Burning Down the School

I got a call just after I got home last Friday night (11/20). It was Terri, a secretary at the high school with news that my room was "on fire." Yikes! The critters, etc. Well, I hurried back to school not sure what I might find but pretty sure that the fire would prove to be a minor issue (at least from a damage perspective).

Fortunately, I am not friends with any current Northwest students so I missed the blaze that I created on Facebook. I heard all about it on Monday and it sounded like fun. Not much factual information involved as students had perished in the inferno that had engulfed the entire blue wing!

Anyway, the reality was that a heat lamp had fallen into the cage with the bearded dragons and caused a log to smolder. It did produce a great deal of smoke but no real damage and the lizards seem to have been unaffected.

The negative upshot is, of course, that all things plugged in become immediately suspect as hazardous so I had to do a great deal of rearranging in my room to make the Fire Marshall happy.

Monday, the superintendent toured my room. I was nervous about his possible reaction to my indiscretion but was pleasantly surprised that his approach was all about how the district could help me to SAFELY provide the experiences that my classroom attempts to generate for my students.

I have never had a one-on-one conversation with Dr. Ziegler before so I don't know why I anticipated anything different (perhaps my previous experiences had a hand in making me nervous). Anyway, I was very happy with the way things turned out.

To make certain that my reputation continues to improve from this fiasco, I spent a couple of hours today (Saturday 11/28) cleaning a spot in the storage closet for all of my goodies.

Getting set for another run

As the challenge of balancing a late day class with the short days continues to play havoc with my running, I'm am counting the days now until I will begin the next 12 week Hal Higdon 1/2 marathon training program. I will be preparing for the Gasparilla race in Tampa, Florida. Allison has committed to run with me and that will be encouraging as well as motivating. I feel like I put myself out there by setting the new family 1/2 marathon record. I know I've got a target on my back now so I'll need to keep the effort up to maintain my spot on top.

This "just for fun" has an amazing ability to keep me working even when I don't feel like. I guess you've got to use what ever is available to get through.

Here are a couple of pics from my recent surprise birthday trip to Tampa. As always, Allison and David were the penultimate hosts. I went canoeing with Allison to see my first wild alligators. There were lots to see, as well as plenty of other critters on a beautiful fall day. The other pic is Allison and I as we are finishing our diving adventure in the big tank at Florida Aquarium. We snorkeled but there didn't seem to be much difference between that and scuba diving except that we couldn't go under water (not certified divers). You can see more pictures of both adventures here:

Tampa Aquarium 11_08_09

And here:

Tampa Trip

The Race Report

The weekend was a family celebration since Allison came from Tampa, Florida to run with me. So, we had alot of things planned. We went out to Trey's house in St. Charles Friday night and had dinner with them - the gang put together a batch of lasagna that was great and added some salad. We had ice cream and some evil, molten lava chocolate cake that my son-in-law whipped up upon his arrival. This decadent creation was to celebrate Allison's recent birthday.

Saturday we toured Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri complete with a wine tasting on our way to the Mizzou football game. At the game, Jeni's family had a great tail gate spread out and Trey got to use his new hitch mounted grill for the first time. It works great, by the way. Once I indulged in the sweets and other refined carbs I couldn't put on the brakes. I'm sure I ingested multi-thousands of calories. Oh well, the Tigers won the game so it was a good day.

It was a long one, however, considering we had to get up around 5:00 a.m. to get ready for the race. We got back to St. Charles on Saturday night at around 11:30 p.m. I went right to bed.

Sunday, September 13, 2009 was a beautiful day, temperature in the 60's at start time. I felt ready and was only a little concerned about my eating habits over the past few days. I had truly been enjoying the company of my kids and their spouses and had paid no mind to my eating regimen.

The only snafu was that I had left my hydration belt at home so I was going to have to go with what the race provided. I was hopeful it would be adequate (and it was).

We got a good start and I hooked up at about mile 1.25 with the pacers for the 2:00 hour group. These guys were experts and kept us right on pace. That meant, of course, that I had to finish with them to make my goal. I was right on their tail through mile 10 but got hung up in the feeding station and couldn't get back to them. I fought the last two miles as I watched them drift ever so slowly further ahead of me. My head was turning cartwheels trying to calculate and recalculate the time I had to be at by mile 12. Even though it was a miscalculation on my part - I felt I was now way behind. Physically, I was spent, though nothing was really a problem except my exhaustion. I had pretty much decided that I wasn't going to make my goal.

Then, the cavalry arrived. Or rather, I arrived at the cavalry post. There was Jeni, my daughter-in-law and just beyond her, right at the corner, Trey and David were standing. Jeni offered me some Gatorade and I took a couple of swigs. All three of them realized I was behind my time and began shouting encouragement to me. As I ran down the road I regained some belief that I could actually pull this off. A young kid who I don't know shouted my name (having read it on my bib) and I was propelled further by this. Now well into the 13th mile I was pushing with everything that I owned to get it done. Somewhere in the mix was Dahna. I knew she was there somewhere but echos of "Cantelope" did not fill my ears. Even though I didn't see her, her spirit buoyed me up and I kept pushing with all of my strength.

When I saw the finish line I was disappointed that I couldn't see the running clock. It's probably just as well. I forced myself across the finish line and hit the lap button on my watch. Damn, "Did I get it? Why is the time still running?" I hit the lap button again. Rats! Finally, I hit the stop button. In the chaos that is the finish chute I was trying to stop running (the brakes kinda went out for a moment) and maintain my upright posture. I took my medal and kept moving out of the way of others who were coming in behind me. I found a tree and used it to keep my balance and tried to stretch a bit.

