12/23 – 12/29 Totals

12/23 – 12/29 total miles = 25.27 miles at an average pace of 9:29

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Needed to run extra miles so I got to the running location at 6 AM. The girls were already there and with the recent snow they decided not to run the cemeteries but to run the roads. I wasn’t able to keep up with them but was able to maintain a great pace…also very consistent!!

Ran a total of 11 miles with a 9:50 pace.

1st 5k: 30:02
2nd 5k: 29:53
3rd 5k: 30:05

Friday, December 28, 2007

We had a plan for today that was totally shot due to the coming weather. We headed out just as it started to snow. We easily ran the mile loop in 8:53 pace.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Since I put a second coat of paint on the spare room in the morning and I decided to run once I was done. The simple mile run wasn’t going to be enough for me today so I decided to make it 2 miles. I did the usual 2 mile loop out to 3 mile rd and back and managed to keep an 8:40 pace!!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Spent most of today cleaning the spare room out and getting the room prepped to be painted. Once my wife got home we went to buy the paint and started to paint the room. By the time we were done it was 10:30 at night and I still had not run…so I donned the running shoes and went out for a 1 mile run at a 8:16 pace.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas day…but that does not mean that we ignore the fact that we have to run. We didn’t get out until 7pm tonight but we got out none the less. Ran 1 mile with a 9:14 pace.

Monday, December 24, 2007

It was still windy this morning but not as bad as it was yesterday so I kept my promise with the group to run this morning. There were 5 of us in total and an additional 3 dogs!! We ran the Panera route for 6.2 miles and I was able to maintain a 9:13 pace

Sunday, December 23, 2007

With the weather being so bad…the wind was at 30+ mph…we decided to go to the YMCA. I really hate running on the treadmill but you have to do what you’ve got to do. I ran 3 miles in 29:40 and then spent the next 10 minutes doing a hill workout.

12/16 – 12/22 Totals

12/16 – 12/22 total miles = 25.21 miles at an average pace of 9:36

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Only 3 weeks before Disney so we needed to do a little extra. I didn’t know if anyone was running early but thought I had better get there at 5:30 just to get the extra miles in. When I arrived there were already people there so I guess I’ll be running with them. I thought that I’d be able to get in 9 before the rest of the group got there but I only got 8.4 in. I quickly dried off and headed back out on the road with Andy. We ran the church run and I finished with 14 miles at a 9:55 pace.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Just an easy mile around the neighborhood at 9:21 pace.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

I really did not want to get out of bed this morning. I was warm and I wasn’t really sore from last nights run but I could feel the muscles healing. But the wife got her running gear ready to go so I had to get ready as well.

We got outside and found the temperature to be rather nice compared to what it’s been recently…the only problem was the wind…it was cold!

We simply ran our 1 mile loop (9:00 pace) and stretched.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

I figured that I should do a few more miles today but it was my wife that suggested that I run around 6 miles…I only wanted to do 4…I’ve told her that she is a bad influence since she makes me run farther than I really want to but it is all for the best.

With the snow on the ground I was running as close to the shoulder as possible. I managed to put 6.19 miles in at a pace of 9:18.

In the end my wife was right…I needed to do the longer run and I felt good when it was all done.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Early morning run with my wife and got the mile in at a 9:08 pace

Monday, December 17, 2007

First day back from Italy and wanted to sleep in so I ran in the evening. Colder than I expected but it is winter!! 1 mile at an 8:38 pace.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

After spending 9 plus hours on a plane I was happy to be home and itching to get out for a run but the snow and the cold were a bit of a deterrent. I spent some time unpacking and getting comfortable but then we headed out after the end of the Packer game. An easy mile at a 9:04 pace.

12/9 – 12/15 Totals

12/9 – 12/15 total miles = 39.42 miles at an average pace of 11:52

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Last day in Italy and after being out until 5 AM this morning I got a bit of a late start on the day. I knew that there was a cache I wanted to get to and since it was 5 miles from the hotel I would easily be able to get in my 10 plus miles.

When I started out it was rather cold to be wearing shorts but I’m glad that I brought my gloves with just in case. I was headed out of Turin and following the river and I had a thought that the cache just might be at the top of Superga Hill which holds Basilica of Superga a church built in the 18th century and the hill is notable since the Turin soccer team was killed in a plane crash in the 1940’s on that hill.

Sure enough as I got closer to the ‘hill’ the cache seemed to be right up at the top. So like a true cacher I continued on toward the cache until the climb got to be a bit much at which time I walked up Superga…it was a hell of a climb and the walk back down wasn’t much better!! The views from the top were fantastic…kind of wish I had brought the camera. The cache was missing so it was a small waste but it was fun.

Managed to get back to the hotel before dinner and I had completed 14.25 miles at an average pace of 13:51.

