See Kevin Run

2011 Green Jewel 50k Race Report

2011-03-05T23:49:00.002-05:00

Today I raced the Green Jewel, a 50k through Cleveland's Metroparks, mainly following the all-purpose trail (AKA bike path) from Rocky River to Brecksville. I had run this race in 2010 (my first 50k) in 5:01, and I knew my training was better so I was primed for a big PR!

My brother in law Ken was kind enough to let me park my car at his house and drive me to the start at the Marina in Rocky River. I got my number, pinned it on my shorts, and waited in the car with Ken until the last possible minute. The weather was chilly & rainy, and more rain was forecast (100% chance) all day long.

We lined up, Vince started giving detailed instructions, until someone just shouted "Can we just start?" and shortly we were off. A pack of 5 started out as if this were a race, leaving the rest of us in the dust. Two more followed in a chase pack and I was somewhere around 8th for the first little bit. I ran with Dan H for the first couple miles, (8:05 & 7:52) and we were briefly passed by 2010 WRTR Race Series Champ Mark C.

Aid stations were roughly every 5 miles, and I had a loose plan going into the race that I would pick up the pace for the middle mile of every 5-mile set. The path is mostly flat (for the first 24 miles) and I wanted to vary my pace so I didn't fall into a rut of slow and slower. So on the 3rd mile, I picked up the pace (7:22) and caught Mark. This would be my fastest mile of the day.

Mark and I ran together for a couple miles (#4 7:56), discussed blogs, I entertained him (I hope) with a story about pizza delivery, and then he skipped the 4.9 mile aid station, I stopped for a Hammer Gel and some Gatorade. Leaving the aid station we had to cut through the grass as there was about 2 feet of water covering the trail at this point. My 5th mile was 8:32, and Mark was gone, never to be seen again.

Miles 6 & 7 were steady, 7:52 & 8:08. I was trying to simultaneously run the tangents and dodge the puddles. Mile 8 was my pick-up, and I ran 7:39. Mile 9 was 8:00 and shortly after that I was at the 10 mile aid station (closer to 9.3 on my Garmin). This time I remembered to split my watch on the way in and out so I knew I spent 54 seconds there, another Gel and some Gatorade and Endurolyte capsules.

Leaving the aid station, my next 3 miles were 7:56, 8:00, and 7:56. Mile 13 was my pick-up but it was also uphill so another 7:58 was all I could manage. Sometime around here Victoria drove past for the first time with Luke and George. My own personal cheering section, what a bright spot in a dreary day! They would leapfrog me on the course, stopping to cheer every couple miles for the rest of the day!

At this point, a group of 3 runners (Sean P, Mike, and Lee) had been gaining on me and then falling back during my pick-ups. Miles 14 & 15 were 8:17 & 8:22, the latter including another brief aid-station stop. After the aid station, the group caught me and I ran with them for a bit, running 7:53 & 7:46. Only Lee stayed close during my 18th mile pickup which I ran in 7:32 (my 2nd fastest mile of the day).

The 19th mile was 8:43 and included another aid station. I tossed my gloves into Victoria's van, and Luke joined me to help pace me in. Which was fantastic except he liked to run beside me, which interfered with my tangents, and he didn't have any amusing stories to take my mind off the pain. Actually my legs were kind of tingly cold and almost numb at that point!

Luke and I caught and briefly ran with Mike G, out for a training run on the course. He let us go and I instructed him that whoever caught him next, he should have a long conversation (to keep them from continuing on to catch me!)

I decided to forego any more pick-up miles until I was safely through the major hills which started around mile 22.5. My 20th - 22nd miles were 8:05-8:21-8:11. Then the first major uphill mile was 8:43. The final aid station was in the 24th mile. Between the uphill, stopping for Gatorade, Endurolytes, & Coke (no Gel) and stepping off the side of the road to pee, that .58 of a mile took me 8:08 (14:04 pace).

Coming out of that aid station, after the hill, I had been hoping to make another pick-up and finish the race strong, but my legs did not agree. I knew in my head that it would not hurt any more to run fast than to run slow, it would just take more time. But I could not generate any legspeed. Miles 25 & 26 were 9:04 & 9:01.

The 8:00 per mile pace that I had kept for the first 22 miles had me at a projected time of around 4:08. But now that I was around 9 from mile 23 on, I reset my goal to 4:20. I was still running with Luke, and I looked down as my watch hit 26.2 miles in 3:37, which would be my 2nd fastest marathon ever (out of 7 tries)!

Miles 27-28-29 were slower, 9:26-9:49-10:44. Even though 28 & 29 were mostly downhill! In the 29th mile as we crossed a highway overpass (over the turnpike?) and I suddenly had an upset stomach. I walked about 100 yards, then got going again slowly, still feeling a little queasy. Somewhere in here Mike G caught us again and he and Luke ran ahead. Some pacer that kid turned out to be!

Mike eventually doubled back, meeting me with about 1.5 miles to go and encouraging me the rest of the way. I picked up the pace slightly for mile 30 in 10:16, another downhill mile. Unfortunately at this point the downhills hurt worse than the uphills. I got passed by the 2nd woman, Terri L. Also in the last mile, despite picking the pace up again (to 8:59) I got passed again by Josh (who was absolutely flying) and then I got passed yet again by an unnamed guy in bright green as we turned in the driveway to the finish.

My final time was 4 hours, 26 minutes, and 8 seconds, a PR by 35 minutes! I'm not sure on my exact place but I think I was in the top 15. Results aren't posted but I do know there were 87 finishers! I hung around for a couple minutes, congratulated several friends, picked up my shirt (very nice!) and some Muscle Milk, then I knew Victoria would be anxious to leave so I headed to the car.

(Update: Results are up and I was 14th overall, 7th Master)

I sat in the back and got into some dry clothes, but in the process my calves cramped up badly and I cried out in pain! I doubt Victoria had any sympathy as I brought this on myself!

This is likely my last ultramarathon for a while, as I am trying to focus on the WRTR Short Race Series this year. But it is a fun race on a beautiful course and I will likely continue to make it an annual event!

2011 Chili Bowl 5k Race Report

2011-02-21T00:10:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the Chili Bowl 5k, the first race of the 2011 Hermes Road Race Series. I did well in the series last year, finishing 5th overall, so I wanted to run well in this race. My training is going better so far this year as far as getting miles in, I joined a new lunchtime group and this has increased my weekday mileage by about 2 miles per day. I haven't been doing much speed training but I did run 2 indoor track races in January (a mile and a 5k) so at least I do have that.

After a brutally cold 2nd week of February, this week was much warmer, with temperatures in the 50's Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday. Unfortunately, a strong wind Friday night brought back colder, more typical February weather. Temperatures were in the low 30's, and a fierce wind blew from the north.

Luke and I arrived early, picked up our shirts & numbers, and went for an easy warm up from about the 1/2 mile mark out to the turn, and back. This enabled us to feel the wind and I realized it would have a huge effect on the race. I remarked to Luke that as we turned around Cleveland Browns Stadium and got out of the wind, we would have to focus and regain our form, the wind was really strong enough that you had to lean into it.

Back to the car, we both changed into shorts, we were among the few (but of course Frank Z. still raced in a singlet, no long sleeves, he is tough!)

Warmed up a little more over to the starting line, wished a few friends good luck, and lined up in the 2nd row. You can see me just to the right of the middle, blue Team Fox shirt & black hat.

I started quickly and by the time we got to the intersection of Prospect & W 6th, the race was starting to sort out. There were 2 guys out front, and then a small pack of at least 5. As we headed north, straight into the face of the wind, I tucked in behind this pack. My goal was to get to the mile mark in a good position but expending as little energy as possible.

I've said it a few times, but the wind really was affecing the race here, despite running downhill towards the lake. As I neared the corner of Browns Stadium, I made a move around the pack. I figured they had to be tiring and would try to drop as many as possible right there before they recovered from fighting the wind. I didn't wear my Garmin as I know the tall buildings near the start mess it up, but the timer at the mile called out 5:40 as I passed. I thought this was a little slow but again, I blame the wind.

I felt good, now in 3rd, and gaining on 2nd. Seemed like 1 guy had gone with me, with all the wind it was hard to hear and I wasn't really sure who was where behind me. Heading out Marginal a short ways towards the turn, I lost a spot and was 4th. Making the turn around the cone, I lost another spot but shortly moved back into 4th, passing the guy who started out in the top 2. Now we were heading west, partly into the wind. I pass the 2-mile mark in 11:28, so my 2nd mile was 5:48. Not bad at all!

We make the turn back south towards the finish, now the wind is finally at our back, and this is so nice that I almost didn't notice the uphill. But most of the last mile was uphill. I knew the last guy I passed was still with me so I ran strong up West 6th and then picked up the pace even more about 100 yards before turning onto Prospect. I wasn't all-out sprinting yet, saving a little in case someone passed me, but no one did. Which is suprising looking at this photo. The next 6 guys were all within 14 seconds of my finsihing time of 18:10.

Interestingly, I realized after the race that the guy who finished 5th was Sean P., a guy I met running downtown a couple months ago that suggested the lunchtime running group!

After the race I congratulated several other runners that finished around me, and turned back to look for Luke. He also ran well, you can see him here in yellow. Not a PR, but a good time for him considering the wind.

Luke and I headed back to the car, changed into some warmer clothes, watched many other runners pass, and then I went out for a cool-down through the flats.

We then heaed back to Tower 230 for the awards. Along with the water and granola bars, there was also chili being served to all runners. Luke and I each won a useful age group award, a chili bowl. The shirt was pretty nice also!

I'm not sure about the top 3 runners that beat me, they weren't in the Road Race Series in 2010. But I did beat the guys who were 1st, 2nd, and 7th in last year's series so I am off to a flying start!

Next race will be the Green Jewel 50k in 2 weeks, followed a week later by the popular St. Malachi 5-Mile Race, the 2nd race in the Hermes series.

Hermes put on a great race Saturday. There were over 950 finishers! Most impressive, by noon they had posted not only the results, but also a video of the start and over 100 photos of the finish (on Facebook)!

Run For Regis - Trail Half-Marathon

2011-01-17T23:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Luke and I headed to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the Run For Regis races. The run starts together at the Ledges shelter, and there are 2 loops, of about 5 miles and 8 miles.

The half-marathoners turn left and run the 8 mile loop, followed by the 5. Marathoners and 50k runners turn right and run the 5 first, followed by the 8, then both again (and the 50k people add another 5 for good measure).

I entered the 50k but decided a few weeks ago that I would run the half instead. There were several reasons for this:

With the weather, running slow for 5-6 hours didn't sound like much fun
I'm racing a mile on an indoor track at CWRU this Saturday, and wanted to be recovered
Victoria had plans in the afternoon and I needed to be home by 12:30 to work the day-care

I wasn't sure what the competition would be like and assumed most of the "veterans" would opt for the longer distances. However, local college runner Patrick Fisher told me before the start that he was doing the half, so any hopes for winning went out the window.

I wore YakTrax Pro's over my shoes. I have run in these several times with no issues but yesterday the left one would slip to the side, off my toe, every 2-3 miles. I think I was pushing off harder than normal in an attempt to run "fast". Not that you can run very fast in 6-8 inches of snow.

In the early part of the race, I was running 5th with a group of 3 right behind me, including Jim Chaney. I talked with Jim a little and found out that he is the narrator for the Burning River course videos, which I really appreciate! (Even though I haven't done the race yet, I have viewed the videos to prepare for other runs in the area).

Eventually I stopped and stepped to the side to adjust my YakTrax. I got going again and was now in 8th. Another 2 guys were following right behind me and we ran together until I stopped again to mess with my shoe. Now I was 10th, but a couple of them must have stopped at the 8-mile point and not continued on.

My first 6 miles were progressively slower, starting with 8:21 (mostly downhill) and slowing to 11:03 for #6. Everything from 5-12 was in the 10's or 11's except for #9 (where I got lost). Miles 10 and 11 were quicker than all but the first 4, at 10:03.

I really appreciated those volunteers that directed runners and worked at the aid stations and at the finish line. What a hard job that is on a cold day. Thank you!

After checking in at the start/finish area at 8 miles, I headed out on the 5-mile loop. In the next mile there was a sort of canopy of pine trees overhead, covered with snow, it was so beautiful and peaceful! I got to a spot where I wasn't sure if I should go left or right, and that cost me a couple minutes, I was hoping another runner would come along behind to show me the way but eventually I started walking and after a bit I saw an oranger streamer which showed me I was on the right path.

Pretty soon I did hear some runners catching me from behind, I worked hard the last 2-3 miles to hold my position, and in the results I was 8th overall out of 103 runners! I think this is my best finish yet in a WRTR race! My time was 2:22:22, results show 2:23:20. Either is fine.

That is me in the picture, wearing the blue shirt, finishing strong (I hope). Also wearing the glove/mittens I won at the Vertical Runner raffle on Christmas eve!

It was great to see many friends and other runners, and it was fun to hear some of the comments, as I was the only runner in shorts! I was running hard though and generating lots of heat. During the race I never was cold and never regretted the decision.

