well, emily and i are a week out from the marathon. to say that i'm under prepared is a vast understatement. if you know me at all you know me as a dude who likes to be prepared for things. i mean...i make lists to help me get prepared for things. i know that some people go through life without planning anything and probably do fairly well; however, i feel intense anxiety when i'm not prepared for something. literally...i actually get stomach aches if i don't feel like i'm prepared enough for something. lame, i know.
enter marathon training several weeks in. i've built up my training and mileage enough that i can comfortably run 10-15 miles on a weekend and not let it kill me. running 26.2 miles though....that involves some training and some planning ahead. so, the planning i did involved about 18 weeks of training to build up the endurance both physically and mentally. what i didn't foresee happening was my life going from "a little crazy" to "life is almost out of control crazy" and apparently the priority of running went the way of dinosaurs. now, a week away from running the marathon i feel sick when i think of how prepared i am....i mean how prepared i'm not.
if you don't happen to read the blog emily and i write together you can read a little about how my life got a bit out of control within the past several weeks by clicking here. hint: our family is growing!
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
10.14.2012
5.08.2011
first marathon down...zero week is almost over...now what?
i'm sure you're all wondering how the week after (zero week) the marathon has been for me. to be honest with you...it wasn't as bad as i heard it could be. i did notice the slight disappointment of being done with training and working towards the goal of completing a marathon. also my immune system crashed and i got a nice two day cold, but other than that...i think i'm okay. as far as physical pain goes...sunday through tuesday was pretty rough, but by wednesday i was finally walking normal (and not freaking emily out by walking downstairs backward).
i didn't run until yesterday when i went out for an easy three. of course that easy three turned in to trying to run it faster than i ever have. funny how that worked. it was nice though to go out just to get back into the swing of things. i realized today that i really need to figure out how to get back into the gym (meaning: find the time). i got out of the habit half-way through my training and i think it really had an affect on my marathon results.
...but who cares about all that crap, right? so, i ask myself, "well...what's next, man?!" i answer, "anything i freakin' want!" i'm not gonna lie...originally i wanted to set out for a triathlon, but my fear of water might delay that a bit. i also don't have a bike, so for now i'll use that as my excuse. i do also see a fifty-miler in my future...somewhere down the road. for now though, i'm thinking i'm going to get into trail running and maybe going to work toward another full-marathon. maybe fall of this year? maybe chicago? maybe indy? maybe stl? maybe a different country? what?
i thought it'd be fun to do just a little recap of some memorable quotes from race weekend with emily...
emily (sarcastically): "i think that race could've used more cowbell."
emily: "you're walking funny."
tony: "whatever...it's my swagger."
tony (from the top of the stairs): "hey, walk downstairs backward...it doesn't hurt at all!"
emily: "no way, you look like a zombie or something."
emily: "hey, let's go on a walk this week, just because we can!"
sign at race: "gas is $4.13/gallon...keep running...it's cheaper!"
sign at race: "if it was easy i'd be doing it"
drunk frat boy at mile one: "KEEP GOING...YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!!"
tony: "i literally ran the distance between the college hills starbucks in bloomington to my parents in gridley!"
"emily, you ran from lake bloomington to gridley!"
"there's something wrong with both of those statements."
there are many more i could share...but i think you get the general theme here! it was a long, tiring weekend...but we did it and it was awesome!
i didn't run until yesterday when i went out for an easy three. of course that easy three turned in to trying to run it faster than i ever have. funny how that worked. it was nice though to go out just to get back into the swing of things. i realized today that i really need to figure out how to get back into the gym (meaning: find the time). i got out of the habit half-way through my training and i think it really had an affect on my marathon results.
...but who cares about all that crap, right? so, i ask myself, "well...what's next, man?!" i answer, "anything i freakin' want!" i'm not gonna lie...originally i wanted to set out for a triathlon, but my fear of water might delay that a bit. i also don't have a bike, so for now i'll use that as my excuse. i do also see a fifty-miler in my future...somewhere down the road. for now though, i'm thinking i'm going to get into trail running and maybe going to work toward another full-marathon. maybe fall of this year? maybe chicago? maybe indy? maybe stl? maybe a different country? what?
i thought it'd be fun to do just a little recap of some memorable quotes from race weekend with emily...
emily (sarcastically): "i think that race could've used more cowbell."
emily: "you're walking funny."
tony: "whatever...it's my swagger."
tony (from the top of the stairs): "hey, walk downstairs backward...it doesn't hurt at all!"
emily: "no way, you look like a zombie or something."
emily: "hey, let's go on a walk this week, just because we can!"
sign at race: "gas is $4.13/gallon...keep running...it's cheaper!"
sign at race: "if it was easy i'd be doing it"
drunk frat boy at mile one: "KEEP GOING...YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!!"
tony: "i literally ran the distance between the college hills starbucks in bloomington to my parents in gridley!"
"emily, you ran from lake bloomington to gridley!"
"there's something wrong with both of those statements."
there are many more i could share...but i think you get the general theme here! it was a long, tiring weekend...but we did it and it was awesome!
5.01.2011
marathon training (week eighteen) race week!
IT'S DONE!!
...and i made it. after eighteen weeks of successful training with just very minor injuries and aches and pains and what was the result? i went and ran 26.2 miles yesterday and now i can't walk normal. i have to walk downstairs backward. if i squat there's a high likelihood that i will not be getting back up. last night my muscles were spasming, so that was freaky to watch. oh, and sometimes when i'm randomly sitting trying to enjoy dinner...i'll get a leg cramp that stands me straight up in .2 seconds. other than that though...i'm doing AWESOME!
the race started great. it was 51, overcast, and the wind was a little gusty. by mile 5 i realized i was doing what i had just done times 5, so i started to think things over. once i came up on miles 8-9 is when the first place half-marathoner passed us (not defeating at all!) btw...awesome job goes out to Emily for crushing her first half-marathon time by almost ten minutes!! she ran the half in 02:19:45! (and no one knows this...but she was struggling with some knee pain for the past couple weeks in her training...she's a machine!)
onto the half-way point...sucked. the realization that i had to do everything i had just done started to sink in. at mile 14 or 15 (memory is a little fuzzy at this point) i had to take a pee break. i'll admit it was a bit awkward hopping into a portapotty and swaying all around trying to go to the bathroom. at mile 16 or 17 i had officially hit the wall. most of you probably know what this is. it's when you say to yourself, "you. are. insane. why are you doing this to yourself? you'll never ever finish and your body is not going to work right ever again! stop running!!"
i was using GU (gel packs) to refuel throughout the race since i trained with them, but i had never had the chocolate flavor. right around mile 18 (i think) i grabbed a chocolate flavor GU from a volunteer by mistake but really needed it so i took it anyway. a half mile later at the next water stop i took water and a little gatorade...it didn't mix well in my stomach. i got a little nauseous and didn't take on any calories the rest of the race. so, the combination of hitting the wall and no fuel for the last 6.2 miles made it a little difficult. i ended up walking through water stops to finish out the race with a finish time of 04:46:52. a little longer than what i had hoped for...but honestly, i ran 26.2 miles so i'm not being too hard on myself. oh, and it was pretty awesome to be negative calories until 7:00 yesterday, too.
thanks to everyone who's been following my training, leaving me comments of encouragement, and letting me know that i can do anything i put my mind to. trust me...those were some of the things that helped me cross the finish line.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: running a full marathon is freakin' hard...but possible. now go try it for yourself!