Friday, December 14, 2007

With the audit conference dinner tonight I knew that it was important to get the miles in early so I was up and running at 6 AM. Put in 2.42 miles at a pace of 8:45.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Didn’t feel like getting up this morning but did anyway so I only ran the mile and called it done for the day. Pace was 8:52.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Still a little groggy so I decide to run in the evening. Was able to run 2.11 miles at an 8:59 average pace.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

First day in town and knew that I needed to get into a routine right away. Managed to find a relatively easy route…the only problem is that the buildings occasionally block the GPS signal. Ran 1.5 miles at a 9:21 pace.

Monday, December 10, 2007

With the impending flight I decided to sleep in a little and run a bit later. Ran at 8:30 AM and just did the neighborhood loop for 1 mile at a 9:15 pace.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Well with all of us getting ready for the goofy it was decided that we would get a high mileage day in today. We started out at Panera missing only Jodi who organized today’s run.

We ran north then west…both directions that the wind was blowing from which caused all of us to have ice sheets covering our fronts!! Andy and I ran a total of 17.11 miles at an 11:34 pace.

12/2 – 12/9 Totals

12/2 – 12/9 total miles = 21.65 miles average pace 9:20

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Race Day!! Today is the Jingle Bell run but I’m still training for Goofy, so I set out to run about 6 miles before the 5k race but based on my faulty mapping it turned out to be only 5.44 miles.

The race went really well. The 1st mile was 8:05 and my time at mile 2 was 16:05…hmm negative split is pretty good! I was starting to catch my wife and a few of my fellow runners so I slowly moved past them and finished the race. Here is what is odd…The 5k race turned out to be 2.79 miles…so the running group decided that we should finish the 5k so we ran a couple of laps and finished the 5k.

Total for the day was 8.57 miles for a total time of 78:40 or a pace of 9:11.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Cold night but needed to put the mile in ran around the neighborhood and completed the mile in 9:02 pace.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

It was cold but I still wanted to run outside…I have to get used to it…it’s going to be a long winter!!

1 mile in 8:56.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

I really would prefer to run outside but when the roads still need to be plowed it makes running rather difficult so I reluctantly decided to run at the YMCA. We got there around 6pm and it was surprisingly not very busy. Running on the treadmill for 3 miles sucked but still managed a decent time of 27:20 or about 9:07 pace

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

We were lying in bed deciding if we wanted to run this morning or tonight and then it dawned on me that we have a meeting tonight so we had to run now.

My wife and I dragged our butts out of bed and got ready for the morning run…as we headed out the door I made the disclaimer, as I do most mornings, ‘this is going to be an easy run.’ I think both of us agreed, we put 1 mile in at a 9:40 pace.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Nice cold evening for a run but it was very good. The wind appeared to come from 3 directions!! UNBELIEVABLE!!
1.01 miles at a 8:46 pace.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

With the weather turning to winter on Saturday I thought that today was going to be a bad run. But the temperature felt good and the snow/rain had stopped.

My wife and I decided that we would go shopping and go to the YMCA afterward…I would run from YMCA home (about 5.8 miles) and we would call it a day. About the time we were going to leave…the clouds opened up and it started to rain.

I hoped that the rain would stop before we got to the Y but no luck.

I ran home in the muck…there were way too many people that have yet to shovel their sidewalks and unfortunately with the temperature most of the muck was water covered by about 1/8 of an inch of snow. By 2 miles in my shoes were drenched!!!

Other than my feet being wet and the stiff wind coming out of the west I thought the run went pretty well! Managed 6 miles at a 9:52 pace.

11/25 – 12/1 Totals

11/25 – 12/1 total miles = 30.12 miles average pace 9:52

Saturday, December 01, 2007

I needed to meet Kristen and Jodi at 5:30 am and I was running late. I ended up getting to the meeting spot at 5:40-5:45…they were still there…Damn!!! I was hoping that they had left on time and I wouldn’t have to run with them. Alas they waited for me so we got moving at about 5:45.

The reverse Culver’s Route is bad even at this time of day (if you want to call this day!!) I had to walk twice going up the hills but the girls waited for me so that I could catch up and we continued together. Once we got to the end of the Culver’s Route we continued down the road between the dump and Sam’s club. There is a nice gravel road that we followed…I’ll skip the part where we attempted to get into the park but met up with a fence…and at about 6:25 we turned around and headed back to the meeting point.

Once we met up with the rest of the group we headed south toward Kenosha. I managed to get 2 miles down the trail before I had to start walking. Carol and her 2 dogs kept me company for the final 4 miles. She kept me moving and running.

We got back to the meeting spot and I had completed 13.25 miles at a 9:51 pace…Not too bad!!!

After a bit of stretching we all went to Panera for coffee.

