Road to nowhere

Weight just wait!

2010-03-15T10:02:00.003-04:00

My how time passes quickly when you aren't working. It seems like yesterday, not three weeks ago that I posted my last blog. Better three weeks than three months I suppose.

Things have been going surprisingly well. I believe that I have done a pretty effective job managing this stressful period of unemployment. I have been able to maintain a sense of calm, watch my diet and improve my fitness level.

This year I did not make any New Year's Resolutions. But in the back of my mind I knew that I wanted to, no I NEEDED to, get my weight moving in the proper direction. During 2007, I had been able to get down to 197, although I lost some focus during training for the Vermont Marathon ran the marathon about 210 (Memorial Day '08). I'm disgusted to report that when I stepped on the scale on January 1, 2010, it screamed 236. Not only do I not look good at that weight, but I also realize that is not healthy for a soon to be 50 year old guy.

So that morning, I made myself a promise to lose weight yet again. I actually thought about making a big deal out of it and letting everyone know for accountability purposes. Instead I kept it to myself, an inner challenge. My goal was 25 in 25. That would be to lose 25 pounds in 25 weeks. A sensible, reasonable goal that would bring me back down to my marathon weight.

While I have not dramatically altered my diet and still allow far to many poor choices, I am making progress. My weight tends to fluctuate day to day depending upon my fitness routine, but last week I saw one of my short term goals of 224. Next up will be 219.

I'm hoping that the weight will continue to come off now that I have increased my fitness routine. Funny how it took an unfavorable diagnosis of Exertional Compartment Syndrome to re-motivate me.

I'm Back

2010-02-24T11:14:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone even follows my little blog anymore, and why would you since I haven't posted in almost a year. I'm hoping to change that in the coming days, weeks and months.

So much has changed since this blog started (and stalled). Want a quick recap?

1) Gerri and I sold our home in Easley, SC and moved into an apt in Birmingham, AL.

2) Gerri started Law School at Cumberland School of Law.

3) Chelsea, our oldest daughter, became a Freshman at Western Carolina Univ.

4) Alabama won the 2010 BCS National Championship.

5) My team at Krystal was eliminated in a Workforce reduction on January 29th.

6) Not to mention my running is non-existent.

As you can see, 4 of the 6 changes are really positive. In fact, overall my life continues to be great and I could not be happier. As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

This will be an interesting year, as I will be turning 50 in April. This pending milestone has given me pause to look forward while also reflecting on the past. During the upcoming months, I'll be sharing my thoughts on my life. My current and future goals, and my challenge to overcome injury and complete another marathon.

I hope you will join me on my journey.

Slow down and let me off this ride

2009-05-12T21:58:00.002-04:00

Just a quick recap. Life is crazy. So much going on and so little time. Work has been nuts. Our future, possibly near future, is still unknown. Battled some IBS issues and turned 49. Oh yeah, I have not run in two and a half weeks and I'm running the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon this weekend.

Stay tuned for more craziness.

May Day MAYDAY

2009-05-01T10:54:00.002-04:00

Since I have very few followers, I'm sure that not many people have missed my blog. In fact, the last blog I wrote was dated March 25th. Like some cruel April Fool's joke, one day passed, then another and another. I often thought about blogging, but always found something more important to do. Okay, maybe tv, Facebook and Twitter are not more important.

April just seemed to be the month that was a funk. Maybe it was the fact that I was turning 49 years old, although birthdays don't bother me. And I certainly don't feel 49! I suppose that the general malaise was a combination of things. Travel and stress at work, the continued unknown about where and when we'll be moving and if our home will ever sell.

I continue to battle my weight, it's winning. And my running activity has dropped to the level of almost complete inactivity. That would be one run a week, or four runs in the month. Yes FOUR runs totalling 31.5 miles. That included the Cooper River Bridge 10K and the Statue 2 Statue 15K in Birmingham. Yes it lived up to the reputation as the hardest 15K in the south.

It's May 1, 2009 and time for me to take control. Luckily I have an incredible wife and Gerri and I will tackle this challenge together. We've done it before, we'll do it again.

Without going into specifics yet, here are some preliminary goals for May.

1) Blog at least 5 times per week. Some may be very short, but I'm generally long winded.

2) Cook more often when I'm home. This will have the added benefit of helping our budget while also allowing us to make better food choices.

3) Read. One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to read one book per month. I completed one (QBQ)and are making good progress on 1L. Next up is Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley.

4) Run. I thought about setting a goal of running every day this month, even if it was 1 mile. I know it is unrealistic, unhealthy and totally crazy. But I do like the idea of implementing some easy short runs just to get back into a good habit. Of course, the Marine Corps Historic Half is two weeks away, so my goal there is to finish and enjoy the experience.

Guess that's a good start for May 1st. Looking forward to weekend ahead including seeing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers tonight at Boiling Springs High School, Yard Sale in the morning, watching the MUD Run tomorrow afternoon, an 11 mile run Sunday morning and of course NewSpring Church service on Sunday. Best part is I get to spend all weekend with Gerri!

5 miles on Fernandina Beach, FL

2009-03-25T21:16:00.002-04:00

Well work caused me to miss my run on Tybee Island yesterday, so I was determined to get one in today. I got done with my restaurant visit in Yulee, FL and then headed east to Fernandina Beach, just north of Amelia Island. It was a beautiful afternoon, sunshine and 78 degrees. A slight breeze blowing off the ocean.

A quick Google search found me a mostly tree covered sidewalk/walking/running trail next to Amelia Island Parkway. After finding a parking spot at Scott Rd beach access, I quickly changed in my car. Once the Garmin located the satelites, I was off.

Ooops, about 30 seconds in and nature was calling big time. And it wasn't a simple matter of ducking in somewhere to pee. Both sides of the sidewalk are surrounded by trees, bushes, ponds, nature and who knows what kind of creatures. I saw an Beach access area that looked promising, but it actually led to a Condo complex. Luckily the pathway emptied at their pool area which included bathrooms. I helped myself and took care of business. Problem solved.

Back on the pathway, I quickly realized that this was going to be a tough run. Some shin/ankle discomfort was back, the heat/humdity took some getting used to, and with each step, I heard the sound of critters nearby. I don't like critters, especially the thought of snakes and gators. Luckily I didn't see any, but just the thought kept me tense. I was taunted by those little lizard things and one of my major nemesis, the squirrels, kept mocking me.

I went down, stopped about mile 1 to stretch some, then turned around and headed back. I eventually reached the end of the trail around Mile 3, another beach access spot. I took some time to enjoy the beauty. The sound and color of the ocean, the refreshing breeze blowing in off the water. The tension disappeared and as I headed back, I stopped only momentarily to watch some golfers teeing off. I finished the run strong and feeling good. Okay, so I missed my the turnoff for the car, but didn't mind the quarter mile cool down as I backtracked.

After the run, I got back in the car and drove the 2 hours back to Savannah. A perfect opportunity to reflect on the run while listening to some running podcasts; Two Gomers Run A Half Marathon and 4 Feet Running.

Three days to the Rumpshaker 5K.

6.25 Miles Downtown

2009-03-21T18:42:00.002-04:00

Gerri was scheduled for an 8 miler today and was meeting her old Team Tiarra running buddies Christina, Drew and Emmitt in GVegas at noon. I wasn't feeling it this morning, but a gentle nudge from Gerri was all it took. In my mind, I knew that I needed, maybe even wanted to get this run in. I haven't run more than 5 miles since the Kiawah Half Marathon in early December, and given my pain/injury I figured 6 miles would be enough.

Running downtown pretty much guarantees hills, and we had plenty today. North Main and McDaniel to name two. I really wanted to go slow, 11:30-11:45 was my goal so that I could finish and feel good. Things didn't work out that way. As much as I wanted to let them go ahead, my mind kept reeling them back in. We ran the 1st three miles or so at an 11:00 pace. Now it wasn't long ago that I would be embarrassed by that info, but I'm just happy to be on the mend and getting some conditioning back.

The last three miles, including McDaniel were run about 11:14 pace. Other than the hill, my ankle felt good. I ran most of McDaniel, with a few short walking breaks, but otherwise I ran the entire distance and actually finished the uphill section of Main Street pretty strong. Although I was tempted to run the entire 8 miles with Gerri and Christina, I knew I was smarter to stick with 6.

So another week in the books with three runs. Mileage still needs to slowly creep up, following the 10% rule. Sadly this was my highest weekly mileage since the 1st week of December. Or maybe I should look at the positive and proudly say this was my highest weekly mileage since December.

