2009

Well here I am…looking forward to 2009 and looking back at what I’ve done in 2008. I know that I got lazy on this blog but I’m going to do my best to keep it up to date in 2009.

Las Vegas…Baby!!!

Wanting to tie my whole year to a close I thought that the Vegas Marathon would be a great capper. I love Vegas, just ask my wife. The climate is ideal for me with low humidity. After a little talk with the running group it was decided that if Kim ran it I would and the other way around. We convinced Yemi and Andy (who also loves Vegas) to join us as well.

My wife noted that there were 2 others from Racine that we knew running the half so we made sure to connect up with them while we were out there.

All of us were at different hotels…Steph and I stayed in the Luxor (right next to the host hotel – Mandalay Bay) primarily because I always wanted to stay in the pyramid since the first time we were in Vegas.

With the expo right next door we were able to walk to it and enjoy the expo at length. As we were leaving we called to see where the rest of the group was and met up with Kim and Yemi as they walked around the expo. Yemi nearly bought up half the expo!! ;^)

Called Andy to see what time he was getting in and discussed where and when we would meet to go to dinner. Dinner was with the Lynott’s and one of their friends that was running the half also. We had a great time at a nice out of the way Italian restaurant. Wine and ravioli are always good and this place did not disappoint!

As we drove back to the hotel Kim and Yemi were amazed at the Bellagio fountains…they said (and we agreed) that we really need to come back here as a group for social time not running time!

Morning of the race was cool, almost cold, but with it being Vegas the temps could get high…it didn’t! Walked through the casinos and the walk ways that connect the hotels and found my way to the front lobby of Mandalay, I was desperately trying to remain inside for as long as I could. Found Kim and Yemi but no sign of Andy. After a bit of waiting we headed for the start line.

There was a bit of chaos with marathoners and half marathoners mingling together. This is one of the big issues I had with this race – no separate corrals for the races. We all started together meaning that the roads were packed for a lot longer than they needed to be.

The gun went off and the fire works started – literally! I feel bad for anyone that got to bed late the night before because they are up now!! It was a great display that my wife said she could see from our room.

The course is a giant loop starting with the Strip. We run the whole length of the strip in the early morning with all the lights still on it was quite a sight! When you hit the north end you end up heading east before coming back west toward the downtown. Here is where my second issue with this race comes in.

The race touts the run down Fremont street and old Las Vegas but you really do not run down Freemont street just as you come up to it they make you turn and you end up running around it!!! Not happy!

From here it is a long stretch to the west…you see the mountains getting closer and closer. This section of the course seems not only flat but as though there was a slight downhill to it. The area is quite barren; the only spectators you really come across are those at the aid stations and those that are here to see someone. Time and a again I heard spectators and volunteers explaining to neighbors that this race will be going on for a while…was there no notification to the city?!?

I was feeling pretty good the weather was nice and the sun was covered slightly by high clouds. I was doing pretty well but was disheartened when I got to the 18 mile aid station and there was no gel!!! Good thing my wife was going to be there around 20-22 because I was going to bonk hard. Sure enough she was at 21.5 and was there with a gel…I told her that I’d see her at the end, told her I loved her and gave her a kiss.

We make the turn back toward the strip and you can see it from far away and you realize as you are running toward it just how big these buildings are because no matter how close you get to them they continue to grow!

Once we get under the freeway we are on the backside of the strip (west side) and we proceed to run south back toward Mandalay Bay. Boy that is farther than I remember from a few hours ago!!

I cross the finish line with a new PR!!! 4:45:05

That is 50 seconds faster than Milwaukee so I’ll take it. The medal while nice was not what I was expecting…I guess looking at my friends medal from a year or two ago looked much nicer. ***UPDATE*** We may now understand why things were not as nice this year…looks like this is going to become a ‘Rock N Roll’ Marathon so they were cutting costs in 2008!

I joined the girls and we waited for Andy to finish…with all of us done we took off to have our picture taken at the Las Vegas sign!