week eighteen numbers:
starting weight: 184
monday - rest
tuesday - 4 miles / 34:13 (8:34)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 3 miles / 27:30 (9:10)
friday - rest
saturday - 26.2 / 04:46:52 (10:57)
sunday - just a little rest
total mileage for the week: 33.2 miles
ending weight: 182
total weight loss/gain: -2
...and i made it. after eighteen weeks of successful training with just very minor injuries and aches and pains and what was the result? i went and ran 26.2 miles yesterday and now i can't walk normal. i have to walk downstairs backward. if i squat there's a high likelihood that i will not be getting back up. last night my muscles were spasming, so that was freaky to watch. oh, and sometimes when i'm randomly sitting trying to enjoy dinner...i'll get a leg cramp that stands me straight up in .2 seconds. other than that though...i'm doing AWESOME!
the race started great. it was 51, overcast, and the wind was a little gusty. by mile 5 i realized i was doing what i had just done times 5, so i started to think things over. once i came up on miles 8-9 is when the first place half-marathoner passed us (not defeating at all!) btw...awesome job goes out to Emily for crushing her first half-marathon time by almost ten minutes!! she ran the half in 02:19:45! (and no one knows this...but she was struggling with some knee pain for the past couple weeks in her training...she's a machine!)
onto the half-way point...sucked. the realization that i had to do everything i had just done started to sink in. at mile 14 or 15 (memory is a little fuzzy at this point) i had to take a pee break. i'll admit it was a bit awkward hopping into a portapotty and swaying all around trying to go to the bathroom. at mile 16 or 17 i had officially hit the wall. most of you probably know what this is. it's when you say to yourself, "you. are. insane. why are you doing this to yourself? you'll never ever finish and your body is not going to work right ever again! stop running!!"
i was using GU (gel packs) to refuel throughout the race since i trained with them, but i had never had the chocolate flavor. right around mile 18 (i think) i grabbed a chocolate flavor GU from a volunteer by mistake but really needed it so i took it anyway. a half mile later at the next water stop i took water and a little gatorade...it didn't mix well in my stomach. i got a little nauseous and didn't take on any calories the rest of the race. so, the combination of hitting the wall and no fuel for the last 6.2 miles made it a little difficult. i ended up walking through water stops to finish out the race with a finish time of 04:46:52. a little longer than what i had hoped for...but honestly, i ran 26.2 miles so i'm not being too hard on myself. oh, and it was pretty awesome to be negative calories until 7:00 yesterday, too.
thanks to everyone who's been following my training, leaving me comments of encouragement, and letting me know that i can do anything i put my mind to. trust me...those were some of the things that helped me cross the finish line.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: running a full marathon is freakin' hard...but possible. now go try it for yourself!
week eighteen numbers:
starting weight: 184
monday - rest
tuesday - 4 miles / 34:13 (8:34)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 3 miles / 27:30 (9:10)
friday - rest
saturday - 26.2 / 04:46:52 (10:57)
sunday - just a little rest
total mileage for the week: 33.2 miles
ending weight: 182
total weight loss/gain: -2
4.24.2011
marathon training (week seventeen)
remember when i was training for that marathon and was a week away and freaking out? me too.
let the countdown begin friends. five days to go...
btw...i just want to go on record and say that i am super duper proud of emily lynn gould for training for her second half-marathon and everyone should wish her awesome-good luck!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: there is always a bigger issue in this world for me to worry about than some small little problem i am having. too many times (way too many times) i stress over something or freak out about something in my life and i completely forget about everyone else in this world. trust me...it can probably be a lot worse! i realized this on a run...
starting weight: 183
monday - rest
tuesday - rest
wednesday - 4 miles / 33:59 (8:30)
thursday - 3 miles / 25:44 (8:35)
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 6 miles / 55:00 (9:10)
total mileage for the week: 13 miles
ending weight: 184
total weight loss/gain: +1
"running is one of those things that can go straight to your head...and it gets there quick."
-tony freaking robert gould
let the countdown begin friends. five days to go...
btw...i just want to go on record and say that i am super duper proud of emily lynn gould for training for her second half-marathon and everyone should wish her awesome-good luck!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: there is always a bigger issue in this world for me to worry about than some small little problem i am having. too many times (way too many times) i stress over something or freak out about something in my life and i completely forget about everyone else in this world. trust me...it can probably be a lot worse! i realized this on a run...
week seventeen numbers:
starting weight: 183
monday - rest
tuesday - rest
wednesday - 4 miles / 33:59 (8:30)
thursday - 3 miles / 25:44 (8:35)
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 6 miles / 55:00 (9:10)
total mileage for the week: 13 miles
ending weight: 184
total weight loss/gain: +1
"running is one of those things that can go straight to your head...and it gets there quick."
-tony freaking robert gould
4.17.2011
marathon training (week sixteen)
there isn't really much to report this week for my training. i taper this week and next, so it should be a nice couple of weeks. honestly, according to my training plan, i tapered a little too much this week but next week i hope to stay on track. i actually had a little funny feeling in my right knee mid-week, so i decided to play it safe and just take it easy. so i did.
i got to run a three miler with emily earlier this week and i got to go out this morning (Sunday) and run a nice four miler with my dad so that's always fun. i think next week to top off my training my dad and i are going out to lake bloomington and running the outer loop (seven and a half miles i think).
can you believe that when i blog next week i'll be ONE WEEK OUT from the marathon!?! i'm freakin' out, maaan!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: tapering is the best part of training for a marathon.
starting weight: 183
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 22:02 (7:21)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 3 miles / 28:06 (9:22)
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 4 miles / 34:25 (8:37)
total mileage for the week: 10 miles
ending weight: 183
total weight loss/gain: 0
i got to run a three miler with emily earlier this week and i got to go out this morning (Sunday) and run a nice four miler with my dad so that's always fun. i think next week to top off my training my dad and i are going out to lake bloomington and running the outer loop (seven and a half miles i think).
can you believe that when i blog next week i'll be ONE WEEK OUT from the marathon!?! i'm freakin' out, maaan!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: tapering is the best part of training for a marathon.
week sixteen numbers:
starting weight: 183
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 22:02 (7:21)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 3 miles / 28:06 (9:22)
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 4 miles / 34:25 (8:37)
total mileage for the week: 10 miles
ending weight: 183
total weight loss/gain: 0
4.10.2011
marathon training (week fifteen)
ever since decided i wanted to complete a full marathon i knew it was going to be tough. it's one of those things that you can't really prepare for. i mean, of course i'm training and all, but i'm talking about full on pre-to-the-pare. i've read a few articles about 'week fifteen' and how it can make or break you. there are all sorts of horror stories. at the time...it got me fired up. now, in week fifteen...i'm crazy nervous.
my weekday runs went okay this week. i started strong, but ended feeling pretty fatigued on thursday after my four miler. on thursday, it was nice getting a run in early in the morning before work. that's always a great way to start a day.
one awesome run this week was my three miler on tuesday with emily. since it was one day without shoes we of course wanted to run barefoot...so we did. we ran part of our four mile loop then broke off around the two mile mark to head onto the golf course where we kicked off our shoes and socks. it was only my second time running barefoot and emily's first. it was a total blast to run with her all over the course barefoot like a couple of little kids laughing the entire time.