November Totals

11/1 – 11/30 = 92.9 miles average pace 9:35

Friday, November 30, 2007

Tomorrow I need to run long and the weather for Sunday doesn’t look to great so I decided to stick with the easy mile and call it a night.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Cold out but still needed to get some time on the feet so I ran 1 mile nothing exciting to note.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

After my commission meeting I wanted to do a little more than 1 mile but got a little lazy once I started only ended up with 1.19 miles but it was still worth going out and doing.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

We decided that we were going to the YMCA today. I haven’t been to the gym in nearly 2 months so I was dreading getting on that tread mill!! I got there before my wife and started my run. Got 2 miles completed in 19:04 with a few intervals in the process. Did weights for about 30 minutes and then called it quits for the day.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Got up early this morning and did our mile right away…which is always good since I never know what the day holds for me. I still hate morning runs but they are a fact of life! 1 mile in 9:06.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Since we are still ‘in training’ for Goofy it made sense that we run on Sunday. Andy suggested it and I suggested the location – Armstrong.

We were to meet at 6:45…I was 5 minutes late and Andy wasn’t there so I waited for another 10 minutes and headed out at 7am. I was about a mile out when I saw Andy coming.

In order to run Armstrong and get the miles in that meant doing laps…in this case 4 of them. The hills are not very tough but after doing a few it starts to wear on you. Andy had caught up with my by 2.5 miles so it was great to have company.

We put in the laps and with the stiff westerly wind made it back to the cars at Johnson Park. It was a tough run but managed to get it done. I ran 10.69 miles and did it at a 10:18 pace…not the best but not too bad either!!

11/18 – 11/24 Totals

11/18 – 11/24 total miles = 27.33 miles average pace 9:21

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Decided to get a few extra miles before meeting the group…Disney is getting close very fast!! Figured I could get 5-6 miles in before meeting everyone but my digestive system had something else to say. At about 3 miles I needed to stop and use the restroom…thankfully Pick-N-Save was open and had a bathroom.

After using the bathroom I had to try to catch up on time and make it to the group. I got there only a little late but everyone was still there. I kept a great pace but struggled toward the end. I’m getting back into the hang of running to run and walking when I need to walk. My pace was 9:40 for 11 miles which I do say is GREAT!!!

Friday, November 23, 2007

I had the day off of work but decided to wait until my wife came home before I went running. We ran 1 mile in 9:02.

Thursday, November, 22, 2007

Well today was race day. My wife and I had been watching the weather reports all week and we didn’t like the looks for the day. When we got up the snow had fallen but there wasn’t that much on the ground…only about an inch stuck to the grass. Then temp was about 30 degrees but the wind was blowing strong from the NNW.

We got down to Kenosha and picked up our registration packet then went back to the car and sat there for 10 min to stay warm. Once we headed back to the starting line we realized that the wind was picking up and that the snow had started to fly again.

The race started a few minutes late but the vocalist singing the National Anthem did a fantastic job. We headed out at a good pace…around 9:12 and did a great job sticking to that pace for most of the race. All of the way out to the turn around the wind was into our face. It was hard going but my wife was a trooper. We kept the pace nice and easy.

Before the turnaround I remembered to take off my gloves before I started to overheat. As we approached to turnaround we saw all of our other runners go by. We made the turn for home and as we headed back saw our final two running group partners.

The turn home was as bad as I thought it would be…no wind and I started to overheat a bit. We kept moving and tried to keep the pace steady I saw Andy up ahead and thought that I could catch him in the last mile so I told my wife once we hit 5 miles she would be on her own but once we got there the person calling out the time said “45:40” My wife’s goal for this race was sub 58 and I had no doubt that she was going to hit that but at this point there was the potential for a sub 56!! I decided to stick with her and do what I could to push her.

We mad the final turn west and before I could ask her to step up the pace a bit she gets hit with a side stitch!! She worked trough it like a trooper and I kept the pace up beat. I tried to keep her mind off of the pain and told here to focus on catching th woman ahead of us.

By the time we hit 6 miles the stitch went away and she was able to run fast we completed the 10k (6.2 miles) in 56:47!! I am so proud of my wife for accomplishing her goal!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Well things were just crappy all day. I thought about brining my running gear and going to the Y but decided not to…this means that I had to face the elements.

The wind was blowing strong…up to 30+ mph!!! The rain was light but with the wind it hurt!

Managed to put 1 mile in at a 8:33 pace.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Should have gotten up…
Wife should have told me what the weather was going to be…
Winter sucks…

Excuse after excuse, I’ve got’em. I never heard what the weather was going to be like today so when I didn’t wake up with me wife this morning I thought ‘oh well, I’ll just run tonight.’ Well as you all know the day was crappy. It was cold and windy with a misty rain all day and most of the night. When I got home from work I changed and went running…not after complaining and complaining…but I went.

1 mile in 8:36.

Monday, November 19, 2007

With the body still a little sore from the running this weekend I was reluctant to get up but I did. I wasn’t sure how to dress because the temp said 47 degrees but it looked cold outside. I was glad I dressed warm since the wind was whipping making me very cold!

