Here's to Life!

Nervous

2009-05-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm down to my last week before my first tri next Sunday. As my twitter post stated, I did my last Brick this past Saturday (18 mile ride, and 4 mile run). It's officially hot here. You would think that getting started at 6:30am would be cool...yeah, well think again. By the time I put on the shoes for the run, it was toasty.

This upcoming week will consist of 2 more runs, 2 more swim sessions and a couple of spin sessions and strength work. After Thursday, I'm letting the body rest for race day on Sunday!

Last week I decided that I'm going to throw in some Yoga on Thursday evenings, if I can. I need a way to increase my flexibility and find some zen. I need a lot of zen this week. When I think of Sunday morning, honestly I want to throw up! However, if I've learned one thing about swimming and stress....they don't go well together. Therfore, I'm gonna channel as much relexation as I can and I'll let ya know how the rest of the week goes??????

Yes, I'm still alive....and training!

2009-04-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Some friends, ok almost everyone who follows this blog has reminded me of late that I have not updated my blog. Honestly, there are probably a thousand excuses why I have not updated lately. Most pressing is NO TIME. I'm reminded on a weekly basis just how tiring it can be to swim, bike, run, strength train, be a husband, a father of 2 little girls, and be a manager!

I'm officially 1 month away from my first Triathlon. I'm doing the Tempe International Sprint Triathlon on May 17th. Although, crossing that finish line will validate the training; I've already considered myself a Triathlete, by training for it. I've spent the last couple of months trying to balance everything.

First things first, swimming! In February, I took a 4 week masters program out at ASU to properly learn how to swim freestyle for triathlons. I was amazed at how much I didn't know and I'm amazed at how much I learned during this 4 week program. No, I'm not Michael Phelps but I honestly feel like I learned proper technique and skills that I can practice. Practice, that's what I've been doing with this...practice, practice, practice! I'm typically in the pool about 3 times a week doing approximately 800-1000 meters. Ah, yes that's the next thing....learning to convert meters/yards in to feet. A good general rule is that 400 meters is equivalent to approximately 1/4 mile. With all of this, I can still say that swimming is still a challenge! However, like anything else, the more I do it, the more comfortable it will feel....hopefully.

Biking, well this is the one area that I've given so, so attention to. I'm typically on the bike 2 times a week. One day a week, I try to ride to work, and then once on the weekend I couple my ride with a run. FYI to those who want to fill their head with useless knowledge. When you couple a bike ride with a run right after, it is called a Brick. Anyway, as I move into the longer Tri distances it's gonna be important that I spend MUCH MUCH more time on the bike because it's the sport in which you are on it the longest and can therefore make up the most time.

Running, well believe it or not, since this is my backbone, it has gotten the least amount of attention because dare I say it...."it's the most natural and easiest for me" right now. It doesn't mean that I'm not doing it but typically I've been doing my mid week runs as a warm up to my strength training sessions at the gym. This is usually 30-45 minutes 2 times during the week on the treadmill and 1 time on the weekend outside as part of my Bricks.

I've tried focusing my strength training sessions at the gym (2x a week) on Triathlon specific exercises focusing on the shoulders back and legs. I've picked up lingo like Bricks, and purchased items like aero bars for my bike, and tri-packs for race day.

Oh, yeah, there are those other responsibilities like being a father a manager and a husband. Well, you'll have to turn to others for feedback on that. All I can say is I'm trying to do my best at EVERYTHING!

I have 1 month left to focus on my first triathlon. Honestly, like most other events I've tackled, I'm nervous just thinking about race day, but I'm also excited. I'm hooked....I love triathlons and I love being a triathlete. I've joined a tri social network called iamtri that gives lots of great info and love being part of this new community.

I just watched the Ironman 70.3 Championships on NBC today and I was reminded of my ultimate goal...doing a half and ultimately a full Ironman in the next 2-3 years. Along the way, I'm still exhausted but having a great time.

Finish Strong

2009-02-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is my van (2), right before heading out on our last 6 legs. Our
motto for this set of legs, "Finish Strong , Have Fun". I currently
sitting on the side of the Beeline Highway waiting for Ben, who is in
the midst of an 8 mile run towards Mesa in a VERY hot sun today!

3.5 more legs to go!

30 legs plus little sleep equals...

2009-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Warm grass and a place for hundreds to rest their head at exchange 30
in Fountain Hills. Were 2 hours away from my van finishing the last 6
legs of the 09 Ragnar relay. We and many others are looking for one
last chance at rest!

So close yet so far away

2009-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

Were sittin at exchange 23 right outside of Carefree. Were about to
make our way around Fountain Hills. We've completed about 120 miles
of our 202 mile journey. It feels great to be back in the valley and
normal elevation, yet we still have so far to go.

Each leg has brought some new challenge for the runners and has been
unique. I heard one runner say at the last leg, "God doesn't like me
today!" So true, I think each of the runners has felt that way at one
point or another, but our team is strong! They've muscled through
everything thrown at them and has done it with a smile!

On we go.....

Sent from my iPhone

Sunrise!

2009-02-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

Here comes the sun. Leg 22...6:30 am and there is a killer crosswind
making this leg challenging and chilly! 2 more legs to go and we get
another break and a chance to finish the last 6 legs and take it home!.

What's that smell?

2009-02-28T02:19:00.000-08:00

As we sit here 3:15 am on the side of the carefree highway, our van is
looking well....very lived in. Food, body glide, clothing, pillows
and running shoes everywhere leading us to ask..."hey what's that
smell?"

Running under the stars

2009-02-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

This is one of the last pics I had before things went completely black
last night. Legs 9-12 were on a desolate dirt road un the middle of
no where. It was amazing. There is something freaky and beautiful
when you look out and see nothing but a stream of headlamps from
runners in the distance lined up like airplanes coming in for a landing!

I have never seen darkness like this before. Stars...look above and
all you could see were thousands of stars on a crisp cold night. I
know for some of you following this trail of blogs this whole ordeal
seems painfull. However, it has been great! More to come....

Sleep???

2009-02-28T00:35:00.000-08:00

This is a pic of what 220 runners look like trying to catch any sleep
before their next leg.

It's 1:30 am and I just woke up from an hour of sleep on a concrete
floor of a elementary school right outside Wickenburg. We pulled in
around 12:30 am. Van 1should be pulling into this stop (exchange 18)
around 2:15 ish. Then it's off to the races for my van again.

Middle of nowhere

2009-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is what a 7 mile dirt road in the middle of no where looks like.
This is leg 10...seven miles of this. Sun is falling and the temps
are dropping but everyone is having a great time! Time to strap on
the reflective gear!

Mer rocks stage 7

2009-02-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

We reached the main exchange point and van 1 gets to rest, eat and
move on to 18. I get no rest and am now the driver of van 2 legs
7-12. Mer started with a strong run and followed tradition with a
post leg beer! This is awesome!

Pour one out for the homies!

2009-02-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

In memory of those runners who didn't make it. Skull Valley Cemetary,
a scenic stop on leg 5!

Scenes from the top!

2009-02-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is a pic of Nic climbing one of the toughest legs. Leg 3 is a
879 ft climb with this elevation....WOW! There was snow on the side
of the road. We stopped at the peak to keep him going!

This is how we do it!

2009-02-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

Most people refuel with water...not us. 3.5 mile run + high elevation
+ beer = refreshing! Way to go!

Van 1 ready to go!

2009-02-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here we are van 1 at the start line ready to go!

Thompson, Erin, Trudy Reed, Penny, Jeremiah, Nic, Trudy Walter, and me!

We Got The Runs

2009-02-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

Yep that's our name. Here is one of our vans. It's around 9:15 am on
Friday. The temp in Prescott is 47 degrees perfect running weather.
We arrived last night around 11 pm and did the smart running
thing...visited Whiskey Row. A couple hours of sleep later, here we are.

We just checked in and our group starts at 11. Trudy's driving van 1,
first 6 legs then I take over van 2 at leg 7.

Stay tuned for more. This is gonna be fun!

Running, Biking, Swimming....oh, my!

2009-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I remember about 3 years ago, when I decided, "hey, I think I'm gonna try this running thing, maybe a half marathon." I remember my first trip to PV High School track. I remember the burning in my lungs, I remember the burning in my legs, I remember the burning in my heart. Most importantly, I remember thinking, "can I do this?"

Fast forward to Thursday........deja vu! Only this time PV High School track became the ASU aquatic center and a lap pool. I felt the burning in my lungs, I felt the burning in my shoulders, I felt the burning in my heart.......and again I asked, "can I do this?"

I officially became a triathlete in training this week. Per the advice of many on a social network that I'm a part of "iamtri", I decided to pursue formal coaching through a swimming "masters" program at the ASU aquatic center in Tempe. Like many other roads I've travelled, my friend Trudy decided to join me in this journey. I'm thankful for friends like her, who are not afraid to go outside of their comfort zone and who are willing to challenge themselves!

Traveling down there, we both talked about how nervous we were. Sure, we both know how to swim, but that's like saying, "you know how to walk, why are you afraid of running." Upon arriving and changing, it was time to hit the deck! Well "hit the deck is what we did." Wow...we stepped outside to find 15-20 swimmers in swim lanes swimming lap after lap after lap after lap. Holy S*@T, what did we get ourselves into. Intimidating to say the least.

Finally it was time. We found our coach and the one other person in the class. She was a triathlete looking to improve her swimming. We were all on the same wavelength...that felt comfortable. After telling our coach our goals she responded with, "we got a lot of work to do!" Uh, Thanks?????

First step was to get a quick assesment of our current abilities. Swim a lap using our best freestyle stroke. Surprisingly enough, she said we were not bad. Over the course of the next hour, we did drill after drill.....working on kick and learning tempo and how to breath. We used a kick board to reinforce our posture and form.

Honestly it was the most tiring hour. Our coach said that we had a fantastic session and we all improved greatly! I don't know about greatly but I honestly felt like I began to learn the true art of swimming!