What has become my ritual after a marathon is Mexican food so the whole group went out and we enjoyed a nice meal and had a few drinks…including having Yemi try tequila! She loved it…of course it was Patron, what’s not to love!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

We went to the YMCA again this week. We got there around 9:30ish and I decided that I did not want to run on the treadmill this week. So I headed to the basement and ran on the ‘track.’ I don’t know how you can call something that you need to run around 28 times for a mile a track?!?!

But that is just what I did. I ran a mile for warm up…didn’t pay attention to the time. Then I ran 4 quarter mile intervals at a 1:49 pace (1:49, 1:48, 1:48, 1:49) then I ran a mile cool down (8:34 pace)...net 3 miles

Afterward I headed up stairs and did about 15-20 minutes of weight training.

Pool work was next…500 yards in 13:08.

Great work out today and well worth the time at the Y

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

We got weighed and measured tonight…thankfully because of the diet and the exercising I have lost a good 8-10 pounds!! Just another 15 to go!!

Anna worked us pretty good tonight. Since we got measured she showed us a few combination exercises that combined two muscle groups and worked them in concert…double the work out in half the time!!

Monday, July 21, 2008

A run that I haven’t done in quite a while was the run of choice this evening. The only problem I have with it is the hills on 4 mile which are worse than I remember!! Okay not quite but I did have to walk twice.

The run was 3.1 miles in 28:48…not too bad!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Cemetery run this week and it was raining. Steph decided that she would run at the gym so I was off! It stopped raining about 30 minutes into the run but by then I was drenched. I had a decent pace and was able to maintain it with a bit of walking here and there. 6.20 miles in 1:00:35…now that is just too slow…I’ll have to pick up the pace next week!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Learned my lesson after last week so I was sure to get my run in the day after the trainer. It was a very nice night so I was able to get in 4.59 miles but it took me 46:07 which isn’t that great.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Worked with Anna again tonight…Steph and I had a great time...I just need to write this down right after we do it!

Monday, July 14, 2008

A nice out and back run tonight…4.02 miles in 37:48…I’m pretty happy with that!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Church Run and it is raining. There aren’t a lot of people here today so I once again am leading the pack…WHY!?!?!? I should be in the back taking it easy but no I’m out here in front.

Managed to put in 5.62 miles in 54:09 not too bad but it could be better.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Since I didn’t run last night, and I really should have since I am real sore today, I had to go out and run now. Did the 3.5 mile route (3 mile-bike trail-4 mile) in 34:47…slower than the last time but that is because of the soreness.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Once again working out with the personal trainer and I really don’t recall what we did…I’ll get better with this as we do this some more.

Monday, July 7, 2008

With my GOP meeting tonight I thought that if I got home from work a little early I would be able to pound out 4-5 miles. It was so humid that I was only able to manage to put in 3.1 miles at a 10+ minute pace (31:24)…I should try to run in the morning it is much nicer then!!

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Out with the running group this morning and we are back to one of our old haunts…Colonial Park…you see now that the water has receded we can run the trail…the only scary part for me is I was leading the group for a while. I’m not used to that! Finished the day with 6.23 miles logged in 59:26!!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Obviously I didn’t feel too bad because I was able to put in 3.52 miles in 32:34…felt pretty good and really only had to walk once.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Worked out with Anna this evening…I should have logged this sooner because I do not recall what we did…but I’m sure that I felt it the next day!!

Monday, June 30, 2008

I really can’t say that I’m going to miss doing this but I know that I probably will. I have been running a minimum of a mile every day for the past year. Today is my last mile…1.01 miles in 8:37…and I am glad to be done and my body deserves a little rest. Now I know that a mile a day isn’t that big of a deal but after the first 6 months it becomes a bit of a drag. I am glad to say that I did it.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Back to the loop…1.01 miles in 8:42

Saturday, June 28, 2008

The group was all there…more than 2 dozen of us!! I didn’t get up early and run with anyone so I was happy with just doing the hour run. By the time I hit 5 miles though I was not feeling very well…digestive issues…I had to walk a lot more than I thought I would but the alternative was to mess my pants and I’m a bit old for that!! I got 6.03 miles in just over an hour (1:00:40)

Friday, June 27, 2008

Back home and doing the same neighborhood loop…the year is nearly complete! 1.00 miles in 8:28