...and then came the twenty miler. twenty miles! just say it out loud with me, "twenty miles!" one more time and let's yell it, "TWENTY MILES!!" anyway, the weather was perfect; mid-sixties and hardly any wind. it did get warm toward the end when the sun came out full force, but it didn't really matter because i couldn't feel anything at that point. unfortunately, i didn't even think i would need sunscreen, and as a result i got a wicked sunburn. so we're all on the same page here, it's not the type of sunburn where the next day people are like, "dang tony...you got some nice color!" it's more like, "tony...what the crap were you doing yesterday that gave you such awkward sunburn lines?" you can literally tell that i had my arms up in a running position for over three hours and just happen to be wearing taller ankle socks. whatever though...when i was finally done (it took me about twenty minutes longer than i was hoping for) i could barely walk. i've never felt anything like it, folks. it was gnarly to say the least.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: the infamous week fifteen during marathon training does suck!
starting weight: 184
monday - 4 miles / 32:52 (8:13)
tuesday - 3 miles / 28:04 (9:22)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 4 miles / 35:55 (8:59)
friday - rest
saturday - 20 miles / 03:24:09 (10:13)
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 31 miles
ending weight: 183
total weight loss/gain: -1
my weekday runs went okay this week. i started strong, but ended feeling pretty fatigued on thursday after my four miler. on thursday, it was nice getting a run in early in the morning before work. that's always a great way to start a day.
one awesome run this week was my three miler on tuesday with emily. since it was one day without shoes we of course wanted to run barefoot...so we did. we ran part of our four mile loop then broke off around the two mile mark to head onto the golf course where we kicked off our shoes and socks. it was only my second time running barefoot and emily's first. it was a total blast to run with her all over the course barefoot like a couple of little kids laughing the entire time.
...and then came the twenty miler. twenty miles! just say it out loud with me, "twenty miles!" one more time and let's yell it, "TWENTY MILES!!" anyway, the weather was perfect; mid-sixties and hardly any wind. it did get warm toward the end when the sun came out full force, but it didn't really matter because i couldn't feel anything at that point. unfortunately, i didn't even think i would need sunscreen, and as a result i got a wicked sunburn. so we're all on the same page here, it's not the type of sunburn where the next day people are like, "dang tony...you got some nice color!" it's more like, "tony...what the crap were you doing yesterday that gave you such awkward sunburn lines?" you can literally tell that i had my arms up in a running position for over three hours and just happen to be wearing taller ankle socks. whatever though...when i was finally done (it took me about twenty minutes longer than i was hoping for) i could barely walk. i've never felt anything like it, folks. it was gnarly to say the least.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: the infamous week fifteen during marathon training does suck!
week fifteen numbers:
starting weight: 184
monday - 4 miles / 32:52 (8:13)
tuesday - 3 miles / 28:04 (9:22)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 4 miles / 35:55 (8:59)
friday - rest
saturday - 20 miles / 03:24:09 (10:13)
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 31 miles
ending weight: 183
total weight loss/gain: -1
4.03.2011
marathon training (week fourteen)
it was a decent week this week. i put a lot of pressure on myself to get all of my runs in and i'm happy with the way this week turned out. obviously, i didn't get the long run in that i wanted to (fourteen miler) but the ~seven i did this morning was phenomenal!
first off...the wind today is brutal! thirty mph winds with over forty mph gusts from the SSE is not a good wind to have when you do most of your running in the open/flat/boring country of illinois. the beginning of my route was great since i was running north. i sorta felt like i was running on the moon. the wind was actually pushing me, so it felt like i was barely doing anything. then i turned and headed east...bad. then i turned and headed south...impossible to breath! i realized i wasn't going to pull off fourteen without feeling miserable, so i broke off from my route and turned in toward town. i came up on a new golf course and all of a sudden i was off-roading it and heading toward the cart paths. it was a great feeling to not worry about my training, or that i wasn't going to be getting fourteen in this morning. i felt free. i felt happy. i felt like i was running just because i loved it. what made it even more awesome was what happened next. (and i'm not going to tell you...just kidding read on to the next paragraph!)
i got up toward the clubhouse and the next thing i knew i was kicking off my shoes and socks. at this point i had only ran about four miles, but once i was barefoot and started running on the course i felt like i had never run before. it felt so awesome and free and every other cliche word i can think of to say that running is some awesome natural relationship between the runner and the earth.
bottom line: i'm hooked. i know i probably went a little too far barefoot, but come on...when you're feeling it you're feeling it. once the marathon is done and out of the way (26 days 21 hours 37 minutes 30 seconds) i'm definitely doing more barefoot running!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: barefoot running is awesome!
starting weight: 188
monday - rest
tuesday - 5 miles / 42:21 (8:29)
wednesday - 4 miles / 34:07 (8:32)
thursday - rest
friday - 9 miles / 01:20:42 (8:58)
saturday - rest
sunday - 7 miles / 01:00:47 (8:41)
total mileage for the week: 25 miles
ending weight: 184
total weight loss/gain: -4
first off...the wind today is brutal! thirty mph winds with over forty mph gusts from the SSE is not a good wind to have when you do most of your running in the open/flat/boring country of illinois. the beginning of my route was great since i was running north. i sorta felt like i was running on the moon. the wind was actually pushing me, so it felt like i was barely doing anything. then i turned and headed east...bad. then i turned and headed south...impossible to breath! i realized i wasn't going to pull off fourteen without feeling miserable, so i broke off from my route and turned in toward town. i came up on a new golf course and all of a sudden i was off-roading it and heading toward the cart paths. it was a great feeling to not worry about my training, or that i wasn't going to be getting fourteen in this morning. i felt free. i felt happy. i felt like i was running just because i loved it. what made it even more awesome was what happened next. (and i'm not going to tell you...just kidding read on to the next paragraph!)
i got up toward the clubhouse and the next thing i knew i was kicking off my shoes and socks. at this point i had only ran about four miles, but once i was barefoot and started running on the course i felt like i had never run before. it felt so awesome and free and every other cliche word i can think of to say that running is some awesome natural relationship between the runner and the earth.
bottom line: i'm hooked. i know i probably went a little too far barefoot, but come on...when you're feeling it you're feeling it. once the marathon is done and out of the way (26 days 21 hours 37 minutes 30 seconds) i'm definitely doing more barefoot running!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: barefoot running is awesome!
week fourteen numbers:
starting weight: 188
monday - rest
tuesday - 5 miles / 42:21 (8:29)
wednesday - 4 miles / 34:07 (8:32)
thursday - rest
friday - 9 miles / 01:20:42 (8:58)
saturday - rest
sunday - 7 miles / 01:00:47 (8:41)
total mileage for the week: 25 miles
ending weight: 184
total weight loss/gain: -4
3.28.2011
marathon training (week thirteen)
with almost thirty days left until the marathon i really thought my training would be a lot different than how it's been going the past few weeks. to be completely honest...it's been hell. i almost can't put it into words how frustrated i am with myself over this. i know some people will find it ridiculous that i'm so hard on myself...and some days i'd agree, but those days are rare.
let me fill you in on what's been going on (in a nutshell). my training was going great and right on track and then three weeks ago i landed a sweet promotion that i had been waiting for for almost four months. then, the stress of this new job got the best of me. i used to be able to run apx. thirty miles a week in the middle of summer after working a nine hour day as a lawn tech (fyi - lawn tech work involves walking around eight-ten miles a day treating lawns). so i know i can push my body physically. up until a few weeks ago that's all i had to do. now, i have all of this mental stress (added on to my "normal" mental stress) and it's been really tough to get into a new routine. i've blown my diet, missed major runs, haven't seen the gym in weeks, and to top it off i tend to dwell on these things over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. and then some more.
i'm really determined to get back on track and figure out a routine, so tonight i'll do what i should've done a long time ago. i'm getting out the notebook and pen and doing some writing. i'm cancelling the pity party where i'm the only one invited and the party is so lame that i don't even show up and i'm gonna start doing life. life is way too awesome and short to be so worried about these little things. i know how to do all of this stuff and i know how to do it well, so i'm going back to where i started: way off track but determined and motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goal!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: life is hard for everyone. my life is probably not as hard as yours so why am i complaining? but if i find out my life is in fact harder than yours and you're complaining...i'm calling you out.