Afterwards my shoulders and lower back were on fire! I have an HUGE hill to climb with this sport, but I reflect back to that day at the track and I look at how far I've come. It takes dedication, it takes hard work, it takes commitment! A new journey started this week, no more talk...it's time to act. "Can I do this.....YES I CAN!" Running, biking, swimming....man, I'm tired!

Plan B: Make it to the starting line!

2009-01-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

One week ago I ran the P.F. Chang's Half Marathon....not the Marathon. Ya know what, after 4 weeks of PT and 8 or so weeks of emotional toil, I'm finally OK with that.

My Garmin ended up going on the fritz the last 3 miles, so the info captured was not accurate, so I'm not uploading it. However, I'm here to summarize the events....long story short, I finished without any pain....mission accomplished! Now here are some of the details of the day.

Saturday, a group of us decided to go down to the expo together. This group consisted of Peter, my brother, and Jeff. First order of business, switch from the full to the half. We grabbed our yellow bibs (signifying the full) and were instructed to the "coral change" booth to pick a half coral we would be comfortable with. Jeff and I were torn between the 1:47 coral or the 1:50 coral. The woman operating the booth, well how should I say this........let's just say I hope she doesn't give motivational speeches on the weekend. In more ways than one she told me I was crazy for even thinking of running the full and "sure I was nursing an injury and that's why I was dropping down to the half". Thanks for the pep talk coach, keep up the good work!

Anyway, we grabbed the free T-shirt and headed for some SWAG! I love an expo of this size, and I love watching newbies looking for the holy grail to give them a competitive advantage the next day. However, any experienced runner knows not to try something new on race day, whether it's clothing, shoes or nutrition. That's what training is for, and this stage of the game you're just asking for trouble. Anyway, due to time constraints we could not spend a tone of time but we were able to get a taste.

Race morning, I decided to go down with Jeff. I drove to his house and his wife was nice enough to give us a lift to the warm tent....thanks again! Temps were very mild this mornin...chilly but not unbearable. Many people have mixed feelings on the warm tent, but I love it because.....a) Warmth on even the mildest of temps just feels good on race day b) Dedicated Port-O-Potties c) Atmosphere...I'm a people watcher and you combine that with hundreds of other people doing the same ritualistic things and it makes for a great time. I was able to catch up with my new running BFF Melynda and Leia, her cousin-in-law. Unfortunately, I learned that a poorly timed stomach bug had forced Peter to drop out the night before, and I never ended up seeing my brother.

Around 8am, we headed down to the start to dump our gear and head to our coral, which by the way ended up being coral 5 after little miss motivational talked us out of coral 4. By the way, there are 30 corals in the half marathon...it's a HUGE race!

After dropping our gear with the UPS trucks, we (along with 25,000 others) headed for our coral. This was a journey in and of itself. The UPS trucks were right outside coral 25, so we headed east towards the front to find ours. We opted for side streets to avoid the main congestion. Finally, we found it and wormed our way in just in time for the national anthem. We managed to take a few pics, which do not do justice to the crowds involved!

Being at the front is great, you don't have to wait 40 minutes just to start. I remember in '06 when it took me that long just to start. Anyway, I had told Jeff that I wanted to keep things slow the first mile or so, this is really hard to do with race adrenaline going. We managed to stay at a 9-9:15 for the first mile. Once I got my legs under me, we picked it up a bit.

So much for chilly, the sun was up in full force and I could feel it. I opted for no additional clothing such as arm warmers and I was glad. By mile 3, I was officially hot...not just warm. I could see that Jeff was burnin up too. There was only one thing to do to help this situation....begin dumping water on yourself. Luckly, mile three was water station time. One for internal, one for external. There, that should help.

It did, water combined with a slight breeze lowered the core temp just a bit. Headed back down McDowell, I tried to get into some sort of stride and pace, but I was remeinded of how difficult this can be in a race of this size. I'd find myself in a zone and then have to slow down or dodge someone. Oh well, adapting to your environment is the name of the game in life and racing. Around mile 4, we passed an old guy that had a T-shirt that said "82 and still running".....rock on...I hope that's me someday. Then around mile 6, I was demoralized by the sight of a guy carrying what looked like 1/3 of a telephone pole on his shoulder. Jeff pointed him out and he had to RUN to catch up with him (that's right run to catch up with the guy carrying a pole).

We continued with the same recipe every 2nd or third water stop to keep us cool....one for internal one for external. I knew that my friends Jessica and Trudy were going to be at mile 8, so this provided a great mental chunk. Just make it to 8 and you'll see a friendly face. Indeed, I did and I'm reminded of what a boost to the morale this is. Thanks!

Just before this Jeff mentioned during a water break that his own stomach problems that he battled with the days prior to had done more damage than he first thought. He stated that his body was close to running on empty. Bummer! Ok, there were a number of times in which Jeff had provided words of encouragement to me when I was struggling, especially the last 7 weeks. It looked like I was gonna need to be the one to help him through if needed. However, I know Jeff and I knew that his own mind would push him pretty far, he is strong mentally!

We slowed the pace just a little and made sure to stop for water and fuel when provided. The impending rolling hills between mile 9-11 did not make things any easier but we managed to battle through. Coming out of the zoo area you can begin to see ASU and you know the end is near. Coming across the Mill avenue bridge, your greeted by a sea of people lining the streets, and again provides the encouragement needed to finish strong. I imagine that this is what all 26.2 miles look like for the NYC marathon....that would be AWESOME! The downfall is trying to pick out familiar faces among the sea of people. I was fortunate enough to spot my family around the 13 mile marker...thanks!

Jeff and I finished in 2:00 flat. The key word being finished, for me anything else was gravy. The other joy of running a race of this size is finding family at the end. I'd estimate 100,000+ people in a concentrated area makes for....good times.

I was able to pick up my gear, find my fam and see my brother finish his first half marathon...I'm very proud! Unfortunately, I was unable to see my friends Melynda and Leia finish their first half. But they did, and I'm proud of them as well.

The road to recovery is a long one, and this was the first step. I was able to run 13.1 miles with no pain. I've finished my PT and I'm ready to take on a whole new set of challenges and adventures this year!

It's been awhile....

2009-01-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

....since I blogged. I think it's representative of the last couple of weeks. It's been a crazy 7 weeks, and a roller coaster of emotions. Mentally and physically, I'm exhausted!

I wanted to update and journal the last couple of weeks. I've been going to Physical Therapy (PT), 4 of 8 sessions down. I've been reminded AGAIN of my lack of flexibility and it's effect on athletic ability and its tendencies for injury. They tested my hamstring flexibility and I tested at around a 33 (text book is 70)....ouch! Long story short, I've learned my lesson. The last 2 weeks I've felt like a "Born Again Stretcher" telling anyone and everyone to learn from my mistakes. I step up on my soap box and preach the benefits of stretching before runs, after runs, and any time in between. Brothers and sisters, I have seen the light....I have been saved and so can you!

Ok seriously, I'm a believer. My therapy has consisted of A LOT of stretching and a procedure known as A-STEM therapy which is a soft tissue therapy intended to break up damaged tissue. It's a weird procedure that involved taking different hard pieces of plastic and grinding them up and down my bones/muscles all along my leg and knee. It's uncomfortable at first but feels great afterwards.

I've been taking it easy during the weeks. I've gotten back into doing spin class to keep the cardio up and have continued to strength train. I've reserved the weekend for my long runs. Last week Jeff and I did 12 miles. Every cautious step I took, I waited for pain. However, the pain did not come. There was a slight amount of tightness, but it was my best run in 6 weeks.

Yesterday, we set out for 8. It was not nearly as good as the 12 miler, but there were a number of circumstances that accounted for that. Most concerning was the small amount of discomfort felt in my knee last night. However, it feels better today and I think a lot had to do with the circumstances surrounding the weekend.

Alright, I'm sitting here 5 days before race day. I can remember last February when I signed up for the full marathon again with the goal of a sub 4. So much has happened since then. 4 weeks ago I decided to drop down to the half marathon. Right now I should be feeling pre race nerves and excitement. The weird thing is....I don't have that. I've gone from determination, to anguish, to depression, to relief, to exhaustion.

I don't know what to think of Sunday. I know when this weekend comes I'll be excited with everything involved with the race weekend, but my goals have shifted. I'm not planning on setting any goals for this one....this is tough for me. I don't want to be let down again. So for right now my goal is to show up on January 18th able to run. If my body and the conditions are right, I could have a fantastic 13.1 miles. However, there are any number of issues that could spin things the opposite way and I could struggle. I don't know and honestly, I'm leaving this one up to the running Gods!

To be continued......

I'll take what I can get!

2008-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

At this point I'll take any mileage, any way I can get it. It just feels good to do something.

I continued to take it easy this past week. I managed to get in 6 miles on Friday, during a rare mid-afternoon run, but other than that I did nothing since last Saturday's nightmare long run. This past week was all about getting a handle with what was going on with my knee and accepting the challenges that lie ahead.

Jeff had told me on Wednesday that he intended to do 10 on Sunday. Like a junkie looking for his next fix, I told Jeff to count me in. Knowing that I just got diagnosed with ITBS on Tuesday, Jeff compared me to a alcoholic saying that I showed some of the same tendencies. I hope I don't come into work one of these days to an intervention.

Anyway, with the cool morning temps dipping into the low 30's, we decided to start at 7:30 in order to allow for a little sunrise warmth. My goal was to get as close to 10 as possible.

We met at Granada park and my car's external temp said 32 degrees....Brrrr! Ok, although chilly, I loved it! Jeff had mentioned that he lost his iPod shuffle...bummer. I decided to go without tunes as well.....let's call it a sympathy sacrifice. I figured it would be rude to just tune him out...literally. Anyway, as we headed out it occurred to me that I'm cognizant of every step I take, always waiting for the step that sends that twinge.

That twinge came around mile 3.25. My thoughts were to make it to 4 and turn around. Jeff was on board with this idea, stating that he could extend his run a mile out and back from our start point, keeping him on track for 10. I would finish at 8.

