half ironman triathlon training

holy crap y'all...it's been way too long. seriously, the last time i posted anything in the blogosphere was thanksgiving 2012!?! ok, that's not entirely true. i've done several posts over here, so there's the proof i haven't been entirely lazy.

more proof i'm not entirely lazy? i'm starting to train for my first half-ironman distance triathlon. that's a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and then a 13.1 mile run to top it off. 70.3 miles of endurance fun. you might remember that i completed my first ever triathlon last summer and absolutely loved it! the difference between last summer's tri and the one i'll be completing this summer? approximately 40 miles. wowza! it's all good though. that's what training is for!

as i did when training for my first marathon, i'll be using my blog as a super original, never thought of before, way to track my training progress. i'll post weekly updates and post details on workouts, how i'm feeling, and probably tracking weight. i mean, obviously i have a TON of followers here on my blog and i know you are all anxious to see how it goes. put your seat belts on friends. it's going to get interesting.

below is the training plan i'll be using to train for the race i'll be doing. i have to switch some days around to fit with my work/life schedule better, but you get the idea. i'm excited about the race selection itself since it's within driving distance from our house, should be a relatively flat course, and it's just under 16 weeks away.

16-Week Half Ironman Training Plan

Week 1
Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate with 4 x 30-second sprints scattered.

Wednesday: Swim 800 yards total. Main set: 8 x 25 yards, rest interval (RI) = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate + 2 x 10-second hill sprints.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate.
Friday: Swim 800 yards total. Main set: 3 x 100 yards race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 20 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 6 miles moderate. | Swim 800 yards moderate.

Week 2

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes moderate with 6 x 30-second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 850 yards total. Main set: 10 x 25 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 5 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 850 yards total. Main set: 4 x 100 yards race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 25 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 7 miles moderate. | Swim 1,000 yards moderate.

Week 3

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes with 8 x 30-second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 900 yards total. Main set: 12 x 25 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate + 6 x 10-second hill sprints.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 900 yards total. Main set: 3 x 200 yards race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 30 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 8 miles moderate. | Swim 1,200 yards moderate.

Week 4 (Recovery)

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes with 6 x 30-second sprints scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 800 yards total. Main set: 8 x 25 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 5 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 800 yards total. Main set: 3 x 100 yards race pace, RI = 15 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 25 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 7 miles moderate. | Swim 1,000 yards moderate.

Week 5

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 8 x 1-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,000 yards total. Main set: 6 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles with 6 x 30-second hard efforts scattered.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,000 yards total. Main set: 2 x 200 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-sec. hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 35 miles moderate + 10-minute transition run at moderate pace.
Sunday: Run 9 miles moderate. | Swim 1,400 yards moderate.

Week 6

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 6 x 2-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,100 yards total. Main set: 8 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles with 6 x 45-second hard efforts scattered.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 10 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,100 yards total. Main set: 3 x 200 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 40 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles moderate. | Swim 1,600 yards total. Main set: 1,000 yard time trial.

Week 7

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 4 x 3-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,200 yards total. Main set: 10 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles with 6 x 1-minute hard efforts scattered.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 12 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,200 yards total. Main set: 3 x 200 yards race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 45 miles moderate + 15-minute transition run at moderate pace.
Sunday: Run 11 miles moderate. | Swim 1,800 yards moderate.

Week 8 (Recovery)

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes with 6 x 1-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,000 yards total. Main set: 8 x 50 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles with 6 x 30-second hard efforts scattered.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 8 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,000 yards total. Main set: 2 x 200 yards race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 4 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 35 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 9 miles moderate. | Swim 1,400 yards moderate.

Week 9

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 50 minutes with 6 x 2-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,300 yards total. Main set: 6 x 75 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 1 mile easy, 8 x 600m at 5K race pace with 400m jog recoveries, 1 mile easy.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 15 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,300 yards total. Main set: 2 x 300 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 50 miles moderate + 20-minute transition run at moderate pace.
Sunday: Run 12 miles moderate. | Swim 2,000 yards moderate.

Week 10

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 50 minutes with 5 x 3-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,400 yards total. Main set: 8 x 75 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 1 mile easy, 6 x 800m at 5K race pace with 400m jog recoveries, 1 mile easy.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 18 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,400 yards total. Main set: 2 x 300 yards race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 5.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 55 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 13 miles moderate. | Swim 2,000 yards total. Main set: 1,500 time trial.