starting weight: 185
monday - 9 miles / 01:20:17 (8:56)
tuesday - 4 miles / 34:00 (8:30)
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 13 miles
ending weight: 188
total weight loss/gain: +3
let me fill you in on what's been going on (in a nutshell). my training was going great and right on track and then three weeks ago i landed a sweet promotion that i had been waiting for for almost four months. then, the stress of this new job got the best of me. i used to be able to run apx. thirty miles a week in the middle of summer after working a nine hour day as a lawn tech (fyi - lawn tech work involves walking around eight-ten miles a day treating lawns). so i know i can push my body physically. up until a few weeks ago that's all i had to do. now, i have all of this mental stress (added on to my "normal" mental stress) and it's been really tough to get into a new routine. i've blown my diet, missed major runs, haven't seen the gym in weeks, and to top it off i tend to dwell on these things over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. and then some more.
i'm really determined to get back on track and figure out a routine, so tonight i'll do what i should've done a long time ago. i'm getting out the notebook and pen and doing some writing. i'm cancelling the pity party where i'm the only one invited and the party is so lame that i don't even show up and i'm gonna start doing life. life is way too awesome and short to be so worried about these little things. i know how to do all of this stuff and i know how to do it well, so i'm going back to where i started: way off track but determined and motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goal!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: life is hard for everyone. my life is probably not as hard as yours so why am i complaining? but if i find out my life is in fact harder than yours and you're complaining...i'm calling you out.
week thirteen numbers:
starting weight: 185
monday - 9 miles / 01:20:17 (8:56)
tuesday - 4 miles / 34:00 (8:30)
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 13 miles
ending weight: 188
total weight loss/gain: +3
3.20.2011
marathon training (week twelve)
i'm getting there. trying to get into a new routine with this new job and the new hours has been a little harder than i thought it was going to be. i was a little worried last week/going into this week that i wasn't going to be able to figure out a new routine, but i think it's going to work. i mean...it has to, right?
i'm making it a goal this week: week thirteen is going to be awesome. i'm going to get all of my runs in and get my diet back on track. i'm gonna freakin' rock it!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: it's the best feeling in the world to finish a run.
week twelve numbers:
starting weight: 181
monday - 4.5 miles / not timed
tuesday - rest
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - 12 miles / 01:40:30 (8:23)
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 16.5 miles
ending weight: 185
total weight loss/gain: +4
i'm making it a goal this week: week thirteen is going to be awesome. i'm going to get all of my runs in and get my diet back on track. i'm gonna freakin' rock it!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: it's the best feeling in the world to finish a run.
week twelve numbers:
starting weight: 181
monday - 4.5 miles / not timed
tuesday - rest
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - 12 miles / 01:40:30 (8:23)
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 16.5 miles
ending weight: 185
total weight loss/gain: +4
3.13.2011
marathon training (week eleven)
wow...what a week. it was my first official week as service manager and it was a doozy. when i was just a lawn tech last year i rarely ever worked over forty hours. going into the winter, being inside doing shop work, i was stuck working forty hours...and i thought that was bad. turns out, being a manager you work more hours. who would've thought?
here's how it affected my running this week: i didn't run once. (WHAATTT!?!) i know...i'm thinking the same thing. i know taking some "time off" now and then is a good thing, but not when you're more than halfway into marathon training. i had a big week planned this week. over thirty freakin' miles, man! needless to say, i'm bummin this week to an eleven (ironic that it's week eleven in training, huh?)
on a more downer note, itwas is really hard for me to not feel lazy about not running or going to the gym. it didn't help that this week i got completely off track with my diet and ate like total trash. it was what some would call a perfect storm. good thing is...storms pass and then comes the super rad sunshine after. yikes, that was pretty cheeseball writing. sorry about that.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: i am not a machine. i need rest and cannot push myself harder and harder each week. my body literally shut down on me this week forcing me to realize that resting and rejuving (think i made that word up) are nothing but good things.
week eleven numbers:
starting weight: 178
monday - rest
tuesday - rest
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 00 miles
ending weight: 181
total weight loss/gain: +3
here's how it affected my running this week: i didn't run once. (WHAATTT!?!) i know...i'm thinking the same thing. i know taking some "time off" now and then is a good thing, but not when you're more than halfway into marathon training. i had a big week planned this week. over thirty freakin' miles, man! needless to say, i'm bummin this week to an eleven (ironic that it's week eleven in training, huh?)
on a more downer note, it
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: i am not a machine. i need rest and cannot push myself harder and harder each week. my body literally shut down on me this week forcing me to realize that resting and rejuving (think i made that word up) are nothing but good things.
week eleven numbers:
starting weight: 178
monday - rest
tuesday - rest
wednesday - rest
thursday - rest
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 00 miles
ending weight: 181
total weight loss/gain: +3
3.06.2011
marathon training (week ten)
running...i feel like i talk/think about it too much. i've started to realize this from facebook. i have a couple of 'friends' on fb that only update their status about one thing. it's usually some hobby or something that they specifically care about. sometimes i feel like i might be like that. i definitely don't want to turn people away because i talk about a hobby too much. is it an addiction? yes. i'll admit it. i am addicted to running. since i admitted it though no one can give me grief, right?
this week wasn't as hard as i thought it would be. let me rephrase that...this week was tough, but my times were really good (for me). i actually felt like i got stronger this week. i realized that my breathing was great during all of my runs and my legs aren't doing too bad either.
then the fifteen miler rolled around...what. the. cuss!? i'll just say this...it was predictable. it was what you'd picture running for fifteen miles being like. then add in eighteen mile per hour winds from the north, ginormous snow flakes, and dehydration and there you go!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: talking to a fellow runner is about the best motivation you can get. a corporate guy was at our branch today (03/01/11) to talk agronomics with us for the upcoming season and i found out a while ago he's a runner. naturally, i felt compelled to bring it up to build a little rapport with him. turns out, he's done around five marathons. chicago, nyc, one in seattle, and even the infamous boston! say whaa!? anyway...it was awesome to talk with him about my training and getting all of the advice/tips from him. he really pumped me up and gave me the whole "i think i can really do this" type of feeling...which is always nice!
week ten numbers:
starting weight: 180
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 21:47 (7:16)
wednesday - 4 miles / 32:49 (8:13)
thursday - 7 miles / 56:16 (8:03)
friday - rest
saturday - 15 miles / 02:26:25 (9:46)
sunday - rest!!
total mileage for the week: 29 miles
ending weight: 178
total weight loss/gain: -2
this week wasn't as hard as i thought it would be. let me rephrase that...this week was tough, but my times were really good (for me). i actually felt like i got stronger this week. i realized that my breathing was great during all of my runs and my legs aren't doing too bad either.
then the fifteen miler rolled around...what. the. cuss!? i'll just say this...it was predictable. it was what you'd picture running for fifteen miles being like. then add in eighteen mile per hour winds from the north, ginormous snow flakes, and dehydration and there you go!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: talking to a fellow runner is about the best motivation you can get. a corporate guy was at our branch today (03/01/11) to talk agronomics with us for the upcoming season and i found out a while ago he's a runner. naturally, i felt compelled to bring it up to build a little rapport with him. turns out, he's done around five marathons. chicago, nyc, one in seattle, and even the infamous boston! say whaa!? anyway...it was awesome to talk with him about my training and getting all of the advice/tips from him. he really pumped me up and gave me the whole "i think i can really do this" type of feeling...which is always nice!
week ten numbers:
starting weight: 180
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 21:47 (7:16)
wednesday - 4 miles / 32:49 (8:13)
thursday - 7 miles / 56:16 (8:03)
friday - rest
saturday - 15 miles / 02:26:25 (9:46)
sunday - rest!!