Heading back, around mile 6, my body gave me a little gift! I experienced a "runners high" for about half a mile. It's been a really long time since I've had one of these. Again, for anyone who has never had one....your missing out. I've never experimented with drugs, but I'm hear to tell ya, it's gotta be comparable. Words can't describe the euphoria, and most important for me, no pain! I thought of making a comment to Jeff at the time but I didn't want to ruin it...so I just enjoyed it! Afterwards, I told Jeff about it and he told me about an article he read offering one explanation for this phenomenon. He said that the body builds up endorphins when it's expecting pain, and that this is a natural release of these endorphins. Given my knee problems, I'd definitely subscribe to this theory. Whatever it is, it's great!

As we approached mile 7 the right side of my knee began to really hurt, as it has in the past week. Same problems as last week. Ughhhh! Mind over body, I told Jeff that I might be able to finish the full 10 with him. I know, I know....stupid, but it just who I am! I knew I wasn't gonna cause any long term damage by adding a couple of extra miles. F'U knee!

I did finish the last 2 miles. The knee hurt, but I finished the 10. Three weeks away from Chang's, I'd love to show up at the start line for the half. I start physical therapy tomorrow. Hopefully this will help.....stay tuned!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1242 ft
Location:	Phoenix, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+3 ft
Date:	12/28/08	Up/Downhill:	[+127/-124]
Time:	07:35 AM	Difficulty:	2.8 / 5.0

Weather:	A Few Clouds
	40 F temp; 67% humidity
	40 F heat index; winds Calm

Performance

Distance:	9.89 miles
Time:	1:29:22
Speed:	6.6 mph
Pace:	9' 02 /mi	Heart Rate:	152 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	1480		162 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	1h 17m	86%	8.50 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 11m	13%	1.24 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 03m	4%	0.31 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 01m	1%	0.04 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	9' 03	+0' 01	6.6	-0.0	140	+10 ft
2	8' 46	-0' 16	6.8	+0.2	152	-6 ft
3	8' 42	-0' 20	6.9	+0.2	155	+10 ft
4	9' 21	+0' 19	6.4	-0.2	149	-3 ft
5	8' 54	-0' 08	6.7	+0.1	152	0 ft
6	8' 46	-0' 16	6.8	+0.2	159	-6 ft
7	9' 51	+0' 49	6.1	-0.6	148	+3 ft
8	8' 59	-0' 03	6.7	+0.0	158	-6 ft
9	9' 10	+0' 08	6.5	-0.1	157	+3 ft
end	9' 01	-0' 01	6.7	+0.0	156	0 ft
Versus average of 9' 02 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

A light from inside the darkness!

2008-12-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

I get the sense that most of you who read my blog were afraid to comment on my last post based upon the frailty of my emotions. Nonetheless, I appreciate the positive thoughts. I've had a few days to reflect on things, and although still extrememly bummed, I'm begining to accept my injury and its impact on my goals.

I just got back from the doctor and my self diagnosis was correct. Intial thoughts from the Doc are that I'm battling a case of ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome). Again this is a common ailment among runners, new and old. My intial perscription is 8 sessions of physical therapy over the next 4 weeks. More than anything, I also reconfirmed the fact that my hips and hamstrings are extememly tight and future training needs to involve more stretching, massage and lower leg strength training.

In 3 weeks I'm scheduled for a follow up with the Doc. If my problem persists, we can do an MRI and think about cortisone shots. In the meantime, the full marathon is off the table....still. However, he said if my body responds well, I can do the half marathon and continue to train.

Alright, so I'm not gonna say that all is perfect but there is definitly a light during my "dark time".

I'm Done!

2008-12-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

Actually, the original title to this post was "Failure", but I've been convinced otherwise. Honestly I apologize for the brutal honesty in this post ahead of time. When I created this blog earlier this year, I decided to use this as a journal...with that comes the brutal honesty of my thoughts at any given time.

Friday night I was discussing something with my friend Melynda that stayed with me all weekend long. We were talking about our goals as it relates to the Chang's marathon/ half marathon in 5 weeks. She is running her first half and has come to enjoy running. We were discussing my ongoing knee problems as it relates to my sub-4 hour goal for this event. I put it out there that anything less than that goal I'd consider a failure. Needless to say she did not see things the same way and thought the word failure was pretty harsh. I pose the question, "why do we set goals?"

We don't reward people who don't meet goals. Sure there are times where we use phrases like, "well you get an A for effort" and sure friends and family will always give ya a pat on the back and say, "you tried your best!". Honestly though, we set goals for a reason, and I think that I have the right to say that if I don't meet that goal.....I've failed. I'm a big boy, I can take it and it seems a little more truthful in my eyes.

I set out on Saturday to run 19. My knee held up throughout the week during my runs and spin class. However, the uncertainty was there all week too. The occasional tightness and twinges reminded me that I had a long 5 weeks ahead. I added a few more band aids to my receipt. I bought a band that goes about 3 inches above my knee and puts pressure on my IT band and bought a new pair of shoes. In addition, I had a fellow co-worker and runner give me an all natural balm to apply pre and post run.

I headed out a little later (7am) in light of the 38 degree morning temps. I figured that a little extra light might take the chill out. I went with the same greenbelt/canal route from the last 3 weeks. Again things felt great out the gate. Unfortunately, my knee felt tight as I came to my water drop 4.5 miles in. However, all in all things were great for the first 9.5 as I reached the turnaround.

On the return, things became a different story. Mile 12, something new arrived. My knee has been giving me problems on the left side, but all of a sudden I was having shooting pains up the right/back side of my knee towards my hamstring. The only thing I could figure was that my stride was adjusting to overcompensate for my injury thus bringing a whole new injury. I told myself, "no worries, just make it back to the water drop...it'll stretch itself out." Well, I did make it to the water drop, and things were still not right.

As I started the final 4 miles, my body was sending some strong signals. I made it to mile 16 and I could not take the pain anymore. I had been fighting a 4 week battle with my body and at that very point....I lost. More important, at that moment I failed! I walked the remaining 3 miles back to the car.

I've decided not to run the marathon in 5 weeks, my knee just won't take it. I'm going to make a doctors appointment tomorrow and see what he says. Who knows what the future holds. Family members that I've talked to this weekend have described this as not being "failure" but a "setback". I think that deep down I know this to be true, but right now I'm pretty beat down. I feel like 16+ of formal training and sacrifice are just "done". Just when the excitement was beginning to build for this race, I feel empty and defeated.

Honestly, I was not going to blog this week. However, good or bad, I think it's important to get some of these thoughts out there. Here's another saying, "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger"..........hopefully!

One step closer but....

2008-12-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday was my first true test on my knee. I felt good going in given the fact that I was able to log 16 miles throughout the week with no sign of push back from my knee. However, I knew that I needed a long run to be the "true" indicator.

Jeff was doing the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon on Sunday so he was out for Saturday. I was going to have to go it alone. I went with the same receipt of 2 weeks ago. I started early 6:30, and I planted some water at Indian Bend and Hayden. The temps again were chilly...just cold enough to see your breath. Perfect!

My game plan which felt good on my 19 mile run was to hold myself back the first 3 miles. I monitored my pace and kept it between 9:30 and 9.

By the time I reached Indian Bend and Hayden (4.25 miles) in, things felt good...a nice warm up. Headed down the canal, I picked up the pace and kept it between 8:15-8:30. I love this portion of the run. The sun has come up over the horizon but it's still cold. You can actually feel the city waking up. You see more and more people begin to hit the paths, it's quiet....it's peaceful. Still going strong, no sign of trouble.

I reached the 8 mile point feeling good, and after a brief refuel, I made the turn for the back 8. I kept the pace between 8:20-8:40 and fell into a great stride. Then came mile 10, and trouble.

Cruising along, I felt a twinge in my knee. At first it was a gentle reminder as if to say, "Hey, remember me...I'm still down here...don't get to cocky." I didn't want to jump to the "worst" so I kept moving. Unfortunately, my knee had other plans. It progressively became worse and the sharp pain that visited me the week prior was definitely back. Discouraged is an understatement. I remembered from 2 weeks ago that things got worse when I stopped, so I decided to try to make it to Indian Bend and Hayden. I became very cognizant of my footstrike and form, making sure that I was not getting sloppy.

Making to the water drop, things seemed to work themselves out a bit. I finished the last 4 cautious but strong. Ended up running 16 at 8:51 pace which was great, but my fear was validated. Post workout, things felt OK, but my knee was hurting last night and from time to time today. My knee is not a fan of long runs right now....26.2 isn't very long, is it?

All kidding aside, I'm day to day, and I'm really not quite sure what to do???? I don't have the time to take anymore recovery time and be ready for race day, but I don't want to risk permanent damage. I got a IT band wrap for my leg, that is supposed to help those suffering with ITBS, we'll see if it helps. I feel like I'm "band-aiding" solutions to help me get through the next five weeks. I'm concerned and discouraged and like I said.....day to day!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1299 ft
Location:	Paradise Valley, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	12/13/08	Up/Downhill:	[+164/-164]
Time:	06:34 AM	Difficulty:	2.7 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	55 F temp; 48% humidity
	55 F heat index; winds SE 3

Performance

Distance:	16.00 miles
Time:	2:21:28
Speed:	6.8 mph
Pace:	8' 51 /mi	Heart Rate:	161 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2416		175 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 37m	26%	5.25 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	1h 43m	73%	13.07 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 20m	14%	2.20 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 00m	0%	0.11 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 04m	3%	0.06 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	9' 29	+0' 38	6.3	-0.5	139	-22 ft
2	8' 45	-0' 06	6.8	+0.1	149	-22 ft
3	8' 27	-0' 24	7.1	+0.3	153	-23 ft
4	9' 11	+0' 20	6.5	-0.2	151	-13 ft
5	12' 08	+3' 17	4.9	-1.8	154	-16 ft
6	1' 51	-7' 00	32.3	+25.5	164	+3 ft
7	8' 22	-0' 29	7.2	+0.4	165	0 ft
8	8' 27	-0' 24	7.1	+0.3	166	-3 ft
9	13' 12	+4' 21	4.5	-2.2	162	-3 ft
10	8' 49	-0' 02	6.8	+0.0	162	+3 ft
11	0' 00	-8' 51	3844.7	+3837.9	168	0 ft
12	8' 27	-0' 24	7.1	+0.3	167	+3 ft
13	8' 33	-0' 18	7.0	+0.2	168	0 ft
14	10' 49	+1' 58	5.5	-1.2	165	+3 ft
15	4' 46	-4' 05	12.6	+5.8	169	+16 ft
16	9' 34	+0' 43	6.3	-0.5	164	+23 ft
17	8' 52	+0' 01	6.8	-0.0	169	+13 ft
18	8' 42	-0' 09	6.9	+0.1	172	+26 ft
end	8' 37	-0' 14	7.0	+0.2	173	+13 ft
Versus average of 8' 51 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

Optimistically Cautious???