Week 11

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 55 minutes with 4 x 4-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,500 yards total. Main set: 10 x 75 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 1 mile easy, 5 x 1,000m at 5K race pace with 400m jog recoveries, 1 mile easy.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 20 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,500 yards total. Main set: 3 x 300 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 6 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 60 miles moderate + 10-minute transition run at race pace.
Sunday: Run 14 miles moderate. | Swim 2,200 yards moderate.

Week 12 (Recovery)

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes with 5 x 2-minute hard efforts scattered.
Wednesday: Swim 1,300 yards total. Main set: 6 x 75 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. Run 2 miles easy, 1 miles at 10K race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate + 10 minutes comfortably hard.
Friday: Swim 1,300 yards total. Main set: 2 x 300 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 5 miles moderate.
Saturday: Bike 45 miles moderate.
Sunday: Run 10 miles moderate. | Swim 2,000 yards moderate.

Week 13

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 20 minutes easy, 20 minutes comfortably hard, 20 minutes easy.
Wednesday: Swim 1,600 yards total. Main set: 6 x 100 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 2 miles easy, 2 miles at 10K race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 5 x 2-minute hard efforts scattered.
Friday: Swim 1,600 yards total. Main set: 2 x 400 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 6 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 50 miles moderate + 10 miles race pace + 15-minute transition run at race pace.
Sunday: Run 10 miles moderate + 2 miles race pace. | Swim 2,200 yards total. Main set: 500 yards race pace.

Week 14

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 20 minutes easy, 25 minutes comfortably hard, 15 minutes easy.
Wednesday: Swim 1,800 yards total. Main set: 8 x 100 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 2 miles easy, 3 miles at 10K race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 4 x 3-minute hard efforts scattered.
Friday: Swim 1,600 yards total. Main set: 2 x 400 yards race pace, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 6 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 45 miles moderate + 15 miles race pace + 20-minute transition run at race pace.
Sunday: Run 12 miles moderate + 2 miles race pace. | Swim 2,400 yards total. Main set: 600 yards race pace.

Week 15

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 15 minutes easy, 30 minutes comfortably hard, 15 minutes easy.
Wednesday: Swim 2,000 yards total. Main set: 10 x 100 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 2 miles easy, 3 miles at 10K race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 8 x 1-minute hard efforts scattered.
Friday: Swim 1,600 yards total. Main set: 2 x 400 yards race pace, RI = 30 seconds. | Run 4.5 miles moderate + 4 x 10-second hill sprints.
Saturday: Bike 40 miles moderate + 10 miles race pace + 10-minute transition run at race pace.
Sunday: Run 12 miles moderate + 2 miles race pace (beat last week’s time). | Swim 2,400 yards total. Main set: 600 yards race pace (beat last week’s time).

Week 16

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: Bike 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes comfortably hard, 10 minutes easy.
Wednesday: Swim 1,300 yards total. Main set: 5 x 100 sprints, RI = 20 seconds. | Run 2 miles easy, 1 mile at 10K race pace, 2 miles easy.
Thursday: Bike 45 minutes with 5 x 30-second sprints scattered.
Friday: Swim 800 yards total. Main set: 400 yards race pace. | Run 3 miles easy.
Saturday: Swim 10 minutes easy with 4 x 30 seconds at race pace. | Bike 10 minutes with 4 x 30 seconds fast. | Run 10 minutes with 4 x 20 seconds at 90 percent effort.
Sunday: RACE!

Source: 16-Week Half Ironman Training Plan

oh yeah...this is what it feels like

it's a feeling that i could do without for the rest of my life. the feeling of not being able to run and hating every bit of it. you know...the feeling i'm having currently. mid-september my running flat lined due to total chaos happening in my life. all good stuff, but running as a priority went out the window.

i literally ran about thirty miles the entire month of october and 26.2 of them were at the st louis marathon Emily and i ran (SO proud of her!). since then i haven't ran at all...until earlier this week. i finally had the energy/motivation/desire to lace up my abandoned running shoes and get out the door. and. it. hurt. not in an injury kind of way, but in a "running sucks" kind of way. i lost almost all of my endurance i had built up and can no longer go out and run several miles. i ran two and i felt like i used to feel after running closer to five. embarrassing? a little. motivating? actually, yeah...kinda. is that weird? probably.

