WTF, seriously.

Saturday:

5:45 AM: Wake-Up. It's pouring rain outside (first time it has rained around here in about a month.....) 5K @ 7:30 am. See the rain, contemplate not going to the race.

6:10 AM: Finish light breakfast. Decide to go to the race.

6:30 AM: Actually leave house. Still raining. Distance from home to race: 9-10 miles.

7:00 AM: Arrive @ race site. STOPS RAINING! I am now glad to be there. Pick up my T-shirt and number.

7:15 AM: Use bathroom. Most disgusting bathroom I have been in in a long, long time. This was a permanent bathroom, not a port-a-john.

7:30 AM: Race starts. 118 total participants, including 3 members of the "channel 6 action news crew" that were introduced before the race.....whoop-dee-doo.....

7:52:43 AM: Finish the 5K. Finished 36th overall, felt really good.

8:00 AM: Walked a couple laps around the HS track (where the finish line was), half-ass stretched and grabbed a bagel.

8:15 AM: Finish bagel, beginning to wonder why everyone is still hanging around. I leave.

That was my race-day. The run itself felt really good, however I was a little bummed that I ran 22:44 when my half-way point split was 10:20. I was running the 2nd half of the race with other people in-mind, meaning that I stayed around the same people the entire time, instead of just pushing myself to the limit. I had a little left at the end.

I proceeded to move (also known as: change residencies) the rest of the day on Saturday. Thanks to Dave, Samantha, Chris T., Erik, Sonya, Mom, and Dad for helping us move. We got it done pretty quickly on Saturday, but I developed a little left knee tendonitis during the day on Saturday (Probably from running a 5K, then all the 'heave-ho' of moving......I didn't stretch thoroughly enough after my race on Saturday....my bad). My leg was pretty stiff on Sunday, but it feels pretty good today.

Sunday was a family day, over at my wife's parents house. It was fun, but tiring. It's been a long weekend.

Monday morning, I was curious to see what my official time and place were from Saturday. I log into my Athlinks site, and find my time and place. My official time was 22:44, and my place was THIRD for my age group. That is good news, but I left before the award ceremony. I assumed that 22:44, 36th overall, wouldn't 'get me anything', but apparently it did. Crap.

Goodbye, Hello.

One year ago today I did something that I used to always say I'd never do. Leave the state of Michigan. It was on July 26th, 2006 that my wife and I packed up the Uhaul and took off to see what is outside of the mitten. We had both lived in the mitten for the significant parts of our lives, and to leave the comforts of home (not only the city, but the entire state) was not an easy decision. I can't point to one specific reason why we left then, and that hasn't changed today. There still isn't a reason why we did it, other than 'we felt like it'.

My last job in Detroit was in professional sports, working in the Detroit Tigers front office. It had always been a dream of mine to work in professional sports, and I achieved it, but for some reason I had no problem quitting my job w/the Tigers and moving to TN with no job in place. To rub salt in the wound, the Tigers made it to the 2006 World Series and I got to watch it from TN. Had I stayed, I would have had an American League Championship ring. Bling Bling, for real.

I am very surprised to say that everything mentioned above doesn't bother me. Sure, I miss working in Pro baseball, but I don't miss the low pay and the long hours. It would have been cool to have a blinged-up ring, but it's not the end of the world that I don't have one. I grew up a 'things' person, always wanting the latest and greatest....you know, the typical American attitude. I'm just not like that anymore. I don't need things to make me feel good about myself. I do have good people in my life, and I think that has helped me more than anything else.

My wife and I are getting ready to move this weekend across town, and it's forcing me to take an inventory of my stuff--and I am getting rid of a lot of it. If I haven't touched it in a year, it's gone. Plain and simple. If I can go 1 year without it, I can go 60 more.

This could go on and on forever, but long story-short Amber and I have been in TN a year and we are very happy here. Things are going well and we have made some good friends. I am not going to speak for Amber, but I couldn't be happier here.

I smell like Taco Bell

Remember how I said I eat very poorly? Well, today I went to Taco Bell for lunch. It's about 2:30 pm now, and I can still smell the stench of that dump on my person. (on my person = cop term) I also say 'on my person' because I don't know exactly what part of my body the taco stench is emanating from. So I can't figure out what part of my body to pay extra attention to in the shower. It's pretty frustrating.