2008-12-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance"~Bill Barton

Last night I ran for the first time in a week. 3 miles @ an 8:45 pace. Things felt good and my knee felt fine. However, being my blog, I feel like it's my place to express my true feelings.......I'm optimistically cautious.

I'm not out of the woods yet. I know that my knee is touch and go right now and I'm asking it to just hold out for 5 more weeks. It's not perfect and I'm reminded of that from time to time throughout the day. I stand up from a meeting and "boom" there it is reminding me of the new challenge that lies ahead in these coming weeks.

In light of last weeks set back, I flipped my training schedule around a bit. Obviously last week was my down week. My intentions are to train hard in the next 3 weeks, with my top mileage being a 21 or 22 mile run on December 27th. That allows me 21 days of taper and recovery for the Marathon on the 18th. Again, staying true to my feelings....I'm scared that I won't make it to the start line ready to meet my goal of sub 4.

The next 3 weeks are crunch time. This is the time where you focus on every run, every strength training session, every meal, every hour of sleep to be QUALITY. This is the also the point in training where you ask your friends and family for support. Support in the form of encouragement, support in the form of flexibility, support in the form understanding, support in the form of just listening or reading these rants leading up to race day.

I feel very fortunate to have been running for 2.5 years with no real injuries. Now that I'm faced with one I'm choosing to look at it as just another obstacle standing in the way of my goal. I'm a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to.....sometimes you just have to push through a few more obstacles. Pile it on!

The benefits of multi-sport training!

2008-12-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

This week was a rough one for me. My knee injury from last weeks 19 mile run ended up being pretty serious. Serious enough that I ended taking the entire week off from running. For the record, should I ever look back on this, it was the side of the knee area that killed. Not the knee cap, so I don't think I had "runners knee". Honestly, I think that it was IT band related. For those who don't know what the IT band is feel free to click this link, but long story short, it is a muscle that runs along the side of the leg from the hip to the knee. It is a crucial muscle and can be the culprit for many running injuries.

Anyway, it was a tough week for two reasons. One, as the week progressed and my knee still hurt, I was concerned about the long term ramifications of this injury. Two, not doing anything active was driving me NUTS! However, Sunday through Friday I treated it with a steady receipt of stretching and a heating pad.

By Thursday, I felt like I could test the waters with a spin class at the gym. Things ended up going great. I pushed hard and my knee felt good. Therefore, the plan was to continue to skip the running and plan to take my bike out on Sat for a challenging ride.

I turned to my old pal favoriterun.com and mapped out a 40 mile route that would take me up to Pinnacle Peak area and back. Prior to this, 30 miles was the extent of my length in the saddle. Couple this with the fact that the first half of the ride would be uphill, and I knew that this would pose as great substitute to a 19 mile run. Hopefully my knee would think the same.

I started at sunrise, 7:25ish. Brrrrr, it was cold. Thank goodness for cold weather cycling gear (beanie, arm warmer, layering tank top, and full fingered gloves)....they make all the difference. Plus they allow the flexibility to take off as things warm up later in the ride.

This ride also brought with it another challenge...traffic. I'm still gaining experience and comfort with riding in traffic. The big one is making left hand turns from the left hand turn lane. It's one thing to be in a car and another on a bike, you feel very vulnerable. The key, I'm learning with cycling, like anything in life is confidence. You need to feel confident with your bike and the decisions you make on it. There is no room for hesitation. Luckily, 5 months on my bike has afforded me some comfort between me and my bike.

The first 1/3 of the ride was feeling good, other than my feet being numb and a constant runny nose from the cold. I took a small pit stop at the Cine Capri area to blow my nose and fuel up with some Cytomax.

I knew the challenging part lie ahead having done this part of the route. It is a steep incline through DC Ranch and up Pima to the Pinnacle Peak area. My speed slowed considerably and my quads were on FIRE. Much like running, I know that every hill has an end and downhill, so I just kept that in mind and pushed pedal over pedal. Just before you reach the top (Dynamite Rd) you pass a scene right out of an old John Wayne movie. A row of stores and a steakhouse in an area called Reata Pass. Seriously, all it needed was a few tumbleweeds and I would have sworn that my bike hit 88 miles an hour and I was BACK TO THE FUTURE. I couldn't resist so I pulled my bike up to the old hitchin post and I decided to GU, take some pictures and reward my self with a tiny break having just charged up that 1200 ft climb. No wonder my legs felt the way they did.

Now the scary fun part.....downhill. Coming over a crest on Dynamite Rd, I assumed the position...no pun intended. Grab the drops, tuck myself in and pray nothing is in the road ahead. Reaching a speed of 30 miles an hour on a bike, again is quite the rush. The view is incredible...you can see the entire city sprawled out below. This picture didn't quite do the justice, but it's beautiful. Another reminder of why I love running and cycling.

I knew that the rest of the route was either downhill or flat, it was just a matter of whether or not my legs had it in them. As with running, there is a great deal is having good form, especially when your tired. Squeeze your thighs together keeping your knees in, relax your shoulders, keep your elbows slightly bent, back straight, pelvis forward, butt back, focus on your breathing....wow, that's a lot to remember.

I made it back to the Cine Capri area and decided to hydrate and clear my head one last time. I was in the home stretch and although tired, it was all good.

As I was stopped at the light at Bell Rd, I noticed my legs starting to shake....they were feeling like jello. I made it back in roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes. My legs were done, but my knee felt fine and most important was that I got in a high quality cardio workout that should keep me on track for the marathon. This weekend was a perfect example of the benefits of multi sport training and it felt great. My intention is to hit the pavement again this week on foot, I'm looking to finish the next 5 weeks strong before Chang's. Wish me luck, I'll keep ya posted!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1824 ft
Location:	Phoenix/Deer Valley Municipal Ar, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	12/06/08	Up/Downhill:	[+1374/-1374]
Time:	07:22 AM	Difficulty:	4.5 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	55 F temp; 35% humidity
	55 F heat index; winds Calm

Performance

Distance:	40.74 miles
Time:	2:36:47
Speed:	15.6 mph
Pace:	3' 51 /mi	Heart Rate:	153 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2635		172 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Speed (mph)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 01m	0%	0.24 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	2h 00m	76%	31.93 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 36m	23%	8.27 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 15m	9%	1.77 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 04m	2%	0.06 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	5' 03	+1' 12	11.9	-3.7	129	0 ft
2	4' 08	+0' 17	14.5	-1.1	149	+29 ft
3	4' 35	+0' 44	13.1	-2.5	149	+29 ft
4	3' 28	-0' 22	17.2	+1.6	160	+22 ft
5	3' 54	+0' 03	15.4	-0.2	161	+36 ft
6	3' 22	-0' 28	17.8	+2.2	164	+22 ft
7	3' 08	-0' 42	19.1	+3.5	166	+6 ft
8	2' 53	-0' 57	20.7	+5.1	165	0 ft
9	10' 37	+6' 46	5.7	-9.9	146	+32 ft
10	3' 46	-0' 04	15.9	+0.3	162	+62 ft
11	4' 21	+0' 30	13.8	-1.8	158	+62 ft
12	4' 51	+1' 00	12.3	-3.2	161	+91 ft
13	4' 20	+0' 29	13.8	-1.8	165	+118 ft
14	4' 17	+0' 26	14.0	-1.6	164	+98 ft
15	5' 02	+1' 11	11.9	-3.7	163	+121 ft
16	6' 00	+2' 09	10.0	-5.6	165	+177 ft
17	5' 23	+1' 32	11.1	-4.5	157	+134 ft
18	13' 20	+9' 29	4.5	-11.1	153	+118 ft
19	4' 41	+0' 50	12.8	-2.8	149	+79 ft
20	2' 18	-1' 32	26.0	+10.4	135	-187 ft
21	3' 57	+0' 06	15.2	-0.4	137	-167 ft
22	3' 11	-0' 39	18.8	+3.2	139	-98 ft
23	2' 37	-1' 13	22.9	+7.3	154	-88 ft
24	3' 00	-0' 50	20.0	+4.4	147	-82 ft
25	2' 53	-0' 57	20.7	+5.1	151	-88 ft
26	3' 48	-0' 02	15.8	+0.2	153	+20 ft
27	3' 36	-0' 14	16.6	+1.0	156	-36 ft
28	3' 16	-0' 34	18.3	+2.7	145	-82 ft
29	2' 41	-1' 09	22.3	+6.7	149	-101 ft
30	3' 03	-0' 47	19.6	+4.0	151	-55 ft
31	4' 29	+0' 38	13.4	-2.2	147	-42 ft
32	3' 32	-0' 18	17.0	+1.4	140	-72 ft
33	5' 09	+1' 18	11.7	-3.9	144	-16 ft
34	3' 26	-0' 24	17.4	+1.8	161	+3 ft
35	3' 46	-0' 04	15.9	+0.3	154	-6 ft
36	3' 35	-0' 15	16.7	+1.1	152	-39 ft
37	3' 13	-0' 37	18.6	+3.0	153	-22 ft
38	3' 04	-0' 46	19.5	+3.9	162	-32 ft
39	3' 26	-0' 24	17.5	+1.9	153	-29 ft
40	3' 18	-0' 32	18.1	+2.5	160	-26 ft
end	4' 18	+0' 27	13.9	-1.7	154	+10 ft
Versus average of 15.6 mph

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

If at first you don't succeed....