you know i'm huge into setting goals and then CRUSHING them into little tiny crushed-goal-pieces. well, this gives me the perfect opportunity to regain my endurance. since i can barely bust out a couple miles i have my work cut out for me, but it's actually a little refreshing to know that i have to work back up to running for an hour at a time or more. although it's a drag i can no longer just hop into a half-marathon any weekend i want it's exciting to have to work back up to that level.

also...after running this last marathon (and after my first triathlon earlier this year) i've realized that my passion for running has decreased slightly and my new found passion for triathlon has skyrocketed. i've mentioned before that i will complete a full Ironman before i die. well...i'm not quite foolish enough to say that next year it'll happen, but i really hope to start focusing more on triathlon in 2013 and set goals accordingly. we shall see......

one week to go

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!

i finally gave it a tri

i completed my first triathlon this past saturday and it was amazing! it was everything i hoped it'd be plus more....no, literally...i actually got a medal! i placed 3rd in my age group. God really gave me the strength/determination to push myself hard and it felt amazing to check this goal off of my list. now i can't wait to do my next one!

i let myself get SO nervous before this race. more nervous than my fist race ever, or my even my first marathon. it was comical really...well, now it is anyway. all last week leading up to the race i was nauseous, full of anxiety, easily agitated, and i was training way too hard. thank God (literally) i didn't end up injuring myself last week while i was pedalling twenty miles, running a few miles and then running a few more later that same day. what was i thinking? oh yeah....i was thinking that i was going to drown at the swim start, wreck on the bike if i somehow made it that far, and cramp up on the run if i made it that far. see how i can let my mind work some times? ridiculousness.

so race day came and i woke up feeling great. no nerves, no anxiety, no stress. just ready to race. it was a great reminder of how God is in control and if i would just give my "stuff" over to Him sooner i could've felt that sense of calm days before...but i'm human and have to learn things the hard way every now and then.

the swim start was about as crappy as i thought it'd be. one cool thing: i didn't get kicked in the face at the start! that didn't happen until about half way through the swim. HA! it was uber crowded at the very beginning so it took a good 100-200 yards before i could even get into a good rhythm but once i did i felt really good in the water. it felt even better running OUT of the water and heading into the transition area. what a rush! people lined both sides of a narrow path where all the athletes were running through cheering us all on. i was really excited about transitioning between sports since i have been reading tips/tricks on how to transition quick for the past several months. it seemed it paid off since i was out pretty quick on the bike. i averaged a little over 20mph on the bike for the 24 mile course and felt really great....oh, except around mile 18 when my chain came off. what the cuss!?! i freaked a little i won't lie...but i calmed myself down, hopped off my bike and fixed it quick. rolling back into the transition area was awesome. again, people lining the roads cheering us on. i even cruised by some of my fans (my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew!) and got to yell hello to them! as i quickly transitioned into the run it almost went so quick i felt like i was forgetting something, but i wasn't so i got moving....on my jello legs! it was brutal at first as my legs got used to doing something different. it took me a good quarter mile or so before i found my groove and then i just kept moving. i LOVED looking at all the other athletes faces while i was running the 5k course. the look of determination, the strength in their legs, just the complete look of success was amazing. it really helped me push it hard to the finish. oh and by the way...the finish was great! tons of people lined the narrow road as i ran toward the finish line and completed my first triathlon. of course, since i'm a total sentimental loser, i teared up a little as a finished ready to blame it on "sweat getting in my eye" if anyone asked. as all of my family came over to tell me how proud they were i realized something: i was actually proud of myself! i realized i was giving myself credit for something that i did. i trained hard, set a goal, and crushed it! praise the Lord!


here's a breakdown of each part of the race:

500m Swim: 12:29.8
Transition 1 (T1): 1:46.8
40k Bike: 1:13:07.8
Transition 2 (T2): 1:14.5
5k Run: 24:39.0

Total Time: 1:53:17.9





so who's up for doing a triathlon with me!?!

just a little update

remember the good ol' days when i blogged regularly? well...it turns out i still kinda do. in case you missed the headline on cbs news several months ago, emily and i have a blog over here and i tend to blog there a little more than here these days.

fortunately for you....i'm in the mood to give y'all an update on me and to rant about being an endurance athlete. first, i admittedly find it awkward calling myself an "endurance athlete." mainly because when i think of endurance athletes i think of crazy dudes/dudettes like dean karnazes, craig (crowie) alexander, and chrissie wellington to name a few. although i am quite certain my name will never come up if you were to google "endurance athlete," i'm still technically classified as one. a cool definition i once read of endurance athlete was to have the ability to continue with an unpleasant or difficult situation or activity. in that sense...i know a lot of endurance athletes. how many people do you know that can't stand their day jobs? ;)

i'm exactly thirty days out from my first triathlon. whatever...no big deal. yeah right! i'm freakin' out. have you heard the horror stories of the infamous swim start (see video below)? it's not like i just conquered a fear of water or anything. like a boss!