I tried to make sense of the data I had collected on my watch. The 1:59 time that first flashed in my mind seems to have been replaced by a 2:xx time. I hadn't actually made my goal. As I scrolled through my lap times lap 13 read 1:59:42. A half marathon is 13.1 miles. Had I marked mile 13? In the fog that now swirled in my head I couldn't remember. I must have. All of the other miles were marked properly. So, lap 14 had to be my total time - 2:00:14.

I had actually used this horror story as motivation to complete my long runs by sprinting the last mile - I told myself I didn't want to miss my goal by seconds. That was the worst possible result. But, here it was 2:00:14 - 14 seconds beyond.

I tried to stretch out a bit, even laid flat on the ground to stretch my back muscles. Trey caught up with me and the first thing he said was "Wow, Dad! You take a bullet to the chest?" Huh? I looked down and my shirt was stained with blood - rats, I forgot to apply the Body Glide to my nipples - that's gonna hurt when I take my shower!

Anyway, everybody treated me like I was about to die. I guess that's how OLD people get treated all the time. I was recuperating slowly but my calf muscles were threatening a strike - twitching in an ominous pre-lockup sort of mode that usually spells painful cramps. I drank all kinds of fluid and ate a half a banana.

I decided I was going to have to wait until my official time was posted. The website indicated it would be up within 24 hours. Yikes! I didn't know if I could wait that long. After a shower and a short nap, I started fiddling with the website. I looked at the format that the web master used for his previous results pages and, on a whim, decided to punch in the same file name with 2009 on it. It worked! I hastily scrolled down to the two hour portion of the list and there it was - my official time 1:59:42! Exactly my watch time for lap 13. In hindsight it made sense. My final 'mile' time was 9:49.31 which was much slower than every other lap. That's because it was for 1.1 miles.

Let the bragging begin. I was excited and relieved. I had done it.

This is quite possibly the first time ever in my life that I set a long term goal, made a firm commitment to a plan, and then worked that plan faithfully to achieve my goal.

I guess my only comment after that is to say, if I want to run a sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon I have to train to run a SUB 2 hour half marathon. I got exactly what I trained for with nothing to spare. Anything less than perfect on this race would have nixed the whole deal - weather, potty break - anything. My next goal will have a bit of padding built into it.

This achievement is a grand accomplishment and I really know now why people who get up to accept their awards want to thank their family and friends. It truly would not have been possible to do this without everyone's encouragement and support. Thanks so much to my life partner and biggest support - Dahna, to my kids Allison and Trey who never let me forget all the rah-rah crap I used to spout to encourage them in their own efforts (btw - that stuff really does make a difference) and to David and Jeni who have provided much needed inspiration as well.

Now, what's next?

Week 11 Report - The Hard Work is Done!

It's been an interesting ride for the past eleven weeks. I think that this is the most diligent that I have ever been in following a training program. I have made a concerted effort to do precisely what Hal Hidgon said I should be doing. And, I know that I have made tremendous strides toward my goal of running the Lewis & Clark 1/2 Marathon in under 2 hours.

Interestingly enough, my head wants to argue with me about that now. I keep having these thoughts like "What if that's not enough?", "Are you sure you were working this program right?", "Did you figure your pace correctly for those 400's you ran?", etc, etc. I'm glad that I have been meticulous about recording my data.

Actually, some people (Dahna) might say that I've been a bit obsessive about it. I don't see where she comes up with an idea like that. I have only maintained an MS Excel spreadsheet showing the time for each mile that I have run according to my watch. I have an activity file on Bones in Motion that comes from my phone - it records time versus the GPS data. I have a MapMyRun account that I've started using about midway through the training that tracks the miles as drawn on the Google Maps versus my time from my watch for comparison with the BiM data. Oh, and I have the data that I enter on the Nutrisystem page that tracks the calories expended. Hmmm.... Maybe she's right.

Anyway, all signs point to success. However, just like the UMass football team found out last night (and the Illini) it ain't over till the race is run. Things out of my control will play a role in my success (Hurricane Ike ring a bell, Jeni?) and so, we'll see.

What I do know is that I have learned how to run more efficiently, I have increased my pace a whole lot, I have developed a working plan for feeding myself during the run (GU Energy Gel every 35 minutes) and keeping myself hydrated (G2 in the hydration belt - sipping about every mile and a half or so). My shoes are in good shape. My feet and knees feel good. Even though my shoulder still annoys me I have practiced relaxing during the run and shaking that out so it shouldn't become a factor.

The weather has been outstanding for the past two weeks. The forecast for next Sunday is rain. Cool is better. This could be a bonus.

My runs this week have been very good. I did a predictable 10 x 400 session on Tuesday (average time was 1:47), then, ran a stellar 3 Mile Pace run in 25:24 on Wednesday. My splits on that run were faster than they have ever been with two miles timed at 8:20 or below! Thursday I had a meeting at school so I ran the 5 mile 'hills from heck', so I just completed that run. Then, rested Friday and on Saturday went for a 3 Mile Pace run trying to repeat Wednesday's time. Rats! Missed it by 15 seconds!

Sunday (9/6) was my 12 mile long run and I missed the turn around point so I actually logged 12.6 miles. Time for the run was 2:12. While it seems counter-intuitive to me that I should train for a 2 hour race at sub-race pace (I need 9:09 to get under 2 hours for the 1/2 marathon) it's what in the training regimen. The sub-race pace is supposed to be about 2 to 3 minutes slower than race pace and I completed my last two long runs about 1 and 1/2 minutes per mile faster than that. Added to the much improved splits on my Pace runs and the impressive times on the 400s I believe I have done exactly as coached.

I feel physically ready for this. I always get super psyched during a race so that will add the adrenalin boost that I need. I am mentally ready for this race and I think that I have covered every element that I need to have looked at.

