couldn't have asked for a better pacer for the final lap. Special thanks to his wife for allowing him to participate in this. :-)

At times lap 5 felt more like a death march, and other times it felt like a simple regular morning jog. I went through several miniature highs and lows but I think euphoria had the upper hand as most of the lows were felt subconsciously. The sun was rising high and the temps were heating up. I was thankful we were only running and walking a few hundred feet at a time because I was afraid to run out of water between aid stations. I was drinking a lot, maintaining a steady fluid intake as I had been all night.

I could feel the sun bearing down on my skin. A side effect of doing most of your training in the pre-dawn hours of each morning is no gradual tanning to fare skinned individuals like me. Today, was burn day. Shit. I knew I forgot to apply sun-screen at the end of lap 4.

Clint and I headed to the finish.

Along the way I had figured my mom had been on the phone with people, because I started receiving text messages from uncles and cousins living out of state that of course had no idea prior to this day that I was running this race. It was a nice boost to get words of encouragement from them. I also was receiving messages from my wife who said she would be there at the finish along with our little boy.

Clint and I rounded the last turn on the southwest corner of the "rectangle" loop and headed north for the final two miles. By this point I wanted to run the whole way in but the legs would just not allow it. I was able to muster running a little farther than the two light pole intervals we had been doing for the previous two hours. It was hot, well into the 100s. It was after noon by this time and the sun was directly overhead. We kept drinking. We picked up some small bottles of water left out at an unmanned aid station and poured them on. It felt good to have some cold water running over a warm head and sweat soaked hat but it seemed to evaporate as quickly as it went on.

One mile left. I could once again smell the finish. The wind was blowing from the south, and we were heading north, so this smell was purely symbolic. I wanted to jump up and down but physically couldn't but I did so in my mind. This was it.

We came over a small hill and could see the finish through the trees. An ambulance was there taking a collapsed girl to the hospital for heat related injuries. Not good, but I hear she turned out okay (she did finish too). I came around the bend and saw my two year old son, ready to run the last few feet with me across the finish line. That was fun, but he hands down out ran me. That was sad.

My son racing me the last few feet to the line.

I crossed the line in 12 hours, 44 minutes and 32 seconds. Not world class but I did complete my third tier goal of finishing. Then it was a very swift walk to the ice bath.

Post Race

I decided to not even change out of my clothes but rather throw on a t-shirt to cover my shoulders and get in the car to head to my wife's relatives house where we had planned to stay for the 4th of July holiday. It was supposed to be a short trip to their home but apparently the fatigue and being awake for about 28 hours was too much and I promptly fell asleep. I woke up when we arrived at the house, my wife had stopped at McDonalds for lunch (that was the best damn burger too) we unloaded our stuff, I ate lunch, took a shower and hit the sack for about a 3 hour nap. We had a good couple of days in Tulsa, expected soreness in my legs and joints presented themselves in glorious fashion but I was already thinking of how cool the next 50 miler will be. Whenever that is.

As far as recovery, I was ready to run again on Tuesday, the 5th. I had even set my alarm to get up early to hit the gym for a brief jog on the treadmill and perhaps some spinning on a stationary bike. But this week I have opted to force myself to take a full week's recovery as some muscles still feel as though they need the extra few days. I should resume a regular routine again however next week. I'm looking forward to getting back to regular runs to help Clint in his training for an Iron distance triathlon coming up in September.

Overall I loved this race. Special thank you to Brian Hoover (RD) and all the volunteers who stayed up all night to make sure we had food and drink to get us runners through to our goals. I'm not positive that I would run this race again in the near future because of the time of year. I would much rather do this distance in the cool of fall or early spring. The heat is simply too taxing for me, but perhaps down the road I'll find myself once again toeing the line at the Midnight Madness 50.

Peak Week Two and the Corporate Challenge

2011-06-13T15:48:00.002-05:00

Corporate Challenge 10k

I'll get started with this week's summary by reporting the latest race I attended. This was my fourth year to participate in this multi company recreational competition and happens to be the 23rd year for this annual event.
Without spending too much time talking about details, I worsened my time compared to last year by 20 seconds. 2010's race produced a finishing time of 45:25; this year my finishing time came out at 45:45. I'd say that is pretty consistent from one year to the next and I was even having some issues with muscle cramping. I even stopped twice to massage and stretch the area. Working the previous night at the hospital probably contributed to and perhaps exacerbated my overall fatigue from training.
I was anything but rested for this year's race, having done a long 18 miler on Friday and working my monthly weekend at the hospital I literally got off work at 7:00 am and walked outside my hospital to the start line and the race kicked off at 7:30. That didn't leave much time to rest before the race but I went into this race knowing I'd be exhausted already. However looking at it from a training perspective, it was good prep for the 50 miler which will start at 11:59 pm on a Friday night and go well into Saturday morning-afternoon.
Overall I'm happy with the performance. I went into this race with a "training run" mentality so I'm not disappointed by not improving last year's time. The race is free to those that participate and so I was not out any money. It was a fun event and a good excuse to get in a hard run on a Sunday morning.

Peak Week Two

The race yesterday caps off a solid second week of peak phase in my training for my first 50 mile run. I fell just a couple miles shy of my overall goal of 55 miles for the week (53.8) partly because I decided to cut my 20 miler on Friday down by two miles and finish with 18. I am resting today, Monday and will resume tomorrow and kick it up a few more miles this week and attempt to finish this week with close to 60 miles. The long run this week I'd like to get around 30 miles but I'll be happy with 25 or so. At least that is my self expectation for this final week of hard training before moving into a taper.
I've expressed my feelings before but I can't say enough about how much I'm looking forward to this run and how stoked I am to have some buddies willing to sign on to help me accomplish this. I think it will be great times all around and should be an interesting night.

Peak Week One

2011-06-04T18:09:00.001-05:00

Peak phase started a week late. I'm by no means complaining because running plans are always secondary to anything that happens with family when situations like disaster strike.
The photo to the left was taken by me, standing in what used to be my old bedroom at my parent's house. The photo is looking to the south, where multiple homes would be in your field of view.
My parents reside in Piedmont, Oklahoma. Their one street neighborhood suffered a direct hit from one of the twisters that made national headlines on Tuesday, May 24th when Oklahoma experience a record book worthy tornado outbreak. Weather officials say the tornado that ravaged my parent's neighborhood was "at least" a category EF-4 tornado with an EF-5 being the most powerful. Looking at the photo, it is humbling to take a step back and marvel at the power of mother nature and realize we are helpless when she decides to flex her muscles. Not to mention show us what she can do with 250 mile per hour winds.
Luckily my parents weren't home at the time and even that was by chance. They knew bad weather was coming and were trying to get home to beat the storm but their niece convinced them to stay in town and get frozen yogurt which delayed them getting home about an hour later than they planned. They may not be here if it wasn't for that yogurt.
There was an incredible out-pouring of support from church friends and family members wanting to help. Even now, almost two weeks later the help is still coming and remains to be almost as overwhelming as the devastation itself.
My dad said it best in a newspaper interview: "Something like this happens and they call it an act of God. But the act of God is when complete strangers offer help to clean up, rebuild and move on." Well said.
As a result of the storm aftermath my wife and I kicked into support mode and spent most of the remainder of the week helping with clean up and recovery of valuables. I only got in one run, being 6 miles, that Tuesday morning.
This week routines have resumed for most but my parents. They are just beginning the long rebuilding process and finishing what has been a tedious recovery effort of salvageable material like pictures etc.
I was able to resume running this week and finished week one of peak phase today with a 20 mile training run. I'll rest tomorrow and be ready to start week two on Monday.
My week broke down like this:
Mon: 5
Tues: 10
Wed 5
Thu: 10
Fri: off
Sat: 20
Sun: off
The total came out to be 50.9 miles for the week. I'll shoot for 55 or so for week two and finish the peak phase on week three with about 60 miles. Then two weeks of taper instead of the three week taper I had originally planned.
I'm glad I had that extra week of wiggle room for the taper, I thought when I had planned out this training regimen back in March that I should allow an extra week in case I got behind for whatever reason at any time during the training plan. Eerie foresight but I could not have foreseen any of the events that took place on May 24.
But on a lighter note, things are rockin' and rollin' now. Less than a month to go before race night/day at the Midnight Madness 50 in Tulsa, OK!

Build Complete

2011-05-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

The "build phase" of training is now done. I finished off the nine week cycle with a well run 18 miler on Saturday and a slow but steady 6 miler this morning. Details are available under "my running log" link on the right side of this blog page or you can view by clicking here. My training is nothing special, I only invite anyone that might be interested for the sake of collaboration between runners. I also invite anyone that views my log to provide any training tips or suggestions if you have any!
As a summary, here is a breakdown of the last nine weeks mileage:
Week 1: 3/21-3/27: 27
Week 2: 3/28-4/3: 26
Week 3: 4/4-4/10: 31.3
Week 4: 4/11-4/17: 39.9
Week 5: 4/18-4/24: 31.4
Week 6: 4/25-5/1: 27.4
Week 7: 5/2-5/8: 31.5
Week 8: 5/9-5/15: 42.4
Week 9: 5/16-5/22: 43.3

I'm thankful I was able to finish the last two weeks in the 40s, with next week beginning the "peak phase" of training I'll aim for my weekly distances to be in the 50s. Some of the preceding weeks were somewhat hindered with having to work weekends at the hospital, but so goes life. I've had a pretty good training cycle so far and hope to keep it up. Six weeks to go before my first 50!

Dog Days

2011-05-19T07:42:00.000-05:00

Humidity has set in. The Oklahoma morning air over the last week or so has been thick and warm. I find this refreshing however. I said in a previous post how much I hated summers in Oklahoma because of the heat and humidity but training for my first 50 has changed my perspective. Humidity in my mind is no longer a thorn in my side but merely another element that warrants consideration to embrace, train for and rise above.
In my mountain bike racing days, I hated rocks. Rocks were my demise in races and Oklahoma has a handful of trails that feature very substantial, technical areas peppered with the kind of rocks that will thwart any seasoned rider's momentum. Even fewer trails in Oklahoma are seemingly all rocks, and you can bet the state racing series visited some of those trails.
A local pro said something to me though that forever changed my outlook on rocks. "Don't fight the rocks, embrace them. Use them to your advantage. Fighting them will only cause you to loose balance and momentum." Her words were simple, but I took her advice to heart and it worked. A month or two later I won the sport class XC race on Turkey Mountain in Tulsa- a course known for its rocks, separating those with a kind of zen in racing from those who, (for lack of a better phrase) fight the rocks.
I've come to the same terms with heat recently. I know it will be hot at my race in a few weeks. July in Oklahoma is always hot, or at least very humid. I've come to find myself wanting more heat to do my training runs in so that I may prepare for whats to come.
But I find myself at a sort of crossroads. I don't want to complain about it being "too cold" for May either. I love the weather we've had over the past week or so. Temps in the 40s in May? AWESOME! So I guess I'll just take what is dealt. It will get warm on a consistent basis soon enough. I suppose I should enjoy the cooler temps while I can. I think this summer will be a hot one.

Progressing

2011-05-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

The "build" phase of this 15 week training regimen is quickly winding down. I've been running consistently in the 30+ mile per week rage for the last 4-5 weeks With about 2.5 weeks left of the build phase, I will look to increase the weekly total to around 40 miles for the last week of the phase.
Around May 23rd or so will come the "peak" phase. I hope to throw in some interval training during this time to work on higher end performance of cardiovascular and muscular endurance and continue to increase my daily runs and weekend long runs and finish the third week of peaking with about 60 miles (including a 30 mile long run in there somewhere).
Finally, the taper which I've scheduled myself to allow about three weeks for. The key for the taper will to not let my miles come to an abrupt halt but rather a gradual decrease to only about a 10-15 mile week leading into race day. At least that is my plan. I allowed a three week taper just in case I need to use an extra week to get in a final long run if I miss it on the weekend I've scheduled for myself.
Having said all that, running in general seems to be rolling along smoothly and I couldn't ask for more. I have a couple more racing opportunities coming up; next week there will be a non-sanctioned fun race (no entry fee, no official timing etc.) down at the Clearbay Trails on the southern side of Lake Thunderbird near Norman, OK. I haven't been to CB since my bike racing days and I'm greatly looking forward to hitting some trail down there again. The next racing opportunity is scheduled for the second weekend in June at the annual Corporate Challenge that my work hosts every year. I'll be doing the 10k again but the race is on the same weekend I have scheduled my long run for. I'm not totally sure how I'll handle it, but I may get up super early and try to get in about 22-25 miles before the race and have over 30 miles for the day when its all said and done. But I'm pondering other options as well.

Training with Friends

2011-04-20T15:27:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post I will be running my first 50 mile ultra-marathon early this summer. I signed up for the Midnight Madness 50 mainly because it didn't require traveling out of state and also because it seems to be the type of course that would cater to first timers.
The race will be held overnight, starting July 1st at 11:59 pm and finishing at a cutoff time of 2 pm Saturday, July 2nd. I hope to be finished before noon on Saturday but of course I am not going to expect too much of myself for my first time. I do however want to try to be done before it gets too late in the day to avoid any health issues associated with Oklahoma's July heat.
Participants will do laps around a 10.3 mile loop around Tulsa's River Parks trail system that runs along the banks of the east and west sides of the Arkansas River. Scenery should be plentiful... that is, when the sun comes up.
I wrapped up my 4th week of training for this little jog this past Sunday, with a 13 mile easy paced run and so far things seem to be going well overall. What has really kept me motivated is running with a partner. My friend Clint and I have regularly been meeting in the early mornings for the staple Tuesday and Thursday jogs as well as longer runs on the weekend. We actually started running together last fall, around late November for Clint to prepare for his first full Marathon. After a short break he resumed running with me as I'm training for my first 50 (also agreeing to participate as crew and pacer for me) and he has his first full Iron distance triathlon to think about all summer.
Although I do most of my running solo (and I must say, solitary runs do bring some "zen" quality to my weekly routine), training with a partner can take a lot of the mental "work" of training away and leave you with simply some time to hang out with your friends while doing an activity you both enjoy. Sometime around December of '10 Clint brought along Kurt. Kurt (who also may assist with crew/pacer duties in my ultra) has joined us regularly for several months and is training for his first full Marathon scheduled for May 1st at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Having a third runner brings a whole new light to running. All of a sudden instead of a tandem you have a small group. A third person adds new dynamic to conversations, jokes and laughs which make the miles seem to coast by effortlessly.
Rising in the morning to a 4:15am alarm is much easier if you know someone is waiting on you. It's also comforting to know they too wouldn't necessarily be disappointed to sleep in an extra hour but there they are, ready to pound out 6-15 miles with you as you both work toward your own goals. Discomfort is easier handled in numbers I think. I'm not saying the discomfort goes away. Your legs still ache 10 miles into a run whether you're running solo or with 20 other people. But numbers give your mind something else to concentrate on. These aren't groundbreaking psychological principles here, just well established, simple facts that make work seem easier and in some cases, more enjoyable.
At the end of the run we all bump fists and say with half-ass gestures, something simple like "good run, bro." We all know we ran well but frankly there is a subtle yet mutual appreciation for that last comment of encouragement before we all go back to our homes and prepare for the remainder of our days. There is a shared sense of accomplishment, knowing you've finished a 16 mile run before 7am while the rest of the world sleeps on a Saturday morning.
We each go about the rest of our days, coming into contact with others in our daily routines that may have no idea what we did while they were still wrapped in their comforters and although we may not say it, we all share that slight glimmer of pride that goes with knowing what you do each morning as the rest of the world sleeps. If you run with a buddy or two you know what I'm talking about. It's not just fun, but an experience only shared when training with friends.

On Life and Running. An Update.

2011-03-27T08:34:00.002-05:00

Yes, yes. Before I start badgering myself on how long it has been since I posted any sort of update on this little blog I must say, the longer I wait in between posts, the more information I have to write about... Ergo, lots to talk about today.

First, the running (since this is a running oriented venue). I don't post often because there is simply not much to report as far as running is concerned. I've stayed consistent and that is about it. I've been able to run between 4-6 days per week for about the last 6 months or so, with modest mileage and even some longer runs in there while I was helping a good friend train for his first marathon. I had quite a solid running foundation by the end of January.
February was a different story. This year was a strange year for Oklahoma in that we had some near record snowfall (twice) which isn't really a big deal for a runner except that with these storms we had near record low temperatures (like, wind chills in the negative teens; not very common for OK). Hence, February was a shallow running month. But it did give me time to evaluate goals and think about how to achieve them.
During this time I signed up for my first 50 mile ultra. While this will completely be a new training and racing experience for me as opposed to marathons I am confident in my planning and my foundation that I built over the winter.
I will actually finish week 1 of my current training cycle today. I've written myself a plan that will build for 9 weeks, go through a 3 week peak phase, followed by a 3 week taper phase. The race will be held July 1st in Tulsa, starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday night and finish with a cutoff time of 14 hours (around 2p.m.) on Saturday. I hope to finish at or under 12 hours for 50 miles.
I needed something new to focus on this spring. I've done our local marathon the last 3 years in a row, and have struggled to improve my time. I think I'll try my hand and longer distance and slower paces, which was part of the motivation for signing up. That, and the fact that I've been "talking" about doing a 50 for 4 or 5 years now. Enough talk, time for action.

In life news, my wife and I are expecting our second child! We are hoping for a girl this time but we of course would love another boy just as much. Our due date is projected to be the end of October, around the 27th. This was another motivational factor in registering for the 50 this spring instead of doing another one I had my eye on in the fall. I think the fall will just have too much going on...
That is all for now, I'll post again soon.

Putnam City Cancer Classic

2010-11-13T15:00:00.002-06:00

My first official 5k is in the books. I had a good run overall but there were some confusions on the course and myself and several other runners took a turn off of the route that was a tad longer in distance than the certified race course.

If I were to point the finger, I'd point it at the pace bike because it was him I was following when I watched the front two runners jog merrily down a path I presumed was incorrect. But the rules state that each runner is responsible for his/her own knowledge of the course and I discovered that I (along with the race's fearless bike leader), was in the wrong. But I'm not mad at the bike dude. In fact, I think the RD and whoever laid out the course were all on different pages because on our "wrong" route, we passed by mile markers that were in use for our race. So at the end of the day, I don't know who was wrong or right. Honestly, I don't care. This race was about raising funds for cancer research and (heard over the PA system) it was announced that this year's race had record participants. A win for the OMRF, and their work in fighting cancer.

I'm still satisfied. Despite the longer distance, I crossed the finish with a chip time of 20:22, only 23 seconds off my goal time. I still managed to win the age group and take the third spot overall. AND, for the whip cream on top of the sundae, the first and second place overall runners were both in high school and are ineligible to receive prize money of any kind (per USATF rules), so I found myself collecting a handsome gift card to Academy. A good day for a run.

Still Here

2010-11-08T17:35:00.002-06:00

My rambling on here has been all but periodical as of late. I've been dormant to the social media world. I am still alive though and still running. I took a brief hiatus from regular jogging right after my race in Colorado last July and picked it back up again in September. Still not running very high volume, but I have no substantial races planned or even any ideas for races any time soon.

I do however have my first official 5k coming up this weekend. I say first because I've always been inclined to go for longer stuff if available. This particular race is a partnership between my wife's employer and a well known medical research facility based here in town so we are doing this event as a family. Goals for this race are to have fun, and try to break 20 minutes. I think it will be a struggle but based on some of my training runs lately I think it is possible. We shall see. I'll surely post some sort of report next week.

Barr Trail Mountain Race

2010-07-25T15:14:00.009-05:00

This race report is long overdue so, sorry about that. All three of you that read this blog.

The race was held about a week ago on Sunday, July 18th. We spent the subsequent week vacationing in Colorado and we arrived back home Saturday night which is why I'm just now getting around to posting.

