Yes, I've been a slacker since Kiawah. I'm spending some time soul searching, trying to figure out what I personally want to achieve in 2009. Until then I have plenty of tasks to accomplish around the house this week.
During my brief hiatus, please enjoy another great video from our NewSpring Church Christmas service. These are some incredibly talented individuals. I'm hoping that I'll soon have a video of the performance of Saviour King to post also. Inspiration is just a click away.
It is well from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Do I belong to a cool Church or what?
I wish we could have seen this live, but the HD simulcast in Greenville was pretty darn awesome too. That’s RoseAngela this past Sunday singing “All I Want for Christmas” in Anderson, SC at NewSpring Church. This weekend over 15,000 people will attend the various Christmas services at NewSpring (Anderson, Greenville and Florence campuses).Why not join us and be part of something very special that is happening.
All I Want for Christmas from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
All I Want for Christmas from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
“Hey Mister”
Some people are born to be great storytellers, I’m not. Much like jokes, I can’t remember the details to make the punch line work. That makes the following events even more remarkable, because the events not only happened, but happened to me. Here is my best attempt at faithfully repeating the story.
We were on our way to Kiawah Island for the Kiawah Half Marathon. We being myself, Gerri and our friends Robin and Eric. The trip to Kiawah down Interstate 26 required the obligatory stop at a rest area to take care of business. Not sure why they are called rest areas, does anyone really stop to rest?
I went into the Men’s Room, turned the corner and found three urinals. The far left urinal was taken by an older gentleman, and the far right urinal by a little boy. According to “the urinal game”, the man and boy had assumed the proper positions based upon a three urinal configuration. Of course, this left no choice but for me to choose the center urinal.
As I stood there taking care of business, the little boy said “Hey mister, there’s a lizard by your foot.” For a guy that does not like bugs, spider, snakes and all creepy crawly creatures, this was not a comforting statement. I looked down and confirmed the little boys’ words. My heart rate jumped a few beats.
As the boy had finished his business, he decided to take a closer look, at the lizard silly. As he got closer to the lizard, the lizard started turning and inching towards my foot. Because I was somewhat temporarily detained by my situation, I could do nothing by hope that the lizard would change directions. A quick movement and it was gone. I think I may have said a short prayer to myself.
And then it happened. “Hey mister, the lizard went inside your pants!” Heart rate now skyrocketing, visualizing that the lizard had only one place to go, up. I had no choice but to do the only thing I could and without hesitation I threw my leg quickly out behind me and slightly to the right hoping that the lizard would shoot out due to the incredible thrust. It worked as a saw the lizard come flying out of my pants leg and shoot across the floor. What a relief.
“Hey mister, you stepped on his tail.” Now what, and I look down to see about 2 inches of lizard tail slithering back and forth like a recently killed snake. I continued to watch this site in horror while finishing up my business. Somehow I managed to keep breathing and not completely scream like a little girl.
The little boy had washed his hands and returned to see if the tail was still wiggling, which it was. As I washed my hands, I heard the man; the little boys Grandfather perhaps, ask him if he was going to pick up the tail. I wanted to scream NO, not only because it was a lizard tail, but also a lizard tail sitting beneath a urinal in a public restroom with who knows what on the floor. Luckily the boy lost interest in the tail and followed the man out of the restroom.
I regained my composure, walked to the car and after a minute repeated the story to Gerri, Eric and Robin. In between my tears of laughter (horror) we all got a huge laugh out of the little boy and the lizard in my pants. It wasn’t funny at the time, but continues to make me laugh now just thinking about it and how it would have sounded to someone sitting in one of the bathroom stalls.
We were on our way to Kiawah Island for the Kiawah Half Marathon. We being myself, Gerri and our friends Robin and Eric. The trip to Kiawah down Interstate 26 required the obligatory stop at a rest area to take care of business. Not sure why they are called rest areas, does anyone really stop to rest?
I went into the Men’s Room, turned the corner and found three urinals. The far left urinal was taken by an older gentleman, and the far right urinal by a little boy. According to “the urinal game”, the man and boy had assumed the proper positions based upon a three urinal configuration. Of course, this left no choice but for me to choose the center urinal.
As I stood there taking care of business, the little boy said “Hey mister, there’s a lizard by your foot.” For a guy that does not like bugs, spider, snakes and all creepy crawly creatures, this was not a comforting statement. I looked down and confirmed the little boys’ words. My heart rate jumped a few beats.
As the boy had finished his business, he decided to take a closer look, at the lizard silly. As he got closer to the lizard, the lizard started turning and inching towards my foot. Because I was somewhat temporarily detained by my situation, I could do nothing by hope that the lizard would change directions. A quick movement and it was gone. I think I may have said a short prayer to myself.
And then it happened. “Hey mister, the lizard went inside your pants!” Heart rate now skyrocketing, visualizing that the lizard had only one place to go, up. I had no choice but to do the only thing I could and without hesitation I threw my leg quickly out behind me and slightly to the right hoping that the lizard would shoot out due to the incredible thrust. It worked as a saw the lizard come flying out of my pants leg and shoot across the floor. What a relief.
“Hey mister, you stepped on his tail.” Now what, and I look down to see about 2 inches of lizard tail slithering back and forth like a recently killed snake. I continued to watch this site in horror while finishing up my business. Somehow I managed to keep breathing and not completely scream like a little girl.
The little boy had washed his hands and returned to see if the tail was still wiggling, which it was. As I washed my hands, I heard the man; the little boys Grandfather perhaps, ask him if he was going to pick up the tail. I wanted to scream NO, not only because it was a lizard tail, but also a lizard tail sitting beneath a urinal in a public restroom with who knows what on the floor. Luckily the boy lost interest in the tail and followed the man out of the restroom.
I regained my composure, walked to the car and after a minute repeated the story to Gerri, Eric and Robin. In between my tears of laughter (horror) we all got a huge laugh out of the little boy and the lizard in my pants. It wasn’t funny at the time, but continues to make me laugh now just thinking about it and how it would have sounded to someone sitting in one of the bathroom stalls.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Coming Soon - Kiawah Adventures
Check back soon for our Kiawah Island weekend. Travels with friends, a Half Marathon and a lizard story.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Who Do You Run For?
Team Winter- 2008 Athletes for a Cure Triathlon from Athletes for a Cure on Vimeo.
http://teamwinter.org/Default.aspx
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=33773266306
Winter Vinecki is an amazing young lady. If this story doesn't bring tears to your eyes, I'm not sure anything will. It really makes you think, who do you run for?
Saturday, November 29, 2008
36-0
Alabama stays undefeated and #1 in the country by absolutely destroying the auburn tigers today. 12-0 on the season.
What a great day and energy filled environment. Life doesn't get much better!
What a great day and energy filled environment. Life doesn't get much better!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Night Before Iron Bowl
Friday, the day before the Iron Bowl. Gerri and I slept in, well slept in by our standards anyway. We enjoyed some coffee while checking emails, blogs, etc this morning, then showered and packed for our trip to Alabama. We stopped in Anderson for lunch at Olive Garden, but quickly realized the wait time would be long with many people waiting outside. We diverted to Wendy's and then completed the drive to Birmingham. During the trip we listened to a few podcasts of Phedipidations and Run, Run, Live.
We got to our home away from home, the Comfort Inn around 3:00. We settled in and relaxed watching LSU lose to Arkansas before meeting Bama friends Alan and Linda for dinner at Johnny Carino's. It was nice spending some time with them, even though our waitress did everything she could to rush us out from the time we sat down until the time we left. This with absolutely NOBODY waiting for tables.
The anticipation of the game with Auburn tomorrow is growing and I can tell that both Gerri and I are getting anxious, ready for the game to be here. It's hard to believe that 12 games have once again come and gone. It has been an exciting season and tomorrow we can complete another undefeated season by beating Auburn and putting an end to our miserable losing streak against them.
One thought crossed my mind as I was driving today. As the end of another year approaches, it is time to begin thinking about my running goals for 2009. I need to look at key races and then plan my training to achieve the results that I would like. In addition, I want to come up with a Bucket List for races. I know this would be a fluid list, and in some cases may be a stretch. You'll have to check back in the future to see my list.
We got to our home away from home, the Comfort Inn around 3:00. We settled in and relaxed watching LSU lose to Arkansas before meeting Bama friends Alan and Linda for dinner at Johnny Carino's. It was nice spending some time with them, even though our waitress did everything she could to rush us out from the time we sat down until the time we left. This with absolutely NOBODY waiting for tables.
The anticipation of the game with Auburn tomorrow is growing and I can tell that both Gerri and I are getting anxious, ready for the game to be here. It's hard to believe that 12 games have once again come and gone. It has been an exciting season and tomorrow we can complete another undefeated season by beating Auburn and putting an end to our miserable losing streak against them.
One thought crossed my mind as I was driving today. As the end of another year approaches, it is time to begin thinking about my running goals for 2009. I need to look at key races and then plan my training to achieve the results that I would like. In addition, I want to come up with a Bucket List for races. I know this would be a fluid list, and in some cases may be a stretch. You'll have to check back in the future to see my list.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Battling The Inner Running Demons
I guess we've all been there at some point. This morning my demons returned and now I have less than a week to vanquish them.
What happened this morning was the Electric City Gobbler 5K. Gerri and I ran it last year and enjoyed running on Thanksgiving morning enough that we signed up again this year. This is a pretty casual race with a nice turnout. The morning was sunny and crisp, with temps in the low 30s when the race started around 8:30.
Gerri has been pointing to this race to get her sub 30 minute 5K, so she was pretty excited. I've been battling a head and chest cold and debated internally if I even wanted to run. I decided it was a race time decision, because I really needed to get back on the road to get some miles. I made the decision to run, but take it easy.
It was a bad decision. Things started out well as I allowed the group to pull away which most would have any way. I decided a 30 or 31 minute 5K would be okay and even given my health issues shouldn't be a problem. I'm not fast, with a PR of about 27 minutes, but 30 minute 5K are not usually a problem.
First mile was about 10:15 pace and felt okay and then suddenly, Houston we have a problem. And not the problem I expected. First my right shin started hurting and then my left shin started bothering me too. What the hell, I haven't had shin pain in a long time and it certainly isn't an overuse injury with my mileage. Within a few minutes time, my pace had slowed as I felt like a Clydesdale clomping down the street. I had no choice, I had to stop and walk.
This is a 5K and I'm walking? After a minute, the pain let up and I started "jogging" again. Around mile 2 I had to walk again due to the pain. Now I'm being passed by little kids, overweight adults and a senior citizen using a walker. Okay that might be an exageration, but you get the idea.
Not only was the last mile slow, painful and filled with walk breaks, but my mind was swimming. How am I going to run a Half Marathon at Kiawah next weekend when I can barely finish a 5K? Can I even finish this 5K? A back entrance to the mall appears and I briefly consider taking this short cut and calling it a day. No, I have finished every race I have started and I'm not quiting.
The end is finally in sight. My shins are killing me. My head is spinning. A combination of not being able to breath due to the chest cold and not being able to think with so many thoughts running through my head. I see Gerri and Robby near the finish. I'm hoping she did well (she did with a new PR), and trying not to fall over in front of the group as I cross the finish line. I'm hoping that no pictures were taken because I'm sure I have a painful, dazed look on my face.
The time was ugly, 35:22. I'm embarrassed to even post that information, but it is a fact of life. I need to deal with it and put it behind me. This week I need to face my demons. Get a few short, easy runs done and see what the body and shins feel like. I know I can complete the Half Marathon, and I'm going to spend every remaining day focusing on shedding those nasty demons.
More Great Moments in Bama History
The Goal Line Stand (1979 National Championship Game)
The Strip (1992 National Championship Game)
The Strip (1992 National Championship Game)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Iron Bowl Week
Almost time for Bama to end the auburn streak and put things in the universe back in their rightful place. Amazing how dead on the following commercial is to reality.
ROLL TIDE ROLL!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Time Warp
No, not the Rocky Horror Picture Show Time Warp, but has it really been a week since I last ran? How is that possible? And the Kiawah Half is now only a little over a week and a half away.
I've actually been battling with a chest cold. You know that kind that starts with gunk running down your throat and eventually it all hardens up and decides to wreak havoc with your breathing. The never ending unproductive coughs, the heaviness in the chest. Yeah, that kind.
It's actually starting to feel a bit better, although I still have some gunk running down my throat causing the normal irritation, and some residual coughing that is finally starting to get some of the gunk up and out.
I adjusted my schedule this week, so no travel for work. It's nice to be home for a change and able to spend more time with Gerri. We did the family Thanksgiving "extravaganza" on Sunday, so this week will be more low key. We'll spend a quiet Thanksgiving day with Gerri's Mom and Step dad, going to The Steak House Cafeteria in Wahalla for lunch and then going to see their weekend retreat home for the 1st time. We affectionately call it "Rattlesnake Ridge" although a few other names have been thrown out too.
Friday we'll head to Birmingham for the Iron Bowl on Saturday. For those that don't follow football, the Iron Bowl is the annual heated rivalry game between the University of Alabama and Auburn University. This will be our last trip to Alabama for a football game this season, although we plan on attending our bowl game, most likely in Miami or New Orleans.
Running wise, I think I'll try to get in an easy 3 miles today to see how I feel. We have the 5K Electric City Gobbler in Anderson on Thanksgiving morning and then a scheduled longer run on Friday or Saturday.