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Since we are heading home today and the flight will not get us in until after midnight I had to hit the gym again…while the club is great I really don’t like to run on the treadmill! 1.08 miles in 10:00

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Since the wife was doing the spa thing today I thought that it might hit the trails again today and get my run in. I didn’t see any peacocks or hens this morning but once I was done running I did feed the ducks! Ran for 9:57 and completed 1.09 miles

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I didn’t want to spend all of this time in Punta Cana and not run outside! So thankfully the resort has a nice little trail around a few ponds that is dedicated to running/walking. I was able to see a peahen and her babies…would they be a brood? The humidity was a bit high but no worse than what we have back home. Got 1.01 miles in 8:54

Monday, June 23, 2008

Back in the gym today…I’ll be doing some weights too but for now it is just the mile. 1.00 mile in 9:35

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Here in Punta Cana and I still need to get my run in…thankfully this resort has a gym…and what a gym it is!!! This place is HUGE!!! It is state of the art and is nice and cool which is needed since the temp outside is 80+ and 80%+ humidity. I start the treadmill and note that there is a fan available on it so that there is cool air blowing on my face if I want it! This place is great! I ran a simple 1.00 mile in 9:23.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Race day…It is nice to get up a little later in morning. The starting line is always a great time to see people that we know and to make plans for a good race. The gun was a little late in going off but off we went. I was cruising for the first 2 miles and needed to really slow things down. Before I got to this point I saw my wife pass me and I wished her well.

I would not see her until the finish line.

The day was just perfect for running…it was partially sunny and right around the half way point it started to rain…just what I like! It stopped after about 10 minutes and the sun came back out. Unlike years past it wasn’t too hot!!

I ran what I could and walked when I needed and just had a good old time. My goal was 95 but I settled for 97. My wife on the other hand had a stretch goal of 90 and she was a whole 34 seconds over that!!!

Beautiful day…10.07 miles in 1:38:47

Friday, June 20, 2008

It is late tonight but I still wanted to get my mile in even though there is a race tomorrow. Ran a nice 1.02 miles in 9:02

Thurssay, June 19, 2008

Lighthouse run is this Saturday but I really would like to get some more miles in this week so I settled for a nice 2 mile run in 17:41…now that was a nice pace.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, Part II

Anna worked us pretty good but was very conscious not to work the legs too much since we have a race on Saturday. It was still hard…worked the core and upper body really well…I’ll be sore!!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Got out of work at a decent time so I got my mile in right away after getting home. 1.00 mile in 8:54 and now we are heading to the personal trainer.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Just an easy run around the neighborhood after a night at the trap range…had to be sure to get the trap in since we won’t be here next week! 1.01 miles in 8:37

Monday, June 16, 2008

Came home from visiting with my stepfather and wanted to get my run in before eating dinner. Wife already did her workout for the day so I was on my own. Did the quick loop…1.01 miles 8:52

Sunday, June 15, 2008

We are heading out to a family function this afternoon and since we are unsure how long we will be there we got our run in right after lunch. 1.00 miles in 9:23…a little slow but it felt good.

Weekly Totals

6/7 – 6/14 total miles = 17.96 miles average pace of 9:42

June total miles = 33.89 miles pace of 10:04

2008 total miles = 511.76 miles average pace of 10:12

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Out with the group this early morning and really took it easy. The first 4.5 miles was nice and slow averaging about 9:50 while walking a bit here and there. We met up with the group at 7 am and I ran the full mile plus to Case HS and then took my time and chatted with Melissa while jogging around the track. We then headed right back to the parking lot and coffee. 8.51 miles 1:25:35 or about 10:03 pace.

Friday, June 13, 2008

It’s not a late run tonight which is surprising for a Friday so I hit the neighborhood and did 1.00 miles in 9:06

Thursday, June 12, 2008 - Part II

Worked out for an hour with the trainer tonight…did more with the legs and core tonight and she promised that we would take it easy on the legs next week since we are running the lighthouse run.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Since the weather is going to be crappy this evening and we have the trainer tonight my wife reccomended that we get up this morning and run. After last nights run I really didn't want to run this morning but I did and I'm glad for it. I don't know if it was just the humidity in the air or that I ran last night but I just couldn't get into the groove. Managed to put in my 1.00 mile in 8:53 so I guess things weren't that bad!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

After a few long days in Chicago for training and then to come home and have a few events to attend this evening I was really starting to look forward to tonight's run.