Picture borrowed from a great blog post by terrific Greenville athlete, Ashley Long. http://ashleylong.blogspot.com/

3 Miles in Madison Lakes (GA)

2009-03-18T22:08:00.002-04:00

It's been a long day. Started in a restaurant in Chattanooga, TN at 6am. Then lunch with the KBE and FBC teams, followed by a trip to Krystal Corporate offices for a conference call with franchisee. Left Chattanooga in time to be in Atlanta rush hour traffic, but luckily it wasn't a horrible day in the ATL.

Changed my schedule from Conyers to Madison. This was a great change because it gave me a chance to get another run in tonight. A short distance from my hotel is a gated subdivision called Madison Lakes. I ran there once last year one morning, and knew it would be a perfect spot tonight. I parked near in a lot before the entrance and jogged in. I saw more people walking their dogs than I saw cars. The temperature was perfect and the sun low in the sky and setting.

This was my first back to back runs this year, and maybe as much as 5 or 6 months. After the horrible run yesterday, I had three goals 1) Go slow 2) Don't stop 3) Have fun. I'm happy to say that I achieved all three goals. Pain in my left ankle was noticeable, but not unmanageable.

I'll take a rest day tomorrow and then get in another run on Friday or Saturday.

4 miles @ Camp Jordan Park

2009-03-17T22:38:00.002-04:00

Four miles sounds good, but it was brutally ugly. 1st mile was actually good. The weather was about 70 degrees, low humidity and the sun was shining. Camp Jordan is a large recreation complex with a two mile gravel path. I knew I was going to fast (relatively speaking) for my current conditioning level, but I was not able to slow down. Odd considering I used to preach to new runners doing C25K that when you think you are going slow, slow down even further. But my body/mind wouldn't listen.

Having recently been fighting shin, calf and ankle discomfort, I naturally started to take stock of how I was feeling. Surpisingly I found a new area of discomfort today, my groin. I should have focused on it because it wasn't long before my ankle discomfort (low front) started again. This time it was both ankles instead of just the left, and lower than in the past. I willed myself to run through it, but my mind is not cooperating these days and my body gave in.

I walked some, then started again, then walked again about a half mile later. And my mind is working overtime. Less than a year ago you ran a marathon and now you can barely run a mile. Over and over my mind ran this scenario. I saw may car, the two mile point and stopped to recover and stretch.

I promised myself that I would complete four miles, so back out I went. I felt okay, minor discomfort but once again could not force myself to slow down. The two miles were mostly slow running with some walk breaks mixed in. I completed my two laps, four miles and was happy to have it done. It wasn't pretty, but I finished.

Each run should bring me one step closer. Closer to where I was, closer to finding the joy, magic that running provided not that long ago. I'll get there one day when I'm older. Maybe when I'm 49. Who knows, it might be my magic year!

Happy Birthday Chelsea

2009-03-16T09:23:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe but my little baby turns 18 today. That's Chelsea on the right, and Heather on the left. This photo was taken in the fall of 2008 in Charlotte at the Renaissance Festival, prior to the the Ded Bob show. That would be Ded Bob in the middle.

Gerri and I are anything but Renaissance Festival folks, but Chelsea loves them so we went so that we could spend time with her doing the things she appreciates and enjoys. As much as I dreaded it, we ended up having a fun family day.

Where have the last 18 years gone? The time has flown by and I'm sure the next 18 will go even faster.

Nice to know that 18 years later that I have an intelligent, creative, beautiful, and sensitive daughter. Chelsea, enjoy your birthday and everything that life has planned for you. The joy is in the experience, so be sure to enjoy the journey through the unknown paths that lie ahead.

Happy 18th! We love you.

I've Been MIA

2009-03-14T08:53:00.003-04:00

After making a special effort to blog almost every day in February, my week in Orlando seems to have thrown me out of my blogging sync. So perhaps a brief recap of the past two weeks is in order.

Gerri and I had a terrific week in Orlando. The weather started out cool and ended up in the 80's, and the sunshine state lived up to its name. It was a "work" week for me, which means I worked a few hours on Monday night doing my night shops, then Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00am until about 3:30pm. The rest of the time I was able to spend with Gerri.

We had three runs around Universal. The 3.5 miler that I already blogged about, another 3 miler after work one afternoon and finally a 6.2 mile run on Saturday morning. We ran this in honor of our friends that were running the Reedy River 10K back at home that morning. This was my longest run since the Kiawah Half in early December, and it showed. The warmer temps had some impact, but not as much as my Friday evening meal at the Ale House. It felt great to get it done, but required more "pit stops" and walk breaks than I would have liked.

One of the real treats about our trips to Orlando is the opportunity to visit with friends. One night we drove out to a nice area northwest of Orlando called Clermont to have dinner with my third grade teacher. Fran and her husband Gordon have remained good friends over all these years. They have lived an amazing life and have such terrific stories to tell. Like always, it was a wonderful visit and evening.

We also had a chance to see our good friends Mike and MaryBeth Smoot and their son Jimmy. I met, live and worked with Mike and MB back in the 80's during our time at People Express Airlines. Smoot is responsibly for ratcheting up my love of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

One night we met them for dinner, Hawaiian Fusion at a restaurant called Roys. The food was surprisingly good but could not match the company which was terrific.

After our run on Saturday, the Smoots picked us up at the hotel and we traveled to Kissimee to see my St. Louis Cardinals take on the Houston Astros in a spring training game. Mike was nice enough to think ahead and get tickets when he knew we were coming. There is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable for me than a spring training game sitting in the Florida sunshine. Being with Gerri and great friends made it even better, and a Cards victory was icing on the cake.

Traveling for work is something that I have become accustomed to as part of the job. If I could only enjoy each trip as much as I did this week in Orlando. Now I can't wait to go back again next quarter.

3.5 miles in Orlando

2009-03-02T22:31:00.003-05:00

Gerri and I spent our first full day in Orlando. We slept in late, had a less than special lunch and then headed to Fleet Feet Sports.

The owner, Eric was very helpful. Gerri ended up with a new pair of shoes, Nike Lunar Trainers. I tried them on and loved the way they felt, but Eric was concerned that they were too neutral and I needed to stick with a stability shoe. He did suggest I begin working away from the Adrenaline's that I have used since I started running. I tried on a few pair including Inspires and Infinity. So only a new pair of Super Feet inserts for my shoes.

We went back to our hotel, and went out for a run around Universal. We ran around the Portofino and Hard Rock Hotels on the Universal property. It was mostly beautifully landscaped pathways meandering around the waterways. About 1/2 way we reached City Walk, stopped for a brief period to sight see and then headed back.

The good news, no shin pain in my left leg. The bad news, my right calf seized up and felt like a baseball on the back on my right leg. What the heck! Oh well, tomorrow is another day and we'll likely attempt another run. This would be my first back to back runs in forever.

March 1st - Week in Orlando

2009-03-01T23:01:00.002-05:00

It's snowing in Greenville, SC but Gerri and I are in Orlando. We were scheduled to fly out on Allegiant Air at 6:45pm. When I saw the weather forecast this morning, I thought we may be better off driving. After some discussion, we both decided that driving was better than waiting to see if the flight was cancelled. We drove, and yes the flight was cancelled.

So we now have a week in Orlando. I'll work Tues, Wed and Thu until about 3:00PM, but the rest of the time we can spend together. Gerri will spend her days relaxing, reading and studying while I'm working.

We'll get to see some friends, including my third grade teacher and her husband on Tuesday and some friends from my People Express Airlines days. We'll also be taking in a Cardinals/Astros preseason game next Saturday.

February was a pretty good month. My running is getting back on track and I blogged 23 out of 28 days. March will be even better.

Running Balance Sheet

2009-02-26T20:36:00.003-05:00

During a run a month or two ago (Kiawah Half or Hair of the Dog) I had the idea of creating a balance sheet for my running. After all, this is supposed to be an inexpensive sport, right?

My goal was to set aside $1.00 for each mile I ran, training or race. This "Income" would be used to balance the running "Expenses". Race fees, Greenville Track Club Membership and Running Gear (Clothes, Shoes, etc).

Pretty simple concept, if you want to race, you have to put in the leg work. Easy in theory, but how does it look so far.