We put in our mile at about a 9:22 pace.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Disney is fast approaching and it was decided that we really need to do back to back runs. So we decided that this week we would meet on Sunday and pound out another good distance run (about half of the previous days run.) So in stead of spending my Sunday morning doing what I love to do…sleeping in…I was up at 6 am and out the door by 6:15 to meet the group at Panera. With all of our Goofy gang there we set out to do a minimum of 6 miles. The wind was much worse than it was on Saturday meaning that it was rather cold out but we persevered! I ran with Andy the entire time and we kept a great pace…unfortunately the girls kept an even better pace and finished well ahead of us. At the end of the day I had 6.16 miles in at a 9:26 pace…I really can’t complain.

11/11 – 11/17 Totals

11/11 – 11/17 total miles = 19.79 miles average pace 9:38

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Got up early so I could put in a few extra miles in preparation for Goofy. Ran with Kristen who kept me moving! Once we were back with the rest of the group I decided to run with Jeff to catch up on things. Jeff hasn’t run with the group for a while so his pace was a little erratic. No problem…I can cope. Managed to put in 10.99 miles and kept a decent pace for the 5.25 miles but lagged a little on the last few. Winter is definitely coming because I can feel the chill in the air and boy was that wind blowing off the lake!!!

Friday, November 16, 2007

We ran this evening and only did a single mile…we tried to take it easy but still managed to put in a 9:19 pace.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Didn’t want to get up this morning but by the time I got home tonight it was already 8:30!! I had to get my mile in so I got ready…didn’t put on enough layers…and got out there for my run. Decided to just do the mile since it was cold and late and as I started going the cold got to me so I moved faster and faster. Soon I was forcing myself to slow down because I didn’t think my lungs were going to continue taking in the cold air. Finished my mile run in 7:56!!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

With my wife going to here trainer this evening I knew I wouldn’t have to get up and run in the morning…thank god!! So after work (and shopping…had to get a few new work shirts) I got ready and headed out for my run.

I has gotten colder so I dressed for the weather but didn’t realize just how warm my running cap was until I was a mile in. By this point I was sweating even while my hands were still cold. I took off the cap and felt much better.

Ended my run with 2.77 miles and a pace of 9:08. I really need to keep things moving so that Disney will be a cinch!!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Still having a difficult time trying to get up in the morning but I got up anyway and with my wife by my side we started running at 6:40. Once I was outside and the cold wind hit me I woke up quite a bit. My legs were feeling good…at the beginning and I decided that I would do 2 miles. The wife wasn’t so sure about it but she knew that she really needed to do the mileage. She decided at the last minute that if I was doing the 2 she was doing the 2.

By the time we hit 1.25 my legs started to lock up. My calves felt like pieces of timber but we were still moving at a decent clip. We pushed through the difficulties and managed to put down a good time. 2 miles at a 8:56 pace isn’t all that bad!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Got up early this morning…didn’t sleep well and I’m not sure why. Finally got out of bed at 6:25 and we were running by 6:40. We just did the mile with the last stretch right into the westerly wind.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Well after sleeping in till 9:30 I wasn’t really in the mood to go for a run this morning. We waited until this evening and went for a mile run. Weather was great…50 degrees and with a light wind out of the west.

11/4 – 11/10 Totals

11/4 – 11/10 total miles = 20.37 miles average pace 9:21

Saturday, November 10, 2007

We met the running group at Parkside at 7 am today. A rather small group but we were not surprised since this is the cross country course. Set out on a rather brisk pace with Ken. I was able to maintain my pace with him for the first 5k but had to take a breather at that point…just moving too fast. I resumed my run and tried to catch up to him but by the time we got to the large hill I just let him go. I continued to move and hoped that I’d catch him at some point and every now and then I would see a chance but could never capitalize on it.

I managed to complete the 10k (6.2 miles) in 58:30 which is about a 9:26 pace.

Take 2

After spending 19 hours on an airplane and then another hour and a half in a car I needed to get in another mile run to make up for the lost day 4 weeks ago. My wife and I ran the neighborhood route completing 1 mile in just under 9 minutes.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Well I thought that yesterday was going to be my final day in Australia but it looks like I’m here for another morning run. You see my flight yesterday afternoon was canceled due to mechanical difficulty and they put me up in a hotel just down the road.

Woke up this morning to more rain but decided that I had to get the run in just to be on the safe side. Ran a nice mile around the nearby park in 9 minutes.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

My last day in Australia and I wake up to the sound of rain pounding on my hotel window…not a good sign. I waited about 15 minutes in hopes that the rain would lighten up a bit but there was not a hint of that occurring.

I go down the stairs of the hotel and out the back door and start my GPS…I have to stand in the rain until it catches a signal then I can start running. I run 1 mile at an 8:21 pace and by the time I am done I am drenched!!! Since I am wet I decide I might as well stretch out here in the rain. I finish my stretching and head on in to get cleaned up for the day.

By the time I head to work the rain is down to a sprinkle…damn, just my luck.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

After going out with our auditees last night and getting back to the hotel around 11pm I thought that getting up this morning was not going to happen but I was up and ready to run by 5:55.

I stepped outside and noticed that it had rained again and it was cold…okay not like home cold but cold enough that I should have put my long sleeve shirt on.