The Race
The Barr Trail Mountain Race ran its 11th running on the 18th of July 2010. Some names in the field I recognized, like Matt Carpenter and Ricky Gates. I saw that Anton Krupicka was on the roster but I guess did not make it to the start line as I never saw him any time during the event. From my understanding, Carpenter has pretty much dominated the event in all of its years but this race would have him de-throned and a new course record would be set. You can read more about the exciting race and view the race results

at http://www.runpikespeak.com/. But on we go with my perspective of the race.

I arrived in Manitou Springs with about 45 minutes to kill before the start. I didn't want to warm up too early, but I did power walk the 3/4 mile up to the start line because I wasn't sure how the altitude would affect me and I didn't want to do my

normal warm-up routine for fear of premature fatigue at this higher altitude. Waiting around at the start was, relaxing. I noticed I was actually a bit chilly with the morning low temps being in the upper 50s with virtually zero humidity. It almost felt like an Oklahoma morning in November, and I just ate it up.

They gave us a two and one minute warning and finally we were off. I decided to take it very gingerly at the start and funnel into the trail with the other 400 or so runners which felt more like cattle being herded into a single file line. With all this comes my only complaint about the race: the sheer number of participants. I think it wouldn't have been so bad if there hadn't been a mass start but so it goes.

The first half of the "out" portion of the course was slow going. The first 3 miles of the course are the steepest, with switchbacks and tough terrain. Most of this was power-walked not only because running would have zapped all my energy but also because I was within a forearm's length of other runners on all sides of me. I literally think it saved me though because knowing myself, I would have attempted to run this portion and completely exhausted myself.

After about the 3 mile mark on the course, the trail flattened out and opened up some as well, making more room to pass other runners and break into a rhythmic jog.

grinding up one of the turns on the

upper half of the trail

It was on the second half that runners are granted some spectacular views of Pikes Peak and some of the surrounding mountains that make up the front range. I truly wish I had a small camera to capture some of the views I was taking in.

According to my split on the race site, I arrived to the Barr Camp turnaround point in 1:37.40.

That is probably the slowest I've ever "raced" 6 miles. However, my split at the finish showed I ran the same distance back down the mountain in 57.06. To me, that is a crazy negative split but I knew it would probably look something like that. I found that climbing such a large hill is indeed difficult, especially for a flat lander. But what I found was the hardest part of this race was the downhill return to the finish line. My legs that are used to running on relatively flat ground around the neighborhoods I live by were converted in a matter of a few paces from simple mode of transportation to safety devices to prevent me from careening off the side of a very large mountain. This took a toll on my quadriceps. With each switchback, rock hop and boulder dodging back to lower ground my legs screamed with lactic acid buildup. It only got worse once I was back on the lower half of the course on the steeper sections where there are 20 some-odd switchbacks in about 2 miles.

coming back down on the lower switchback section, bare chested, in good spirits but obviously ready to be done

When all was said and done though, I accomplished my goal of "winning" my race shirt by finishing well under the 3:30.0 cut off time with a comfortable 2:34.46. This race really was a blast, it was well organized and executed and if an opportunity comes about in the future to run it again I will jump at the chance.

I also learned a physiological lesson over the days proceeding the race. I have no specific study to back this claim up but it seems I had a much longer recovery period due to a lower oxygen environment. I don't know if this notion can be validated with any scientific evidence but I have a feeling that is the reason I was still hobbling down stairs or ramps all the way into late Thursday, post race.

Now back home and fully recovered I'm taking a step back from running for a few weeks to let the batteries re-charge and spend time with my family. I originally had plans to do a timed ultra in October but I'm really not all that excited about it. I may still do a portion of it with a relay team or something but I probably will not do any long races again until next spring. I may find a few short races to do this fall but I think I'm going to turn my main running focus to running a 50 miler for the first time in the spring. I like running in the fall/winter/spring seasons much more anyway.

Things I've Learned

2010-07-16T12:45:00.004-05:00

The following is an email I sent to a friend of mine regarding the sport of running which I love so much. He liked it enough, that he felt it was a piece that belonged on this blog, so here it is:

I think I've learned something about myself this year. A year ago this time, I was still battling "shinjuries" and really didn't run much during the summer months. This year has been a different story and I've ran literally every day of May, and at least 5-6 days per week for June and so far of July. What I've learned about myself during this time is that I hate summer. I've always hated summer though, so why is this so earth shattering for me? I think next year I'm just not going to run during the summer months. Let me explain further.

I hate the heaviness of the air at 6am on a July Oklahoma morning. I hate the stickiness, the soaked shirt and shorts when I'm finished with a measly 1 hour run. The heat of the day should I run during the later hours. I hate it all. I want winter back so bad I think I'm willing to forgo running during the hotter season to have something in my heart that is so dear to me to look forward to.

Fall ushers change. That first cool front we receive sometime in September washes away the heaviness of the summer's humidity. Change is in the atmosphere. The deciduous trees drain their chlorophyll and yield such vibrant colors when the first morning light hits them as our closest star peaks over the horizon. The crispness of the air I breath and the bite on my nose it gives when I inhale. Yes. Fall, Winter, Spring. That is the runner I am.

Time

2010-06-25T15:49:00.002-05:00

Time. A linear progression that always moves forward. We all know seconds, minutes and hours are the same for everyone but the illusion that time goes faster for some than others seems to be especially evident to me as a runner.

Allow me to elaborate.
In less than one week we will be more than halfway through the year 2010 and so far, for me personally, the year has been measured in training blocks. 5 weeks of build up, with a week of recovery before a race. 10 weeks until the next race, 16 weeks until the race after that... Pretty soon, the year is gone and it seems to fly by ever so fast. Is it because we as runners look ahead on our calendars several weeks at a time?
I think so. In addition, when you couple the running life with the real life, things really get moving. For example, tomorrow I am taking my wife to Six Flags. Next weekend is the 4th of July and we'll be going of of town again to visit my wife's family. A week after that I am scheduled to work my monthly weekend shift at the hospital and the following week, we hit the road for Colorado and I'll be running up to Barr Camp and back the day after we get there. When we come home a week later, we'll have maybe a week or two before my wife starts making preparations to dive into another year of teaching elementary school. Whew! That is alot of action in a very short time frame.
The problem with all of this is I don't believe there is a cure to be found. The more we do, the more time is occupied and the faster it seems to move. It really doesn't matter what your hobby is, occupying time with "things" really makes it go by. My son will be two years old in about 2.5 months. I'm guesstimating that to be about 12-13 weeks from now. An appropriate block of time to train for an ultramarathon.

Corporate Challenge 10k

2010-06-06T13:18:00.006-05:00

Today, I participated in the Corporate Challenge 10k through my work. The CC is a weekend long event starting Friday evening with events from Volleyball to Swimming, Basketball Cycling, Track and Field and the running events on Sunday. This was my third year to do the running events and this year actually disappointed in one aspect but I'll get to that later.

I got to the location way early, thinking the race started at 7 am when it was actually 7:30. I got in a decent warm up with some hills on campus and ramps in the parking garages to get the heart rate up and the legs loose.
The gun went off and we were to head west on 10th for about a block, to Lincoln Blvd and north to the State Capitol complex, loop around it and return with the 10k-ers doing this twice. It was easy to see early on who the 5k runners were because they strung out almost immediately after we turned onto Lincoln to make the long stretch to the Capitol. Knowing it was hot and I had two loops to do, I played it conservative and hung with a couple guys that seem to be pushing an agreeable pace.
It was really humid and I was already thirsty, but I knew in years past there has been a water stop at the apex of the Capitol complex -basically at the halfway mark. But to my dismay and the discouragement of just about everyone else there, no water station was to be found! I shrugged it off, thinking they would be somewhere on the south stretch back to 10th street but again no water. I made the turnaround back at the start to head out for my second loop and decided this was going to be a tempo run instead of a race. I backed off the pace slightly on the straightaway back to the Capitol, and even allowed for about a 40 second walk break when I was back at the apex of the Capitol complex. Still dumbfounded that there was no water on a race course in the heat of this day, I started jogging again finding my tempo pace to finish this thing. About a mile from the finish a guy passed me that I decided was a 10k runner and not one of the mile walk/joggers. I hung on his tail rather nicely for about 4 minutes when his girlfriend or something met him and gave him a water hand up and then decided to play cheerleader. Of course, he started to go faster after this, I hung on for a little while, but decided it was too soon to surge the way he was and took a gamble that he would blow up and slow way down, but I lost that personal bet and cruised into the finish about 17 seconds behind him. He turned out to be the 3rd place overall, with me coming in 4th in a time of 45:25.
Oh well.
I definitely have some reservations about the water situation on the course. I'm sure the organizers will get some heat from participants but I still feel compelled to weigh in with my two cents also. I just feel it was dangerous to have an event like the CC in June which attracts a wide variety of participants with a very large distribution curve of physical abilities. Not everyone there today was in superior form. Most of the folks there were probably weekend warriors, some might have been running/walking their first ever event. Very few out racing today would I consider in supreme physiological form and even they need water on a morning like we had today. I'm not mad at the organizers. Perhaps they didn't have enough volunteers to place out on the course for water service. Maybe someone just forgot. Either way, its not worth getting mad about and ruining someone else's Monday with a strongly worded email. But I would like to find out why, and if they plan to fix it next year.
Today overall was a great training run. I wasn't operating at full capacity, still had some gas left in the tank after the finish, yet still felt the stress of the race which is good preparation for Barr which is about a month away.

Month of May

2010-06-02T08:24:00.002-05:00

I had a first in my still very young running career. I managed to run multiple days- weeks actually consecutively. I really didn't plan on it going into the month, but I did want to run my first 7 days in a row when I felt recovered from the marathon, decided to go an 8th, which led to a 9th and so on until I capped out the month with 29 consecutive days of running. Mind you, I am no Anton Krupicka and kept my mileage really low. By the numbers, my longest run during this time was 9 miles, my shortest was 1.5 (sick that day). I had other short days like 2 mile runs on days I would have normally not run at all. Other runs were between 4-6 miles regularly, but the average of all 29 days comes out to about 4.3 miles/day. I think what I was more impressed with was I managed to wake up when the alarms went off and actually got out the door. I really never felt like I "had" to run.
I think some of this may have partly been inspired by my registration to run the Barr Trail race in July, and maintaining a good aerobic base was motivation enough. But I sought out new routes, saw the sun rise every morning and those reasons were equally inspiring.
For June, I've gone back to my 6 day/week schedule with a rest day. I'll start adding some longer miles as well as some hill work to prepare for Barr.

Maybe one day I'll be to the level of a blog/runner friend Matt Clay, who recently ran the "GAP" in which he covered over 300 miles in one week. Check that link occasionally to read his report. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for that blog post.

Barr Trail Race

2010-05-16T09:28:00.004-05:00

I've signed up for my first mountain run. The Barr Trail Mountain Race will have its 11th running on July 18th of this year. As a trail runner, Colorado is virtually a grown-up's playground for outdoor activities. Obviously, I'm excited about the prospect of racing on one of the most well known peaks in the country. I'm also anxious about how it will go.

The race is an added bonus to our summer vacation. It's literally the first thing we do when we get there. We'll be driving out on Saturday the 17th from Oklahoma City, hope to arrive at a decent time that evening in Colorado Springs and get up very early the next morning to head to the race. As a flat lander, starting a race at 6,570 and climbing to 10,200 will be nothing short of uncomfortable. But it will be a blast no matter how you look at it.

Here is a link to the race website that offers course description with some photos along the Barr Trail and elevation profile.

Roman Nose

2010-05-03T14:30:00.005-05:00

Today, was a day off work. This mornings weather was pristine. A trail run was practically required.

The true problem was choosing a trail. I visit the Big 3 as I call them all the time. These are the OKC metro's closest trails comprised of Lake Arcadia, Bluff Creek and Draper. Bluff seeing the most (ab)use of the three. My deliberation started when I was trying to decide if I wanted to stay close to home to enjoy the day doing other things as well, or take what would probably be the only opportunity for a long time to go to my favorite trail, located in Roman Nose state park.
It didn't take much self argument to decide on Roman Nose and I hopped in the car with my son, dropped him off at day care and hit the road for the hour and fifteen minute drive that would end with me at the trail head of what I believe is the best trail in our state.
I've often thought Roman Nose would be a superb venue for a trail race. A trail marathon maybe or an ultra. I'll have to do some talking to other people that have experience in the feild of putting on races, but I think if the right people saw what the trail has to offer, a race would indeed be in the park's future.

The trail head, greeting runners or mountain bikers with a nice long climb.

This trail offers a little bit of everything, and alot of what the metro trails don't: Climbing. Other notable features of this trail are open, flowing singletrack with some technical areas featuring rocks, exillerating decents, a couple of switchbacks and water crossings after recent rains. Most of the trail follows the contours of the parks mesas which is mostly uncovered by trees. There are a handful of areas where the trail dips down into ravines where it is more wooded, including a "lakeshore" trail that follows along part of the shoreline of Lake Watonga.

Looking down on single track from atop one of the many mesas.

Headed out today, I was slightly worried I would see some undesired wildlife, namely rattlesnakes. It is heating up in Oklahoma, and the type of terrain at Roman Nose is prime rattlesnake habitat. Luckily, I had no encounters.

Typical single track.

I want to come back. Soon. If not this summer, next fall. I want to bring others so they might experience what this trail has to offer. The pictures don't do it justice. You just have to see it. Run it. Ride it. Do whatever it is you do, just get outdoors.

Wrinkles

2010-04-27T06:56:00.003-05:00

I often get asked why I crumble up my race bib numbers. My favorites are when people have some sort of smart ass comment after the question. "Did you run it through the wash or something?"

There is indeed a reason I do this, and it goes all the way back to my days as a cyclist when I saw someone else do it for the first time. The reason is simple. Comfort.

Have you ever tried wearing a paper dinner plate on your shirt and gone running with it? Bib numbers are made out of that real thick paper material which makes them quite stiff, and awkward to wear. When you pull that crisp, clean bib number out of your race packet and attach it to yourself, it doesn't move with you the way your shirt moves with you. You'll know what I mean the next time you bend over to tie your shoe with your paper dinner plate attached to your shirt.

So, I'm issuing a challenge for anyone that reads this. At your next race, take your bib number, put it on and move around with routine movements. Tie your shoe, stretch, whatever it is you do. Then take it off and crumble it up like its the seventh attempt at a book report rough draft, open it back up, crumble it up again to get it nice and wrinkly and then put it on and repeat the movements. I guarantee it will feel better than if it was worn fresh out of the race packet.

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

2010-04-25T16:25:00.003-05:00

I will attempt to write the shortest race report ever recorded in literature. Here it is:

Dissapointing.

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Now for slightly more detail.

Going into this race I felt confident in my training and comfortable with knowing whatever was going to happen today was going to be out of my control and I would be okay with that.
As usual, my folks shuttled me to the race start where I joined in the mad commotion of masses of people trying to funnel into a very small chute to the starting line. This is always a nerve racking time for me. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is pre-race jitters mixed with the stress of trying to get where you need to be and trying to get there in a sea of 22,000 other runners. Either way I got where I needed to be and the waiting game began.
After the pre-race rituals (168 seconds of silence, national anthem etc) the starting horn sounded and we were off.
The first couple of miles were rather uneventful, simply trying to navigate around other people and not be run over by folks faster than me. The entire first half of the race was actually pretty good. When crossing the 13.1 mile mark, I was right on target for my goal finish range, which was 3:30-3:45. I think a more specific time at that point I estimated I was on pace for about a 3:38-3:40 finish.
Some curious things were happening though between the half marathon and miles 14-16. I started haveing some trouble with my left hip (which I decided was an IT band issue) and whatever the name of the tendon is on the front of my right foot. After about mile 16, around Stars and Stripes park at Lake Hefner, my legs overall were just depleting with motivation. I slowed to a walk for the first time on the Grand Blvd bridge that crosses the Hefner Parkway because this is actually a pretty good sized climb. At the top of the bridge I started jogging again and made it through to the 20 mile mark and needed to walk again. My plan was to take a few walk breaks between mile 20 and the point where we turn onto Classen Blvd for the long stretch south and to take full advantage of the tail wind to make up some time at that point. I made it there and was able to stick to my plan for about a full 60 seconds before I just couldn't get the legs to turn over any more. I walked a pretty large portion of the last 5 miles, even part of the final straitaway that leads to the finish. I just didn't have it in me to make a push to the finish. My official finishing time was 4 hours 9 minutes and 27 seconds.
I'm really not sure what went wrong. I carried my own water this year and never felt dehydrated, I carried plenty of gels for carbohydrtes and carried endurolytes for electrolyte replacement. I was shooting a gel about every 45 minutes and taking two endurolytes about every hour. Despite that, the legs just became depleted with about 10 miles left in the race. So, that beggs the question, was it a training issue? My answer to this is probably. They say not to worry if you miss a long run or two during training, but I don't think they are referring to the staple long runs. Like a 20 miler a couple weeks before the race. My longest run was 19 on trails about 4 weeks out. My "plan" was to run another 20 or 22 miler about two weeks after that (which would have been two weeks prior to race day) but that did not happen. Instead I was home helping my wife take care of our sick son. Am I blaming anyone, including myself? No. Life happens. Running doesn't pay my bills just like the other 99% of runners out there. I missed some important training runs but I had reason to miss and more important matters to deal with.
At the end of the day, I am still happy with a 4:09 marathon time. I am still thankful I have the ability to run a marathon at all. On the bright side of all this, I am sitting here on Monday morning after the race finshing these last few sentences and I feel like I could go for a run right now. I still have some residual soreness in the muscles but nothing that couldn't be worked out with some stretching today. I feel fresher than I probably would have if I'd pushed it. I'm looking at yesterday's race as not a race where I didn't earn a new PR, but a run to add to my weeks of training. I want to run an ultra this fall. Yesterday's run was just another stepping stone in that direction.

Running in the Rain

2010-04-16T06:54:00.002-05:00

I am not an interview-worthy runner. My training, running history or personal story are nothing more than ordinary. Runners World will not be publishing an article about me probably, ever. But my friend Mike took some time to do a short "interview" with yours truely and I was happy to answer his questions that he has posted on his blog. Mike will be running his second marathon and looks to blow his debut time out of the water. Last year he even started with the early starters, and finished in a little over 6 hours. Mike is one of these guys that could have been on Biggest Loser. But he did not shed a person as quickly as they do. This year, I think he is looking to run a 2:30 marathon. Or a 4 hour? One of those two. :-)
Check out Mike's blog for my special guest posting. And while you are there, please feel free to leave Mike some encouragement. He really is a good dude.

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I realize it has been a while since I posted anything. Over two months now? I guess I haven't had a whole lot to talk about. Training for the OKC marathon has been going well, and I finished my last "long run" today on a rainy Friday morning. Actually, I broke the run up into two parts, did an easy 3 miler around my apartment around 5am or so, then went out later this morning for an additional 11 miles for a total of about 14 today. I'll rest tomorrow and do 9-10 more on Sunday then take a nice rest next week. I'm looking forward to this marathon and challenging myself to push my limits once again and attempt to hit that 3:30 goal that I missed by 29 minutes last year. 3:59 was great, but I'd be much more satisfied with a 3:30-3:45. It will feel like the work has paid off.

After the marathon, I'll do a 10k in June and hope to enlist for my first 50 miler this summer. I'll post something about it, no doubt, as soon as I click "submit" for that entry form.

Trail Running...