total mileage for the week: 29 miles
ending weight: 178
total weight loss/gain: -2
2.27.2011
marathon training (week nine)
this week has been a tough running week. i felt major fatigue all week and my head just wasn't in it. it's a little frustrating actually because i'm normally really optimistic even while running. lately though...it's been rough. i'll find myself thinking during the entire run how i don't want to be running. it's clearly a sign that i might need a little time off. well...too bad. :)
i also got a wicked bad chest cold last week that prevented me from sleeping good at night. i normally get about six hours of sleep (i know it's not enough), but with all of the coughing i was doing it was even less than six. i finally went to the doctor tuesday and got put on a five-day antibiotic which i think is helping. she even told me (not sure if this is a good thing or not) that i could continue to train...just as long as i "try to take it a little easy...maybe slow your pace down." no problem, doc!
and of course you all heard i got the promotion at work, right? i mean...it's not like that is now my most popular blog post ever (by like three times as much as any other post). the job is going great, too!!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: i NEED a minimalist shoe. yes, i'm going to be trendy and make the switch to a minimalist shoe. i don't even care. that's all. i'm planning on getting these next time i'm willing to spend money on running shoes.
week nine numbers:
starting weight: 178
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 26:41 (8:47)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 7 miles / 01:03:30 (9:05)
friday - 4 miles / 33:40 (8:25) 30 minutes strength training
saturday - rest
sunday - 10 miles / 01:32:41 (9:17)
total mileage for the week: 24 miles
ending weight: 180
total weight loss/gain: +2
i also got a wicked bad chest cold last week that prevented me from sleeping good at night. i normally get about six hours of sleep (i know it's not enough), but with all of the coughing i was doing it was even less than six. i finally went to the doctor tuesday and got put on a five-day antibiotic which i think is helping. she even told me (not sure if this is a good thing or not) that i could continue to train...just as long as i "try to take it a little easy...maybe slow your pace down." no problem, doc!
and of course you all heard i got the promotion at work, right? i mean...it's not like that is now my most popular blog post ever (by like three times as much as any other post). the job is going great, too!!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: i NEED a minimalist shoe. yes, i'm going to be trendy and make the switch to a minimalist shoe. i don't even care. that's all. i'm planning on getting these next time i'm willing to spend money on running shoes.
week nine numbers:
starting weight: 178
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 26:41 (8:47)
wednesday - rest
thursday - 7 miles / 01:03:30 (9:05)
friday - 4 miles / 33:40 (8:25) 30 minutes strength training
saturday - rest
sunday - 10 miles / 01:32:41 (9:17)
total mileage for the week: 24 miles
ending weight: 180
total weight loss/gain: +2
2.20.2011
marathon training (week eight)
this week was stressful. did you happen to catch my earlier post this week about stress? i did my best to handle it and try to deal, but dude...it's really starting to wear me down. it didn't help that i got a wicked chest virus thing that caused me to have the worst cough ever and a really bad sore throat. the good part is...a new week/day is beginning and i'm feeling good about it.
i've made some changes in the past couple years and one of the changes i'm most proud of is being more optimistic. it truly does have an affect on your everyday life. seriously, it does. there have been studies done. just ask emily (i should make a t-shirt with that saying on it). luck and coincidence and karma and all that other crap pessimistic people try to blame it on has nothing to do with it. optimism wins.
so how does this all tie into running you ask? great question, my friend. when you're working toward something, wanting some change in your life, or simply trying to adjust your perspective...your attitude (ie being optimistic) is everything! our minds are a crazy thing...and the best part is, is that we do actually have control over it.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: stress is fuel for faster times. in my opinion, it's really important for people to have ways to relieve stress. for example...playing guitar or listening to some really good music is a big stress reliever for me. lately, reading has helped, too. in some cases, like today (2/15/11), running was the best way to relieve stress. my day sucked, so i took it out on the road. (that sounds like it could be in a running commercial or something, right? no?)
one extra thing i learned about running because i love learning: there are some people in this world that do not give a crap about what you do...but that does not matter. keep doing what you believe in! no matter what anyone says/thinks/does.
week eight numbers:
starting weight: 175
monday - rest / 30 minutes strength training
tuesday - 3 miles / 23:35 (7:52)
wednesday - 6 miles / 50:59 (8:30) / 30 minutes strength training
thursday - 3 miles / 20:15 (6:45) fastest 5k yet. i feel like a baller.
friday - rest
saturday - 13 miles / 01:58:13 (9:06)
sunday - REST!
total mileage for the week: 25 miles
ending weight: 178
total weight loss/gain: +3
just a funny commercial. enjoy!
i've made some changes in the past couple years and one of the changes i'm most proud of is being more optimistic. it truly does have an affect on your everyday life. seriously, it does. there have been studies done. just ask emily (i should make a t-shirt with that saying on it). luck and coincidence and karma and all that other crap pessimistic people try to blame it on has nothing to do with it. optimism wins.
so how does this all tie into running you ask? great question, my friend. when you're working toward something, wanting some change in your life, or simply trying to adjust your perspective...your attitude (ie being optimistic) is everything! our minds are a crazy thing...and the best part is, is that we do actually have control over it.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: stress is fuel for faster times. in my opinion, it's really important for people to have ways to relieve stress. for example...playing guitar or listening to some really good music is a big stress reliever for me. lately, reading has helped, too. in some cases, like today (2/15/11), running was the best way to relieve stress. my day sucked, so i took it out on the road. (that sounds like it could be in a running commercial or something, right? no?)
one extra thing i learned about running because i love learning: there are some people in this world that do not give a crap about what you do...but that does not matter. keep doing what you believe in! no matter what anyone says/thinks/does.
week eight numbers:
starting weight: 175
monday - rest / 30 minutes strength training
tuesday - 3 miles / 23:35 (7:52)
wednesday - 6 miles / 50:59 (8:30) / 30 minutes strength training
thursday - 3 miles / 20:15 (6:45) fastest 5k yet. i feel like a baller.
friday - rest
saturday - 13 miles / 01:58:13 (9:06)
sunday - REST!
total mileage for the week: 25 miles
ending weight: 178
total weight loss/gain: +3
just a funny commercial. enjoy!
2.13.2011
marathon training (week seven)
this week i went on a "business trip" tuesday through thursday. it was the first work trip i've ever gone on. it was an experience. to fill you all in, because this has everything to do with running, i'm up for a promotion at work.
i work at trugreen as a lawn specialist (the dude who treats lawns), but a while back i was approached by a supervisor asking me if i'd be interested in moving up in the company. so, here i am now going for service manager (the person who runs production and manages all of the specialists) and it involved some extensive training that happened to be this week. the hotel i stayed at was in a very industrial/stop light-y area, so it was almost impossible to get a good run/route in. so guess what? i was forced to use their fitness center (which was very nice) and ended up running on a treadmill. ironic right? the week after the blizzard and me complaining about using a treadmill...i'm stuck using a treadmill again. and this week...it involved a six miler.
my long run today was twelve miles. twelves miles of suck. it was hard. i'm talking about the kind of hard workout when you want to give up, but deep down you know it'll hurt worse to give up than just keep going. it took everything i had plus an adrenaline boost from a bad driver that made me mad to finish today. i did it in decent time...but of course i would've liked to finish quicker. go figure!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: running is what you make it. duh, right? not really. i just finished reading born to run and i actually ended up learning a lot from it. it was one of those books that i almost didn't want to read because it is SO popular in the running community. then i realized i'm not cool enough to decide when not to follow trends...so i caved.
i work at trugreen as a lawn specialist (the dude who treats lawns), but a while back i was approached by a supervisor asking me if i'd be interested in moving up in the company. so, here i am now going for service manager (the person who runs production and manages all of the specialists) and it involved some extensive training that happened to be this week. the hotel i stayed at was in a very industrial/stop light-y area, so it was almost impossible to get a good run/route in. so guess what? i was forced to use their fitness center (which was very nice) and ended up running on a treadmill. ironic right? the week after the blizzard and me complaining about using a treadmill...i'm stuck using a treadmill again. and this week...it involved a six miler.
my long run today was twelve miles. twelves miles of suck. it was hard. i'm talking about the kind of hard workout when you want to give up, but deep down you know it'll hurt worse to give up than just keep going. it took everything i had plus an adrenaline boost from a bad driver that made me mad to finish today. i did it in decent time...but of course i would've liked to finish quicker. go figure!