Started running and felt pretty good. Had a nice easy pace going so I put down , pace was 10:08.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Up this morning at 5:45. The Indian food last night didn’t have much effect on my system, thank god! Decided that I wanted to run more than 1 mile but didn’t know where to run, so I just started running. I ended up running 1.64 miles at an 8:56 pace. Would have liked to go more but just wasn’t feeling it 100% this morning

Monday, November 05, 2007

Got up with the alarm today and got ready to run. I was still feeling a bit drained from yesterday’s run so I decided that a mile is more than enough. Once again the sky is cloudy and it is a tad on the chilly side but once I start running the chill went away.

Ran my 1 mile in 8:46.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

What a difference a day makes!

When I woke up this morning it was just pouring and I assumed it was going to be a repeat of yesterday. Well I decided that I didn’t want to run in the rain so I took my time and had breakfast. By the time I was done 8:45 the sun was already coming out and it looked like it was going to be a great day!

At about 4pm I got a call from one of the auditors and we made plans to head to dinner at 7pm…PERFECT! Just enough time for me to get in a run before dinner and still clean up.

With the sun staring to head for the horizon and the weather being rather nice (65 degrees and a moderate to stiff 15mph wind) I thought I might get a few extra miles in. I felt really good and had to keep checking my pace so I didn’t go too fast.

I managed to put in 5.70 miles and did so at a 9:27 pace.

10/28 – 11/3 Totals

10/28 – 11/3 total miles = 18.6 miles

Saturday, November 3, 2007

It is my last weekend in Australia and I have been working hard the last 3 weeks so I decided to sleep in a bit and go running at a more reasonable hour. Well 7:30 is better than 6 am!!

It started to rain last night and the prediction is for rain most of the day so I head out knowing full well that I will get wet and there is little I can do about it.

My route was to take me away from the hotel and into a very heavy industrial area before crossing the river. When I say heavy industrial I mean HEAVY industrial…I’m talking oil refinery and metal scrapping!!! The place stunk to high heaven!! When I got to the area that was supposed to have the bridge I noticed that there appeared to be some work at the top of the steps. Once I got to the foot of the steps I see that the pedestrian bridge is out…well there goes that route. There isn’t another bridge to cross the river in miles.

So I head back the way I came and decided to see how lost I can get…just joking I have a great sense of direction and it was easy to find a new route back to the hotel.

I had noticed that about every 15 minutes or so that the rain would pick up and by the time I had hit 4 miles it was a steady downpour. I ended up just calling it a day with 7 miles, it wasn’t as many as I was hoping and it was definitely slower than I expected (10:23 pace) but it’s done.

Friday, November 02, 2007

It was hard to get up this morning since my room was very dark. It appeared to have rained last night and there were still quite a few clouds so the bleak atmosphere nearly made me crawl back into bed but I figured that it might rain more so I better get going while I have the chance.

Decided to mix my directions up a bit…getting tired of the same hills every day…so a new route but the same sights. Managed to put in 1.55 miles and maintained a nice even pace of 9:10.

Glad I ran this morning…it is 10:30 am right now and there is one heck of a storm going over!!! Sometimes getting up is worth it…I really didn’t just say that did I?

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Wow its November already.

I can remember not that long ago looking at my wife and saying that I had to change my running habit. I decided at that point (June 30th) that I would run a minimum of 1 mile every day. I mean there really is no excuse for not doing this…its all of 15-20 minutes of my day?!?!

Well even being here in Australia has not stopped the streak. This morning I woke up and decided that I was only going to do 1 mile; so that is what I did. 1 mile in 8:12.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Slightly overcast sky and daylight savings has made the morning a little later than I expected. I got up and did my usual bathroom ritual…hoping that there will not be any repeat of yesterday’s debacle.

Started out rather strong and felt really good. There was a light breeze that kept me cool as I ran to Parramatta Park. Once in the park I decided that I would run to the little dam and cross there to head back to the hotel.

I neared the dam and suddenly I was having a flashback to yesterday…I began to cramp up and I did not think there was a way for me to make it to the hotel without messing myself. Luckily the park, unlike the city, had a public bathroom near the dam. I stopped the watch and took care of business.

With that out of the way I headed on across the dam and toward the hotel. Finished my 3.1 mile run with a 8:56 pace.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I should have figured that today was going to be bad when I spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom this morning. With that over I thought I’d be alright…how wrong was I?!?!

I had planned on a 2 mile run but about .7 miles out my intestines said it was over. Now I’m running in a downtown area that does not have much for public restrooms during peak hours much less anything being open at 6 am!

With a hell of a pain in my gut and a lot of clenching (I’m sure you can figure out the issue) I barely made it back to the hotel at a snails pace. The pounding of the run made things worse so I was in between a jog and a fast walk.

Ended the day with 1.3 miles at a 12:30 pace…OUCH!

FYI: I made it to the bathroom without a second to spare!