2010-02-18T14:32:00.003-06:00

...Never gets old to me. I had the day off today, so naturally I would go for a run. I like these days because I get to run when the sun is up and I'm not relying on a flashlight or street lamps for illumination. My nocturnal pupils have grown accustomed to staying open, but today they got a workout of their own. Exercises in preventing the incoming photons of sunlight from burning my retinas. But a good pair of shades helps. I dropped off my son at day care (for a little while, I would not pass up the opportunity to spend time with him on my day off just to get in a run. But I have a marathon coming up, so dropping him off for a few hours was no sweat) and I headed toward Edmond to run the trails at Lake Arcadia. The last time I was out there was over a year ago when I ran my first 50k, so I was way overdue for a visit.
After changing into my running clothes and shoes, I donned just shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of gloves because I knew it would warm up. And that it did. A mere two miles in I was shedding the gloves and shirt and stashing them behind a tree I could easily find again. Running actually took some effort though. I guess I've still had some residual soreness from the previous few runs and so the first couple miles took some effort to get the legs to turn over. I made it to the Spring Creek crossing in 40 minutes and some change. I stopped long enough to look around and just enjoy being there. I shot a Gu, drank some water, then hit the "lap" button on my watch and was on my way back. I knew I was warmed up and the legs were finally loosed up because the pace felt a little faster on the way back. And it was, not by much, I got back to the trail head about a minute faster than the way out but I'll take a negative split any day.
Getting back to the car, it was time for part two of my run. If anyone ever wants a great hill workout, just go run the Arcadia dam. Not the gravel road that takes you along the spine of the dam, but the paved road that goes down to the base and back up. I'm not sure what the elevation loss/gain is here, but you have about 4 substantial climbs in 3 miles. One of those climbs is about a quarter mile in length (probably a little bit more) and maybe a 12% grade (probably more, but not steeper than 15%). So, it makes a great place to test your mettle on hills. I haven't done a hill workout in about a year, so I was huffing and puffing on the steeper climbs. But I still got through it and in a pretty decent time if you consider the 9 mile trail run that was done first. Anyway, I got back to the parking lot after making the 3 mile round trip on the dam road, and wanting to get some more time to bring the overall workout close to 2 hours. So I made another pass on the first two climbs bringing the total to about 4 miles of hills.
All in all it was great day, and I really have no reason to report it other than being in the woods on a perfect day, doing what you love, just seems inspiring. Just wanted to share.
Thanks for reading.

Sooner State Games

2010-02-14T14:56:00.003-06:00

First of all, thank you to Katharine Miller and all the volunteers that put on such a great event. Also, kudos to all that came to toe the line. The weather was perfect, the trail conditions less than but still pretty good considering how much rain/snow we've had over the last couple of weeks.

The race not starting until noon really gave the warmer temps that were expected yesterday a chance to settle in. I was in a t-shirt and shorts to start and by the end of the second lap had shed the shirt and was loving life. The actual running part was a different story.

I mentioned in a previous post that I had a feeling things would "click" on race day. I guess they did on some level, and I ended up grabbing a 3rd place overall and a 1st place in age group with a time of 1:07.21. The gun went off about 12:05pm for the 7 mile group which is the group I raced with. Immediately off the line it was clear who the leaders would be and I quickly dodged a few folks to get on the heels of a group of four with me being the 5th person in line. Once we were on single track, the pace was pushed. About 7 minutes in, the man in 4th place started to ease up and allowed me to pass which gave me an opportunity to grab on to the heels of 3rd place and I hung with these folks for the majority of the first lap.
About half way through, we split up. Charles Thomas the eventual overall winner took the lead and I decided to try and follow. His pace however proved to be too much and by the end of the first lap my legs were spent and sore. I came through the start/finish are a for the first lap in 32:23 and decided to pull back and try to re-group with the others. The other two however a guy and a girl had gotten quite a bit of distance between themselves and I moved to the side of the trail to allow the guy to pass. I was still trying to collect myself, picked up the pace again when he passed but it wasn't too long before he was out of my reach also. Finally about half way through the second lap I saw the girl that had been with us, she went by and she was running a pace that was strong and metronome like but easier to keep with. I stayed on her heels for about the next mile and after the water stop she slowed, pulled over and allowed me to pass. I was feeling better by this time and went ahead and picked up the pace once again.
By this time I had shed my shirt, took off my hat and was loving life. The cool air was rejuvenating and despite my sore legs at times it felt like I was floating through the trail. Maybe that's a bad thing.
Feeling relatively good at the end, I finally crossed the line with a split of 34:58, which I guess is somewhere in the neighborhood of a +2:30 lap compared to lap one. I thought I ran the second lap much slower than only two and a half minutes more than lap one, so I was a bit surprised by this. Finishing time was 1:07.21 and my first ever top three placement in age group or overall for that matter. I'd been wanting to do this race for the last 2 years and both times some conflict had prevented it. But I made it this year and this was a great event, and I hope to run it again.

pre race day

2010-02-12T07:39:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is the Sooner State Games trail runs at Bluff Creek park in Oklahoma city. OTRA will once again host the event, offering a 3.5, 7 and 14 mile races.
This race was originally scheduled for January 30th at 9am. The city of Oklahoma City however reovked the event licence at the last minute due to an ice/snow storm that rolled through our region. So the new date was set for tomorrow, 2/13 at high NOON. The 12pm start time is sort of a hamper on things. I had the plan of running the 14 miler, but with this weekend being Valentine's weekend I have plans with my wife later in the day, and so I have resloved to run the 7 miler and be finished earlier. I'll probably rise early tomorrow however and get in an additional run to put my total miles for the day in the double digits. Adjustments like this need to be made once in a while.

As for the race itself, I'm stoked. This will be my first race back post injury(s) from 2009 and my first race since the OKC marathon last April. I'm ready. I feel good. This week has felt great on the running front, each workout better than the last. I had this same feeling before I won one of my mountain bike races some 6 years ago. The feeling that everything is just going to click. I'm confident that I will not win per se, but I feel that I will have a great run. Temps for Saturday are said to be in the mid 50s, close to 60 with nothing but sunshine. Which is good, because my grotesquly pale skin that comes with running before rays of UV light break the horizon, is in desparate need of a tan.

contest

2010-02-07T21:33:00.002-06:00

Men,

Please check out the contest on a fellow runner's blog: That Girl is a Running Fool.

I know most fellas probably don't like the word "headband" so I'm going to say there is a contest for "sweat absorption apparel" on her blog. Follow the links and check out the headgear by clicking on the BondiBands link, they are cool. Way better than Buff head wear if you ask me.

the rest week

2010-02-05T06:51:00.002-06:00

Scheduled rest, I feel is important. A special week on the calendar devoted to less than normal running can have great benefits when incorporated into a training regimen. Some of us may go week after week after long week of long miles with not much more than our regular one or two days off per week. But I find having a full week of "low key" mileage or close to zero mileage all together is a great battery re-charger and a chance for your body to mend before jumping into the next phase of training.
Being a non-professional runner, sometimes the rest week comes unexpectedly. I work for a living. I have a wife and a son. My son for the last 6-7 days or so has been out with some kind of viral infection that required staying home from day care. I must have caught some of whatever he had because I've felt funky for a couple of days this week as well. But I started looking through the training log, and realized I havn't had a decent week of rest for quite some time. So, missing a day, another day and yet another I finally resolved to not let it bother me but simply take this week in stride and consider this an unplanned rest week. Instead of seeing this as a time to get behind, I'm looking at this as a way to get ready for a large cumulative mileage volume increase over the coming weeks.
Part of me mentions rest weeks because I want to know if anyone else plans or takes "unplanned" rest weeks during training. Whether it is for illness or for your own benefit, do you incorporated a special week of rest during your training? The reason I ask is most of the 16-20 week marathon training programs I've seen on paper don't seem to have a "rest week" on the schedule. Perhaps it is implied that one would have a significant rest before starting a marathon training program but it seems prudent to allow some flexibility in a schedule to help prevent injury or simply burnout.

Rest well.

NB - MT 100

2010-01-29T10:30:00.005-06:00

I've been trail running lately with the latest in lightweight trail running from New Balance, the MT 100. Designed by ultra aces Anton Krupicka and Kyle Skaggs, the shoe fits more like a sock with a rockplate beneath your foot. It truly is everything that the word "minimalist" encompasses.

When I first wore the shoe, I saw myself doing shorter trail runs/races in them. But since reading the book Born to Run and considering the stacking research that our motion control, super stable, shocks, air suspension shoes actually do little to prevent injuries, I've become increasingly intrigued about "stripped down" shoes that only use the bare minimum for support/protection.
I have to say, I feel like my trail running is much more intuitive, much more deliberate. I feel that my gait has adapted very well to being more sensitive to what is underneath me. I've noticed I run more flat footed than I did when I wore my clunkier Montrails and as a result I feel more efficient and smooth. To summarize, I think the shoe has changed the way I run for the better and so far I am loving it.

As for the shoes themselves, starting with the out sole: Plenty of traction without over-sized knobby tire tread as found on other trail running/hiking shoes. This cuts down on weight big time (7.8oz total weight for each shoe). The mid sole uses ACTEVA foam, which according to New Balance, cushions while resisting compression set and is 12% lighter than standard foam.* Protection comes from a light weight rock plate to keep your feet protected from hazards on the trail like small, jagged rocks. In Oklahoma, a plethora of roots are sometimes worse than rocks in my opinion, but the rock plate in these shoes is adequate protection for either case.
The inside is lined with a sock-like material giving the runner the option to go sockless. I've run both with socks and without, and I actually prefer sans socks. The feeling you get without socks gives your foot that much more sensory stimuli with ever stride.
However, one problem I ran into with the sockless option is the EVA foam that lines the upper part of the shoe, positioned to support the calcaneal tendon, proved to be a friction point and thus rubbed a large raw spot on the back of my heel. Although it was a minor annoyance on the particular run, once the weather warms back up to go sockless again I will indeed run without socks. I will just need to take an extra preparation measure and either bandage or tape the previously affected area.
The upper part of the shoe is a very lightweight mesh which vents extremely well (I noticed this much more acutely when running sockless) and drains like a pasta ladle when water on the trail is inevitable.
I think I would rate these shoes a 9 out of 10, only because of the discomfort caused when running sockless. With socks, everything works like a charm.

*www.newbalance.com

Death

2010-01-23T21:23:00.004-06:00

This past week my wife's grandmother passed away. She, like my grandmother, had a long drawn out battle with Alzheimer's disease which in both cases ended very ugly. I wish I had known my wife's grandmother when she was healthy. From the pictures and stories that were told during the memorial service, she seemed like a remarkable woman. I am sad I did not know that side of her.
I've thought about death a lot lately. Not in a morbid sense, but more in a contemplative context. Perhaps it is brought on by the fact that I work in a clinic laboratory and the majority of our patients are elderly and have an array of diseases, most predominately, cancer. Perhaps it is the ugly truth that although I am relatively young, I will face my own mortality one day and I hope my beliefs and faith will carry me beyond that threshold into an existence that one can only have a certain kind of faith in. Maybe that makes me nervous.
But seriously, I think I've thought about it the most lately because of my son. I see him grow almost daily, and each day seems to go faster than the last. I know now what my parents preached to me when I was growing up - about how it seems you can blink, and a whole lifetime has slipped through your fingers. I realize that between the time I was my son's age and the age I am now seemed like an eternity. But now that I am grown and observing my son's growth and development, 26 years does not seem so long. When he will be 26, I'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of 51-2. And 50 all of a sudden does not seem so far away.
I guess there is a point in here somewhere, but I don't want to go into a right way to live your life sermon either. I guess our lives are what we make of them. Each day is new, each morning is a clean slate. I chose a long time ago to live without regrets. I can't help what I did or didn't do yesterday or 10 years ago. I can only learn from mistakes or triumphs, but each day is a new day. I guess if I were to have a New Year's Resolution for 2010 it would be to ask myself each morning: Can I be a better father or husband? Or a better co-worker to my peers? Maybe treat others with slightly more respect that I think they deserve?

Of course. And I can start today.

Cancelled

2010-01-20T16:06:00.001-06:00

It has been brought to my attention that the 24 Hour Brigade I was planning on running in March is not going to be taking place this year. The organizer is a 4th year cadet at West Point and graduation, among other things, has brought him to the conclusion that organizing a 24 hour endurance event is not in the cards. I don't blame him. But it is still a bummer.

And that is about the extent of time I spent in sorrow over the cancellation. Enough time to say "bummer" and then moved on. Along with the cancellation of the Brigade, I've decided to axe the Long Haul but more on that later in this post.

There are other goals on the table to still look forward to and possibly another.

Coming up is the Sooner State Games trail race in about a week and a half from now, and as of this morning I am signed up to run in the 10th annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. This will be my third year participating in this world class marathon, and I hope to better last year's time by a currently undetermined margin.

The other possibility on the table is not a 24 hour race, but a 6 hour trail race held by Tulsa, OK based trail running club, the TATURs. The TATUR 6 hour Snake Run will be a timed trail race and having never done a race in Tulsa (although I won my race category at the exact venue a few years back when I once raced XC mountain bikes) I am eager to sign up for this one.

And so far that rounds out what appears to be a great spring. I may try to throw in a 5 or 10k in there somewhere if it is to be, but with the 14 mile race in a little over a week from now, the 6 hour trail race (pending) and the marathon at the end of April, I'm not completely sure I will want to race a shorter distance race. But we will have to see.

And now a word on my "other blog" the Long Haul: I started that blog to primarily document the training leading up to the Brigade, mostly for family to check out what I was doing and anyone else that cared to look in. I was also going to use that page as my donation site (the Brigade's purpose is a charity, to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project) that I would direct family, friends and coworkers to visit to make their donation. But with the cancellation of the Brigade, I see no point in posting on two different blogs. In all honesty, my training is really not all that "noteworthy" when you compare what I do to the likes of runners like Anton Krupicka, Matt Carpenter or local ultrarunner Chisholm Deupree. I'm really pretty average. So, although this will remain a blog of running, it won't so much be a blog exclusively about MY RUNNING. Sure, I will share race reports, results that relate only to me, but I hope to include other individuals accomplishments/accounts etc. etc.

Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you continue to do so.

Treadmills

2009-12-17T07:18:00.003-06:00

Although convenient for days when the weather just isn't all that great for running, I would much rather do my workouts in the open air than in the suffocating constraints of a gym. Lately however, I feel that my beliefs of this personal creed have become dull and need some re-sharpening.

Over the last two weeks or so the temps in the mornings have been fairly cool. And by fairly cool I mean slap you in the face bone chilling cold. Air temps in the teens, with wind chills in the single digits or below zero. That kind of cold. Needless to say, I've found myself un-motivated to put on all the cold weather gear required to comfortably run in such conditions and been retreating to the gym in our apartment complex to get in my morning runs. I realized today though, that perhaps I am falling into a routine of being a regular gym goer.

Today at 5:45 a.m., the temps outside were completely runnable. 30s, with little wind. Normally I would probably be out in shorts and a layer or two on top with some sort of ear covering and finish a run like that feeling all sorts of accomplishment. But not today. Today I embraced the sissy comforts of a stationary treadmill for today's tempo work.

I will say this about a treadmill though: If there is any time that you want to do an honest to God, steady state run, a treadmill is the place to do it. Today I set the pace to 7:30 and started running. I didn't stop until 4 miles later. Whether or not the computer is calibrated to be accurate with distance and time, is trivial. What matters is that the tight hamstrings, calves and quads bring a reality to my sense of well being, and confirm that the workout was indeed very real.

But, I long for the open air. Tomorrow I will attempt to re-connect with that which I love about running. The first morning light on the horizon, when black begins to turn bluish green, transitioning to orange and yellow. The constellations above my head as I pound the earth beneath me. The bite of the chill in the air on the uncovered parts of my face. The looks I imagine on passing drivers seeing me out so early, doing what so many of the population consider self torture.

I relish these feelings. It is why I run.

running log

2009-12-12T09:10:00.003-06:00

Things have been going along quite nicely on the training front. I took a bit of a break during Thanksgiving week, then resumed with the schedule the week after. Slowly, the mileage is continually coming up and I'm hoping with tomorrow's run I'll finish out this week with a total of around 20. I think I'll keep it between 20-25 for the next several weeks as well, and then really turn on the long runs around mid January and keep it going through February.

It is so hard to believe that this year is almost over. It has simply flown by. The month of December seems to go by faster than any month. Well, maybe the whole holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's seem to be a time period that can be lost with the blink of an eye. So many things get crammed into a month it makes my head spin.

As far as any upcoming events, I have none set in stone in the immediate future. One possibility is Chisholm's New Year's run on Jan. 2nd. He holds a 25/50k fat ass style run, this being the 6th year it will be ran. I'm not ready for a 50k at the point I'm currently at, but a 25k is a for sure endeavor. [a side note here: Mike Stutzman, if you read this, this would be a great trail run if you want to do it. I will get you on the trails!] Last year I ran the 50k, my first ultra. Sadly, it was my only ultra for 2009 due to injuries but I hope to learn from those experiences and make 2010 a really good year.

I probably won't have a chance to run a local 5k or 10k before the end of the year but January may hold a better hand in getting in a small race. I'd also like to do the Sooner State Games trail race in February. I've wanted to do this race the last three years, but something has always come up on the same weekend. This year it was an injury.

This may be the last update for the year, maybe not. Things are so busy, I really haven't had the time to sit down and crank out a decent blog post. But 2010 is just around the corner and there will be lots to talk about.

Race for Hope 12k - an "un" race report

2009-11-15T09:18:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I was scheduled to run at The Race for Hope 12k. This race was also dubbed the Oklahoma State road racing championships. I singed up for the race about 3 weeks ago, with new found confidence in my stride, and considered fully recovered from my stress fractures. I'd been training consistently for about 9 weeks, and the last three I'd been incorporating some speed work to start tapping into the higher aerobic capacities. I am by no means in a shape that would put me in contention with the front runners, but I think I would have done a little better than a mid pack overall finish.

But life throws curve balls every now and then. What I did not anticipate when I paid my entry fee 3 weeks ago, was my son running a temperature this weekend. It started Friday evening with him running 100.something after getting home from day care, and climbing up to about 103 before we put him to bed. Medicine brought the fever down to a manageable degree (99ish), but the night was anything but restful. My wife and I were waking up about every two hours to a crying baby, and even when we brought him into our bedroom, he tossed and turned sleeplessly, obviously unable to get comfortable.

My alarm clock sounded at 6am, time for me to get up and pack the bags for the long 10 minute drive to Lake Overholser. My wife was debating taking our boy to the doctor, because his fever had remained steady at 99-100 through the night. But 7 am rolled around and I was preparing to leave when his temperature once again read 103. My wife told me to go ahead and go, and she would take care of our son while I was gone and make an appointment to see the doctor. But I knew that if I would have gone to the race, I just would have felt like a total ass the whole morning.

Maybe these thoughts we have as new parents will fade, but as of right now I felt I needed to be with my wife and son, rather than going to run a race. Yes, he would have been fine, and yes my wife would have been fine taking care of him. But I would have run the race yesterday morning, with a feeling of guilt and the notion that "I should not be here." Perhaps in time we who are new parents will realize that 1 year olds get sick, and the world does not stop turning when this happens. I suppose going to the race yesterday would have been just fine but at that particular moment in time, I felt I was right where I needed to be.

And in case you were wondering: bilateral ear infection, not the flu.

running log

2009-11-03T11:05:00.002-06:00

Wow, its been a while since I've posted anything regarding running activity. But finally, I am able to say I've had a good solid month and a half or so of consistent running. Volume has been quite shallow, my weekly distances have barely been breaking 10 miles, but it is a big time confidence booster when coming back from a big injury that one can say they have about 8 weeks of consistency under his or her belt. At least I feel that way.

Looking forward to what is to come, on November 14th I'll participate in my first race since April (I'm not counting the 5k I did with my work back in June, that was more of a fun run). The 12k that is on the calendar should be a great way to see what my fitness is like, and my overall endurance.

Over the last week, I've started incorporating some speed workouts. Right now they are short, but I find that speed work is most effectively done on a track. The already measured distance, and the soft rubber surface seems to be good for the mind and the feet. I'll probably only do between 2 and 4 more speed sessions before the 14th, because what I am training for is really not speed oriented. I'm just doing a few speed sessions to get as fit as possible for the 12k.

Looking ahead to the end of the year (hard to believe I'm saying that), there are about 9 weeks left of 2009. I am considering doing the same New Year's 50k I did (my first ultra) back in January as a peak to shoot for in my training for the Brigade. If I don't feel I'm ready for a 50k 9 weeks from now, I'll probably just do the 25k and call it good. I can save the 30 mile training runs for February/early March, as we inch closer to the Brigade. No need to push. Especially since 8-9 weeks is what I have under my belt, in the same amount of time, I'll need to triple my weekly distances and get in some quality long runs (18-22 miles) and from where I sit right now that could set me up for another injury. But we'll see.