One more note, we went to see the Boiling Springs High School Drama production of "Dearly Departed" this past Saturday night. While it can be hard to appreciate high school performances, especially musicals, they actually did a pretty good job with this one. Our daughter Chelsea, headed up Sound and did an EXCELLENT job. She has one more play left in her high school career, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." I guess we can make it through one more musical, although I'd prefer to see a real musical like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I've actually been battling with a chest cold. You know that kind that starts with gunk running down your throat and eventually it all hardens up and decides to wreak havoc with your breathing. The never ending unproductive coughs, the heaviness in the chest. Yeah, that kind.
It's actually starting to feel a bit better, although I still have some gunk running down my throat causing the normal irritation, and some residual coughing that is finally starting to get some of the gunk up and out.
I adjusted my schedule this week, so no travel for work. It's nice to be home for a change and able to spend more time with Gerri. We did the family Thanksgiving "extravaganza" on Sunday, so this week will be more low key. We'll spend a quiet Thanksgiving day with Gerri's Mom and Step dad, going to The Steak House Cafeteria in Wahalla for lunch and then going to see their weekend retreat home for the 1st time. We affectionately call it "Rattlesnake Ridge" although a few other names have been thrown out too.
Friday we'll head to Birmingham for the Iron Bowl on Saturday. For those that don't follow football, the Iron Bowl is the annual heated rivalry game between the University of Alabama and Auburn University. This will be our last trip to Alabama for a football game this season, although we plan on attending our bowl game, most likely in Miami or New Orleans.
Running wise, I think I'll try to get in an easy 3 miles today to see how I feel. We have the 5K Electric City Gobbler in Anderson on Thanksgiving morning and then a scheduled longer run on Friday or Saturday.
One more note, we went to see the Boiling Springs High School Drama production of "Dearly Departed" this past Saturday night. While it can be hard to appreciate high school performances, especially musicals, they actually did a pretty good job with this one. Our daughter Chelsea, headed up Sound and did an EXCELLENT job. She has one more play left in her high school career, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." I guess we can make it through one more musical, although I'd prefer to see a real musical like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Inspiration From Mountain Brook Run
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Posted on a sign at the gas station water stop used by many running groups.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Posted on a sign at the gas station water stop used by many running groups.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
3 Mile on TM in Jax
It's Tuesday night and I'm sitting in my room at the Comfort Suites in Jacksonville. In a few minutes, The Biggest Loser will come on, and after that it will be time for bed. Getting up at 5:00am each day means getting to bed early, something that I have not been very good at doing lately.
After getting back to the hotel this afternoon, I started thinking about my current training compared to my training at this time last year. I reviewed my training log on Buckeye Outdoors. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable and fit into my work schedule. I was consistently getting in 20+ mile weeks. That was the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Training Plan.
I pulled Hal Higdon up, looked at the plan and it felt like an old friend. Running 4 days a week works for me, but somehow I slipped into this once a week long run routine, kidding myself that it was working. It's not.
The more I looked, the more I knew that it was right. And it inspired me to get my running gear on and head downstairs to the treadmill. I had a nice run, starting at 11:00 pace and finishing about 9:00. It was a good start. I need to gradually add some shorter runs each week until my body gets used to the increased number of runs and mileage. Too much too fast equals injury and that does nobody any good.
Kiawah, Tybee and Shamrock.
Weekend postscript. Another great weekend in Bama, although a bit "cooler" than usual. Our Alabama Crimson Tide won another game, knocking off Mississippi State and moving to 11-0 while retaining the #1 ranking. The tailgate and game were cold, windy and rainy. It was even colder because our core temperatures had not fully recovered from the 12 mile run in the cold, wind and rain. Did I mention that we had a great time!
After getting back to the hotel this afternoon, I started thinking about my current training compared to my training at this time last year. I reviewed my training log on Buckeye Outdoors. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable and fit into my work schedule. I was consistently getting in 20+ mile weeks. That was the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Training Plan.
I pulled Hal Higdon up, looked at the plan and it felt like an old friend. Running 4 days a week works for me, but somehow I slipped into this once a week long run routine, kidding myself that it was working. It's not.
The more I looked, the more I knew that it was right. And it inspired me to get my running gear on and head downstairs to the treadmill. I had a nice run, starting at 11:00 pace and finishing about 9:00. It was a good start. I need to gradually add some shorter runs each week until my body gets used to the increased number of runs and mileage. Too much too fast equals injury and that does nobody any good.
Kiawah, Tybee and Shamrock.
Weekend postscript. Another great weekend in Bama, although a bit "cooler" than usual. Our Alabama Crimson Tide won another game, knocking off Mississippi State and moving to 11-0 while retaining the #1 ranking. The tailgate and game were cold, windy and rainy. It was even colder because our core temperatures had not fully recovered from the 12 mile run in the cold, wind and rain. Did I mention that we had a great time!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
12 miler in Mountain Brook
Just back from a 12 mile jaunt through Mountain Brook and Homewood, AL. It was cold, windy and overcast. Run completed in 2:19 for an 11:34 pace.
Now I have to grab a quick shower and head down to Tuscaloosa for the Bama vs. Miss State game. I'll update later, probably Sunday night.
Roll Tide Roll!
Now I have to grab a quick shower and head down to Tuscaloosa for the Bama vs. Miss State game. I'll update later, probably Sunday night.
Roll Tide Roll!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Drive & Determination
I used to think that I had lots of drive and determination, but as my training continues to be completely wishy-washy, I've been really questioning my own commitment. We all go through some highs and lows, ebbs and flows, but it's time to re-commit.
I can't think of a more driven person than Alabama Football Coach, Nick Saban. Is there a more driven coach in football? Watch the video from this week and you'll be as fired up as I am, AIGHT!
I can't think of a more driven person than Alabama Football Coach, Nick Saban. Is there a more driven coach in football? Watch the video from this week and you'll be as fired up as I am, AIGHT!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
5 miles + 5K +Bama Football
Okay, Gerri and I ran 5 miles of our planned 7 miles, then headed over to the YMCA and ran in a 5K charity event. 5 miles was tough (GI issues), but enjoyed the 5K with Gerri and she got a PR.
ROLL TIDE ROLL!
Update - Bama won in OT 27-21 and are still #1.
We had a wonderful Sunday with family, friends and church at NewSpring before I had to leave for Chattanooga. Today I was in meetings and then had to drive to Savannah. It's now late, I'm tired and have to get up early. Updates and hopefully a run on Tybee tomorrow.
Postscript on this blog. It was a long week. I never did get a run in this week while in Savannah. I got home Thursday night around 6:15pm, in time for dinner with Gerri at Arizona Steakhouse. We then moved over to Starbucks and a great time with our NewSpring home group.
This morning (Friday), I dropped Gerri at work, went to the Blood Connection to donate platelets (and watch Bourne Ultimatum), and now I'm sitting in Liquid Highway waiting for my haircut appointment at noon. After my cut, I'm meeting our friend Ryan Sills for lunch at McAlisters Deli, a nice big spud on this cool rainy day.
I'll then head home, pack and pick up Gerri for the drive to Birmingham. We'll stop at Olive Garden north of Atlanta, and get in late. We have a 12 miler scheduled in Mountain Brook, and then the Bama game against Mississippi State tomorrow night.
Should be another great weekend.
ROLL TIDE ROLL!
Update - Bama won in OT 27-21 and are still #1.
We had a wonderful Sunday with family, friends and church at NewSpring before I had to leave for Chattanooga. Today I was in meetings and then had to drive to Savannah. It's now late, I'm tired and have to get up early. Updates and hopefully a run on Tybee tomorrow.
Postscript on this blog. It was a long week. I never did get a run in this week while in Savannah. I got home Thursday night around 6:15pm, in time for dinner with Gerri at Arizona Steakhouse. We then moved over to Starbucks and a great time with our NewSpring home group.
This morning (Friday), I dropped Gerri at work, went to the Blood Connection to donate platelets (and watch Bourne Ultimatum), and now I'm sitting in Liquid Highway waiting for my haircut appointment at noon. After my cut, I'm meeting our friend Ryan Sills for lunch at McAlisters Deli, a nice big spud on this cool rainy day.
I'll then head home, pack and pick up Gerri for the drive to Birmingham. We'll stop at Olive Garden north of Atlanta, and get in late. We have a 12 miler scheduled in Mountain Brook, and then the Bama game against Mississippi State tomorrow night.
Should be another great weekend.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A midweek run
Well sort of anyway. I woke and worked this morning in Yulee, FL. After my work day ended around 3:00 I drove the 100+ miles up I-95 to Savannah. I checked into the hotel, checked my emails, etc. and then headed to the "fitness center" to get a 3 mile run in on the treadmill. Yes, I have stayed at this Clarion before and used the TM.
Although I was hungry, I knew I could knock out the three miles easily before heading out to dinner. I was excited to hit the TM...for about 30 seconds. I'll admit that I get bored easily on the TM but that wasn't the issue tonight. The stupid TM belt was slipping badly causing me to constantly be readjusting my balance to avoid being thrown forward or off the back. The faster the speed, the worse the slippage. I stuck it out for two miles and finally called it quits. I sure would have liked to get another mile in, but it just wasn't worth risking injury and frustration.
After cooling down, I went out for a yummy dinner at Outback (7 oz filet, sweet potato, salad, bread and 3 big glasses of unsweet, yes unsweet tea). I then headed to a nearby Krystal location for my night visit. Unfortunately it went about as well as my TM experience, so tomorrow could be a real challenge.
Hopefully I'll be done around 3:00 tomorrow and home around 7:00. Looking forward to being home with Gerri and getting to spend some time with Chelsea and Heather. Running 7 miles Saturday morning downtown and then running the 5K Caine Halter Lungs for Life Run/Walk. Saturday afternoon will also feature the biggest game of the season for Alabama when we play LSU at LSU at 3:30pm. Sunday morning we'll be headed to NewSpring Greenville and then lunch with our good friends Eric and Robin.
Although I was hungry, I knew I could knock out the three miles easily before heading out to dinner. I was excited to hit the TM...for about 30 seconds. I'll admit that I get bored easily on the TM but that wasn't the issue tonight. The stupid TM belt was slipping badly causing me to constantly be readjusting my balance to avoid being thrown forward or off the back. The faster the speed, the worse the slippage. I stuck it out for two miles and finally called it quits. I sure would have liked to get another mile in, but it just wasn't worth risking injury and frustration.
After cooling down, I went out for a yummy dinner at Outback (7 oz filet, sweet potato, salad, bread and 3 big glasses of unsweet, yes unsweet tea). I then headed to a nearby Krystal location for my night visit. Unfortunately it went about as well as my TM experience, so tomorrow could be a real challenge.
Hopefully I'll be done around 3:00 tomorrow and home around 7:00. Looking forward to being home with Gerri and getting to spend some time with Chelsea and Heather. Running 7 miles Saturday morning downtown and then running the 5K Caine Halter Lungs for Life Run/Walk. Saturday afternoon will also feature the biggest game of the season for Alabama when we play LSU at LSU at 3:30pm. Sunday morning we'll be headed to NewSpring Greenville and then lunch with our good friends Eric and Robin.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I Can't Catch A Running Break
Today looked like a promising day for running. Got done in Jacksonville around 3:15 and headed north towards Yulee, FL, about 45 minutes north. Decided to have an early dinner since I knew there was not much around my hotel, so I stopped at Duval Rd near the airport. My new team member that I'm training was about a mile behind me due to traffic. I called gave him the exit number and told him how to meet me at Sticky Fingers.
Can someone tell me how you can get off at the right exit, be less than a 1/4 mile from the restaurant and then get lost and take almost 40 minutes (and three phone calls) to finally get to the restaurant. I had a nice dinner, except for the slightly spoiled unsweet tea and then drove the remaining 15 minutes to the hotel.
I expected to change into my running gear and hit the TM. I'm sorry the front desk exclaimed, we don't have a treadmill. Normally I'd opt for running outside, but we are on a busy, dark road with no shoulder. Looks like I'll another no run day.
Okay, so maybe I can watch the football game tonight. Sorry, the only channel on the TV that I can't see due to interference.
Oh wait, I missed the 1st half anyway having to finish and re-write the report from today's visit that should have been written and sent off almost 7 hours ago. Can anyone sense the stress and frustration in my evening? How about suggestions on teaching someone in their late 40's how to write using complete sentences, capitalization and punctuation.
I need chocolate and their is none to be found. Guess I'll have to settle for a chewable Vitamin C.
Tomorrow is another day.
Can someone tell me how you can get off at the right exit, be less than a 1/4 mile from the restaurant and then get lost and take almost 40 minutes (and three phone calls) to finally get to the restaurant. I had a nice dinner, except for the slightly spoiled unsweet tea and then drove the remaining 15 minutes to the hotel.
I expected to change into my running gear and hit the TM. I'm sorry the front desk exclaimed, we don't have a treadmill. Normally I'd opt for running outside, but we are on a busy, dark road with no shoulder. Looks like I'll another no run day.
Okay, so maybe I can watch the football game tonight. Sorry, the only channel on the TV that I can't see due to interference.
Oh wait, I missed the 1st half anyway having to finish and re-write the report from today's visit that should have been written and sent off almost 7 hours ago. Can anyone sense the stress and frustration in my evening? How about suggestions on teaching someone in their late 40's how to write using complete sentences, capitalization and punctuation.