After the race I walked / jogged back out on the course to find Luke, he ran the half also and did well, finishing 31st in just under 3 hours.

He is in this picture, in the white jacket. He really seems to enjoy running and racing, I guess he is crazy like his old man!

My Survivor Video Application

2010-12-15T23:21:00.002-05:00

Check out my video application for the Survivor Casting Call contest sponsored by Sears. I do mention being an ultrarunner!

Turkey, Pig, and Reindeer (Race Reports)

2010-12-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

I've run 3 races in the past 10 days and wanted to post my race reports.

First on Thanksgiving was the Turkey Trot.

Weather was cold & rainy. Was an ok run, probably could have done better. Held back and tried to run steady up the hills at the end of 2 / beginning of 3, got passed alot. Also should have kicked harder, lost a few spots there also (T Trentel).

Time was 31:09 for 5 miles: (5:40-6:14-6:25-6:24-6:24). Finished 69th overall, 3rd in my age. Got the award today which was a free meal at Chipotle!

Next, just 2 days later, was the Pigskin Classic. This was more of a event than a race, with almost everyone dressed in red and supporting the Buckeyes!

Good start, 5 guys took off right from the start (awards for the top 5). Then Don H, then me. Lost 3 spots going around the Browns stadium, including the first girl, then passed by Ben S. right after the mile. Then passed by Frank Z. right after the turn. 2nd girl passed me right around 2 miles.
Lost 1 more spot (yellow Mich. guy) going around the stadium on the way back, then got it back going up the hill, passed Don also. Mich. guy passed me back before the last turn, I almost caught him at the line, I didn't but my chip time was faster!
The 2nd half of the race was hard to keep a fast pace, the wind after the turn was brutal, then the hill up from Browns Stadium just added on.
All in all, good race. 12th overall, 19:06 (5:38-6:16-6:48). No age group awards in this race.

Finally, today was the Reindeer Run, the last race of the Hermes series.

Another nice race. Weather was pretty cold, light wind. Top 5 went out, we had a small pack following them with Randy and a few others. Randy pulled ahead around the mile, I lost contact with the group at the turn-around but didn't fall far behind at all. One more guy passed me in the last mile. I thought I finished 11th but Frank Z was close behind and beat me on chip time.

I wore jingle bells on my shoes which was pretty fun!

I was 12th in 18:16 (5:44-5:59-6:02). Won my age group, got a nice (clear plastic) medal with a reindeer!
I end the series in 5th overall.

Bills' Bad Ass Race Report - 13 Year Old Kid Runs 50k Ultramarathon

2010-11-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Well my title will give away the surprise, but I will still tell the story from the start.

Saturday was Bills' Bad Ass 50k. Why the name? Well historically, runners (and especially ultrarunners) have put on low key, unsupported runs called Fat Ass runs. Well this run was low key but instead of unsupported, it had terrific support, including a well-stocked aid station and a finisher's shirt!

Sponsors of the run were Chef Bill and Wild Bill, both ultrarunners themselves.

The run was to start at 8 AM. Luke and I were up by 4:30 and spent an hour at church from 5AM to 6AM as part of the quarterly 24-hour prayer vigil. We then got a few supplies (Muscle Milk) and got on the turnpike for the 45-minute drive to Peninsula. We dropped off a few things at the aid station - I had volunteered to bring some water and bananas - and then headed down the road to the Church In The Valley where Roy Heger was directing us to park.

Luke had a great cross counrty season with a 2-mile PR of 11:55 and also ran a 19:59 5k last month. He has continued his training of about 20-25 miles per week, and was planning to pace me for 1 of the 6 loops (5 miles each) that make up the Bills' Bad Ass course. I was kind of hoping for some company & encouragement later in the run, but Luke wisely realized that I would be pretty slow at the end and chose to run the first loop so that he could actually run it.

We waited in the car for a bit, as it was still chilly (29) at the start. Eventually we wandered over to the start and visited with a few people. Chef Bill stood on top of his car with a megaphone and gave a few last-minute instructions. Then as everyone was still pretty much just standing around, he said, "Ready? Go!"

The 5-mile loop starts at the parking lot by the Everett Road Covered Bridge and follows the Riding Run trail and the Perkins trail. This course is also part of the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run, but in the BR100 event they run the opposite way as we ran today. Here is a video tour of the course prepared for the BR100.

Luke and I were actually standing off to the side by the bathrooms when the run started, so we didn't get off to a very good start. Not that it matters at all in a 50k! Here we are coming through the Covered Bridge at the start of the run.

We ran together for the first loop, chatting a little bit, and also sharing gloves. Luke hadn't brought any so we traded mine back and forth every mile. We were each wearing our Garmin 305's so we got a little chirp at each mile split. As you can see, Luke was wearing the gloves in this picture.

During the first loop, Luke asked how far he could run, and if he could run the whole 50k. I told him that wouldn't be a good idea, and suggested that he run 2 laps. "Then if you really feel good, stop, drink some gatorade, refuel, walk the uphills like a good ultrarunner, and if you run 3 laps, that would really be a long run for you." Little did I know!

There were 4 water crossings in each loop. None were very deep, if you were careful you could tiptoe from rock to rock and keep your feet dry. Here is a shot of Jeannine Nicholson & Ladd Clifford making their way across.

As we neared the end of the first loop, Luke let me know he planned to keep running. I told him he could run at his own pace, and I would go on ahead at my own pace. Our first loop split was 48:19. I timed myself in and out of the aid-station, so did Luke. We spent 39 seconds at the 5-mile aid station, and we were on our way. All I had was some Gatorade.

For most of the 2nd and 3rd laps, I ran in a small group with Chris Basich and Mike Manozzi. Here you can see just my head, behind Chris, as we navigated the trails. I took a tumble right around 9 miles, I was looking ahead for a good way to go around a sloppy mudhole and tripped over a root. I tried to roll and somersault onto my left shoulder, as I learned during Running With Scissors that it doesn't help to try to catch yourself with your hands. Chris commented that it was a "Pretty good fall!"

Mike is actually a champion racewalker, known as the Italian Stallion. He's got a great attitude and should have a great future! Here you can see just my left arm with Mike in the background. My 2nd loop split was 47:38, just about 1/2 minute faster than the first time around. I spent 1:21 at the aid station, having some Gatorade, Coke, and Muscle Milk. I also had a few Swedish Fish candies, but they were really hard and chewy and stuck to my teeth. I dropped my gloves in my backpack and headed out.

Much to my surprise, as I was heading out, Luke was coming in to the aid station, having completed his 10-miles. His 2nd loop was 50:39, not too far behind me! He didn't look to be struggling so I figured he would probaby go ahead and run the 15 miles.

My third loop was much the same as the 2nd, but a little slower. And I realized that I was almost half done and had only had liquids. My 3rd loop was 49:06 and I spent 2:15 at the 15-mile aid station, I had an orange Gu that really hit the spot! More Gatorade and Coke. And I took off my winter hat, trading it for a baseball cap. Much to my surprise, as I was headind out, in came Luke, finishing his 15 miles, his longest run ever. Great job kid! His 3rd loop split was 54:31.

Now I have to admit a few thing, specifically my lack of resting in preparation for this run. I did my longest run ever, the Run With Scissors Double Marathon, just 2 weeks ago. Also, I donated blood on Thursday. So my body wasn't really ready for this, and during the 4th loop I started really feeling it. Also at this point I realized I hadn't taken any Endurolytes. My first run with Endurolytes was the RWS, and I really think they helped my legs to not cramp up. But around 17 miles, my muscles were definitely starting to feel fatigued. I added a little more walking, mostly on the uphills, and my overall pace slowed by a couple minutes per mile.

I got back to the aid station for the 20 mile mark, my 4th split was 1:01:07. Here is a picture of just some of the wide variety of food and drink available. I had another Hammer Gel, a cookie, some Endurolytes, Coke, Gatorade, & Muscle Milk. Anything I could to add some energy.

I looked around for Luke, expecting him to be around the aid station to cheer my last 3 loops, but I didn't see him. I asked Chef Bill, "Did my kid take off on another lap?"

"Yeah, he stripped down, changed his shirt, and headed out again," was the surprising reply. Oh well, there wasn't much I could do about it now. I did have a blister issue on my inner right heel, same as in RWS, so I changed socks and shoes. I was at the 20-mile aid station for a long time, 8:16. As I was heading out, here came Luke in his familiar yellow shirt. "Walk a lap if you need, be done, whatever" was my advice.

"I'm not being done!" he shouted back. His split for the 4th loop was 1:00:31. Little did I know but he had actually gained a little on me during that lap.

My 5th loop was a struggle. I walked the uphills. I walked the downhills where the footing was less than perfect. Even on the flats, I used a pattern of run 5 mintues - walk 1 minute. In my mind, I was resting and getting ready to push harder on the final loop.

As I was coming in to the 25-mile aid station, I had the biggest surprise of the day. Luke caught me from behind! He had only spent 5 minutes in the aid station, so my lead was cut from 9 minutes to 6 minutes right there. Our 21st & 22nd miles were about the same speed, then he gained about a minute each on the 23rd & 24th miles. And the 25th mile, mostly downhill, was the biggest difference as Luke gained over 3 minutes during that 1 mile. The loop time for me was 1:09:40, compared to Luke's 1:04:00.

We both had completed 25 miles, and at this point any thought of pushing the final loop left my mind. I only wanted to enjoy the final loop with my son! We took about 4 minutes in the 25-mile aid station. The temperature had risen and I decided to carry water for the final loop. Someone from the aid station offered Luke a handheld bottle also, but he didn't want one. We would be together and could share, neither of us is used to having water during our training runs so refueling every 5 miles is more than we are used to.

We walked together for several minutes of the 6th loop before deciding to run again. We shared stories of runs, views, and falls. Many people had asked Luke his age, and several had invited him to move to their town and run cross country for their school, including 5-time state champion Peninsula Woodridge.

Six 5-mile loops is only 30 miles, so to get the extra mile, at the end, we needed to cross the road, go up a hill with a steep set of stairs, continue up the hill until we find a basket of candy, pick up a pack of Smarties, and return to the aid station with the candy to prove we made it all the way to the top.

Near the end of the 6th loop, Luke dashed ahead on a downhill. I became stuck behind a pack of runners that we were lapping on a narrow section of trail, watching Luke get farther and farther ahead. I got around them as the trail widened and we approached the aid station. I expected Luke to stop for one more drink before attacking the final climb, but he circled the pole and headed for the stairs. My 6th loop was 1:07:37, he had gained 30 seconds on me.

I gave Chef Bill a look of dismay, tossed my empty water bottle towards my pile of stuff, and followed in pursuit. My strength enabled me to catch Luke on the stairs, and we ran the top section together, hoping that the basket would come soon. We met a few runners headed back down. Finally there it was. We each took some Smarties (last year it was Dum Dum's) and headed back.

We encountered a few runners still heading up, and I showed my candy and told the same joke, "Sorry, I got the last pack."

When we hit the stairs again, Luke seemed to be almost skipping down them while I was descending much more gingerly. Luke created a gap between us then, to make matters worse, I had to wait for a couple cars before I could cross the road that last time.

Luke finished 24th out of 89 entrants (78 finishers) in 6:12. I was one place behind in 6:13.

Conventional wisdom is that kids aren't supposed to run long distances. But why? The major worry seems to be overuse injuries such as stress fractures.

This would be a result of training for long races, not just of running them. And Luke certainly didn't train for this! Also, we worry about the repeated pounding on the hard surfaces. Luke's 50k was run entirely on the trails of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This is a nice soft forgiving surface. I think he's gonna be ok! He'll probably take a few days off.

Not me though, I've got to improve so he doesn't beat me again!

Thanks to Chef Bill and Wild Bill for an event that I will remember for a lifetime! Thanks also to Laurie Colon and Mark Shelton for the pictues you see here! And thanks to you if you read this whole thing!

Run With Scissors Double-Marathon Race Report

2010-11-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

Ever since volunteering at the Ottowa Point aid station around mile 39 of the Burning River 100 Miler, I've been thinking I want to try a 100 mile run myself. Of course my longest run so far had been the 2010 Green Jewel 50k (31 miles). So I had a ways to go.

The next step was to run a 50 miler and the Run With Scissors Double-Marathon seemed to be the right race at the right time. It was scheduled for several weeks after my fall marathon. And after running a disappointing 3:59 at the Towpath, I told more than one person, "If all I can do is run slow, I just need to find a longer race."

I didn't do any specific training after (or before) the marathon, other than to run my long runs slowly. And I did buy a Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp and a pair of North Face trail shoes.

The race was in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park starting at the Ledges shelter, where I had never been. So I went on Saturday afternoon to the packet pick-up, and discussed the trail and the drop-bag strategy with the race director.

I had originally planned to have 3 drop bags, one at Pine Hollow (miles 4, 23, 30, & 49), one at the Covered Bridge (miles 11, 16, 27, and 42), and one at the Start/Finish (also mile 26) at Ledges Shelter. But after talking things over with Roy, I decided to skip the Pine Hollow bag. I also packed lighter, not putting extra shoes in either bag (I did leave a few pair in the car).