For now, I'm continuing with my 3-4 mile runs ever other day or so, and gradually increasing my weekend miles. I'd like to get into double digits in the next couple of weekends, so it is time to start turning up the dials.

I hate injuries.

racing

2009-10-20T17:35:00.002-05:00

It's official. I clicked "submit" on a registration page today, and signed up for my first race back from these nagging injuries. I'm really excited for the 12k I signed up for. The distance is long enough to really test where my overall fitness will be at that time, but short enough to bounce back in a day or two, and totally achievable in the amount of time I have leading up to the date.

Coming up, Nov 14: The Race for Hope 5 and 12k (proceeds benefit the OK Brain Tumor Foundation) at Lake Overholser E. Pavilion. If your in the area and looking for a run, come out, there is indeed race day registration (25 buckaroos).

In the coming weeks maybe I'll actually have some runs worthy of posting on here again.

a thought

2009-10-20T16:48:00.003-05:00

My wife and I recently moved to some new apartments and it is amazing how much time you have in the evenings when your not consumed with Internet usage. Yes, I have been without Internet for about two weeks now but it will be getting set up in the next day or two. It's been kind of nice though. The break from technology has been refreshing, spending the time with my wife (although we usually spend our evenings watching television after our son goes to bed) has been splendid in the sense that neither one of us has been engrossed with whatever is inside the computer screen.
But alas, we both miss our Internet. Why is it that we miss it so much? A seemingly short time ago, the Internet was only a concept, a communication system only the military had or even before that, non-existent at all. What did we do when we had no Internet? Perhaps there was once a a level of intellectual clarity and quality that humans once had, but in the last 10 years or so have become clouded by or divorced from that utopia of self awareness. Seems now, no one can get anything done without first looking at their hand held computers that in some form or another are connected to the Internet. Can we do nothing anymore without it?

off and running

2009-10-06T17:15:00.002-05:00

Three full weeks of consistent running are now under my belt, and to the future is where it is time to look. I am fully confident in my shin as of late, with no evidence of pain after my jogs. I still get weary though, and constantly check my shin throughout the day after a morning run. I just don't want this to happen again ya know?

This pattern of every-other-day jogs seems to be working. I am so anxious to start running back-to-back days again, but I feel that patients will be the golden key in full recovery. However, that has not kept me from looking at upcoming races on the local calendar.

Putnam City Cancer Classic 5k - Nov. 7th: This I think is a for sure thing. My wife is a teacher for the PC district and one of her teacher friends is doing it too, so I figured I'll just tag along and run the 5k.

Race for Hope 12k - Nov. 14th: The following week, I found this 12k. I would really like to do this one for the longer distance race setting, but not sure if I'll have the time.

Chill Your Cheeks 5k - Nov. 21: This race is a PM race (starts at 5pm) and is set at Chisholm Trail park in Yukon, OK. This race will only be a few miles from where my wife and I will be living and would be a fun run I think. Course is designed to finish in the park, in the dark amongst the Christmas lights. How sweet.

I probably won't do all of these, but maybe one or two. Either way, I'll be looking to check off one of my goals for 2009 in one of the 5k races.

welcome to the northern hemisphere, autumn.

2009-09-22T10:25:00.009-05:00

I went out this morning for a short but sweet 22 minute run, and the whole time I was so happy I was running in a northerly vector with the wind whipping me in the face. The morning was dark, looking up I saw no stars so I knew it was overcast and rain was most likely on the way. The wind wasn't cold, but chilly enough that I donned my long sleeved running shirt, a ball cap and my shorts.
The legs felt like they had some extra pep in them this morning, in anticipation for the weeks to come, and knowing they won't tire out as fast as they would in the summer season. I do feel somewhat at a loss, not being able to run much of this summer. My body missed the Sun's UV paint, adding color to this creamy hue of a canvas that is my skin. My body missed the days when running on a hot summer morning left the body feeling cleansed and purified after a thorough sweat, and the muscles aching after depleting them of fuel and electrolytes.
However, the bi-annual tilt of the Earth's axis ushers in a new season. A season that leads to my favorite six months of the year, a new season offering possibility and promise. A season that signifies goals and ambitions are inching ever closer on the chronological path which relentlessly marches forward.

Welcome Autumn, I am very happy to see you.

the american dream...

2009-09-19T16:39:00.002-05:00

What is the American Dream anyway? I most recently heard this term used on a morning news program and the context in which the term was used was referring to education reform so that our future generations from all walks of life will have an equal chance at the "American Dream." But what exactly is it?

I ask this question, because the vision that I've always had in my mind is earning a six figure salary, living in a gated community and driving a large vehicle to match an equally sized ego.

At least that's what my vision used to be.

Over the last few years, my vision has changed to much simpler dreams: Earn a decent living, start a family and have fun in the mean time. I started thinking (probably after taking some philosophy class in college) that I didn't want my dream to be a certain salary, or social status. I've never been the type of person to be completely driven by money. Sure, money can buy things that make one happy (like a summer condo in the Colorado mountains), but once you acheive a certain salary, are you happy? Or would you truely be happy if you earned just a little more? Then just a little more.
I've learned through several recent years of self examination that the things in this world that make me happy are the enrichments of life that money cannot buy. I have a wonderful wife, a handsome son (who just turned 1 by the way), a healthy group of friends, a steady job and the physical ability to run long distances. Too often, I am asked when meeting new people of what I do. It seems socially ethical to immediately size up someone's career when meeting for the first time. Maybe its just simply an attempt to make conversation. But I don't think so.
I think that our American society prides itself dearly on what we do for our living. Our Career is who we are, according to this mindset. But I disagree. When asked, "what do you do?" I try to answer "Father, Husband, Runner. In that order." Because it is those things that define who I am. I simply work for a means to support those things.

But let us go back to the original question: What exactly is the American Dream? What is the American dream to a high school student? To go to college and earn higher education? What is the American dream to a person in another country, thinking of moving to the United States? Is it the freedom of a democracy?

I suppose the American Dream has many forms. Whether it is freedom, education, a career, a salary, all of those things or none of those things, we all have some sort of dream. Maybe just the freedom to have a dream is enough.

What is your dream?

the time commeth

2009-09-07T20:14:00.002-05:00

The shin has been feeling great for about the last two weeks. I think a test run is around the corner.

I am still in a need-not-push-it mentality, so I'm not setting a date of when I'll do this test but most likely it will be Friday. I may even give it another week just for peace of mind, but confidence in my healing is growing. I have much faith in my rest, and my pain-free walks with my son in the jogging stroller the last few weekends have been good indicators of the condition of my tibia. I just hope my intuition is correct.

In the mean time, I came across this song by a band called The Rescues. Enjoy.

fall is coming... yes!!!

2009-09-02T21:06:00.004-05:00

I'm not a big fan of football, but I am into the game enough to be glad this weekend marks the start of the bouts that will actually count for something. In particular I'll be interested to see how OSU does against Georgia. Hopefully the boys' heads haven't swelled to epic proportions from all the talk-up they've been getting in the media. Maybe they are remaining clear headed and will come out and take care of business on Saturday.

But football is not what I am here to write about. The start of football season is only a precursor to my favorite time of year. Fall marks the time when the morning air turns crisp and cool, the deciduous trees display their vibrant colors as chlorophyll drains from their leaves. I can bring out my sweaters, and my stocking caps as the crisp air turns cold giving into winter and would render the ears bright red and stinging if they were left un-covered.

What I like most about fall and winter weather is running in it. Most folks enjoy spring and summer running, and hang the shoes up in the winter and retreat to the comfort of an indoor treadmill. I believe treadmills are loathsome. I will run 40 mile per hour winds in 20 degree weather before I run on a treadmill.

But not yet.

I'm still waiting a couple to three weeks before I head back out the door. Although I am proud to report that with palpation to my shin, I am unable to produce pain, I am waiting a little bit longer to make sure I am completely healed. There are some big things coming up this month that will require full attention anyway. My son turns 1 year on the 20th, and my family will be moving to a new place at the beginning of October.

I really thought with this regimen of rest and healing, I might be able to run the 1 hour race at the "hard way" races, but I've decided not to push anything at all. I'll probably resume a regular training schedule in October but it will be very low key. Like 2-ish mile runs for 2-3 weeks before adding more time or distance, so I don't think I'll worry about running any races this fall at all.

My main goal is to be healthy and running to complete my first 24 hour run next spring at the 24 Hour Brigade. I spoke to David (the young founder) recently and it is for sure happening again next year. So, priority #1 is that.

But the Brigade is a long way away. Right now I am enjoying the unseasonably cooler temps for early September and looking forward to the coming weeks.

24 the Hard Way and the Double Dirty Dozen

2009-08-25T21:32:00.005-05:00

October 24-25

The first ever Oklahoma ultrarunning championships - held at Bluff Creek park, Oklahoma City.

featuring 24, 12 and 6 hour races - on pavement or singletrack trail

*sign up soon*

fees make the first jump September 1

http://www.24thehardway.com/

so that's it

2009-08-14T17:47:00.002-05:00

Well, sure enough this week I started having problems again with my left shin. I spoke one on one with an orthopedic professional today and the best course of action that can be agreed upon is to just hang up the running shoes for an extended period of time. It's been a super frustrating summer running-wise, mainly because when my right shin was injured I took off four weeks, and was back and running a marathon about 9 weeks post injury. Not the case with the left leg.

I'm not going to worry about it though. Yeah, I'll have to forget about running another ultra before the end of 2009, but all that means, is I'll have to look forward to 2010 and being prepared and healthy for next spring. Running in the fall and winter is way more important to me anyway than running in the summer. I think the big lesson that I need to take from this year of running is- rest cannot be taken for granted. I think once I complete my planned ultra next spring, it will be time for a planned break away from running to avoid another year like 2009.

But 2009 isn't over yet. I've decided to stay off of running until my wife and I move into our new apartment, which will be sometime around mid October. That will be about two months from now, which should be plenty of rest time for whatever is going on in my tibia to finally go away. That is pretty much my favorite time of year too. October is when the temps really start to drop down, and the chlorophyll drains from the deciduous trees. I love fall. I love running in fall. So, I will wait for the fall.

In the mean time, I'm pulling the bike back out and going to be doing some serious rides. I'll be taking the single speed mountain bike to the roads baby! And hilly routes on a single speed are tough. Oh, and I'll probably ride some trails too.

Here is to rest and recovery - cheers.

progressing

2009-08-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

Another fairly solid week, and I think I'm ready to start a steady increase of mileage through the rest of the month. Today was a not so good run, but miles none the less.

I planned on hitting the trails this morning, but my son was being extra cranky so I stayed home with him while the wife went on to church to work in the nursery (she usually takes him with her). So, I went out this afternoon around 5pm.

I left from the house and made the half mile or so jog over to the Western Heights HS track, and ran 12 laps, then jogged the half mile back to the house for a total of a little over 4 miles. It was hot, and I haven't done any real heat running since probably last summer so my physiology out there today was a bit misplaced.

I was really sluggish and got dehydrated, so I walked quite a bit. I was alright with that, since I was just out there logging miles and didn't care what the actual time was. The black-top turf that covers most tracks was really radiating the heat too. The rubber material that was under my feet though was just about as soft as a dirt trail would have been, if not softer, which was more than welcomed by my feet.

Next week I'll start some regular mileage runs, and start adding some mileage to the weekend runs. Hopefully I'll get some acclimatizing time before I do another afternoon run like today though.

a survey

2009-08-03T16:21:00.003-05:00

I need help! Well, not in a dire sense but I do want to know some information.
I am lucky enough to be a member of a race committee that is formulating and putting together the first ever Oklahoma ultrarunning championships. Please check out the website. My job on this committee is shared with two other committee members and we have the responsibility of assembling and stocking the aid station.

The thing that will make this aid station special though, is it will be a centralized location for runners to get fuel, during two separate races that will be run simultaneously. We are putting on timed events on both road and trail courses. Runners will be doing what runners do best for a choice of duration, whether it be 6, 12 or 24 hours and all these runners will pass our "mother station." So, it is important to have a wide variety of fare to snack on while undertaking such and enduring task.

Having said that brings me to this entry's purpose. Have you ever run an ultramarathon and if so, what foods did you snack on during your race, or what foods would you wish were at a race? Please leave a comment, your input is invaluable.

signing off...but not yet

2009-08-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

"closing time - one last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer."
-Semisonic

This blog will be shutting down in a couple of months. I've been wanting to take things to a more running specific direction, whereas Periodical Ramblings has been an outlet for me to share my "thoughts on running, and life in general." I feel that the best way to make this transition happen is to simply start from scratch. But why, pray tell does one just not have two blogs? I've never really been a fan of bloggers that have more than one blog. I like to keep things simple. So, I must practice what I preach.

I've already set up what will be my new blog, and secured the address. Its called The Long Haul, and can be found here. In its first few months the blog will be completely devoted as my online control center for a fundraiser I will participate in next spring, which will also be my first 24 hour run.
I did this event last spring, only spending three and a half hours running in the event. But I was inspired, and vowed when I left that morning that I would be back for its entirety the next year. This will be the longest I will have ever participated in a single endurance event. I'll document my journey at The Long Haul with my preparations in training, as well as fundraising. After all, the event's purpose is to raise money for charity.

I hope those of you that read this will become readers of the new blog. I've made "blogger buddies" with some of you, and you are spread out across the country. Pretty cool.

Until I get a solid date for the 2010 edition of the 24 Hour Brigade, I'll continue to post like normal here at Periodical Ramblings. I won't officially "launch" the new blog until I've decided to make the training phase for the event official. But this announcement of sorts is really more for me than you. This is my way of making a personal proclamation that visions and ideas only become reality when you put your ideas into action. This new blog is one part of a very large machine of ambitions, ideas and goals. I hope you will continue to stop in and check out what I'll be up to in the coming months. I think its going to be a helluva ride.

Happy reading,
Charlie

back at it

2009-07-26T11:29:00.002-05:00

It's almost like putting on an old pair of jeans that have been in the back of your closet for 6 months, and remembering how good they felt once you put them back on. Today I finished a fourth day of running this week, after no solid weeks of running since April. It feels good to have had a productive week again, with a consistent regimen of exercises.

I've kept the workouts low key though, and the runs never breached 3 miles until today. I went out to the Bluff Creek trail today for the softer surfaces and manged to put in a four and a half mile trail run. I also went out there because I knew it would give me an idea of where my fitness level stands. Simply put, I have work to do. Sitting on the bike trainer a couple of times per week probably helped not loosing all my fitness, but I lost quite a bit. Today, I am probably at about a 40% fitness capacity compared to April. I think things will come back fairly quickly, but I am not going to push it at all. I really need to start learning from my own mistakes. Luckily, I don't have a marathon planned 8 weeks from now :-)

What I do have planned however, is about 14 weeks away. My original plan was to do a 12 hour timed ultra run in October, but as a cautionary measure, I've opted for the 6 hour race. I'm still on the fence though on whether I want to run the road course or the trail course. Most likely it will be trail.

For the next couple of weeks, I'll keep the mileage low. I'm not planning on breaking 10 miles for about two or three more weekends, but I will concentrate on getting my daily runs up to about 4 and 5 milers. I'll start turning everything up around the end of August/start of September to build for the 6 hour race.

Happy running.

book review: Running Through the Wall

2009-07-08T16:20:00.005-05:00

I just finished reading this book last night. Its called "Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon."

I was intrigued by this book when I spotted it in the sports section at the bookstore and skimmed through it to discover that it was simply a collection of individual's stories of a particular ultra.
Mostly each story is one's account of their first ultramarathon, whether their first was a 50k, or 50 miler and a lot of writers spoke of their first 100 mile ultra experience. The book was published back in 2003, so there are no stories that are any more recent than 2002, which brings me to my only complaint about the book: I feel there needs to be a second edition with more writers included, and hopefully a more diverse spectrum of races being written about.

Since 2002 I would be willing to bet the number of ultramarathon events that are available to participants has probably tripled, with events in all regions of the country. The majority of the races being written about seemed to theme around Old Dominion, Massanutten, Western States and Hardrock. There is nothing wrong with that, and I was happy to read the stories of these races as told by the runner, but I couldn't help but think about all the races that exist today that could be written about if this book had a second edition.
At the end of the day though, I highly recommend this book to any runner, whether your a marathoner looking for the next challenge, or a seasoned ultrarunner looking for a good running book to read.

one of those "not every day" phone calls

2009-07-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

I work in a clinic laboratory. We do basic blood testing, mainly for patient having their daily, weekly or monthly Chemotherapy treatments. If your Dr. wants to know what your triglycerides levels are, you get your blood drawn and we test it. Pretty strait forward stuff. My job is so strait forward and repetitive, that it sometimes becomes mundane leaves the mind in a sterile state.

But today was different. We got a phone call that will forever be remembered in my mind. I didn't take the call myself, but the person taking the call explained the situation and asked my opinion on what to advise the caller. From my understanding, the caller's situation was this:

A middle aged to elderly woman who lives by herself in a wooded area (by her description, probably also very remote) is convinced a man keeps coming around and urinating on her house. She was calling to find out if she swabbed the area, and brought it to our lab, would we be able to tell if the urine is coming from a human or an animal. Her reason being she wants to prove it be a human before she contacts her local police department. First of all, this testing that she wants done will be extremely expensive, second we are a hospital and we perform nothing on anything that doesn't have an insurance card or physician's orders and third any laboratory that might actually perform such a test would probably have their laughs as well.

My suggestion was to set up a camera and try to get a photo of this "thing" and take that to her authorities. This is where it gets better. Apparently she's tried this approach, and the image is that of an "upright figure but doesn't look human."

The phone call ended at that, and the woman on the phone was apparently going to call around until she found the answers she wanted.

Perhaps it is possible that she has captured Bigfoot on film. She should sell it, and forget about the urine on her house.

Again? Really?

2009-06-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

Over the last three weeks or so, my shin has been playing tricks on me. It has felt good at times, and so I'll try to run and it seems to flare up. By the end of the next week it feels good again and I try to go for a run and the same story unfolds.
At this point, I am beyond frustrated. Today, I feel like I could go for a run now but I won't because I want to make damn sure this thing is healed before I start consistently training again. So far this year (from a running perspective) has not been very productive. So far, I can add up a total of about three months that I have been unable to run, possibly a fourth.

As bad as I want to go for a run right this minute, I am probably going to give myself a bit more time to fully heal in order to be healthy for races I have planned this fall. But I may have to make some adjustments.

My plan to run a marathon on my 26th birthday still stands. My plan to run 12 hours in October however, may be whittled down to a 6 hour run and shoot for longer than 50k for a goal distance. We'll have to see.
Right now though, I've stayed off running for about a week and a half since my last attempt at a run. Another week and a half I think I'll be good, but I may add a 4th week just for good measure. If that is the case, training will resume July 12, which will give 12 weeks to train for my B-day marathon, and a total of 15 weeks to train for the timed events later that month. Not sure 15 weeks will be enough time to train for a 12 hour, but 6 hour for sure.

Galloway Method

2009-06-10T10:06:00.003-05:00

Basically, the Galloway method for running is this: break up your run into run/walk intervals to reduce overall fatigue and still have gas left in the tank for the second half of your race. People employ this method mostly in ultras, but its been seen in marathons and just in your weekly long training run.

I've read about people using this method before, and having really surprising results. I'll be using this method this fall in a timed ultra that I'm planning on attending, in hopes to cover the most amount of miles I can in that given time period. But how do you develop a strategy to figure out how long you should run for, and how long your walk intervals should be?

This calculator is the answer. This is the coolest thing I have found out there yet. I found the link on the ultramarathon store website, under the tab "training plans" and at the bottom of the page there are a number of tools including this run/walk calculator.