I need chocolate and their is none to be found. Guess I'll have to settle for a chewable Vitamin C.
Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Random Run On Thoughts
There are no excuses today, I just was not able to push myself out the door and onto the treadmill at the hotel. I figured I would do it this afternoon, then I started checking emails, twitter and blogs. Then I got caught up in some stupid movie that I don't even know the name. Suddenly it was dinner with a co-worker. I kept telling myself that I would hit the TM after my dinner settled a little. Who was I kidding? Then the election results started coming in and it grabbed my attention even though I have to admit that I exercised my right not to vote. I honestly do not believe either candidate deserves to be President of our great country, but I suppose someone will have to win. I predicted this morning a double digit win for O'Bama and things appear to be headed in that direction. Now it's 9:46pm, I'm tired and have to be up at 5:00am. Tomorrow is another day, another chance to redeem myself. The next four years scare the hell out of me, luckily three of those years I'll be focused on supporting my beautiful wife as she tackles her JD at a Law School to be determined. Yes, lot's of random thoughts in a run on paragraph. I won't make a habit of it, but that's just the way I feel tonight.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Coming Soon
Okay I'll admit that I was a slacker in October. A bad slacker. I only got in three runs, that right THREE runs. A 12 miler, an 8 miler and a Half Marathon. No wonder it was so hard! I got in a similar number of blogs, maybe 1 or 2 more. I find neither of these acceptable, so November is kick myself in the butt month.
I already have an 8 mile run in, and although short, my first blog of the month. I'm going to attempt 3-4 runs and blogs each week. Assuming I'm successful I'll have a written record of my life (warts and all) and will hopefully be better prepared for the next Half Marathon on Dec 6th. I 'm hoping Kiawah will be a better run and my training leading up to it will provide an initial base on which to begin building my Marathon training.
Did I mention that Alabama Football is the #1 team in the country? Bama has not been ranked #1 in the regular season since 1980, although we were ranked #1 at the end of the 1992 season when we whipped Miami to win the National Championship. With Bama back on top, life seems to have returned to normal.
So 1 run in the books and now 1 blog. Today was a long travel day to Jacksonville, but I'm planning on getting in a few runs this week while I'm on the road. Feel free to kick me in the pants if I fall short this month.
I already have an 8 mile run in, and although short, my first blog of the month. I'm going to attempt 3-4 runs and blogs each week. Assuming I'm successful I'll have a written record of my life (warts and all) and will hopefully be better prepared for the next Half Marathon on Dec 6th. I 'm hoping Kiawah will be a better run and my training leading up to it will provide an initial base on which to begin building my Marathon training.
Did I mention that Alabama Football is the #1 team in the country? Bama has not been ranked #1 in the regular season since 1980, although we were ranked #1 at the end of the 1992 season when we whipped Miami to win the National Championship. With Bama back on top, life seems to have returned to normal.
So 1 run in the books and now 1 blog. Today was a long travel day to Jacksonville, but I'm planning on getting in a few runs this week while I'm on the road. Feel free to kick me in the pants if I fall short this month.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Spinx Runfest Half Marathon
Gerri and I completed the Spinx Runfest Marathon today. Unfortunately I'm too tired to blog about it now and too busy watching my Alabama Crimson Tide play on ESPN. Check back soon for my less than stellar race report.
A quick thanks to the volunteers, fans and runners for making the race. I met some great folks today including Larry, who has run 50 states not only once but twice. He was flying out of Greenville today to run a marathon in Cape Cod tomorrow. Larry, you are my hero.
A quick thanks to the volunteers, fans and runners for making the race. I met some great folks today including Larry, who has run 50 states not only once but twice. He was flying out of Greenville today to run a marathon in Cape Cod tomorrow. Larry, you are my hero.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A Bama weekend
After two very hectic, crazy, long and tiring weeks working at the new Krystal in Greenville, Gerri and I headed to Bama last night. We stopped at Carrabba's in Douglasville and arrived in Birmingham around 10:30 pm. We were both exhausted.
The alarm went off at 6:15 am and we got ready for an 8 mile run in Mountain Brook. I was a bit nervous, not having run in two weeks. The air was cool and crisp and the run turned out fantastic, other than a few stops for GI issues. My pace is slower than last year, but I'm really enjoying running with Gerri and seeing her getting faster and faster. Today was her fastest long run ever, which made it really fun for me.
After the run we drove by Samford University, to look at the Cumberland School of Law. This is one of her 6 choices. The campus is beautiful and we really like the area. I was surprised, but Cumberland probably moved up to my 2nd choice behind Alabama. We stopped at Panera Bread for breakfast, then quickly showered and changed at the hotel so that we could get down to Tuscaloosa.
We actually got a phone call from one of our tailgate friends, checking to see if we were okay. I guess arriving last after normally arriving first threw everyone off. We enjoyed seeing our friends and eating some good BBQ and goodies.
The Bama game was a nerve racking event. We trailed briefly for the 1st time this year, but then raced out to a 24-3 halftime lead. Bama played conservative and poor in the 2nd half and Ole Miss turned it up a notch and Bama hung on for a 24-20 victory. I hate the game was so close, but always happy for a victory and a 7-0 record. We won some close, ugly games during our last National Championship season, so a win is a win. Biggest impact may be our terrific nose tackle Terrence Cody, going out with what appears to be an MCL sprain/strain. At 365 pounds, that has to be a concern.
After the game we had a clear shot to Birmingham thanks to our great parking/tailgate spot and stopped at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. We are now relaxing and watching the South Carolina vs. LSU game. Gerri has fallen asleep and I'm getting ready to shut down for the night too. We plan on sleeping in tomorrow morning, and then heading to NewSpring Church for the 4:15 or 6:00 pm service.
Spinx Runfest Half Marathon is now one week away. Kiawah will be here before I know it.
The alarm went off at 6:15 am and we got ready for an 8 mile run in Mountain Brook. I was a bit nervous, not having run in two weeks. The air was cool and crisp and the run turned out fantastic, other than a few stops for GI issues. My pace is slower than last year, but I'm really enjoying running with Gerri and seeing her getting faster and faster. Today was her fastest long run ever, which made it really fun for me.
After the run we drove by Samford University, to look at the Cumberland School of Law. This is one of her 6 choices. The campus is beautiful and we really like the area. I was surprised, but Cumberland probably moved up to my 2nd choice behind Alabama. We stopped at Panera Bread for breakfast, then quickly showered and changed at the hotel so that we could get down to Tuscaloosa.
We actually got a phone call from one of our tailgate friends, checking to see if we were okay. I guess arriving last after normally arriving first threw everyone off. We enjoyed seeing our friends and eating some good BBQ and goodies.
The Bama game was a nerve racking event. We trailed briefly for the 1st time this year, but then raced out to a 24-3 halftime lead. Bama played conservative and poor in the 2nd half and Ole Miss turned it up a notch and Bama hung on for a 24-20 victory. I hate the game was so close, but always happy for a victory and a 7-0 record. We won some close, ugly games during our last National Championship season, so a win is a win. Biggest impact may be our terrific nose tackle Terrence Cody, going out with what appears to be an MCL sprain/strain. At 365 pounds, that has to be a concern.
After the game we had a clear shot to Birmingham thanks to our great parking/tailgate spot and stopped at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. We are now relaxing and watching the South Carolina vs. LSU game. Gerri has fallen asleep and I'm getting ready to shut down for the night too. We plan on sleeping in tomorrow morning, and then heading to NewSpring Church for the 4:15 or 6:00 pm service.
Spinx Runfest Half Marathon is now one week away. Kiawah will be here before I know it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Works Getting In The Way
Just a quick post in case anyone is reading this blog. No I haven't stopped blogging, although it appears I have. Unfortunately I also have not run in about 10 days. Not exactly the ideal taper for my upcoming Half on Oct. 25th.
The company I work for, Krystal Company, just opened a new restaurant in Greenville, SC yesterday. They asked me to spend last week assisting them with training and getting the store ready. This week is continued training and assisting with the store ops. I've been working about 12-13 hours a day and have been exhausted. When I got home yesterday, my feet and hips hurt worse than after the VT marathon in May.
I need to get in a run Wed or Thu morning and then Gerri and I will run 8 in Alabama on Saturday morning before the game.
Thanks to everyone for your comments.
The company I work for, Krystal Company, just opened a new restaurant in Greenville, SC yesterday. They asked me to spend last week assisting them with training and getting the store ready. This week is continued training and assisting with the store ops. I've been working about 12-13 hours a day and have been exhausted. When I got home yesterday, my feet and hips hurt worse than after the VT marathon in May.
I need to get in a run Wed or Thu morning and then Gerri and I will run 8 in Alabama on Saturday morning before the game.
Thanks to everyone for your comments.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Where Am I? Who Am I?
And what day is it? I really need to take a few minutes to catch my breath because the last few weeks have been craziness. Football season tends to be that way, combining weekend travel on top of my weekly work travel. Combine the lack of sleep last week and I'm still reeling.
The good news is I'll be working out of Greenville for the next two weeks as we get ready to open our newest Krystal restaurant on Oct. 13th.
Between now and Monday, things will stay nuts! I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Anderson, SC now, killing time and waiting for the Financial Learning Experience tonight at NewSpring. I'm going to bet that Joe Sangl brings out the big wood tonight with over 500 registered. We have been working on our debt reduction and this should help us get our arms wrapped better around the budgeting process.
Tomorrow morning is a scheduled 12 mile run, although I say what the hell, lets just due 13.1 and run the Spinx Half Marathon route for the hell of it. Of course I haven't run since last Sunday when the 10 miler kicked my butt.
After the run I get my haircut, then Gerri and I head to Bama. We get to fight the Taladega traffic this week, so there will be lots of drafting on the highway. We'll be meeting some friends for dinner tomorrow night in Birmingham. Gerri is taking the LSAT on Saturday morning at the University of Alabama, while I'm meeting friends from Florida for breakfast at the Waysider.
Then it's time to tailgate and get ready for the Crimson Tide game against Kentucky at 2:30 Central. We'll spend the night in Birmingham, then drive home Sunday, in time to volunteer at NewSpring for the 4:15 service. Gerri is a Greeter and I get to show my expertise in parking cars.
We'll finally get to relax for a few hours Sunday night before all hell breaks loose again on Monday morning. Life is crazy and I would not change it for anything!
The good news is I'll be working out of Greenville for the next two weeks as we get ready to open our newest Krystal restaurant on Oct. 13th.
Between now and Monday, things will stay nuts! I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Anderson, SC now, killing time and waiting for the Financial Learning Experience tonight at NewSpring. I'm going to bet that Joe Sangl brings out the big wood tonight with over 500 registered. We have been working on our debt reduction and this should help us get our arms wrapped better around the budgeting process.
Tomorrow morning is a scheduled 12 mile run, although I say what the hell, lets just due 13.1 and run the Spinx Half Marathon route for the hell of it. Of course I haven't run since last Sunday when the 10 miler kicked my butt.
After the run I get my haircut, then Gerri and I head to Bama. We get to fight the Taladega traffic this week, so there will be lots of drafting on the highway. We'll be meeting some friends for dinner tomorrow night in Birmingham. Gerri is taking the LSAT on Saturday morning at the University of Alabama, while I'm meeting friends from Florida for breakfast at the Waysider.
Then it's time to tailgate and get ready for the Crimson Tide game against Kentucky at 2:30 Central. We'll spend the night in Birmingham, then drive home Sunday, in time to volunteer at NewSpring for the 4:15 service. Gerri is a Greeter and I get to show my expertise in parking cars.
We'll finally get to relax for a few hours Sunday night before all hell breaks loose again on Monday morning. Life is crazy and I would not change it for anything!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Fly Like An Eagle
I know, I haven't blogged in a week. Hell, I haven't seen a newspaper, watched tv and barely had time to sleep. Total sleep time this week not counting last night was less than 10 hours. 10 HOURS! Throw in poor eating and hydration and no exercise and my body and mind are completely beat up.
So what happened? I was invited to attend participate in The Krystal Eagle Course in Chattanooga. Since 1999, Krystal has invited selected individuals with advancement potential to participate in this small leadership training class. We started Monday morning and ended Friday afternoon. The Class day ran about 11 hours and then we had a homework which consisted of reading, writing and creating group and individual projects that had to be presented the next morning. Our homework only took about 8-9 hours per night!
I thought the Marines were the only ones to mentally break you down to make you stronger.
The class was well structured, topics were appropriate and insightful and the instructors exceptional. Part of our homework task each night was to complete a topic feedback form as well as a Leader Feedback form for our Team Leaders. The Team Leader and Groups switched up every day.
We finished yesterday. Our group presentation was well received and finished up at 50 minutes. Speaking in front of a group every day certainly made me a better public speaker. After all the groups were done, we had one more class, a self evaluation and then an individual evaluation of our weekly performance, done by the three instructors. I was pleased that my evaluation was very strong, and even better that I received it from my bosses boss.
We started to get things wrapped up around 1:30 with Graduation. We were called up individually, received a plaque, diploma, shirt and watch and then had our pictures taken with the instructors. After everyone received their diplomas, they announce the TOP EAGLE award winner. The class voted on who they thought performed the best, the TOP EAGLE award. The class vote, plus the instructor vote, plus the results from your leader feedback form were the deciding factors. I was very thrilled to have been selected. Being recognized by your peers after a long, hard week was a great way to cap things off.