2008-12-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

....try and try again. If you read my blog from last weeks 18 miler, you know it was a disaster. It beat me down physically and emotionally. I knew a big part of it was doing 18 in mid 80 degree weather, but I felt like I needed to go back to the "running drawing board" in order to get back on track.

I decided to start from scratch this week. It was a do or die run for me. Mentally I would be shot if I did not turn in a long run with a decent time. Let's start with the basics. I gotta start early when the temps are at their lowest. I decided on 6:30 (right before sunrise). Seeing that it would be chilly at start and warm up as the sun came up, I decided to wear short sleeves and wear my arm warmers that I use for cycling (again, something new). Next let's talk route. I needed something with a little more scenery. I mapped out a route that started on the greenbelt and picked up the canal around Indian Bend. Now let's evaluate nutrition. I've been pretty conservative on caloric intake while running, using the same formula from last year. I'm training at a much higher intensity this year, maybe I need more nutrition? I decided to bring more food than neccessary. I had 2 Roctane GU's (higher sodium content amoung other things than regular GU), 1 package of Shot Blocks and half of a PowerBar....that should do! Ok, the final ingredient...a strong mental state. I knew I could ROCK this run!

Jeff and I again worked out a master plan in which he would meet me 4.5 miles in at Indian Bend and do 11 with me. Given my past history with 18 mile runs (see last weeks blog), I told myself that I would do 19 in order to avoid another disaster. Running with someone is always a boost and I was glad he was able to join.

I know that I have been starting out really fast the last couple of weeks so I really made an effort to take it easy for the first 3-4. I kept my pace between 8:45 and 9:20. The weather was MUCH better. It was 47 degrees but it felt GREAT. I know not everyone thrives in cold weather, but I do! I could see my breath and there was a layer of steam coming off the lakes around the golf course and the canal later on in the run. Really it was quite pretty.

Coming up on Indian Bend (where I was supposed to meet Jeff), I felt great. I felt like I was in control of my run rather than my run controlling me. Timing could not have been better, Jeff was walking up right as I passed over to the canal. I took an opportunity to GU, refill some water and we were off.

I fell right back into stride kicking it up just a notch to an 8:30-8:45 pace, but again this felt comfortable and I felt in control as I watched my heart rate.

Coming up on the turn around point at the park near Indian School and 68th, I was still in fine form...as was Jeff. We took some time to refill, I had some ShotBlocks, and we had a chat with some girls out doing 18 that morning...always great to talk running with others. I was warmed up so I peeled off the arm warmers and tucked them into my pocket...this worked out great. Then it was back onto the canal.

Anytime you stop for any length of time, a certain amount of tightness settles in to the legs. My left knee was a little sore but things fell back into stride a mile up the road. As I approached mile 12, I noticed that I was having to make a concerned effort to keep my pace at 8:30/8:45 rather than just coming naturally as it felt on the way out. This is just the nature of reaching that point in the run where you begin to have to push yourself. No biggie, still felt great.

Approaching the end of the canal, I took a walk break and another Roctane GU. Jeff decided to head towards the green belt for a mile before he turned back on his own.

Heading back onto the greenbelt, things were getting challenging but nothing I could not handle. However, I began to feel the run controlling me. I told myself to make it to mile 17 or 18 and I would take a water break. At mile 17.5, I took that much deserved break. Unfortuanately, it was at this break that I began to feel a sharp pain in the side of my knee. The same knee that was tight at the turnaround. I hobbled along for about 25 feet before it began to feel OK. I was not going to give up now.

The last 2 miles were considerably slower (9:30ish) but I felt that was OK considering my new knee problem. I wanted to finish strong, not blow out my knee.

Finish I did, and as anticipated...I ROCKED that run. I came in at 2 hours and 49 minutes which was an 8:50 pace. This is well on track to meet my goal of a sub 4 marathon in 7 weeks, and was much needed to boost my mental state of mind.

Now for the aftermath. My knee is not doing good. I've had an opportunity to talk to many people for advice. I'm gonna take it easy this week and may not run at all (this is gonna kill me). However many will tell you the hardest part of the marathon is showing up at the starting line healthy. Hopefully by weeks end it will be well enough to do some cycling as a cross trainer. Ahhh, there is always something with running. Stay tuned!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1295 ft
Location:	Paradise Valley, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	11/30/08	Up/Downhill:	[+183/-183]
Time:	06:28 AM	Difficulty:	2.9 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	53 F temp; 77% humidity
	53 F heat index; winds S 3

Performance

Distance:	19.00 miles
Time:	2:48:01
Speed:	6.8 mph
Pace:	8' 51 /mi	Heart Rate:	162 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2849		174 bpm (Peak)

Map
Elevation (ft)
Pace (min/mile)
Heart Rate (bpm)
Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 40m	24%	6.94 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	2h 08m	76%	17.02 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 19m	11%	2.13 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 07m	4%	0.22 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 02m	1%	0.03 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	9' 08	+0' 17	6.6	-0.2	139	-22 ft
2	8' 38	-0' 13	6.9	+0.2	151	-22 ft
3	8' 41	-0' 10	6.9	+0.1	154	-23 ft
4	9' 26	+0' 35	6.4	-0.4	152	-17 ft
5	12' 25	+3' 34	4.8	-1.9	152	-9 ft
6	1' 58	-6' 53	30.4	+23.6	160	0 ft
7	8' 42	-0' 09	6.9	+0.1	160	0 ft
8	8' 34	-0' 17	7.0	+0.2	161	-3 ft
9	8' 31	-0' 20	7.0	+0.3	165	-3 ft
10	8' 25	-0' 26	7.1	+0.3	167	0 ft
11	18' 52	+10' 01	3.2	-3.6	156	-3 ft
12	8' 38	-0' 13	6.9	+0.2	166	+3 ft
13	0' 00	-8' 51	4267.9	+4261.1	168	0 ft
14	8' 39	-0' 12	6.9	+0.2	--	0 ft
15	8' 36	-0' 15	7.0	+0.2	168	0 ft
16	8' 48	-0' 03	6.8	+0.0	166	+6 ft
17	8' 45	-0' 06	6.8	+0.1	167	0 ft
18	9' 02	+0' 11	6.6	-0.1	165	+3 ft
19	8' 50	-0' 01	6.8	+0.0	170	+20 ft
20	9' 07	+0' 16	6.6	-0.2	168	+17 ft
21	9' 10	+0' 19	6.5	-0.2	169	+26 ft
22	8' 32	-0' 19	7.0	+0.3	166	+19 ft
end	8' 42	-0' 09	6.9	+0.1	172	+9 ft
Versus average of 8' 51 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

'08 Mesa Turkey Trot

2008-12-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

There is only one day of the year in which one can have the opportunity of running after a guy dressed in a Turkey outfit. That day is Thanksgiving, that event is the annual Turkey trot.

Turkey trots continue to gain in popularity. I know of at least 3 here in the valley. It's a 10k (6.2 miles for you non-runners) and the idea is to burn some extra calories while chasing after a Turkey. Mind you, the Turkey runs pretty quick...usually coming in between 42-52 minutes.

This was my 3rd year participating in this event (wow, I can't believe I'm coming up on 3 year anniversaries with runnning). Anyway, I love this T-giving tradition. It allows me to clear my head of some pre-holiday stress and a few extra calories to prepare for the late day feast.

The forcast a couple days out called for an 80% chance of rain. My theory on running in the rain has changed drastically in the last year. I typically would have been the type of person who saw rain and said, "not for me." However, I've come to like it in some sick sort of way. I've mentioned before that I ran 18 in the rain last year. In my mind it is an expression of determination. It's easy to find an excuse not to run, but hard to drag yourself from a warm dry bed to show your love and dedication for a sport or goal. Again, this is just my mentality and opinion. Besides, this was my 3rd time running this race, and I didn't want to break this tradition because of a little rain.

As Jeff mentioned in his blog, he "melts" in the rain and avoids it at all costs. Therefore, I knew there was a high percentage that saw me doing this one solo. The night before as the rain came down, I sent a text to Jeff asking if he was up for a "run in the rain." Wow, much to my surprise, he said, "sure, what the hell." Nice!

The next morning, I woke up around 5:45 to the sound of rain. Not just a sprinkle, but buckets of rain coming down hard. I thought, "oh, this is gonna be interesting!" Headed out to pick up Jeff, the weather began to let up. Long story short, the drive out to Mesa consisted of little or no rain, but would this hold???

Once we arrived at Red Mountain Park, I noticed a lighter than normal crowd. Jeff registered, I picked up my stuff and we began to do some light streching and a few bathroom breaks.

Coming closer to the 9am start time, I noticed the crowds begining to appear...still no rain. Actually, at this point the clouds began to part and the sun was shining....dare I say it was getting warm.

We planted ourselves about a quarter of the way back from the start and waited. My goal going in was to enjoy the run and let my legs fill in the rest. No goal time in mind. Yeah, I'm getting faster, someday I'd love to beat the Turkey, but I don't think I'm quite there yet.

After the gun, we set out around a 9 min pace. Things felt good, sun was out and I was begining to dread wearing a long sleeve shirt. By mile 2.5, I was in a great stride, crusing at a 8:30 pace or faster.

I opted out of the first 2 water stations as we made our way down Brown towards Power. I had lost sight of Jeff by this point and figured he stopped for some water. As I made the turn on to Power Rd, I noticed the Turkey up ahead. That was all the motivation I needed. All of a sudden, I went from no goal, to a big one....beat that bird. About 50 more feet and I found myself passing him.

There was gonna be no way I was giving that lead up. I was hauling at around a 7:30-7:45 pace. My body was feeling it and my heart rate was up. Around mile 4.25 there was a water station. I GU'd up and grabbed a cup of water for the final 2 miles (all the while making sure that Turkey did not pass).

Coming out of the residential area past Brown, I could see the park (and finish line) up ahead. I had pushed my body beyond it's comfort zone and it was pushing back. However, I knew I had a little more in me....finish strong!