Just wanted to share.

corporate challenge 5k

2009-06-07T10:18:00.003-05:00

I did a 5k race today with my work, but I did not race by any means. I honestly debated even going at all, because I haven't really had much proof that my shin is 100% back to normal. A short 2 mile run on Friday night helped me decide to not run on Saturday and go ahead and run the 5k on Sunday.

The course started out on 10th street, and went east on the OU Health Science Center campus, which is one of the hillier areas in the city if you ask me. About a block into the race, we dropped downward, then started about a quarter mile climb up to our first turn. I was feeling okay at this point, and settled into an easy pace.

The first 3k or so were fairly un-eventful, but as we rounded the second to last corner I was a bit deceived. I looked at my watch (does not show miles) and the time was coming up on about 15 minutes. I realized we were about 3 blocks away from the finish, and I caught a spark of motivation thinking I was going to finish this in under 2o minutes. I started to push a little, but then started looking at the people around me and realize something wasn't right. My surroundings were of people that were obviously not sub 20 minute 5k runners, but I could see the finish. What was wrong here?

As we neared the final turn, a man was calling out to 5 and 10k runners that we would make one more lap around the block, before turning back west to the finish. Ah. Makes sense now. I didn't think I was in better shape that I thought I was, and it turns out I wasn't. My spark of motivation I felt that made me push the pace a little was coming back to haunt me. We climbed that same hill we started out on and about half way up I was feeling a bit nauseated, so I decided to back off and walk a bit. This was good, because during the walk I could feel my shin bothering me again.

At the top of the hill, I started running again turned west down 8th street, then north again on Culbertson, and walked a little more. The finish was in sight for the final time, and I began running again, making the turn west on 10th. I think I crossed the line at 25:58 or 9.

After I got back to the car, my shin was sore, and I headed home for some ice and ibuprofen. After a regimen of those two remedies, the pain has subsided but I'll be watching it for a couple more days. I am hoping to start getting some consistent running in this week, but I am also prepared to give it some more time. We'll see how things go over the next few days.

inspiration from Deena Kastor('s coach)

2009-05-29T07:38:00.003-05:00

My left shin seems to be healing up alright at this point. I went for a short run this morning, keeping things very easy. The workout I did today was a bit inspired by a workout Deena Kastor did for her first run back after breaking one of her metatarsals at the Beijing Olympics last summer. I retrofitted the workout to accommodate me, but basically my run broke down like this:

5-6 1:00 jogs with :30 walk breaks in between.
increase to 1:30 jogs with :30 walk breaks.
finished up the last couple minutes in an easy pace jog.

I will probably do this workout a couple more times over the weekend, and next week start on longer jog regimens. Next week marks "week one" of a 20 or so week training schedule that will end with a 12 hour run at 24 The Hard Way, scheduled for October 24-25.

Re-winding back to the present: In about a week I have a 5k race scheduled. I'll probably treat this as a short training run, as I will be in no shape to race. I did the 10k version last year through my work (The Corporate Challenge) and registration was free so I've really got nothing to lose by just treating it as a training run. Sure, I would have liked to attempt a PR, but not this time.
I may try to find a couple more short distance races this summer to fine tune some fitness, but for now, I'm just glad to be out running again.

coming around

2009-05-19T07:51:00.003-05:00

I'm about half way through my second week of no running, and I feel like I am at a point where I could go run today if I wanted to. With the weather we are having right now, that decision is only harder to make.

I'll stay off of running for the rest of this week, then see how things are going around next Tuesday or so.

For now, I watch videos like this to keep my anticipation of running at a euphoric level:

UltraRunning from Matt Hart on Vimeo.

new camera

2009-05-10T21:24:00.009-05:00

Melissa bought a new camera with some of the money she earned from her relatives for graduation. I was playing with it earlier today:

melissa and

teegon.

dad and

teegon.

teegon

flower

coke

teegon holding my hand

Had a lot of fun with the new camera today. Hopefully more pics will be posted on the blog with it. Stay tuned.

this is getting old

2009-05-09T09:30:00.004-05:00

This week was awesome for the fact that I took off work all week to spend time with my son. My mother in law normally watches him while my wife and I are at work, but she was out of town this week, and I gladly accepted the chance to spend the week with him.

While we were at home together, there were a couple of non-rainy days that allowed us to get out the jogging stroller and head out doors. I kept the runs short, because I didn't want to get too far away from the car in case I needed something for him.

Despite the short and easy nature of the runs though, I was noticing a familiar feeling in my shin bone. I'm having the same pains I experienced back in January that I decided were symptoms of a stress fracture, only this time, they are coming from the other shin. This is extremely discouraging, although the timing is a little better this time.

This is not an x-ray of my shin.

If i take off for 4 weeks right now, I would still have 20 weeks to get ready for my first 12 hour run. I think this will be the best course of action, and I would do what I did the first time around and cross train on my bike to stay fit.

I think my training structure is mostly to blame for this "new" re-occurring injury. My previous injury healed up just fine and has not given me any trouble, but the other shin probably felt a lot of stress over the past 8-10 weeks. Looking back through my log, I really didn't get much of a running base built back up before setting out on my longer runs, and only 8 weeks to prepare for a full marathon sort of goes against conventional wisdom.

What I need to really focus on this summer is building a quality foundation before adding long runs back to my schedule. My main priority for this summer is to be healthy for fall. The 12 hour run will come up on me quickly, then I'll take about a month to chill and start preparing for my first 24 hour which will be around mid March of 2010. Big plans mean careful preparation. I hope things will heal up and I'll be getting back to normal very soon.

resting: planning for what's ahead

2009-05-02T10:54:00.005-05:00

About one week post marathon, and I have not run a single step. I've planned it that way though. I've been letting a couple of blisters fully heal, and some minor aches in my foot and knee slowly dissipate into nothing.

The weather in OKC this week has been kind of crummy too, making running not sound appetizing. Not that the weather would stop me, because normally it wouldn't. I'd run in the rain if there was no other option. Sometimes even if there are other options, I'll run in the rain. But this week has been designated for rest, so I have not gotten too worked up about not running.

This is sort of a transition period that I have designated for myself anyway. Next week I'll start preparations for a base building phase that will last about 10-12 weeks. During this time, I'll be focusing on increasing my overall weekly mileage, and slowly increasing my weekend long runs.

The following calculations are what I have been using for some number crunching to help me in this process:

As you can see, I take my running very seriously.

Next week, I am off work all week. It will be glorious. It will also be a perfect time to take my son out in the jogging stroller for some short runs, which will fit nicely into my preparations phase before working into the base building phase.

All this prep will be leading up to a first 50 miler for my ultrarunning resume. Although nothing

in engraved in stone tablets yet, this will probably be done at a 12 hour run this fall. I'll set a goal for hitting 50 miles in 12 hours but I have a feeling I may exceed that. My first 50k was done on trails and was completed in just over six hours. The 12 hour run will be on a flat, paved one mile loop so running should be much more efficient.

In the mean time, I have a 5k race scheduled for about a month from now. My goal in this will be

to break 20 minutes. I don't even care if it is 19:59.59. Sub 20 minutes is sub 20 minutes. Beyond that, there is a non-race event being held by OTRA called the Green People trail run. It is sort of a Poker run where runners will collect cards on a per lap basis and have chances of winning cool prizes based on the quality of their hand. It should be a fun time, but will also be an opportunity for some quality mileage.

oklahoma city memorial marathon race report

2009-04-26T15:55:00.007-05:00

First of all, this race would not be possible if it were not for the 6,000 or so volunteers that pitch in every year for this event. Special thanks to everyone involved with making this event happen.
Course Map

I arrived at the start and slowly filed my way into the corral around 6:15am or so. All events this year were sold out so the house was packed, 19,000 strong. I was anticipating a warm humid day, so I was ready to go with two gels to start out with (gels are offered on the course at a later point) and about 8 e-caps. It was for sure going to be warm today too, as it was already in the upper 60s, and humid before the race started.

6:31 am rolled around, the horn blew and we were off. This year I was positioned a little farther up so it only took about a minute to cross the start line and I hit "start" on my watch.

Miles 0-5 were fairly easy, I settled into the best pace I could while navigating around other runners. The downside to starting a race with 18,999 other people is there is a lot of congestion for the first few miles, but things started to thin out around mile 5 and I was able to find a comfortable rhythm. It was for this reason that I decided to skip the water stops until about the 5 mile mark. I did some training runs in the past weeks specifically training for this particular case, where I'd go out on 5-6 mile runs without carrying water. I decided to take my first of two gels I had with me, but to my despair one had crept out of my pocket and was lost somewhere on the abyss of the course. I decided to eat some pretzels at the next station, for some salt and a little bit of fuel.

Miles 5-8 were pretty good. I was keeping a good clip, and was on pace for about a 3:29-3:42 marathon, although I decided not to get my hopes up for this scenario, because I knew the going would get tough as soon as we made the turn south and faced a brutal wind that was only getting stronger. In this section is when the temperatures were really starting to heat up as well. The skies were partly cloudy and the sun would peak through now and then, which was really raising the air temperature in a hurry. At the mile 8 water stop I took my first two e-caps, and ate a couple of pretzels along with a cup of water. It was at this point that I noticed the 3:40 pace group coming up on my six, and I decided to slow down and latch on to their group.

The heat must have been mounting between the 8th and 10th mile, because the fatigue in my legs was really starting to set in. I slowed down and walked for a short time, and picked it back up when I timed the 3:40 pace group being about 15 seconds ahead of me. Over about the next mile I slowly caught back up to the pace group and hung on with them until we turned west and headed down Britton Road. I was finally about 45 seconds to a minute behind the pace group around mile 13, when I decided to just find my own pace and not be afraid to take more walk breaks. I was worried that I possibly taxed myself a little too much in the early miles, because I knew things would deteriorate once we turned south at the lake and faced the 40-50mph wind gusts.

Continuing across the bridge that bisects the Lake Hefner Parkway, we made our turn north for about a half mile and then the fun really began. Mile 14-15 was like pushing a loaded dump truck that had been set in neutral. You were able to move forward, but not without digging deep into the reserve tanks of will-power. My competitive spirit sort of blew away with the wind at this point too, although not entirely. I slowed to walk some, but most of the time I just kept my head down and the pace steady.

We looped around Stars and Stripes park which gave us a brief tailwind, then it was a slog south on Portland and on to Grand Boulevard to turn eastward.

The crosswind wasn't as bad as the headwind but crossing the Parkway again over the bridge was tough because it is a long climb to cross the highway, and a long decent to the other side. Once we were down in the neighborhoods, things were better as the wind was somewhat blocked by trees and homes.

I continued my sporadic "jogs in between walks" shuffle for miles 18-20 and then the fun re-joined us for the next big section of the race. Miles 20-23.5 or so were basically strait south. The worst section was the direct south vector on Classen Boulevard. I guess gels are only offered back at Stars and Stripes park, because I sought after another gel, but only found pretzels, Powerade and water. I opted for a Powerade since I new I needed to maintain some sort of glucose level while fording through what seemed to be an endless wind tunnel. I also took my last two e-caps and tried to maintain a steady pace until the road turned back to the east and we headed into the neighborhoods once again.

Under the cover of houses and trees, I was able to ease up a little and focus on finishing this race. I held my head up more and looked around at spectators, other runners and tried to enjoy myself and keep my mind off of ailing legs. I have to say though, I was rather surprised that I felt no pressure coming from either of my shins. Even today, the few days after the race I have no shin pain in either leg. I hope it stays this way.

I rounded a corner and ran into my friend Mike. Mike was running his first marathon, and I couldn't be more proud of him. Mike has one of those inspirational stories, the overweight unhealthy guy who one day woke up and decided things from now on would be different. And indeed they were. I don't know exactly when Mike started his transformation, but I know if you asked him even a year ago if he ever wanted to run a marathon, he would simply answer with something like, "impossible." Not today. Mike ran his marathon, and did so in just over six hours.
Please check out Mikes account of his first marathon experience by clicking here.

Shaking hands with Mike and picking the pace back up, I rounded the next corner to find the last water stop. I took some water, and with a heave of the cup into the trash I could smell the finish drawing nearer. I could hear the crowd at the finish line, cheering in their heroes. This gave me a psychological boost no doubt, but that did not translate into a physical one. Most of the time it works, but today there just wasn't any gas in the tank. I just kept moving forward. The last turn came and went, a slight hill blocked the finish from view but at last, their it was. It was almost another psychological punch below the belt as the last turn takes you directly south toward the finish line. The wind took one final stand against the participants here.

As I crested the small hill the finish banner was in sight. I was probably still a half mile away, getting closer until I saw the overall clock switching from 3:58 to 3:59. I decided at that moment, that I actually had a personal race on my hands.

Two guys running next to me must have seen the same thing, as one of them shouted GO! GO! and instinctively, I followed suit.

Trying to make my legs turn over at this point was grimacing. My joints ached, my quads were on fire, my calves felt like they would rip out of the skin and I was beginning to become light headed. I was watching the clock strike 3:59:50, still about 100 yards ahead. All I wanted was for the "gun time" to break four hours, and it looked like it was going to happen. But light headedness took over, and survival mode kicked in. Like an engine throwing a rod, mere strides away from the line, I saw the clock strike 4:00:00 and my engine shut off. Momentum carried me the rest of the way in, and my official "gun time" was 4:00:03, however my "chip time" was recorded as 3:59:03. A side note here, for those that may not know, chip time records the actual time an individual runner takes to complete the course, starting at the moment they cross the start line. Gun time on the other hand, records overall time elapsed from the moment the start gun goes off.

Last year's chip time was like 4:13 or something. An improvement to say the least.

I came into this race with hopes of achieving a time of 3:30 to 3:40, but I am in no way disappointed with my performance in this marathon. Considering I started training only 8 weeks prior to this date, coming off of a shin fracture before that, factoring in the wind and humidity conditions of the day, I'd say a sub four hour finish is well done. There might be things I could have done differently, prior and during the race but there are lots of things I can point my finger at.

Bottom line is, I came out and performed to the ability at which I was ready to perform. With only 8 weeks of training, I believe I did better than I could have. I could have very easily ended up with a 4:10 or 4:20 time instead of under four hours.

Am I happy with my result? Damn right I am. Will I continue to strive for a better time in a future marathon? Damn right I will.

Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings. -Ralph Blum

Will I do this marathon again? Of course. But maybe not next year. My current plan for next spring may not allow a running of this marathon. When I run this, I want to go for improved times. My priorities for next spring may shift a little, and I may come to the marathon as a volunteer of some sort. But I will be back. Make no mistake.

okc marathon

2009-04-26T15:48:00.003-05:00

Full report to follow in a day or two, but for now...

Broke 4 hours with 57 or so seconds to spare, coming in at 3:59:03.

This was a tough run. But we'll dive into the details later.

week summary

2009-04-19T21:18:00.004-05:00

Had some good runs this week, including a couple of tempo runs and some speed work. Saturday's trail run was sort of a slog, went out a little hard running the first mile in about six and a half minutes, then couldn't get the legs loosened up after that. Planned on running about 8-10 miles on trail, but after 5 I was done. It was the OTRA monthly club run and some of us brought snacks for breakfast, and after the run just hung out and ate and talked about race ideas.
Sunday's long run lasted about 11 miles, all hills. There were some flat sections yes, but most of the route was either up or down.

This week will be pretty low key. I'll probably run a Tuesday and Thursday jog, maybe a Friday just to stay loose, but keeping things easy. Sunday will come quickly, but I'm looking forward to it.

on the way to the trail run, I saw this...

2009-04-18T12:06:00.003-05:00

Really? A ladder to reach the roof of your H2?

Not sure what this guy was trying to prove, but I think he was going for the record of most aftermarket accessories... ever.

I hate H2's in the first place. But this even trumps the icing on the cake. This H2 would be like a platinum figurine on top of the cake. This was the most ridiculous looking vehicle I have ever seen, and so I had to get a picture.

running log: april 6-12

2009-04-12T19:48:00.002-05:00

This week was a bit shallow mileage wise, but a good week overall. Got in a Monday and Wednesday run of 3 and 5 miles respectively, then an additional 5 on Saturday and about 7.5 today. One more full week of training this upcoming week then some decent weekend runs planned for next week, then marathon time the following week.

I've punched in some numbers to some pace calculators and I feel I might be able to make a decent showing come race day. If I can keep my average pace between 8:00 and 8:30, that puts my finish time between 3:29 and 3:42. This is a time window that I will be more than happy with. Hopefully, I'll get a decent position in the starting corral, as it took a good 5-7 minutes just to cross the start line last year, which showed on my "guntime" time.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the coming two weeks and for sure the race itself two weekends away.

running log: ??-April 5

2009-04-05T12:31:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted a "log" in a while. Basically, since I started running again at the beginning of March, I've been on a pretty consistent regimen of 3-4 mile runs during the week (at least 2-3x/week), and gradually increasing longer runs on the weekends.

I had a bit of a revelation at the 24 Hour Brigade back on March 21st, I ran 20 miles at that event with only having run a 7 mile long run in only about 3 weeks of coming back from a shin fracture. It was probably a stupid idea, but I was living in the moment and as long as things felt good, I pressed on.

I continued the 3-4 mile daily runs, and backed off the long run mileage to 10 or so the last couple of weekends.

Today, I did a 13 mile run on roads (I scheduled myself a 16 miler) which was cut short due to some foul route planning. I thought the route I planned out was to be pretty strait forward, but the street at about mid-course I was looking at on Google Maps, turned out to be gated off, and only a pair of tire tracks winding through a field. So I had to turn around at that point, and just go back home the way I came. All was well though, because I had a headwind the whole way back home. I planned the run this way, because if race day rolls around and we have a headwind on the return half of the race, I want to be confident that I trained in those conditions. But needless today, I was ready to be done and really didn't miss the additional 5k.

I actually got a couple of pictures from today's run, mostly because I thought they were cool, but also an attempt to add some life to the words I write.

This picture was an attempt to show a small valley I was running not too far away from. It was really pretty but I suppose due to my stellar photography skills, you'll just have to take my word for it.

I was taking a pic of this pond, because it was a pretty sweet looking pond. My phone doesn't do this picture justice, but that pond goes way back there. It looked like the type of pond you'd find in the Rocky Mountains, fed by a stream and full of trout. Probably fish in this one too, but I'll only be able to wonder.

Hope the rest of your Sunday is relaxing.

"don't tell me if i'm dying..."

2009-04-03T22:07:00.005-05:00

"...cause i don't want to know."

I like this band. Thriving Ivory. Check out the video I have provided, and enjoy. Seriously.

six months and growing

2009-04-01T10:25:00.003-05:00

My son, Teegon recently turned 6 months old. It's hard to believe it was half a year ago that he was born.

He was recently started on baby food in addition to his regular bottle feedings. This has been a really fun experience for my wife and I. Most of the food ends up on his hands, face or in his lap, but occasionally some will make it into his mouth. It is also fun to watch him in this new experience. Everything is still so fresh and new. He continues to discover things around himself, being more interactive with his toys and for sure recognizes his mom and dad now.

I feel like butter anytime someone else is holding him, and he sees me walk by and leans toward my direction and reaches out with his arms.

I've thought about spicing this blog up a little bit by attempting to add a "picture of the day" if not every day at least a few times per week. The idea is not original, I have sort of lifted the idea from a photographer friend of mine who does an "iPhone pic of the day" on his Twitter page. But I liked the idea, and thought why not include something to that effect on my blog? My equipment is simple, my camera phone.

The picture at the top of this post was taken with my phone.

spring and summer hydration

2009-03-26T17:47:00.002-05:00

The temps once again are starting to climb and as runners we need to make sure we are remembering to bring along our water bottles for the long haul, or even the 3 mile loop around your neighborhood.

I typically have some sort of liquid with me, on runs of 5 miles or greater in the winter time. But as summer is only a couple of months away and spring humidity opens up sweat pores you never knew you had, it may be a good idea to get used to carrying bottles again. Even on shorter runs. My rule of thumb is if I know I'm going to be out for 30 minutes or more, I have water.