The weather is perfect and I was feeling OK. I start my run (I'm figuring I'll do 2-3 miles) and I don't feel like running anymore. I try to push through the feeling but it persists for the first half mile and then the mood lightens up. I am able to get 3 miles in and feel pretty good after the fact...I averaged 9:23...not too bad!

Tomorrow I'm with the trainer again and from what my wife said we will probably run in the morning since it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I wanted to ensure that I got my run in on time so I brought my clothes with me so when I got off the train I just changed and went for a run before heading home.

I managed 1.5 miles in 13:26

Monday, June 9, 2008

I got home from Chicago at 6:30 and decided that I needed to run before I went out for my run. Sitting on a train for an hour and a half was tiring!! 1.01 miles in 8:52

Sunday, June 8, 2008

When we woke this morning they were calling for more rain…just what we really need! But I was determined to head up there and see what was going on. We got to the area at about 10:45 and the registration only went until 11:15. The news was reporting that there were more storms on the way and that there was a warning until 11:45.

My wife was sitting next to me in the truck and said “if it is going to rain…I’m not going to pay to run in it! If you want to go ahead!”

I thought about it for a while and at 10 after 11 I finally decided that I was going to do it rain or no rain.

I got a shirt but they had already run out of numbers…this meant that I would be running without a number but that is okay it was more about the beer and the run than the number anyway.

While waiting for the race to start it began to pour…not just a little either but buckets!! The road in front of us flooded…I mean flooded! The van that was taking materials to the finish line already had water up to its hubcaps. The runners (drinkers) were having fun in the rain…the beach balls came out and people were just having fun.

The rain was still coming down when the horn went off but it had lightened up a bit. Over 1,100 runners set out on this wet course. We made our way down the road playing in the water. We made the first turn and the search for the first beer stop began…we all thought was at the turn but it was another 2 blocks. We all stopped…I don’t think the volunteers were ready for us since it took a good 3-4 minutes to get my beer!

The beer was okay and it was only a 4 oz cup…that they didn’t fill up. >:^(

I headed off to the second stop and found that there were people out on the street handing out medium (8 oz.) sized cups! I took one. If I’m going to drink while I run I should DRINK!!

While they were filling my large cup I noticed that the turn was flooded and that people were trudging through it. With my cup full I started to run through the thigh high water…boy was that fun!! The rain was still coming down and I still had 2 beer stops to go.

The next beer stop was quicker and I was able to move through it pretty quick.

By this point people were walking and enjoying the rain but I really wanted to run the race so I kept running. The last beer stop was managed by the HHH of Waukesha and I have to hand it to them they know how to drink and run!!

I made my way to the finish line and crossed in 22:07…not real bad for a 1.8 mile run and having to stop to drink beer. I will be back next year!!

On my way back to the car I ran an additional 0.3 miles just so that I felt like I got 2 miles in for the day.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The day was a bit of a bust in one way since I didn’t run as much as I should have but what am I training for right now? I took it easy and managed to complete 8.89 miles in 1:41:59

Weekly Totals

6/1 – 6/6 total miles = 15.93 miles average pace of 10:29

June total miles = 15.93 miles pace of 10:29

2008 total miles = 493.80 miles average pace of 10:13

Friday, June 6, 2008

Nice easy run the night before the group run. 1.01 miles in 9:30

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Got home late and still wanted to get my run in. Since the wife had not run yet either she laced up her shoes and ran the loop with me. 1.01 miles in 8:53

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 -- Part 2

I didn’t have time to run before going to work out with the trainer so after working out with her and then going to dinner I ended up running at 9 pm. Just did the loop -- 1.00 miles in 9:05

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 -- Part 1

Second time with the trainer and while it was a longer work out I’d didn’t quite feel as incompetent…well sort of. I strained my shoulder on Sunday golfing so I was only able to do so many push ups before it just gave out…I felt like such a wimp! My wife was the master on them so she kicked my tail!