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: running is what you make it. duh, right? not really. i just finished reading born to run and i actually ended up learning a lot from it. it was one of those books that i almost didn't want to read because it is SO popular in the running community. then i realized i'm not cool enough to decide when not to follow trends...so i caved.
week seven numbers:
starting weight: 179
monday - rest
tuesday - 6 miles / 53:01 (8:51)
wednesday - 3 miles / 24:30 (8:01)
thursday - rest
friday - 3 miles / 25:20 (8:27)
saturday - rest
sunday - 12 miles / 01:52:35 (9:23)
total mileage for the week: 24 miles
ending weight: 175
total weight loss/gain: -4 (thanks to the Hyatt for not offering vegetarian friendly meals)
2.06.2011
marathon training (week six)
me: man, this week is going to be a good training week. less miles = not as hard.
blizzard: oh, tony...you dummie. nothing comes easy...and this i will show you.
me: i like snow. after all...it is illinois and snow tends to happen here. whatevs, blizzard.
blizzard: seriously...i am a blizzard and your breathable running clothes are no match.
that's basically how it went this week. the freakin' blizzardkept forced me to stay inside and run on the dreadmill. yeah...the "DREADMILL!" now, i can handle a two or three mile easy run on a treadmill, but if i have to do anything over three...i get a little angry. ok..a lot angry. (thank you emily for sneaking around paparazzi style and snagging gracious photos of me to post on my blog.)
starting weight: 180
monday - rest / stretching
tuesday - 3 miles / 25:54 (8:38) too icy out to be "safe," completed on the dreadmill
wednesday - 5 miles / 45:44 (9:09) too drifty and unsafe, completed on the stupid dreadmill!
thursday - 3 miles / 24:24 (8:08) guess where? yep.
friday - rest
saturday - 7 miles / 01:02:11 (8:53) outside!!
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 18 miles
ending weight: 179
total weight loss/gain: -1
blizzard: oh, tony...you dummie. nothing comes easy...and this i will show you.
me: i like snow. after all...it is illinois and snow tends to happen here. whatevs, blizzard.
blizzard: seriously...i am a blizzard and your breathable running clothes are no match.
that's basically how it went this week. the freakin' blizzard
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: it snows in illinois, people. running in it is a blast. most times. unless it's life-threatening...
week six numbers:
starting weight: 180
monday - rest / stretching
tuesday - 3 miles / 25:54 (8:38) too icy out to be "safe," completed on the dreadmill
wednesday - 5 miles / 45:44 (9:09) too drifty and unsafe, completed on the stupid dreadmill!
thursday - 3 miles / 24:24 (8:08) guess where? yep.
friday - rest
saturday - 7 miles / 01:02:11 (8:53) outside!!
sunday - rest
total mileage for the week: 18 miles
ending weight: 179
total weight loss/gain: -1
1.30.2011
marathon training (week five)
i'm feeling tired this week. like...physically, emotionally, metaphysically, and super-megaphysically. it might have something to do with the fact that i get an average of 5.4 hours of sleep per night, or it could have something to do with the fact that i'm training for a marathon. either way...i'm exhausted. but guess what? i'm not stopping! (hoots and hollers in the background) i've also been reading anything i can find on scott jurek and finishing up the book born to run to use for motivation/inspiration.
i switched up my diet a week or so ago. i'll be honest...it was a good move (so far). i've always read/heard about athletes doing a five to six micromeal a day diet, but i never really got interested in it. that is, until i realized what that meant. i could literally eat every couple hours with no guilt. if planned right (which we all know i'm a planner) it can work out awesome...and it has so far (except for the days where iaccidentally don't eat enough and then eat too much to get "caught back up").
another thing...did you know i'm into music? well, i'm not really...but i did just stumble across a cool band called My Dad Vs. Yours. along with a funny name (of course, my dad would win!)...they are really talented band. i'd say it's for fans of Explosions In The Sky or Unwed Sailor type bands. you know...bands that are so cool they don't need a singer?
my gym workouts have been going really good, too. i was able to go twice this week (which is my goal), but some weeks are harder than others. i've been gaining some muscle, so at least i know i'm doing something right, right? right. it sucks to see the number on the scale move up though...but that's a totally different story.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: there are days when you really don't want to run...and you don't really even need to run, but you do anyway. and then? you feel freakin' GREAT! then a couple days later you forget all about this phenomenon until you run when you don't feel like it and you're reminded of how awesome it feels!
week five numbers:
starting weight: 178.4
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 25:43 (8:35) 30 minutes of strength training
wednesday - 5 miles / 44:21 (8:53)
thursday - 3 miles / 26:00 (8.40) 30 minutes of strength training
friday - rest! (resting with an exclamation point is the best)
saturday - 10 miles / 01:32:51 (9:18)
sunday - rest and praising the Lord!
total mileage for the week: 21 miles
ending weight: 180
total weight loss/gain: +1.6
i switched up my diet a week or so ago. i'll be honest...it was a good move (so far). i've always read/heard about athletes doing a five to six micromeal a day diet, but i never really got interested in it. that is, until i realized what that meant. i could literally eat every couple hours with no guilt. if planned right (which we all know i'm a planner) it can work out awesome...and it has so far (except for the days where i
another thing...did you know i'm into music? well, i'm not really...but i did just stumble across a cool band called My Dad Vs. Yours. along with a funny name (of course, my dad would win!)...they are really talented band. i'd say it's for fans of Explosions In The Sky or Unwed Sailor type bands. you know...bands that are so cool they don't need a singer?
my gym workouts have been going really good, too. i was able to go twice this week (which is my goal), but some weeks are harder than others. i've been gaining some muscle, so at least i know i'm doing something right, right? right. it sucks to see the number on the scale move up though...but that's a totally different story.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: there are days when you really don't want to run...and you don't really even need to run, but you do anyway. and then? you feel freakin' GREAT! then a couple days later you forget all about this phenomenon until you run when you don't feel like it and you're reminded of how awesome it feels!
week five numbers:
starting weight: 178.4
monday - rest
tuesday - 3 miles / 25:43 (8:35) 30 minutes of strength training
wednesday - 5 miles / 44:21 (8:53)
thursday - 3 miles / 26:00 (8.40) 30 minutes of strength training
friday - rest! (resting with an exclamation point is the best)
saturday - 10 miles / 01:32:51 (9:18)
sunday - rest and praising the Lord!
total mileage for the week: 21 miles
ending weight: 180
total weight loss/gain: +1.6
1.23.2011
marathon training (week four)
useless fact disclaimer...four is my lucky number. so, now you know. it feels good to be on week four of training. i was a little worried (mostly in the way your mom used to worry about you driving through parklands at night because deer are always around there and assuming you're speeding like a punk kid type of way) about any type of pain coming back in my legs. awesome to say...pain is nowhere to be found.
the week kicked off with me doing my four mile run instead of the scheduled three. i really missed my original four mile route, so i did it tuesday. it felt great and i ran it in a pretty good time. the rest of my week went pretty good, too. besides the cold weather (it's illinois, people!) i really felt great all week.
the nine miles today was just as you might think a nine mile run would be when it's five degrees out with a bit of a wind from the northeast. it was the type of run where all of a sudden you're caught thinking, "i'm not going to make it. i'm going to freeze to death out here and no one will find me...ever." now, one might say, "well, tony...shouldn't you feel a little safer since you have a road ID?" and my response would be, "yes, if i would've remembered to take it off my old pair of shoes and put it on my new ones, but i didn't so that automatically means if i die out here from cold no one will know who i am." (obviously, i run out in the wilderness where civilization is nowhere to be found.)