Another good thing to have on hand when out running for an hour or more are electrolyte pills. There are several brands out there, but they all serve the same purpose. If you live in a humid climate as I do, you can expect your shirt to be soaked within about 5 steps from your door. With these climate conditions, and elevated rate of sweat it is very important to replace electrolytes. I prefer to go with water in my bottle, and E-caps. I find that sports drinks are too sugary, and often don't sit right in my stomach. On runs lasting 45 minutes to an hour or more, I get my glucose from gels. This system seems to work well for me.

What I prefer to carry my water in, depends on the length of the run and whether or not water will be accessible on the route I am running.

Most often, I am carrying my water in an Ultimate Direction handheld water bottle. The bottle is convenient, and the (new) "kicker valve" is really easy on the teeth when opening to drink. Another thing I like about the valve, is it can be left open and you won't loose any of your water as
you run down the road or trail.

The Amphipod belt is my less used, but glad when I do have it option. The belt came with two 8oz flasks, and I added two more 10oz for longer runs when I don't want to carry anything in my hands. I tried several different waistpacks before I went with the belt, and I can say with confidence that this belt has zero bounce when running. There is not much room for storage, but I usually fix this by just wearing a small fanny pack (Nathan 10k).

My even less used, but "I'd die without" option is the Nathan HPL 20 hydration pack. Again, I went with the Nathan because of it's harness design, which allows the pack to sit much higher on your back, and does not bounce or slosh from side to side. I use this pack when doing runs of about 11 miles or greater, and minimal opportunities for water. The large pockets in the front of the pack allow ample room for cell phone, gels, or even a sandwich.

Hydration is key to a successful summer training program for fall racing, and these are the options that happen to work for me. Anyone that comes across this blog, feel free to comment. I'd like to hear what equipment works for you. Perhaps there is something out there, a product that many people would buy, but few know about. Share your thoughts or ideas.

24 Hour Brigade Report

2009-03-21T07:45:00.006-05:00

Well this turned into a really uplifting event for me personally. Both for the fact that I was running to honor our soldiers and second because I did double the mileage I set out to do. As promised to David, I showed up at the track around 3am. It was a bit windy, chilly but not cold. I went with a singlet underneath a long sleeve Patagonia Capilene 1 shirt, shorts, a ball cap and gloves to start out. The first few miles went smoothly, with usual warm up routine as any other training run. I stopped after about 5 laps for stretching and to remove the gloves. Another 5 laps or so and I removed the ball cap, and continued my pace for the first 10 miles. My pace was somewhere between 2:10-2:15 minute laps (400m or .25mi) which landed me around the 10 mile mark in about 1 hour and 33 minutes. Perfect.
Things were feeling good, and I decided to go a few more laps, and setting in for a half marathon distance. That distance came and went and decided to go more. I slowed the pace by about thirty seconds, and walked some while taking cups of delicious coffee that one of the spectators had made. I also stopped a couple of times for water refills, gels, and some really good granola that was on the food table.
Three hours came around since I had started, and I looked at my watch and I was only about 10 laps away from a 20 miler. I decided I would walk a little more, then once 77 laps came around I ran the last three all the way through for a finishing time of 3 hours 30 minutes and some change.
Now the question I am asking myself, was this a bonehead idea, or was this experience an eye opener on what could happen at the OKC marathon? The longest run since my first 50k back in January, was a 7.8 mile trail run I did last week. I am surprised and even somewhat shocked that I ran 20 this morning, with very little discomfort, in the amount of time that I did. This opens up all kinds of doors, and actually might change my whole plan. I may in fact be able to stick with the original plan of running the full marathon in April (probably won't go for a PR though), and take about a month break or something before getting into a training plan for my first 50 miler. If that be the case, I may forgo the Andy Payne marathon, and just go spectate, as I think a buddy of mine will run his first marathon at that race. I like this idea better.

Either way, if I stick with the plan of running the half marathon for OKC or dive into the full, I probably will not run another 20 mile day for quite some time, at least not until the last couple weeks before race day.

24 Hour Brigade

2009-03-20T12:33:00.004-05:00

The last week or so has been fruitful from a running perspective. I had a very good weekend of runs last weekend, with a 5 miler on Saturday on roads and a little over 7 miles on trails last Sunday. So far this week I've put in two 4 milers, which seemed to go rather well. I'm still feeling that my fitness level is lagging behind, but things are staring to look brighter with every run.

This weekend, I'll be running in the 24 Hour Brigade. No, I will not be running for 24 hours but my friend David, the founder of the event, will be. My original plan was to commit about 8 hours to this run, and attempt to cover 40-50 miles. That plan dissolved when I learned my leg was a little bit more seriously injured than simple fatigue, or inflammation.
So, this weekend I'll do what most won't, and go join David in the wee hours of Saturday morning for about 10 miles. Perhaps more if I'm feeling good. I'll arrive at the track somewhere around 3am and run a few steps with a guy that will already have ran much farther, and will have even farther to go.
That is about all I have for an update right now, if anyone comes across this post and you are in the Oklahoma City area and are looking for a place to run, come out to the Yukon High School track sometime between 5pm Friday evening and 5pm Saturday and run some miles with David, and drop a few bucks off in the jar for the Wounded Warrior Project.

progress report and the 24 Hour Brigade

2009-03-14T08:16:00.004-05:00

This plan I've been sticking with the last couple of weeks seems to be working pretty well. The longest run I have run so far is 5 miles since I started back. I'll probably keep the mileage low like this for another week or so, then starting in April, I'll start increasing the weekly distance to get ready for the OKC half marathon.

Another marathon opportunity may be favorable for me to get in a spring marathon this year. The Andy Payne Memorial races offer a 5k, 10k and marathon distances. Apparently this marathon will be doing its 33rd running this year and I am looking forward to the possibility of participating. I've heard some negative things about it however. Aid stations are few and far between, the race takes place in late May making it a hot race. I have a couple of buddies that ran this race last year and one or both of them dropped out due to the heat. I'll most likely carry my own water, and ample salt caps will be necessary.

Next weekend is the 24 Hour Brigade. This run is a fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Project being headed up by ultrarunner and buddy of mine, David Swanson. David is a 3rd year cadet at West Point military academy and has a passion for running and helping the soldiers that have sacrificed so much for our country. The event starts on Friday at 5pm and will go through Saturday at 5pm. David will attempt to cover as many miles as possible in the 24 hour period. I will go join him either Friday or Saturday, and will probably do about 10 miles.

If anyone that sees this post and wishes to participate, go to http://www.24hourbrigade.com/ and click "Enlist" and follow the instructions on how to become a "trooper." Do you live out of state and want to help? You can sponsor the event by submitting a donation at www.24hourbrigade.com , or if you want to participate you can register as a "satellite trooper." All you have to do as a participant is pledge a fixed amount (consider it your race entry fee), or pledge a dollar per mile or something. If you want to take it a step further, ask you friends, family, boss, co-workers or anyone you can think of to sponsor your efforts in the event and help David reach is goal of $50,000 total dollars raised for the event. All info on how to participate or sponsor can be found on the event's web site.

baby steps - part 2

2009-03-01T15:52:00.003-06:00

I've done three runs this week (more like very slow jogs, to fast walks), and so far things seem to be in working order. I did a 2 mile jog/walk last Thursday evening, just to see if the shin would flare up again, but all was well. I did a 3.5-4ish mile jog on trails at Bluff creek on Saturday and all seemed to still be fine. Today, I did about 3 miles on pavement, and the shin seems to still be okay. I'll keep up a routine like this for a couple of weeks before I start adding more miles to my weekly totals.

Over the last few days though, I have done some re-evaluating on my goals for the OKC marathon. I think to really train for marathon and train correctly, you need a solid training block of about 16 weeks. At this point I have 8, and my last two runs have really showed me how much of my running fitness I lost. Running specific muscles that did not get worked while I was doing workouts on the bike during the month of February need to be retrained and cardiovascularly speaking my running lungs need to be retrained as well. So, to really train for a marathon correctly coming off of an injury, I need about double the time I have.

I've decided to simply change my entry to the half marathon race as a solution to my lack of training time. Eight weeks is a little more doable for a half marathon than a full, and slightly less prone to re-injuring myself. It will be for the better I am convinced, since I plan another 50k for June, I want the build up to be a little better planned and gradual. I am considering the possibility of a marathon at the end of May, but we will see.

For now though, I'll continue keeping each run around 3 miles, no more than 4 for the next couple of weeks.

Marshall Brewing Company

2009-02-23T17:40:00.011-06:00

Its always a good day when you find out that high quality beer is being made right here at home. Oklahoma has many microbreweries housed within restaurants, but not many (if any) full scale breweries that I am aware of.

Oklahoma is best known by the rest of the world as being a very windy place. Not exactly the prettiest state in the country (although there are some areas I would argue that statement), but we are sure not the first state to pop into mind when talking about beer. I hope that will soon change.

Drum roll please... Introducing Marshall Brewing Company, a company based in Tulsa, OK MBC is a brewery that brings German style brewing to the state of Oklahoma.

Meet the Brewmaster

*Eric Marshall is a fourth generation Tulsan with a degree in International Business and German language from the University of Tulsa. Eric left Tulsa in 2004 to study the art of brewing in Munich, Germany where he was awarded the prestigious International Diploma in Brewing Technology from the World Brewing Academy. He apprenticed in multiple breweries throughout Germany and served as a brewer at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
In 2007, Eric returned to Tulsa to begin laying the groundwork for his own brewery. Marshall Brewing Company, Tulsa’s first production craft microbrewery, which began operations in spring 2008. Marshall Brewing Company focuses on brewing full strength, hand crafted, top quality ales and lagers. Its business is based upon creating fine products with basic inputs - old-world knowledge and experience, high quality raw materials and good old-fashioned hard work. Marshall Brewing Company’s goal is to bring the art, quality, and enjoyment of craft brewing to Oklahoma. Marshall Brewing Company’s beers can be found on tap and in bottles all over Oklahoma.

The Beers

Atlas I.P.A

I found this beer to be a pretty bold brew. Just like the primordial Titan that supports the heavens on his shoulders, this beer bears a weight that can be tasted in the heaviness of its ingredients, yet has the finesse to not overpower your taste buds. I felt this beer to be a little more on the malty side, but the hoppy flavors seem to be in just the right concentration to take the edge off the malt. A dark Carmel color, this beer is for sure one I'll have again. Here is the description from the company's webpage.

McNellie's Pub Ale

This beer definitely has an Irish/English influence, as noted by the bitterness when I was enjoying this beer yesterday evening. I've never been a huge fan of bitter beers, but I did like this one enough to purchase it again. The flavors were vibrant, which can be attributed the the "new world twist" given by combining two row barley, with American Glacier hops (1). This beer has the a character that can only be found with old style pub ales, but the complexity of the Brewmaster's own combinations. Here is the company's description.

I probably would have enjoyed this beer more with an entree of fish, or steak dinner as noted by the company website as best pairing food dishes. Pizza and this beer was probably not a good mix.

Sundown Wheat

Step aside Boulevard, there is a new wheat beer in town. I am a sucker for wheat beers, so this was my personal favorite. Sundown Wheat is one of the smoothest wheat beers I have ever had, and for me personally, did not require the addition of a lemon wedge which is a popular bar additive when ordering Boulevard's wheat beer. This beer has some light citrus notes, as coriander and dried sweet orange peels are used in the ingredients, making this beer a cornucopia of flavor for the taste buds (2). I highly recommend this beer to anyone. If your an avid drinker of what I call horse urine, step into the finer things in life and try Sundown Wheat. I honestly believe anyone that tries this beer will be a life long Marshall Brewing fan. Here is the company's description of Sundown Wheat.

MBC also has a Pilsner (Old Pavilion) that I have not yet tried. The store in Tulsa where I bought the primary three, did not have Old Pavilion on their shelf, or else I would have picked up a bottle. They also have a seasonal (Oktoberfest), which I will for sure be on the lookout for next fall. I love Oktoberfest beers. Perhaps it is because my name comes from Germany, or that my birthday is in October, or a combination of the two.

Please visit your local (Oklahoma) liquor store and look for these beers from Marshall Brewing Company. The beers are already available at several OKC and Tulsa restaurants (check the website for the list) but if your favorite liquor store does not carry Marshall, they can. Eric, the Brewmaster, told me in an email that any store can fairly easily get these beers in their stock, so if your store doesn't have them, request that they do!

*information taken directly from marshallbrewing.com; 1,2: not direct quotes, but information found at marshallbrewing.com

All pictures and images taken from marshallbrewing.com

baby steps

2009-02-22T19:01:00.002-06:00

Next week I will test the water to see if I can start running again. The shin pain has pretty much subsided to a non existent state, and I am confident that things will begin to take shape over the next several weeks leading up to the Memorial Marathon. My mind at this point is constantly recycling two questions: 1.) Is my shin fully healed, and will it flare up again? 2.) How much of my running fitness have I lost? I'll be keeping these questions in my thoughts as I get going again, and hopefully the answers will be what I am looking for.
Worst case scenario however, I could still run the half marathon at the end of April. I checked with the race director to make sure changing to the half marathon would be an option for me, if I need to take another week or two for continuous healing. But lets hope my pre-training runs next week have good results.

Just for kicks, here is the plan I have laid out for myself. I'll follow this pretty rigorously, but I'm also going to allow myself the freedom to switch runs around, or change distances (but not by much) depending on my level of fitness for that particular day/week and also depending on my shin capabilities. But anyway, here ya go.

Preliminary week:
Tues: 1 or 2 Mi easy jog
Thurs: 1 or 2 Mi easy jog
Sat: 2mi easy
Sun: 3mi easy

Week 1:
Tue: 3mi easy
Thurs: 3mi easy
Sat: 4mi easy
Sun: 5mi easy

Week 2:
Tues: 3mi easy
Wed: 3mi easy
Thurs: 3mi easy
Sat: 5mi easy
Sun: 6mi easy

Week 3
Tues: 4 mi easy
Wed: 3mi tempo
Thurs: 4mi easy
Sat: 8mi, 3mi @ pace
Sun:10mi easy

Week 4
Tue: 3mi easy
Thurs: 3mi tempo
Fri: 2mi easy
Sat: 6mi, 4mi @ pace
Sun: 12mi easy

Week 5:
Tues: 3mi easy
Thurs: 3mi tempo
Sat: 5mi easy
Sun: 14mi, 5mi @ pace

Week 6:
Wed: 3mi easy
Thurs: 4mi tempo
Sat: 3mi easy
Sun: 18-22mi long

Week 7:
Tue: 3mi easy
Thurs: 4mi easy
Fri: 3mi easy
Sat: 5k race, or 3-5mi easy
Sun: 6mi easy

Week 8:
Mon: 4mi easy
Tues: 3mi
Wed: 2mi
Sun: 26.2 mi race.

injury update

2009-02-07T09:55:00.006-06:00

My "shinjury" seems to be on the downhill side of healing. I feel perfectly capable of going for a run right this minute, but I know a couple more weeks of no running would be better for the long haul. I've been replacing runs with sessions on the stationary bike, and some core training to improve my hip and torso stability once I do get back in the shoes.

I've re-prioritized some of my goals for the next couple of months. This time off has given me plenty of time to analyze, plan and set modified goals for the short term.

My original plan to run 40-50 miles at the 24 Hour Brigade are obviously out of the question. I now plan to use that event as a training run, and run somewhere in the 10-15 mile range depending on how the prior week of training goes.

My goal to run the Oklahoma City Marathon twice is also obviously out of the question, but I was never really set on making that happen. It was more of a "that would be cool" idea than an actual plan.

I think if I stick to the schedule that I have written for myself for the marathon training, I think my goal of running a 3:30 marathon are still within reach, but it will all come down to race day. I will have to be very careful not to push myself too much in the two months I will have to train, but at the same time I will need to emphasize the quality of each and every run I can do because of the limited amount of preparation time that I'll be faced with.

At the end of the day though, this will all be a learning experience. I don't have the luxury of personal trainers to tailor my schedule or diet to reach optimum performance, nor do I have the wisdom of a seasoned marathoner. This is really the first injury that has put me out for longer than a week of no running, and coming back after 5 weeks of rest to run a marathon with only two months of prep time will be a tricky fence to straddle. If I lean to one side of the fence I could under train, and not be physically ready to run a 3:30 marathon and possibly risk another injury during the race. If I lean too far to the other side of the fence I could over train and risk injury merely days before the race start.

Why put myself in this position? Probably an obvious question, as I am not a paid athlete and have no contracted obligations to run any marathon at all. The marathon entry fee was covered by my parents as a Christmas gift this year. Since my wife and I had our baby, an entry fee that surpassed 50 dollars would be out of the question for me to spend that kind of money on. Last year this marathon was my first, and I wanted to come back the following year to improve my time. My parents I feel were proud of my accomplishment when they came to watch, and I think my dad was even inspired because I found out not too long after the marathon last year that he had taken up short jogs in the mornings before work. So, as it goes A) I don't want their Christmas gift to go to waste, and B) I think they would enjoy watching me run it again. So aside from my own personal intentions of bettering last year's time, there are other reasons for me to make an effort to run a good marathon in April.

I would like anyone that may come across this to offer up their $0.02 about coming back from an injury with limited time to prepare for an important race. Is this a similar situation to what you may have encountered? How did you deal with it? How did you prepare? Please leave your comments, thoughts or suggestions. I would love to hear them all.

Thanks for reading.

tunes or no tunes?

2009-01-30T13:02:00.004-06:00

I really don't keep up with much running related "news" but I came across an article on Runners World (dot com) today. Apparently this year USATF lifted a ban on headphones during races, and allowing each race management to decide on their own whether or not to allow the use of them. Here is the article.

The article set aside, here are my personal thoughts on using headphones.

When I first started running I used them. I seemed to run better when I had a beat to match my cadence with. It took my mind away from the pain I would experience when I would increase my mileage to new distances I hadn't been before. I would get lost in the music, forget about everything around me and just cruise, almost hypnotically.

It was that hypnosis that made me realize running with headphones has its dangers. I had several close calls with bicycles when I would run around the lake that attracts runners, walkers and cyclists alike. When I started running on streets, I realized that I couldn't hear approaching cars and sometimes being in the daze of the surrounding music I would forget to watch where I was going or forget to look both ways before crossing a street.

Luckily I never got hurt, but I made a change to my running routine by leaving the music at home. I find that number one it is safer, and number two I feel I get a lot more out of my running if I am alone with my thoughts.

Our daily lives are filled with stimuli for our senses. We are bombarded with advertisements everyday. At the grocery store, on T.V., the radio. Sometimes I believe our brains just need some time to relax, and have some "brain time."

When I decided to leave the music at home, I began to prefer running with no music. I feel that giving my mind a chance to decompress at the end of the day on an evening run is much easier than forcing more information into my head in the form of music. I also find that on my morning run, if I have no music, my mind has a chance to wind up, and I feel my mind is clearer when I start my workday.

Not to mention from the standpoint of running efficiency, having more equipment and wires hanging all over your body than necessary is an annoyance and my mind tends to focus on where those headphone wires are located rather than paying attention to my gait or pace.

Music while running has its benefits, but I think the cons of music on the run greatly outweigh the reasons to use music.

Those are just my thoughts. I'd like to hear yours. Please leave me a comment. Which do you prefer?

Suck it up and do your time

2009-01-24T08:35:00.002-06:00

I emailed a member in our trail running club yesterday, who is an orthopedic physician assistant and described the symptoms I am experiencing in my shin lately. She emailed me back and said that based on the description I gave her, it sounds an awful lot like I am developing a stress fracture.
Shit.
Obviously this is not what any runner wants to hear, because automatically you know that those two words in combination mean only one outcome: no running for at least 4 weeks.
Number one, I am pissed at myself. I entertained the idea of taking the rest of the month of January off once I completed my first ultra. The training leading up to it was a little sporadic, and there were block of sometimes 4 days in a row when I didn't have a chance to get out and run, and so I usually tried to make up for it the next week or on the weekend.
The other reason I would have taken the rest of Jan off, is because I haven't really given myself a long break period for probably a year and a half. Sure I might be able to look back through my log and find a week here and a week there, but not several weeks in a row of just rest.
So, I'm pissed at myself for letting this happen. I would have had a good four or five weeks of rest for the month of January, and come Feb 1st, I could be out running again.

