Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tonight since the wife was at her trainer I decided to do an extra mile in the snow. I enjoyed the lightly falling snow but the wind has got to go! 2 miles in 19:33 or a 9:45 pace

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Was a little later at night but I still needed to get the mile in so I went out in the snow while the wife stayed on the treadmill. 1 mile in 8:22

Monday, January 21, 2008

Still really cold but I am still going out to run. I’ve decided to start wearing the heart rate monitor due to some pain in the chest when I initially start so I’m wearing the monitor just to be sure there are no issues. 1 mile in 9:46

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Too cold to go outside again so we opted for the YMCA. I hate the treadmill but between that and the cold...I'm still not sure!

Did 2.16 miles in 20 minutes.

Weekly Totals

1/13 – 1/19 total miles = 36.53 miles average pace of 11:49

Jan total miles = 75.19 miles average pace of 10:48

2008 total miles = 75.19 miles average pace of 10:48

Saturday, January 19, 2008

It was so nice to only have to get up at 6 AM on Saturday. I'll have to start my training runs soon enough but with it being as cold as it was (-5) without a wind chill I am dreading the early morning runs.


There were 13 of us brave (or dumb) enough to endure the -15 degree windchill and stil manage to put 4.9 miles on the feet!! We all went out to coffee and David regaled us with his trip to Phoenix and we told the Goofy stories all over hot coffee!!!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Starting to get cold but the miles still are coming easily. 1 mile in 8:31

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Must be feeling better because I am trucking along with little ill effects from the races this weekend. 1 mile in 8:42

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Back home in Wisconsin at the weather wasn’t too bad but it was worse than Florida!!

We did the same old route 1 mile in 8:50

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Last day in Florida and I’m still recovering but we still had to do the mile. I was able to run pretty well without too much pain. 1 mile in 9:09

Monday, January 14, 2008

I got to sleep in today but it was still hard to get the old legs moving. I thought that I was trying to lift two cars!!! But once I got moving I was able to move easier. 1 mile in 10:07

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Goofy Challenge, Part 2

So last night I was in bed by 7:00 PM…and asleep by 7:30 just so I could be functional at 3:00 AM. When the alarms went off I was up and getting ready.

Day 2 and I still hate this early morning c&@%!! Again I set everything out the night before so that I would easily be able to get ready and not have to worry about anything other than the race. After yesterday’s race I suffered from a bit of chafing so thankfully Kristin and Rich were able to spare some Vaseline so I could lube up the legs this morning before the run.

Met everyone for the bus this morning and we were all accounted for before the bus took off. One less thing to worry about today, hurray!

We got the bus drop off just as we did yesterday and made the long walk to the runner’s area. Today we quickly dispatched our bags and visited the porta-potties. Then we waited.

Last night it rained so the ground was wet and the humidity was at 100%...I was only hoping that it would rain during the race to cool things off but I wasn’t going to be that lucky.

Once they announced that we were ready to start walking to the starting area we all needed to use the restroom again! Ultimately I ended up using another bush but this time it was before the race started so I didn’t have to suffer losing any time.

The starting area was just as packed as it was yesterday. Thousands of people milling around with nervous energy just waiting for the day to be done and I was right there with them. I just wanted the day to be over and this whole event to be behind me. I trained really well for this day and I knew that I would easily be able to finish but I was equally hoping that I would have a great time.

As we got into our respective corrals I realized once again that I was way too close to the starting line. I kept wondering; what did I put down as my finishing time because I didn’t think I should be this close to the start line! It was a heck of a view though. The big screen was pumping out the tunes and videos while I could see all the action on the main stage as well. At one point during a video I noticed that the camera was on a person with Tiger ears and that the person next to the Tiger ears was wearing bright yellow…oh wait “that’s us!” We all turned as waved to the camera…how fun was that!?!



Just like the day before the wheel chair racers took off 2 minutes before us and then our count down began. I thought we had some cool fireworks the day before but todays were even better! When the gun went off and the big fireworks were launched, the Starting Line Sign began to shoot fire from 4 flame throwers atop the sign!! They would alternate which ones would fire but the heat could be felt from them over 10 yards away! It was a very cool way to start off the race.

The corrals were broken into 2 groups that would not meet up until after we exited Epcot so I settled into a good pace and found a decent clearing and made a line. I thought that if I was able to maintain a similar pace as I had yesterday I would be in great shape but the humidity at 6:00 AM was still too high so I began to slow the pace slightly.