We did a real good core work out and I felt great afterward!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Same old route…1.00 miles in 9:16

Monday, June 2, 2008

Doing a little more when I can…2.02 miles in 19:00

Sunday, June 1, 2008

We are golfing today so my wife recommended that we get up and run this morning…that was a really good thought. We got out of the house and just did the loop. 1.00 mile in 9:15

By the time we got home this evening I was ready to run again…but I pulled by back. (shoulders) pretty good so I’ll have to nurse that a day or two!

Weekly Totals

5/25 – 5/31 total miles = 17.56 miles average pace of 9:48

May total miles = 101.93 miles pace of 10:59

2008 total miles = 477.87 miles average pace of 10:13

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Up early so we could meet a group at Parkside by 6 am…who would have thought that there would be 10 of us!! That is a record! We headed out to do a loop in the park (better to do the road now since we are doing the trails at 7) I was only feeling ok. I ebbed and flowed with the group and once we were nearing the parking lot I decided to do a couple of trails. I got out to the parking lot and still had some time so I meandered out to Hwy E and back. By this time there were people waiting at their cars.

We had 5 people I’ve never met before show up…I was glad to meet them all. We started at 7 and headed for the trails I really wanted to do the entire 10k course so even though I walked a bit more than I liked I still managed to push my way through the whole thing. Completed the day with 10.13 miles and while not a great time I did complete it in 1:45:49

Friday, May 30, 2008

Late at night but needed to get a mile in. 1.00 mile in 9:53

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tried to keep an easy pace today but the GPS shows it all…started off slow and built to a nice pace. 1.01 miles in 8:56

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Neighborhood loop…1.01 miles in 8:38

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Wanted a little more today but the route I chose was not as far as I thought it would be. 1.38 miles in 11:47

Monday, May 26, 2008

Around the neighborhood as usual 1.00 mile in 8:36

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ran a little longer today 2.03 miles in 18:26

Weekly Totals

5/18 – 5/24 total miles = 11.54 miles average pace of 9:15

May total miles = 84.37 miles pace of 11:14

2008 total miles = 460.31 miles average pace of 10:14

Saturday, May 24, 2008

It was nice to get up later…but once we got there I found out that the ladies were there early…I felt bad but at the same time I was happy! 5.50 miles 52:31

Friday, May 23, 2008

As always…I’m behind on this blog so here is the recap: today 1.01 miles in 8:52.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Got home from my meeting and there was still time to get in a run before my wife got home. Tried to take things easy but as I have pointed out before easy isn’t what it once was…1.01 miles in 8:53

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 part 2

Got home from the gym and since I made the commitment to run a mile every day I still needed to get that in. It was after 10 PM but I still had not run so off I went. Got my 1 mile in at an 8:44 so now I can go to bed!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 part 1

My wife has been raving about her personal trainer for over a year (nearly 2!!) and since I really don’t have any plans (marathons) scheduled for the next few months I agreed to start working out with them. I really need to strengthen my core and lose a few pounds so that will be the focus with them.

We did the measurements – not really pretty and calculated the %fat…@18-19%...both my wife and I think that the number is a bit low…I’m think around the mid section…then we got to a 30 min work out.

I really understand why my wife thinks this is good – because it is!!! For only 30 minutes I really worked my tail off…I can only imagine what the 60 min workouts are going to be like!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Was rushed at work today so I wasn’t able to get out and do the run before heading off to trap but since there was no one at trap this week I was home early and could get my run in. 1.01 miles in 8:54

Monday, May 19, 2008

Still recovering from Saturday and still not 100%as far as this cold is concerned. But I still hit the street and got my mile done. 1.01 miles 8:57

Sunday, May 18, 2008

It was a long day!! 9+ hours of driving…I didn’t have to stop as many times as I did the previous day but I still wasn’t feeling well and there were a few times where I got nauseous in the car…thankfully they passed. Got home and I wanted to try to run a bit. The wife came with and we managed 1 mile in 9:56

Weekly Totals

5/11 – 5/17 total miles = 34.08 miles average pace of 12:29

May total miles = 72.83 miles pace of 11:32

2008 total miles = 448.77 miles average pace of 10:15

"How Far will you Go?" Fargo Marathon

This is one of those races that I really wish I could do over…and maybe I will once all the states are completed. I woke up this morning and my throat was bad. I was in and out of the bathroom 3 times before we left for the bus. My only hope was that I would feel a bit better once I started running.