January
Income was $5.00
Expense was $27.79
Net Profit/Loss was ($22.79)

February to Date
Income is $22.00
Expense was $42.79
Net Profit/Loss was ($20.79)

March Projections
Income $50.00
Expense $23.25
Net Profit/Loss $26.75

I'm maintaining the data in an Excel database, set up like a Checking Accounting. So far the Expenses, Actual and Projected, are higher than the Income. Fortunately I'm personally in control of the Income (training), so I hope to ocntinue raising my base mileage to catch up and exceed the Expense side.

Stay tuned for monthly updates.

Marine Corps Half Marathon?

2009-02-24T22:12:00.002-05:00

About a week ago, Gerri mentioned that she would love to run one more Half Marathon before starting Law School this summer. Of course that means both of need to get our training levels back up and then find one that looks interesting.

I found two that caught my attention. The North Carolina Marathon/Half Marathon and the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, VA. This event takes place on Sunday, May 17th.

We both got excited about a weekend trip to the DC area and a chance to run another Half, with 9,000 other runners. I think we both got an instant boost of adrenalin, just what any good training plan needs.

Thud, the sound of us realizing that we had previously committed to volunteering for the BMW Charity Pro-Am that weekend. I had volunteered to be a walking scorer for four days and Gerri for two days. We are now weighing our options. I could cut back to two days (Thu & Fri) and Gerri could take a pass this year. This would allow us to drive up Friday night, enjoy the Expo and Washington on Saturday, then run the Half on Sunday. We could possibly stay Sunday night and spend more time enjoying DC and celebrating.

We have not yet made a final decision, but I'm thinking that both of us are leaning in this direction. Any thoughts?

Starting week with 3 miles

2009-02-23T22:11:00.002-05:00

It was a bit cool, but certainly a beautiful day for a run. I had given platelets in the morning at the Blood Connection, so I didn't get out until this afternoon. The good news is that I WANTED to get out for a run. It's nice to be looking forward to runs again.

I started out a bit faster (insert laughs here) to see if a faster pace would eliminate some of the lower left leg discomfort I have experienced on many of my runs. Felt pretty good after a mile, so decided to keep it up. About 1.5 miles in I was getting a bit winded and needed to walk briefly. I managed to match my 1st mile time even with the walk, but stopped to recover at two miles. I used this time to walk and stretch as the leg discomfort was back. I finished the third mile, somewhat slower, but got the miles in.

Checking online to self diagnose it appears this may be some form of shin splints. The discomfort appears to be in the muscle, next to the shin bone, and on the exterior front. I found a few strengthening exercises that I start using. As I was driving to Atlanta this evening, I noticed that I have a tendency to drive with my leg bent, which may be putting some pressure or straining this muscle area slightly. I'll continue to take it easy and see if I can work through it as I slowly add some runs and miles. May even mix in some pure "walks", just to see if that will help.

House Offer #1

2009-02-22T20:57:00.004-05:00

Three weeks ago we signed a contract and put our home on the market, and then the stress begins. De clutter, keep it clean, 25 yards of mulch, pressure washing and all those other minor details that go into making a home ready for showing.

Will buyers like the house? Did we use the proper agent and agency? Are people buying homes? How will the current economic environment affect our ability to sell?

We had five showings in the first three weeks, and each viewing received favorable feedback, but no offers. Until about 7:00pm tonight. Our realtor, Jonathan Chappell with Open House Realty called to let us know that the couple that looked at the home on Thursday had made an offer.

A few minutes later, he was here and we sat down to review the offer. It was a good offer, and we made a minor counter. A few thousand dollars, plus a 24 hour first right of refusal since they have a home to sell too. This allows us to accept the contingency offer without removing our home from the market.

A moment ago, the phone rang and Jonathan was advising us that our counter offer was accepted. Funny how things can change even while a blog is being written.

We have a long way to go, but things continue to move ahead. Now if we just knew where we were moving and when. I suppose God will reveal this information to us when he feels we are ready for it.

5 miles downtown

2009-02-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

It's 10:00pm and I'm exhausted, so this will be brief.

Had a nice relaxing morning, after a busy day yesterday. Gerri and I drove back and forth to Macon, GA for her Law School Open House at Mercer. We enjoyed the visit, a well orchestrated Open House. On the way home we stopped in Madison for dinner at the Chophouse. Good service and food and they give out Tootsie Pops with the bill.

At 12:00 today we met Christina downtown for a 5 miler run. We started out easy and gradually picked up the pace during the run. Best part of the run was not experiencing any pain in my calf today.

After the run we met Chelsea and Eric at Wild Wing Cafe for lunch. This was our first time meeting Eric and he was a real nice, personable young man. Conversation flowed easily and the time flew by. We stopped by Luna Rosa for some Gelato, then walked around downtown. Always great spending time with Chelsea and look forward to seeing Eric again.

We came back home and relaxed the rest of the day. Finally starting to get caught up on some of our Tivo recordings.

It figures

2009-02-19T21:47:00.002-05:00

Got back from Atlanta and met Gerri and our friends Robin and Eric for dinner at Carrabba's in Greenville. Good meal, great friends.

Got home to find a "cold" house. Well at least downstairs. Unfortunately it appears that our downstairs heating unit has decided to go on the fritz. Luckily it's only money, so we'll deal with it. Sometimes life happens. There are many folks in the world that would love to have a bed and house to sleep in, cold or not.

Tomorrow Gerri and I will be heading to Mercer University for another Law School visit. So far we have visited Charleston School of Law, University of Alabama, Samford University Cumberland School of Law and the University of South Carolina. The trip to Macon is about 4 hours, so it will be a long day down and back.

Looking forward to a great weekend, heat or not.

Thunder, Rain, Hail and Tornadoes

2009-02-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

It's a bit early in the year for severe weather in the southeast, but we sure got some today in Atlanta. The morning started out with rain, heavy at times. This is much needed as the southeast continues to be parched in this never ending drought. The rain started letting up and by the time I left the restaurant, the sun was coming out. The hotel was only a short distance away and my plan was to hit the TM for a 3 mile run before dinner and my night shop.

I really wanted to, but then I got sucked in. You see, I made the mistake of turning on the hotel TV and a local new station weatherman was talking about some severe storms heading towards Atlanta. I was hooked. There is something about severe weather that peaks my curiousity, and bad weather tends to follow me on the road no matter where I go.

The station did a tremendous job and their technology was incredible. Funny how the weathermen get more and more excited when storms appear to be ripe for tornado formation. I get the same way, but you have to temper that with the cost to proper and potentially lives. For hours I watched radar, heard about super cells and straight line winds, 2 to 3 inch hail and BTI, the Barton Tornado Index. The higher the number (1-10 scale) the larger the potential for tornadic activity.

The storms ripped through, one after another but luckily they stayed just north or south of my location near I-85 just north of I-285. (Pleasant Hill Rd) I know tornados touched down, and I'm sure tomorrow the news will report the number and damage amounts.

When the storms appeared to be mostly over, I grabbed some dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (yummy), then headed to Snellville for my night shop. During the Drive Thru shop, the heavens opened again and the rain pounded relentlessly for about 20 minutes. The sky flashed with brilliant lightning approximately every 15 seconds. It was a dazzling afternoon and evening.

Maybe I should add Tornado Storm Chaser to my bucket list.

Long, Long Day

2009-02-17T22:41:00.002-05:00

Not much time for physical activity or relaxing today. Got up like usual for work at 0510, out of the hotel in Calhoun, GA about 0545. A normal day except I had to deal with a new restaurant General Manager, a new District Supervisor and training a new Director of Area Operations. Finally got out of the restaurant about 4:30pm, about 2 hours later than normal.

Then my boss drove into Atlanta and wanted to have dinner. So I met him at Ruby Tuesday on I-75 just north of the hellway known as I-285. Not a bad place to stop and have dinner at rush hour. We had a good dinner and he did my yearly review. Even got a nice 3% raise, double what the company says I'm eligible for given their system. Heck in this economy, I'm just happy to be employed.

After dropping him off at his hotel and reviewing some computer issues, I had to drive to I-85 and Indian Trail for my night shop. Finally back to the hotel around 9:15pm. Finally caught up on emails, Twitter, Facebook and finally my blog.

I'm local tomorrow, so although the weather will be bad, I'm going to get in some kind of exercise.

The Long, Slow Road Back

2009-02-16T20:50:00.002-05:00

A little over two years (Dec 06) ago I started the Couch to 5K training program. It was truly square one. During this time there were days with lots of doubts. How could I run 10 minutes in a row, 15 minutes in a row, 25 minutes in a row? Slowly but surely the impossible became the possible. The runs got longer and easier and as my confidence and conditioning grew, my weight decreased.