so i continue to log the miles...swimming, cycling, and running. the trifecta of funtivity (activities that are fun!). i'm honestly a little bummed i wasn't the first one to use that term. the gnarliest part of logging so many miles and training so hard is just feeling the strength that God is providing me to do the things i want to do and reach the goals i am setting. after finishing so many training sessions i am literally thanking/praising the Lord that i made it through because i am certain it was not by my own strength that i completed it.

typical saturday morning?

saturdays are my hard training days. especially now since i'm exactly three weeks out from my race season and kicking it off with a half-marathon! on saturdays i go to a gym in a nearby town and get an overly-brutal swim workout with the local tri-club, then i normally find energy somewhere to get a nice run in and call it a day. i hadn't been able to swim with the tri-club in a couple weeks due to work or just wanting to be lazy and sleep in, so i was thinking today was going to be extra hard. turns out it was extra hard! at one point i actually thought i was going to yell for the lifeguard to save me. judging by the bored to death look on the sixteen year old dude's face while he was chatting with someone...i doubt it would've helped.

after my swim session i knew i didn't want to run the track since twelve laps equal a mile. after twenty laps i feel a little insane. the most i've ever been able to do around that track is a five miler and i'm pretty sure i travelled time. i also knew that i wouldn't feel like getting a run in when i got home. it's about a ten minute drive home...that's enough time for laziness to kick in. so, naturally i decided to just run home from the gym. i mean come on, that's how people used to get around way back in the day. you got a message to give to jimmy? i'll run it over to the next town and give it to him, no problem! so i threw my bag in my car, kept my keys and my cell phone and took off for home. turns out it's a little over eight and a half miles, so it was a little more than the six miler i had planned on doing but who's counting. wait a second...

around five and a half miles in my phone rings and i look to see who is calling me. it's emily so i decide to answer. now here i am running home from the gym on a whim, in between towns, on a semi-busy road (sorry Mom) talking on my cell phone to my wife. classy, right!? what'd she want, you ask? she needed to know what our six mile route is because she can't remember. this happens to other couples on saturday, right? i let her know that i was running home and since i hadn't planned on doing that i could tell she was rather confused. finally she just said, "ok be safe and i love you." since i knew the route she'd be taking when i got closer to town i veered off my unplanned course to pass her and give her a high five. no, seriously...that was why.

now here i sit typing this up laughing because i feel like emily and i live a rather odd life. or do we? maybe this type of day happens to everyone.

running in Africa

first off...wow...it's been like at least 23231211 years since i've blogged, right? that's what i was thinkin'.

the past several weeks since we've been back from north africa have been like a whirlwind for me. not like in an artistic way either. more like in a, "whoa...my life is pretty close to out of control" type of way! does that make sense? i'm finding it hard to keep up with life. i'm behind on emails, returning phone calls, work stuff, you name it...i'm behind on it! this is not me!! i'm on a country music kick and digging taylor swift...i can even tolerate kanye west...WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!?!

maybe this title should be 'running AWAY in Africa!" while emily and i were there i barely thought about "stuff" back home. to be honest with y'all it happened maybe twice. i think one time i thought, "man...the weather is not this nice back home" and then another time i thought, "dude...people (including me) back home are way too obsessed with schedules and dates!" well...both of these statements/thoughts are true!

i met a boy while we were there who was into running. he was into running like i am into running. that's what he thinks about. from the first day we were there he was asking me when we'd go running together. i heard from his parents he wants to be an olympic runner. an olympic runner! how's that for a life goal!?! it was so awesome to hear! the first time we tried to go running together was after we had been there just a few days. well...turns out, i got really sick. mainly from the neck up...but i couldn't really talk and could barely think straight because of the african drugs i was taking (proscribed by a nurse, of course)! i felt so terrible that i had to back out on him, but i let him know that we would

definitely run before i left. then came saturday...our last day at the children's home. i told him to meet me outside at 6:30am and we'd go out and run a bit. so, me being me, i was early outside and guess what...so was he! we ended up going out for about a mile and a half run and he kept a great pace! i kept telling him he was doing awesome and for some reason i felt like he was taking it easy one me! HA!

although the photos shown above aren't from africa....i still love them. to be honest with you, i think during this run when these shots were taken i still had red dirt from africa on my shoes! i almost wanted to retire my shoes because african dirt was on them! now unfortunately, the red dirt has faded and i'm back to running on illinois land, but...i still love running! why? because it's worldwide! no matter what country you're from, what you believe, what color you are, why you do it...running is running!!!!