Now, I just have to get past this week's training challenges in that I start teaching Late School on Tuesday and Wednesday this week so I'll have to figure out a way to get my mileage in without jeopardizing my rest pattern and my well being.

Knowing that my family will be supporting me will be a real shot in the arm - Allison running with me and Dahna, Trey, Jeni, David supporting me from the sidelines. Dahna's constant vigilance over the training table has been very helpful and she has done great things with my meals both for work and for home. I couldn't have been successful without her support and encouragement.

I think we'll try the "Track My Run" feature that Bones in Motion has available so that the cheering section can keep a eye on my progress as I run. I haven't used that before but the phone sends data to a website that allows people who know the magic password to view my progress live. That'll be a fun addition. So, here's to a good week and a great race next Sunday.

Week 10 Report

Hal Higdon's 12 week Intermediate 1/2 Marathon Training Plan has been working great. My times have become so much better in the last couple of weeks. I have been using the composite track at school for my speed work and I have enjoyed the opportunity to really do what is on the training schedule and my times show it.

This week I had a little difficulty getting to school for training in time on Tuesday so I had to change my training order but once I got that all sorted out the results were great. I had a 45 minute Tempo Run on Thursday and busted an 8:09 mile to finish that effort - by far my fastest continuous mile. Then, on Saturday, after a day of complete rest, I ran a toasty 44:47 five mile Pace Run for an 8:57 average! This exceeds my goal of 9:09 so I'm pleased with that trend.

Sunday, I got to rehearse the race using all of the props. I filled the bottles on my "fuel belt" with G2 (low calorie Gatorade) and tucked in some GU energy gel. It was an incredibly beautiful day with a 60 degree temperature reading at 10:00 a.m. I was relaxed and ready and averaged 10:30 over the course of the 11 mile run finishing with a time of 1:44:47. This time is within the expected range (actually a bit faster) that Hal wants you to run during the long training sessions. I had a GU every 30 or so minutes and drank G2 as needed. I felt good throughout the run and was able to pick up the pace at the end to finish mile 11 in 8:57.

After a day of rest on Monday, week 11 begins with a bang - 10 x 400 intervals but then the taper begins. Although Sunday's run will be a 12 miler, I won't have a challenging pace run the day before.

I'm starting to get excited about this race. It will be fun for lots of reasons - First, Allison will be running with me, second, I think I'm ready to meet the challenge I've set for myself, and third, I've already exceeded what I thought was possible for myself.

While I don't want to look beyond this race, I'm beginning to think about what might be possible in the future. Could I qualify to run Boston? Hmmmm.....

Hilly fun

I did this run tonight because we had Parent Open House at school scheduled for 7 p.m. so I decided to run between the end of school and the Open House. I asked one of my students who runs with the cross country team. He suggested this route because I didn't want to run up the "big" hill right outside school. So much for that great idea. This route is hilly enough all on its own.

Conquering Demons

Today was to be the test. I was challenged and very concerned by my previous two attempts at completing my long run. Both times I had crashed, I felt horrible, dizzy, weak and was unable to run consistently throughout the training. The runs were only 10 miles so when the plan is to complete a 13.1 mile run in a personal best time, not being able to complete 10 miles becomes an issue.

I really felt that my first 'failure' was due exclusively to the high temperature, so for the second run I didn't make any changes except to carry my water with me on the run. This solution created at least one additional problem and, apparently, didn't address any of the issues I had faced previously. It was nice to have the water with me but by the end of mile five my shoulders were in revolt. I was apparently clutching the water bottle too tightly. Even when I became aware of that problem I couldn't find a way to really stop doing that without just dropping the water bottle. I muddled through but it turned out to be only a minor irritation compared to the other problems I was experiencing.

My speed over the course of the race dropped precipitously. I couldn't find comfort in rehydrating or even in refueling with the GU gel that I carried with me. I became concerned about even completing the mileage much less doing it with any panache. After the run I felt dizzy and disoriented. I didn't take time to stretch or cool down, I just went home not feeling well - physically or mentally.

After consultation with my PT, I determined that I needed to make some changes to my race prep.

Step 1.) Getting enough rest. I had changed my training pattern and had run three days in a row. This week I was back on track and rested on Friday.

Step 2.) Proper eating for endurance activity. I needed to increase the complex carbohydrates in my diet. I added whole wheat, whole grain pasta in place of some of the protein.

Step 3.) Replace lost electrolytes. I'm a heavy sweater and I usually lose about 3 or 4 pounds during a long run. I needed to increase the electrolytes in my race prep and during the race. I added Gatorade G2 which is low calorie so as not to totally blow the diet.

Step 4.) I needed a comfortable way to carry both the G2 and the GU gel so I bought a hydration belt that has a capacity of 40 ounces.

Today was the test. This, of course was not a scientific test because there were too many variables that were changed. There's no way to know which of these might have been directly contributing to my problems. But, with only four weeks to go before the race, I had to make some changes and see some rapid progress. I strapped on my fully loaded (with G2 and Chocolate Outrage GU gel) hydration belt. With my very successful 6 mile run yesterday, I was feeling very good about today. I had a double portion of pasta last night so I was carbo loaded. I ate my usual breakfast shake and as I drove to the trailhead I ate some Clif's Shot Blocks. I like the flavor of these but I don't think I want to hassle with them during a run - too messy.

Today the weather was incredible. As I began it was bright and sunny but only 65 degrees. Nice! I went out wanting to run 10 minute miles and I was able to run consistently, continually and comfortably throughout the run. Yahoo! With yesterday's great 6 mile run, I think I'm really getting myself ready for the race. Tomorrow I start Week 10 with a well deserved rest.

Just to prove that I'm keeping data and using that to inform my decisions, here is a side by side comparison of my two 10 mile races. Quite a difference between them.