According to my Buckeye training log, in January of 2006 I weighed 220 pounds, completed 16 runs, and average of 3 miles per run and an average pace of 13:28.

Progress was dramatic in Feb '07. My weight started at 215 and finished at 205. I had 10 runs, average distance had increased to 3.7 miles and my average pace had dropped to 12:02.

Move ahead one year. Feb '08. My weight was now between 197 and 205. I had 9 runs, average distance had doubled from a year earlier to 7.4 miles and my average pace had dropped to 9:53.

I can only imagine what the numbers would look like IF I had stayed the course. Instead of one step forward I have taken two steps back. Here is the ugly truth, in print for the whole world to see. Maybe this will be the smack in the head that I need.

Feb '09 My weight has ballooned, the Tanita scale screamed 222 pounds this morning. That's an ugly increase of 12-17 pounds since the marathon at the end of May. So far this month I have had 3 runs, and average of 3.7 miles and an average pace of 11:05.

The good news is that the three runs have come in the last 9 days, so I'm starting to get back on track. Although the runs are slow and painful, it is progress. And based upon the Feb '07 data, if I can increase the consistent frequency of my runs and also get back on track tracking my food, the weight should be able to come back off too.

So my warts have now been exposed, I have nothing left to hide. I'll continue to post my run info, my diet info and my continue battle to once again get my weight below the mendoza line.

Blog Streak Ended

2009-02-15T22:42:00.002-05:00

Okay, I didn't exactly make it through the month of February, but my streak did end for a good reason. No, I wasn't in jail.

Saturday and Sunday both turned out to be excellent family days. Saturday morning Gerri and I drove to Boiling Springs to pick up Heather. We went to the Pavilion to see some old friends from our Grrrowl days. Their Grandson was playing a youth hockey game and we wanted to cheer him on. Afterwards the seven of us went to Five Guys and enjoyed some lunch and camaraderie.

On the way home, we stopped at Blockbuster and picked up two movies. To Kill A Mockingbird (classic B&W with Gregory Peck) and FireProof with Kirk Cameron. It was nice to enjoy these films with Heather. She will soon be reading To Kill A Mockingbird at school and we thought that by watching the movie it may help hr enjoy and understand the book better.

FireProof is a deeply religious film, primarily focused on marriage and establishing a relationship with God. I believe this film was made by the same group that did the terrific film Facing the Giants. It was really nice to be able to share this time and these films with my wife and youngest daughter.

We even caught the last hour or so of a Walk to Remember, another tear jerker.

Today we woke, got the house ready for a showing and then headed off to NewSpring Greenville for the 9:15 service. We met our friends Eric and Rob for Church, and then had brunch at Stax Omega. We got back home, but did not get out of the house before the realtor showed. We quickly grabbed the cat and made ourselves scarce, driving around some of the local subdivisions.

Once we got back around 1:15, Gerri got ready for a 5 mile run downtown with one of her Team Tiara running buddies. Heather and I buckled down and spent some time studying Physics. You know the stuff that you learn and then forget like f=m*a and Newton's 3 Laws, and 3 types of friction. Although the studying went well, I found myself using the internet a lot to "refresh" my memory.

I took Heather back home to Boiling Springs and got back in time to go to the 6:00 NewSpring Service in Anderson. Gerri and I took her friend Heather, her first time to NewSpring. It was an enjoyable service and nice spending time with Heather. After we dropped her back by her car, Gerri and I grabbed some dinner.

It may not sound like the most exciting weekend to you, but spending time with my wife, my daughter (one of them anyway), our friends and some quality time at Church made this one terrific weekend for me.

BSD13 - Friday the 13th

2009-02-13T14:57:00.003-05:00

How many people woke up just cringing today, afraid of a date on a calendar? According to wikipedia, I'm sure plenty. Here is a small portion in the wiki...

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day". Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.

Friday the 13th also conjures up images of Jason terrorizing scantily clad teenagers, many times after they have just had a romp in the woods. In fact, Jason continues to intrigue filmmakers, and who doesn't remember the terrific Freddie vs. Jason battle.

I love Friday the 13th. That's right, I said it and with good reason. Gerri and I had our first date on a Friday the 13th. Coffee at Books A Million on Laurens Road. I had just returned from a business trip to LA. We were supposed to see each other on Sunday night, as Gerri was in a Christmas Show at Church. And even though I was exhausted from returning on the red-eye, and heading to Greensboro that afternoon with friends to watch a Grrrowl hockey game, I couldn't wait. So we met for coffee, well Chai Tea to be exact, and the thus started the spark that would ignite our romance.

Tonight, on this Friday the 13th, we will have dinner at the new Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Greenville and celebrate Valentine's Day (early like we always do)and another Friday the 13th anniversary. I'm lucky, I get two more chances this year!

Happy Friday the 13th everyone. Gerri, I love you baby! Thanks for not being spooked.

BSD12 - Home Again

2009-02-12T20:43:00.002-05:00

Just arrived back home from Macon. Unfortunately I was too late for NewSpring Home Group meeting in Simpsonville. Stopped by Bi-Lo and picked up Turkey Kielbasa for dinner. Have some Rice Medley mix to microwave and a sliced cucumber. Dessert will be Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Pudding or Key Lime Pie Yogurt.

Talked to my daughters via cell on the way home. Chelsea was with her new boyfriend, Eric, so I kept it short. Heather called me after her first varsity soccer game, a scrimmage. They beat Greer 10-0. She played half of the 1st half and the whole 2nd half. Had an assist and came close to a goal. Not bad for a 9th grader. Can't wait to see her play once the regular season starts.

Gerri and I have dinner plans tomorrow night, Friday the 13th. We'll go pick up Heather in Boiling Springs on Saturday morning and then go see one of our old Grrrowl hockey buddies at the Pavilion. Their grandson Nicholas will be playing. Hopefully we can have lunch after, so that we can get caught up. Time flies.

Since I have been gone, I'm going to leave the computer in my office for the rest of the evening. I'm hoping to get some blogging inspiration and maybe even a run in tomorrow.

BSD11 - Is your spouse your rival too?

2009-02-11T20:30:00.002-05:00

I sat here on my hotel room bed in Macon with a blank blog page staring me in the face, having blog blank. I mean, I can't write about my run today because I didn't have one. I'd rather not write about work because it is after all work. There's nothing new to report on the Law School front for Gerri, come on Alabama, USC and Ole Miss.

On the TV, I'm watching the USA vs Mexico World Cup Qualifier. It's a big soccer rivalry game with neighboring countries vying for a spot in the Worlds biggest soccer tournament.

Gerri calls to talk some trash. Her UNC Tarheels are getting ready to take on my Duke Blue Devils. Nothing like some good natured ribbing to keep a relationship fresh. The funny thing is we have another major rivalry between my beloved St. Louis Cardinals and her Kansas City Royals.

If you don't take it to seriously, rivalries can be fun. At least she is a Bama fan, because I'm not sure I could deal with being married to an Auburn or Tennessee girl.

The USA just knocked off Mexico 2 to nil. Let's hope my Blue Devils can do the some.

Let's go Duke, let's go Duke, let's go Duke!!!!

BSD10 - Upcoming Races

2009-02-10T08:58:00.007-05:00

As you can see from the title, I have decided that as my daily blogging streak gets longer, my recognition of it should be shorter. If three weeks establishes a habit, I'm almost halfway there and more than a third done in my month of blogging. Just in case you somehow stumbled upon this blog and actually took the time to read it, the title reference is BSD10 = Blog Streak Day 10.

This past Saturday, I completed my 2nd race of the year. Kind of embarrassing that it has been the only two days I have run too. That's all about to change. After lots of contemplation (okay a little) and discussion (yes dear), I have my next two races on the calendar.

Both will be taking place in Birmingham, AL, an area that Gerri and I both love to run and the most likely location of our future move for Law School.

We'll be running the first annual Rumpshaker 5K on Saturday, March 28th, with one of our Alabama tailgating friends. Throughout the past season we would talk about running and apparently it rubbed off. In my mind I can imagine the conversation in her head, "Well if he can run a marathon, anyone can do it." Christie took our advice, went by Fleet Feet in Birmingham and signed up for their No Boundaries group. It will be exciting to be able to run with her on her first race, and in the inaugural Rumpshaker 5k. I just love that name and can't wait for the t-shirt.

The 2nd race is the Statue to Statue 15k on Saturday, April 18th. This race coincides with the Alabama Spring Football game, so we get to double our pleasure. It starts at Vulcan Park, a hilly park overlooking downtown Birmingham and winds it way up and down hills for 15K to the Lady Liberty Statue.