Speaking of restaurant stenches, when I lived in Michigan, I worked right next door to a Panera Bread for 4 years. To this day, I will not set foot into a Panera Bread because you leave there smelling like the place for a day or so afterwards. Subway is like this also (but not as bad as Panera)

I also think I lied in my blog yesterday. Not about the Anniversary or the fact that I love my wife, but the part about taking Wednesday and Thursday off to rest for Saturday. After my wife read my blog last night, she demanded she gave me a massage to relax my muscles and try to rehab me a little bit so I can continue my running. So she did, and I feel pretty good today. I think I can handle 4 miles today. I also have eaten like an idiot today so I feel like I better burn off some of the calories I've ingested.

I sound like a broken record, but I really need to stop eating fast food and drinking soda. I know I am running a lot, but that should not be my excuse for eating like a moron.

PS: I am looking for some new running music. Suggestions.............

Rest In Peace, Legs

Unfortunately, I am altering my training schedule. I was really hoping to make it through this 21-week marathon training schedule verbatim, with no alterations or exceptions. I am 8 weeks into the training, and my legs just feel 'dead'. My run on Sunday was supposed to be 12 miles, but I had to cut it short at 7.5 miles. Yesterdays run was a slow, sloppy painful 3 miles.

(I am thinking out loud here) There are 2 different factors I am considering for this issue of mine. The first issue is my foot-strike. I notice that I pronate quite a bit, and I almost land fully on my arch when I run, with my toes pointed out a little bit. This is not an issue on shorter runs, nor is it an issue with a supportive shoe (no issue=no pain). When I was in Atlanta, and in a pinch, I bought Nike air Pegasus (which is a neutral cushion shoe, neutral cushion=no support against pronation). I have been running in these shoes for 4 weeks now, and am beginning to experience issues. (Right Achilles pain, Left outer knee pain....) Personally, I am leaning toward the shoe as the problem.

However, I went from sitting on the couch to running 4 times a week. (Well, I have never been a sedentary, or for that matter, overweight, person. I've been lucky and have always been able to keep up with my peers athletically. I haven't kept a running schedule in 10 years, however) This leads me to think that I've been running 20+ miles a week for 8 weeks now, and my legs are finally beginning to tire.

So, my solution is to go back to the running store (in which I work on the weekends) and buy another New Balance 1222, take the next 4 days off from running in order to rest for my 5k on Saturday. Hopefully, this is the only hiccup in my training.

PS: Today is my 3rd wedding anniversary. I love you Amber, you deserve a medal for putting up with all my crap.

Who wears short shorts?

If I had a picture of me before/after/during my runs, it would benefit you (the world) in a number of different ways:

1. You would see what I look like. That alone would benefit everyone.
2. You would see what I wear while I run

Well, I guess that's only 2, but it would help illustrate my situation.
I wear basketball shorts when I run, very similar to the guy on the right above. My wife gives me a hard time about this almost every time I run. She says it "looks weird", for one, and she also says if I had some lighter, shorter shorts my running would be easier. Everything she says makes perfect sense, and I worked in a running store for 4 years, so I KNOW she is right.

I just can't get over looking like these guys:

I know that I shouldn't care about how I look when I am running, and when it comes down to it I really don't. There is just something inside of me that is attached to my basketball short-running ways. Is it my way of 'keeping it real' and not conforming to the 'runner society'? Am I just plain stupid? (I really am the ONLY person I see running for as long/far as I do in shorts as long as mine are.....) One day I will give in and buy a pair of short shorts, I still work at the running store on Saturdays and I can get a set for pretty cheap. Once I give in, I'll let you (the world) know if I notice a difference. I already know the answer.

PS: I ran 6 miles on a treadmill yesterday (Thursday). It totally sucked 100%. I can't open up my stride on a treadmill and long runs are just uncomfortable. I guess I need to figure out 'how' to run 'normally' on a treadmill.

Softball already?

Apparently, my softball team that just finished has signed up for a fall league. This leaves me with a problem--to play or not to play????

I really do not want to get injured playing softball. Right now running is my main focus from an 'extracurricular' standpoint, however I know how hard it was to get guys to play in the Spring. I think I am going to play, but let them know at the outset that my priority lies with my running. That isn't my final decision, but it's where I am leaning. I hate being 'on the fence guy' but I really don't want to fully commit to another softball season right now.