It was a long, difficult week and one that I would happily do all over again. Just give me plenty of time to rest and recover!
So what happened? I was invited to attend participate in The Krystal Eagle Course in Chattanooga. Since 1999, Krystal has invited selected individuals with advancement potential to participate in this small leadership training class. We started Monday morning and ended Friday afternoon. The Class day ran about 11 hours and then we had a homework which consisted of reading, writing and creating group and individual projects that had to be presented the next morning. Our homework only took about 8-9 hours per night!
I thought the Marines were the only ones to mentally break you down to make you stronger.
The class was well structured, topics were appropriate and insightful and the instructors exceptional. Part of our homework task each night was to complete a topic feedback form as well as a Leader Feedback form for our Team Leaders. The Team Leader and Groups switched up every day.
We finished yesterday. Our group presentation was well received and finished up at 50 minutes. Speaking in front of a group every day certainly made me a better public speaker. After all the groups were done, we had one more class, a self evaluation and then an individual evaluation of our weekly performance, done by the three instructors. I was pleased that my evaluation was very strong, and even better that I received it from my bosses boss.
We started to get things wrapped up around 1:30 with Graduation. We were called up individually, received a plaque, diploma, shirt and watch and then had our pictures taken with the instructors. After everyone received their diplomas, they announce the TOP EAGLE award winner. The class voted on who they thought performed the best, the TOP EAGLE award. The class vote, plus the instructor vote, plus the results from your leader feedback form were the deciding factors. I was very thrilled to have been selected. Being recognized by your peers after a long, hard week was a great way to cap things off.
It was a long, difficult week and one that I would happily do all over again. Just give me plenty of time to rest and recover!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
10 Miler & A HUGE Bama Win
Gerri and I slept in a little this morning. It was a late night, and the temps were going to be low with cloud cover and a strong breeze/wind. No reason to wake up early and ruin a good snooze. We eventually got up, geared up and went out. This would be our longest run since the marathon. We planned on three loops, mostly staying between 10th Ave and 25th Ave in North Myrtle, and avoiding the main drag, Ocean. Three loops meant we wouldn't have to carry or stash supplies.
The 1st loop was about 3.25 miles and was covered around a 10:45 pace. A bit faster than we intended, so we promised to slow down some for the next two loops. After a brief water and bathroom break, we headed back out, in reverse. Instead of staying on the same route, I varied it each time. Pace was slowed to around 11:00 or just slightly above. We finished the second loop at about 6.9 miles. Water, Accel Gel and off we went. Maintained the same pace, and after an emergency pit stop for Gerri, we finished off a nice run with a total pace of 10:54 for the 10 miles. I kicked in the last few tenths feeling good.
After showering, we settled down to each some pancakes and watch Bama CRUSH Arkansas 49-14. A nice win for our 1st SEC and road game. Aches and pains, nothing major but my left Achilles is a bit tender, knees a little balky and my right butt cheek is really sore. I think I need to blame that one on riding the roller coaster at Hard Rock Park yesterday.
Pretty well hydrated, so I decided it was time to crack open a Bud Light Lime as I watch Florida manhandle the TN Vols. Now if LSU can beat auburn tonight, the trifecta will be complete.
The 1st loop was about 3.25 miles and was covered around a 10:45 pace. A bit faster than we intended, so we promised to slow down some for the next two loops. After a brief water and bathroom break, we headed back out, in reverse. Instead of staying on the same route, I varied it each time. Pace was slowed to around 11:00 or just slightly above. We finished the second loop at about 6.9 miles. Water, Accel Gel and off we went. Maintained the same pace, and after an emergency pit stop for Gerri, we finished off a nice run with a total pace of 10:54 for the 10 miles. I kicked in the last few tenths feeling good.
After showering, we settled down to each some pancakes and watch Bama CRUSH Arkansas 49-14. A nice win for our 1st SEC and road game. Aches and pains, nothing major but my left Achilles is a bit tender, knees a little balky and my right butt cheek is really sore. I think I need to blame that one on riding the roller coaster at Hard Rock Park yesterday.
Pretty well hydrated, so I decided it was time to crack open a Bud Light Lime as I watch Florida manhandle the TN Vols. Now if LSU can beat auburn tonight, the trifecta will be complete.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
4 Miles @ Folly Beach
Last night we drove down to Folly Beach, a small island community just below Charleston, SC. We stopped at Carrabba's in Columbia for dinner on the way. We're here because Gerri is speaking at the SC EMS Leadership Conference today. The conference comped her room, which make the decision pretty easy.We stayed on the 6th floor, Oceanside, at the Holiday Inn. It was nice to sleep with the door opened and the sounds of the surf crashing against the beach. The cooler temps were also a nice change. I set my alarm for 7:15, but woke just prior to sunrise. I laid in bed listening to the surf as the sun brought everything to life. What a terrific way to start the day.
Gerri and I eventually got out of bed and headed out for a nice 4 miler. She must have been feeling pretty good because she set a steady 10 minute pace. After my poor 4 miler on Tuesday, the increased pace appeared to help me find my stride. I finished the last mile strong and was happy with a 9:53 average pace.
We grabbed some coffee and sat by the pool for a few minutes, then walked over to the Folly Beach Pier. Something about being at the beach just helps to ease the tension of everyday life. We got back to the room to shower and then got a phone call from my very upset daughter, Chelsea. She was calling from school (she's a senior at Boiling Springs) to let me know that her purse was stolen at the end of 1st block. Money, drivers licence, car keys, you name it. She was even more upset because she was supposed to be driving down to meet us in Myrtle Beach after school. Luckily I got a call an hour or so later saying that the purse had been recovered and nothing was missing. My heart that was aching for her, could get back to the relaxation phase.
We wandered up the street, found the Lost Dog Cafe and settled in for lunch. WOW! This small little local restaurant did not disappoint. I had a Black Bean Burger with Mango Chutney which was to die for. Gerri had a turkey wrap with pesto that was equally as good.
We wandered back to the hotel, and killed some time. Gerri is now doing her presentation and I'm waiting for her to get done. We'll be leaving here to drive to North Myrtle Beach for the next three days with family. Unfortunately, Heather will not be joining us because she found out yesterday that she has mono.
Heading to Hard Rock Park Friday and then a 10 mile run on Saturday morning followed by watching the Alabama vs. Arkansas game. Should be an interesting weekend.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Catching Up and Stuff
Where does the time go?
I'm leaving for Folly Beach about 5:00pm. Gerri has been asked to speak at a conference tomorrow. We'll get a 4 or 5 mile run done in the morning. After the conference we'll be driving to North Myrtle Beach to meet up with the family for the weekend. Chelsea and Heather will be driving down after school tomorrow. Planning on going to the Hard Rock Park on Friday, then getting in a nice 10 mile run on Saturday morning. Will head home on Sunday, then out to Chattanooga on Sunday night. Invited to participate in an intensive Advanced Management Class next week.
This past weekend we traveled to Alabama with the girls. Gerri and I got in a humid 9 miler on Saturday morning. Some Starbucks, shower, then Panera Bread for breakfast. The rest of the day was enjoying tailgating with friends and an Alabama victory over Western Kentucky. We drove home on Sunday, stopping in Anderson for the 4:15pm NewSpring Church Service.
My 30th High School class reunion was this past weekend in CT. I'm hoping to see some pics and get some updates from those that attended. Thirty years, where does the time go?
I'm leaving for Folly Beach about 5:00pm. Gerri has been asked to speak at a conference tomorrow. We'll get a 4 or 5 mile run done in the morning. After the conference we'll be driving to North Myrtle Beach to meet up with the family for the weekend. Chelsea and Heather will be driving down after school tomorrow. Planning on going to the Hard Rock Park on Friday, then getting in a nice 10 mile run on Saturday morning. Will head home on Sunday, then out to Chattanooga on Sunday night. Invited to participate in an intensive Advanced Management Class next week.
This past weekend we traveled to Alabama with the girls. Gerri and I got in a humid 9 miler on Saturday morning. Some Starbucks, shower, then Panera Bread for breakfast. The rest of the day was enjoying tailgating with friends and an Alabama victory over Western Kentucky. We drove home on Sunday, stopping in Anderson for the 4:15pm NewSpring Church Service.
My 30th High School class reunion was this past weekend in CT. I'm hoping to see some pics and get some updates from those that attended. Thirty years, where does the time go?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
4 Mile TM Run
Just a quick post so that I can grab a late dinner. Just done with a 4 mile TM run at my hotel in Atlanta. Only planned on 3 miles, so as TM runs go it was a success. I also added a little over a mile walking to cooldown and watch Big Brother on the nice flat screen in the exercise room.
Time to find some food.
Time to find some food.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Weekend Run & Ramblings
Another great weekend with Gerri. We headed to Alabama on Friday afternoon, somehow even managing to miss the Atlanta rush hour traffic. We arrived in Birmingham around 6:00pm and headed to Johnny Carrino's for dinner. As usual it was delicious and the extra large piece of tiarimisu topped it off perfectly.
We relaxed at the hotel, watching some football and flipping the channels. We found a run on mapmyrun.com, in an area we had not visited known as Mountain Brook. Turns out it was only a few miles from our hotel.
We set the alarm for 6:00am, got up and headed to Mountain Brook. After missing the exit the 1st time, we found our location. LOTS of runner and bikers. We drove up to the 3 mile mark and dropped some water. We recently immediately that the morning air was humid. The run was a combination of trails, roads and sidewalks and turned out to be very pleasant. Running somewhere new is always fun, and the hills were not killer, although this area is known for their hills. Gerri led most of the way, and pushed the pace as the run wore on. We ended up with a very nice 6.7 mile run.
Following the run we had our usual pre-game breakfast at Panera's, went back to the hotel, showered and headed to T-town. Like usual, we got their well ahead of time, and the rest of our tailgating crew had not yet arrived. We walked to the Quad, over to the building that Gerri will be taking the LSAT's in October, to the bookstore and of course the strip. One of my old co-workers dropped by for a while and then our group started arriving. We enjoyed a nice leisurely tailgate for several hours before it was time to head in to the stadium.
The first game of the year at home is always special, and Saturday was no exception. While Bama did not play to our expectations following the dominating victory over Clemson the previous week, we did manage to hold down Tulane and come away with victory number two on the season. We made it back to Birmingham without incident, grabbing a very late night dinner to go at McDonald's.
We slept in Sunday, had breakfast (slow, slow and cold) at Cracker Barrel and then drove home. We arrived in Anderson in time for the 4:15pm NewSpring Church Service. After church we went to Carrabba's for dinner and then home to relax, well with the few hours left in the weekend. Next weekend we'll repeat except that we will have Chelsea and Heather with us. Hopefully Hurricane Ike will stay away!
Friday, September 5, 2008
My Tanita Scale Doesn't Lie
This morning, I stepped on the scale for the 1st time in several weeks. Maybe a month. I knew it would not be pleasant and it wasn't. 210.6 210.6 210.6 I was hoping for the anti-Beetlejuice (Candyman) effect. Instead of saying it three times and Beetlejuice appearing, I was hoping that by saying my weight three times fast the weight would disappear. It didn't and it won't unless I make changes. My 5'11" frame once busted out about 250 pounds. Earlier this year, I had crossed the mendoza line (mythical .200 batting average in baseball). It felt great to see my weight below 200. I settled in for a period between 197-199. Some days, I would bounce up to 201, then back down depending upon my sodium intake and miles run. As I trained for the marathon, I made the mistake of thinking I could just eat. Hey I was training for a marathon so I must be burning lots of calories, right? WRONG! By the marathon, I was about 204-205.
The marathon was May 25th. My mileage has not yet returned to at least 20 miles per week, but my eating habits returned to pre-running days. The net result is gaining an additional 5+ pounds in just over 3 months. I could see it coming (mirror), I could feel it coming (sluggishness/pants), my wife could hear it coming (increased snoring).
Besides the possible long term health implications of being overweight, I don't like the way I look or feel. I certainly don't like the way it impacts my running. Besides the additional impact on the knees, legs, etc and having to work harder, studies suggest that each pound has about a 2 second per mile impact. Hey I need every bit of speed that I can find.
So I have made a commitment to myself to get back on track. My short term goal is to get back down to 205, my mid term goal is to get back below the mendoza line, and my long term goal is to get to 195 or lower. In an attempt to go big or stay home, I'm going to try for 12 in 12, weeks not days!
Things I will do to reach my goal.
1) Make a commitment to myself
2) Seek the help and support of my wife
3) Make better food choices and cook more often
4) Get back to eating more smaller meals
5) Oatmeal on the road
6) Track my intake on Spark People
7) Exercise at least 4 times per week
8) Drink 80 ounces of water daily
9) Weigh at least once per week
10) Post my weekly results on my blog
The picture above represents 1 pound of fat or 3,500 calories. In order to lose 12 in 12, I need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week or 500 calories per day. This will come from increasing calories burned (physical activity) and reducing calorie intake (smart food choices).
It's in writing now, for all to see. A weight loss contract between me, myself and I.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Home Home Home
An abbreviated week on the road. Here's a quick recap of my week.