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: people in cars are not your friend. while running, consider all vehicles heat seeking missiles directed at you. be prepared to hop off the road into a freezing cold snowy mud mix while almost falling but still managing to keep pace while turning around to give a nice, "hey thanks for keeping me on my toes, Jesus loves You" wave.
week four numbers:
starting weight: 179
monday - rest
tuesday - 4 miler / 32:24 (8:06 miles)
wednesday - 3 miles / 23:10 (7:44) (sidenote...this is the fastest i've ever done three. should be faster.)
thursday - 3 miles / 24:54 (8:18)
friday - rest (stretched my legs every other hour...my hamstrings are WAY tight)
saturday - 30 minutes of strength training & a one mile (resistance 8) on a stationery bike
sunday - 9 miles / 01:19:47 (8:52)
total mileage for the week: 19 miles
ending weight: 178.4
total weight loss/gain: -0.6
the week kicked off with me doing my four mile run instead of the scheduled three. i really missed my original four mile route, so i did it tuesday. it felt great and i ran it in a pretty good time. the rest of my week went pretty good, too. besides the cold weather (it's illinois, people!) i really felt great all week.
the nine miles today was just as you might think a nine mile run would be when it's five degrees out with a bit of a wind from the northeast. it was the type of run where all of a sudden you're caught thinking, "i'm not going to make it. i'm going to freeze to death out here and no one will find me...ever." now, one might say, "well, tony...shouldn't you feel a little safer since you have a road ID?" and my response would be, "yes, if i would've remembered to take it off my old pair of shoes and put it on my new ones, but i didn't so that automatically means if i die out here from cold no one will know who i am." (obviously, i run out in the wilderness where civilization is nowhere to be found.)
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one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: people in cars are not your friend. while running, consider all vehicles heat seeking missiles directed at you. be prepared to hop off the road into a freezing cold snowy mud mix while almost falling but still managing to keep pace while turning around to give a nice, "hey thanks for keeping me on my toes, Jesus loves You" wave.
week four numbers:
starting weight: 179
monday - rest
tuesday - 4 miler / 32:24 (8:06 miles)
wednesday - 3 miles / 23:10 (7:44) (sidenote...this is the fastest i've ever done three. should be faster.)
thursday - 3 miles / 24:54 (8:18)
friday - rest (stretched my legs every other hour...my hamstrings are WAY tight)
saturday - 30 minutes of strength training & a one mile (resistance 8) on a stationery bike
sunday - 9 miles / 01:19:47 (8:52)
total mileage for the week: 19 miles
ending weight: 178.4
total weight loss/gain: -0.6
1.16.2011
marathon training (week three)
this week started out a little sketchy. as you remember (because it was sooooo long ago) i had a miserable run on sunday, so i was a little worried how monday was going to feel. surprisingly, i woke up feeling a little stiff, but once i got to work, all of the stiffness kind of just went away. i tried my best to stretch my legs as much as i could throughout the day. i have to admit...having coworkers walk in on you while you're stretching your quads is just a little embarrassing...not like "full-on embarrassing" but quite close.
my four miler today (01/12/11) was SO good. man, i love a good run! i wish i knew what i did different to make me run like that...two thumbs up. although it was a brisk twenty degrees out with a MAJOR wind from the northwest...i was "flying" and felt great at the same time! people were driving by cheering me on and yelling how skinny i looked and that i was running so fast and all that cool stuff that didn't really happen but in my mind it did. (now you see why i use run-on sentences so often it works great in jokes and storytelling.)
good news for you, too. week four i start timing all my runs. it should be exciting/humiliating. mostly excited because i've felt like i've gotten a little stronger, so i'm hoping it shows in my times. i also broke in my new shoes for training. i'm using a pair of saucony progrid guide 3's and plan on getting a second pair to work into my training to use for the race. by the time i get closer to the race the pair i just broke in will be ready to retire, so i'll need a back-up pair to be race ready. comprende?
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: rest days are hard. i can't STAND taking time off of running (hours/days/months). but, as i learned the hard way, and reminded by my friend tyler....you have to know when to say enough is enough and take a freakin' break! my legs say thank you.
week three numbers:
starting weight: 180
monday - rest (lots of stretching)
tuesday - 3 miler*
wednesday - 4 miler (a fantastic four, original, right? seriously...it was great! fast and fun!)
thursday - 3 miler (second fastest ever @ 23:44) and 40 minutes of strength training before work
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 5 miler (up at Emily's aunt and uncle's place. i consider them my aunt and uncle. and they have nice running grounds up there.)
total mileage for the week: 15 miles
ending weight: 179
total weight loss/gain: -1
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
my four miler today (01/12/11) was SO good. man, i love a good run! i wish i knew what i did different to make me run like that...two thumbs up. although it was a brisk twenty degrees out with a MAJOR wind from the northwest...i was "flying" and felt great at the same time! people were driving by cheering me on and yelling how skinny i looked and that i was running so fast and all that cool stuff that didn't really happen but in my mind it did. (now you see why i use run-on sentences so often it works great in jokes and storytelling.)
good news for you, too. week four i start timing all my runs. it should be exciting/humiliating. mostly excited because i've felt like i've gotten a little stronger, so i'm hoping it shows in my times. i also broke in my new shoes for training. i'm using a pair of saucony progrid guide 3's and plan on getting a second pair to work into my training to use for the race. by the time i get closer to the race the pair i just broke in will be ready to retire, so i'll need a back-up pair to be race ready. comprende?
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: rest days are hard. i can't STAND taking time off of running (hours/days/months). but, as i learned the hard way, and reminded by my friend tyler....you have to know when to say enough is enough and take a freakin' break! my legs say thank you.
week three numbers:
starting weight: 180
monday - rest (lots of stretching)
tuesday - 3 miler*
wednesday - 4 miler (a fantastic four, original, right? seriously...it was great! fast and fun!)
thursday - 3 miler (second fastest ever @ 23:44) and 40 minutes of strength training before work
friday - rest
saturday - rest
sunday - 5 miler (up at Emily's aunt and uncle's place. i consider them my aunt and uncle. and they have nice running grounds up there.)
total mileage for the week: 15 miles
ending weight: 179
total weight loss/gain: -1
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
1.09.2011
marathon training (week two)
today (1/07/11) was one of those days where i feel like i'm not a real runner. you know...a "runner," runner. it's easy to come out with it now. i'm hard on myself. a little too hard. not like...i hate myself, but i'm pretty much a jerk sometimes to myself. simply put. i don't see myself as a runner that's for sure. i still see myself as..well..i won't say "heavy," but i don't see myself thin either. it's a struggle i have. i won't lie here...it's been one of the hardest things i've dealt with since i've lost the weight. gaining a new self image and self confidence to go along with it was harder than i could ever imagine. emily will attest to this...i've said it before, "if i would've known it'd be this hard...i would've never lost the weight to begin with!" obviously, i don't really think that...but some days it feels that way.
running 20 miles a week automatically makes you stick thin, right? wrong.
working out 3-4 times a week automatically makes you get ripped, right? wrong.
counting calories until your friends and family poke fun of you makes you thin, right? wrong.
reading health magazines/articles makes you healthy, right? wrong.
realizing that some days suck and you mess up and overeat, but knowing tomorrow you can move on and be the healthy, fit dude you truly are makes you thin, right? you're on the right track.