For hydration, I chose to start without carrying any water. I had my handheld water bottle at the Covered Bridge so I could pick it up when necessary, and also my belt at Ledges so that if I felt I was really struggling I could add it for the second loop.

The start was scheduled for 5:00 AM, with a temperature around 40. I chose to wear shorts, my CEP compression socks, a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve shirt, a warm hat, and my GoreTex mittens. I arrived around 4:45 to find that the start was being delayed 30 minutes due to an accident on Truxell Road.

Well the time came, final announcements were made, and the race was started. Straight across a grassy field and onto the trail. Two packs of 3 started quickly but other than that I was near the front. I seemed to be moving along ok, and right as my Garmin beeped for mile 1 (9:21), I tripped over a root and went straight down. I knew my right knee and my hands took most of the force.

I want to add that I don't trust the accuracy of the Garmin on twisting, turning, climbing and descending wooded trails. It did measure a little short but I'm confident that the couse was not short.

Anyways, I quickly got back up and running again. But amazingly, less than a mile later, I fell again! This time I was a little more prepared and I tried to roll or summer-sault towards my left shoulder. As the guy behind me stepped over or around me, I remarked out loud, "Well by the end of this thing I'll learn how to fall!"

Again I got back up and resumed running, this time taking more care to lift my feet. My slow pace has evolved into a very efficient stride where my feet barely come off the ground. This may not be the best running style for trail runs in the dark. My 3rd mile split showed 8:43, my fastest of the day! Still I was passed by a few runners in this section, including a guy dressed as Robin Hood who I mistook for an elf!

Around 4 miles, after crossing the Sound Of Music hills, we reached the Pine Hollow Aid station, still in the dark. By this time I had realized that the downhills were really hurting my legs, jamming my quads as I tried to control my pace down the hills. Moreso than in any other run.

At Pine Hollow, I drank some gatorade, some coke, and had a cookie or 2. Several runners came and left while I was refueling, and I knew already that if I didn't focus on getting in and out of the aid stations more quickly, it would add time to my day.

As we left I found myself at the back of a group of 7 other runners, including a guy wearing a woman's white Badwater running dress and sleeves. (It was Halloween). I followed them up and down the hills and across the streams of the Wetmore trail to the Covered Bridge aid station. Fastest mile of this section was 9:01, we had covered about 11 miles in about 1:50, or an average of around 10:00 per mile.

At this aid station each runner got a pair of plastic school-scissors and instructions to cut a page out of a book that we would find with a skeleton in the next loop. I took more Gatorade, more Coke, and a Hammer Gel.

On to the Perkins trail. More hills, more trails, and the first bits of walking the uphills. Fastest mile of this section was 10:18 and I was back at about 2:54. The sun was up and I left the headlamp in my drop bag. Still didn't pick up my water bottle. I did eat some Candy Corn!

Best thing about this next section was meeting up with my old friend Terry Hawk. Terry and I trained together a bit in the early 90's, before I moved to Michigan. It was great to see him again and to catch up on each other's lives. He did all of the running catching-up though, and after 3 or 4 miles, I was falling behind. Fastest mile of this section was 10:15.

Shortly after Terry disappeared, I felt like I had some grit in my shoe from the water crossings. I stopped, took off my right shoe and sock, and found a blister the size of my pinkie knuckle on the side (inside) of my heel. What a strange place for a blister.

I decided at that point that I would change shoes, and was sorry that they were back in the car and not in a drop-bag at the finish. That would be an extra couple-hundred yards to travel, each way.

Anyways, on to the Pine Hollow Aid Station around mile 23.5. Dan Horvath, Ladd Clifford, and crew had a great set-up. My aid-station stops were getting slower as I looked for different things to eat. I had some sort of power-bar ball and also a quarter grilled cheese. Still drinking gatorade & coke, a couple cups of each at every aid station.

Ran a couple more slow miles, saw Terry heading back out, and knew I must be close. And indeed, there was the marathon finish. I had travelled 26.2 miles in a leisurely 4:34, a pace of about 10:30 per mile. I changed shoes, changed into a dry shirt, re-pinned my number, and refueled, including drinking a Muscle Milk I had brought from home. 15 minutes later I was up and running again. This transition took WAY too long. But the good thing was that stopping and not re-starting didn't even cross my mind!

On the way back to Pine Hollow I tried to run faster and more free down the hills, and much to my surprise, it felt great! I actually caught a guy named Eric. Before he left, he remarked that "my legs came back to life." I did run a 10:49 in this section. Refuled again, chased Eric down and caught him on the next section.

My 5th mile of the second loop was 11:12, actually faster than the 11:30 I ran for the same mile of the first loop.

At every aid station I had 1 or 2 Endurolyte capsules. These are salt & electrolytes, meant to help me avoid cramping. I never tried them before this race, but I didn't cramp at all, so I guess they work!

About a mile to the Covered Bridge, I hid a bad patch. I walked a bit on the flats, I was really feeling worn out. I had been running for almost 7 hours and had covered about 37 miles. This was already the most miles and the most time I had ever run! And I had another half-marathon plus to go!

When I finally got to the Covered Bridge aid station, the great workers helped me get my handheld bottle out of my drop bag and filled it with Gatorade. I took this along with me on the Perkins trail. They didn't give me any scissors this time, they probably could tell by looking at me that I may not have had the strength to carry them.

This loop was slow, walking on all of the uphills, with my fastest mile being 14:01. I was passed by a guy who told me he had gotten his 2nd wind, and he encouraged me that I would get mine too. Unfortunately that was about 10 miles ago for me.

But once I finished this loop and knew I was on my way back, I did start to feel better. I thanked the aid workers and told them to send my drop bag on the next truck back to Ledges. I wasn't sure how many were behind me but I didn't think I was last.

At this point I did some math and thought, if I could average 12-minute miles I could still finish under 10 hours. I did run a 12:20 but then somehow I hit another bat patch and had my slowest mile, 19:08. Soon I had adjusted my goal, thinking that 12's would get me to 10:15 and I could subtract the 15 minutes I took in transition and claim that the running part was under 10.

But none of my next few miles were even under 14. Still I kept plugging along and caught a guy. I had just been wondering why we even ran the 2nd marathon, since we stayed pretty much in the same order as the first marathon!

At the final Pine Hollow aid station, I tried to take it quicker, as if I was racing. Dan said, "You're looking good, you're almost done." I replied, "Don't lie." and Dan said back, "You're almost done." That made me chuckle!

I tried to pick up the pace on the way in, my watch tells me the last mile was about 12:29. My final time was 10:26:52 on my watch, and I was 17th of 25. There were another 55 runners in the single marathon, and my 4:34 would have placed me 14th. So I figure out of 80 runners, only 29 beat me. Not bad for my first race over 50k!

I have more to say but it is getting late so the observations will have to wait until later.

Skeleton Run 5k 2010 Race Report (Amherst)

2010-11-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

The weather was almost perfect, certainly as nice as you could ask for in late October for a 5k. Luke and I warmed up by walking / jogging the last 2/3 of the course. Add in some long sprint-outs and I had about 2 miles in when I got to the start line.

None of the kids (besides Luke) came along so this is the first year in a long time I've been able to warm-up properly, usually I would be watching the kids races.

I was in the top 10 from the start. The course goes out about a quarter mile and turns left. I caught just a couple guys that went out too hard. My mile split was 5:29, just about right. Josh Park, a local 8th grader caught me in the first mile. We ran together through the park trail section.

2 guys in front of us started to go left at the split and Josh called out "right", very impressive and self-assured for a kid of his age.

Ben Spurlock, the Rock N Roll Runner caught us before 2, Josh went on with him and I fell back. My 2-mile split was 11:24 so that mile was 5:55. This is a little slow but it is a rolling section of the race with some turns.

Another guy caught me on Lincoln, I passed him back on the way into the track, but then Don Henderson passed me right at the line. I wondered, shouldn't he be running high school cross country still? He is in the Hermes Road Race Series and I'm sure that him passing me will affect my place in the standings.

My time of 18:03 was my 2nd best time of the year, and a nice come-back from the Towpath debacle 2 weeks ago. Third mile was 6:03, I sure thought I picked it up a little to finish but apparently not enough to matter.

I grabbed a banana, bagel, and some water and did a 2-mile cool down before the awards.

My overall place was 9th of 559, my age group place was 2nd of 28 men 40-44. Complete results are online. Next race is the Run With Scissors double-marathon on 10/31!

2010 Towpath Marathon Race Report

2010-10-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a nice day to run the towpath marathon. I was up around 5, ate a protein bar (my daily breakfast) plus a bowl of cereal, and drank some water. I was on the road by 5:45 and I arrived about 90 minutes early.

I took one more bathroom break at Bostom Mills, changed my shoes, ditched the long sleeve shirt, drank a 20 oz Gatorade, and headed to the start. Today was my first day wearing my new Team Fox shirt. I am now wearing it in all my races, hoping to raise some funds for Parkinson's research.

Once I got there, I had to pee again. Many guys were stepping off the road and across the train-tracks, so I joined the crowd. Then back to the start. I started near the front, 2nd or 3rd row. The start is on the road (slight downhill). The national anthem played and we were off!

My goal was to start slow but not slower then 8:00, then cut down to 7:20's and hold that pace as long as I could. My safe goal was 3:20 which is 7:38 pace so I figured I had some wiggle room.

I looked at the watch about 1/2 mile in and it showed 6:46 pace. I eased off a bit more and my first mile clicked 7:17. (The Garmin had my miles before theirs all day long by less than .01 per mile).

I held an even but choppy pace between 7:15-7:30 pretty much through the half. One slower mile when I was taking a gel but felt like I was still running easy and saving energy. But the quads started getting heavy right around 1/2. My times started fading fast and I fell apart mentally as much as physically. Kept resetting goals (3:26 PR (Columbus 1991), 3:37 Milica's time, 3:42 (Columbus 93), 3:53 first marathon (Columbus 90).

20th mile was so slow (11:50) that I walked part of 21 (13:11), then took a potty break during 22 (14:19).

Finally hooked up with some Team Fox guys, talked a little and they are from N. Olmsted and know my brother-in-law Ken! Ran 10:02 & 9:58 for 23 & 24.

I started slowing again and declared myself the 4 hour pace group, encouraging all who passed me in the last 2 miles (and there were plenty).

I took plenty (I think) of water, Heed, and Hammer Gel. Quarter to half a cup about every 2 miles for the first half of the race. Then switched to a half cup of water and HEED at most of the water stops (almost every mile) once I started slowing. I actually stopped at a port-a-pot to pee around mile 21-22.

The course is mostly shaded. Although it did reach near 80 by the finish, at the time when I started fading, I was actually still a little chilly so I don't think it was the heat.

Bathroom breaks before the race were successful so that was not a problem.

I did splash some water or HEED on my sunglasses and they were a little blurry, I took them off, carried for about a mile, passed off to Marty Lucas around 15 miles then got them back around 24. This was about the time I was slowing down but I think it was a coincidence.

Official results aren posted. I was 3:59:21, 215th of 604 overall and 27th of 77 in my age group, men 40-44.

I did consider dropping at 17 (near the finish) and taking another shot either 10/17 at Columbus, or 10/24 at Inland Trail, but I honestly don't know what to blame my failure on, so I don't know that it would go significantly better.

Randy thinks I need to do my longer runs faster - he is probably right.

My next race is the Skeleton Run, I am trying to place in the top 5 overall in the Hermes Road Race Series. Then the Running With Scissors double-marathon, and I will start training for the Burning River 100 next summer.

Here are my splits, per my watch.
7:17
7:23
7:28
7:15
7:21

7:14
7:34
7:28
7:26
7:31

7:29
7:48 - opening gel
7:34
7:57
8:30 ???

8:55
9:29
10:32
11:36
11:50

13:11 - walked
14:19 - potty
10:02
9:58
11:01

11:28
(10:21 pace, last .2+)

Towpath For Team Fox

2010-10-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

My current plan is to continue logging my training on Running2Win but to post race reports here.

I've had a busy racing summer and I'll be running the Towpath Marathon on Sunday 10/10/10. I haven't run a marathon since 1994, and my PR is 3:26 in 1991 ... I'm pretty confident I'll beat that this Sunday.

I'm going to be wearing my new Team Fox shirt in support of Parkinson's research.