1) Donated blood platelets on Tuesday. Something I try to do every two weeks, because I can and it helps others. I watched The Invisible while donating this week
2) Dropped $1,000+ at the Saturn dealer having my power steering fixed, oil changed, oil filter changed and nitrogen in my tires. Since when did power steering become computerized? I want to just add fluid instead of spending $1,000 replacing the complete steering unit. I got about 1 to 2 miles per gallon more on this trip, so maybe the new oil filter and nitrogen helped a little.
3) Worked in Thomson, GA and Aiken, SC. Completed my stores for the quarter, but with 3 weeks left, I'll be adding additional to help cut the number in the 4th quarter since my team is a man down. Another teammate in Memphis has been called up on National Guard duty to help out in Louisiana.
4) Got in a run! Yeah for me. Actually had a good three mile run in the dark, dark last night. Ran about a 1 mile loop in a neighborhood behind my hotel in Aiken. I ate a decent size dinner at Outback about 3 hours earlier, so didn't have high expectations. Started out fast, probably because I was "scared" in the dark and there were lots of dogs that I couldn't see barking. I looked at my Garmin, saw that I was moving along pretty good and decided to run hard for three miles. I ended up with 3 miles @ 9:15 pace, which is much faster than I have run in months. Unfortunately in the last 30 seconds I slightly tweaked my left ankle when I had to dodge a car that wasn't giving me any space and I stepped into a hole.
5) Dinner tonight with my beautiful wife. I know it's predictable, but it's nice to come home on Thursday night and start my weekend by having spaghetti with Gerri.
6) Looking forward to football. We'll leave for Birmingham Friday afternoon, have dinner at Johnny Carrino's and relax watching some Friday night football. Saturday morning we'll get up, drive to Tuscaloosa, walk around campus, tailgate with our friends and watch our beloved Crimson Tide kick Tulane in the ass just like they did Clemson last week. Oh yeah, we'll get up early in the morning to run a nice easy 10K too!
1) Donated blood platelets on Tuesday. Something I try to do every two weeks, because I can and it helps others. I watched The Invisible while donating this week
2) Dropped $1,000+ at the Saturn dealer having my power steering fixed, oil changed, oil filter changed and nitrogen in my tires. Since when did power steering become computerized? I want to just add fluid instead of spending $1,000 replacing the complete steering unit. I got about 1 to 2 miles per gallon more on this trip, so maybe the new oil filter and nitrogen helped a little.
3) Worked in Thomson, GA and Aiken, SC. Completed my stores for the quarter, but with 3 weeks left, I'll be adding additional to help cut the number in the 4th quarter since my team is a man down. Another teammate in Memphis has been called up on National Guard duty to help out in Louisiana.
4) Got in a run! Yeah for me. Actually had a good three mile run in the dark, dark last night. Ran about a 1 mile loop in a neighborhood behind my hotel in Aiken. I ate a decent size dinner at Outback about 3 hours earlier, so didn't have high expectations. Started out fast, probably because I was "scared" in the dark and there were lots of dogs that I couldn't see barking. I looked at my Garmin, saw that I was moving along pretty good and decided to run hard for three miles. I ended up with 3 miles @ 9:15 pace, which is much faster than I have run in months. Unfortunately in the last 30 seconds I slightly tweaked my left ankle when I had to dodge a car that wasn't giving me any space and I stepped into a hole.
5) Dinner tonight with my beautiful wife. I know it's predictable, but it's nice to come home on Thursday night and start my weekend by having spaghetti with Gerri.
6) Looking forward to football. We'll leave for Birmingham Friday afternoon, have dinner at Johnny Carrino's and relax watching some Friday night football. Saturday morning we'll get up, drive to Tuscaloosa, walk around campus, tailgate with our friends and watch our beloved Crimson Tide kick Tulane in the ass just like they did Clemson last week. Oh yeah, we'll get up early in the morning to run a nice easy 10K too!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bama 34-10
As Jackie Gleason would say, "How sweet it is!"
Living in the upstate, we are surrounded by Clemson fans. Many are good friends. Because Bama and Clemson rarely play against each other, one fan base was going to have bragging rights for a long time. I'm thrilled that those bragging rights belong to the Bama side.
Gerri and I had a great time in Atlanta watching the game on Saturday night and are looking forward to the rest of the season even more. I'm attempting to not rub in the butt kicking too bad, so this will likely be more first and last post.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
This Is Alabama Football
It's the most wonderful time of the year and it begins Saturday against Clemson. I can't wait to be in the GA Dome with my wife and all my Bama buddies.
According to reports on all the major news networks this morning, Barack Obama's campaign headquarters has issued a statement to cease all distribution of campaign signs in Alabama. According to the statement, the Obama campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace campaign signs that keep disappearing all over the state. Upon further investigation, it became apparent why this is happening.
According to reports on all the major news networks this morning, Barack Obama's campaign headquarters has issued a statement to cease all distribution of campaign signs in Alabama. According to the statement, the Obama campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace campaign signs that keep disappearing all over the state. Upon further investigation, it became apparent why this is happening.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
TM Sucky Intervals
Late night attempt on a TM in Conyers, GA. Started around 10:30PM after being up since 5:00AM. Exercise was hot, humid and smelled, unless that was me. The TM was old, unforgiving and hard on my legs and back. I planned on 3 miles, but after a 1/4 warmup walk, the 1st 1/2 mile was torture. I changed my workout and ended up doing two (1/2 mile) intervals and two (1/4 mile) intervals with 1/4 mile walks between. Did I mention it sucked?
On the positive side, something is better than nothing and I got to watch Andy Roddick win his opening US Open match. Next to last point he just about decapitated his opponent with a 140 MPH serve. That my friends is a cannon blast.
It's hard to believe that it has been 26 years since I worked for the USTA and worked at the US Open. Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert Lloyd won that 1982 Open, the last time they won majors together.
It's 11:20PM and I'm exhausted and ready for bed. Back at it in the morning at 0500.
On the positive side, something is better than nothing and I got to watch Andy Roddick win his opening US Open match. Next to last point he just about decapitated his opponent with a 140 MPH serve. That my friends is a cannon blast.
It's hard to believe that it has been 26 years since I worked for the USTA and worked at the US Open. Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert Lloyd won that 1982 Open, the last time they won majors together.
It's 11:20PM and I'm exhausted and ready for bed. Back at it in the morning at 0500.
My Feelings Exactly
I'm not a big Tom Arnold fan, but he appears to be a pretty smart guy. Are you ready for college football!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Recent Runs
I've been a bit of a slacker keeping up with my blog (and runs) during the past week. Travel and Olympics contributed but not to blame.
I ran 8 miles downtown with Gerri and Team Tiara on Saturday morning. It was a nice run, although the hills were a killer. The worst was McDaniel as we came out of Cleveland Park. It's a bit over a mile up McDaniel and the steepest part is the initial segment before you reach Cleveland. Luckily the Spinx Half (and Full) will bypass that initial steep segment, but their course has plenty of other hilly portions. We also had to deal with cemetery hill on Main Street at the end of the run. Overall it was a fun run and I felt pretty good during and after. We all enjoyed some coffee and a Chocolate Banana Vivanno at Starbucks afterwards.
We had the girls, plus one this weekend. So I was bad and took Chelsea, Heather and Mattie to Skins for lunch. Yummy, yummy, yummy! We relaxed during the afternoon and then met Robin and Eric for dinner at Outback to celebrate her birthday. Good food and company.
We all went to NewSpring on Sunday and then Mimi's Cafe for lunch afterwards. The girls headed home in the afternoon and Gerri and I helped out her Mom and Francis for a little while at her home before heading to Copper River Grill for dinner. I had a nice soup and salad.
Monday morning I got a late start but did manage to get in a sweaty 3.5 miles in Westchester. Pace was okay for a recovery run but the humidity killed me. I'm waiting to get back to the point where runs feel fun and easy. I dropped my dead PC off at my friend Jimmy Cokers office and then drove the 6 hours to Waycross, GA.
I have to head to Hazlehurst later this afternoon and need to get in a run. Unfortunately hotels in the area leave a lot to be desired and no treadmills. I'll look for a track at a local high school once the heat and humidity let off a bit. Looks like I better eat early so that my food can digest.
I ran 8 miles downtown with Gerri and Team Tiara on Saturday morning. It was a nice run, although the hills were a killer. The worst was McDaniel as we came out of Cleveland Park. It's a bit over a mile up McDaniel and the steepest part is the initial segment before you reach Cleveland. Luckily the Spinx Half (and Full) will bypass that initial steep segment, but their course has plenty of other hilly portions. We also had to deal with cemetery hill on Main Street at the end of the run. Overall it was a fun run and I felt pretty good during and after. We all enjoyed some coffee and a Chocolate Banana Vivanno at Starbucks afterwards.
We had the girls, plus one this weekend. So I was bad and took Chelsea, Heather and Mattie to Skins for lunch. Yummy, yummy, yummy! We relaxed during the afternoon and then met Robin and Eric for dinner at Outback to celebrate her birthday. Good food and company.
We all went to NewSpring on Sunday and then Mimi's Cafe for lunch afterwards. The girls headed home in the afternoon and Gerri and I helped out her Mom and Francis for a little while at her home before heading to Copper River Grill for dinner. I had a nice soup and salad.
Monday morning I got a late start but did manage to get in a sweaty 3.5 miles in Westchester. Pace was okay for a recovery run but the humidity killed me. I'm waiting to get back to the point where runs feel fun and easy. I dropped my dead PC off at my friend Jimmy Cokers office and then drove the 6 hours to Waycross, GA.
I have to head to Hazlehurst later this afternoon and need to get in a run. Unfortunately hotels in the area leave a lot to be desired and no treadmills. I'll look for a track at a local high school once the heat and humidity let off a bit. Looks like I better eat early so that my food can digest.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
TM Intervals
Late night post, so this will be brief since I have to be up in 5 hours.
Weather did not cooperate tonight, but I forced myself to follow the plan and hit the TM tonight in Statesboro for an interval workout. Intervals were 1/4 at a reasonable pace, knowing that going to hard too soon will increase chance of injury. Ending up running 5 1/4 mile intervals. Total running was 2.5 miles and an additional 1.5 miles walking for 4 miles total.
I'll be headed to Augusta tomorrow afternoon and weather permitting hope to hit the Greenway. I also need to get my push ups done.
Bedtime!
Weather did not cooperate tonight, but I forced myself to follow the plan and hit the TM tonight in Statesboro for an interval workout. Intervals were 1/4 at a reasonable pace, knowing that going to hard too soon will increase chance of injury. Ending up running 5 1/4 mile intervals. Total running was 2.5 miles and an additional 1.5 miles walking for 4 miles total.
I'll be headed to Augusta tomorrow afternoon and weather permitting hope to hit the Greenway. I also need to get my push ups done.
Bedtime!
If It's Tuesday this must be Hinesville
I traveled south to Hinesville, GA yesterday afternoon. An uneventful trip except for several large convoys of Asplundh trucks heading south for the anticipated damage from Tropical Storm Faye. It was an interesting site. My Power Steering warning indicator came on again, so I need to have that checked out at a dealer soon. Driving without Power Steering equals a pain in the butt.
After leaving Hinesville today, I'll head to Savannah, eventually ending up in Statesboro, GA. Hoping to get a run in later tonight, either around Georgia Southern Univ or in the worst case scenario on the hotel dreadmill.
For those interested, my wife Gerri wrote a hilarious recap of our Saturday night adventure titles, "Lost in a gated community". I highly encourage you to read this recap of our adventures.
http://onemarathonatatime.blogspot.com/2008/08/lost-in-gated-community.html
After leaving Hinesville today, I'll head to Savannah, eventually ending up in Statesboro, GA. Hoping to get a run in later tonight, either around Georgia Southern Univ or in the worst case scenario on the hotel dreadmill.
For those interested, my wife Gerri wrote a hilarious recap of our Saturday night adventure titles, "Lost in a gated community". I highly encourage you to read this recap of our adventures.
http://onemarathonatatime.blogspot.com/2008/08/lost-in-gated-community.html
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Great Sunday
Today was an incredible day. We had intended to wake up around 5:15, drive downtown and run 7 miles. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas as the weather was rainy with thunderstorms. I would have enjoyed running in the cool rain, but didn't want to dodge lightning bolts. So the alarm was reset and we got up for church.
NewSpring was off the chart today. The final day in the You Asked for It series, Are We In The End Times? The service started out with the band absolutely rocking out the place. Clayton King stepped in for Perry Noble today and hit a home run. How many times are you disappointed when church service is over? And to top it off, over 200 committed their lives to Christ today at the various services in Greenville & Anderson.
We had another fun lunch with our friends Eric & Robin. First time at Mimi's Cafe and it was really good. I'm guessing we'll head back again in the near future.
After a brief "rest" at home, we headed back downtown for the Drive game. This was a group night for Girls on the Run. Our seats were in right field, exposed to the warm direct sunlight. We stayed for about 6 innings, and then headed off for our run.
The plan was 7 miles, but it was hot and had been a long weekend. The 7 became 3 miles and we walked the last 1.8 miles back to the car. I wore my brand new Brooks Adrenaline 8's. Some minor left leg and left heel discomfort, but nothing horrible. Hoping for a better training week starting tomorrow. After the run, we stopped at Olive Garden before heading home.