But I have an agenda.

Most important in running right now to me are two things: the 24 Hour Brigade, and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. The most pressing right now, is the 24HB because that is exactly 8 weeks away, and half of that is going to be scrapped, due to this little inconvenience. The OCMM is about another month beyond that, and I really want to orchestrate my training and play my smart cards to put on the best personal performance I can. I really want to reach the goal of running a 3:30 marathon (or better), but I think that is still a possibility.
Going back to the 24HB, my plan thus far has been to commit 8 hours of time to the 24 hr event and attempt a distance of 40-50 miles. That probably won't happen at this point. Assuming I heal up in 4 weeks, and train the remaining 4 weeks and feel good enough to run my goal distance, I would for sure be putting my shin at risk of once again buckling under stress and my marathon would suffer the consequences.
That being said, what will probably have to happen for the 24HB now, is turn it into another training run. I don't want to do that, but for the sake of the rest of my 2009 running year, it may be a necessary sacrifice.
On the bright side, some cross training may do me some good. I have a bike that is hooked up to a stationary contraption that allows me to ride my normal bike indoors. I may need to find a gym at some point too, perhaps run on an elliptical machine or something. The bright side being, not all fitness will be lost. These exercises (the bike at the very least) should keep my cardiovascular system in check, and all I should have to "tune up" will be my running muscles.

So that's it for now. I'll still be blogging about my progress, and hopefully the next 4 weeks will go by quickly.
Stay tuned...

running log: Jan 12-18

2009-01-18T15:23:00.002-06:00

Not a very eventful week again this week. I stayed off from running for most of the week to let this shin issue try to heal up a little bit. I don't think it completely has, but I need to be putting in some quality workouts over the next 8 weeks. So, I'm hoping things don't get worse or better yet, it will just work itself out like it has in the past.

Saturday was the first OTRA group training run of the year. I decided to test out the shin there, since the run is on trail, it would be much softer than pavement. Got in about 9 miles in approx 1:25.
Today I went out for a 9 mile out and back from the house. Went out to Czech Hall Rd before I turned around. Got this done in 1:23, taking it easy and walking some. This afternoon I took my son out for a short walk/jog. Just did about 2 miles (4 laps around our subdivision), but it brought the week total to 20 Mi in two days time. Not too bad. This was a good time too, because it was the first time I was able to take my son out in the baby jogger. I'm looking forward to many runs with him this spring.

running log: Jan 5-11 and injury report

2009-01-12T17:40:00.002-06:00

There wasn't much to really "log blog" about this week. I took most of the week off recovering from my first 50k two Saturdays ago. Actual running looks like this:

Fri-3mi easy jog -shin was a little sore still from 50k.

Sat-3.5mi easy in the moonlight -shin didn't feel too bad, maybe just a light throb, nothing to write home about

Sun: 2.0mi Arrrrgh! set out for a 5 miler and stopped at two -shin hurt!

I don't know whether or not I have a shin splint, but I am more than convinced that something is not right with my shin. Convinced enough to stay off of it for this week, and evaluate the situation next weekend.
My run on Sunday started out with the shin feeling tight, and mid run my gait was affected, and by the end I was hobbling home. It felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat on the inside of my right tibia, just above my ankle. It was complete with a small mound of raised tissue (you had to feel for it, it wasn't so bad you could see it) and it was visibly swollen. I iced it with an ice pack shortly after returning to the house, and the swelling had gone down, and all that remains is a dull ache.
Today, it hurts when I touch it, and I'll probably ice it again tonight after work. But for the rest of the week, I'm going to focus on low impact activity to keep my fitness up, but stay off the shin. My solution is a stationary bike trainer that I hook my mountain bike up to. It's not running, but its better than getting a stress fracture.

Next weekend is an OTRA club run at the Lake Stanley Draper trails. I'll probably go, but I'll be using that run to assess whether or not to stay off of the legs for another week or so.

As long as I'm healed up for training so I can be ready for my big March event... stay tuned.

did anyone look "up" last night?

2009-01-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

I've gotten in a couple of runs since my first ultra last weekend. One of those runs since then was last evening, when the moon was the biggest and brightest.

The air was crisp and cold, but no wind at all made the evening beautiful. I ventured out in shorts and a long sleeve top, and decided to leave the flashlight at home and use the luminescent moon as my light. It was about 27 degrees at 8:30 pm and a thin layer of frost had already gathered on the grass and car windows.
I had a good jog, got out for a little over three miles. It was a splendid evening run, and hopefully I'll have a few more opportunities with such nice conditions. Evenings like this is what draws in my appreciation for the winter months.

Not looking forward to summer. :-(

running log: Dec 29-Jan 4

2009-01-04T12:07:00.002-06:00

Monday: 3mi (25:14) Easy run on a chilly morning. Shin bothered me a little bit.

Wed: 3mi (25:06) Nice and easy jaunt, this being the last jog before first 50k.

Saturday: 31.4 mi (6:03) New Year's 50k. Great "fat ass" style event held by local runner Chisholm Dupree. 5th year of this event, weather was awesome. Report is available on this blog.

week total: 37.4 (6:53)

Great week. Awesome feeling of accomplishment after the first ultra. I was a little worried about this because my longest run leading up to this ultra was only 18 miles, and that was several weeks ago. I had intentions of getting in a couple of 20 milers but it just didn't happen with the holidays, and being gone for a week.

first ultramarathon, the full report

2009-01-04T08:33:00.006-06:00

Saturday, January 3rd of 2009 will be a day I remember as the day I ran my first ultramarathon. I'll get to the story in just a second, but not before I say a word of thanks to a good friend.

Joel came out to run the second half of this run with me, and this was the first run he had done since the the Mother Road 100 (which was about 8 weeks ago). So a first run back from a break like that would least likely be a 15 mile trail run. Not only that but he had been fighting a cold all week, and although it probably would have been against better judgement to go for a run and not resting until fully over an illness, he still came out to join me in my first ultra. So thank you Joel, for your selfless act of running camaraderie.

Now for the story...

I woke up around 6:30 which was routine for me, and as my routine goes the first thing I did was de-bed my fussy son who needed his morning bottle. After the chores were done, a light breakfast was eaten and I was dressed with everything packed up I headed out the door around 7:45 am.

I got to the park around 8:20, a little earlier than I would have liked. The air was chilly, and standing around in it was not making the time go by any faster. I knew the temps would rise into the 70s for the day, so I showed up in shorts and was wearing a long sleeved shirt until the start. 9 am was approaching and I made my final preparations, applied Body Glide, shed my long sleeved shirt and put on my sleeveless shirt that I frequently run in, and finally slipped on my Moeben sleeves.

Chisholm's New Years run is a Fat Ass style run that is held annually, but apparently grows year after year. No official time keeper, we kept our own times, and about 90 percent of the people that turned out were not running the full 50k. The run was underway and very quickly the temperatures rose to unseasonable warmth. I was thankful though, as I have heard that in years past the temps had been so brutally cold that only a handful of folks would finish the 50k. It was nice to have a spring weather day on the first Saturday of January and run a first ultra in such pristine weather. I also knew before starting this run today, that warmer temps meant more sweat. I packed 4 gels into my Nathan 10k waist pack, and had 4 more gels that I would pick up for the second half. I also thought it would be prudent to carry some endurolytes, which I did end up using and felt very good that I had them with me.

Not very far after crossing Spring Creek (which was only deep enough to get the shoes and socks wet) I took a spill that worried me at first. My fall was broken by my right knee which hit the ground with an audible thud. I think the dirt was soft enough though that ti didn't do any damage, and once I was up and dusted off I walked a little bit to make sure everything was in working order. All seemed well and I began jogging again.

I made my way through the first water stop which was positioned 4 miles out on the course. I was okay with my water so I pressed onward because I knew the next station was only another three miles out.

Once I passed the first water stop though, I came to the realization that my pace was averaging 8:30 miles, and this was entirely too fast. I slowed down and walked for a few minutes, jogged again for a little while and walked again. I tried to make sure I was waking the inclines (even the slight ones) and jogging the flats and downhills. I did this to ensure I would still have some gas in the tank for the second out and back on this course.

I came to the 7 mile aid station, checked my water and I still had a few ounces left. The course was supposed to wind across the lake dam which was another 1.5 miles. I snagged a V8 from the box of snacks, and decided to refill the water on the way back. I mad it to the turn around at the water tower on the other side of the dam in about 1:30. I wanted to be back at the car to pick up Joel around the 2 hour mark, but that looked like that was not going to happen. But I was okay with that too, as I was in no hurry.

Stopped at the 7 mile aid stop on the way back in (10 miles total at this point) refilled my water and grabbed a power bar. After I got around mile 13 the temps were really starting to heat up, my guess is we had hit 70 so far and I took two endurolytes. From this point on, I made sure I was taking one every 45 minutes or so.

The going on the way back got a little slower, but it was deliberate. I walked a little more on the way back in because I knew I had to do this all over again once I picked up Joel. My legs were starting to feel the fatigue of the day, and the bottom of my foot was starting to be a little tender.

I made it back to the parking lot in about 2:50 (15 miles) or so, I'm not really sure but that sounded about right. I saw Joel and mentioned I wanted to shed my Moeben sleeves, eat a snack and change socks. Accomplishing all that, we headed out for round two.

It was hot by this point, making it back to the 4 mile water stop Joel and I stopped for a re-fill. I popped another endurolyte at this point and took a gel. We headed out shortly after, continuing to walk the up hills and jogging the flats and downhills. There were times though that walking the flats just had to be done, as my legs were fatiguing at an exponential rate.

We arrived at the 7 mile aid station (24 mi total so far) at about the 4:30 mark. We stopped for a short break as we enjoyed Pringles, cookies and pretzels. I finished off my water bottle, and refilled it and said to Joel that we might be able to make this in under 6 hours. I decided to remain optimistic about this thought, and Joel was all for it.

Once we got going though, Joel was paying the dues of his own indulgences as too many cookies at the stop gave him some upset stomach issues. I pressed on as I could, knowing he would catch up with me. He did in fact catch up and we stopped once again at the 4 mile water stop for one more bottle filling (27 miles), and I took another gel.

Joel started to feel the effects of a 15 mile run after an 8 week break on the last 3 miles, as I found out later that his legs had started to cramp up. I lost him after the creek crossing (2.5 miles to go) and I was about 20 minutes away from doing my first 50k in under 6 hours. I decided to press on and pushed it as much as I could, but within the last mile, I misjudged how far I had left and was dipping into an energy debt. I didn't bonk or anything, my legs were just tired.

I rolled into the parking lot for the second and last time in 6 hours and 3 minutes, 31.4 miles showing on my Garmin. It was a good feeling, and I was met by Chisholm the organizer with a coke and some cookies. He, Joel and I were all that were left of the 40+ people that started this day, I being one of 5 people that did the full 50k. Chisholm headed out after a few minutes of visiting Joel had to head out shortly thereafter and I just sat on the back of my car bumper, shoes off and finishing my coke in silent victory. I liked this though. No fanfare, no screaming crowds that you will find at a large scale marathon, just me a and a couple of buddies. Its what running is all about.

First Ultramarathon

2009-01-03T17:15:00.002-06:00

I'll post a more extensive story a little later, but for now...

First ultramarathon today. A 50k (31 miles) at Lake Arcadia in Edmond, Oklahoma. This was the 5th running of this event, put on by local runner Chisholm Dupree.

Got the job done in 6 hours and 3 minutes.

Christmas Vacation: Teegon's First Christmas

2009-01-01T11:31:00.017-06:00

I began writing an actual text account of Teegon's first Christmas, but I could see from my "day one" account that this was going to be a very long story, so I opted to tell the story in pictures and fill in the rest of the details.

This picture is our "family" picture. Taken a few days before we left for Colorado.

From left to right: Teegon sleeping in front of Grandma and Grandpa Wilson's Christmas tree, my brother, Steven holding his nephew for the first time and G/G Wilson opening their book of Teegon's birth and first few weeks of life.

Lots of Great Grandchildren!

From left to right: a buck, one of the many overlooks not far from the cabin, another overlook featuring Melissa and I.

Christmas Morning!

My wife got me this outfit for running.

I'll be using this a lot.

A North Face fleece pullover for my wife.

cyclops!

Outside our cabin.

My family, at the top of Wilkerson Pass. It was snowing and very windy and cold. Teegon is looking directly at the camera in this photo, which can't be described any better than simply perfect.

Our Christmas vacation over all was fantastic. We saw family that we hadn't seen in a long time, and this trip for me was the first Christmas in four years I was with all these people. We spent a total if eight days out there, including the days we traveled. I hope in a couple of years we can do this trip again, but in the mean time we will probably head out there this summer. My grandparents (Wilsons) are getting up there in age, and we would like them to see Teegon as much as possible. Besides that we like Colorado, and its always nice to go back for a visit.

running log: Dec 15-28

2008-12-28T15:13:00.002-06:00

Two week post...

week one: zero miles.
Weather turned bad at the beginning of the week, probably could have gone out a couple of times, but wasn't sure if there was ice on the roads or not and did not want to risk an ankle injury. Also was preparing to leave for Colorado this week.

week two:
Mon: 6.16 mi (58:40) Did this run from my grandparents house in Colorado Springs, CO. Wound around through some new neighborhoods, and the route was quite hilly. Altitude didn't affect me a whole lot this first day but I still took it pretty easy. Beautiful views of the front range. Weather was cold, but dry cold as compared to Oklahoma and I got a little hot.

Tue: 8.1 mi (1:14) Probably my favorite run all week. Started from the grandparents house again and ran northeast up through some ranch properties that climbs up to a wooded area on the outskirts of town. Turned around at Rollercoaster Rd by Fox Run regional park.

Thur: 4 mi (41:23) Altitude affected me a little bit more today. This run started at our family's cabin which sits at about 9,000 ft above sea level. The workouts highest point was around 9322 ft which is just prior to the half way point in this out and back. Lots of climbing in a short distance. Map of the run here.

Fri: 9.1 mi (1:29) Felt a little better on this run. Again starting from the Cabin, ran to the town of Florissant which descends to about 8207ft and back. Would have had about 12 miles for the day, but the cold temps rendered the battery on the cell phone low, and I didn't want to risk getting caught out in the weather and no way to get picked up. Called for someone to meet me at which point I made it to the 9 mile point. Weather had been sunny and clear all week, but today a storm had moved in and snow was coming down and wind was up. Air was super cold. Trees offered some wind protection.

week total: 27.3 mi (4:23)

running log: Dec 8-14

2008-12-28T15:05:00.002-06:00

Tue: 4 mi (31:00) Legs were still tight from Sunday's trail run, and the wind wasn't helping much. Felt like running up hill.

Thur: 13.1 mi (2:00:00) Bluff Creek 1/2 marathon. Ok it wasn't officially a 1/2 marathon but I wanted a decent distance on trails. Felt good all day, legs were getting tired though at the end.

Fri: 3.2 mi (24:15) Pretty good "tempo" run today.

Sun: 7.3 mi (52:49) This run was awsome, simply for the fact that I was out in strong northern winds and temps in the upper 20s. I was in a long sleeve shirt, and shorts and all exposed skin had turned a bright red by the time I was done. I feel this was a good run though, and don't regret not putting on a shell or tights for more warmth. I think it is good to venture out on an uncomfortable run once in a while to keep toughness in check. I am by no means tough, so perhaps this is something I need to do more of.

week total: 27.6 mi (3:48)

2008- a look in the reverse direction

2008-12-14T08:08:00.000-06:00

Where I've been

I decided that it would be cool to reflect a little on the events of this past year. A lot has happened in the last 50 or so weeks, and I know there are technically a couple of weeks left in this year, but I'm not sure if I will have the time to post anything between now and Jan 1st. So without further delay, here we go...

Family Affairs

Wow, where to start?

The single and most significant thing that has happened to Melissa and I this year was the birth of our son, Teegon. We found out in January that we would be expecting and that we should be watching for the stork to fly in sometime around late September. Needless to say, we were ecstatic about this news, as we had been planning on starting a family not too long after we were married.

I posted an entire novel about our delivery, pre and post back in September so I won't go into all that detail again, but I think it at least deserves a re-visit; synopsis style.

The show began on a Friday night, after we finished watching the final chapter of the Matrix trilogy. My wife went to the bathroom and experienced a gush of fluid, at which point we decided it was time to go to the hospital. It was a long night in the delivery room with nurses, anesthesiologists and the on call OB/GYN buzzing in and out of our room. Then finally, after our physician got her page and made it to the hospital it was time to push. After about an hour and a half of the "hard part" of the labor experience, we had our baby boy. September 20th at 10:34am will always be a holiday in me and Melissa's hearts.

The whole experience; pregnancy, delivery and beyond was one wild ride and we will probably repeat the process at least once more. But not for another two or three years.

Melissa has been gearing up for student teaching since probably the middle of the summer. She spent the summer and fall taking her final class requirements before she could apply to the student teacher program, which is the final hurdle in order to complete her degree in elementary education.

She has fought with tenacity these last few months and continued to go to school when anyone else would either drop out, change majors or just take a break all together. We were wondering how things would turn out after we had Teegon, if school would be a burden and keep her from doing her duties as a new mother. I'm happy to say that all has turned out well. It was a good thing that she only had the one class to take this fall. That allowed her to be a mom and focus on her studies and bring this second to last semester of her undergraduate career to a close. She speaks of going back down the road, possibly to get a masters in child psychology, and I would support her in any way I could if that is what she chooses to do. She can do whatever she puts her mind to and I admire her commitment to achieving what she sets out to accomplish.

Christmas this year for our family is going to be one huge circus. But it will be a very memorable one to say the least. It was a yearly tradition for my family when I was younger, for my parents my brother and I to travel to Colorado Springs for the Christmas holiday.
Over the last three years or so, the family has dispersed to new locations as my brother and I both have our own families now. Its hard to make a trip out to Colorado when there are other members of a larger family that need to have time with you as well, but this year will be for my extended relatives. Two of my cousins and I all had children this year, one cousin and myself having our first children. The great grandparents of the family are thrilled to death that theses new additions will be part of our family gathering this year.
I am especially excited because it has been three or four years since I was in Colorado for a Christmas, and three years since the last time I was in Colorado at all. Melissa and I went in the summer of 2005 for a national mountain bike race in Aspen Colorado. That was back in the bike racing days, but I'm a runner now. Perhaps next time I return to Colorado for an event I'll be entering an ultra marathon or something. That would be nice.

Runs I did

April 27th- Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
Chip time: 4:13.07
Garmin time: 4:00.??

Going into this marathon (this of course being my first), my only goal was either to finish in 4 hours or better and run the entire time. As long as I achieved one of those, I would be happy with my debut marathon. The whole run ended up going really well and I did end up running the entire time, breaking only to use the port-o-potties and to re-tie my shoe. I looked at my Garmin and saw that my "actual run time" was 4 hours flat. However, after realizing that my Garmin pauses the clock anytime I stop moving (ie to tie a shoe or use the bathroom) I looked at the overhead clock as it was turning over to 4:14. So I didn't actually finish in four hours, but I did run the whole way, so mission accomplished as far as I was concerned.

The take home lesson: Don't over drink in the morning before a run. When I woke up on the day of the marathon, I thought it would be prudent to "super hydrate" so I drank a good liter of water. This was obviously overkill as you might be able to tell from the time difference between what my Garmin logged and what the marathon clock recorded. After thinking back at all the stops I made (I basically stopped at every bathroom that was available for the first ten miles) the evidence is painfully obvious that I spent at least 13 minutes worth of piss breaks. That is a long time if you are trying to PR. I wasn't that day of course, but still the experience was one that I will remember and learn from a mistake like drinking a liter of water on race morning. Because if I return to this event, or any other marathon in 2009, I will be setting a time goal to work for.