We entered Epcot from the front. The side walk outside of Innovations was sparkling…way too cool. They had all kinds of colored spotlights scanning the slightly hazy sky which took on a very surreal effect. I was amazed to see all of the employees out waving to us as we passed. I kept thinking “isn’t it too early for these people to be here?” Maybe it was because of us but that thought never crossed my mind at the time.

Upon exiting Epcot we began making the same long trek to the Magic Kingdom that we did the day before. Luckily there was some new music to listen to but the same old roads.

Upon making the big turn toward the Magic Kingdom I took my first Hammer Gel. It was going to be a hot humid day so taking in the calories was going to be a high priority for me and at 6 miles things were still looking pretty good.

The water stops were fantastic, the volunteers were great, helpful, and plentiful, and the music was nearly non-stop. I was happy to see the steel drum band again…the music just reminds me of a tropical paradise…even though I’ve never seen them when we have been in a tropical region…strange.

As I approached Magic Kingdom and the “musical” choice portion of the race I had to make a mandatory stop…the gel went right through me…or maybe it was the banana…either way the stop was made and it took 10 minutes longer than I had hoped at this point in the race. The musical choice today was not the same as it was yesterday so I had to make a quick course correction because I was headed to the “Disco” today only to find out it had been changed to “County” I opted in stead to do the “short route” again and listen to “80’s music.”

The Magic Kingdom was a bit busier this morning since we were about an hour later than the day before and was much more colorful in the daylight! The course though the Kingdom was the same and I at least have one photo with the Castle this time, so I’m happy.

The road out of the Magic Kingdom marked the 12 mile mark and time for another Hammer Gel. This one didn’t go down as nicely and made me gag a little…I drank a bit more water than I wanted too so I was a little sloshy for the next mile. As we made our way past the golf course again I thought that it was odd that now for the second day there was no one to be seen on the course…I wonder why? It looks beautiful, the weather was spectacular, and so it must be the greens fees!! Oh well back to the race.

As I hit the half way point the 5 hour pace group passes me…a little depressing so I try to stay with them and manage to for the next mile but soon I drift off to the back never to see them again.

The road we are heading down looks like it is not for general traffic but they have speakers all along the road with tunes just pumping out of them. The CD that was playing was a “best of” pick a year. So in the next 2 miles or so I was able to hear music from 1995 through 2007! It was quite a treat. It would only play about 20-40 seconds of a song and then move on to another from the same year. I was in short attention span heaven.

When we got close to Animal Kingdom we went past the facility they use to dispose of the animal waste…yes it smelled as good as it sounds! That is one place I would not like to go back to, but it really wasn’t any worse than going by the treatment plant on the south side of Racine during the summer.

Upon entering the employee area of Animal Kingdom we were greeted by a few of the employees and their animals…All I saw was a few goats but I had heard that there was a bird or two with a trainer, I just never saw that. There were drums being played when we got to the main park. I’ll be honest when my wife and I went back the next day I remember being there but I really didn’t look around too much while running though here. I do remember Everest though…I think they did a really good job making that thing look like a real mountain and I was a little awe struck by it.

We exited the park the same type of way we had for all the others, though an employee area, but what I wasn’t expecting was to end up in the parking lot of the park! These parking lots are huge!! We ran around the edge of the lot and the route took us right past the front gate where there were thousands of people trying to get in the park and there to cheer us on. It was quite a scene!

From here we made our way out to the highway where in a few miles I would get to see my wife at around mile 19. She was waiting there with Melissa’s husband. She said I was looking good…she said it as though she was surprised, hmm…and asked if I wanted my fresh socks. Considering my socks had not been dry since mile 3 I said yes. A quick change, a thank you, a kiss, and I told her I’d see her at the finish line.

After another few miles of highway we made our way toward the next park, Hollywood Disney. The highway leading to this park was all backed up due to the roads being closed for us runners…I’m sure I heard a few choice words from those cars.

Hollywood Disney seemed very short. We got into the employee area and went through a candy stop….mmmm, chocolate…made our way past the costume making area, out onto the Downtown street, out to Mickey’s Sorcerers Hat and out the front gate. Maybe it was because there were so many people in the park that things just went by so fast but wow!

I knew at this point I was in the final stretch. All that was left was a run around one of the Disney resort areas and on to Epcot. The Boardwalk around the resorts was gorgeous. I felt like I was just out for my Saturday run along the lake. The trail was clear of everything but runners the breeze was nice in this area, and the view of all of the resorts was beautiful. I think there were a few people confused as to what was really going on because you saw them looking at the pylons and looking at the runners very oddly.