NewSpring was off the chart today. The final day in the You Asked for It series, Are We In The End Times? The service started out with the band absolutely rocking out the place. Clayton King stepped in for Perry Noble today and hit a home run. How many times are you disappointed when church service is over? And to top it off, over 200 committed their lives to Christ today at the various services in Greenville & Anderson.
We had another fun lunch with our friends Eric & Robin. First time at Mimi's Cafe and it was really good. I'm guessing we'll head back again in the near future.
After a brief "rest" at home, we headed back downtown for the Drive game. This was a group night for Girls on the Run. Our seats were in right field, exposed to the warm direct sunlight. We stayed for about 6 innings, and then headed off for our run.
The plan was 7 miles, but it was hot and had been a long weekend. The 7 became 3 miles and we walked the last 1.8 miles back to the car. I wore my brand new Brooks Adrenaline 8's. Some minor left leg and left heel discomfort, but nothing horrible. Hoping for a better training week starting tomorrow. After the run, we stopped at Olive Garden before heading home.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Saturday Walk
What a great morning and day so far. Since Gerri cannot run until Sunday (per Doctors orders) she couldn't run with her training group. We decided that we would walk downtown this morning, then do a 7+ mile run tomorrow.
Our day started off at Fleet Feet for the organizational No Boundaries meeting. This is a basic Couch to 5K training program. We believe in the program because it worked for us and acted as volunteer coaches when they conducted their first NoBo group earlier this year. After a nice meeting with a good turn out, we headed out for our walk.
We walked all throughout the Augusta Road, into the West End, Downtown and then all the way up McDaniel. It was a nice 1:30 minute walk, roughly 5 miles. We walked naked (no Garmin) so I'm guessing a bit on the mileage based on the time.
After the walk we stopped back into Fleet Feet where I exchanged my Mizuno Wave Riders for a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline 8's. I have gone through 4 or 5 pairs of the 7's so hopefully the 8's will work just as well if not better. I'll be trying them out in the morning. Gerri also picked up a new pair of shoes plus an outfit and some Carb Boom.
We grabbed lunch (Beef & Cheddar Spud) and some unsweet tea next door at McAlisters's Deli before heading home. Looks like we'll spend the afternoon relaxing before heading to our good friends Mike and Nancy's for a Christmas Party. Yes, a Christmas Party. Their daughter is in from New York and since she won't be coming back down for Christmas this year they decided to hold it early.
Will have to be an early evening without much beer or wine since we'll have to start our run at 6:00am tomorrow.
Our day started off at Fleet Feet for the organizational No Boundaries meeting. This is a basic Couch to 5K training program. We believe in the program because it worked for us and acted as volunteer coaches when they conducted their first NoBo group earlier this year. After a nice meeting with a good turn out, we headed out for our walk.
We walked all throughout the Augusta Road, into the West End, Downtown and then all the way up McDaniel. It was a nice 1:30 minute walk, roughly 5 miles. We walked naked (no Garmin) so I'm guessing a bit on the mileage based on the time.
After the walk we stopped back into Fleet Feet where I exchanged my Mizuno Wave Riders for a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline 8's. I have gone through 4 or 5 pairs of the 7's so hopefully the 8's will work just as well if not better. I'll be trying them out in the morning. Gerri also picked up a new pair of shoes plus an outfit and some Carb Boom.
We grabbed lunch (Beef & Cheddar Spud) and some unsweet tea next door at McAlisters's Deli before heading home. Looks like we'll spend the afternoon relaxing before heading to our good friends Mike and Nancy's for a Christmas Party. Yes, a Christmas Party. Their daughter is in from New York and since she won't be coming back down for Christmas this year they decided to hold it early.
Will have to be an early evening without much beer or wine since we'll have to start our run at 6:00am tomorrow.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Short Work Week
I made it back home last night in time to meet Gerri and Pizza House on 153 for dinner. Nice salad with feta & blue cheese, cheese garlic bread and spaghetti with meat sauce. In my younger days Wednesdays were Prince Spaghetti days! If you have no clue what I'm talking about, see the ad below.
My week was short so that I could be home with Gerri when she went for Lasik surgery this morning. We woke early, she went for a run with Team Tiara, hung out at Starbucks with "the girls" and drank a Banana Chocolate Vivanno. After a quick stop by the Life Center and McDonalds for some coffee we were off to see Dr. Anne Parker.
Everything seemed to go well and Gerri is now home and taking a nap. She has a follow-up visit in the morning, but the Dr. has told her she can get back to running on Sunday.
My knee is feeling a bit better, so I'm going to get a short run in tomorrow, rest Saturday and hopefully do 7 miles with Gerri on Sunday before we head to NewSpring for church.
My week was short so that I could be home with Gerri when she went for Lasik surgery this morning. We woke early, she went for a run with Team Tiara, hung out at Starbucks with "the girls" and drank a Banana Chocolate Vivanno. After a quick stop by the Life Center and McDonalds for some coffee we were off to see Dr. Anne Parker.
Everything seemed to go well and Gerri is now home and taking a nap. She has a follow-up visit in the morning, but the Dr. has told her she can get back to running on Sunday.
My knee is feeling a bit better, so I'm going to get a short run in tomorrow, rest Saturday and hopefully do 7 miles with Gerri on Sunday before we head to NewSpring for church.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday = Rest Day
Rest in this case means no running. I'm still up around 5:00 AM for work. That started in Gainesville today and ended up in Austell this evening. Dinner at Carabba's. Some strange liquid is falling from the sky, I think I remember that they call it rain. It's been so long since I have seen a slow, steady rain. Hope that it sticks around for a day or two because we need it so bad.
I'd love to run in it, but that probably won't happen. If I get a run in it will be an easy one tomorrow night. My knee is still a bit uncomfortable, so I will be watching it carefully and adjusting my schedule as needed. In 18 months I have not had any knee issues, so I don't need to start now.
I'd love to run in it, but that probably won't happen. If I get a run in it will be an easy one tomorrow night. My knee is still a bit uncomfortable, so I will be watching it carefully and adjusting my schedule as needed. In 18 months I have not had any knee issues, so I don't need to start now.
Monday, August 11, 2008
I Don't Like Mondays
Anyone remember the song by the Boomtown Rats? I actually don't mind Mondays, but after a tough run this morning the song popped into my head. My plan called for an easy 3 miles today, but it was anything but easy. I went over to the nearby Westchester subdivision, the temp and humidity were not unreasonable for 8:30AM, about 80 degrees/40% humidity.
I felt fine starting out, then my left knee started feeling "wonky." Wonky is a "medical term" that I learned from my wife to describe her ankle. It wasn't painful, just a slight discomfort. At about 1.25 miles, I started to feel some discomfort in my left shin, and then a short time later in my left exterior ankle. I pushed ahead, but at mile 2 decided to walk for a period to see if that would help. I started back up, running another 1/2 mile before deciding that it wasn't worth pushing it another 1/2 mile to reach today's goal. I walked the rest of the way back to the car.
I'm assuming the "pain" today is a result of running the 7.5 on Saturday. Even though it was at a very easy pace, it was still much longer than my body has run a month. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and give it an extra day of rest if needed.
I ran by and picked up a large Dunkin' Donuts coffee (decaf, one Splenda and skim milk). The woman in front of me got a medium with 5 Splendas! Like it sweet much sweetie? I did show good restraint passing on all other temptations, even though I wanted the eclair really bad.
After getting back home, I completed Week 1 Day 2 of the 100 Push up Challenge.
A quick note on Sunday. We had another amazing church service at NewSpring. Then went with Eric, Rob and Heather to lunch at the Liberty Tap Room. Unfortunately it was not as good as last week. We chilled a bit in the afternoon, and then drove the 2 hours to Columbia for the 3Day Film Festival. Over 30 students (middle and high school) had entered and only 3 got completed projects done. Chelsea was one of three and did a really terrific job with her first "public" film. I'll post a link one she posts it on youtube. As you can probably tell, I'm a very proud dad of an amazingly talented daughter. Heather was the actress in the film (along with a white rat) and she also did a really good job. Nice to see sisters getting along and working towards a common goal.
I felt fine starting out, then my left knee started feeling "wonky." Wonky is a "medical term" that I learned from my wife to describe her ankle. It wasn't painful, just a slight discomfort. At about 1.25 miles, I started to feel some discomfort in my left shin, and then a short time later in my left exterior ankle. I pushed ahead, but at mile 2 decided to walk for a period to see if that would help. I started back up, running another 1/2 mile before deciding that it wasn't worth pushing it another 1/2 mile to reach today's goal. I walked the rest of the way back to the car.
I'm assuming the "pain" today is a result of running the 7.5 on Saturday. Even though it was at a very easy pace, it was still much longer than my body has run a month. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and give it an extra day of rest if needed.
I ran by and picked up a large Dunkin' Donuts coffee (decaf, one Splenda and skim milk). The woman in front of me got a medium with 5 Splendas! Like it sweet much sweetie? I did show good restraint passing on all other temptations, even though I wanted the eclair really bad.
After getting back home, I completed Week 1 Day 2 of the 100 Push up Challenge.
A quick note on Sunday. We had another amazing church service at NewSpring. Then went with Eric, Rob and Heather to lunch at the Liberty Tap Room. Unfortunately it was not as good as last week. We chilled a bit in the afternoon, and then drove the 2 hours to Columbia for the 3Day Film Festival. Over 30 students (middle and high school) had entered and only 3 got completed projects done. Chelsea was one of three and did a really terrific job with her first "public" film. I'll post a link one she posts it on youtube. As you can probably tell, I'm a very proud dad of an amazingly talented daughter. Heather was the actress in the film (along with a white rat) and she also did a really good job. Nice to see sisters getting along and working towards a common goal.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
7 miles with Team Tiara
Yes, you read that right. Gerri is training for the Spinx Half with Team Tiara. They meet three times a week for group runs and Saturdays is their long run day. She has asked me to come run with them a few times, and I usually respond by rolling over and going back to sleep. Not today.
The alarm went off about 5:00am. For a brief moment I debated taking a pass to enjoy a few additional hours of sleep, but the internal voice let me know that this was something I needed to do. We got up, ready and headed to downtown Greenville. A quick stop along the way to drop off some water for the group. We met the group of around 6:00 and got started. Two runners were doing 9, the rest 7 and since I was only planning on an easy 5, I let everyone else go ahead so that I wouldn't be tempted to go faster than I should.
I caught up with the group within a few minutes when they stopped to wait for another team member that pulled up in her car late. The air was cool, humidity wasn't bad and the pace was comfortable. I stayed in the back and eventually a few of the women dropped back and joined me. Conversation flowed and I really enjoyed the course and the chance to run with a group. I was amazed at how many other groups are running around Greenville around the same time.
As we headed back up Main Street, I was a bit disappointed that 5 miles was coming to an end. Kim was hurting a bit, and decided to stop at 5 miles. I didn't want Nadia to have to run the last 2 miles by herself, so I decided to keep her company. The pace was slow, but I enjoyed the route and the opportunity to help her achieve her longest distance ever. We finished with about 7.4 miles and around a 12 minute pace. The pace is nothing to write home about, but I'm thrilled to have my longest run in since the marathon in May.
Afterwards we walked down to Starbucks and had a very yummy Banana Chocolate Vivanno.
Donations to Gerri's fundraising effort to support Girl's on the Run are greatly appreciated.
The alarm went off about 5:00am. For a brief moment I debated taking a pass to enjoy a few additional hours of sleep, but the internal voice let me know that this was something I needed to do. We got up, ready and headed to downtown Greenville. A quick stop along the way to drop off some water for the group. We met the group of around 6:00 and got started. Two runners were doing 9, the rest 7 and since I was only planning on an easy 5, I let everyone else go ahead so that I wouldn't be tempted to go faster than I should.
I caught up with the group within a few minutes when they stopped to wait for another team member that pulled up in her car late. The air was cool, humidity wasn't bad and the pace was comfortable. I stayed in the back and eventually a few of the women dropped back and joined me. Conversation flowed and I really enjoyed the course and the chance to run with a group. I was amazed at how many other groups are running around Greenville around the same time.
As we headed back up Main Street, I was a bit disappointed that 5 miles was coming to an end. Kim was hurting a bit, and decided to stop at 5 miles. I didn't want Nadia to have to run the last 2 miles by herself, so I decided to keep her company. The pace was slow, but I enjoyed the route and the opportunity to help her achieve her longest distance ever. We finished with about 7.4 miles and around a 12 minute pace. The pace is nothing to write home about, but I'm thrilled to have my longest run in since the marathon in May.
Afterwards we walked down to Starbucks and had a very yummy Banana Chocolate Vivanno.
Donations to Gerri's fundraising effort to support Girl's on the Run are greatly appreciated.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Madison 3 Miler
Sounds like a great name for a race, but today it was just an easy run through a gated community in Madison, GA. The subdivision was about 2 miles from my hotel, so I drove down and ran "behind" the gates. Very quiet. No cars, two walkers and one woman jogging about a quarter mile behind me. Lovely estate homes, a few "lakes" and lots of green space thanks to the Long Shadow Golf Club. Course looked nice, might have to see if I can get on there sometime when I'm down this way.
It felt a little strange to be back on the roads, not that it has been all that long. I felt really bouncy at first, but found my stride and settled in. I went out a little fast, started to get winded and then backed down and was comfortable the rest of the run. Well other than needed a bathroom. Finished the 3 miles in a 10:30 pace. Nothing to write home about, but I've promised myself to take it easy as things ramp back up. Temp wasn't too bad, 70 degrees but humidity was 89%, and it felt like it.