Kevin's Race Reports - March 2010 - Green Jewel 50k & St. Malachi 5M

2010-10-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

March 2010
My first race of 2010 was the Green Jewel 50k. This was my first ultramarathon that I ever finished! I was 21st of 54 runners in 5:01:52

Here are my splits. Note that my Garmin Forerunner was set to "Auto Pause" so the clock stopped whenever I stopped at the aid station (5 aid stations) or waited at a cross-road (only once I think). So I spent 2:18 waiting. The bummer is I thought I was going to finish under 5 hours.
1 - 7:52

2 - 15:48 - 7:56
3 - 23:54 - 8:06
4 - 32:27 - 8:33
5 - 41:39 - 9:12 *hamstring hurt at 4.9 miles
6 - 50:59 - 9:20
7 - 1:00:40 - 9:41
8 - 1:10:26 - 9:47
9 - 1:19:52 - 9:26
10 - 1:29:11 - 9:19
11 - 1:38:31 - 9:21
12 - 1:47:59 - 9:28
13 - 1:57:34 - 9:35
14 - 2:06:08 - 8:34 *running with Athena from CWRU
15 - 2:15:22 - 9:14
16 - 2:24:43 - 9:21
17 - 2:34:22 - 9:39
18 - 2:44:29 - 10:06
19 - 2:55:03 - 10:35
20 - 3:04:02 - 8:59 *running with Dan Horvath - North Coast 24 hour run race director
21 - 3:13:07 - 9:05
22 - 3:23:10 - 10:03
23 - 3:33:13 - 10:03
24 - 3:44:30 - 11:17 *biggest hill climb
25 - 3:55:43 - 11:13
26 - 4:06:21 - 10:38
27 - 4:17:21 - 11:01
28 - 4:27:47 - 10:26
29 - 4:37:25 - 9:38
30 - 4:48:17 - 10:52
31 - 4:57:41 - 9:24
31.2 - 4:59:34 - 1:53 (9:35 pace)
My hamstring pinged right past the first aid station, right before 5 miles. I almost dropped out, but I was able to shorten my stride, smooth out my landing/pushing off, and make it through the next few miles. Eventually the specific pain faded (to be replaced by numerous other pains).

Seriously though I'm very pleased with my effort. It would have been nice to find more people to pace with, as my 2 fastest miles (after the first 3) were those miles when I ran with someone.

I dressed right, took off my gloves around 25 miles. I probably didn't need to use the Amphipod, I didn't get a refill until the 4th aid station, around 25 miles. I probably could have gotten enough fluid at the aid stations.

The bottoms of my feet were getting sore towards the end but other than that I had no blisters.

Very cool thing was that I passed 3 people in the last half of the race, and was only passed by 1 (Dan Horvath).

I weighed 176 when I got up this morning and 169 after the race.

One short week later, I ran the St. Malachi 5-Miler. I was 66th of 2150 in 32:39. I ran well, was hoping for under 33:30 so the race was a success. No significant aches or pains. First mile (downhill) felt easy, didn't let up much the 2nd mile. 3rd mile was uphill. Final 2 miles is where I could have improved.

5:57 - 6:16 - 6:41 - 6:37 - 6:57

Hello? Anybody Home?

2010-09-04T21:32:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted here in a long, long, long time.

Between Running2Win and Facebook, this blog has become somewhat obsolete. Also I started a new website, http://loraincountyrunning.blogspot.com/ . Lorain County running information and news.

Check out the 2010 Firelands 5k Race Results, held in New London (not quite Lorain County) on 9/4/2010

Groin Pain

2009-12-29T18:46:00.002-05:00

Almost 2 years ago, when I was ramping up my training and had hit 30-40 miles per week for about 6 weeks, I developed a sudden groin pain that would not go away, even with rest. I eventually had hernia surgery, but even after the surgery and patient healing, nothing had changed.

My right groin had a weakened feeling, not a sharp pain, but strong enough to deter me from trying to run, as I felt any exertion would bring back the pain.

Finally after over a year, I did the Beachbody P90X extreme home fitness program. I lost weight, gained strength, and was able to start running again. I was unable to explain why, but it seemed that the P90X workouts had cuted me.

Well I recently found this post and this post on a running message board answerred by Dr. Nilesh Shah. Both posts seem to indicate that groin pain in runners may be caused by a core imbalance, or a weakness in the core area.

Since P90X certainly strengthens the core, this may explain my miracle cure!

Two-A-Day (total 9 miles)

2009-12-22T21:46:00.003-05:00

I ran 4 miles at lunch on the treadmill at work in 30:08
8:15-7:32-7:21-7:00

I then went to circuits class for the last half.

Tonight I ran with Greg, Thomas, & Liz at the Oberlin bike path. We did the normal run which my Garmin Forerunner measures as 4.65, I then added 1.5 laps around the parking lot to make it an even 5 miles in 41:06.

There were patches of snow on the path, which of course were better than the slick icy spots. The footing was definitely dicey in several sections.

Splits were 8:28-8:01-8:15-7:43-8:40.

Max heart rate was 160, average was 142.

Thomas and I are making plans for a longer (12ish) run around 12:30 on Christmas eve.

Reindeer Run 5K - 19:29

2009-12-10T23:02:00.003-05:00

I raced the Reindeer Run in Lakewood last weekend. This race starts and finishes at Lakewood Park, similar to the old Two For The Road course. But they have improved the course, it now goes straight out and back with just 1 block to turn (so it's not a u-turn) around at the far-away point.

I did a nice warm-up of about 1 1/2 miles. I was hoping I could get into the mid 19's, similar to my 2000 5k best of 19:27.

The weather was cold, I wore shorts, long sleeve t-shirt, another t-shirt over top, gloves, and a stocking cap. I think the temperature was about 29.

I started in about the 3rd row. Started well and stayed focused, mile split was 6:00. This was a little slower than I had hoped, but not by much.

Kept concentrating, running hard, made the turn, and was 12:20 at the 2-mile, a 6:20 second mile. Did a little math and knew I could still run mid 19's with a solid finish. Got caught by the 4th girl, raced her in over the final 1/2 mile or so.

Oddly there was a 3-mile split, right where we turn back into the park. 18:55, or a 6:35 3rd mile. Finished hard and was 19:31 crossing the line, adjusted chip time was 19:29 according to the results, but it wasn't enough to get me an age-group medal.

Meanwhile, Luke ran 22:04, a PR by almost a minute, and finished 2nd in his age.

Turkey Surprise!

2009-11-27T11:15:00.003-05:00

Well I ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. My nephew Thomas showed up at the race also. We did a warm-up together and discussed, among other things, how embarassing it would be to get beat by the guy running with his dog on a leash.

Now as I mentioned, Wednesday, I've run this race 8 times in the past. Usually in bad weather (snow, mud, even fog!) but Thursday's weather was brisk but clear. The course was soft but certainly not sloppy. It was a beautiful day to run.

I started too fast (being that I'm still just working my way into shape), but other than getting slowly passed throuhout the race (was 20th at the first turn, about 1/2 mile), I have no evidence because I didn't wear a watch.

Around mile 4 I did indeed get passed by the guy running with his dog. And to add to the embarassment, the dog quickly stopped to squat. I got ahead and then they started running and passed me again. About 1/4 mile later, this squatting - passing - getting passed experience happened yet again.

I did not get passed during the final mile, which was a plus. I finished in 48:59, 46th out of 224. At the awards, I was hoping for 3rd in my age group, but they didn't call my name. Then when they called the 2nd place guy, it was a soccer coach I know, wearing a bright yellow shirt, and I thought, "I don't remember getting passed by that guy."

Much to my surprise, they called me 1st and I won a trophy with a turkey on it!

Five In A Row - Turkey Trot Preparation - Let's Run

2009-11-25T22:18:00.003-05:00

Last week I rejoined the fitness center at work (so I could run during the week in the daylight) and now I've run 5 days in a row:

Saturday - 2.75 miles (22 minute Extreme Interval Fat Burner on the treadmill)
Sunday - 2.75 miles (22 minute Extreme Interval Fat Burner on the treadmill)
Monday - 5.5 miles with Rick (Tremont route)
Tuesday - 4.5 miles in Oberlin on the bike path with Greg, Keith, Thomas, Randy, Cassie, Liz, & Geoff
Wednesday - 5.5 miles with Rick & Mike (Tremont route)

I'm doing the Turkey Trot at LCCC tomorrow. The Chronicle had a nice article about the race this week. This will be the 41st annual Turkey Trot! One guy has run 37 of the first 40.

I've only run this race 8 times myself ... most recently 48:13 in 2006. My fastest time was way back in 1986 when I ran 38:47, and my best place was 11th in 1990 (the year it was shortened to 5 miles).

Finally, thanks to Randy I've started following the Let's Run website, which covers elite competitive running and racing. I read a few articles, including this one by Weldon Johnson, which I think has encouraged me to put in a serious attempt at upping my mileage.

I had already decided to run the Cleveland Marathon in May, 2010. My intermediate goals are to run a 40-mile week in November (this week) and a 50-mile week in December.

Stay tuned!

Inland Trail Half Marathon - Race Report

2009-11-16T19:53:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago I ran the Inland Trail Half Marathon. I did this on basically 1-2 easy days / week of running training, and my overall fitness (P90X in the summer and Yoga Booty Ballet in the fall).

Two years ago when I was running a little more, including 20 miles / week for 3-4 weeks leading up to the race, I ran 1:44. My goal was to match that time.

My nephew Keith came up and ran with me. He wore his fancy Garmin Forerunner that automatically dings off his mile splits. I had declared a plan to run "just under 8:00 / mile" and Keith agreed to run with me.

After a not-so-straight bus-ride to the start, we clicked off our first mile in 7:13. Fast but easy effort. We then settled into the 7:40's through 5 miles, before I slowed slightly more to the 7:50's for miles 6, 7, & 8.

7:13
7:43
7:46
7:46
7:40
7:55
7:55
7:59

Our pace at the 8 mile mark was 7:45, which put us on pace for a 1:41:30 finishing time. Unfortunately, I was starting to drag. We were passed, Keith kept pace with our new competitor while I fell back even more. Keith then left me in a blur.

I averaged 8:35 for my last 5.1 miles, I'm sure the 13th mile was my slowest. I did pick it up slightly again around 10 miles, but I don't know my splits as I don't have the fancy Forerunner.

I crossed the finish in 1:46:45, 50th overall and 4th in my age group.

Meanwhile, Keith averaged 6:35 for his last 5 miles. What a sandbagger! Just kidding, great job Keith!

Complete results courtesy of Runners High!

Skeleton Run - Missed The Start Of The Race!

2009-10-25T20:58:00.003-05:00

Today was the Skeleton Run which has been a family tradition for years. George ran the Silly Bone 1/4 mile at 8:45, earning a ribbon.

Next, Luke, Brooke, and Rachel ran the 1 mile Funny Bone Run at 9:15. Luke ran very well, winning the race in about 6:09. Brooke also ran well, 2nd in her age group. Rachel took several walking breaks but made it to the finish.

After their race, I went to the car to drop off my sweatshirt and try (for the first time ever) to hook my disposable timing chip onto my shoe. I eventually got it in place and headed for the starting line when I heard the bell ring and the runners took off!

My first thought was to run straight ahead and just mix in with the runners as they passed me, not 50 yards from the start. But then I realized I needed to cross the starting line to activate my chip! So I made a beeline for the back of the pack, crossed the mats, and started weaving my way through walkers, baby strollers, and costumed runners such as a sumo wrestler, a whoopee cushion, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

If you don't know much about disposable running chips, check out this article!

Well I continued passing people for the first 2 miles before I ran out of gas (and caught people running my pace). I didn't finish especially well, crossing the line in 21:10.

My mile times were 6:50 and 13:35. My first mile of course included the extra time. My second mile was 6:45. So my last 1.1 was 7:35.

The official results are posted already, and the extra time cost me 27 seconds, so my actual race time was 20:42. My true first mile was 6:23. I was 48th of 415 runners, 6th of 18 in my 40-44 age group (including 3 other LCSL soccer coaches).

Grafton Trails

2009-10-17T10:54:00.002-05:00

I ran a nice easy run with Luke on Friday morning (school was off). We went down to Grafton and parked by the bowling alley and ran on the trails back there. We ran to the gravel trail loop and ran once around, the 2nd time around we explored a leafy side-trail that was quite long with a few up-and-down hills. We then repeated (both the loop and the side trail) and ran back.

Target was 38 minutes to hit 4 1/2 miles, but we ended up running 46 1/2 minutes. Definitely over 5 miles, which makes it Luke's longest single run so far.

Barefoot Running and Vibram 5 Fingers

2009-10-06T12:20:00.002-05:00

Here is an interesting article on barefoot running and the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. I am hoping to get myself a pair of these in the next few months!

Labor Day Weekend Races

2009-09-24T15:15:00.003-05:00

I ran 2 races over the Labor Day Weekend.

On Saturday I ran the Firelands 5k in New London, Ohio. We had spent the night at my sister's house to get an earlier start. The morning started with the fun run. Rachel ran, and I ran half of it with George. (The race is 2 times around a half-mile loop). Many other nieces and nephews ran also.

Now for the 5k it was Luke, Brooke, and I. I started near the back with my daughter Brooke, and ran with her about 1/8 mile, to the first turn. Then I started moving up, getting to the mile mark in 6:39. The second mile was about as strong and I passed the 2-mile mark in 13:23 (a 6:44 split).

Coming up towards the last turn before the finish, I knew there was someone nearby and I hoped it wasn't Shawn T, who is in my age group and has beat me frequently in this race. As I made the turn, I peeked, and that's exactly who I saw. I picked up the pace and held him off though.

My final time was 21:11, 27th overall out of 161 and 1st in my age group. Results are posted here.

I didn't win a doorprize, although Luke won $10 at Marathon Gas (which I claimed) and Brooke won a gift basket from a local hospital which included a shirt (my size), some lotions (for her) and some things for the car (also for me).