8/16/2009		8/23/2009
1	10:59	1	10:27.37
2	11:37	2	10:22.34
3	11:06	3	10:39.94
4	15:35	4	11:07.86
5	12:04	5	11:06.14
6	15:06	6	10:45.99
7	15:39	7	10:33.60
8	15:27	8	10:43.48
9	16:59	9	10:06.00
10	15:52	10	08:58.33
Time	2:22.00	Time	1:45.23

Race Preparation Progress Report

I'm ending week nine of my training for the 1/2 marathon in September. I had set an ambitious goal of a sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon. It was an ambitious goal because my previous time in the 1/2 was 2 hours and 12 minutes. That was set in 2007 and, even though I had trained hard for that race I had not done any speed work. I felt that if I applied myself to the effort I would have no trouble reaching a two hour goal. This totally discounts, of course, that my plan was to lop off a sizable 12 minute chunk in one fell swoop.

Reality took a giant bite out of my derriere when I realized that gaining 50 pounds was not particularly helpful to the cause so I had to first lose that excess weight. Then, I had to recharge my running program essentially from scratch. My first running efforts were abysmal and I considered giving it up - "I must be too old for this."

As time passed and weight dropped my running times started to come back in line and I have been doing well. However, my long runs have been dismal the last couple of weeks. Twice I was totally wasted in the effort (9 miler and 10 miler). Even though I completed the mileage there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth involved in the effort and my times were not conducive to a solid belief that my 2 hour 1/2 marathon was going to become a reality.

So, I had to go back to the drawing board. After consultation with my personal trainer, I decided that I was eating too much protein to support endurance running and I made an adjustment to eating more complex carbs (added pasta to the diet). My runs this week have been excellent which seems to support that hypothesis.

Had some great times on my 9 x 400 track workout on Tuesday that included 1/4 mile times that added up to sub eight minute miles! (the track workout includes a 1/8 mile walk between each 1/4 mile run). So, today when I headed out to run my 6 mile pace run I was excited for the possibility of setting a PR. Great weather (65 degrees) added to that feeling of optimism.

I run out and back on a rails-to-trails conversion (Grant's Trail in south St. Louis County) that is paved asphalt and carefully marked every 1/2 mile so it's easy to keep track of my pace. It's also very nearly level but the incline is on the way out so the way back is basically a downhill run, however slight. I love this trail because it is 10 miles long so it's absolutely perfect for distance training up to and including a full marathon.

I amazed me (since the hundreds of others on the trail didn't seem too impressed) when I hit the 1 mile marker at 9 minutes flat - a fast time for me and below my desired pace of 9:10. I was encouraged by this and began to push myself to maintain this effort. I tend to use unsuspecting runners as my targets and today proved to be a great day for that with several runners ahead of me who pulled me along - even without their own awareness of their contribution to my effort.

Coming down the final mile, I was using my best visualization skills racing against a clock I could see hanging over the finish line that was calling me home. I was able to maintain a torrid pace over the course of the run with four of the six miles clocking in at under 9 minutes/mile (fastest single mile time this season of 8:24) and set a new PR in the six mile (not quite a 10K) run of 53:31.

I'm stoked!

Week Eight Report

So, I guess I still have alot to learn about this healthy living business. I enjoyed a great five days in Florida, during which I managed to get my mileage in as prescribed by my old buddy Hal. The hot weather slowed me down some but that's to be expected. I ate okay though I did enjoy some things not usually on my menu like oysters and crackers. On Wednesday, on our way out of town, we had a great meal at Columbia Restaurant - it was so great I didn't even try to determine the number of calories. Anyway, my weight was up some when I got home. No worries, I just cut back to my regular diet regimen for a few days and those pesky pounds slipped away.

I also made a change to my training plan. This change proved to be problematic. I had a rest day scheduled for Friday and I had left my tempo run till the end of the week because I like to use the track at school for this. Since I had to report for opening meetings at school on Friday I decided to put off the tempo run (and the extra 60 mile drive) to Friday and rest on Thursday. I didn't consider that I also had to complete a 5 mile pace run on Saturday and then cover 10 miles on Sunday.

My tempo run went well and I controlled my speed better this time to get faster with each passing mile over the course of 40 minutes. I also killed the 5 mile pace run on Saturday. I averaged 9:09 per mile with my fastest mile clocked at 8:42! I was feeling great about my progress.

Then came Sunday. I headed out around 8:00 a.m. Yeah, it was way late for a summer run - 81 degrees when I started. I carried my water and had my GU gel with me. As I began my run I encountered a young couple who were obviously doing the same thing I was (long run). They were half way through but they kept me moving for the first five miles. I did okay and was motivated to keep pace with these guys. However, I reached my 1/2 way point and turned around, bid them farewell and headed back toward the car. Before I reached 5.5 miles my iPod conked out. Dang, I was left to my thoughts and I was not successful at generating positive thoughts. I got progressively weaker and slower and took to walking much more than I wanted to. My shoulders (both my good shoulder and my bad shoulder) were screaming at me. "Relax!" I told myself. I was clutching my water bottle like it was made of spun gold and I could feel it in my shoulders.

I was dripping sweat, which I normally do, and rehydrating regularly but I continued the downhill spiral that was pretty much all encompassing - mental, physical, you name it. The time ticked away and that frustrated me. I tried to push it without success. By the time I finished my run (2 hours and 21 freaking minutes later) I was totally wasted.

Clearly I was unprepared for this run. The post mortem revolved around three major errors that I made. 1.) three hard workouts in three days. 2.) no significant preloading of either carbs or water and 3.) eating proteins instead of carbs (186.2 g of protein versus 224.5 g of carbs or 44% carbs, 37% protein, 19% fat). This is not serving me well so I will recreate my meal plan to meet my needs.