It felt a little strange to be back on the roads, not that it has been all that long. I felt really bouncy at first, but found my stride and settled in. I went out a little fast, started to get winded and then backed down and was comfortable the rest of the run. Well other than needed a bathroom. Finished the 3 miles in a 10:30 pace. Nothing to write home about, but I've promised myself to take it easy as things ramp back up. Temp wasn't too bad, 70 degrees but humidity was 89%, and it felt like it.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Rest Day
Well at least from running, tomorrow will be another story.
My work day started early this morning in Warner Robins. I got done around 4:00pm, grabbed an early dinner at Olive Garden, no I don't have blue hair, and then drove through a torrential rain and thunderstorm to Madison, GA. It was about a two hour drive using the GA back roads. At least the rain cooled off the temps and only lasted for brief, wicked bursts.
I've checked emails, blogs, Tidefans, and other various sites while watching Big Brother 10. As soon as it's over, I'll head over to the Krystal for a night shop. I've been asked by the franchisee to spend the day at the restaurant tomorrow to provide some training.
There appears to be a nice gated community about a mile from my hotel. Luckily there is a space to park near the entrance, so my plan is to get up early in the morning for a nice 3 mile run. Hopefully the cooler temps will help.
My work day started early this morning in Warner Robins. I got done around 4:00pm, grabbed an early dinner at Olive Garden, no I don't have blue hair, and then drove through a torrential rain and thunderstorm to Madison, GA. It was about a two hour drive using the GA back roads. At least the rain cooled off the temps and only lasted for brief, wicked bursts.
I've checked emails, blogs, Tidefans, and other various sites while watching Big Brother 10. As soon as it's over, I'll head over to the Krystal for a night shop. I've been asked by the franchisee to spend the day at the restaurant tomorrow to provide some training.
There appears to be a nice gated community about a mile from my hotel. Luckily there is a space to park near the entrance, so my plan is to get up early in the morning for a nice 3 mile run. Hopefully the cooler temps will help.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
3 Miles on Dreadmill
As Dexter Poindexter would say, today was "HOT, HOT, HOT!" Okay, I'm showing my age with the Dexter Poindexter reference, but it was hot in Warner Robins, GA. When I got into my car to leave the restaurant around 3:00, the exterior temp showed 106 degrees. A local nearby bank showed 107. Weather.com showed 100 with heat index of 105. It was way to hot to start my training outdoors on the pavement, even as the sun retreated in the afternoon.
That left the dreaded hotel treadmill. By hotel standards, the two available TM's were not horrible. I choose the better of the two. My plan was an easy 3 miles with a 1/4 mile warm up and cool down walk. As I started turning the speed up, the TM started screaming at me to slow down, or was that my body speaking to me? It has been about a month since I ran 3 miles, Peachtree 10K probably. I started out very slow, much slower than I have ever run, and gradually increased the speed throughout the run.
I was not going for records today. This is day 1 of 33 weeks. The goal is to start slow, build slow and stay injury free. While I start getting my endurance back, I also want to start on some strength and core. To that extent, I finally started Week 1, Day 1 (W1D1) of the 100 Push up Challenge. I know, I blogged about it some time back. It's time. In addition, it's also time to begin focusing on eating properly again. After the run, I headed off to Subway for a foot long Turkey Breast on wheat, baked chips, and good old H20. Most importantly, I PASSED on the cookies, my weakness when visiting Subway.
I'd like to drop 8 pounds minimum to get back below the Mendoza line (199) and would love to get down to 190 pounds, or 17 pounds. I know this would not only improve my overall health but also take some of the strain of running off my body. Research says that each pound dropped equals about a 2 second per mile improvement in running speed. Wouldn't that be nice!
It feels great to once again have some goal races and a training plan in place. Day one is in the books. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Spinx Runfest Half Marathon
My first Half Marathon was in October 2007. The Spinx Runfest was a challenge. My training had been poor the two months leading up to the race, maybe even pathetic. A twelve mile training run on a hot, humid August morning running the Green Valley route was the beginning of my downfall. I began to doubt myself, my ability to complete a Half Marathon. I ended up running the event and was happy to complete the hilly course in just over 2:16 with only a brief walk break. Since then I have completed two additional Half Marathons (Tybee Island & Greer) as well as the Vermont City Marathon.
Post marathon, the summer heat, travel and my own lack of motivation and excuses have limited my training. We now are about 2 1/2 months away from the Spinx Runfest and it is time for me to get my training in gear. I need to sit down, work out my plan and begin to execute. Nobody can do this but me, I am solely responsible for my success or failure.
The Spinx Runfest routes are finally online and much different than in previous years. It's look like a fun, exciting and hilly run. Tick, tick, tick...the clock has started.
Post marathon, the summer heat, travel and my own lack of motivation and excuses have limited my training. We now are about 2 1/2 months away from the Spinx Runfest and it is time for me to get my training in gear. I need to sit down, work out my plan and begin to execute. Nobody can do this but me, I am solely responsible for my success or failure.
The Spinx Runfest routes are finally online and much different than in previous years. It's look like a fun, exciting and hilly run. Tick, tick, tick...the clock has started.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
And Away We Go
After over two weeks without hitting the road, I finally got back it tonight. Ran a trail in Columbus, GA around Lake Heath. A nice little 2.14 mile path mostly tree lined. It's hard to believe that 2 months ago I ran a marathon, and tonight I struggled to complete 2.5 miles. I know I've got a long way back, but slow and steady is the plan.
Last year I was doing great until August when I hit a hot, humid day on a 12 miler and my training suffered for two and a half months. This year I'll build slowly and hope to peak for the Spinx Runfest or Kiawah in December. Build slowly, stay positive and injury free.
The long road begins again...
Last year I was doing great until August when I hit a hot, humid day on a 12 miler and my training suffered for two and a half months. This year I'll build slowly and hope to peak for the Spinx Runfest or Kiawah in December. Build slowly, stay positive and injury free.
The long road begins again...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Time to stop slacking
It's been almost two weeks since I last wrote a blog. It's been over two weeks since I last ran. I'm beginning to feel it. Weight up slightly, old bad habits starting to kick back in. It's time to re-commit.
Commit to running 3-4 times a week. Commit to watching what I'm eating, and tracking food in Spark People. Commit to drinking 80+ ounces of water a day. Commit to finally starting the 100 Push Up Challenge. Commit to some Ab exercises.
I've worked far to hard in the past year and half to get my weight down and improve my overall fitness level. Hell, I ran a freaking marathon just two months ago.
Three months until Spinx Runfest Half Marathon. My goal is sub 2:00. I know I can do it, and now it's time to get back on track and stop procrastinating. I can, I have, I will.
Commit to running 3-4 times a week. Commit to watching what I'm eating, and tracking food in Spark People. Commit to drinking 80+ ounces of water a day. Commit to finally starting the 100 Push Up Challenge. Commit to some Ab exercises.
I've worked far to hard in the past year and half to get my weight down and improve my overall fitness level. Hell, I ran a freaking marathon just two months ago.
Three months until Spinx Runfest Half Marathon. My goal is sub 2:00. I know I can do it, and now it's time to get back on track and stop procrastinating. I can, I have, I will.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Mid Week in Macon
Another week on the road, and I haven't taken the time to do some blogging. I guess a quick recap is in order.
Had another great weekend at home with Gerri. After church on Sunday we grabbed lunch at Barley's, then went bowling. We haven't bowled in years, probably 3 or 4 years. Much like golf, I generally have good results after a long layoff and Sunday was no exception. We rolled two games and I was pretty consistent with a 184 and 202. Both games should have been 10-15 pins higher if I hadn't missed a couple of single pin spares in both games. Oh well, can't complain about a 193 average, but I can complain about the price. Gone are the days of bowling being an affordable family entertainment option. $4.25 for shoe rental and $4.50 per game. Are you kidding me?
Monday morning I had one of my worst runs EVER. The plan was an easy five miler in Westchester. The first mile felt okay, but then some lower leg pain discomfort. I stopped at 1.5 miles to stretch and walk, started again, stopped at 2 miles, started again, and threw in the towel at 2.5 miles. As I was walking back to the car I told myself that I had to at least get 3 miles. In a year and a half of running, I have rarely if ever quit a run short. I struggled to get to 3 and the entire time I was very uncomfortable. I felt like I was bouncing, and just dragging my left foot along. Hopefully a fluke, but I'm going to take it easy this week to see if I can head this thing off.
I drove to Warner Robins, GA on Monday afternoon/evening, spending the time listening to some of my favorite running podcasts as well as Dave Ramsey. I worked in Perry on Tuesday, then drove to Macon, where I spent the night and worked today and again tomorrow. I get to head back home in the afternoon and will stop to pick up my 14 year old daughter Heather.
I may try a short, easy run on Friday before taking Heather out to lunch as we meet our friend Ryan. Hopefully we can have a fun Friday, and then enjoy the weekend before she leaves for The Gauntlet, NewSpring Church Camp, on Sunday evening.
Now it's time to kick back on the bed at this Sleep Inn, watch my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play the Phillies, and get back to reading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters before it has to get back to the library.
Had another great weekend at home with Gerri. After church on Sunday we grabbed lunch at Barley's, then went bowling. We haven't bowled in years, probably 3 or 4 years. Much like golf, I generally have good results after a long layoff and Sunday was no exception. We rolled two games and I was pretty consistent with a 184 and 202. Both games should have been 10-15 pins higher if I hadn't missed a couple of single pin spares in both games. Oh well, can't complain about a 193 average, but I can complain about the price. Gone are the days of bowling being an affordable family entertainment option. $4.25 for shoe rental and $4.50 per game. Are you kidding me?
Monday morning I had one of my worst runs EVER. The plan was an easy five miler in Westchester. The first mile felt okay, but then some lower leg pain discomfort. I stopped at 1.5 miles to stretch and walk, started again, stopped at 2 miles, started again, and threw in the towel at 2.5 miles. As I was walking back to the car I told myself that I had to at least get 3 miles. In a year and a half of running, I have rarely if ever quit a run short. I struggled to get to 3 and the entire time I was very uncomfortable. I felt like I was bouncing, and just dragging my left foot along. Hopefully a fluke, but I'm going to take it easy this week to see if I can head this thing off.
I drove to Warner Robins, GA on Monday afternoon/evening, spending the time listening to some of my favorite running podcasts as well as Dave Ramsey. I worked in Perry on Tuesday, then drove to Macon, where I spent the night and worked today and again tomorrow. I get to head back home in the afternoon and will stop to pick up my 14 year old daughter Heather.
I may try a short, easy run on Friday before taking Heather out to lunch as we meet our friend Ryan. Hopefully we can have a fun Friday, and then enjoy the weekend before she leaves for The Gauntlet, NewSpring Church Camp, on Sunday evening.
Now it's time to kick back on the bed at this Sleep Inn, watch my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play the Phillies, and get back to reading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters before it has to get back to the library.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Peachtree and the 4th
Yesterday was the 4th, a celebration of all things good in America. This is normally a kick back holiday for me, but not this year. Gerri and I were in Atlanta with thousands of other runners, 55,000 to be exact for the 39th annual Peachtree 10K Road Race. This is the largest road race in the country. Waking up at 5:30 is not exactly sleeping in, but we knew getting to our starting corral may be a challenge even though we were staying only a few blocks from the starting line.
As soon as we stepped outside of the Courtyard Marriott, the humidity smacked you in the face. The temp was already about 70 and would climb to near 80 by the time our wave would start. This is far and away the most organized race that we have ever participated in. Every little detail, I mean EVERY detail is considered and an effective plan in place by the organizing team.
We turned north on Peachtree Road, walked on the sidewalk for a few blocks before crossing over to Lexox Square Mall. As Gerri said, thousands of lemmings just moving along, follow those in front of them. As we were walking thru the mall parking lot, the wheelchair racers went off in four waves. We continued on our march, following the sign to the starting corrals (we were starting group #5) and being stopped by event photographers three or four time to have our picture taken. We got to our corral, and joined the rest of the herd. It was about 6:45 and we had 45 minutes to wait until the official start of the race. Above us hovered 4 helicopters, local news and police. Around us "outside the fenced corrals" were runners moving to their starting groups or waiting in lines for the hundreds, maybe thousand port-a-potties.
The speakers, strategically placed throughout, blared some great music on non-stop instructions. The National Anthem was sung by a local singer and a C-130 flyover took place. As 7:30 approached the corral started to fill up, about 5,200 runners in our group, and slowly the group begin to slide forward. At exactly, the elite runners were off. The winner would cross the finish line after 10K's in 28 minutes, well before we would even start. As one group would start, the corrals would move up into position for their wave to begin. All in a very orderly fashion, and each time with excitement and cheering from the group. Groups 2, 3 and 4 moved into position and began the trek down Peachtree.
At about 8:00 they removed the barricade fencing between our corral and the starting line. A few minutes later, the large STOP signs being held in front of the group turned around and read WALK. Time for us to start the 1/4 mile walk to the starting line. As we got closer to the large red, white and blue flag of the U.S., it was 8:10 and time for our group. Forty minutes after the elite runners had started and twelve minutes after they had finished, it was our turn on Peachtree.