1 in 1,000?

this post is a little late. sixteen days to be exact, i guess.

do y'all remember my goal last year being to run 1,000 miles in 2011? well...i achieved it and the crowds went wild...no, really...they did (don't worry...those empty seats filled up quick)!

emily's family and a couple friends threw a nice celebration ceremony for my achievement. i was even offered a gold medal, a gold shoe, and even a finisher's certificate to prove that i officially ran 1,000 miles in a year (oh, yeah...and flowers).

i was even inspired to give a speech and was sure to thank my mom and God.

to top off all of the loot i received for achieving my goal...i got a one hour sports massage to a local shop. my appointment is scheduled for this saturday (after a brick workout of course)!

this is why people achieve goals! TO GET STUFF!!

the forty-four day challenge FINALE

it's done, friends! it's in the bag! that's all she freakin' wrote. you want one biscuit i'll give you two. you'd think i was from the show me state...cause i showed you i could do it? that was awful! anyway...it's done and done. i officially ran 200 hundred miles in 44 days!! feels good. which brings me to my next point...
I RAN 1000 MILES IN 2011!!!!!!!!!!!

accomplishing goals is the BEST feeling ever! errvvverrr!!

now to come up with my list of goals for 2012.........any ideas!?!

the forty-four day challenge UPDATE

wee-hoo...i'm almost half way done with the infamous self-declared 'forty-four day challenge' and i feel pretty good. i have officially logged 887 miles so far in 2011 with only 113 left to go between tomorrow (when i run yet another five miler) and december 31. my body is holding up well with the increase in miles. i was struggling to hit 20 in a week, so bumping it up closer to 30 was a bit of an increase. especially since they say to increase mileage "smart" it should be no more than 10% each week. my knees are just a little achy...mainly in a "dude...why are you doing this to us" sorta way, but other than that i feel grrrrrrrrrreeaatt!

so, if you're ever in the peoria area and want to go out and run a five miler with me...chances are i'm out somewhere so let me know and we can run together! seriously...my routes are getting boring.
click on the photo below (or else) and you can check out my training log. trust me...it's the most interesting/exciting thing you will ever see. ever.

welp...see ya later.

the forty-four day challenge

i made this goal last year in 2010 to run 1,000 miles. i failed (it's cool, i'm okay with that. side note: not really). i had an injury that really set me back and to be honest...i just wasn't that great of a runner (am i now?). so as you can imagine it made my list of goals for 2011. about a week before thanksgiving i realized that i had logged exactly 800 miles with only 44 days left in 2011. i did the math (which i'm not that great at) and it came out to roughly 4.5 miles PER DAY until the New Year. my initial thoughts weren't the best/most optimistic. then i started thinking about it more and more. i started realizing that it might be a fun cool challenge to present myself. so...i took it on.

i "officially" started the "forty-four day challenge" (brilliant name, i know) on friday november 18th with 800 miles logged. i took a random poll on my facebook page to see what people would say/recommend and it was cool to see the responses i got. it seemed pretty split but of course my eyes were only worried about the ones that read, "GO FOR IT" or "YOU CAN DO IT" and that pretty much sealed the deal.

it's going to be great tomorrow when i can get a sweet thirty-one day countdown going. as of today i have 854 miles logged. i've been doing 5 milers most days to give myself a few days off between now and the New Year. i can't imagine how awesome the run will feel on New Year's Eve! i'm just praying i don't injure myself or have anything else happen that can keep me from hitting my goal.

i'll keep you posted because i am 100% surely positive you are going to want to know that i am running daily!

because no runner has heard, "run forrest run!" enough...here is my inspiration to run everyday:

the blues

listening to the blues is something i love to do. it's interesting that majority of the songs are sad (wonder how they got the name 'blues') but somehow it makes me feel so good. it could be the guitar parts, the amazing vocals, or even the beat of the drums. for some reason...the blues make me feel great!