today (1/09/11) i did my 7 mile long run. i made it out right around 7am with a temperature of 3 degrees, but no wind. honestly...it was one of the most miserable runs i have ever experienced. i'm the type of runner that normally gets into the "groove" about a mile into a run. well, today, it never happened. what did happen, you ask? my legs were cramping, i couldn't get warm, my left contact was really aggravating my eye, i had to pee, the crown of the road was messing with my right shin, my gloves felt too tight, the wind picked up each mile, and not to give out too much information (if i preface a sentence with that it probably means i'm going to give out too much information), but my "dude parts" were frozen. with all that said, running today absolutely sucked. it was the type of run when you finally finish you say, "what the crap am i doing this for? seriously...that was miserable!" now as i sit here in a nice warm house after a warm shower wearing warm clothes and warm slippers eating three bananas...i'm shivering cold! isn't running a total smash!?
something that is a little stressful and has me a bit worried is the "minor discomfort" (that's runner-talk for pain, but being too stubborn to admit it) in my right shin. i'm praying it was just from the crown of the road or even that the shoes i'm in have about 310 miles on them. they normally last about 350 give or take a few.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: no matter what i say/do/think/feel/hear....i LOVE running!
week two numbers:
starting weight: 177.4
monday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training)
tuesday - 3 miler*
wednesday - 3 miler**
thursday - 3 miler (too fast)
friday - rest! and rest!
saturday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training)
sunday - 7 mile long run***
total mileage for the week: 16 miles
ending weight: 180 (lame)
total weight loss/gain: +2.6
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
enjoy this. if it ever seems as if i am this guy...please, please let me know. just not while i'm running. :)
running 20 miles a week automatically makes you stick thin, right? wrong.
working out 3-4 times a week automatically makes you get ripped, right? wrong.
counting calories until your friends and family poke fun of you makes you thin, right? wrong.
reading health magazines/articles makes you healthy, right? wrong.
realizing that some days suck and you mess up and overeat, but knowing tomorrow you can move on and be the healthy, fit dude you truly are makes you thin, right? you're on the right track.
today (1/09/11) i did my 7 mile long run. i made it out right around 7am with a temperature of 3 degrees, but no wind. honestly...it was one of the most miserable runs i have ever experienced. i'm the type of runner that normally gets into the "groove" about a mile into a run. well, today, it never happened. what did happen, you ask? my legs were cramping, i couldn't get warm, my left contact was really aggravating my eye, i had to pee, the crown of the road was messing with my right shin, my gloves felt too tight, the wind picked up each mile, and not to give out too much information (if i preface a sentence with that it probably means i'm going to give out too much information), but my "dude parts" were frozen. with all that said, running today absolutely sucked. it was the type of run when you finally finish you say, "what the crap am i doing this for? seriously...that was miserable!" now as i sit here in a nice warm house after a warm shower wearing warm clothes and warm slippers eating three bananas...i'm shivering cold! isn't running a total smash!?
something that is a little stressful and has me a bit worried is the "minor discomfort" (that's runner-talk for pain, but being too stubborn to admit it) in my right shin. i'm praying it was just from the crown of the road or even that the shoes i'm in have about 310 miles on them. they normally last about 350 give or take a few.
one thing i learned/re-learned this week in regards to running: no matter what i say/do/think/feel/hear....i LOVE running!
week two numbers:
starting weight: 177.4
monday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training)
tuesday - 3 miler*
wednesday - 3 miler**
thursday - 3 miler (too fast)
friday - rest! and rest!
saturday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training)
sunday - 7 mile long run***
total mileage for the week: 16 miles
ending weight: 180 (lame)
total weight loss/gain: +2.6
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
enjoy this. if it ever seems as if i am this guy...please, please let me know. just not while i'm running. :)
1.03.2011
marathon training (week one)
game on! week one is done. only seventeen more to go!
my weeks start on mondays and end with a long run on sundays. week one was not really the way i wanted my training to start. somehow i got sick over Christmas weekend. it was almost like the flu, but it only lasted a couple days. needless to say...it was freakin' awful training with all that happening! during one of my runs (no pun intended) i actually threw up. luckily i wasn't around too many houses, so i'm pretty sure no one saw. can you imagine if you saw a runner throw up midrun? honestly...i kind of felt hardcore. well, not at the time. at the time i was thinking, "what am i doing out here!?! why is this so important!?! what did i eat that looks like that!?!" and then i finished and learned the answer...to at least the first two questions i was contemplating.
my legs feel good. most importantly...i don't feel any knee pain most of the day, so that's a really good sign. late sunday afternoon after the six miler i felt a little achiness in both knees, but it seemed to fade out by later in the evening. it feels SO good to get back into running. being off because of an injury is honestly really hard for me. it makes me feel lazy and stressed. i know it's silly...but at the same time, i know other runners totally understand this feeling.
in case anyone is interested in my times for each of my runs...i'll be timing all of my runs once i get into week three. the first couple of weeks i really want to focus on getting back into the 'training mindset' and not focus solely on time. you know...like i'll be doing the last fifteen weeks of training.
one thing i learned this week in regards to running: i'm still not a fan of listening to music while running...but i do love listening to some blues or jazz before i head out.
week one numbers:
starting weight: 181.3
monday - rest (what better way to kick off training, right?)
tuesday - 3 miler comfortable pace* (cp)
wednesday - 3 miler marathon pace** (mp)
thursday - 3 miler (cp)
friday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training and 5 miles on stationary bike with level 10 resistance)
saturday - rest (happy new year)
sunday - 6 mile long run*** (cp)
total mileage for the week: 15 miles
ending weight: 177.4
total weight loss/gain: -3.9
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
my weeks start on mondays and end with a long run on sundays. week one was not really the way i wanted my training to start. somehow i got sick over Christmas weekend. it was almost like the flu, but it only lasted a couple days. needless to say...it was freakin' awful training with all that happening! during one of my runs (no pun intended) i actually threw up. luckily i wasn't around too many houses, so i'm pretty sure no one saw. can you imagine if you saw a runner throw up midrun? honestly...i kind of felt hardcore. well, not at the time. at the time i was thinking, "what am i doing out here!?! why is this so important!?! what did i eat that looks like that!?!" and then i finished and learned the answer...to at least the first two questions i was contemplating.
my legs feel good. most importantly...i don't feel any knee pain most of the day, so that's a really good sign. late sunday afternoon after the six miler i felt a little achiness in both knees, but it seemed to fade out by later in the evening. it feels SO good to get back into running. being off because of an injury is honestly really hard for me. it makes me feel lazy and stressed. i know it's silly...but at the same time, i know other runners totally understand this feeling.
in case anyone is interested in my times for each of my runs...i'll be timing all of my runs once i get into week three. the first couple of weeks i really want to focus on getting back into the 'training mindset' and not focus solely on time. you know...like i'll be doing the last fifteen weeks of training.
one thing i learned this week in regards to running: i'm still not a fan of listening to music while running...but i do love listening to some blues or jazz before i head out.
week one numbers:
starting weight: 181.3
monday - rest (what better way to kick off training, right?)
tuesday - 3 miler comfortable pace* (cp)
wednesday - 3 miler marathon pace** (mp)
thursday - 3 miler (cp)
friday - cross training (30 minutes of strength training and 5 miles on stationary bike with level 10 resistance)
saturday - rest (happy new year)
sunday - 6 mile long run*** (cp)
total mileage for the week: 15 miles
ending weight: 177.4
total weight loss/gain: -3.9
*comfortable pace = somewhere between 8:00 - 8:45 miles
**marathon pace = my goal is sub 4:00:00, so i'm shooting for right around 9:00 miles
***long runs = just finish :)
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