Gerri and I had decided that this would be a casual run. We wanted to enjoy the first time experience, so no racing for time but purely the enjoyment and energy of running. Good thing because things were slow going. There were many more walkers than I anticipated, so even at a slow pace the race was spent dodging walkers or runners that would stop to walk directly in front of you without warning.
The first 1/2 mile or so had virtually no spectators. This area had hurricane fencing in place to control the runners pre-race. After this section, there were spectators lining the route throughout the rest of the race. They were vocal and enjoying themselves. Many held signs, cheered and were dressed festive to celebrate the holidays. Outside of the hospitals or senior facilities, many were wheelchair bound. One inspiring gentlemen in a wheelchair held up a large sign that said, "Run, Run. Run." He high fived everyone that would come close enough. His legs were missing, and you knew deep down inside that he would give anything to be out there running with us, but his smile and enthusiasm motivated everyone that saw or came in contact with him.
There was music, and lots of it. Speaker systems blaring out the theme from Rocky or some 80's Pop classic tune. And there were bands, the good, the bad and the ugly. They all were a part of the experience and appreciated by the runners.
Official water stations were every mile, tables stacked high with cups to handle the large crowd of thirsty runners. And their were plenty of non-official water stations. I saw one young boy handing out Freezer Pops. I wish I had grabbed one of them, a cherry or grape flavored maybe. We didn't stop at any water stations until Mile 5, because we carried water bottles. It wasn't planned, but on the way to our corral some group was handing out bottled water and we each took one. We sipped on it as we waited, but then realized it would be unsafe to discard it and risk someone tripping. So we carried the water bottles and skipped most of the water stops.
I really don't remember much about the course, probably because I was always concerned with dodging runners/walkers and keeping Gerri close by. I know I scanned the crowds and drew much energy from their support. I remember some hills. One long downhill early in the race and maybe four hills that were long but the grade was not horrible. One hill is known as Cardiac Hill and crests near a hospital. I suppose if you are running for a PR the hills would be viewed differently, but for today they were just a way to see the large crowds in front of you.
There were many sprinklers. misting machines on the course to try to keep the runners cooled off. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a major concern at this race due to the temp, humidity and large crowds. My favorite sprinkler was towards the end of mile 2. One the right hand side was The Cathedral of St. Philip. Standing next to the road was a priest sprinkling "holy water" on runners that could get close enough. I took a major right turn once I saw it figuring that I needed it as much as the next guy, even if I'm not Catholic.
Due to the drought in the southeast, they had to alter the finish slightly this year. Instead of having the post race festivities in Piedmont Park, they were to be held in the Civic Center. Just like the rest of the race, the finish is extremely well managed. After crossing the finish line, you keep moving for almost a half mile. During this time you get a bottle of water, get you chip removed (if you had a seeded qualifying time only) and then move through the T-Shirt area. The Peachtree t-shirt is only given to finishers, so it is a prized commodity in this area. The final design is always kept a secret until race day, but I'm happy to say that the final design is the one that we liked best from the finalists selected.
We decided to skip the post race activities, opting instead to take MARTA back to the hotel. It was an experience, crowded and sweaty, but we made it. After showers we stopped on the way home and had a nice lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We eventually made it home in the afternoon. Last night we headed out to Heritage Park to listen to the Greenville Symphony and watch the fireworks. An estimated crowd of 8,000 joined us. The symphony was great as usual, but instead of the 1,500 or so adults that we have come accustomed to in previous years downtown, this year we had to put up with the families. The enjoyment can be taken out of listening to the symphony when you have kids running around screaming and teens talking non-stop. I missed the intimacy of the downtown performance, but still get chills hearing the 1812 Overture and with 11 real cannons to boot. For me, that still makes the evening worthwhile.
The fireworks were good, the traffic control leaving the park was not.
It was a good 4th of July, one that I will remember the rest of my life.
As soon as we stepped outside of the Courtyard Marriott, the humidity smacked you in the face. The temp was already about 70 and would climb to near 80 by the time our wave would start. This is far and away the most organized race that we have ever participated in. Every little detail, I mean EVERY detail is considered and an effective plan in place by the organizing team.
We turned north on Peachtree Road, walked on the sidewalk for a few blocks before crossing over to Lexox Square Mall. As Gerri said, thousands of lemmings just moving along, follow those in front of them. As we were walking thru the mall parking lot, the wheelchair racers went off in four waves. We continued on our march, following the sign to the starting corrals (we were starting group #5) and being stopped by event photographers three or four time to have our picture taken. We got to our corral, and joined the rest of the herd. It was about 6:45 and we had 45 minutes to wait until the official start of the race. Above us hovered 4 helicopters, local news and police. Around us "outside the fenced corrals" were runners moving to their starting groups or waiting in lines for the hundreds, maybe thousand port-a-potties.
The speakers, strategically placed throughout, blared some great music on non-stop instructions. The National Anthem was sung by a local singer and a C-130 flyover took place. As 7:30 approached the corral started to fill up, about 5,200 runners in our group, and slowly the group begin to slide forward. At exactly, the elite runners were off. The winner would cross the finish line after 10K's in 28 minutes, well before we would even start. As one group would start, the corrals would move up into position for their wave to begin. All in a very orderly fashion, and each time with excitement and cheering from the group. Groups 2, 3 and 4 moved into position and began the trek down Peachtree.
At about 8:00 they removed the barricade fencing between our corral and the starting line. A few minutes later, the large STOP signs being held in front of the group turned around and read WALK. Time for us to start the 1/4 mile walk to the starting line. As we got closer to the large red, white and blue flag of the U.S., it was 8:10 and time for our group. Forty minutes after the elite runners had started and twelve minutes after they had finished, it was our turn on Peachtree.
Gerri and I had decided that this would be a casual run. We wanted to enjoy the first time experience, so no racing for time but purely the enjoyment and energy of running. Good thing because things were slow going. There were many more walkers than I anticipated, so even at a slow pace the race was spent dodging walkers or runners that would stop to walk directly in front of you without warning.
The first 1/2 mile or so had virtually no spectators. This area had hurricane fencing in place to control the runners pre-race. After this section, there were spectators lining the route throughout the rest of the race. They were vocal and enjoying themselves. Many held signs, cheered and were dressed festive to celebrate the holidays. Outside of the hospitals or senior facilities, many were wheelchair bound. One inspiring gentlemen in a wheelchair held up a large sign that said, "Run, Run. Run." He high fived everyone that would come close enough. His legs were missing, and you knew deep down inside that he would give anything to be out there running with us, but his smile and enthusiasm motivated everyone that saw or came in contact with him.
There was music, and lots of it. Speaker systems blaring out the theme from Rocky or some 80's Pop classic tune. And there were bands, the good, the bad and the ugly. They all were a part of the experience and appreciated by the runners.
Official water stations were every mile, tables stacked high with cups to handle the large crowd of thirsty runners. And their were plenty of non-official water stations. I saw one young boy handing out Freezer Pops. I wish I had grabbed one of them, a cherry or grape flavored maybe. We didn't stop at any water stations until Mile 5, because we carried water bottles. It wasn't planned, but on the way to our corral some group was handing out bottled water and we each took one. We sipped on it as we waited, but then realized it would be unsafe to discard it and risk someone tripping. So we carried the water bottles and skipped most of the water stops.
I really don't remember much about the course, probably because I was always concerned with dodging runners/walkers and keeping Gerri close by. I know I scanned the crowds and drew much energy from their support. I remember some hills. One long downhill early in the race and maybe four hills that were long but the grade was not horrible. One hill is known as Cardiac Hill and crests near a hospital. I suppose if you are running for a PR the hills would be viewed differently, but for today they were just a way to see the large crowds in front of you.
There were many sprinklers. misting machines on the course to try to keep the runners cooled off. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a major concern at this race due to the temp, humidity and large crowds. My favorite sprinkler was towards the end of mile 2. One the right hand side was The Cathedral of St. Philip. Standing next to the road was a priest sprinkling "holy water" on runners that could get close enough. I took a major right turn once I saw it figuring that I needed it as much as the next guy, even if I'm not Catholic.
Due to the drought in the southeast, they had to alter the finish slightly this year. Instead of having the post race festivities in Piedmont Park, they were to be held in the Civic Center. Just like the rest of the race, the finish is extremely well managed. After crossing the finish line, you keep moving for almost a half mile. During this time you get a bottle of water, get you chip removed (if you had a seeded qualifying time only) and then move through the T-Shirt area. The Peachtree t-shirt is only given to finishers, so it is a prized commodity in this area. The final design is always kept a secret until race day, but I'm happy to say that the final design is the one that we liked best from the finalists selected.
We decided to skip the post race activities, opting instead to take MARTA back to the hotel. It was an experience, crowded and sweaty, but we made it. After showers we stopped on the way home and had a nice lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We eventually made it home in the afternoon. Last night we headed out to Heritage Park to listen to the Greenville Symphony and watch the fireworks. An estimated crowd of 8,000 joined us. The symphony was great as usual, but instead of the 1,500 or so adults that we have come accustomed to in previous years downtown, this year we had to put up with the families. The enjoyment can be taken out of listening to the symphony when you have kids running around screaming and teens talking non-stop. I missed the intimacy of the downtown performance, but still get chills hearing the 1812 Overture and with 11 real cannons to boot. For me, that still makes the evening worthwhile.
The fireworks were good, the traffic control leaving the park was not.
It was a good 4th of July, one that I will remember the rest of my life.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Day Before Peachtree
It's Thursday morning, the day before our first Peachtree 10K Road Race. I thought running Cooper River Bridge with 30,000 - 40,000 people was crazy, but Peachtree has 55,000 runners. In Atlanta, on the 4th of July, in the heat and humidity. The race starts at 7:30 but we will probably not get across the start line for about an hour. Given the crowds and weather conditions, I've decided to just run this for fun along with Gerri. I would expect a finishing time around 1:10, well below my PR of 57:04.
We'll be driving down tonight and staying at the Marriott Courtyard - Buckhead, which is very close to the starting line. Post race we'll have to travel back to the hotel via Marta or a cab.
After a shower and lunch, Sweet Tomatoes maybe, we'll travel back to Greenville. Tomorrow night we continue our tradition of watching the Greenville Symphony and fireworks, only this time it will be in Simpsonville in Heritage Park instead of downtown behind the Peace Center on the Reedy River. I suppose it will be much less crowded, but I'm going to miss the intimate feeling that we had the past few years. At least the weather appears to be good.
Gerri is anxiously awaiting her LSAT score. It's possible that she may burst into a million pieces if she has to wait until Monday. If she does, I'll do my best to put her back together again.
I found out that the levee run in Chattanooga can actually be a 10 mile out and back if run all the way to Shallowford Rd. Include the 2 mile loop in the Park and this will make for a really good long run, if I carry fluids with me. I finally downloaded the data from my Garmin from the 6 mile run and was pleasantly surprised by the total negative splits.
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:12
Mile 5 - 9:52
Mile 6 - 9:17
Now that is how you run negative splits!
Went out for a nice 3.5 mile walk through Westchester last night with Gerri. It felt good to stretch the legs and also to have that one on one time with her with distractions. We used to walk regularly and I really miss it. Hoping that maybe we can do more walks when we aren't running.
After the walk we went to Bellacino's to grab some dinner and ran into one of our friends, Missy. We had not seen Missy in a long time and it was nice to be able to sit there and enjoy her company as we ate dinner.
Time to run some errands. Poor Shadow, our cat, has been out of treats all week and has been giving me the sad eye look each day. I need to rectify that situation and pick up some drain cleaner from Lowe's. I also need to trim the bushes outside before the sun gets too hot.
We'll be driving down tonight and staying at the Marriott Courtyard - Buckhead, which is very close to the starting line. Post race we'll have to travel back to the hotel via Marta or a cab.
After a shower and lunch, Sweet Tomatoes maybe, we'll travel back to Greenville. Tomorrow night we continue our tradition of watching the Greenville Symphony and fireworks, only this time it will be in Simpsonville in Heritage Park instead of downtown behind the Peace Center on the Reedy River. I suppose it will be much less crowded, but I'm going to miss the intimate feeling that we had the past few years. At least the weather appears to be good.
Gerri is anxiously awaiting her LSAT score. It's possible that she may burst into a million pieces if she has to wait until Monday. If she does, I'll do my best to put her back together again.
I found out that the levee run in Chattanooga can actually be a 10 mile out and back if run all the way to Shallowford Rd. Include the 2 mile loop in the Park and this will make for a really good long run, if I carry fluids with me. I finally downloaded the data from my Garmin from the 6 mile run and was pleasantly surprised by the total negative splits.
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:12
Mile 5 - 9:52
Mile 6 - 9:17
Now that is how you run negative splits!
Went out for a nice 3.5 mile walk through Westchester last night with Gerri. It felt good to stretch the legs and also to have that one on one time with her with distractions. We used to walk regularly and I really miss it. Hoping that maybe we can do more walks when we aren't running.
After the walk we went to Bellacino's to grab some dinner and ran into one of our friends, Missy. We had not seen Missy in a long time and it was nice to be able to sit there and enjoy her company as we ate dinner.
Time to run some errands. Poor Shadow, our cat, has been out of treats all week and has been giving me the sad eye look each day. I need to rectify that situation and pick up some drain cleaner from Lowe's. I also need to trim the bushes outside before the sun gets too hot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