I did finish strong. I came in at 49 min and most importantly, I BEAT THE TURKEY! He finished in 52 minutes. Unfortunately, they had run out of the certificates that said "I beat the Turkey". Oh well, I did it. Unfortunately, I also set a personal expectation....guess I'm gonna have to do it again next year.

Jeff and I took some time to cheer on a few finishers, and take a picture with the turkey. As we were leaving, it started to rain. It was like Mother Nature took the time to enjoy the "trot". Thanks!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1515 ft
Location:	Apache Junction, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+13 ft
Date:	11/27/08	Up/Downhill:	[+167/-154]
Time:	09:01 AM	Difficulty:	2.2 / 5.0

Performance

Distance:	6.19 miles
Time:	0:49:46
Speed:	7.5 mph
Pace:	8' 02 /mi	Heart Rate:	164 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	944		185 bpm (Peak)

Map
Elevation (ft)
Pace (min/mile)
Heart Rate (bpm)
Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 19m	39%	2.53 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	0h 26m	53%	3.26 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 03m	7%	0.41 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	8' 35	+0' 33	7.0	-0.5	143	+56 ft
2	8' 01	-0' 01	7.5	+0.0	155	-53 ft
3	8' 05	+0' 03	7.4	-0.1	161	+4 ft
4	7' 55	-0' 07	7.6	+0.1	166	-3 ft
5	7' 59	-0' 03	7.5	+0.0	175	+42 ft
6	7' 42	-0' 20	7.8	+0.3	179	-33 ft
end	7' 11	-0' 51	8.3	+0.9	183	0 ft
Versus average of 8' 02 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

Four magic words provide inspiration

2008-11-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

As indicated in my previous post, I've been in need of something, anything to inspire me. Well if you are ever in need of something like this....go watch an Ironman event. Again, an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run over the course of 17 hours.

Last Sunday was the second running of the Ford Ironman event in Tempe this year. The first was in April. After having record heat in April, the schedule makers decided that November might fair better for the athletes (smart choice.) I've had numerous people tell me that they are incredible events to attend. In need of inspiration, I volunteered for one of the run aid stations.

My volunteer shift was from 11am - 3pm. I've heard that watching the swim start is incredible, so I headed down to Tempe early. I arrived around 6:30 am. I headed down to Tempe Beach Park which was the main transition area. Wow, the energy was amazing. Obviously I'm familiar with the energy surrounding a marathon, but this was something different. The nervous excitement surrounding 2100 athletes preparing for a VERY LONG day was overwhelming.

There is so much that goes into a triathlon, especially an Ironman. You're making sure your transition area is set up with all the gear you need to transition from swim to bike (T1) and bike to run (T2). You're making sure your bike is set up properly. You are wedging yourself into a second skin...wetsuit. This can be quite the chore as I witnessed many doing so by the lake. All the while, your family is wanting to take pictures of you while your still able to stand. You could sense the pride from families standing around looking to spend just a second with their future Ironman....signs, banners, T-shirt, bullhorns, cowbells every where you turned.

I headed up to the bridge to get an ariel view of the swim start. It was cold, and I figured being in that water had to be even colder. An announcer asked everyone to begin getting into the water. One by one Tempe Town Lake began to fill with athletes. The pros, about 60 athletes, got a 10 minute start with the cannon going off at 6:50am. Then the regular athletes lined up at the imaginary start line created in the water by canoes. After the national anthem, the cannon sounded again. After having witnessed it, I think the start of an Ironman event has to be one of the most incredible sites to see. A seemingly calm lake comes alive with 2100 athletes kicking and splashing as they start the 2.4 mile swim. Hopefully this picture does it justice.

After the start I headed down to the T1 area to watch the athletes get out of the water. The first pro came out in 45 minutes. I've read that the transition to land can be very difficult. Having been in the water for that long, your body becomes disoriented and your legs don't always react well to being back on flat land. I watched a number of people stumble up and out of the water. In the meantime, you begin to unzip your wetsuit and head to the transition tent. This is where you strip out of your wetsuit (very difficult), and grab your bike gear. Next you head to find your bike within a sea of bikes. I stood and watched a number of athletes mount their bikes, some falling as they ran in their bike shoes on a cobblestone walkway...oooops, and head out on a 112 mile bike ride.

The corner of Mill and Rio Solado became what is know as the "hot corner". It is the entryway into the transition area and the turnaround for the bike course. Many spectators hovered in this area, ringing their cowbells or sounding their airhorns in support. The athletes make the bike portion look very easy, but I know their quads and hamstrings must be on fire.

Around 11am, I headed out to my run aid station, which was on the south side of the lake around Rural Rd. I helped set up the tables. We were providing the athletes with water, gatorade, coke, ice cold sponges, and food (pretzels, GU, powerbars, bananas, oranges, grapes). We didn't see the first pro until about 12:45. It's amazing to see the pro athletes by this point, they make it look so easy as they clip along at a 6 min pace. Most of the athletes grabbed fluid and sponges. By the way, I witness sponges being stuffed in places that sponges should not be stuffed normally....very interesting.

My shift ended at 3pm, and some of the regular athletes were just making their way on to the course. After this I headed back to the finish line and just missed the top 3 men finishing, the winner completing it in a little over 8 hours...incredible.

After grabbing some dinner on Mill, I headed back to the finish for the true inspiration. For the next 4 hours I watched athletes ranging from 18 - 71 years old cross the finish line. Many athletes would cross the finish line with their kids, running, jumping, and even saw one cartwheel. Each athlete gets the opportunity to break the finish line tape (very special), and awaits to here their name attached to those 4 magic words......"You are an Ironman". For most people this means little, but for those who understand the training and determination involved....it means everything. I have a new found respect for the Ironman "m dot", and hope to hear my name attached to those 4 magic words someday.

I headed back to the car around 9pm, I felt guilty heading back to my warm car knowing that there were many still out on that course who had 3 hours still ahead of them. I gave them 14 hours of support, but those athletes gave me some much needed inspiration, that still resonates in my head.

Unlucky 18

2008-11-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's been nearly a week since I blogged. I think subconsiously I was avoiding reporting what has transpired in that week.

I was set to run 18 last Saturday. First I must give some history to my experience with 18 mile training runs. Last year, my 18 mile run took place in DC Ranch with Trudy in freezing cold rain. Looking back I will always remember that run because of the circumstances. Two weeks ago, I was supposed to run my 18 miles and came down with a cold so I decided to rest my body that weekend. So that brings us up to last weekend.

First I had to find the time to run 18 miles. Do to my volunteer responsibilities at the Ironman event in Tempe (look for a future blog on this), I had no other choice but to run a rare afternoon run on Saturday. The afternoon temps were supposed to be unseasonably warm, mid 80's.

Jeff was onboard for 11 miles, so we carefully hatched a well formulated plan that would make NASA proud. I would start at Granada Park at around 11 and head west 3.5 miles, turn around taking in 7 miles and meeting Jeff back at Granada for the final 11.

Judging from the volume of sweat 2 miles in, I knew this was going to be a challenge. I've been doing a lot reading about heart rate training and the benefits behind it. Essentially, it involves monitoring your runs or workouts based on your heart rate in order to avoid "blowing up" (essentially exhausting yourself). This is particularly important for distance runners and triathletes. Anyway, I decided to monitor my first 7 using this method. I slowed my pace and really tried to regulate my breathing to keep my heart rate down. However, as my body became warmer, this became more difficult.

Finishing the first 7, I met up with Jeff at Granada where he greeted me with some water to restock the fuel belt. As we headed out for the final 11, I already felt spent. I felt like I had to have run at least 13 already, but that was not the case.

I got another 2-2.5 miles in before I slowed down to take a water break. My body was exhausted. I was beginning to feel like I was putting a "black cloud" on Jeff's run too.

Approaching mile 11, it felt like it was 100 degrees. When talking about the weather, most would say, "80 degrees, that's perfect." However, when your out there exerting yourself, and that sun is high over head just beating you down...things feel much worse. It was around this point where the real challenge began.

As many know, there is a large mental part of running, especially long distances. There come a time when you have to talk yourself through the pain. Some people think about anything but running, some simply count their steps, and some repeat some sort of phrase. I usually go with the phrase approach. I remember doing this around mile 22-26 of the marathon last year. I needed to go there on this run so I kept my eyes focused on the ground about 5 feet ahead and kept repeating, "you are strong, you can do this.....you are strong, you can do this!" This phrase got me through to the turnaround.

We stopped at the park nearby and filled up the fuel belts. Jeff asked if I had "bonked"....uh, yeah, that was an understatement. I was done. However, here is where I want to give Jeff some much deserved credit. He is hands down, the only reason why I finished this run. He was better than any GU packet or water bottle on this run. He reminded me time and time again to push through, to break the run down into chunks (even if that chunk is making it to the next light pole), and took my mind off the run by talking about everything under the sun....no pun intended. THANKS Jeff!

Needless to say, the final 5 were damn near impossible. It consisted of a lot of walk breaks. My body was bruised and battered. I think the final numbers reflect a 9:30 pace, which is not gonna get me to the finish line in under 4 in January. However, as the Garmin indicates....I finished another unlucky 18 mile run.

Ok, now the scary part. After finishing my run I noticed that my jaw began to tighten up. I dismissed it as a possible symptom of dehydration. I came to find out later that jaw stiffness is a sign of heart stress. Yeah, last weeks run was indeed a "heart stress"....physically and emotionally. If you read Jeff account of the run, you'll see a more optimistic side, but honestly this run set me back. We'll see what the future holds, but let the record show, that I'm pretty discouraged. Maybe it's me realizing that I'm human.....who knows????