Monday, October 29, 2007

This morning was very difficult to get up. With daylight savings time starting here it was still rather “dark out” compared to what I have been getting up to. But I managed to drag myself out of bed and into my running clothes.

I ran just 1 mile and felt much better afterward…to bad it hasn’t carried for long…it is just 2 hours later and I’m ready to go back to bed!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Daylight savings time here so I lost an hour of sleep…I don’t like losing sleep!

I decided to stay in today and focus on my studying. I got a chance to talk to my wife today as well…it is so good to hear her voice, I really miss her.

Anyway I didn’t get to running until nearly 8 PM tonight but I did end up with 3.6 miles at a 10:05 pace.

10/21 – 10/27 Totals

10/21 – 10/27 total miles = 16.9 miles and one hell of a hike in the Blue Mountains…that was about an additional 8-9 miles!!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

There are two things I knew when I woke up this morning: 1 – I’m supposed to run 14 miles this weekend. 2 – I’m taking my auditors to the Blue Mountains to go hiking today and I don’t think I can do both 1 and 2!!

So with the impending hike today I opted to run just a simple 10k. I’ve really noticed how much better I run…consistency wise…when I run with people. my pace was all over the place but in the end I finished the 6.2 miles with a 10 + min pace.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Felt I was getting rather lazy in my pace so I decided to just run the mile today. It could also have to do with me staying up late to watch a TV show and that it was still raining or that I am planning on either a long run or hike tomorrow…

Ran 1 mile at a brisk 8:15 pace.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Last night I had a feeling that this morning wasn’t going to be great. It had started sprinkling on the way from work to the hotel. After dinner it was pouring.

This morning when I awoke the sky wasn’t visible and it was sprinkling. I decided that I still had to run a minimum of 2 miles but really didn’t feel like it. Took my time…kind of had to since there are many sidewalks in Parramatta that are tile and when it rains boy are they slippery!!!

Managed to put in 2.6 miles…time was horrible so I’m not sharing.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

I got up this morning only because the alarm went off. I spent too much time last night working on a work project.

I really did not want to run this morning but could not figure out when I would run tonight so I got moving. I decided that I would take things rather easy and it worked by half way through the run I was feeling much better.

Total for today was 1.37 miles at a 9:37 pace.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

This morning I was not up as quickly as I have been in the past week but when the alarm went off at 5:30 I did get out of bed.

By 5:50 I was out running. In my head I was having a heck of a debate. One side wanted to go for 1 mile and call it a day. Another side wanted to actually do a long run…what ever that meant. Then there was the body saying why don’t we just see how things turn out.

I felt okay but I’m noticing that my pace is starting to fluctuate quite a bit. I’ll have to buckle down and start focusing on a more even pace throughout my run.

In the end I finished my morning run in just under 31 minutes and completed 3.2 miles.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Back to normal.

I woke up this morning at 5AM and decided to wait until the alarm rang. Since I ran last night I wasn’t completely up for this. I managed to drag my but out of the door, even while there was American football on TV, LIVE none the less!!!

Got in a quick 1.2 miles and then was back in my room watching the next football game…oh and getting ready for work!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

I just didn’t want to get out of bed this morning so I didn’t but by the time I was ready to go running it was already too hot. So I opted to wait until evening.

After dinner I waited about 2 hours and set out on a nice easy run. I ended up hitting a few spots were I just couldn’t run slowly. But in the end it looks like I was able to keep a relatively moderate pace. Completed 1.4 miles at a 9:37 pace.

10/14 – 10/20 Totals

10/7 – 10/20 total miles = 15.8 miles and a lot of additional walking around Australia

Sydney

I went for a walk in Sydney today and managed to get nearly the whole city in!!

Here is the link to the map: My Sydney Walkabout

Saturday, October 20, 2007

I got up relatively early this morning and decided to milk it a little. Ended up rolling out of bed around 6AM and got running at around 6:15.

I knew that I wanted (needed) to run a little longer but was unsure as to how long I’d really go. I started running south away from my hotel and toward a paved bike trail I saw there the other day. Picked up the trail and followed it under the motorway and then along a parkway next to the motorway. That lasted all of .5 miles at which time I had to choose between going back under the motorway and continuing into a neighborhood to the south.

Since I was unsure where I’d have the opportunity to cross the motorway again I opted to go under. Once on the other side I face a rather large hill I trudge most of the way up in and begin walking…not very fun but needed. I continue running once the ground levels off. I make my way another mile or so when another rather large hill presents itself. I muster my way up this one and was grateful to be stopped at the cross walk.

Once I’ve crossed the street it is down hill to the park. This is the same park I spoke of a few days ago; the one that I didn’t know was here. Well today I decide that I will run the whole park. Very beautiful and about a 2 mile loop!! On the backside of the park there was at least 5 trees full of large bats all making a heck of a racket for this time in the morning.

Once I exited the park I continued up toward a nice peaceful neighborhood in north Parramatta and started my way back. I was starting to realize that I have not been drinking as much water as I usually do…the water isn’t bad here I just haven’t been drinking it.