"A bronze replica, one-fifth the size of the Statue of Liberty, was commissioned by Frank Park Samford as the symbol for the company he founded, Liberty National Life Insurance Company. Created by sculptors Archer and Lee Lawrie, the statue was cast in Sommerville Haut Marine, France, in 1956 and was placed atop Liberty National's home office building in downtown Birmingham and then moved to its present location and dedicated on July 4, 1989."

Blog Streak - Day 9 Tax Day

2009-02-09T22:51:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy, productive day. Got up early and donated platelets at the Blood Connection. Watched Baby's Mama, don't waste your time. Stopped by our old Church to drop off some donations and got to visit with a friend that I haven't seen in awhile. Back home and worked on taxes the rest of the day. Nice to have them completed and submitted, and it's only February 9th.

Tomorrow I'm planning on getting a run in before I get back on the road. Now it's time to sleep because I'm exhausted.

Blog Streak - Day 8

2009-02-08T20:39:00.002-05:00

Okay, this will be short. Promise. It has been a terrific weekend. Gerri and I slept in this morning, had a delicious breakfast at the Firefly Cafe in Savannah. I highly recommend the Greek Omelette. After breakfast we walked around Savannah a little before driving back to Greenville.

We killed some time on the Krystal Wi-Fi, before meeting Eric and Robin for dinner at Olive Garden. Good food, horrible waiter.

We then headed to NewSpring Church for the 6pm service. The series IWantANewMarriage.com started this week.

We are finally home and un-winding from the craziness. It's good to see our boy Shadow, a black Persian.

I promised this would be short, but I wanted to keep my blog streak alive. Eight days now and this week I'm looking forward to getting my running back on track too. February is looking up.

Blog Streak - Day 7 Critz Tybee 5 Miler

2009-02-07T20:01:00.006-05:00

For the first time since New Year's morning and the Hair of the Dog 5 Miler, I got up, put on my running gear and actually ran. 5 weeks between runs is not generally found in most training plans, and hopefully I can eliminate it from mine now.

The alarm went off at 6:00, and we left the hotel around 6:35 for the 30 minute drive. The morning drive was beautiful as the sun was rising as we headed towards Tybee Island. Gerri and I both have so many great memories of Tybee, that the drive was relaxing, something I don't generally experience on a race morning.

Should have known that today would be a good one when we arrived to get the last parking space in the South Beach parking lot. It was cool outside, so we stayed in the car and relaxed, except for my normal visit to the restrooms pre-race.

We ran into one of our Greenville friends, Drew and her friend Faris. Drew, who was part of Team Tiara last year with Gerri, was running the Half Marathon. We eventually lined up a few minutes before the race. The attitude was island laid back. My pre-race goals, to enjoy the race and attempt to run the entire distance. Pretty funny how you adjust your goals when you haven't been running.

The air horn sounded and we slowly made our way under the Fleet Feet logo as we headed up Butler towards the Tybee Lighthouse. The first mile was awkward, as I got used to the movement of running again. I started slow, something I have not been very good at in the past. As Gerri and I weaved our way around some slower runners and walkers, we reached Mile 1 near the YMCA. This was the starting point for the Half Marathon last year.

Further up Butler, we turned right at the Sugar Shack, a Tybee landmark since 1971. It was here almost 5 years ago that we celebrated our wedding day with lunch of burgers, fries and ice cream. And it was yummy.

About 75-100 yards past the Sugar Shack, we reached the walkway to the beach that we used the morning we were married. It brought back such great memories and I slowed to lean over and give Gerri a kiss.

The next stop down memory lane was the Bed & Breakfast that we all stayed at, and then finally the Tybee Lighthouse. 2 miles had gone by and I was still feeling pretty good. At 2.5 miles, I thought, halfway there and feeling pretty good. At this point, I went into a bit of a zone. It may have been the crisp morning air, the rising sun on my face, the sound of my feet on the pavement or perhaps the memories that had flooded back. All I know is the miles were passing and I was almost unaware of the time and distance passing by.

Suddenly we are back on Butler, passing the YMCA and mile 4. I picked my pace up slightly, knowing that with only 1 mile left, I would make it without stopping. I became aware of those around me now struggling to finish, and enjoyed encouraging them to finish strong. With about 2/10th of a mile left, we turned left and could see the finish line. As we got closer to the finish, a near disaster was avoided as without notice the metal barriers began toppling over like dominoes. Luckily no runners were close enough to the barriers to get hit.

I crossed the finish line in 55:22. My Garmin showed the distance just over 5 miles and a 10:58 pace. This was a far cry from my 9:40 Half Marathon pace last year, but I couldn't have been happier. I ran without walking and enjoyed myself. Perhaps this will be the springboard needed to get me back on track.

Blog Streak - Day 6 Friday Stuff

2009-02-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

It's 9:30pm and I'm in a hotel room at the Comfort Suites in downtown Savannah. I've been going all day and almost forgot to do my blog to keep the streak going. This is will a short, sweet recap of the day.

Today has been non-stop. Headed off to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee this morning because we are out of coffee at home. Stopped to fill Gerri's tank at Ingles, then got the oil changed, and finally DD for coffee. After getting home and having some breakfast, the guys showed up to pressure wash the house. I stood outside talking to them as they worked and then our friend Raymond showed up to finish up the mulch. The house is finally looking really good, just in time for our second showing on Sunday morning.

Will be running the Critz Tybee 5 miler in the morning. We drove to Tybee (about 30 minutes from downtown Savannah) to pick up our race packets and successfully switched from the Half Marathon to the 5 miler. The one thing I know for sure is that the course is pancake flat, and the weather is supposed to be perfect. I won't set any land speed records in the morning, but have promised myself that I will have fun.

That's about all the news worth printing. A nice hotel, my beautiful wife, a great pizza dinner delivered by Screamin' Mimi's and now time for a delicious dessert. Hello Chunky!

Blog Streak - Day 5 Tybee Island Plans

2009-02-05T17:45:00.003-05:00

This will be short. I just drove back from Augusta, stopped in a Panera in Simpsonville, waiting to meet Gerri for dinner at O'Charleys and then HomeGroup at Starbucks, before heading home to Easley. How's that for a run on sentence? Of course that is the most running I have done.

Sometime tomorrow Gerri and I will be leaving to drive to Tybee Island. We'll actually be staying in downtown Savannah. Our plans were to run the Critz Tybee Half Marathon on Saturday morning. We are both registered, but my sensible wife decided it would be best if we skipped the Half and ran the 5 miler instead. I was resistant at first, but decided she was right.

I haven't run since the Hair of the Dog 5 miler on New Year's morning, and even that was not tough as I had only run once or twice since the Spinx Half in October. Trying to do the Half Marathon would have been just stupid and irresponsible. Heck, I expect even the 5 miler will be tough.

But we love Tybee Island, and a nice easy 5 mile run at the beach will do us both some good. We can enjoy the morning, the scenery and relish our memories of getting married on the beach at sunrise on Tybee just under 5 years ago. We can also relive last years Half, my PR and her 1st Half. We'll be able to cheer on some friends at the finish and then enjoy a relaxing weekend of exploring, eating and maybe even enjoy some drinks.

That's the plan anyway. I'll let you know how it goes.

Blog Streak - Day 4 Bama Stuff

2009-02-04T16:24:00.004-05:00

I mentioned last night that it was like Christmas Eve. Well Christmas Day turned out unbelievable. Alabama signed another incredible incoming class, with one very highly ranked player still waiting to send in his Letter of Intent. This will easily be another Top 5 Class, perhaps a Top 2 or 3. We filled many areas of need and the futures so bright we'll have to wear shades.

Another great piece of news was the announcement of the Bryant Denny Expansion. Our capacity will increase from 92,138 to over 101,000. The South Endzone expansion will cost about $86 million dollars, but to the more than 12,000 people (about 36,000 tickets) on the Season Ticket waiting list, it's worth every penny. Pledges have already been received for 25 of the proposed 36 Skyboxes at a reported cost of $500,000. There will also be 1,700 Club Level seats and over 8,000 in the new upper deck. The expansion will begin almost immediately and be ready for the begin of the 2010 season.

It's our little slice of heaven, Bryant Denny Stadium.

Blog Streak - Day 3 It's Almost Like Christmas Eve

2009-02-03T20:31:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm in a time warp, going backwards. Sunday was the start of my New Year and now tonight is like Christmas Eve. Why? Because tomorrow is a National Signing Day. That's right, the day that every die hard college football fan has been anxiously awaiting.