Week Nine will be much better. I rest when the schedule says rest, increase my quality carbs by reducing the fat to about 10% (that will add 170 carb calories that I will eat in the form of rice, beans, whole wheat pasta, bread or tortillas). On Saturday - in preparation for my 11 mile Sunday run, I will preload with a high carb meal as though I was actually preparing for the race. Makes sense to me. We'll see how it goes.

Training takes a Holiday

I just got home from St. Petersburg, Florida where I had the chance to visit with my daughter and son-in-law for a few days. Highlights of the trip include a visit to Busch Gardens for Allison's swan song (actually, no swans appeared in the show but lots of other critters did - follow this link for a video of a portion of her performance). Allison and I also went parasailing and kayaking. I got my training miles in as prescribed by Hal Higdon (9 miles on Sunday, even) notwithstanding the high heat and humidity which I wallowed in due to my sloth in getting on the road later in the day.

I previously mentioned my need to finish the Chicago Marathon with some panache following the 2007 debacle and while visiting a really classy restaurant in Tampa (Columbia Restaurant) Allison mentioned that the Gasparilla Marathon was going to be run for the last time in February. The restaurant is a co-sponsor of the event. That's how it made it's way into the conversation.

Well, I'm toying with this idea. When I overlay the training schedule with my real world commitments it requires lots of mileage through the extended holiday season. While the holidays aren't that critical in terms of partying for me it is a bit challenging to consider even with the limited travel that we do. The training regimen's long runs start week 1 with 8 miles so by the time Christmas rolls around you're into some serious Sunday runs. The really long runs will be taking place in January, however, which is actually not so bad since it's probably the time I need the discipline the most.

Also, the timing would be good from a coaching standpoint in that the race would be done just as the boy's volleyball coaching season begins. Then, I wouldn't have to concern myself with Chicago until school was done (or at least, right as it ends).

It seems doable and it's a neat idea from the standpoint of the LAST Gasparilla, a great excuse to get to Florida (I'm starting to love it down there), and another goal to keep my mind facing forward on this fitness and weight maintenance thing through the tough colder months - typically a challenge for me.

I have a couple of weeks to consider this, so I'll keep you posted.

Nutrisystem Rewards

 

Garden Monarch

 

Unfinished Business

I thought that when Allison and I got through the full twenty six miles on October 7, 2007 that we had actually finished the marathon. After all, I had the medal didn't I? Sure, we had been forced to stop running at mile 17 due to the extreme heat. We walked back into Grant's Park. We didn't actually cross the finish line. Then, out of frustration, with our medals around our necks we crossed the highway to Lake Shore Drive and ran the additional 9 miles to "Finish It."

Then I saw this.


I was totally moved by this movie and now I know I have something that I have yet to complete. I need to run through Chinatown and the other places we missed. I need to cross that finish line, to raise my arms in triumph. To get this thing done, once and for all.

Come January I'll be looking to sign up for Chicago 2010.

Week Six Report

As of today (Sunday), I've got just six weeks of training to do for the Lewis and Clark 1/2 Marathon. I noticed an ad for the Chicago Rock 'n Roll run that I had originally decided to run. That race was today. It was fun to note that I feel so much different now than when I was looking for a race. About four months ago I was pretty sure I didn't have what it takes to get back into shape for a long race. Today, I was feeling pretty pleased with the progress I have been making toward my goal of under 2 hours.

Having recovered both physically and mentally from a dismal Sunday struggle over 8 miles, I completed the required 4 miles on Tuesday in an okay time. Wednesday I ran a tempo run on the track at school and managed to get faster as I ran. I'm still not quite sure I'm doing my tempo runs according to Hoyle but I am pushing the speed and that's the point. I ran 18 laps in the required 40 minutes which breaks down to some pretty good miles - 1 - 9 min 37 sec, 2 - 9 min 20 sec, 3 - 9 min 28 sec and 4 - 8 min 41 sec.

The last fast lap was in 2:03 (lap 17) followed by a cool down run which added some time to the overall effort but is part of what I think a tempo run is supposed to be about - build your pace through the first 3/4 of the run then back off a bit.

This week's training had some setbacks for sure. I had a horrible run to finish week five and then, on Wednesday, I injured my shoulder lifting weights. Fortunately, I had already completed my speed work for the week. Hal Higdon had a 10k scheduled for Sunday but there weren't any convenient ones in the area so that was out. So, a light week of training gave me some time to pull things back together.

I went to see my chiropractor about my shoulder. He did his usual pulling and popping of joints - mostly in my neck - and I seem to be improving. On Thursday I went ahead and ran a 3.1 mile circuit at JB Park. It was tough since I had to hold my left arm against my body the whole time. Still, I managed to complete the run in a reasonable time, considering the handicap. I took Friday completely off since it was strength day. This is the first real day off I've had for some time. I think it helped. On Saturday, another 3.1 mile run that I completed in excellent time led up to Sunday's run.

Since I was supposed to be running a 10k I decided to head over to Grant's Trail and push as hard as I could. I was interested in setting a standard time for a 10k since I didn't have one in the books yet. The trail is marked every half mile which is handy. But when you're running in kilometers it's also a bit of a challenge. As I headed out I was trying to decide how to best determine the extra distance beyond the 3 mile point in order to get the full 6.2 mile run in.

By mile 2 I decided that I'd count the steps between the 2.5 mile marker and the 3 mile marker. Then, I would divide that in half and when I had completed that many steps I'd turn around. The problem was that doing that resulted in my running 6.5 miles instead of 6.2 miles so my time won't be a valid representation of a 10k effort. At least it was more rather than less. I should have divided that in half again to get closer to the .2 miles I was trying to add on. Oh well, I'm a science teacher not a math teacher so no harm, no foul.