My wife and I met the other girls in the lobby of the hotel and drove over to the mall to catch the bus. It was about 47 degrees and not a cloud in the sky…a good day to run!

We got the bus and rode it to the FargoDome…in retrospect we should have just driven here ourselves but oh well. We did the customary bathroom stop (number 4 for me!) and milled around for a bit before heading out to the bag drop and the starting line.

This is my wife’s first attempt at a half marathon and I know she is going to do well. Her goal is sub 10 and she has a stretch goal of a sub 2 hour half. Both the half and the full start at the same time so we all line up together and the gun goes off…and we walk to the start line. There was about 5-7 thousand people between the two races so it was a bit of a bottleneck.

The race was very flat and I had been hoping for the last 2 weeks that I’d be able to break 5 hours…well it didn’t happen. I was going along pretty well until around mile 5-6 when I stopped for another bathroom break…and just to avoid the repetition I stopped again around 10, 14, 15, 19 and 23.

The course was great, the road not so much, the people were very nice and the neighborhoods we ran through were terrific! I saw many people outside partying and cheering on the runners…this community is really behind the race which was very nice to see. We ran through a number of parks and so many neighborhoods it was tough to count and there were people throughout the course ringing bells, offering support and some just watching. One of the local businesses even had flat Coke available to runners around mile 15!!

There were 2 Gu stops and I used them both but did not use one of my own…by that time I was walking and it seemed useless to use it then. I have to say that the Banana-strawberry Gu was rather tasty, much better than the mango Gu I had a couple of weeks ago.

Once I hit mile 19 I was done. I had been in and out of bathrooms too many times…I was run down…my throat was soar…and to be honest I really didn’t want to do this any more…but I’m 19 miles in. I can do 7 miles standing on my head practically…so I decided just to walk it out. Based on my rough numbers I would still be able to make it in less than 6 hours.

I talked with a number of people along the course and was surprised to hear how many were from Canada! I finally saw my wife at around mile 22. I immediately harassed her because she was not wearing her medal. She completed her race in 2:09:03!!! WOW, I was impressed! This is the same woman that just over a year ago said she would never be a runner and thought that the whole thing was rather dumb…now here she is a half marathoner!

I explained what was going on…told her I shouldn’t have started the race but at this point was going to complete it. She walked with me for about a mile and then said she would meet me on the flip side (there is a small loop to the North). We met back up around the 24 mile mark and she walked with me all the way to the FargoDome. I ran the last 0.2 in…just to show some effort. Completed the course in 5:58:09

That makes state number 12, 4 marathons for 2008 (so far), 2 marathons in the last 13 days…I’m tired and I think I’m going to take a small break.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Up early again…marathon is tomorrow and didn’t want to run tonight!! Still not feeling right but might just be jitters!

Got up got my 1.02 miles done in 9:19…we are ready for the race…shouldn’t be real windy until late and it will be nice and cool most of the morning!!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Got up early this morning and decided that I need to get the run out of the way…this running after dinner is starting to suck! Not feeling 100%...a little run down and my throat is bothering me. Still managed to get my mile done though…1.01 miles in 9:01

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Work, dinner, run, Repeat…Out again for a nice run but the wind is still bad…I hope that it is not like this on Saturday! 1.00 miles in 8:50

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Running a little later than I had hoped but I hate running right after dinner so I waited a bit before hitting the road. 1.01 miles…just like being home…in 8:52

Monday, May 12, 2008

It was a long drive from home but I made really good time! I was able to pick up my co-worker from the airport and I’m ready to get a run in before dinner.