When I heard “Last Water Stop” my heart jumped. This was it I was about to complete this journey and people would really be able to call me “Goofy.” Just past the water stop we go through this huge wooden gate and there is the Epcot. What a sight…all the countries right before me and I know that that shinning ball is right near the finish line.

It was a bit more of a struggle here than I would have thought. There weren’t as many people in the park and that ball seemed much farther away than I first hoped. I plodded on. People were becoming more plentiful the closer I got to the front of the park…this propelled me. Once we were in front of the ball we headed right for it. This part was the same as the day before…run to the ball and exit through the employee area where we would see the choir...but today there were a lot more people I had to run. I ran until I got into the employee area where I walked a little…I noticed that I wasn’t the only person to do this so I had a little laugh. The choir was different but still very good!

Exit Epcot and enter the final 100 yards. The stands were overflowing today. There were people everywhere. I was focused on that clock and the finish line. This was it. I was about to complete a marathon the day after completing a half marathon.

I pushed my legs and we ran those last 100 yards. I gave a high five to a Chipmunk…you will have to ask my wife if it was Chip or Dale because I still don’t remember which is which but mine had a black nose…and got across the line in 5:37.

The marathon medal was a secret since this was the marathon’s 15th anniversary so I was happy to see that the medal was big and truly identifiable! I headed to the Goofy tent to get what I had trained for…my Goofy Medal. I was not disappointed.

I completed the 13.1 mile course in 2:17 on Saturday.

I completed the 26.2 mile course in 5:37 on Sunday.

I did it.

I’m done.

I’m a “Goofy.”

Weekly Totals

1/6 – 1/12 total miles = 20.35 miles average pace of 9:55

Jan total miles = 38.66 miles average pace of 9:51

2008 total miles = 38.66 miles average pace of 9:51

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Goofy Challenge, Part 1

This whole idea came up over a year ago when I heard about the Goofy Challenge. I needed to get a Florida marathon still and I had heard from a couple of people in our running group that the Disney World Marathon was a blast. Upon doing the research for the race I found out that they hold the Half on Saturday and the Whole on Sunday and that the Goofy “Race and a Half” Challenge was to complete them both, so I thought that I would try it…I recruited a few of my fellow runners…although their story sounds a lot like I really pressured them but in the end we all signed up for the event.

I really hate getting up early in the morning and for both the half and the full it was required that we be on a bus no later than 4 AM. This meant that I was up and getting ready by 2:55 AM on Saturday morning…this was nuts!!

Thankfully we had prepared a lot the night before so I had everything laid out that I needed. The resort we were staying at (Disney’s All Star Movies) had prepared runners boxes that we purchased the night before so that I would have a good breakfast before the run. I donned my shorts, socks, shoes and shirt. I ate my banana and bagel and washed it down with half a Powerade. Grabbed my water, granola bar, and drop bag, kissed my wife good bye and headed out to meet the group.

My wife and I had talked at length about how we were going to handle this race and we decided that there was really no place for her to meet me along the course so I would just catch up with her when everything was done and over.

We planned to meet in the lobby of our hotel at 3:30 and get on the 3:45 bus, but at 3:40 we were missing one…Kristen, Rich, Bill, Andy, Melissa…’where is Jodi?’ Kristen called Jodi’s husband who said that he dropped her off at 3:15. We were perplexed but we got on the 3:45 bus and decided to look for her at the bag drop.

The bus ride was rather quite and only half full. The bus took us straight to the drop off area at Epcot. There were so many lights that it was nearly daylight. Like sheep, or moths to a flame, all of us on the bus, as well as all the other buses walked toward the light and the runner’s area.

As we entered into the runners area we started to realize that finding Jodi in this mass of people was going to be an achievement and virtually impossible!! We slowly started to walk to the bag drop area and we all kept a close eye out for our friend in hope of catching her. We got all the way down to the end and realized that this might take quite a while. We devised a plan…we would walk back toward the front gate one last time and them make our way back to drop our bags.

We slowly walked and as we approached the gate I hear “BILL!!!” I look toward the yell and there was Jodi…she looked like she was about to cry. I called the rest of the group over and we found out that her husband had indeed dropped her off at 3:15 but at the All Star MUSIC resort. By the time she realized the error she figured we would have already headed to the start and she had hoped that she would find us. Thankfully I always try to wear a bright shirt and she said it made it easy to spot me.