That's right, the day when 17 and 18 year old boys make grown men and women giddy when they decide to sign with your school of choice. With each D-1 school limited to 85 scholarships, and most players staying 5 years, this generally leaves between 17 and 25 players per school. Sign the highest rated players, and visions of National Championships in years ahead run through your head. Have a poor day, and college coaches are on the proverbial hot seat.

Last year, Alabama was credited with the #1 recruiting class in the country. This year, we are likely to have another Top 10 class. With Alabama still in the running for several still undecided 5 star players, we can either move up in the mythical rankings or have a disappointing day. My gut says that we'll win some, lose some and end up around the Top 5. This will help us to continue the "Process" as we once again become one of the premiere college football programs.

What will I be doing tomorrow? I'll be working, but my computer will be on, I'll be signed on to Tidefans.com, CrimsonCountryClub and of course Twitter for the latest news reports on faxed signatures arriving in Tuscaloosa.

And Bama Nation says ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Blog Streak - Day Two

2009-02-02T21:45:00.003-05:00

It's 9:45pm and I'm sitting in a hotel room in Augusta, GA. I decided to switch things up a bit and stayed at the Jameson Inn this time. Augusta is not known for especially nice hotels, at least on my company budget restrictions. I can usually do well staying at Choice Hotel properties (Sleep Inn, Comfort Suites), and continue to grow my points base. Unfortunately the Sleep Inn in Augusta leaves something to be desired and the Comfort Suites has not yet opened. I normally stay at the Microtel Inn, a decent room for the price, but since I'll be here for three nights, I figured a change was worth trying. This was a good decision. The Jameson is a really nice hotel for the price, a comfortable King size bed, good size flat panel TV and a nice desk, sofa and refrigerator.

I'm hoping to get a nice short easy run in tomorrow afternoon. There is a nice Greenway in North Augusta that I have enjoyed running before. If the weather does not cooperate, the hotel at least has as treadmill.

I had another productive day at home before leaving. I got most of the gutters cleaned out, except for about a 25 foot segment that is too tall to reach with the ladder. The gutters were in horrible condition, but nothing that a little effort couldn't clean. Amazing how pine needles travel through the air and onto the roof, eventually ending up in the gutters. They do a great job clogging up the gutters.

Another 5 yards of mulch has been ordered for delivery on Wednesday. The 20 yards we spread on Saturday looks great and the last 5 yards will finish it up. A friend from Providence Presbyterian will come by on Thursday to finish spreading the mulch.

Was also able to nail down a Pressure Washer for Friday morning. This should really complete the exterior items that we wanted done to help the house show better for potential buyers. Still need to get the carpets cleaned and perhaps a bit more painting in the Jack & Jill bathroom and the bonus room.

We're making progress.

A New Year Begins Today

2009-02-01T09:12:00.002-05:00

"Remember today, for it is the beginning of always.

Today marks the start of a brave new future filled with all your dreams can hold. Think truly to the future and make those dreams come true.”

Happy New Year everybody. I've decided that since the month of January went by so fast, it was time for a start over. So February 1st is now the official start to my 2009.

What happened in January? Well I completed one, that's right ONE run. The Hair of the Dog 5 miler on January 1st 2009 (Part A). Ouch, guess that will take a toll when I run/walk the Tybee Half next weekend.

I only blogged three times. Pathetic.

I'm using this start over to refocus. I'm going to try, no I'M GOING TO write a blog every day in February. It may be short and sweet, but I'm going to write something.

I'm also going to start exercising again. With basically the last two months off, I need to be sensible about this, so my goal is 3-4 days of activity per week, slowly building my miles. Walk breaks, hell walking, is permitted. Relentless forward motion!

Now I know the one or two people that actually read this blog are thinking, "but Jeff, running a Half Marathon after two months of inactivity is not sensible and is actually crazy stupid." And you would be correct, but here is my rational.

I LOVE Tybee Island. My wife and I were married their in a beautiful sunrise beach wedding five years ago this April. It was also my 2nd Half Marathon (her first) last year and is far and away my Half Marathon PR. I have to do this and know that this will provide me with the motivation I need to get back on track.

My goal of reading one book a month is still on. I read QBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller last month, and am currently reading Julius Caesar along with my 14 year old daughter. I have also started One L by Scott Turow so that I can have a better understanding of what Gerri (and I) will be going through as she starts Law School this year.

I'm kicking off my New Year with the 4:15 Service at NewSpring Church followed by the Super Bowl with our Home Group friends. Have a great New Year everybody!

Inspirational Quote

2009-01-20T13:07:00.003-05:00

I saw the Angel in the marble

and I chiseled until

I set it free.

~Michelangelo

I'm Back, Sort Of, and Other Ramblings

2009-01-16T19:54:00.004-05:00

This has been a slow start to the New Year.

1) I have not run since the Hair of the Dog on New Years morning. That probably does not bode well for the upcoming Tybee Half Marathon in three weeks.

2) I have not taken the time to blog, and I miss it.

3) I have not gotten back on a healthy eating plan. Mexican tonight, yummy, but not exactly putting me on the right path.

4) And I still haven't written up my Kiawah race report (Sorry Robin).

Although these things appear negative, overall things are positive. We have made good progress getting the house ready for sale. One more bedroom to paint this weekend and some de-cluttering in the office, kitchen and family room.

Gerri and I have spent additional time for NewSpring. Sunday morning service at 9:15am in Greenville, then volunteering at the 6:00pm in Anderson. Home Group on Thursday nights. And last night we had the pleasure to assist with an amazing membership class in Greenville last night. 300 people, that's right, 300 people had signed up for a membership class. Most churches I have belonged to did not even have 300 members.

We made reservations today for a week in Orlando. This will be a "work" trip, but we hope to be able to see some friends and enjoy a last hurrah before Gerri begins Law School.

Speaking of Law School, we are heading to the University of South Carolina in the morning for another Open House. This will be our 4th (Charleston, Alabama and Cumberland). Gerri is still anxiously awaiting decisions, having only heard from two schools so far. She was accepted at Charleston and rejected by Stetson. I'm praying for more decisions soon, especially positive ones.

Yikes, is it really January 8th?

2009-01-08T16:09:00.003-05:00

If you happen to read this blog, I apologize for my absence. Between the holidays and trying to get the house ready for sale, I've been pretty much Missing In Action. Next Monday things return to normal, well at least normal in my life. That means life back on the road during the week.

My running has absolutely suffered. My last run was the Hair of the Dog 5 miler fun run in Spartanburg on New Years morning. It is a beautiful, moderately hilly course that weaves through some beautiful neighborhoods. The brisk morning air seems like a great way to start the New Year.

I hate to say that my run was tough, with several walk breaks. The walk breaks can be attributed my rapidly deteriorating conditioning level as well as continued pain in my calf/shin in my left leg. I have not run since, and should be getting concerned with the upcoming Tybee Half Marathon in a four weeks. Last year Tybee was my 2nd Half and to date is still my Half PR. Unfortunately my conditioning and weight were much better a year ago, so I have no unrealistic expectations this year.

Gerri and I decided to not run the Shamrock Marathon because realistically we can't/won't be ready. I've really struggled with my motivation since the Vermont Marathon way back in May, and it's time that I snap out of it. If only it was that easy.

It wasn't that long ago that I started from scratch with the Couch to 5K program and if I'm not careful, I may need to start all over again.

Slacking

2008-12-29T14:56:00.002-05:00

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.

Do I belong to a cool Church or what?

2008-12-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

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.

“Hey Mister”

2008-12-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

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.

Coming Soon - Kiawah Adventures

2008-12-05T09:02:00.002-05:00

Check back soon for our Kiawah Island weekend. Travels with friends, a Half Marathon and a lizard story.

Who Do You Run For?

2008-12-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

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?

SEC Championship Week

2008-12-02T17:28:00.001-05:00

36-0

2008-11-29T22:04:00.003-05:00

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!

Night Before Iron Bowl

2008-11-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

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.

Battling The Inner Running Demons

2008-11-27T18:15:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-27T17:23:00.002-05:00

The Goal Line Stand (1979 National Championship Game)

The Strip (1992 National Championship Game)

Iron Bowl Week

2008-11-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

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!

Time Warp

2008-11-25T09:13:00.002-05:00

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.

Inspiration From Mountain Brook Run

2008-11-19T10:05:00.001-05:00

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.