It is rather windy here and a bit cool but with how flat it is this should be pretty nice. I was able to run 1.53 miles in 13:08 and only encountered 1 hill and that was to go over the interstate. I’m thinking that the marathon should be pretty good.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Still have to get the run in but wanted more than the 1 mile bloop. In stead did the 2 mile bloop…2.03 miles in 18:01

Weekly Totals

5/4 – 5/10 total miles = 36.71 miles average pace of 10:47

May total miles = 38.75 miles pace of 10:42

2008 total miles = 414.69 miles average pace of 10:04

Saturday, May 10, 2008

We helped out at the Ice Age 50 today so we didn’t run with the running group this morning. We (my wife and I) knew that we needed to get a run in so we headed over and did the cemetery run in reverse…I have to say I just wasn’t feeling it today so I decided I wasn’t going to do the 6 miles but only do 4. My wife seemed okay with that so that is all that got done. 4.00 miles in 36:24

Friday, May 9, 2008

Around the neighborhood as usual…1.01 miles in 8:56

Thursday, May 8, 2008

With the wife out for the night I decided to get a lot of chores done. Running had to be one of the items but I am still recovering from the last marathon and getting ready for next weeks…therefore I keep trying to take it easy but I just can’t seem to keep the pace easy. I managed to put in 2.13 miles in 18:40 which is about an 8:48 pace!! Now if I could only keep that pace up for 26 miles!!!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

After cutting the lawn tonight I decided that I still should get in my mile before it started raining or it got too dark. 1.01 miles in 8:28

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

I got home from work and I needed to get my run in before heading out to trap. My wife had already run but she decided it was only 1 mile so she’d come with. 1.01 miles in 8:54

Monday, May 5, 2008

After a long meeting I was able to get home and get my mile run in…I had to tape my nipple just so that it can heal before the next marathon. I must not have given the race my all…1 mile in 8:45

Flying Pig!!

I had decided to run this one early in the year since one of the members of the running group was going to run it…I made the comment “if you do it…I will too.” Well that was made far before Atlanta and the idea of Fargo came up!

My wife had decided that she was going to run the 10k on Saturday so I finally would get to see her run a race!! I was pumped at the idea. She did a great job…not her best time but she was there to help a newbie finish her first 10k race and that meant just as much to my wife as finishing.

Saturday was windy and rainy at the start so I was dreading my start the next day. I got up and the wind had died down a bit and the forecast, while cold this morning, was going to be perfect weather for running. My wife drove me to the hotel so I could meet the girls this morning and the three of us headed to the starting line.

We got there and waited for the gun…and waited…and waited…it seems that the race had been delayed due to a house fire around mile 22. Because of this they delayed the start by 15 minutes so they could reroute the course…uh oh!

The gun finally went off and we headed out. We start the race by heading over the river and into KY for a short while and about a mile later we cross back over into OH. The bridge coming back over was a bit eerie…there were so many of us on it that the bridge started to move A LOT!!! So much that I nearly lost my footing twice!

As we start to make our way through the city the sun is already high in the Eastern sky and I’m going to be going that way for the next few hours. At mile 5 I see my wife, Melissa, and Jen I told them I didn’t need anything and kept going…about 30 feet later I turn around (to the dismay of a few runners) and run back to see if my wife had my sunglasses…she didn’t but Melissa kindly offered hers…Thanks again Melissa!!
Shortly after leaving downtown we start the largest climb of the course it was hard but not too bad at about mile 7, while I’m looking out over the river from a much higher elevation than you would think, I hear my brother cheering me on. My brother lives in Cincinnati with his family and I was glad to have another face in the crowd that I knew cheering me on.

By this point I should have hit the highest point on the course and should be a relatively gentle down slope to the finish…yeah right! The hill to mile 8-10 was so big that the rolling hills for the remaining course are small and are not detailed on the elevation map. I saw the wife and friends again around mile 12 and shortly after this I notices that my right nipple was starting to hurt…didn’t think much of is since they were taped up and I’ve not had any problems since I found that clear surgical tape works great.

I got to about mile 15 and I looked down to see that the right side of my shirt was bloody…I guess I lost the tape on that nipple…I found the next first aid station and asked for clear tape…they had none…offered Band-Aids and Vaseline…tried them both and in half a mile they were gone, useless!
I saw the wife and friends again at mile 16.5 and would again at 17.5 since this part was an out and back and she had Mtn. Dew!! I took a nice big swig communicated the nipple issues and continued on. My brother was waiting at around mile 17 (near the hotel my wife and I stayed when we where here for his wedding!) When I got back to the wife I asked for band-aids…again they were gone in a matter of minutes.