The other aspect that I was training on this run was the use of energy gels. I had two gel packets. One was a Chocolate flavored Cliff Shot. After eating Pure Protein bars over the last several weeks this was a shocker. Not really good in terms of flavor but I ate that on my way down the road to set out my water bottle.

I had a GU Berry Blast that I decided I would eat at the turn around point which should be around 30 minutes into the run. I took off and felt good notwithstanding an earlier bout with stomach issues that were unrelated to the Cliff Shot. I was able to push my time from the get go and got some good luck with the two intersections on the way out. My first mile was 9:28 and my second mile was 9:38. Mile three included a rather clumsy water stop - way too much time was wasted in the retrieving the water bottle, etc. resulting in a 10:23 mile. The fourth lap on my watch was the 1/2 mile addition and I completed that in 5:02 - not bad considering I slowed a bit to a.) turn around and 2.) eat my energy gel (fumble, fumble).

I hit the lap button when I got back to the three mile marker to start the second half of the run. Mile four ate up 10:55 in another less than graceful water stop plus a stop at the traffic signal. Once I'd crossed the road, it was clear sailing for the last two miles. I was feeling really good (placebo effect? or does this gel stuff really work?) and began to push the pace again. Mile five was done in 9:54 and now the race was on.

Since I had left Elton John, my normal pace man, at home along with my iPod, I conjured up some imaginary competitors and started to work my way toward the front of the pack. I have to admit I felt a bit guilty when I flew by so many guys coming down the home stretch but I kept pushing. I felt really good and when I hit the wooden bridge that was my signal to "rev up my roto-tail and win the race". I was able to quicken the pace just a bit and hit the tape in 8:48. Not bad considering it was the end of a six and a half mile run. My total time was 1:04 flat. It was a great way to end the week and this run (though shorter) was in stark contrast to the fiasco of the previous Sunday so I feel like I made some worthwhile discoveries about nutrition in combination with proper pre-race preparation.

Week seven will be a bit of a challenge. I'm not supposed to resume my weight training until after my appointment with the doc on Wednesday and then, on Friday, we're headed for Florida to visit my daughter and her husband. I don't want the vacation to interfere with the progress I've made to date but I'm sure that there will be adequate opportunities for running while I'm there.

I'll have to do a bit of research before I head out to see if I can lay out a 9 mile run. It so convenient to have a paved, delineated running trail about a mile from my house to accommodate my long runs during this training. It will be interesting to see what it's like to try and get a meaningful time on a long run without that.

Weight Loss

While the week started as usual, weight status quo, it suddenly changed. From July 16th to the 25th I held steady at 170. Sure, it was my goal weight but let's be serious. I wasn't convinced that's where I wanted to stay, unless, of course I developed bulging muscles on my upper body to match the massive leg strength I'm known for.

When the dam finally burst I lost 1.5 pounds (25th), 1 pound (26th), 1 pound (27th) and another .5 pound on the 28th. This is a total of 4 pounds in less than a week. It kind of makes you stop and wonder if something's going wrong. Weird that I worked very hard to get here and now find myself second guessing when the process works.

Even so, I suspect that I have about five more pounds to lose. When I started the weight loss program at Nutrisystem in February I researched possible goal weights. A BMI that was appropriate for a man my age and height would put me between 156 and 160. "Bah!" I said. I believed I could never reach that weight. After all I haven't been there since high school. So, I set my goal weight at 170. After Trey's wedding in May of '07 I weighed 172 for a brief moment. That ended as suddenly as it happened because I headed off to Camp Nebagamon for the summer and didn't stop eating till February of this year.

I calculated my body fat percentage at around 16%. I know that calculating your body fat percentage is actually a very poor second choice to other methods but it's the choice I currently have available to me. I'm sure that this calculation is very low so it gives me lots of room to move here. I'm not shooting for anything under 10% but that's still several pounds of fat I have to get rid of. If you use these numbers the 160 pounds is very reasonable. If I find that I am somehow able to rebuild significant muscle mass (not Schwarzenegger size, just some definition) that number will change but as it stands now it seems acceptable. I can still see the subdermal deposits of fat (though noticeably reduced) and vanity insists that I keep working.

My experience Sunday with being undernourished on my run is a challenge. I'm finding it difficult to allow myself to increase my calories in any significant way. I still log my food daily and am absolutely chained to the numbers I see there. I'd like to push it to 2000 calories a day (up from 1900) but last night when I figured my totals and saw 2000+ instead of 1900+ I wasn't able to eat the final snack I had planned.

Dahna is helping with that by preparing very tasty new recipes that include whole wheat pasta. I have such an irritating history of losing and gaining that I don't trust myself yet. I know I need to get past this but there's still work to be done here. I just keep remembering that I weighed about 200 pounds when we went to Florida for Thanksgiving last year. By February I weighed 230! I'm searching for the middle ground here.

It will be interesting to see how that adds to the effort to both control my weight and improve my running.

Week Five Report

Monday started with a new weight routine provided by my son. Tough stuff even though I'm using light weights (and moving through the various lifts quickly). The back exercises were the most difficult which obviously means I have a lot of improvement to make there. Also, he gave me three different routines for the week, so I won't get bored for a while with this. I had to look a couple of the lifts up on the internets (loving reference to our recent past prez) because I had forgotten what they were. Now, I've got it going on! That phase of the week worked well.

We had volleyball camp for the boys this week and I got to meet some great young men who love the sport. One of them even has his own sand court at his house! These guys have great physical ability. Now, if we can get them to perfect their passing skills we should be able to craft a great season.

The running program went well with a 4 mile run on Tuesday, then a regular 3 miler on Wednesday and track work on Thursday. The track work was 7 X 400m. The pace I was trying to reach was below 1:50 per and I managed to do that. I even hit 1:42 on lap 4!