3 Mile on TM in Jax

2008-11-18T19:51:00.003-05:00

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!

12 miler in Mountain Brook

2008-11-15T13:15:00.002-05:00

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!

Drive & Determination

2008-11-14T11:31:00.002-05:00

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!

5 miles + 5K +Bama Football

2008-11-08T15:27:00.004-05:00

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.

A midweek run

2008-11-06T21:12:00.003-05:00

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.

I Can't Catch A Running Break

2008-11-05T19:42:00.002-05:00

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.

Random Run On Thoughts

2008-11-04T21:38:00.002-05:00

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.

Coming Soon

2008-11-03T22:30:00.003-05:00

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.

Spinx Runfest Half Marathon

2008-10-25T21:26:00.001-04:00

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 Bama weekend

2008-10-18T22:26:00.004-04:00

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.

Works Getting In The Way

2008-10-14T23:42:00.002-04:00

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.

Where Am I? Who Am I?

2008-10-02T17:26:00.003-04:00

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!

Fly Like An Eagle

2008-09-27T10:46:00.003-04:00

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!

10 Miler & A HUGE Bama Win

2008-09-20T16:28:00.002-04:00

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.

4 Miles @ Folly Beach

2008-09-18T14:08:00.005-04:00

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.

Catching Up and Stuff

2008-09-17T15:19:00.003-04:00

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?

4 Mile TM Run

2008-09-09T20:59:00.001-04:00

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.

Weekend Run & Ramblings

2008-09-08T16:51:00.004-04:00

09/06/2008 Route
Find more Runs in Birmingham, Alabama

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!

My Tanita Scale Doesn't Lie

2008-09-05T12:31:00.003-04:00

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.

Home Home Home

2008-09-04T20:07:00.003-04:00

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!

Bama 34-10

2008-09-02T21:07:00.007-04:00

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.

This Is Alabama Football

2008-08-28T08:57:00.004-04:00

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.

TM Sucky Intervals

2008-08-27T23:11:00.003-04:00

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.

My Feelings Exactly

2008-08-27T07:32:00.001-04:00

I'm not a big Tom Arnold fan, but he appears to be a pretty smart guy. Are you ready for college football!

Recent Runs

2008-08-26T12:43:00.003-04:00

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.

TM Intervals

2008-08-19T23:44:00.003-04:00

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!

If It's Tuesday this must be Hinesville

2008-08-19T08:15:00.002-04:00

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

Great Sunday

2008-08-17T21:44:00.003-04:00

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.

Saturday Walk

2008-08-16T12:40:00.002-04:00

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.

Short Work Week

2008-08-14T14:37:00.002-04:00

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.

Tuesday = Rest Day

2008-08-12T22:37:00.003-04:00

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 Don't Like Mondays

2008-08-11T10:27:00.003-04:00

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.

7 miles with Team Tiara

2008-08-09T11:47:00.004-04:00

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.

Madison 3 Miler

2008-08-08T08:12:00.002-04:00

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.

Rest Day

2008-08-07T20:38:00.002-04:00

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.

3 Miles on Dreadmill

2008-08-06T21:41:00.004-04:00

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...

Spinx Runfest Half Marathon

2008-08-05T17:16:00.003-04:00

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.

And Away We Go

2008-07-23T22:09:00.003-04:00

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...

Time to stop slacking

2008-07-22T20:43:00.002-04:00

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.

Mid Week in Macon

2008-07-09T19:52:00.002-04:00

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.

Peachtree and the 4th

2008-07-05T07:55:00.004-04:00

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.

The Day Before Peachtree

2008-07-03T09:54:00.003-04:00

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.

Chattanooga, TN

2008-07-02T10:06:00.003-04:00

I headed to Chattanooga on Monday for our quarterly KBE team meeting. The trip is about four hours, traveling over the mountains or through Atlanta. Of course traveling through Atlanta is not as pretty and can become much longer depending upon traffic. I generally opt for the mountain pass and with a beautiful day it was a no brainer.

The drive is beautiful, especially once you get past Seneca and Westminister. You cross the Chattooga River and are suddenly in Georgia. The town of Clayton is next, then past two beautiful lakes (Lake Burton and Lake Chatuge). The Appalachian Trail crosses between these two mountain lakes. The scenic drive continues as you spend about 30 minutes driving along the rugged Ocoee River. You eventually get off the back roads and on the I-75 near Cleveland, TN.

I met my friend and teammate Prince at Eagle Bluff Golf Course. We had never played the course before and will definitely go back. Almost nobody on the course, fantastic views and some challenging holes and only $30 fees including cart!

We headed to dinner after our round, settling on Carrabba's, before heading to the hotel for the night. I was pleasantly surprised to see my beloved St. Louis Cardinals taking on the New York Mets on ESPN. A solid Cards victory made this one sweet day!

Tuesday morning I woke at 6:30, dressed and headed over to Camp Jordan Park for a run. The park is about 10 miles outside of Chattanooga. There is a gravel 2 mile loop around the park and a side trail that travels along a levee for an unknown distance. The temp was low 60's and I decided 6 miles sounded good. I started with the 2 mile loop, reversed directions until I took the spur, crossing the river on a paved pathway through the woods. You cross under I-75 and then run across what I believe is a levee. I stayed on the levee for about a mile, turned around and headed back and then eventually finished up the remaining portion of the loop. A nice 6 mile run in just over an hour and my longest run since the Vermont Marathon 5 weeks ago.

Back to the hotel, breakfast, showered and ready for the meeting. The two day meeting was cut back to one day, so about 4:00 I'm back on the road to South Carolina. The river, lakes and mountains were absolutely amazing in the late afternoon sunshine. Four hours in the car each way also gave me plenty of time to begin catching up on my podcasts.

I met Gerri for a nice dinner at Copper River Grill and the came home and relaxed. Something I'm looking forward to during the rest of this holiday week.

Time Flies

2008-07-02T09:24:00.002-04:00

My personal goal of blogging every day or two needs some work. My intentions are good, but something else seems to always get in the way. It's something I'm going to work on. Instead of leaving "holes" in my blog, here is another quick recap since my last blog.

The weekend went by entirely too fast and was enjoyable as usual. Friday night we met friends for dinner at Doc Chey's and then off to Cafe and Then Some for a show. The dinner was much better than the show, but the best part was spending time with Eric & Robin, Wayne & Vicki and of course my lovely wife Gerri.

Our weekends are generally busy and Saturday was no exception. We planned on a 10K run at Hollingsworth Park, a brand new subdivision with a beautiful park and virtually no traffic. We decided to start later, duplicating the time/temp of our upcoming Peachtree Road Race. The 1st few miles were very enjoyable, but the rising sun and heat made each passing stride harder and harder. We ended up cutting our run short at 5 miles. A few large teas at McAlister's Deli helped cool us off and start the re-hydration process.

We picked up Heather, then hit the stores. Heather is going the The Gauntlet, our church camp, in two weeks and we wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. This was mostly clothing plus two one piece bathing suits. Luckily we were able to take care of everything in only two stores (three stops) and found most items on sale. I normally do not like shopping, but enjoyed seeing the interaction between Heather and Gerri and the way her face lit up when she came out of the dressing room wearing something she really liked.

A quick stop by the grocery store, showers and then off to Live Free, Live Loud. This was an outdoor concert including fireworks that was put on by our church, New Spring. It was a pleasant evening, the crowd was large and enthusiastic and we raised almost $40,000 for charity. The band did a great job, especially Lee McDerment. Lee played numerous songs from his recently released CD, A Matchlight in the Dark. As the band played we enjoyed goodies from our picnic basket, and just being together. An outstanding fireworks display took place following the concert.

Sunday's just fly by. Church at 11:15, lunch at Wild Wing Cafe, some time relaxing at home and then the 80 mile round trip drive to take Heather back home.

Monday morning Gerri and I woke up early to get in a 3 mile run. Unfortunately my GI issues caused me to delay, so we ended up running separately. We both had good runs as the cooler temps really helped out. A quick shower, packing and I was off to Chattanooga.

One Hundred Push Ups

2008-06-27T14:11:00.007-04:00

I've procrastinated long enough. I've told Gerri over and over again that I was going to work on my core. The excuses are always the same, I'll start "after the 1st of the year", "after the Tybee Half", and finally "after the Vermont Marathon." It's time for me to step up.

Now I know that push ups are exactly a core workout, but they certainly will help the core. I'll also find an abdominal workout to use along with this challenge. This will be a struggle, but isn't everyone worthwhile that we do?