Let me re-state that 10 miles of running is far, and it really puts 26.2 into perspective as well. My legs were sore until this morning from my 10-miler on Sunday, and this is Wednesday. My 3 mile run on Monday (the day after my 10-miler) was more of a 'trail of tears' than a productive run, first time that my long run has resulted in "next-day soreness" during this training session. Hopefully the only time. I am running 3 miles today (Wednesday) and 6 Thursday, those runs hopefully go well.

October is fast approaching and my miles are rapidly increasing. This is my 7th week of training and I have not missed a run. (I have had to re-arrange my 'off-days', but I haven't totally skipped a run). I have enjoyed reading other running blogs and following their stories. I am looking forward to heading home to Detroit (Detroit What!) and getting this marathon done!

10 miles is FAR.

Hello world, I hope everybody had a good weekend!

My run on Thursday was OK at best. Thankfully, I had clothes and shoes to run in, but it just didn't feel right at all. I didn't have my Ipod (which I rely on for pace--I don't wear a watch), and I was running in heavier, stability shoes. I normally run in my lighter, neutral cushion shoes and I actually noticed a big difference. It felt like I was running around with anchors on.

Friday and Saturday were resting days, and I went out for 10 miles on Sunday. 10 Miles!

I did survive the run, but it wasn't easy. During the first half of the run, I had energy from lunch (which consisted of Tacos and Mt Dew--also known as 'the lunch of champions'). I ended up running at about 5:30 pm, because I got too hungry to run at lunch time to go out and run then (when I originally wanted to). So I ate at about 1:30 and ran around 5:30. Miles 1-5 were great, good energy (taco power!), no soreness, plenty of wind.......I thought I was all good.

Miles 6-10 were a different story. The energy went away, I had noticeable ankle soreness, and slight cramps right at the end. Now, I have never run at lengths this far, nor times this long. I have never ran for 1 hour and 25 minutes without stopping before. I hope the soreness goes away after I do a few more 10+ mile runs.

I think it is important to note that I did not drink or eat anything during my run. My wife usually runs 2-3 miles while I am running these longer runs and she functions as my "drink station" after she is done with her running. She wasn't feeling good, so she didn't come with me on Sunday. For future reference, I think I will be much better served eating or drinking something at about mile 5. Hopefully that helps with the problems I was having Sunday.

On a side note, I really need to sit down one of these days and put together an Ipod play list for my running. I have a lot of crappy music on my Ipod right now, and that needs to change for these longer runs. I am paying more attention to changing songs than anything else during my runs and I don't like that.

On a second side note, the Godfather was on cable last night. That is a long movie.

This is neither emotionally deep, nor philosophically ground-breaking

My running this week has been good. Really good actually. I ran those 9 miles on Sunday, followed up by 5k on Tuesday and Wednesday. From how interesting/cool the run on Sunday was, I went back to the Dreadmill on Tuesday and the 'Hairy Old Man' track on Wednesday.

**To follow-up on the old hairy guys, I haven't seen them in a couple of weeks. Based on their age, I can't assume they 'surf the net' and from that I can't assume they read this blog. Maybe they actually did read my blog and stay at home now and cry instead of coming to the track. I hope not, and I hope they're OK.**

It's hard to believe that it's already Thursday. Where has this week gone?

I have been questioning my pacing on my runs since day one. I tend to think that my shorter runs should be faster (In a per mile sense) than my longer runs for them (my shorter runs) to be productive. So I am going to shoot for 8:30/mile on my longer runs, and 7:30/mile for my shorter runs. I am going to use 5 miles as the distinction distance between long and short.

I am to run 5 miles today, after work, and I forgot my shoes, running clothes and Ipod at home. So, I am borrowing clothes (from my brother-in-law who works with me and lives a lot closer to work than I do), not running with my Ipod and running in my 'everyday' shoes (which are New Balance 992--a running shoe, but not MY running shoe.....)

We'll see how this goes. Don't get your hopes up.

I am starting to suck at this whole blogging thing

I feel like I have let the world down. I am sorry, truly and deeply from the bottom of my heart.

Well, excuse #1 is I was on vacation. I had my laptop, and I broke it out and used it once, but I still should have taken time away from my trip and blogged for you, the people. I made a commitment to the world and I need to do a better job of sticking to it.

Excuse #2 is that my running has been interesting, but I don't really have any pictures. Last week I ran on an Army base twice and on the campus of Virginia Tech, which were all really interesting experiences. I wanted to have pictures from my vacation on my first blog after vacation, which leads me to excuse #3.......