speaking of the blues...i've been in this crazy running slump for the past few weeks. it's been really hard to go out and run. i know what you're thinking, "well tony...running is hard." although i agree...running has always been something i love to do and have fun almost the whole time doing it (almost = key word). so, for the past few weeks it's been freaking brutal to lace up my shoes and head out the door. it started with my job getting way more stressful/busier last month, so it involved me working longer hours and a lot of saturdays. a lot of my volunteer projects were/are in full swing and that takes up evenings. it's getting darker earlier now so any free evening i do have it's too dark to run by the time i get home. some sunday mornings i can make it out unless we have meetings early at Church and then i don't have time. i also complain a lot and that takes up time when i could be running. hmmm....

this running slump is exactly like listening to the blues. while i listen to one of my favorite blues songs, wednesday evening blues by john lee hooker, i hear him sing about his woman leaving him and a foot tap in the background and i can easily compare it to my running slump. bare with me here...i'm tying this together any second now. step inside my mind for a minute (careful...it's crazy in here) and go for a run with me. if you listen to that song by john lee hooker it starts with a high note played several times and  goes into a sweet blues lick. that'd be the time when i'm trying to force myself to lace up my shoes and head out the door. he sings the first line, "you know she left me one wednesday evening..." and now i'm out the door running and it hurts. you can hear his foot tapping in the background so slow and it feels like my feet are hitting the ground at the same time as his. slow. he uses a real basic and simple guitar lick throughout the song. running is real basic and simple. the pain in his voice is like my breathing...i just can't get into a good rhythm like normal. the song is coming to a close and i am approaching the end of my run. nothing has really changed...his woman still left him and i'm still running. the only difference at the end is he got his stress out by playing that blues song and i got it out by making it through my run.

the point i'm trying to make is this (finally): although the blues are mostly sad and right now running is hard for me...i have to keep in mind how the blues (and running) make me feel afterward (which is awesome, remember). i think it was dean karnazes that said, "i've never gone out for a run and felt worse when i finished." this has been the case for me 100% of the time i run. i'm not a genius when it comes to statistics, but i think there's a good chance that next time i go out for a run...i'm gonna feel great when i finish. now where are my running shoes...

"i'm not slow, i'm just enjoying the course"

listen up, friends...a super cool thing is coming up and you ALL will be interested in one way or another. on july thirtieth of this year there will be a 5k race at tipton park in bloomington, il and you are personally invited! it only costs twenty bucks (kid and family discounts available) and you get a sweet shirt to wear for years and years. ready for the cool-cool news?!

all the proceeds are going to Dorie's Promise, which is an orphanage in Guatemala. more specifically, the money raised will build a playground for the kids at the orphanage. i don't know about you, but that pumps me up! i just picture all of the kids seeing the playground for the first time and just going crazy!

i'm going to challenge all of you to participate. yes, all of you. in fact i'm going to break it down so that it will apply to each and every person reading this (obviously impossible, but i will try anyway...you know, like what a politician does).

"newbie, but stoked to run" runner: if you're this person chances are you've thought about running a 5k before, but never pulled the trigger. you run on occasion either outside or inside, but normally hold steady to about a mile or two at a time.

"been there done that, but will do it again and again" runner: you've run a 5k. in fact, you probably ran one last weekend and have already lost your free shirt. you're down for whatevs, man.

"no freakin' way" runner: (my favorite type of person) you don't run unless being chased, right? when i talk about running you shake your head and think i'm crazy. right now as you read this you are saying, "i am not running this 5k no matter what he says." well, that's fine...you can volunteer then. we need the extra hands! just let me know! BUT, if you want to step out on a limb and do something crazy that you'll never forget...sign up to run!!

"this is part of my marathon training" runner: this person is a Runner...yeah dude, capital 'R' kinda runner. hardcore. black toenails. thirty pairs of running shoes. talk about splits in their sleep, fartleks, what kind of food they're using for fuel, and probably how they qualified for boston once or twice. who cares (i do kinda, and it's cool if this is you), but sign up and rock the 5k! oh, and bring a few of those extra running shoes with you to the race..the 5k for Orphans has partnered with soles 4 souls to collect shoes for those in need.

"i'm going to win, because i race" runner: ok...bring it on! and don't even brag about your two percent body fat and five minute miles.