I trudged on but by mile 19 my nipple was in such pain that running just wasn’t really in the cards so I did my best. Saw my brother and nephew at mile 22 where I ran with Logan for a few feet.

Between mile 22 and 23 we were diverted from the regular course. I checked my GPS to verify the mileage and watched when we got back onto the course and noted that they had moved the mileage sign to correlate with the corrected distance…mile 24 was dead on. Mile 25 was dead on…and now it looked like the course was all down hill. About 0.5 miles from the 25 mile sign was the “last mile” marker…um…that is off by about 0.3 miles!!!
I managed to run the final 0.5 miles and found that they were unable to move the finish line meaning that the course was off by a minimum of ¼ of a mile. Even with the nipple issues, the hills, and the sunny conditions I was able to put up a decent time of 5:03:03 (corrected for the marathon distance…otherwise the time was 5:05:57)

Then with all that over I met up with the other runners who did phenomenally!! Kim with a sub 4 hour finish (once corrected for course length) and Yemi with a 4:10 finish for her 1st marathon!!
Saw my brother and family before we headed back to our car and a long drive home…I see a Mexican dinner in a few hours though…mmm salsa!!

Only 13 days until Fargo!!

Weekly Totals

4/27 – 5/3 total miles = 7.06 miles average pace of 8:50
May total miles = 2.04 miles pace of 9:04
Apr total miles = 80.54 miles pace of 9:33

2008 total miles = 377.98 miles average pace of 10:00

Saturday, May 3, 2008

With all the running I did today…between the hotel and the finish line of my wife’s race and the running across the bridge to get to my nephew’s race…which we still ended up missing…I was able to put in my mile + but I do not have a time for today…oh well.

Friday, May 2, 2008

After a days worth of driving I was ready to get out for a run. The weather here in Cincinnati is slightly overcast and drizzly but I was able to stay relatively dry in my short 1.03 miles run in 9:03

Thursday, May 1, 2008

The usual loop around the neighborhood…1.01 miles in 9:24

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I really need to update my blog more often…1 mile in 9:05

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

This is my first week of real trap so I needed to get there early. I left work a bit early and went out running…1 mile in 8:27

Monday, April 28, 2008

Don’t remember why I’m running so late but I was. Just did the usual loop…1.01 miles in 8:33

Sunday, April 27, 2008

My wife was going out to do a long run since the weather was less than perfect the day before. She managed to put in 12 miles!! By far her longest run…she’s definitely ready for a half marathon!!

I just put in an easy 2.01 miles in 17:48

Weekly Totals

4/20 – 4/26 total miles = 19.95 miles average pace of 9:15

Apr total miles = 75.52 miles pace of 9:37

2008 total miles = 370.92 miles average pace of 10:01

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Got to running early and ran a bit extra with the ladies this morning. We met up with the rest of the group at 7 am and did about 5 more miles. The wind was really whipping and was not the best day to be outside but I ended the day with 10.37 miles in 1:40:21 or 9:40 pace.

Friday, April 25, 2008

With today being my birthday my wife mentioned that I might want to run in the morning since we were going out to dinner that night. Got up and ran 1.01 miles in 9:10

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Simply did the loop…1.01 miles in 8:45

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

With the wife working out with her trainer I thought that I had better put in a few extra miles…I was delayed when my stepfather dropped by with his Harley…I ended up running 2.03 miles in 17:26

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I was unable to run between work and trap shooting but thought that since I was coming home early…none of the guys showed up to trap…I would run my mile with my wife. We did pretty well…1.01 miles in 8:23.

Monday, April 21, 2008

I was feeling pretty good and decided that I’d run a bit farther and try to put in a little fartlek…3.51 miles in 31:37 for a 9:00 pace!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

After a long day on the road I decided that I only wanted to do the loop and let my wife go for a longer run…she put in 4.6…I only did 1 mile in 8:39