I got back to the hotel and found that I had run 6.2 miles (10k) and did it at a much slower pace than last week…10:17.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Good morning from Australia! I was up, again, at 5 AM and beginning to wonder if I’ll ever get to sleep in while I’m here.

Since I was up I hit the road at 5:30. Yesterday I had hoped to get out and do another mile or so in the evening since I was short on time in the morning but that never happened so this morning I decided that I’d have to do 3 miles.

I had heard that there was a huge park in Parramatta but I never got to it last time I was here so I ran to it this morning…it is so near to the hotel and the apartment from last time I don’t know how I missed it.

The park is gorgeous so I’m going to have to spend a little more time running through here on the weekend.

My total run was exactly 3 miles and kept a pace of 9:00.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Since I had to be up early to day for a meeting I thought that it might be better if I did a little less this morning and try to run more this evening. So I set out from the hotel at5:30 and tried to find a new route around the area. I headed down through a quite neighborhood and only found the garbage man out collecting the trash. At the end of the street there was a great bike trial…not sure how far it goes but I know were me weekend run will go!

It is still cooler here than I expected in the morning but it is bearable. 1.1 miles in 9:57.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Up at 5:30 AM this morning and noticed that it was slightly cloudy. When I looked out the hotel window I noticed that it had rained recently. I got ready for my run and when I stepped outside I noticed how much cooler it was and how fresh the air smelled…I just lover running just after a rain!

Hit the streets trying to keep my pace in check this morning and did a rather decent job (9:36 pace.) I managed to get 2.5 miles in before returning to the hotel. Parramatta is a beautiful area and running along the river is particularly nice.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Got a great night sleep and woke up early this morning so I knew that I had to go for a run. Not sure as to where to go I just headed east and turned around after a mile. What a beautiful day in Parramatta!!

I got 2 miles in under 18 minutes (8:57 pace!!)

Monday, October 15, 2007

After a very long flight from the states I made my entire audit group go straight into the office and work a partial day and I was getting antsy. Mind you I was getting tired too but I needed to run.

We headed off to dinner and walked back to the hotel once back in the hotel I changed and went out for a run. Too much food made for a very uncomfortable run but I managed to get 1 mile in 8:22.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

I was in a plane heading to Australia so this day never existed for me.

10/7 - 10/13 Totals

10/7 - 10/13 total miles = 30ish (not completely sure how to count the marathon)

Saturday, October 13, 2007

I decided this week that I would start to run at the head of the pack of the Saturday Morning Running Club and boy did that kick my ass!

My wife has been running with a relatively new member, Ken, and he has been keeping her pace up there, so I decided to run with Ken, Kristin, and my wife. For the first 2 miles we maintained around an 8:30 pace. Now I can handle that for that distance but knowing that I still wanted to do 4 more this was going to be a problem.

My wife was at a conference the latter part of the week so she was feeling very lethargic and decided that 4 for the day was going to be enough so she turned at this point. I continued on and had to play a little catch up with Ken and Kristin. They pulled my along. Kristin was having foot problems so she peeled off with about 1.25 to go, Ken headed home at about 1 to go, so I was one my own to the end. I managed to keep my pace and finish 6 miles in 53 minutes and change.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Wife came home today from her conference and we headed out for a nice 1 mile run. Nothing hard or fancy. Completed the mile in around 9 min pace.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Without the wife around I slept in and didn't get up to go running which means that when I got home from work I not only had to cut the grass but get out for my daily run.

By 7Pm I was done with the yard work and ready to go for a run but boy had the weather turned cold and windy! Still wearing shorts but the t-shirt has been replaced with a long sleeved-tee I hit the road.

Wasn't sure how long I really wanted to go but knew that I needed to put 2 miles in so that is what I ended up doing: 2 miles. Pace is still an issue with me since I managed to have an average pace of 8:36! Either I run too slow when I do the longer distances or I'm running too fast at the shorter distance. I'll figure it out one day.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

What a difference a few days make!! I woke up this morning to 40 degrees…it was only Sunday when the Chicago Marathon got called off due to excessive heat.

Well we got up this morning and did our 1 mile run in 9:05. Not too bad considering the wind was blowing full force.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

This morning I was feeling pretty good so I thought that I’d start on my extra distance today. Instead of doing 1 mile each day I’m going to try to do a minimum of 2 miles a day.

It was much cooler today that it has been for the last few so I knew this was the right day to start things. The pace I chose was a little harder than I thought I could handle for 2 miles but I was wrong, since I did the second mile faster than the first!

Finished 2 miles at a 8:39 pace. Great way to start the day!

Monday, October 8, 2007

Well the day after the marathon and I’m feeling pretty good the only issue is that it is still hot and muggy outside. We decided on running after work so that I could recover a little more. It was nice and humid when we started and we took out time. 1 mile easy as that.

Chicago Marathon – My first DNF

How is that for an opening to a race report?