"aw crap you got me" runner: if this is you...you can do it! basically what has happened is you were probably hanging out minding your own business not running and someone came up and asked you to run in the 5k for Orphans. you froze because you heard the word orphans and felt bad so immediately said yes without even knowing what you were saying yes to. (haha, you know who you are). good luck!

dang, i didn't realize how many types there were going to be. oh, i almost forgot my fail-safe type of person...the "can i just walk and still show my support" walker. and the answer is yes! we'll be having a one mile walk, too! so anyway, by now you get what i'm saying. anyone and everyone can do this. you will see every type of person there and that's what makes it great! if you're on the fence...allow me to gently push you to the side where you will find yourself helping orphans and raising awareness for the orphan crisis we have in this world. with almost 150 million orphans worldwide...i think forking over twenty bucks, sweating for less than an hour and possibly embarrassing yourself is worth it, right? i even have an awesome site you can go to start training for a 5k that literally starts from the couch! trust me folks...this works...it helped me get started running. although you don't really have the nine weeks it suggests you take to train...you can at least start it and walk/run the race!

see you on race day!! (i'll be at the finish line cheering you on...and not because i beat you, but because that's where i'm helping).

so...what kind of runner are you?

ok...what now?

warning: this post involves running and i might mention Jesus (just to warn people who don't like to hear/read about those things...which i think is sad, but that's just my opinion.)

anyway...the 1/2 marathon is done. praise Jesus! hey look...i just mentioned the two things i warned you about in the first two sentences. ironic. seriously though...the 1/2 was hard. i guess it was as hard as i expected it to be though. after all...i ran 13.1 miles in 1:53:54 (i'm going to try not to feel like i'm bragging about that. it's also quite humbling to know that the dude who won this race did it in a little over an hour.) but in a nutshell, the race went well.

the wait before a race always sucks. i get antsy and i just want to RUN! but finally we got going and i was feeling pretty good, keeping a good pace throughout the run until about mile 9. during my training, when i ran the 13.1 miles, this was about the exact same spot where i started feeling 'it' ('it', for me, is when your mind gets a second wind and catches your body off-guard and begins to convince you to stop running.) now, i took water at mile 7, so i figured i wasn't dehydrated and was just being a baby. well, 9 going into 10 finally went by and then came 11. stupid mile 11. that's when i started feeling the hills and the humidity (along with 'it' of course.) i took some more water around this time and then went into a hill...and then it happened...i was walking. i was so mad at myself. i told myself before the race that i would not walk. i distinctly remember telling myself that i would NOT walk...it was right after i said i was going to overdo it (hmmm? i know...it was foolish). you don't go to a 1/2 marathon (or any road race for that matter) to walk. unfortunately, this race, i did. i took a couple of 10 second walk breaks and then got going again. i finally made it over the last big hill and saw the crowd by the finish line. the best part was at the end of the route we finished around the track at the high school. it felt kind of cool running around the track and to finish in front of a crowd. i ran the track as hard as i could and finished strong. although i was frustrated for a few hours after the race about walking, i told myself that these things happen...plus i even beat my goal by over a minute, so i technically had NOTHING to complain about. but sometimes i'm a complainer. it was also a pride thing...i'll be honest. but to every problem there is a solution, right? isn't there? well, my solution was/is to train myself better so i can pace myself so that i'll never walk again during a race. my dad has this little saying he likes that i've grown quite fond of as well, "i hate to run, but i love to finish." that sums it up for me.

"suffering is optional."

i got that quote from a book i just got done reading, "what i talk about when i talk about running" by haruki murakami. he's run over 24 marathons, a bunch of triathlons, and even dabbled in the ultramarathon area. the dude is a runner to look up to, enough said. in his book he talks about his life as a runner and also a novelist. it's really interesting to me to learn about other people's lives. in a "non-creeper, i'm-truly-interested-in-how-you-live" type of way of course. the biggest thing, and i think the best thing, i learned from his book was this: sometimes you have bad experiences while running. he told quite a few stories about a marathon, or a triathlon, that went horribly wrong but he still learned something from it. i'm the type of guy that struggles when something happens that i felt like i could've controlled. does that make any sense? if i could've done something different to prevent _____ from happening, then why didn't i? that's the type of question i dwell on after i finish my first 1/2 marathon wondering why i had to walk that little bit. well, add this to the "things i've learned so far" list: "Reaching the finish line, never walking, and enjoying the race. These three, in this order, are my goals."