Sunday morning Luke and I ran an easy 4 miles.

Monday Luke and I went to Milan for a workout. The plan was to enter the Melon Festival 5k, run the 1st mile at a conversational pace, run the 2nd mile faster, and then race hard the final mile. We saw 2 boys from Luke's soccer team, as well as my nephews Thomas & Brian.

Well the 1st mile time was 8:15 (closer to 8:00 once you subtract the time it took us to get to the starting line). We were just passing one of Luke's teammates at that time, as well as many ohters.

Our 2nd mile time was 15:35, meaning we ran a 7:20 2nd mile. Good, maybe even too good. Luke didn't really have much pick-up left at that point. Still I pulled him along and we continued to pass, including his other teammate. Luke's final time was 23:37 (mine was 23:41) so he ran 8:02 for the final 1.1 mile. Neither of us placed in our age, and although Thomas was 4th overall, none of our family won a doorprize!

Final results for the milan 5k are posted here.

Firelands 5k Results

2009-09-09T23:38:00.001-05:00

I'm hoping to post a more thorough write-up of my weekend running soon, but for now, here is a link to the 2009 Firelands 5k Results, in New London, Ohio on September 5th.

I won my age group in 21:11.

Not So Primal Breakfast

2009-08-18T00:46:00.002-05:00

I entered a photo of my breakfast in the Primal Breakfast contest over at Mark's Daily Apple. Unfortunately I didn't win the random drawing, but I'm pretty sure my breakfast (a protein bar and a glass of milk) is among the least primal of those pictured. Oh well.

Junior High Cross Country and Yoga Booty Ballet

2009-08-14T22:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight after work I drove out to Norwalk to pick up Luke. I got there in time for his pre-season cross country parent's meeting and also the coach allowed me to tag along in practice.

We started with a warm up of about 1/2 mile, then stretching, then several "drills", toe walks, skipping, butt-kicks, and such.

Then she broke the team into groups and sent them out for a 2-mile run at staggered intervals, with the slower runners starting first with the intent that the kids would work on catching the group in front of them.

I ran with 2 boys in the first (slowest) group and they kept up ok, one girl from the next group back almost caught them but that was it.

Then we did 2 "strides" and 4 "sprints" of about 75 meters, and then about 1/4 mile cool down, and then more stretching. Hopefully they will have a good season. Their first meet is in about 1 1/2 weeks.

Then when we got home, Victoria and I did day 1 of Yoga Booty Ballet. YBB is another exercise program from Beachbody, the company that distributes P90X.

Day 1 is watching a 15 minute video describing some basic yoga moves and poses, and then a 10-minute ab workout with a squishy ball. It was no P90X for sure, but the ab workout was ok and it's great to be exercising with my wife!

Scones, Smoothies, Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2009-08-08T19:46:00.003-05:00

A while back I joined the "Team Beachbody" club ... besides increased website access and 10% off the products, you get a "free gift". Well the gift was a small cookbook called "Thin Kitchen"

I'm usually not a cook, plus I am a picky eater, but let me tell you, I have made 3 of the recipes so far and they are awesome! Very well received by the whole family, expecially my wife. (Or maybe she just likes me to take a turn cooking).

Anyhow first I made a batch of Whole-Wheat Cranberry Scones. I took these to a family picnic and everybody made a big deal because I had cooked, well they all got eaten.

Next (tonight) I had some time so I made 2 things. First was Chalene Johnson's Summer Smoothie - calls for OJ, Pineapple, Papaya, Mango, & ice (and optionally protein powder). Well my 3 year old won't touch fruit, but he drank his, calling it a milkshake. My 11 year old daughter is a vegeterian and I worry about her protein, we added the protein powder and she certainly enjoyed it.

The second thing tonight was the main entree - Sweet & Sour Meatballs. I made both the meatballs and the sauce (actually my 12 year old son made the sauce). The sauce was a little too spicy for some in the family, but the picky 3 year old ate about 4 meatballs (in ketchup) and my wife ate enough that her eyes were sweating from the sauce.

Anyhow, if you have the cookbook and haven't used it, use it! If you haven't got it, I'm sure there are other healthy recipes out there but we sure have had success with these!

Luke's PR and Brooke's First 5k

2009-07-22T06:25:00.012-05:00

I ran the old Corn Run today. This was a road race I did way back in 1986 when it was a 10k. Now there is a 5k and 10k but 90% of the people (including me) choose the 5k.

My hamstring is a little sore ever since Tuesday, and I prayed at church last night from 1-2 AM but other than that I was ready to go!

First mile felt really easy but my time was 6:08. Still too fast. I had started moving up through a group around 1/2 mile and was feeling good. I probably got up to about 20th place at one point. About halfway between 1 and 2 my competitive drive left me and I mostly cruised in. Second mile split was 13:50 (7:42 mile) and my final time was around 21:40 (7:50 last 1.1).

I did take almost a minute off my time from the Spencer race in June, and beat several people who beat me there.

Luke ran really well, running in the 23's, a full 2 minutes faster than his time in Spencer.

Brooke also ran well, considering it was her first 5k ever and she only decided to run it last night.

None of us placed in the top 3 in our ages, and also they ran out of shirts in our sizes.

Want More Energy?

2009-07-22T06:25:00.011-05:00

Check out this list of 55 ways to get more energy! My favorite is #1, I don't actually change my socks but I do like to take my shoes off for my lunch break!

How Primal Are You?

2009-07-22T06:25:00.009-05:00

Take this quiz to find out!

If you don't know what primal means, check out Mark's Daily Apple.

P90X Fitness Test - Final 90 Day Results

2009-07-22T06:25:00.007-05:00

Well yesterday was day 90 of my P90X routine. Way back on May 4th, before I started, I took the P90X Fit Test to measure my starting point. The table below shows my progress. As you can see the results are pretty significant!

Activity	Day 0	Day 90
Weight	205.8 lbs	179 lbs
Pulse	60	45
Pull-Ups	2	6
Vertical Leap	17 inches	19.5 inches
Push-Ups	26	48
Toe-Reach (flexibilitiy)	1/2 inch past toes	5 inches past toes
Wall Squat	1:40	3:05
Curls (20 lbs)	24	40
In & Out (abs)	39	66

P90X Week 13 & Trackwork

2009-07-22T06:25:00.006-05:00

I am in week 13, the final week, of my P90X routine. I did Core Synergistics this morning which is a great combination of pushups, lunges, ab work, and other core exercises. It is one of my favorite workouts, I think.

My weight after today's workout was 176, down from 205 just 88 days ago. I am more than satisfied with the weight loss program of P90X!

Last night Luke and I went to the Midview track. He has new spikes for cross country which he has never worn. I wanted him to have a chance to try them out, so we went down and did a 6 lap warm-up.

The workout was 4 reps of 400m, I thought maybe he could run them in 80's but that proved to be ambitious. My reps were 90, 83, 78, 77 while Luke ran 102, 95, 90, 93. After the first one I gave him a 10 second head start each time so we would finish closer together.

The last 2 400s he wore his spikes (and I wore my racing flats).

Running, P90X, & Weight Loss

2009-07-22T06:25:00.002-05:00

I ran in Oberlin last night with my brother Gary. Greg, Thomas, Orrin, & Whitney were also there but ran a little faster. It was nice to run with Gary. The weather was very humid.

I am now in my next-to-last week of P90X (for my first round at least). Last night's workout was Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps plus Ab Ripper X. I got on the scales at the end of the night and I was 179!

I haven't been under 180 in years! That felt pretty neat, and I have now lost 26 lbs. I doubt I have much more to lose, but we'll see.

Weekly Wrap Up (P90X, Running, Yoga)

2009-07-11T00:00:00.003-05:00

Tuesday night I ran with the Oberlin gang and then came home to do my P90X Chest, Shoulders, & Arms, plus Ab-Ripper X. This was my most normal night of the week.

Wednesday I had a soccer meeting then plans to watch my nephew's band Darkhorse at the Red Iron in Wellington. Plus I would be away from home on Thursday & Friday so I decided to switch P90X Back & Biceps to Wednesday night. This allowed me to travel without needing to find a pull-up bar or weights.

Thursday morning I donated blood.

Thursday night I met my family at Gem Beach at Catawba Island. I brought my laptop and tried to do P90X Plyometrics on the beach, but the waves were too loud so I came back and did the P90X workout in the yard. I added Ab-Ripper X, which doesn't usually go with Plyo but I was due since I had switched nights.

Friday morning I went for an easy 2 mile run with my son Luke and then in the evening I did P90X Yoga. The neat thing was I was under the supervision of an actual yoga instructor (my wife's friend Jen). Thanks for the advice!

P90X 60 Day Photos

2009-07-04T23:32:00.003-05:00

Wow. It is hard for even me to believe that guy on the left was me just 60 days ago.

Soccer and P90X Plyometrics

2009-07-01T22:36:00.003-05:00

Brooke and I played soccer with the neighboring community kids (U13 or so) tonight. Brooke was a little tentative at first but then she found her groove and started playing well. I'm not much of a soccer player but I am getting there.

We played about 2 hours. About 1.5 hours after I got home, I did the P90X plyometrics workout. Man-Oh-Manischewitz! What a workout! Weighed myself at the end and I was a new low of 182. That doesn't count as I'm going by morning weight, not post-workout weight, but it's still a good sign.

My new goal is to get down under 180 by the end of my 90 days (Thursday is #59).

Running And P90X Week 9 Chest & Back

2009-06-30T23:38:00.002-05:00

Tonight was my weekly run with my brother / nephews / friends. There were 7 runners tonight and I'm still at the back but I kept up MUCH better than either of the past 2 weeks.

Came home, watched a tv show with my daughter, and then pressed play for the P90X Chest & Back workout. I'm starting week 9 and it's hard to believe I haven't done that workout since week 3. If you haven't been following along, Chest & Back is pretty much full of nothing but push-ups and pull-ups for an hour.

As a testament to my improved strength, I matched or beat my previous max reps on ALL 12 exercises, both times through!

Finished the night with Ab-Ripper X.

P90X Yoga Modification, Plyometrics, & Bowling

2009-06-29T06:32:00.004-05:00

I had a super-busy schedule yesterday and had to modify my P90X Yoga workout to get it done. I split it in half, doing the moving asanas in the early evening and then the balance postures later at night. Also I surrendered in a battle for tv time so I made space to do them in the bedroom. The only challenge to that was in finding a spot to stand where I didn't bump into the ceiling fan when I reached up.

Earlier I had done a partial P90X Plyometrics workout with 8 kids from our soccer league. We did most of the moves, but for 30 seconds each and only 1 time through.

And the bowling was on a date with my wife. I haven't bowled in years, but started out my first game with 2 strikes in a row. I ended up with 170, but it could have been even higher as I was awful at picking up my spares, and I rolled a gutterball on my 3rd ball of the 10th frame (after 2 more strikes).

My second game was more my speed with 123.

Spencer 5k

2009-06-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

I ran a 5k race this morning. It was a low-key, small-town race, which was probably good for me. I ran 22:35, which is slower than 2 years ago when I was running, but faster than my usual "starting from scratch" time so I guess it's ok.

My first mile was 6:31 which was too fast, was hoping for close to 7. I was right behind a guy my age who I run with alot who I am capable of beating when I am in shape.

I slowed down at that point and kind of drifted in and out of focus for the rest of the race, hitting the 2-mile in 14:01 (7:30 split) and then a 8:34 split (1.1 miles) for the finish.

I got passed by 1 person in the 2nd mile and 3 in the last mile. I felt like I had more speed than endurance (not too surprising since I've really only had 3 runs in the past 2 years, and 1 of them was Friday morning.

My plan is to keep running 4.5 on Tuesday night and mix in the EIFB 22 minutes twice / week for the next 5 weeks, and see where that gets me. After I complete this round of P90X, I may focus on running in August & September.

My son Luke (12) ran 25:40 and finished 2nd for boys 11-14.

EIFB (Extreme Interval Fat Burning) Running

2009-06-26T20:27:00.002-05:00

Did an extra cardio workout this morning. Was reading Mick's Seattle Racing thread on Beachbody and saw some talk of EIFB (Extreme Interval Fat Burning) running.Since this is my recovery week and today was my X-Stretch day, and I'm planning on a 5k tomorrow, I decided this would be a good day to add in an extra run.

From what I understand, you do this workout first thing in the AM:
0-2 minutes = 5 (level of effort)
2-3 minutes = 6
3-4 minutes = 7
4-5 minutes = 8
5-6 minutes = 9
6-7 minutes = 6
7-8 minutes = 7
8-9 minutes = 8
9-10 minutes = 9
10-11 minutes = 6
11-12 minutes = 7
12-13 minutes = 8
13-14 minutes = 9
14-15 minutes = 6
16-17 minutes = 7
17-18 minutes = 8
18-19 minutes = 9
19-20 minutes = 10
20-22 minutes = 5

I ran on my treadmill and started out at 6.0 MPH (10:00 / mile). I increased by .7 for every level of intensity:
5 = 6.0 MPH = 10:00 minute pace
6 = 6.7 = 8:57
7 = 7.4 = 8:06
8 = 8.1 = 7:24
9 = 8.8 = 6:49
10 = 9.5 = 6:18

It was a good workout in a pretty short amount of time and I was sweating like crazy. I walked to the end of the block and back and then took a cold shower and was barely able to stop sweating.