With all of us together we headed to the bag drop and the restroom. The first was rather quick the second not so much so. The line for the porta-potty was huge…but I stuck my head through the other side of the bag drop tent and noticed that the ‘runner’s area’ had nearly 4 times as many porta-potties as the meeting side. I did my business without having to wait in line and then headed back to the group…all of them were waiting in this line that looked like it would take hours to go through so I told them about the other side and they all took off!

After a little time of lingering around the bag drop area we started following the crowd to the starting line. What a walk?!?! It literally took us a good 15-20 minutes of walking to get to the starting area. We of course stopped again to use the rest room but quickly moved along and found our respective corrals.

Rich and Andy were a few corrals back and I was somehow in the same corral with Kristen and Jodi…I kept thinking that there must have been some mistake but there wasn’t. Melissa dropped back a corral to start with us.

The action at the starting line was amazing. They had a huge screen so that everyone could see what was going on stage. They had tons of music with video to keep us entertained while we waited for the gun. As the start time approached Mickey, Minney, Donald, and Goofy got on stage and with a 10 second count down we saw the wheelchair racers head off. 2 minutes later we were doing our 10 second count down…this one came with bursts of fireworks with each number and a big burst of color for the ‘GO!’

We wished each other well and headed off into the darkness that was the early morning of January 12th. I really had to go to the bathroom again and decided I would stop at the first porta-potty but it looks like 100’s of runners had the same idea so I waited until I was a mile down the road and I ducked off the road and head for the trees. I wasn’t the only one here either.

I quickly took care of business and headed back for the road only to find a number of not so kind runners just feet off the road doing what I was doing in the trees…I had to be fleet of foot and watch where I was heading otherwise I might have ended up with a wet leg!

Back on the road I was greeted with the sounds of a huge marching band. I was happy to hear the up beat music and it kept me moving. The music on the course was fantastic. We had marching bands, DJ’s, a steel drum band, the music of Disney, and a choir! I was very happy to have the distractions when they came and the tempo was great.

If I have one complaint about either race it would be the condition of the roads. This is a flat race for the most part but there are areas especially on the on and off ramps to the highways that could use some help…there are pot holes but the biggest issue for me was that that road was not level. It slopped sometimes as much as 20 degrees and caused me a bit of discomfort.

On the main highway to the Magic Kingdom I passed Melissa and Jodi when they stopped to use the rest room. I was happy to see that I was not that far behind them and that I was feeling really good. I continued on. When we neared the Magic Kingdom the race directors had a little fun with the route and allowed us to choose which way we wanted to go in the parking lot. To the left you would get to listen to Disco and to the right Heavy Metal…I loved the idea…but it would have been a good idea for them to tell the runners about this because I saw a lot of confused people when they saw the split! BTW…I went the Heavy Metal route…only because it looked shorter!!

We entered Magic Kingdom from a side employee entrance but once in the park we ran right up Main Street and turned toward Future Land. The streets were lined with people, characters, and employees all cheering us on. We entered the Castle with a bit of fanfare and exited the Castle with pictures being taken…unfortunately none of mine must have turned out since I don’t have any from this spot on the course.

We wind our way through the rest of Magic Kingdom and exit through another employee area. We end up on one of the major roads that connect the hotels and find a beautiful golf course…that sport is so easy in comparison to this!! These roads lead us right back to the main highway where we start heading back toward Epcot.

Along the roadway back I noticed some signs off to the side…now I told you that there was a lot of music along the route but as time went by it became a bit of noise to me so I needed something to distract me, these signs were just the thing. Sharpe was one of the sponsors and the signs were theirs…they contained useless facts such as “285 times: is the number of times that Kramer entered Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment.” They kept me entertained the rest of the race.

We entered Epcot and did a simple “out and back” where we ran to the lake made a u-turn and ran right back toward the front gate…where once again we were ushered out an employee gate. Around the corner there was a full gospel choir!! It was fantastic! Upbeat, loud, and inspirational for the final stretch, we turned to go out another gate and saw the crowd for the finish line. The stands were packed with people and the volume was high. We had to run about 100 yard to the finish line with people all around screaming and cheering. WOW, what a feeling.

I made sure to take my time and save some energy for Sunday but I still was able to run a fantastic race: 13.1 miles in 2:17 (chip time)!!