"segway"

basically, i loved that Murakami said these three goals he has in his book, and it stood out to me. of course when i first read it i applied it to future races i'll be running, but sometimes i like to think a little cheesier and more cliche and applied it to life in general (which is a great mxpx album.) the finish line being my ultimate goal(s) in life...definitely not easy to get to, but ALL possible if i stick with it and keep one foot moving in front of the other. never walking...i learned my lesson on this one. it has an affect on your mind...once you slow down and lose momentum it makes the rest of the "race" even more difficult. the last thing he says is to enjoy the race. for me personally...i might put this at the number one spot. enjoy life...enjoy what you do. anything and everything...enjoy it! why not? you're not here forever. and your loved ones aren't here forever either. "don't get caught in the season of life you're in now...seasons change." i heard that on the radio earlier today. i'm beginning to think the meaning of this post is to overload you (the reader) with cheesiness and lack of orginality. i think my "segway" segway was pretty original though...

oh, and i almost forgot. the title of this post is actually the point of this whole, long, random group of words i call writing. my next goal is of course...a full marathon. i'm going to do it. it's just a matter of when. it reminds me of that question on job applications that reads: "Are you the type of person who looks for more work, without being told what to do, after you complete the task you're working on?"

"one final thought" (you have to say that like andy rooney from 60 minutes..that guy is a nut) my cool dad and hot wife (i'm good at thinking of adjectives) also ran this 1/2 marathon and rocked it to an 11! high 5's to them as well.

the shirt that changed my life

warning: this blog is a bit...braggy. i don't mean it to be. it's just a cool story that is worth sharing that may or may not motivate people.

so...if you knew me over two years ago, you know that i was not "healthy." in fact...i couldn't have cared less about health. you could tell this because i weighed 235 pounds by the summer of 2008. trust me, i have plenty of hilarious (not really though) pictures to prove it. i actually have a before and after slideshow that is definitely worth a watch.

i never knew i was heavy. i never thought much about it. actually, i don't really remember feeling heavy, or remembering even noticing i was heavy, until just a few years ago. so what did i do? i tried losing weight. it sucked. bad. i started to "watch what i ate." you know...i literally "watched all the junk food i ate"...and that upset me even more. i also started to run a little. which was also miserable! running sucks in the beginning. it was the classic, "i'm so frustrated i'll now drop 20 pounds" type of thinking. which didn't work. this went on for a long time. and then it happened. i called jenny craig and my problems were resolved. JUST KIDDING...just making sure you're still reading. it all started when i went shopping to get a new shirt for a picture i was having done for the cover of my first cd i released. if you have that album (which was released in july 2008) you can look at the picture of me on the front and you'll see the shirt that changed my life. i remember being in the store, trying clothes on, and being disgusted with what i saw in the mirror. it's like the minute before i was blind, then i put this shirt on, and i saw myself for the first time. i remember seeing the fear in emily's eyes as i came out of the fitting room. i think she knew then that it was different this time. my thought process on losing weight was changed. i was officially determined.

and so it began...i started watching what i ate and started exercising. i actually learned how to count calories and started monitoring this daily. i even put back on my running shoes. i stuck with this for the longest time i'd ever gone before. i think i was up to an entire week. THEN, the coolest thing happened...i stepped on a scale. i dropped weight. that's all it took for me. i needed to see the results to gain the motivation and the drive to keep going. so that's what i did. i kept tracking every single calorie i consumed and kept running and running and running and running. i felt like forrest gump during the part where he is young and he starts running and all of a sudden his braces on his legs come flying off...but for me, the leg braces obviously were a symbol for my fat. i think that was a good analogy, right?

fast forward a couple years (to 2009) and i was there. my goal weight. it was unbelievable...honestly, it still is unbelievable. to think back on what i accomplished is a great thing. but the coolest thing of all is to think of all the other people that have done it, and will do it in the future. that is what pumps me up even more. anyone can do it. and i want everyone that needs to lose weight..to do it! all it takes is getting started...and sticking to it.

i'm a completely different person now. i lost 65 pounds total. i eat healthy and can probably tell you the calories per serving in 75% of the food in a grocery store. i kept running and have ran (and placed) in a 5K and a 10K. i'm currently training for a half-marathon that is in exactly 26 days 22 hours 2 minutes and 47 seconds. after that...you guessed it...i'm training for a full marathon. after that..well we'll see. i even do strength training a few days a week. who would've thought..tony gould in a gym..lifting weights. i do still count calories and track all of the food i eat...and i might be a bit too much of a health nut at some times. but let's be honest here...if you had to pick between one or the other...what would you pick?

"health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospital beds dying of nothing."
-redd foxx