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1243 ft
Location:	Phoenix, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+3 ft
Date:	11/22/08	Up/Downhill:	[+196/-193]
Time:	10:53 AM	Difficulty:	2.8 / 5.0

Performance

Distance:	18.00 miles
Time:	2:52:00
Speed:	6.3 mph
Pace:	9' 33 /mi	Heart Rate:	164 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2645		182 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	1h 38m	56%	11.07 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	1h 12m	42%	7.40 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 31m	17%	4.51 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 01m	0%	0.08 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	8' 27	-1' 06	7.1	+0.8	147	+3 ft
2	8' 00	-1' 33	7.5	+1.2	162	0 ft
3	8' 29	-1' 04	7.1	+0.8	165	-3 ft
4	9' 01	-0' 32	6.7	+0.4	164	+3 ft
5	8' 36	-0' 57	7.0	+0.7	169	0 ft
6	8' 45	-0' 48	6.8	+0.6	170	0 ft
7	8' 34	-0' 59	7.0	+0.7	174	-3 ft
8	11' 43	+2' 10	5.1	-1.2	170	+7 ft
9	2' 36	-6' 57	23.0	+16.7	176	-3 ft
10	9' 01	-0' 32	6.7	+0.4	174	+4 ft
11	9' 40	+0' 07	6.2	-0.1	174	+7 ft
12	7' 51	-1' 42	7.6	+1.4	175	0 ft
13	9' 15	-0' 18	6.5	+0.2	172	+3 ft
14	23' 04	+13' 31	2.6	-3.7	168	-3 ft
15	10' 07	+0' 34	5.9	-0.4	163	+3 ft
16	0' 00	-9' 33	6544.4	+6538.1	163	-3 ft
17	8' 47	-0' 46	6.8	+0.5	--	+6 ft
18	9' 51	+0' 18	6.1	-0.2	--	-6 ft
19	11' 40	+2' 07	5.1	-1.1	150	0 ft
20	10' 14	+0' 41	5.9	-0.4	163	-7 ft
21	11' 48	+2' 15	5.1	-1.2	158	+3 ft
22	12' 42	+3' 09	4.7	-1.6	148	-7 ft
end	**	**	**	**	174	** ft
Versus average of 9' 33 min/mile
** Insufficient data to calculate this split

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

Life is like a long run...

2008-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

There is no way to sanely consider the magnitude of dealing with a diagnosis, a financial pit, a rocky relationship, a crying newborn, a new job, no job, an addiction, or a challenge of any kind if we look at the distance as a whole. If we can just get to the next mile marker, the next appointment, the next paycheck, the next conversation, the next week, the next day, the next hour, the next five minutes.

Wherever we are and wherever we're going, we won't break if we break it down.

~Kristin Armstrong (yes, this is Lance Armstrongs ex-wife)

A couple of weeks ago in my blog I referenced the idea of breaking my long runs into chunks. Ironically, I came across this blog entry from Kristin Armstrong on RunnersWorld.com. She took the same concept and made the connection with life. As we head into the holiday season and all the stress that can come with it, I think it's funny to stumble upon this....it is so true. Check it out!

16 Miles...Take Two

2008-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last weeks 16 miler on the canal was less than stellar. It actually left me second guessing my ability to meet my January goal. Don't get me wrong I still turned in a great time, but my body and mind felt pretty beat up.

All week I thought about what I wanted to run this weekend. Originally, I had 18 miles, but honestly I didn't think I was ready. I knew that I needed to go another 16 before I increased again.

Since this was my second attempt at 16, I thought I'd add another level of difficulty to it....hills! Obviously I headed back out to DC Ranch for a challenging run.

I headed out to DC Ranch a little earlier, knowing that there were some freeway closures and I was gonna plant some water on the course. By the time I got up to the Marketplace and did some light stretching, I ended up hitting the road around 5:50am. The weather according to my car was 56 degrees. Chilly but not freezing, it felt great.

Again like last week I decided to break the run into bite size chunks. The first 5 were pretty much downhill, and felt great. I fell into a great stride that felt comfortable.

I stopped to drink some Cytomax and headed through Westworld. Now starts the uphill climb. I reminded myself that it is all mental, so I kept a close eye on my pace doing my best to stay in the 8:30-8:45 pace. Around mile 6.5 a guy ran up next to me. I came to find out later his name was Dave. After giving the usual "guy nod", I could tell he wanted more. I took out one earbud and said, "hi". He began to tell me that he had noticed me on the way down Thompson Peak and said that I looked like I was in great stride making great pace. We continued to have a conversation about running (length I was running this morning, training etc). He said that he thought he has seen me up here before. Looking down I noticed that we were clipping along at a 8:15 pace uphill having a conversation....made me realize I was in better shape than I thought. Towards the top of 94th, he said he was gonna veer off, and we shook hands. Thanks Dave, for providing me some much needed company up that hill.

Things continued to feel great. I had some more Cytomax, filled up my fuelbelt with the water I planted, and headed up F'U Hill. Again, the mindset was to stay in the 8:30-8:45 pace as best as possible. Reaching the top I decided to cut into a school for some flat mileage. Coming back out, I knew I could finish the next leg back to start strong.

Once back at where I started my run at 5:50am, I noticed I was at aprox 11 miles, so I did a GU and headed back out the same course. Again, I picked up some time with more downhill work. I was beginning to feel a bit tired at the turnaround, mile 13 (Union Hills). However, all in all, I was not bonking, and knew I had a strong finish in me. This was a vast improvement over last weeks run around this point.

Headed back up F'U Hill one last time, and I could feel it in my legs. My pace slowed to a 9-9:15 and I couldn't push much harder. Again, I headed into the school for some flat land. Coming out of the school, I was at around 14.5 miles. I could mentally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I kicked it into high gear and finished the last mile and a half at a 8:30 or better pace.

When all was said and done, my total time was 1 second faster than last week and my pace was exactly the same (8:40). I went the same mileage on a harder course and turned in a very respectable time. Most important was the fact that I mentally and physically felt better this morning....a huge mental win for me this week! I think I'm ready for 18.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1753 ft
Location:	Carefree, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+13 ft
Date:	11/08/08	Up/Downhill:	[+764/-751]
Time:	05:51 AM	Difficulty:	3.8 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	58 F temp; 26% humidity
	58 F heat index; winds Calm

Performance

Distance:	16.00 miles
Time:	2:18:51
Speed:	6.9 mph
Pace:	8' 41 /mi	Heart Rate:	158 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2429		172 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 06m	4%	0.71 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	1h 54m	82%	14.26 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 24m	17%	2.61 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 04m	3%	0.17 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	9' 19	+0' 38	6.4	-0.5	139	+49 ft
2	8' 29	-0' 12	7.1	+0.2	148	-79 ft
3	8' 05	-0' 36	7.4	+0.5	150	-102 ft
4	8' 11	-0' 30	7.3	+0.4	154	-59 ft
5	7' 58	-0' 43	7.5	+0.6	156	-95 ft
6	9' 19	+0' 38	6.4	-0.5	154	+46 ft
7	12' 13	+3' 32	4.9	-2.0	160	+95 ft
8	2' 12	-6' 29	27.1	+20.2	161	+16 ft
9	8' 44	+0' 03	6.9	-0.0	168	+137 ft
10	8' 37	-0' 04	7.0	+0.1	164	+20 ft
11	8' 22	-0' 19	7.2	+0.3	166	0 ft
12	7' 22	-1' 19	8.1	+1.2	159	0 ft
13	8' 36	-0' 05	7.0	+0.1	164	+6 ft
14	8' 23	-0' 18	7.2	+0.2	158	-115 ft
15	9' 35	+0' 54	6.3	-0.6	161	+109 ft
16	9' 04	+0' 23	6.6	-0.3	161	0 ft
17	8' 23	-0' 18	7.2	+0.2	164	-13 ft
end	7' 58	-0' 43	7.5	+0.6	166	-3 ft
Versus average of 8' 41 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

Ironman Inspiration

2008-11-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

For those of you following along with my blogs this week, I discussed some of my long term training plans, including a Half Ironman in 2010. Well, some of you may know that Tempe is hosting its second full Ironman event of the year in 16 days. I've had the chance to speak with a couple of individuals proud to call themselves Ironmen, having completed this incredible feat of endurance. Every single person says that just watching one of these events is extremely inspirational. Say no more, given my long term goals and a need for some current inspiration to get me through the marathon, I decided to volunteer for this event on November 23rd. I will be at one of the aid stations during the run portion of this event. I can't wait to help those who will need a little of their own motivation during this grueling 140.6 mile course.

You owe it to yourself to watch the attached Youtube clip. Some may watch it and say you're all crazy, but I can't help get goosebumps when watching it. It really is an incredible feat that someday I will get to experience first hand. I'll share more about the experience after I volunteer in a couple of weeks.

Great Mid Week Run

2008-11-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better than a long mid afternoon run when the weather is beautiful. Case in point, tonight! Looking at the forecast yesterday, I decided that I would get my run in right after work.

The weather was in the mid 70's and the sun was going down. Everything clicked, around mile 3. I ran a little over 7 miles at a 8:20 pace, there were a few miles that were sub 8 or close to. I could have run forever, but decided to head home to catch some election coverage. GREAT mid week run!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1411 ft
Location:	Phoenix/Deer Valley Municipal Ar, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+4 ft
Date:	11/04/08	Up/Downhill:	[+95/-91]
Time:	04:58 PM	Difficulty:	2.4 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	68 F temp; 35% humidity
	68 F heat index; winds SW 10

Performance

Distance:	7.16 miles
Time:	0:59:45
Speed:	7.2 mph
Pace:	8' 21 /mi	Heart Rate:	156 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	1087		171 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 04m	7%	0.57 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	0h 44m	73%	5.80 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 14m	24%	1.57 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 01m	2%	0.16 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 01m	1%	0.07 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 01m	1%	0.03 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	8' 39	+0' 18	6.9	-0.3	136	-19 ft
2	9' 24	+1' 03	6.4	-0.8	146	-16 ft
3	7' 10	-1' 11	8.4	+1.2	151	+13 ft
4	6' 50	-1' 31	8.8	+1.6	155	0 ft
5	7' 53	-0' 28	7.6	+0.4	165	-13 ft
6	8' 37	+0' 16	7.0	-0.2	163	+22 ft
7	7' 42	-0' 39	7.8	+0.6	167	+7 ft
end	8' 08	-0' 13	7.4	+0.2	168	+10 ft
Versus average of 8' 21 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

I HATE Speedwork

2008-11-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Did my first speedwork session for this training period last night. I HATE speedwork! Yes I know it makes you a better, faster runner, but I still hate it. I think I hate it because a workout that lasts about 1/4 of the time of a normal run gives you the same after effects.....high heart rate and achy legs.