I think I will add it in a couple times / week during my final phase of P90X which starts next week, not sure what days, probably Monday (rest day) and Friday (yoga day) but I'm not sure.

Near-record 12 Runners

2009-06-23T22:21:00.004-05:00

Brad picked me up tonight as Randy went early to run the course twice. It was nice to see Brad. I was hurt all last summer and Brad doesn't run in the winter due to wrestling practice (not to mention cold weather) so we hadn't run together in almost 2 years.

Randy, Brad, Greg & Laura, Brian & Casey, Orrin & Amber, Liz, Andy, Eric (Andy's roommate) and me. I don't think we ever had more than 4 girls before.

Amber never heard of the song Amber by 311. Can you believe it?

I ran out with Eric and then back a little slower with Kasey. Nice run after YogaX. Feels like I won't be as sore as last week.

Speaking of the X, this is day 1 of week 8 (my 2nd recovery week) for P90X. My weight yesterday was 187 so in 7 weeks I have dropped 17 lbs from my starting weight of 205. I'm doing Core Syngergistics in the morning on Wednesday.

Double Double

2009-06-17T23:41:00.004-05:00

Tuesday after work I did Ab-Ripper X, then ran on the trail in Oberlin with Randy, Keith, Andy, Thomas, Orrin, and Liz, then came home and completed the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout in the P90X program.

Wednesday I went to Lagrange for open soccer, and then I came home to do the P90X Yoga. This was a slight modification, moving Plyometrics to Friday this week.

My quads are pretty sore from 2 days of double workouts. The good news is I think that after an entire year post-surgery, my hernia-related pain is gone!

P90X Day 41 - Kenpo

2009-06-15T06:14:00.002-05:00

I did Kenpo last night and Luke and Nathan (both 12) joined me for most of it. Today is my rest day of week 6 and my weight is 190. Almost halfway there time-wise.

Running With The Kids

2009-06-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

The kids and I went for a run today ... Brooke wanted to take more breaks so we started with 4 minutes running and 1 minute walking, goal was to do 30 minutes total (24 running & 6 walking).

Well Luke only took 1 walk break around 14 minutes, he got ahead and then Rachel biked up to catch him and tell him to turn around and come back. He's starting to get in shape for 7th grade cross country in the fall.

I'm estimating we did about 3 miles. This was my 2nd "extra" workout this week, after playing soccer on Wednesday night. This morning I did the P90X Legs & Back workout, plus Ab-Ripper X. I'm 40 days into the P90X program and today I weighed 189 so I am down 16 lbs.

My leg/groin that has bothered me for a year since before and after my hernia surgery has not bothered me at all this week. I think I may start trying to run on Tuesday nights.

Doubles

2009-06-10T19:51:00.003-05:00

Not really P90X doubles, but I did do a double-workout today. I did plyometrics in the morning so that I could go play open soccer tonight! Felt nice starting the day with the workout done!

Tomorrow also I need to do Back & Biceps early, as I'm driving pizzas Thursday night.

Weight at the start of week 6 was 192.

P90X Day 31 - Back & Biceps - With Pictures

2009-06-04T22:20:00.012-05:00

I did the Back & Biceps workout today, lots of pull-ups and curls. My heaviest dumbells are 20 lbs which is not quite heavy enough for some of the curl exercises.

I took some pictures last night, here are my day 0 - day 30 comparisons. The lighing seems a little better in the 2nd set (red shorts).

But regardless of the lighting, you can see in this side picture that my gut is disappearing in just 30 days!

P90X Day 21 - Rest

2009-05-25T08:24:00.002-05:00

I did much better at the Kenpo (boxing and kicking) last night. These are new moves for me so I'm finally getting a little coordination. Last night was the most I've sweat in anything besides plyometrics.

Today is my rest day so I'm 3 weeks in.
Week 0 weight 205
Week 1 weight 200
Week 2 weight 196
Week 3 weight 193

P90X Day 19 - Legs & Back

2009-05-24T00:19:00.001-05:00

Luke did alot of the leg stuff with me tonight. I'm still rolling along. Need to sleep!

P90X Day 13 - Kenpo

2009-05-17T23:56:00.002-05:00

Haven't posted in a while so here is the update:

Day 9 - Plyometrics
Day 10 - Arms & Abs (with Nick)
Day 11 - Yoga (with Victoria)
Day 12 - Chest & Back & Abs
Day 13 - Kenpo

I was down 5 lbs (200) at the end of week 1. I'm down 2 more lbs (198) after week 2.

Nutrition plan still going mostly well. Did have a small piece of birthday cake for Brooke this week, a soft pretzel that George stopped eating at Emma's concert on Saturday. Today I had my carbs in pasta form (spaghetti) for the first time in 2 weeks!

P90X Day 8

2009-05-12T23:33:00.002-05:00

Day 4 - Yoga (90 minutes, I was dripping with sweat half-way through)
Day 5 - Legs & Back (lunges, squats, pull-ups) + Ab-Ripper X
Day 6 - Kenpo (boxing & kicking)
Day 7 - Rest

Day 8 - Chest & Back + Ab-Ripper X again

I have pretty much stuck to my nutrition plan, other than Saturday at the Indians game I ate an extra bun (carbs) and some french fries. I have added EAS Protein Drink to my diet also.

P90X Day 3 - Shoulders & Arms

2009-05-07T22:47:00.001-05:00

Lots of shoulder fly's, curls, and triceps. I'm whupped!

P90X Day 2 - Plyometrics

2009-05-07T06:15:00.002-05:00

Stretching, then 4 or 5 sets of 4 different jumping exercises. I'm posting this the morning after and I am definitely sore!

Protein bar & milk for breakfast.

Turkey sandwich & apple for lunch.

Chicken, green beans, & milk for dinner.

P90X Day 1 - Chest & Abs

2009-05-05T23:24:00.003-05:00

Stretching, then 2 sets of 12 different exercises, mostly push-ups & pull-ups, a few creatively named bent over rowing exercises "heavy pants" and "lawnmower". Followed by ab-ripper, which was 25 reps of I think 14 different ab exercises. I didn't get near 25 on most of them.

I'm doing the nutrition plan too.

Protein bar & milk for breakfast.

Turkey sandwich & apple for lunch.

Ham, green beans, & milk for dinner.

P90X Fitness Test

2009-05-04T15:33:00.002-05:00

I took my picture today and did the fitness test in preparation of starting the P90X Extreme Home Fitness Program.

Here are my stats:

Weight 205.8 lbs
Pulse 60
Pull-Ups = 2
Vertical Leap = 17 inches
Push-Ups = 26
Toe-Reach (flexibilitiy) = 1/2 inch past toes
Wall Squat = 1:40
Curls (20 lbs) = 24
In & Out (abs) = 39

Cortisone!

2009-04-29T15:50:00.003-05:00

Well I had another appointment with the pain doctor last night after my 2 rounds of medicine did very little to help.

He suggested I try a cortisone shot, he called it a nerve blocker. He said one should last a month, a second should last a couple more months, and after that hopefully I would be all healed. I asked why I would not and he chuckled and said maybe I would be afraid of needles.

He pressed against my upper right leg / groin to find where the pain was centered and then marked the spots with magic marker. He then took the needle & syringe and gave me injections in 5 different spots. He sent me on my way, suggesting that I be careful driving and take it easy that night as my leg might be a little weak.

What an understatement! By the time I drove home, my right leg was completely numb. I went up stairs, sat down for a bit, then started getting dressed for soccer practice. I fell down twice getting dressed, my leg just gave out on me with no warning. I fell 4 more times throughout the night, including twice walking across the field after soccer.

I had to take the day off work today, I didn't sleep at all until after 5 AM and my leg was still mostly numb when I awoke around 7:30. It finally wore off around 1PM, but now my knee and ankle are really sore from the falls.

But the lingering pain from my hernia seems to be gone.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout

2009-04-22T23:23:00.001-05:00

Taking most of last week off from work got me out of my routine. I was finally able to get my tube workout in again tonight.

Bike Path Again - With Biker

2009-04-16T16:56:00.001-05:00

Brooke and I ran again today, a little farther, she ran 27 minutes, and I ran almost 35. Rachel came along to ride her bike. The weather was beautiful.

Bike Path Again

2009-04-15T22:06:00.002-05:00

Brooke and I ran the bike path again today. Her pile of rocks were still there at the 49th post. We ran 3 minutes faster this week than last week!

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Abs

2009-04-13T06:57:00.002-05:00

The final exercise portion of this workout is abs, and we basically did 3 exercises, each with the legs partially supported by the tubes.

First, single leg lowering. Lying on my back, with one leg down flat, lower (and then raise) the other leg. Alternate and do this on both legs.

Next, leg circles (both legs at the same time, both directions) still lying on my back.

And finally, a pilates exercise called the hundred, lying on my back, feet and head elevated, make 100 downward motions with my arms. I'm not sure the arm motions are for anything other than to keep my mind off the fact that I'm holing my legs and head in the air for 100 count.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Legs

2009-04-11T11:42:00.002-05:00

Since I got off-schedule earlier in the week, I did my 3rd Tube workout today. The next set of exercises I haven't described is legs. First we did squats (pretty easy to understand) standing with both feet on the tubes.

The other leg excercise doesn't really have a name (that I know). Mia on the dvd says that it works on the adductor muscle. These are the muscles that move your leg left and right. We stood with 1 leg on the tube and put the other foot against the stretchy part of the tube and pressed out (away from the other leg). A challenging part of this is standing on 1 leg!

Nick (from the pizza shop) and I last night were discussing fitness and he's planning to start working out also so maybe we can challenge each other.

Bike-Trail Run with Brooke

2009-04-10T10:05:00.003-05:00

Brooke and I were able to find time to run this morning before the rains came. Since she didn't like passing animal carcasses last week on the road, we drove to the local end of the Inland Trail, an old train tracks made into a bike path.

We ran 25 minutes and made it almost 2.5 miles. Brooke started a rock collection and left them at the 47th guard-rail post. We will likely go back next week during Spring Break and we will see if the rocks are still there.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Back

2009-04-09T06:39:00.003-05:00

First of all I figured out how to recenter my cord protectors, the canvas sleeves that cover the stretchy tubes. Some were becoming off-center and when I tried to recenter them the sleeves would start to turn inside out on themselves and bunch up and they would not move.

I simply snipped the end of the sleeve to make it wider so that I could keep it open while I pulled and now I can move the sleeves where I need them.

Anyhow I'm back to my morning workout routine today, the next workout I haven't described is the back. We did 2 exercises for the back, bent-over row and shrugs. Shrugs are always pretty easy for me.

Next planned workout is a run with Brooke on Friday and another tube workout on Saturday.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - at night

2009-04-07T21:41:00.001-05:00

I missed last Friday and Monday both. I did the workout tonight and will go again on Thursday AM and Saturday and I will be back on schedule for next Monday.

Nathan also did the workout tonight. He is going to Florida for a week to visit his grandparents but hopefully when he returns he will stick with the workout at least a couple nights each week.

In other news I was able to get a copy of the P90X system (dvd's, workout book, and nutrition book) second-hand, very lightly used (if at all). My plan is to continue the Golds Gym Long Tube workout through April and then start the P90X in May!

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Biceps

2009-04-01T06:57:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today as the biceps section of the video only has 1 exercise - biceps curls.

Well actually we did switch from both arms to 1 arm (alternating) about halfway through. I counted and I got about 20 with both arms and 15 each with 1 arm.

Emotional Detachment and the Zen of Golf

2009-03-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

By Michael Masterson

About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I imagined fresh air, healthy sunshine, and that father-son banter that women who don't understand men categorize as superficial.

The afternoon started off as hoped for. The sun was shining. The course was green. We prepared by eating hotdogs and lighting up cigars. But on the very first tee, things started going badly. At least for N3S.

N3S is a novice golfer. He's played less than half a dozen games. He was focused on long drives and good chips and accurate putting. When he didn't hit the ball well - which was most of the time - he was angry with himself.

Though he may not have been hitting the ball the way he wanted, he was hitting it. I was impressed and told him so. "You are doing a lot better than I was at your stage of the game."
That didn't mollify him. By the ninth hole, he was emotionally exhausted. He didn't want to play anymore. "It's no use," he said morosely. "I stink."

N3S's frustration with his poor performance and his subsequent depression reminded me of myself until just a few years ago. It scared me to think that he might go through what I went through for 40 years. On the way home, I talked to him about one of the ways I've overcome my own tendency to get depressed. Today, I'm going to share that same strategy with you.

When you're happy, you can move mountains. When you're angry or depressed, your energy drops, your focus blurs, and your productivity lapses.

Depression can blunt your work skills. It can damage your reputation. It can separate you from your income and your possessions. It can affect your relationships with your spouse, your children and family - even lifelong friends. Depression will rob you of all the beautiful little moments that make life worth living - like a day on the golf course with Dad.