June 15-Corporate Challenge 10k
time: 42.19

This was a really fun event, and it was free. It was held on the campus of OU Medicine, and included several corporations such as rival health care facility Integris and big time oil company Devon Energy just to name a couple. There was a whole weekend of friendly competition, but the 5 and 10k runs were held on Sunday, which I was particularly interested in. I had never done a 10k and I was the only representative from OU Medicine in the field. The day was warm, but it felt good. It was the first run in my New Balance 152 racing flats, and I had never worn such a minimal shoe before. I have to say the feel was great, and I ran better than I have ever felt myself run. Maybe it was the shoes, maybe it was the spirit of competition or maybe both. I ran as best as I could muster anyway, and it resulted in a 4th place in my age group, but unsure of how I finished overall. I will be looking for this event again in 2009, and I plan to set a new PR.

June 28th- The Runner's Super Summer 8k
time: 34:01

I did this run last year as a last heave of "freedom" the week before I got married. My time then was 41:21, and a lot had changed in the following year. In '07 I was dressed as any other recreational runner: a sleeved t-shirt, shorts that touched my knees, a baseball cap and a waist pack with a water bottle holster. This year, I had some experience with clothing and hydration, and this time I was in my racing flats, my running shorts that have an inseam no longer than three inches, and I was shirtless. And I felt light.

I went out on this run trying to tag someone on the front third of the pack, as we pulled out of the start area and began to set into what would be the pace for the morning, I knew I wasn't quite at the level that these guys were. So I slowed slightly and settled into a more comfortable rhythm. I did target a particular runner that I wanted to make sure I passed in the last half mile, but his pace was disintegrating to a point where I easily ran around him. I set my target on another runner about 200 yards ahead of me and stuck with this guy for the rest of the race. We exchanged leads, I would pull away and get tired, he'd pass and pull away and we traded this routine up until the last mile. I could smell the scent of brand new hats out of the box (every runner got one as part of the entry fee) and so I turned up the heat and put a solid minute on my companion by the time I crossed the line. My time was a little over 34 minutes, and this will definitely be a race I watch the calender for 2009 in anticipation. I hope to break the half hour mark next year.

Where I want to be

goals for life:
My main goal for 2009 is to continue to strive to be the best husband and father to my son that I can be. I want to show my wife the support the deserves, and will need while she is completing her final semester of college this spring, with her student teaching sessions. This will probably be a rough time for her, as she will most likely be spending long hours in a classroom, being critiqued by her host teacher at the end of each day. I don't want her coming home each evening feeling like she has another set of work to do. I want her to come home feeling like the only thing she is required to do is relax. Let dad take care of the boy.

Upon Melissa's completion of college, I will need to make a big decision. I am thinking of going back to school to become a registered nurse. My reasons for this change are simple. Job security, increased income, and a chance to help people in a way I've never helped anyone before.
However the cons to a decision to go back to school include mainly spending the better part of two years in a nursing program. I've been told by numerous people that putting it off will only make it harder to go back to school later, and while Teegon is still a baby, now would be the time to get some additional education before he gets to the age where interaction for his development is critical. I want him to grow up knowing his father was always there, and was always eager to play, not the memories of a father who was too busy with his face in book to play catch or something.
But at the same time I'll need to decide if I want to go back to school at all. Should I just stay where I am, and attempt to build a career in the laboratory? Perhaps transfer to a different, or more specialized section like virology? Do I want to become certified to teach high school science and have the same schedule as my wife and have summers off with my family? That indeed has its perks as well.
It will take some pondering, but I'll come up with something. I always do.

goals in running:
As I look toward the 2009 racing schedule, I have some hopes in mind as well as some goals. I have a plan to immediately start the new year with a bang, and run Chisholm Dupree's New Year's 50k at Lake Arcadia in Edmond, OK. That will be my first ultra, and I am hoping my training strategies, and weekly volumes will be enough for me to make it through the 31 miles. At some point in 2009 I would like to run a first 50 miler too. Not sure if it will be an organized event, or if I will find some way to run my own 50. One of my ideas is to run the OKC Memorial Marathon twice. My idea would be to show up at the finish line around 1am, run the course in reverse and be at the start line for the 6:30am gun for the actual marathon itself. The total would be a little more than an even 50 miles, but I think two more miles wouldn't be a huge deal. This idea will only happen if I feel like I am ready, and if I can get someone to do it with me. I don't want to be alone, running through the streets of OKC in the middle of the night.
If the OKC marathon double does not work out for a first 50, I will run the marathon itself and try for a personal time record. I'd like to shoot for a 3:30 or better if I can swing it.
Another possible 50 miler would be Palo Duro trail ultramarathon outside of Amarillo, TX. I've always heard good things about this race.

Another goal I have this year is to be a little more involved with the running community. I'd like to get out on trail workdays with the OEF and maybe organize my own race. Joel and I have already been brainstorming about a possible trail marathon for 2009.

That is about all I can come up with as far as reflections and foresight into the next year. I think things can only get better as the years come and go, and hopefully I'll be sharing them here. I'll look forward to more life and running adventures to share with all three of you that read this blog, and I'll look forward to your comments.

running log: Nov 24-Dec 7

2008-12-09T22:39:00.002-06:00

Really really shallow mileage for the week of Thanksgiving. I'm not complaining, but I thought I would get in more than 6 miles total. Eeesh! Got in a two mile run on Tuesday, then a 4 miler on the following Sunday. Always good to spend time with family, but this close to a first time ultra, I hope that doesn't set me back.

Week of Dec 1-7 turned out a little better though. I was able to get in 4 solid days of running.

Tues: 4.1 miles around the house (38:08).
Fri: 6.5 mi (59:10) did a mile warm up and then a five mile route that makes a loop to the west of the house. Still dark out in the morning. Have to wear reflective clothing and really pay attention to on coming traffic.
Sat: 8mi tempo (1:05) 4 mile out and back to the west of the house. Fairly flat course, one significant incline, but not a "climb" by any means. But enough to get the heart rate up around LT.
Sun: 10.1 mi trail run (1:35) First trail run in a long while. Pushed the pace quite a bit while running, taking "brisk" walks after the efforts. Pace averaged out to around 9:25, but I felt pretty good about it as 1:30 on the road is pretty good for me on a 10mi route.

28.7 mi total.

Good week overall. I'd like to be up in the 30-35 mile range for weekly totals, but I'm not complaining too much. I'm a dad and a husband before a runner, so I am thankful for the time I do get to run. I have to pat myself on the back though, I've buckled down the discipline, and have been getting most of these runs in the early morning either before work or while the wife and baby are still sleeping on the weekends. It's been cool at the same time, I enjoy being outside and on the road before the sun comes up, and watching the sun rise most days. Its something I've been looking forward to each evening, and a good motivator to not hit the snooze button.
I was pleased with how the week wrapped up. I didn't mean to increase the last three runs by two miles, but that is how it worked out and I think it contributed to the over all quality of the week.

Looking forward to the next log posting...

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:16:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone out there has a very happy Thanksgiving. Cheers.

running log: Nov 17-23

2008-11-25T11:04:00.002-06:00

Eeew! Shallow week for running, simply could not get out some days. I guess that is how hobbies go though. Hopefully some mileage will come back in the next couple of weeks. About a month to go before my first ultra, and I will be needing to increase my mileage followed by a nice comfortable taper. I have my second "long run" planned for next Sunday, somewhere around the 22 mile range, and I'll probably do one more long effort of around 15-18 or so, hopefully on trail.
Being the week of Thanksgiving, I hope to squeeze in some mileage somewhere, but the majority of my miles will definitely be on Sunday.

But for now here is what I accomplished this week:

Thurs: 3.6 mi (29:33)
Fri: 5 mi (42:57)
Sun: 4.1 (32:39)

week total: 12.7 (1:45)

Two Months!

2008-11-20T17:29:00.003-06:00

Teegon is two months old today! Its hard to believe that on this day in September we were in the hospital delivery room, bringing our new baby into this world. These last two months have gone by very quickly, and I know the next 18 years will go by just as fast. I love my son, and I wish he could stay this big forever. But I know that there are many years of fun time to come once he is old enough to interact. Playing catch, going fishing, helping him with homework and everything in between. I just hope I don't get caught up in "wishing him old enough" that I miss the times that are in front of me now. Being a dad has to be the greatest achievement of my life, and I can't picture anything coming close to trumping the joy I have had of being on this new journey.

For the rest of my life I will remember days like this:

p.s....

2008-11-17T17:31:00.003-06:00

Just if your interested, I edited the route I ran yesterday. If you go to my training log (at the right of the screen) and click on my run from the 16th, and click on the course, it will pull up a course map. I enjoy looking at it because it looks like I went really far! Anyone is welcome to join me when I do this again (maybe next weekend if the wind is blowing from the south again).

running log: Nov 3-16

2008-11-16T14:51:00.003-06:00

I'll probably keep up the bi-weekly posts for a while, or until my mileage increases to where its worth posting weekly.

So here we go:

Week one-
Thurs: 5.3mi (46:58)
Fri: 3mi (22.28) Tempo run, little slower than 5k pace, but based on this effort, I'm pretty sure I could break 20 minutes in a race.
Sunday: 7.2mi (58.10)

week total: 15.5 (2:07)

Week two-
Thurs: 3.1mi (23:36)
Sat: 5mi (43:26)
Sun: 18.2 (2:50.0) Whew, what a run! Gorgeous day, great course. I've done parts of this route back in my cycling days, and it is no cream puff route, its hilly and winds through some nice rolling fields. there are a few flat sections, which are nice for cruising.

week total: 26.7 (3:57.02)

the family, faith and evolution

2008-11-06T08:09:00.013-06:00

I've not posted any updates in a while about the family, and it took the request of some good friends of mine to realize that. So to you, I say thanks for the request, otherwise I would still be tooling around day to day with non-important chatter.

The picture to the left is old, but I guess you could consider it our first "family portrait." We took this one night while we were camped out in our apartment living room (he wouldn't sleep in his crib for almost the first month, I indeed got tired of the inflatable mattress). It is amazing to go back and look at these pictures though, which is another reason I posted this, to compare how much a child grows in merely the first few weeks of life. I know he will continue to grow at this rate for quite a while and you can almost notice the changes from day to day. My parents were right, it does go by fast.

The month of October was great. I had my 25th birthday about two weeks after Teegon was born, and no other gift could compare to having a son on my birthday. It was also the first day he drank from a bottle, and my wife allowed me to do the honors. It was a different experience, but I definitely enjoyed feeding my son for the first time. I think it actually hit me that this was my son that I was feeding, not the child of someone else.

Skipping through the in between weeks of dirty diapers, fussy nights and three A.M. feedings, we come to baby's first Halloween. Melissa had the idea of finding an over sized pumpkin to take his picture next to, so we went out to a pumpkin patch in Piedmont, OK and found an enormous pumpkin, that was probably double Teegon's size and easily three times his weight. This idea of course went along with the idea that Teegon himself was going to be a pumpkin for Halloween.

He really did look adorable in his pumpkin suit.

Some final thoughts...

All in all, mother and baby are doing just fine. Teegon is as healthy as we could wish him to be, and we consider ourselves very lucky. Life truly is amazing. Given my science background from college, and the understanding of how evolution and how DNA works, gives me a respect for nature that probably goes without a second thought for most people. Knowing a general numerical figure for how many different genetic combinations there are, how many times DNA replicates itself when creating a human embryo, it is astonishing that things don't go wrong more often. I don't believe in evolution, because evolution is not something to believe in. Trusting in science requires no faith, because ideas must be tested and proven with evidence before they can be accepted as fundamental theories. Evolution is one of these fundamental theories. It is the foundation that makes everything in biological science make sense.

However, my faith in a superior being leads me to believe that perhaps somehow there is an order to this life that we cannot comprehend as humans. My son in my opinion is a miracle. Does that mean the science I studied about how life works is false? No. Does that mean that because I think my son is a miracle, then he must be the direct result of a God at work? I don't know, and I suppose I don't want to know the answer. Because if I did, I guess there would be no need for faith.

But right now, at this moment I'm not worried about such existential questions. Right now, I'm having too much fun being a daddy.

running log: Oct 20-Nov 2

2008-11-02T10:20:00.002-06:00

Another bi-weekly log combo. I haven't really had much time to log on and post much. The wife and I are in the process of moving again. I think the amount of crap we own has doubled in quantity since we moved into this apartment six months ago. But all that set aside, lets get to it...

The week of Oct 20-26 I was only able to make it out for three days this week:
Tue: 3.1 miles around the shops nearby our apartments
Fri: 6.2 mile fartlek run through the neighborhood. I took a couple wrong turns doing a route I have not done before, so I had to push the pace in areas to stay on my target time, but this meant I got about an extra mile in my self-allotted time goal.
Sat: 10.5 miles around lake Hef with Joel and Reese. Joel is preparing for his first 100Mi run, so frequent walk breaks were taken (as part of his plan).

week total: 19.8 (2:59)

The week of Oct 27-Nov 2 proved to be another week of only three days:
Mon: 4 miles around the OU health center campus. Good hill runs on some parking garage ramps.
Sat: 8.6 miles at Lake Hefner. Probably the last run with Joel for a while, his 100Mi run is next Saturday!
Sun: 5.0 easy miles on some asphalt country roads. I ran in the area we will be living for the next few months, nice area. Quite and not too crowded, should be a good area for some nice runs.

week total: 17.6 (2:37)

bothered by boredom

2008-10-24T16:41:00.001-05:00

I'm at work right now, and we are having a slow day. It's nice to have these days once in a while, but sometimes I would just rather be busy. Or at home with my son and wife. Or out running. Either way, I can think of 101 different things I'd rather be doing right now than just sitting here, processing the occasional specimen.

So during my boredom, I started looking up Chuck Norris facts. Not made up funny things, these are facts people. These were taken from chucknorrisfacts.com so there you have it, there is your proof.

I still think they are funny. So here ya go... Feel free to write me if you happen to come across this blog and are bored too. Let me know what you think, about anything.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.
When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost
Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.
Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

that is one bad mo fo...

File this under "pointless"

2008-10-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

No, this is not a photo shopped image, that burger really is that big.

I heard about this story today on my commute into work, my "two favorite jackasses" on the radio were doing a phone interview with the man you see behind the burger, who managed to eat this colossal sandwich in 4 hours 39 minutes, which beats the five hour allotment in order to win a prize.

That line seems a little strange; "the man behind the burger." I guess anything is possible, when your referring to a full grown man being partially hidden by an entree.

I can say with complete confidence that I would not be able to accomplish such a task, even if I was awarded 400 dollars at the end. I just can't fathom putting that much food into my body in one sitting.

During the radio interview he mentioned that at times he had to go to the bathroom to run cold water over his head, because he felt so hot at points. He explained this phenomenon by referring to what he had ingested as "insulation" that really rose his core body temperature. As a scientist, I can draw up some concern for such a goal, and beg the question, why someone would risk physiological damage for the purpose of consumption. I would be scared, but interested to see his triglyceride and lipid levels prior and post burger. I'm sure the results would make any cardiologist a little nervous.

running log: Oct 6-19

2008-10-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

Decided to combine two weeks, due to shallow mileage during the week of the October 6th. Only had time to go out twice during the first week, both times I went to Bluff for a five mile and some change trail runs.
This week was a little better, had four good runs that definitely emphasized quality over quantity. I had one two mile run, followed by a six miler through my neighborhood, a lap around lake Hefner with Joel on Saturday night, and another run at Bluff this evening.

I have set a goal that will hopefully force me to make the most of even a twenty minute slot that I might have to go for a run. I plan to do a trail run in January hosted by a local ultra runner, a yearly event to bring in the new year. This will now be an actual date on the calender that has a countdown, and will remind me that every little run will count.
As of right now, the event is approximately 10 weeks out, which is a good time frame to be coming back from a brief break and start a training regimen. I'll have two or three 20-25mi runs during this time span, one of which I will run with a 5k race incorporated into the day.

At the end of each week though, this is still just a hobby. All these plans are very, very flexible. My son and my wife will always take top priority, not my goal. However, I can't help but feel excited about my ambitions. I'm looking forward to the journey of the training, working toward a goal and not necessarily the goal itself. The benefits of achieving a goal mean nothing to me if I have not enjoyed the process to get there. The achievement is sort of like the star on the Christmas tree. Sure its the piece that is most recognized when the job is done, but a family coming together to bring the base, the parts of the tree itself, the lights the ornaments, all into one finished product is what the process is all about.

Now lets all go run and enjoy ourselves.

Oct 6-12 10.4mi (1:38)
Oct 13-19 22.2mi (3:38)

think about it...

2008-10-11T19:44:00.000-05:00

My wife and I were getting dinner the other night on our way home from her brother's 5th grade play. At the drive through, the attendant stuck his head out and began asking us all sorts of questions... Are you in school? Where did you go? Do you like your job? Is that your baby in the back seat? He had a somewhat strange expression on his face, and sounded as though he had puffed on a joint within the last hour, or had not slept for days. We drove off with our food a few minutes later exchanging sarcasms about how "weird" that guy appeared to be.

But as we drove along, my wife brought up a good point. When did individuals like my wife and I start believing guys like our friend at the drive through are up to no good, and not just being plain old fashioned friendly? Although I was not around fifty years ago, I can tell you from accounts of elders that it didn't used to be that way. If a random person started talking with you, most of the time a friendly conversation would arise. But not anymore.

I guess today, there are too many ways for people to take advantage of you. Stealing your identity, scamming you for money etc. I guess our guard is working overtime all the time, to keep our families and ourselves safe from all the possible vectors that could come within striking distance of our comfort zones. We automatically put up our guard against anyone we don't know, until we can assess the situation and determine if this individual is a threat or not. I'm not talking about the couple sitting next to you on the bleachers at your child's little league game, but the cashier at the grocery store. When was the last time you had a conversation with the guy that sacks your groceries, or the cashier that rings you up at the drug store?

So just think about it for a while. The next time someone in your drive through, or cash register makes an attempt at small talk, will you turn a weary cheek, or be refreshed in his or her willingness to step outside the box and do something that not many people do much anymore?

Long live the power of conversation...

running log: Sept 28-Oct 5

2008-10-06T22:13:00.000-05:00

This will be the first substantial running week since I put running on hold about a week before our baby was born. The volume is not quite back up yet, but I can foresee I'm going to have to take my running where I can get it. Running is no longer a main priority for me. I was glad to get in about 3 days of running over the last week, each about six miles in distance, all approx one hour duration. I have a feeling most of my runs will have to cap out at one hour, so this will be a good incentive for me to do speed work if I want more mileage in shorter time frames.

These runs were done during the second week of medical leave that I was taking after Melissa and I had our baby, the temperatures outside are starting to get cooler, and I was able to make one of those runs early in the morning, and I even busted out my arm warmers for that run. I love it! All runs were done on the trail, I thought that maybe I would regain my endurance a little quicker if I ran trails, with the terrain variation, ups and downs that running on flat roads would not offer. Not to mention the joints that haven't run in over two weeks.

I'm hoping to get back into a groove, maybe get my mileage back up to about 25-30/week, but again, emphasis on the "I'll take what I can get."

This week is a good start to the rest of my running life. I have a son now, and potential running partner. Lets hope.

week total: 19.5mi (3:12)

Review of Nathan HPL 20

2008-10-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

I went out for about an hour run yesterday morning. Fall is finally here! The temps were in the low to mid 50s and the foliage is starting to turn the yellow, and deep reds, making everything out on the trails look amazing. It was also the first run I tried out my new Nathan HPL 20 hydration pack. I've never been a huge fan of anything riding on my back when I run, mainly because packs that I have used in the past have been awkward, bulky and bounce with every step. I generally prefer handheld hydration but I also like the ability to carry extra gear, especially in the coming fall and winter months. The pack worked amazingly well. Its low profile design and "harness" system is what I have been looking for. The harness system makes the pack sit high on your back, not around your hips which for me, messes with my gait. The main compartment of the pack only holds a 70oz bladder, and has an additional compartment of only about 100cu in of storage capacity. This minimalist approach (in terms of packs) is what I believe makes this pack a success.