I rested Friday and then ran a 5K at pace in JB Park. It was challenging (hills, you'll recall) but I did it at 9:10 per mile - exactly my target pace for the 1/2 marathon. Good so far.

Then came Sunday. I piddled around well past sun up and got on the trail around 8:30 a.m. Way too late! By the time I got to mile 2 I was fully engulfed in bright sunlight. It wasn't particularly hot (low 80s) but it was taking a toll. Miles 2 - 6 were completely exposed on the hot asphalt. My pace slowed with each mile and by the time I got to my water at mile 5.5 (had dropped water at 2.5 miles so it was available to me twice on my out and back route) I was really wasted. At that time I was just a few seconds off my 10 min/mile pace but the fight in me was done. I took a minute and a half getting water here and then continued toward the finish.

I fought for the next mile just to keep my legs moving. I knew that there was water ahead and I was closing in on the last mile so I refused to quit running. When I got to the water fountain there were two people in line ahead of me. I tolerated the first person because she drank her water and took off.

The next guy was a real jerk - a blader who obviously couldn't see what was going on around him. He actually filled his water bottle, drank some of it and then filled it back up. All while I stood there huffing behind him! It actually cost me two minutes of time! I did resist the urge to comment, however. Perhaps my body was secretly rooting for him!

I finally got back on the trail and pushed hard for the finish line. I had a guy pass me (the second of the day!) just as I hit the 3/4 mile marker and I decided I would let him drag me in. I was able to pick up the pace a bit and my last mile was the fifth best time of the day.

The times were as follows - 9:53.60, 9:49.46, 10:09.13 (quick water stop), 10:06.49, 10:49.12, 12:43.15 (water stop), 13:18.35 (water stop-stood in line!), 10:44.83 = 1:27.34.

I missed my goal of getting 10 minutes per mile on each of my long runs but this points to the amount of work I need to be doing to reach my goal for Lewis and Clark.

It also highlights the importance of my early morning runs. I need to get out there before the sun does. I've been doing that for a couple of weeks now but hadn't really understood the value of that tactic.

Another thing I was thinking that could have been a contributing factor was my nutrition. I had eaten at the regular time - 5:00 a.m. That meant that 3 1/2 hours later, when I was just starting my run, I was pretty much running on empty. Not a good thing, I'm sure.

The upshot of the nutrition story is that I'm down to 167 pounds now. I don't think I've weighed this little since I was in high school. I may be getting to the place that Allison (my daughter) warned me about - having to chose between losing more weight and running better times. It may be time to up the calorie level.

Anyway, that's the story so far.

BTW - Not to sound like an old lady but "Geez, I wish my arm skin didn't flap when I run!"

V8 and other possibilities

I'm thinking of adding V8 to my morning routine after this mornings "revelation." I was scheduled for 7 X 400m speed work, dutifully reported to the track at school with enough time to complete the workout before Volleyball Camp and headed on down. Took off for the first 400m and ran a warmup lap of 2:10. I'm alternating laps here (run one, walk one) so, after the first walking lap I took off with gusto and hit 1:54. Still not very impressive considering what I'd done last week and the week before. The third running lap I became aware of my gait and I'm thinking to myself, "What's wrong here?" I felt like I was plopping my feet on the ground - no spring, no energy. I couldn't figure out what was interfering with my effort. Finally, looking down I noticed I had on my old shoes, not my nice bouncy running shoes. Now I know why the salesman was so excited about them. They really do give me extra energy and rebound. I didn't feel like stopping my workout to change my shoes so I just muddled through. Wow, I shoulda had a V8! At any rate, the training was successful from the standpoint of hitting my projected times, even getting down to 1:42 for a lap before completing 5 of the 7 laps in under 1:50. All things continue to point to a successful PR effort at the 1/2 marathon in September.

BTW, I got to test out the new sand court at Northwest. The head coach and one of the assistant women's coaches have gotten donations and put together this fantastic facility. So far, one of the two courts is essentially complete (check out the pics) so we scrimmaged 6 on 6 at the end of practice today. It's gonna be a great year.

Week Four Report

Week three ended on a good note with a PR in the MLB Charity 5K on Sunday (all whining notwithstanding). This launched me in a good mental state into week four. Some credit for my good humor has to go to the fact that it coincided with week last of summer school.

I followed Hal Higdon pretty close to the letter with one change. It's easier for me to do my strength Monday, Wednesday and Friday to keep it consistent so I switched Tuesdays 3 mile run with Wednesdays Tempo run and Strength. Speaking of my strength training, I have been pushing it fairly hard in the weight room and seeing some progress there, most of which is directly tied to my vanity, however (sagging skin is tightening up a bit).

As far as my running goes I have been getting faster in my regular 3.1 mile runs in JB Park. I always discount the hills in this run but they are paying dividends when I get out on the flats. I'm convinced that's where my speed came from on my two recent 5K PRs. My "slow" runs are improving and I feel really good when I run. I've been confining my running to early morning hours to avoid the heat and it works great. The park is my own private world, at least for a bit.

My tempo run was a first for me so I was a bit tentative about what I was doing. I ran on the track at school which is sweet - a really nice composite track that is very fast. My first mile was 9:31, followed by a 9:08. The second mile is the pace I need to reach to achieve my 2 hour 1/2 marathon goal in September. Seems good. Oh, wait. This is a 35 minute tempo run, pick up the pace. So mile 3 was 8:41! Finished with a time of 8:24 for 3 laps (timed run, remember).

One thing I noticed, however, was that if you figure my last four fast quarters I had a time of 8:25! Now we're talking! I'm finally doing meaningful speedwork.