It steals your fun. It steals your time. It leaves you with nothing.

Last week, in my article "Defeating Depression Before It Defeats You," I told you two stories about friends of mine who fell into deep depressions when they lost their jobs and their income.

Both of them had based their self-worth on their ability to make money - a mistake that many entrepreneurs make. And when, through no fault of their own, they suffered a serious financial setback, they felt like failures. I suggested that the way to avoid falling into that trap is to base your self-worth on things that really matter - on personal values that have nothing to do with your income.

There's another common mistake that leads many to despair. The mistake that N3S was making during our golf game. I have to warn you that the solution to this one is a bit harder to understand and practice. But stick with me while I explain it. Because once you "get it," you'll have no trouble maintaining a positive outlook... even under the most difficult circumstances.

I am talking about developing the skill of emotional detachment. More specifically, developing the ability to set and pursue goals without caring whether you actually achieve them.

I learned how to do this only six or eight years ago, and have been practicing it in fits and starts. As each year passes, I get better at it. I feel happier and more in control of my life. Most important, I think it has helped me pass along some of my newfound happiness to others.

When most people hear the phrase emotional detachment, they think it means indifference or even heartlessness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Emotional detachment frees you from neurotic attachments and lets you focus your energies on other people, other things, and the here and now.

The best example I can give you is the natural love that a mother has for her child. When the child is happy, the mother is happy. When the child is unhappy, the mother instinctively wants to find the cause of the unhappiness and end it, if she can.

When the mother discovers that the child is unhappy because of some physical discomfort, she tries to relieve it. When the cause is an emotional conflict, she does her best to teach the child how to handle it. The mother's goal is always to prepare the child to become independent. She works consistently to gradually free the child from his natural dependence on her so that he can go out into the world and live a happy and productive life.

When an 11-year-old tells his mother that he "hates" her because she's imposed some restriction on him, the (mentally healthy) mother does not feel hurt, even though a hurtful thing has been said. She loves the child and doesn't take his statement to heart. She remains calm. She reminds him that she loves him. And she explains that the restriction will not be removed simply because he "hates" it or her.

In other words, she is emotionally detached from the child's expressions of anger.

If you are a parent, you understand what I mean. Most parents, most of the time, practice this sort of emotional detachment with their children. But there are some who can't do it, because they are emotionally attached to their children's approval of them. These are the parents who want to be "best friends" with their children. They break their own rules the moment their children object to them. Sometimes they go so far as to tolerate risky behavior.

The skill of emotional detachment can be applied to all relationships. It can work with your boss and colleagues at work. It can work with your spouse or parents at home. Detachment can also be applied to almost any challenge or problem. And the result will always be greater calmness and clarity.

This gets us back to my story about N3S...

When I started golfing, I approached the game very much the way my son approached it. That is, I was concerned about the outcome of my shots. When hitting the ball off the tee, I cared about how far it would go. When I putted, I cared about how close the ball would get to the hole.

This made the game very frustrating. Being a beginner, the outcome of most of my shots was disappointing.

But it didn't take me long to realize that I was my own worst enemy. By allowing myself to be disappointed four shots out of five, I was setting myself up for failure. (How can you learn to play golf well if you are swearing when you are swinging the club?) The trick, I soon figured out, was to detach myself emotionally from the intended outcome (where the ball goes) and focus instead on the experience of the swing.

My goal, when I play golf these days, is to have a good swing. I don't care where the ball goes. All I care about is whether I achieve my intention of swinging the club properly.

This has made a remarkable difference in my game. In several short months, I have brought down my handicap by about 30 strokes. Before, I was shooting about 130 and hating the game. Now, I am hovering at 100 and liking it, even when the ball lands in a sand trap or rolls over the green.

Anything we do in life - any goal we set, any relationship we engage in - can be done better and more happily by applying emotional detachment.

Let me give you a few more examples.

Emotional Attachment: You want to go on a picnic Saturday afternoon. It rains. You are disappointed.

Emotional Detachment. You intend to have a picnic on Saturday. But, knowing you can never predict the weather, you consciously detach yourself from the hope that the sun will shine. You create Plan B - going to the movies instead. So when it rains, you move happily from Plan A to Plan B without getting upset or upsetting those with you. You are the Zen Master of your Saturday afternoon. You help others feel better by your good example. And that, in turn, increases your happiness.

Emotional Attachment. You want to get a raise. You don't get one. You are disappointed.

Emotional Detachment. You intend to get a raise. But, knowing you can't control the outcome of your next performance review, you come up with a Plan B that involves starting your own side business. You make a good presentation at the review, but your boss doesn't give you the raise. You aren't disappointed. In fact, you are excited... because now you can initiate Plan B.

Emotional Attachment: You want to marry your college sweetheart. You propose to her. She refuses you. You are crushed.

Emotional Detachment. You intend to marry your college sweetheart. But, recognizing that you cannot control her feelings, you detach yourself from that outcome and settle on Plan B, which is to enjoy the relationship for some months longer while you begin to look for a new one. You propose to her and are turned down. You aren't sad. You don't pout. You put Plan B into action. She notices your detachment and likes you better for it. Now it is up to you to continue the relationship or move on.

As I said earlier, the skill of emotional detachment is hard to understood and practice. But if you can master it, you will enjoy a life of unlimited wealth, health, and happiness.

Before N3S and I went golfing for the second time, I had him take a lesson with Larry, the pro I learned from. (Larry understands the Zen of golf. He, like Ben Hogan, understands that the true purpose of golf is not to achieve a specific score but to experience the serenity and pleasure that come with developing a consistently good swing.)

When we hit the golf course this time, I reminded N3S to focus his mind not on where the ball goes but on executing his swing. We played all 18 holes in perfect harmony. And though we didn't care about our scores, they were better than they had been the time before.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Triceps

2009-03-30T06:33:00.002-05:00

In case it's not clear, I am doing the entire Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout 3 times each week. I'm not doing just the Triceps portion.

However, each time I workout I am writing about the next section that we do. And today we are up to the triceps.

We start with single-arm triceps kick-backs. Standing on the cord, bent forward with the elbow arm raised, bend just at the elbow to extend the triceps back. Of course we then repeat for the opposite arm.

Next is the single-arm triceps pull-down. Holding the cord above our heads, we extend the triceps down. Sometimes this seems like more work for my arm that is held up over my head.

The final triceps excercise is triceps raises (behind the head). Standing on the cord, this is done with both arms together.

For people who don't work out at all, triceps are often among the most neglected muscle groups so it is good to work on them specifically.

Running With Brooke

2009-03-28T23:07:00.001-05:00

I ran another 25+ minutes with Brooke today as training for her spring soccer season. We ran past a dead animal in the road which she thought was a bunny (it was pretty flattened and I'm not sure) and it upset her greatly.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Shoulders

2009-03-27T06:42:00.004-05:00

After the chest exercises and a cardio interval of lateral hops, the DVD (and I) progress to shoulders. The first shoulder exercise is very similar to the chest exercises, it is a shoulder press from the squat position.

Next we did something that Mia on the tape called offering but I would call front raises. Standing with the back foot the band, palms up, lift your arms forward.

The final shoulder exercise was lateral raises, or bringing the arms up to the sides. This is always an exercise where I feel weak, so I'm sure working on it 3 days / week will help.

Gold's Gym Long Tube Workout - Chest

2009-03-25T06:43:00.004-05:00

After some stretching, this workout starts with the chest (or shoulders?). The first exercise is a chest fly, standing with your back leg on the cord and bringing your arms up and together at the top.

The second exercise is very similar, a press, still standing with the back leg on the cord but this time bringing the arms straight up over your head.

Admittedly I have done almost nothing since my hernia last spring, but I am really feeling like this is a decent workout for me.

Early Morning Long Tube Workout

2009-03-23T06:23:00.003-05:00

I got up this morning and did the Golds Gym long tube workout with the Mia Finnegan video. I did an array of stuff, chest, biceps, triceps, legs, abs, with some cardio interspersed. In future days I'll try to blog about the exact exercises that the video uses, in order.

It was a pretty decent workout. My goal for now is to do it consistently for several weeks to justify the purchase of the P90 and then P90X videos.

Pain, Blood, P90X, Running, Bands

2009-03-21T10:01:00.004-05:00

Well as you can tell I can't come up with a title for today's post.

My groin pain is still nagging. I'm up to taking the pain medicine 3x/day and will start the nerve medicine next week. The pain medicine seems to have no effect.

I gave blood this week on Wednesday. I'm a pretty regular donor now at 5-6 times / year. This time I got a coupon for a free Frosty at Wendy's.

I've heard a couple people talking about this extreme workout video called P90X. I thought maybe I would give it a try. My groin pain isn't disabling, it just makes me cautious about running far from home in case the pain increases and I have to walk back. So I thought a workout video would be good.

Well I did some research and found that I would need a pull-up bar and a set of stretch bands / tubes to do this workout. I also found out that P90X is pretty advanced and there is a lower level workout called P90, which maybe I should start with.

So anyhow I went to WalMart on Thursday night and got the Perfect Pullup bar and mounted it in the doorway to the utility room in the basement, and also a set of Gold's Gym Long Tubes (something like this but not exactly.) The tubes came with a workout video so I made the decision to make sure I would do the workout video consistently (maybe 3x / week for 2 weeks) before I spend the money on either the P90 or P90X.

Brooke's U11 soccer coach is requiring her to run 25 minutes at least twice weekly (outside of practice). So she and I got up and went for an easy run this morning (well easy for me). We did just over 2 miles on an out-and-back course. To be precise, we went 4 telephone poles past the 1-mile turn around. She did really well, only stopping once to tie her shoes.

After I got back I thought Luke and I could do the long tube workout video but even though we have 3 tubes, we only have 1 set of handles so really only one person can do the workout at a time.

Still, the bottom line is that I did run AND work out (chest, biceps, back, triceps, abs, and a little cardio mixed in).

Pain Doctor

2009-03-10T00:10:00.002-05:00

So I'm still having some tenderness in my groin area after my hernia surgery last year. My surgeon referred me to a pain specialist. I'm taking a prescription of Tizanidine, one / day for 5 days, then two / day for 5 days, then three / day for 5 days.

Well I'm 5 days in and if anything, my groin pain is more consistent than before. Very frustrating.

Never More Than 2 Days

2009-02-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

By Jon Benson

Here's a simple rule to follow: Never go more than two days without some form of planned physical activity.

Housework does not count. I'm talking about activity that can be measured so you can track your progress over time.

Seven to 14 minutes of resistance training and 30-40 minutes of brisk walking is best. That's it.
Just don't skip more than two days between workouts. After that you quickly lose cardiovascular condition. You will keep your muscle, but you will begin to lose the neurological connection to the muscle - the "mind/muscle connection."

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

A Taste of Advice Marathon Runners Hate

2009-02-18T07:13:00.001-05:00

By Craig Ballantyne

Most aspiring marathon runners are smart enough not to buy a beat-up used car for $300 and try to drive it across America non-stop. But they have no problem taking their overweight, used up, beat-up, weak bodies and trying to run 26.2 miles in under 4 hours.Does that make any sense?

If you are overweight and running marathons, you are going to get injured. It's not a question of "if." It's a question of how soon and how badly.

The reason I'm so hard on running is because too many people do it who shouldn't do it.
What they should do instead is run less, do more resistance training, and decrease the carbohydrates in their diet.

If you are an overweight runner focused on a marathon, the most important thing you can do is lose body fat. Your diet is probably the main problem. So fix it. Running 6 miles per day while you're "training" is not a license to eat whatever you want.

Any general strength-training program will help you improve your body composition and strengthen your muscles so that you'll have a reduced risk of overuse injury (from long-duration running). All you need are two quick, total-body strength workouts per week, doing 1-2 sets of a couple of multi-muscle exercises. Just be careful not to do so much strength training that you get sore muscles.

I like to see runners do stability ball leg curls, 1-leg hip extensions, step-ups, and split squats. Those are the basics to start with. Pick two exercises per workout, and do 1-2 challenging sets.

Great News, No Cast!

2009-01-28T18:55:00.001-05:00

My arm is to be in a sling for at least 2 weeks, during which time I am a 1-handed typist and 1-armed driver.

Sore Arm Explained

2009-01-23T23:27:00.001-05:00

It's broken. I have a small non-displaced fracture of my radius bone, right at the elbow. My arm is in a splint. I've never had a cast before.

And to think I didn't even take myself out of the game.

White 51, Black 38

2009-01-22T21:40:00.004-05:00

Our team won tonight by a 51-38 score. We scored the first 11 points of the game and then kind of just held that lead throughout.

I came off the bench to give our other 2 big guys a breather. Right after I went in I got called for a foul. It certainly was a foul but I didn't touch the guy, it was one of my teammates. No big deal. Later in the first half I blocked a shot easily, the guy was totally out of control. I got an offensive rebound, got whacked in the nose (no call) but missed the putback.

In the 2nd half I got a steal and 2 more fouls. One of the fouls I was totally bowled over and my left forearm is still quite sore.