Instead of hitting the track, I learned how to set my Garmin for interval work and headed down 36th St. The stats below are for a 4 x 400 session with a warm up/cool down and a 2 min rest in between each interval. So when all was said and done, I ran each quarter mile at a around a 1:41 or a 6:40 per mile pace. I just kept saying, "Stronger runner, stronger runner."

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1423 ft
Location:	Phoenix/Deer Valley Municipal Ar, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+3 ft
Date:	11/03/08	Up/Downhill:	[+29/-26]
Time:	07:54 PM	Difficulty:	1.3 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	75 F temp; 29% humidity
	75 F heat index; winds Calm

Performance

Distance:	1.86 miles
Time:	0:18:24
Speed:	6.1 mph
Pace:	9' 54 /mi	Heart Rate:	130 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	257		163 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	0h 05m	31%	0.74 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 05m	27%	0.55 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 04m	22%	0.36 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 04m	22%	0.30 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	1%	0.03 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	9' 54	+0' 00	6.1	-0.0	127	-19 ft
end	9' 56	+0' 02	6.0	-0.0	134	+23 ft
Versus average of 9' 54 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com

I'm not Superman...yet!

2008-11-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, I realized last week that I'm not Superman and I can't do it all! This realization is a bit dissapointing for me because in my short 3 years of running experience, I've always felt I could do it all (father, husband, son, manager, runner). Couple this with the drive to want to be good at all of this, and you can see why I might be setting myself up for disaster.

As most of you know, I added the sport of cycling to this formula about 3 months back. I've been learning a ton about the world of cycling, I can't get enough info...I want it all now. Not only do I want the knowledge but I also want the skills to do it well. I'm in the middle of training for the marathon in January and 2 weeks ago my weekly mileage drastically increased. I wanted to continue to train at a high intesity and also continue to learn and apply new skills to a new sport (cycling).

I made the decision last week that it can't be done. In order for me to reach my sub 4 marathon goal in January, something has got to give. So, tough as it was, I mapped out my fitness goals for the next year realizing that I'm not Superman.

So in order to put it down on paper...here it is. For the next 2 months, I'm going to really focus on my marathon goal and become a stronger, faster runner. Cycling will still play a role, but it will be used a cross-trainer when I can fit it in. I will continue to soak up knowledge about cycling but have come to the realization that I will not be competative in this sport for right now.

After the first of the year, after I kick ass in January, I'm going to focus my attention on multi-sport. This involves learning and applying new skills to 2 new sports....cycling, and dare I say swimming. I'm going to get formal coaching for my swimming skills, begin to better my cycling skills, oh, and continue to maintain my running skills. Along the way, I'll test myself with formal racing in all three sports individually and as a whole with some sprint tri's next fall??? In addition, I'd love to be able to run the NYC Marathon next Nov. However, the idea is that a year plus of multisport training will prepare me for my first major multisport goal of doing a half-ironman (70.3) event in Sonoma, CA in 2010. There I said it again, "I'm not Superman" but setting realistic goals will hopefully get me closer to Superman status!

My SuperBowl!

2008-11-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today was my SuperBowl Sunday....today was the NYC Marathon! Many believe the Boston Marathon to be the pinnacle of running. I believe that to be true as well, however the NYC Marathon is my favorite. My dream is to run this marathon sometime in the next 3 years. As many of you know I entered the lottery this year, but was not picked. Over 100,000 people apply for this marathon and only 35,000 are able to run it.

For me, NYC is the greatest city in the world, and to be able to see all 5 boroughs over the course of 26.2 miles by foot would be incredible. The city just stops on this day to embrace the 35,000 who are fortunate enough to do this. These are just some of the reasons why I'm driven to continue to train and run knowing that I might be among the lucky who say they have run this magnificent race.

There was a 1 hour recap on NBC, and the numbers that the elite athletes put up are staggering. The women at one point were headed up hill at mile 16 at a 4:59 pace...WOW. The mens winner ended up finishing in 2:08...that is almost 8 minutes faster than my 16 mile run yesterday. He ran the last mile at a 4:23 pace...absolutely incredible.

The rules of the NYC marathon state that if you apply 3 years in a row and are not picked, you automatically are picked the 4th year. 1 year down...in the mean time I'll just keep dreaming and training knowing that someday I'll get to run this great city!

Mental Breakdown

2008-11-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

MENTAL BREAKDOWN....you're asking if Bill finally had one this week. No, but close. This week in talking with people, I mentioned that I was going out for 16 miles on Saturday morning. Naturally this was followed by mostly chuckles and people shaking their heads.

Ok, I can understand why this response comes up when talking about running this distance. It seemed natural last fall when I did it, but somehow when I said it this year, it brought about uncertainty in my own mind as well. There were probably a couple of reasons for this. First, my intentions are to be much much quicker this year. Second, I'm on my own.

Last weeks 14 felt good and really wasn't that intimidating. However, there is something about the 16 mark that sets it, and every run going forward, as "character builders."

Back to the title of the blog. I remembered last year that when runs began to reach these lengths, it is way too much to tackle it mentally in one bite. It's best to mentally breakdown the run into manageable bites. You can decide to do it any way you like in order to get you through the run. Here are my mental breakdowns for todays run:

Miles 1-4:
Started out a little after 6am at Grenada Park. Again like last week, I wanted to just head out doing what felt comfortable (don't get hung up on the Garmin). First 4 felt great. Looking back on the stats, the time reflected it too. Hovering in the 8-8:30 range per mile.

Miles 5-8:
Stopped to fuel up with some Cytomax and was on my way. Still felt good, my mind began to wander towards the run as a whole...16 miles seems like a long way. "Forget it just finish this 4 miles and your halfaway there" I told myself. I reached my turnaround point from last week and felt good knowing I only had one more mile before the turnaround. I'd never run this far up the canal, and as I approached the extremely swanky new condos on the waterfront by Scottsdale Fashion Square, I knew I had run a long way. By the way, I still find humor in the fact that we refer to the canal as waterfront property in Scottsdale. I guess if I had irrigation in my front yard, I could up the value of my house being on the "waterfront."

Miles 9-12:
I stopped to GU, stretch a little and off I went. Hamstrings were a little tight but I still felt good. Looking at my Garmin at the turnaround, I noticed I had run the first 8 at a 8:30 pace...nice! Didn't know if I would be able to maintain that for the back 8 but I'd give it a shot. Around mile 10, things began to turn as they did last week. Legs felt more heavy and feet began to hurt a bit. However, I kept finding bursts of energy that enabled me to maintain. My mind began to question my endurance again around mile 11.5. My thoughts, "just make it to mile 12."

Miles 12-16:
Boy, these were tough miles. I decided to breakdown this section by telling myself to make it to mile 14. I noticed that my pace had fallen drastically to about a 9:00-9:15 pace. I wanted to finish as strong as possible, but my body was beat. The most concerning being the dull pain around my kidney area. I remember this pain from last years training. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that it is some internal organs letting you know that your body is running on empty. Reaching the Biltmore area, I knew I was close. I was done mentally by mile 15, I tried to give a little burst of something, but the best my legs could do is bring me to a 9 min pace.

I finished 16 at a 8:40 pace. I went longer and faster than last week. My body feels it too. My training is on track for my goals...I'm proud of that but a little concerned at how much my body has for the last 10. I'm gonna think about what I need to do, be it nutrition, sleep, cross training, or whatever to ensure I keep on track. I'm supposed to do 18 next Sat, but I may reconsider if I think it's best for my body and training.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1253 ft
Location:	Phoenix, AZ	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	11/01/08	Up/Downhill:	[+137/-137]
Time:	07:08 AM	Difficulty:	2.7 / 5.0

Weather:	Partly Cloudy
	74 F temp; 31% humidity
	74 F heat index; winds E 7

Performance

Distance:	16.00 miles
Time:	2:18:52
Speed:	6.9 mph
Pace:	8' 41 /mi	Heart Rate:	164 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2421		176 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	169 - 188	0h 49m	35%	5.44 mi
Zone 4	150 - 169	1h 43m	74%	13.15 mi
Zone 3	132 - 150	0h 07m	5%	0.72 mi
Zone 2	113 - 132	0h 01m	0%	-0.16 mi
Zone 1	94 - 113	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.02 mi

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Heart Rate	Elev Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Heart Rate	Elev Gain
1	8' 50	+0' 09	6.8	-0.1	146	+13 ft
2	8' 20	-0' 21	7.2	+0.3	159	-7 ft
3	8' 15	-0' 26	7.3	+0.4	164	+10 ft
4	8' 41	+0' 00	6.9	-0.0	162	-3 ft
5	8' 22	-0' 19	7.2	+0.3	162	+3 ft
6	8' 17	-0' 24	7.2	+0.3	168	+19 ft
7	8' 20	-0' 21	7.2	+0.3	168	-3 ft
8	8' 25	-0' 16	7.1	+0.2	168	+6 ft
9	4' 22	-4' 19	13.7	+6.8	155	0 ft
10	8' 47	+0' 06	6.8	-0.1	164	-3 ft
11	8' 17	-0' 24	7.2	+0.3	168	-3 ft
12	8' 42	+0' 01	6.9	-0.0	168	-16 ft
13	8' 09	-0' 32	7.4	+0.5	171	0 ft
14	9' 26	+0' 45	6.4	-0.5	166	0 ft
15	8' 17	-0' 24	7.2	+0.3	169	-6 ft
16	9' 41	+1' 00	6.2	-0.7	167	0 ft
17	9' 20	+0' 39	6.4	-0.5	168	-10 ft
end	9' 13	+0' 32	6.5	-0.4	171	0 ft
Versus average of 8' 41 min/mile

Posted from runtracker.runnersworld.com