I was ready. I had put the training in and made the necessary modifications to my process. I knew that I’d be able to finish this race as easily as any of the others.

The weather reports all week were calling for high temps for Sunday. They were predicting 85 degrees with high humidity. I just kept my eye on that storm hoping that we’d get rained on. But when we woke up Sunday morning, at 4 AM mind you, it was already 75 degrees. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

I kept a positive outlook. I knew what I needed to do to keep me moving and I planned to just stay with my pace group and know that in the end I will be happy that I did the race. The high temps meant that I would need to drink a little more and to be sure that I kept my self cool.

At 8 AM we were off. It took me 16 ½ minutes to reach the starting line but once I did it was pretty easy running. I took my time and maintained my pace. By mile 2 I was starting to heat up a bit so I eased off and continued to run. I started pouring water over my head to stay cool.

I arrived at the first aid station to find that it had already been abandoned and no water or Gatorade was available. I didn’t panic because I was carrying my water bottle that was still half full.

I trudged along and by mile 4 I was completely drained. I was overheating and the water wasn’t enough. I was lucky enough to find a restroom by mile 5 because I wasn’t feeling very well.

Once things had passed I got back out there and found that we were being told that there was no water at the next aid station. Thank god this was incorrect! The aid station was still operating but it appeared that they were unprepared for the onslaught that fell upon them. The volunteers tried their hardest to accommodate everyone and I was thankful to have some Gatorade and a full water bottle.

At mile six I took some much needed gel to try to recoup some of my lost energy but it was no use. I took off my hat in hopes that it was holding in the heat and making me feel much hotter than I really was but it was not the case. The sun was just cooking me and I was not handling it very well.

I drenched my hat when I could and took in as much fluid as I thought I could handle but I realized that this was not going to be my day.

I saw more and more runners around me starting to walk and I knew that this was not a good sign.

At mile 11 I decided that when I saw my wife at 13.1 I was going to make the decision to drop out. I just could not take this abuse any longer and did not feel that it was worth hurting myself to try to complete this marathon.

When I saw my wife I began to cry knowing that for the first time I was not going to complete a marathon. She calmed me down and told me to take a break. I rest at the side of the road in the shade for a minute. She gave me some beans and told me that I was not going to drop just yet that I could walk some more and that she would accompany me for a little while.

I crossed the half-way point at 3:25 (3:07 chip time or 11:25 AM) and we continued to walk. My wife kept me moving and feeding me the beans when we got to the aid station near mile 14 it was closed, no water and no Gatorade but we were told there was some water about 3 blocks away. My wife said sorry but I have to do this and tasted my sweat (before becoming a runner I don’t think she would have ever done that) and said there is no salt…you need some electrolytes now!

She saw a convenience store about a block away and said that she would go get some if I wanted, I told her yes! When I approached the store the firefighters had opened up they hydrant and they were giving water out to the runners directly from the tap. I once again filled my bottle and kept moving.

My wife caught up with me about a half mile down the road. She reported that the store was full of runners doing the same thing she was doing for me. I opened up the bottle and started drinking like there was no tomorrow. I had to stop myself before I got cramps.

About a mile later I had finished the bottle of Gatorade and was starting to feel like myself again. I decided that she was right I could finish this race even if it meant walking the rest of the way.

All of the sudden we saw a bunch of people coming up the side streets. These we fellow runners that had been diverted and we were being told by police and medics that the race had been cancelled.

Well I thought that I might have enough in me to finish and said that I would continue anyway but that option was taken away from me as we approached the turn to mile 17. At this point the road was barricaded with a 4 foot high gate and police standing there telling everyone that we were to walk back to Grant Park. Anyone that was running was told, rather sternly, to stop running, the race was over, and that we were to walk to Grant Park.

I had no options. The race was over for me and my fellow runners.

The view ahead of me was quite wondrous seeing thousands of people walking down the streets and all of the fire hydrants open on both sides of the road spraying large arcs of water across the street.

I have some very mixed feelings about this race. I received a medal even though I did not complete the whole course; that is just wrong. According to the website and comments made by the RD “all runners that made it past the halfway point before noon were allowed to finish”…I beg to differ, if you look at my time on the website I past the 15 mile mark around noon and was not allowed to finish.

But what if they had let me finish? This race is not considered official unless you came in ahead of them canceling the race, around 4 hours, so I would still not have been able to count this race.

It was a memorable experience to say the least. I am not proud that I wanted to quit but I am glad that the race officials had enough common sense to see that this race was no longer safe for the participants and called the race over.

The Chicago Marathon was unique. I still have to get Illinois but I just might look at one of the smaller races and hope for cooler weather.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

We step out of the car this morning and I start getting the third degree from the group that is there. They all want to know what I’m doing here and how far do I think I’m going to go. I reassure them all that I’m here only to do a mile or 2 and that I plan on taking everything very slowly.

Completed 2 miles in 21 minutes. I think that qualifies as an easy day.