Wednesday and Thursday were good runs of 3.1 and 4 miles respectively. Friday is a rest day and Saturday back to the grind on the hills for a comfortable 3.1 miles. Good run in very pleasant weather. I got to run later in the day because of the mild temperatures.

Sunday I slept in a bit as well. I headed out to Grant's Trail for my long run at about 8:00 a.m. This paved trail is perfect for distance work because it's relatively flat and marked every 1/2 mile for almost 10 miles. I put water out at the 2.5 mile marker. I was able to get water here at 2.5 miles and then 4.5 miles because I turned around at 3.5 miles. This was a very workable solution and it allowed me to practice hydrating as I run. The good news is that my final time, including two water breaks and four intersection hassles was 1:08! Still maintaining a sub 10 min/mile pace over the long haul. This time equates to 9:45 per mile. This is about three seconds off my pace for six miles but considering the water stops, it's progress in my opinion.

I've got work to do still to get down to the 9:09 miles I'll need to average to get my goal in September but I feel good about what I've done. I have nothing standing in my way this time. My schedule is set and I will be able to work the program with the resources I have available to me. I'm starting to feel very good about my progress.

Race Results

I just got in from the MLB 5K Charity run and checked my results. I continue to be amazed at how accurate the timing mechanisms are for these events. I keep my own time on my watch and the comparison is within a couple of seconds.

I was mildly disappointed by my time - 27:28. This is just 8 seconds below my previous PR. I mean, yeah, it's still a PR but I was excited and, I thought, ready to blow the top off this thing. I've got all sorts of excuses for my "failure." Way too many people who were walking started at the beginning of the pack. Where's the race etiquette here? I guess I could've figured this much since it is billed as a Charity Run. And, there were no directions to runners about how to line up. Being charitable here, I could say that many of those folks didn't understand how things work. I spent the first mile (for real) dodging slowly walking individuals, and worse, groups. I can't for the life of me figure out how some people who were so slow got that far in front of me. Usually you get past those people fairly quickly, but not today.

The start area was very narrow even after we went through the starting gate. For about two blocks we only had the width of a two lane street to work with so the crowd couldn't thin out at all.

The route was okay. I knew where the hills were and attacked them where I could. My training is in a hilly park so I can practice this aspect of racing. The downhills came at the appropriate times and I feel like I maxed out the downhill glide to my benefit. My third mile was 8:39.32 which was below my projected time of 8:45 per mile, by the way. I missed the mile one marker. I guess I was distracted by the water station and positioning myself to be out of the flow of that traffic and blew by it. So, at mile two I hit 18 minutes even. This was 30 seconds off the pace I wanted to maintain. Usually, my racing starts moderate, speeds up for the end of mile one and then rolls for the duration.

Other victories today would include the fact that I placed 27th (of 109) in my age group. I was the 902nd of 2436 men and 1218th overall (of 5151).

I seem to moving in a direction that will allow me to complete the 1/2 marathon in September in under 2 hours. These, after all, I times I have never achieved, splits that have previously been unthinkable for me. I really have no reason to be disappointed. The progress is what I'm after here.

My next race is undetermined. I'm looking for a 10K for the August 2nd weekend. Anybody know of a good one within one day travel distance from St. Louis?

Looking for a PR on Sunday

So, Sunday, while all of St. Louis is awash in the giddiness of hosting the Major League Baseball All Star Game, I will be working to achieve a PR in the 5K. The MLB Charity 5K Run will be the event where I push myself. I have already PR'd this summer but I am looking to PR on the 1/2 marathon in September (sub 2 hours) so each race now is an incremental movement toward that goal. I always run faster in races than on training runs. I have had some good training runs the past two weeks so I'm looking for a positive effect here. I'm also going to be testing ideas here about prerace hydration and fueling and pacing during the race. All of these are issues that will serve me in the longer run for sure but may have an effect here as well.

I have to say that when I got back into running earlier this year I was totally disheartened and began to feel as though my time had passed. I was too old to do this any more I thought. I struggled to complete my training runs and everything was disappointing if not downright painful. If it were not for the encouragement of others I might have totally given it up. I honestly don't know why or how the breakthrough came. But, it finally did!

I haven't scheduled my marathon yet. It won't be this season. But, that's one big thing I have left to do. I have actually completed two marathons in the technical sense. From the standpoint of getting it done, I did. But both were very unsatisfying in that they didn't represent my best effort. Preparation for a marathon is a long, tedious and difficult process and before each of these two races life got in the way. I ran the Chicago marathon in 2007 and the race was stopped when I was at the 17 mile point because of the extreme heat. My daughter and I ran the additional mileage along North Lakeshore Drive so we logged the 26.1 miles and we got our medals to show for our effort. But that was kinda like kissing your sister. I feel like I was "mostly" prepared for this race but I hadn't really completed the training like I wanted to and was a bit nervous about my preparedness. The second attempt was St. Louis 2008. This time I almost declined to run. I had gained about 20 pounds and my preparation for this race was horrific. I just ran because I had already paid the fee. After about 15 miles I was feeling pretty good - on pace for a 5 1/2 hour run. Then, I got blisters on both feet and barely made it to the finish line before they took it down. Yes, I got a medal for the effort but limped back to the car embarrassed for my lack of genuine effort.

This time will be better. I am following the training regimen to the letter. I have added weight training to the process. I am already at my "running weight" so things will only get better from here on out. I have discovered an eating plan that seems to fit my exercise plan. I am running faster now than ever. I do not have anything on the schedule between now and September 13th that will stand in the way of my continuing ALL of the above.

Most importantly, I think, is that I have made myself accountable by telling lots of people what my plan is. Now on hard days when I don't feel like getting out to run or to the gym to work out, I know that there are people who will ask how my training is going. I certainly don't want to have to tell them that it's not - for whatever reason.

Forward into the fray. Tomorrow the victory will be mine!