Made my way to get my medal and have my wristband swapped out for tomorrow’s race. Sat in the sun with the other finishers and waited for the rest of the group to come in. We all finished so we are all ready for tomorrow!!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Still needed to get a run in but with the race being tomorrow and early…I have to be up at 2:55 AM…my wife and I met Melissa and we ran 1.05 miles at a 9:08 pace.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Here in Orlando, Florida and just days away from the Goofy Challenge we decided to put in 2 miles. We woke up early, relatively speaking since we got to the hotel at midnight last night. We met Melissa and her husband Tim at 8 AM and we completed 2 miles at a 9:33 pace.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

We are leaving today to head down to Orlando so I was sure to get my mile in first thing this morning. 1 mile at an 8:40 pace. Boy did it get cold here fast…only two days ago I was wearing shorts and today I’m trying to bundle up!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Well it was raining and windy, according to my wife…as well as a bit early since she needed to leave for work sooner than normal…so we didn’t run this morning. When we got home from work we had to quickly get ready for our meeting this evening so we were unable to run then. At 9:45 PM we were finally lacing up our shoes for our run. Just around the loop, 1 mile.

Monday, January 7, 2008

With my wife working out with her personal trainer I was free to run my own pace. I now have to apologize to my wife since I have been accusing her of making me run too fast on these one mile jaunts. It looks like I may be the cause and she is responsible for keeping my pace in check. I ran 1 mile in 8:40.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Didn’t run until later in the day and boy was it warm!! 54 degrees meant that I was able to wear shorts for my 1 mile run.

Weekly Totals

12/30 – 1/5 total miles = 26.53 miles average pace of 9:34
Jan total miles = 18.31 miles average pace of 9:45
2008 total miles = 18.31 miles average pace of 9:45

Saturday, January 5, 2008

There is only 1 week until the Goofy Challenge and this is the last ‘long’ run that I will do before the race. I got an e-mail from Andy saying that he wanted to put in 4 miles before meeting with the group and would meet me at 6:15. I had originally planned to run at 6:00 but what was 15 minutes anyway? So I got there on time and waited by 6:20 I decided to take off. I ran by his house 5 minutes later and his car was still there…I was not amused!

About 3 miles into the run I realized that the ground meat I had last night was not sitting well (note to self: Do not eat hamburgers, chili, or anything with lots of ground beef before a run!) so I managed to make it, barely, back to Dunn Brothers to use the restroom.

Once I was finished I came out of the coffee shop just in time to catch the running group start their run. I waited for the end of the group…which took a little time since we had 24 runners this week…and started to slowly make my way back up to the front of the group.

I caught up with Andy and harassed him for not meeting me this morning and managed to keep a decent pace. I passed Andy and made a move to catch Greg, who had by this point managed to gain about 0.5 miles on me. I never did catch him but I got the lead down to 0.25 so I was happy.

Finished the day with 10 miles at a sub 10 minute pace.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Did our usual run after work but I didn’t realize that I forgot to reset my watch so my Thursday and Friday numbers have been merged into one…oh well!

We ran 1 mile around the neighborhood!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

With the cold weather today my wife decided to run at work…I decided that I did the treadmill yesterday and I didn’t want to face it today. So with that I had to head out into the cold of January in Wisconsin.

I ran 2 miles at a sub 9:00 pace (if only by 1 second…it’s still sub 9.)

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

With the temperature dipping to low levels I decided to head to the YMCA and do my mile. So on the dreaded treadmill I ran 1 mile in 8:42.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

First run of the New Year and boy was the wind whipping!! My wife and I met the rest of the running group at Carol’s house and we ventured out into the cold windy day. We managed to put in 4.3 miles and then the whole group got together and had a great breakfast. We socialized with the group and then headed home so that I could get ready for the polar bear plunge.

December Totals

12/1 – 12/31 = 124.8 miles average pace of 10:16

Last run of the year

I promised my wife that we would do our last run of the year together so once she got home from work we went out and did the mile loop.

We have had a great year…and the completion of this mile makes it officially 6 months of daily running. I am so proud of my wife…she never thought she would be able to run regularly and yet here we are completing a streak of 6 months worth of running. The new year will bring with it new running goals and new races but I will always remember these last six months because I did them together with my wife.

Monday, December 31, 2007

The Goofy runners decided to get together and do another “long” run…turns out to only be 10k due to multiple reasons. The group ran the Panera route and then hit the coffee shop for a while. Pace was 9:14 and a negative split too!! 1st 5k: 28:50 2nd 5k: 28:29

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Slept in and ran a little later in the morning. Simple mile loop in the neighborhood at an 8:59 pace.

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.