I found this challenge while reading the Shut It and Run blog. Mar is another Greenville runner and a fast one at that. I found her blog after a link was posted on the Greenville Track Club website.

Anyone care to join me in this 6 week challenge?

The Week That Was

2008-06-27T13:34:00.003-04:00

Got a little behind blogging this week, and I really missed it. Decided to do a short recap of my week while I had a moment. Instead of blogging this week I was driving between locations, working on a presentation, getting some extra sleep and reading two books. I'm not much of a reader, I leave that up to Gerri and Chelsea. I'm currently reading The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey and Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker.

This week took me to Lithonia, GA on Monday. I traveled from Lithonia to Macon & Warner Robins (GA) on Tuesday afternoon/evening. From Warner Robins to Columbus, GA on Wednesday afternoon and finally back home on Thursday after attending and speaking at a meeting on Thursday.

So far this week I have gotten in two runs. The first was a nice 5.25 mile run around the Zebulon Road area in Macon. I started at 9:22 pm and enjoyed the slightly cooler temps along with the sights and sounds of the darkness. Nothing like running in the dark, seeing lightning bugs, and listening to the sounds of the creatures of the night.

My 2nd run was Thursday morning on a park trail in Columbus. It was near my hotel and a great place to run. I found this thanks to columbusnet on Twitter. I headed out about 6:30 am and run a nice easy 4 miles.

Today has been a day to get caught up on things. Bills, expense reports, emails, blogs, etc. Tonight Gerri and I are meeting friends for dinner at Doc Chey's and then heading to Cafe and Then Some. Should be a fun evening.

Candlelight 5K

2008-06-27T12:08:00.003-04:00

File this one under the category "better late than never." That certainly applies here since it is now Friday afternoon and the race took place on Saturday night. This was a race I wasn't even sure I would run because of the bad migraine I had suffered on Friday night (see previous blog) and the fact that I was still feeling the day after migraine symptoms.

After lounging around most of the day, Gerri kicked us into gear about 2:00. We had to get moving because laying around and watching television wasn't helping. We showered, dressed and headed into Greenville for lunch at The Mellow Mushroom. We both settled on personal pizza's and unsweet tea. Mine was pepperoni of course, the pizza not the tea. Lunch was good and just getting moving had improved how I felt and my overall mind frame.

We had plenty of time to kill, so we headed over to Woodruff Rd and hung out at Barnes & Noble. This was close to the race, which was being held on the new ICARS campus just a short distance away. It felt good to be out and about and time went by fast while I read through a Running Times magazine. About 6:00 pm we headed over to Hubbell Lighting and parked.

Now the race is called the Candlelight 5K because they line the streets with thousands of luminaries. Luminaries of course look best when it is dark, so the race was scheduled for 9:00 pm. We don't normally show up at a race three hours early but we wanted to park at Hubbell before they blocked off the street (7:30ish) and were also meeting some family and friends there.

We got our race packets, met up with Marian and Francis, and then the Warren Clan. We saw a few of the No Boundaries group that Gerri and I had volunteered to work with through Fleet Feet. This was the first time that most of them would be running in a race, having just started running about three months ago. It was nice to see them so excited.

The 1 mile fun run/walk started about 8:00 pm and eventually we started lining up for the 5K. It was not excessively warm or humid, but it is South Carolina on a late June evening. I was feeling better than I expected, so figured I would push as hard as I could. The 5K is my least favorite distance and this loop course has plenty of hills.

I either started to far back in the pack or the slower runners/walkers were way to far ahead, because the first mile which was mostly downhill was spent doing nothing other than avoiding collisions. It was somewhat stressful and prevented me from getting into a nice, steady groove. I also realized during this time frame that I should have used the port-a-potties before the race began.

The 1st mile was run in a reasonable 8:43 pace, but not what I would need for a PR. We had made the turn and were now headed back up hill towards the start. The hill was not steep, but steady. In addition to the hills, my bladder needed relief. As the hill crested, I used a port-a-potty for only the 2nd time during a race. The 1st time was the halfway point of my marathon, but a 5K? Are you kidding me? I thought I was fast, but my Garmin proved otherwise. There goes 51 seconds down the drain. Mile 2 including break in 10:18

As I re-joined the race, I knew any chance of a PR was now over. Mentally I was defeated and physically I was quickly approaching that point. The events of the past 24 hours had begun to take their toll and now the goal was to survive and finish the last 1.1 miles. Some more hills, both up and down, another 180% turn and back towards the finish. Mile 3 was done in 10:05 and the last portion (0.15 on my Garmin) was at an 8:29 pace. Garmin timed at 30:21, (Chip time 30:20) well off of my 5K PR of 27:58. 395/568 male finishers using Gun time of 30:40.

Video quality is not great but I can be seen in a white Fleet Feet shirt, red shorts at approx 33 seconds. Marion (white V-neck, black shorts) can be seen along with Tracy and the girls around 1:23 and for a number of seconds after as the camera turns to follow. You can see Marian almost get run over by a stroller.

Although I didn't set a new PR, or even break 30:00, I still had a good time. It's always fun getting back to the finish line to cheer on Gerri, although with her recent "speedy workouts", it may just be a matter of time before she is cheering for me at the finish.

Migraine Hell

2008-06-21T07:31:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately I have not gotten a run in this week except for the easy 3 miler on Monday morning. I planned on 3-5 miles yesterday but was feeling out of sorts all day. Eventually that snowballed into a headache, then a migraine, then a migraine from hell. Within minutes I went from being able to watch TV to thinking that my head was going to explode. There was nothing I could do to alleviate the pain, which kept getting worse and worse. I don't often think about death and dying, but during some of these really painful episodes I often worry if the pain is a migraine or an aneurysm. During the worst of the worst, I always tell Gerri that I love her, just in case those are the last words I can say.

I know it is hard for her to see me in pain, and not to be able to do anything to help. Like most of the bad ones, eventually the nausea kicks in which of course leads to vomiting. This is actually a good thing, because once you have vomited, at least you know that relief is usually not far behind. Shortly after vomiting, the body tends to collapse, and assuming that you can actually find a comfortable position to lay your head, you pass out. For me, this phase can last from 1-3 hours, after which you can generally function, although at a reduced pace.

Now I'm having to deal with what I like to call the severe migraine hangover. The day after can be as bad as having a nasty hangover. Your body feels beat up, and you wake up with a dull headache. It's usually a 50-50 chance on whether another migraine follows the next day, since they tend to come in phases. I made sure to get up as soon as I woke up at 6:00am, because oversleeping or laying in bed can be a trigger. I grabbed some water to start to rehydrate, and will be sure to watch my food intake today.

Complicating matters is a scheduled run tonight, the Candlelight 5K at 9:00pm. I'm not sure what kind of shape I'll be in to run, but plan on giving it everything I have.

The worst part about migraines and the thing that frustrates me the most is I rarely ever get them when I'm working. 99.9% of the time I have ever had a migraine has been on a day off. I guess I should be thankful, because it would be impossible to work with a migraine, but at the same time I hate losing my off days when they happen.

Father's Day

2008-06-16T08:25:00.004-04:00

I had a good Father's Day even if I wasn't able to spend time with my girls. Gerri made sure to make it special, and she always does. We got to sleep in some and boy did that feel good after the past hectic week or two. I got some great iPod and iTune gifts, and two great cards (1 from Gerri and 1 from Shadow-our cat). We had a nice breakfast and readied for church. I got a call from Chelsea wishing me a happy Father's Day which meant a lot to me. I knew I wouldn't hear from Heather since she is away at Camp Chatuga.

We headed off to New Spring Church and like always enjoyed the service. I especially like the services when Lee performs and he was great yesterday. I also ran into an old co-worker after the service as we headed to our car.

After church we drove to Greenville for lunch at Barley's Tap Room. We had our usual hummus and pita and instead of the voodoo past I decided on a whole wheat calzone with pepperoni and onion. After lunch we walked around our beautiful city, hung on the Liberty Bridge for a while, watched a group rehearsing for an upcoming Shakespeare in the Park performance and headed back up to Luna Rosa for some great gelato. I got the Banana's Foster with the Velvet Chocolate and it was delicious. Think of eating frozen bananas coated with chocolate.

We headed home, and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I surfed the internet some, catching up on twitters, blog posts and forums, read some more of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and of course watched the U.S. Open. Is Tiger Woods simply amazing or what? Gerri went to the Carrie Underwood concert with a friend, a good distraction for her with LSAT's tomorrow.

This was a great Father's Day!