The scorers credited me with just the 1 rebound and 1 steal (no blocks) but of course that doesn't really matter, the point is I had fun and got some exercise.

I played about 8-9 minutes of each half. I got a little winded in the first half, probably just getting used to playing. I definitely need to improve my timing.

Giving Blood And Keeping Score

2009-01-15T23:58:00.003-05:00

I gave blood today. It took a little extra time as it was very crowded at the time I showed up, it was over an hour waiting until I finally got the needle in my arm. A small part of the delay was the first nurse who looked at my arms couldn't decide which arm to stick. She called her supervisor over and he made the call (my right arm). I was allowed to give even though I have been taking my prescription for Ultram.

Then tonight was our first week of basketball games. I am on the team of Rob, the guy who runs the league and I found out tonight that he works for Hyland Software. Hyland produces OnBase, a Document Management system that I am very familiar with.

Anyways, our team had a bye tonight but it was our duty to run the scoreboard and keep stats for 2 other games, so I was there from 8-11 PM.

Basketball Open Gym

2009-01-09T07:44:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I signed up for our church basketball league. Last night was the open gym that guys could participate in before getting drafted.

Much to my surprise, I was easily 1 of the 2 or 3 oldest guys there (out of about 25-30). I'm not sure I've ever seen any of them in church, but that's ok.

Anyways I was on the court for about 90 minutes. None of my teams ever won our games, and I didn't score a point. I was tremendously winded and sore by the end of the night, but this morning I don't feel as bad as I feared I would.

And I don't have any pain specifically related to my hernia or groin area. I have been taking my Ultra prescription but I didn't really think it was helping any.

The league starts next week.

Doctor Appointment

2009-01-01T02:21:00.002-05:00

I had my doctor appointment yesterday for the pain I have been having in my groin area, still 6 months after my hernia surgery. The doctor checked me out and is certain there is not a reoccurrance of the hernia so he wrote me a prescription for Ultram, a pain reliever.

I am supposed to take 3 a day for 30 days and then go back to the doctor. If I'm not better he may send me to see another specialist in downtown Cleveland.

36

2008-12-30T07:47:00.002-05:00

I got some new jeans for Christmas. I used to wear 32x34 but in the past 3-4 years have slowly changed to 34x34. That wasn't a big deal and I accepted that I was just getting a little older.

Well the 34-waisted jeans are just too snug and my wife had to exchange them for 36x34. They fit right but they look huge. I am NOT happy at all.

But I haven't been able to work out ... unfortunately, my right groin is sore again and I am going back today to the doctor who performed my hernia surgery back in June.

Crazy Like Running With A Fox On Your Arm

2008-11-07T00:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a video on CNN about a woman who ran a mile with a fox hanging off her arm. Apparently she was bitten and wanted to make sure the animal got checked for rabies, so she ran to her car (a mile away) and locked the fox in the trunk while she drove to the hospital.

I have no idea how or why the fox held on for so long!

Running Again

2008-11-06T23:46:00.002-05:00

If you want to follow my daily running progress, you really need to check my log on Running2Win.com. I will try to post periodic updates here though.

I ran once in August, on the road, and then 5 times in September, on the treadmill. All of these runs were 1.5 - 2 miles at an easy pace. My groin still felt tender in the hernia surgery area so I took a few more weeks off and started running again this week.

I ran once this week at the fitness center and then ran 1.75 miles at home tonight. This weeks news is that my weight was 204 when I weighed in on Tuesday. Our company fitness center is running a "Holiday Challenge". Anyone who stays even or loses weight from now until 2009 gets a small prize.

Since this is about my highest weight ever, I'm confident that it won't take much for me to turn things around and get moving in the right direction.

Weekend

2008-08-29T22:35:00.002-05:00

I'm heading back to my hometown in the morning so the kids can run in the local 5k & 1 mile fun run. I haven't run all week as my leg felt achy & weak after my short run last week. I'll give it another try next week I think.

I did find this article on RunTri.com about Sarah Palin who was chosen today by Repbulican Presidential nominee John McCain to join the ticket as Vice President. It describes how Palin ran the Humpy's marathon in Anchorage in 2005 in just under 4 hours!

Starting Over

2008-08-22T12:29:00.004-05:00

I ran about 1 3/4 miles today. It was an easy run, by myself, from the fitness center. Therw was no pain but still some tenderness in the groin area that led to the hernia surgery in the first place.

The workout was discouraging for a couple reasons. First of all when I got to the fitness center, my locker was locked and the key was gone! (I always leave my key in it). I found the only staff member on duty (Tammy) and she did open it up with the master key. We found an empty mesh bag.

Tammy then helped me find my clothes all bagged up in a closet. I had been kicked out! Apparently I notified the wrong person about my surgery. Everything is resolved now but it did make me feel sad and lonely for a while.

Then as I ran down into the flats and found a road closed and the whole old flats bar district bulldozed in preparation for a new development. Now I knew this was coming but it was still a surprise to see places like the Beach Club and the Paladium (more recently Larry Flynt's Hustler Club) totally gone.

Weight is up to 197 (from 184 last time I ran).

I've Still Got It!

2008-07-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

While leaving the fireworks display last week, I was handed a handbill that reads:

The Baddest Man On The Planet Competition 2K8
(The Blood, Sweat & Tears Tour)

Do you think you can fight ??? Now is your chance to prove it!!!
(Open to anyone 18 years of age or older!)

All types of stand-up combat accepted - boxing/kickboxing, karate, & streetfighting!!!

No wrestling or takedowns!!! There are no tap-outs .... only knockouts!!!

Fighters - come as you ar or use ring names, entrance music of your cohice, & cracy flashy costumes will be accepted!!!

Obviously they thought I should participate. Unfortunately my recent hernia surgery will keep me out of this one. Maybe next year!

Avon Eagle Kids Run

2008-05-30T08:43:00.001-05:00

Check out my other blog for a post about how my kids ran this weekend in Avon.

Giving Blood

2008-05-14T09:48:00.002-05:00

I gave blood today. It was pretty uneventful. My planned surgery probably won't affect my ability to give blood either before or after. At least this time it won't affect my racing.

The prize was a voucher for a free $15 (upper level) ticket to the Cleveland Gladiators Arena football team.

Hernia Surgery Scheduled

2008-05-09T06:01:00.002-05:00

My hernia surgery is now scheduled for June 16th. I probably won't be running again until August. What a wasted year.

I Was Right

2008-04-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

The doctor diagnosed me with an inguinal hernia this morning. I have a referral to a surgeon and an appointment early next month. I'm won't be running for a while.

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me The News

2008-04-16T15:17:00.002-05:00

I have a doctor appointment on Thursday morning. I'm guessing I have a hernia.

Pop! goes the groin

2008-04-11T12:46:00.001-05:00

I ran an easy 4.5 today with Milica, Peter, & Rick. The weather was great and I was feeling good until about 3.5 miles when I felt a POP and my groin started hurting again, the same spot as last Thursday. I was able to maintain the (slow) pace and finish but I'm pretty frustrated.

We stopped / regrouped a few times, time of the run was 43:00.

Running Again

2008-04-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

After 5 days of rest I ran again Wednesday. At the start of the run my right leg felt a little strange but then once I loosened up I think I'm pretty much back to normal.

I also did 3 sets of 10 each of leg extensions & leg curls before I ran as my left knee has been clicking a little bit the last couple days.

The run was 2 miles on the treadmill in 16:23.

Streaking - No Longer (Aggravated Groin)

2008-04-03T15:20:00.003-05:00

Today was my 10th consecutive day of running, but I'm pretty sure I won't get to 11.

I hurt myself today somehow. I was just running along, feeling good, when suddenly my groin started hurting and I started to slow down. By about 6 minutes later I was walking and walked over a mile in.

I've pretty much decided I'm taking the next 3 days off to rest and I'll reevaluate on Monday. I have plenty of time for my fall marathon, but I don't want to be hurt. And I am already signed up for the Hermes 10 Miler in 3 weeks.

Here is a good article I found on groin injuries. It says I should rest for a week.

Tuesday 4/1 - 4.5 miles - 36:01
Nice run with Randy & Greg. Windy from the west and chilly again. Greg told of his wine-tasting trip to southern Ohio, and Randy told of his trip to Ireland.

Wednesday 4/2 - 6 miles - 56:04
Very easy run with Rick at lunch today. Weight is down another pound to 184!

Thursday 4/3 - 3 miles - 24:00
I aggravated my groin today somehow. I was running along, feeling pretty good. I passed 2.37 miles in 18 minutes (7:36 pace) so I wasn't going really fast, just a little faster than I usually run on my own.

I was on a slight downhill and my right groin started feeling sore, like I should slow down. By 24 minutes I was walking, and I walked the last 1 1/4 miles back to the office.

The pain is right on the joint, the innermost spot where my right leg connects to my pelvis. It's not in the quad muscle at all.

It really hurts.

I'm probably going to take Friday-Sunday off at this point, hope it's just a minor ache, and hope it feels better on it's own by Monday.

152 Mile March

2008-03-31T14:54:00.002-05:00

No I didn't march that far, I ran 152 miles in the month of March.

But I've definitely transitioned from using this blog as my daily running log, to using Running2Win.

I'll try to recap here a couple times / week:

Friday 3/28:
Considered not running today but ended up going out for a short run in the afternoon. Rachel (part way) and Brooke came along on their bikes. I ran 24:41 for 3 miles and then went back as Brooke had fallen behind a little at the end.

Weather was sunny but cold and windy.

Saturday 3/29:
I ran the same 10.5 route today that I ran last week with Randy. As usual, running alone added about a minute per mile to my pace.

Sunday 3/30:
I had to skip church today as I have a class on soccer coaching from 11-4. So I ran this morning, an easy 5-miler. Weather was chilly (still) and there was a strong wind out of the south.

I ran negative splits, 20:58 on the way out and 19:47 on the way back. That's pretty significant, because as soon as I turned around at 2.5 (on the out-and-back course), I was headed due south, into the wind, for the next 1.5 miles.

I ran as many miles this week as last week, and that was with 2 long runs last week.

Monday 3/31:
Easy run with Rick, had to stop a couple times for traffic as we ran around Progressive Field just prior to the Indians Opening Day game.

Wednesday Tremont

2008-03-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

I ran the Tremont 5 1/2 mile route today. I consciously tried to run at a faster pace, but I'm just not good at running fast by myself. I ran 44:03, which is 8:00 per mile.

It was 2 1/2 minutes faster than the same route 2 weeks ago, but part of that is due to the terrain, as the roads are finally pretty much clear of snow and ice.

I did run past the new Progressive Field sign that went up in the past few days.

Hamstring feels about the same as yesterday.

Tuesday Easy 6

2008-03-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

I took Monday off, continuing my recent pattern of 1 rest day every week, early in the week.

I had to run at lunch today as I'm going to Rachel's soccer game tonight and can't run with the Tuesday night group. It was an easy run, very windy today. A couple times I felt like my stocking cap was going to blow off my head!

I ran 6 miles in 51:36, 8:36 pace. Good news is it was 1:34 faster than I ran the same course on 3/13.

My right hamstring started feeling a little tender & tingly. It didn't get any worse (or better) throughout the run.

Weight = 189 lbs. I'm not losing anything at all.

Easter Long Run, Vitamins

2008-03-24T07:49:00.003-05:00

I ran another 10+ miler, this time with Keith. We ran about 3 hours after easter dinner. We took it pretty easy. Distance was almost 10.5 and time was 1:23:07.

We did have a section mid-run into the wind where we traded off the lead every 3 telephone poles and we might have picked up the pace a little.

But then as we mad the turn by Greg's I had a rather juicy burp and we pretty much cruised the rest of the way.

Also, I started taking a vitamin today, which I haven't done in years. I'm taking the Equate (Walmart brand) version of the One A Day Men's Health vitamin. I was kind of spurred on by last week's slower race which I still think was affected by my giving blood.

Friday Long, Saturday Short, Malachi Pics

2008-03-22T21:43:00.003-05:00

Friday AM I ran long with Randy. He was running 19 and I ran the first 10 1/2 with him. I ran 1:21:20 and felt pretty decent.

Saturday afternoon I ran easy on the treadmill at home while watching Duke vs. West Virginia.

I also got an email with my photos from last week's St. Malach 5-Mile race. I doubt I'll order any but they are neat to look at.

Treadmilling Again

2008-03-20T14:09:00.002-05:00

Weather was cold again today so I jumped on the treadmill at lunch. I hoped to watch some NCAA basketball but the TV was just too far away. I ran really slow, 25:32 (7:51 pace).

Tuesday Night - Snowy Paths - Light Rain

2008-03-18T21:57:00.001-05:00

I ran in Oberlin tonight but ran on the road instead of the path. We had 6, Randy, Keith, Greg, Thomas, Ken, and myself.

I got caught by myself in the middle for the first part, but ran the 2nd half with Ken and Thomas. There was a light rain for the last 10 minutes or so of the run.

I'm giving in and recording my distance to the nearest 1/4 mile, but I refuse to go any further. Distance was 4 3/4 miles and time was 38 minutes.