.....and Excuse #3 is........my pictures are not uploaded onto my computer yet. It's not difficult, nor is it time-consuming. I just haven't done it yet. You can blame the Home Run Derby for that. (Or you could blame steroids, because in a round about way steroids are the reason I haven't uploaded my vacation pictures onto my computer yet)

In an attempt at increased web traffic, I am going to mention Paris Hilton and the Iphone now.

I just crossed the 100 mile plateau since the end of May. Yay for me:

100 Miles!!!!!!

I will say that Virginia Tech has a very nice campus. It is in the middle of nowhere ("there is a lot of farmland around here.......oh look, Virginia Tech is on the right....."), but I really liked how the campus was set up and the appearance of the buildings. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and there were a lot of people on campus.....some going to the chapel, some students moving in, some students hanging out....but I didn't notice any 'gawkers' or 'tourists', basically people who were there just to see the buildings where 'the stuff went down' and the memorials stemming from that tragedy. (For the record, I visit college campuses whenever I can. When I got to VT, I did not know the names of the buildings in which the shootings took place, nor did I ask around to find out. Consequentially, I ran by them during my 9-mile run. I looked up the names after I got home, out of curiosity, and I was surprised to know that the buildings didn't have any markings indicating that 'something bad happened here'.....No warning tape, fences, broken windows...etc)

From what I could tell, the University took down all the 'student made' memorials and started construction on a permanent memorial right in front of Burruss Hall on the courtyard (it's called the drillfield by the locals). It was not complete, but still nice. I guess construction started on the memorial in mid-June and should be done before the fall semester starts.

I could understand that the university doesn't want new students to be reminded of what happened in April, and that's why the fences were taken down around the 2 buildings and the memorials were basically moved to one place. To me, the campus looked normal. (This is where those pictures I was talking about earlier would have helped....) I couldn't tell what two buildings the shootings happened in just based on running by.

So, my 9-mile run on campus went well. I definitely was dehydrated afterwards (I can thank the diet coke at breakfast for that), but other than that my pace was 8:45/mile, which I am fine with. Due to the dehydration, I didn't sweat all that much and my knees ached a little. I will say that the run seemed like it took foorrreeevvveeerrrrr. Not because it was 9 miles, but my miles individually seemed like they were taking much longer than normal to roll by (the joys of Nike+Nano). My pace was consistent with what it's always been, so I guess it was just one of those days.

On a health note--I think I may have caught Bronchitis while in Virgina Beach. I'll keep everyone posted. I have had a scratchy throat for the last 2 days and my nose and lungs are a little plugged up. I've wrote enough for today. This is long. Thats what she said.

Sorry World, I have failed you.

I apologize that I haven't been updating my blog. I have no excuse, but my wife and I are in Virginia Beach this week visiting some friends. we are having a blast and staying on an Army base here in Newport News, VA (It's about 30 min. from the coast) We are on Fort Eustis, and it's the first time I have been to an Army base. It makes the fact that one of my best friends is in the Army very real. It's a little weird, but I have a totally new respect for him (and his family for accepting that lifestyle) and I am very glad we're here.

I have done my last 2 runs (3 miles yesterday, 5 miles today) here on base and it really gave me an opportunity to see the base close up. The Army does everything 'bare bones' you could say. The buildings are good and functional, but no 'modern day' frills, and of course, when soldiers are working or doing something Army related, they are all wearing the same uniform (usually camouflage) and nobody has any facial hair. Before I came here, I 'knew' all this.....but being here and seeing it up close is totally different. I honestly don't think I'd last 20 minutes in the Army. I could handle all the physical and mental abuse, I just couldn't make that long of a commitment and give my life up like that for four years. That would be the hardest part of the Army for me, the commitment as a whole.

On Saturday, Amber and I are heading home to Knoxville. The drive is about 8 hours and we are stopping in Roanoke, VA to stay the night Saturday night. Roanoke is about 4 hours from the beach and 4 hours from Knoxville, so it's a good stopping point. Roanoke is also near Virginia Tech University, and we want to stop there and see the campus. First off, I hear it's an amazing campus and should be a nice place to run my 9 miles on Sunday. We also would like to see where the shootings happened and see if there are any memorials left and pay our respects to the people who lost their lives while attempting to better their lives by attending college. It's scary to think that what happened at VT could theoretically happen anywhere, and I just feel for those who lost their lives that day.

Q: What's up with the unicycles??

A: While I was on my 8-mile run on Sunday, there was a guy sharing the trail with me on a unicycle. Seriously.