The OKC Children's Marathon

This is something else the OKC Memorial Marathon puts on that I think is a great idea. I really wish more marathons would integrate the concept into their races instead of simply a “fun run” for the kids. And I wish that they had something like this when I was younger.

What happens is that, over the course of two months leading up to the marathon, kids can start running 1 mile at a time. They have to do this 25 times and have a teacher/coach/parent sign off on it. The train for 25 miles total

Then, on the day of the marathon, they run the last 1.2 miles for a combined total of 26.2 miles and get a “finishers medal”.

This is a great way of getting kids today, many of whom are just as happy sitting in front of their x-boxes, etc, off the couch and outside getting some much needed exercise.

And follow a training regiment

And have a target race.

And achieve a realistic goal.

Fabulous idea, OKC!

On my training front…still tapering. Ran a quick and painless 3 yesterday, resting today. I am not even playing sand volleyball the next 2 days (because of work, not tapering) and that is really killing me. But at least I won’t get hurt!

It's Marathon Week!!!!

Marathon week is always hectic. And this week is no exception.

I found out today that a scientist from Pittsburgh is coming to speak at my company on Friday and that I get to participate in the Thurday night entertainment. Granted, we are going to Ruth's Chris so I really shouldn't complain. But I am just hoping this guy is old and won't want to stay out too late. But knowing our CEO, it will undoubtedly be a late night with Guinness, cigars and a lot of stories.

Great.

Might as well knock my goal time back by 15 minutes.

Oh, and to make room for my sleek, new, fast Trek Equinox 7 (to be picked up Wednesday), I had to say good bye to my old friend, the Trek 7500 yesterday.

Now I had intended to make the 12 mile training ride with the new tri-team yesterday morning the last ride.

But no.

I got a call from my friends, including the one buying the bike saying they wanted to go on a bike ride a little later in the day. So I said sure, expecting a leisurely ride. Well, that ride turned into a 22 miler. Granted, we took it slow. It was a beautiul day and we were in absolutely no hurry. But still, it was 22 miles further than I should have ridden.

And then I subbed for my old softball team for what turned into a double header - and pitched. By the end of the second game, I was exhausted. And in pain. And wanted to do no more than sleep.

I am supposed to be tapering!!!

Taking it easy?

Right!?!

I have promised myself to do better the rest of the week. Fortunately, the rest of the week is looking so busy that I probably won't have much time to do much more than the bare minimum.

That's probably a good thing.

As long as I find time to sleep - which is easier said than done!

Bicentennial Quarters and Good Fortune

When I was a kid, I would always call Grandpa Charlie when I lost a tooth so he could “whistle the tooth fairy”. And then, after I went to bed, the tooth fairy replaced my lost tooth with not just any quarter, but a shiny, new, bicentennial quarter. To this day, I still have the bicentennial quarter for every lost tooth.

In addition, the bicentennial quarter has become synonymous with good fortune. When I find one, good things happen.

At Chipotle yesterday, I received a bicentennial quarter with my change.

And my day rocked.

I ate Chipotle. Granted, the “naked burrito” isn’t nearly as good as my usual, but it was better than some of the other things I have been eating

The new Nike outlet store opened out by the Kansas Speedway. Seriously, it was awesome. For all you KC people, all their dry-fit, summer running gear is at least $10 off of the price you find at Dick’s. And with the Adidas store just down from Nike, I may never have to set foot in Dick’s again. And that makes me happy

My run yesterday was nearly perfect.

Perfect weather. Sunny. 70 degrees. Light wind

Perfect scenery. I love the Spring. Everything is coming to life and adding color to those wooded paths I run..

Perfect run. I set out to run no slower than 10:30 miles for the three miles scheduled. But it got better.

Mile 1: 10:10 – feeling good.
Mile 2: 9:52 – holy crap, I'm flying. Is Garmin off?
Mile 3: 9:40 – Wow

Perfect timing. My run ended to these lyrics. Yes, I have The Muppets music on the i-pod. Is that a crime?

Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,
With good friends, you can't lose, This could become a habit.
Opportunity knocked once, let's reach out and grab it,
Together we'll nab it. We'll hitch-hike, bus, or yellow cab it.

Movin' right along, foot-loose and fancy free.
Gettin' there is half the fun; come share it with me.
Movin' right along (doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon)
We'll learn to share the load.
We don't need a map to keep this show on the road.

Movin' right along we found a life on the highway,
And your way is my way, so trust my navigation.
California here we come, that pie-in-the-sky land.
Palm trees and warm sand, though sadly we just left Rhode Island.

Love that song!

Like I said, A near perfect day.

Was it because of the bicentennial quarter?

Probably not.

But you can’t ignore the coincidence.

An early morning tragedy

HOLY CRAP, this can’t be happening.

Timing of a tragedy can really suck. It made me sick to my stomach.

I mean, you always know, in the back of your head, that it could happen to you one day, but you just hope when it does, you are ready for it.

How will I tell Karl about this?

The poor guy has only been working with me for a couple of weeks. We are just now getting schedules and game plans for my training put together, the diet up and going. And this happened. This just sucks!!!!

Why me?

Why now?

And then I remembered, when something bad happens, it is best to stay calm. Don’t panic. Everything happens for a reason. Bad things happen to good people.

Plus, I only have to make it a couple of weeks and then I can get serious about fixing the problem. But is that possible?

I take a few deep breaths. Pull myself together and then the light bulb comes on.

But will it work?

Hey, it got me through 4 years of college just fine. I never had any problems with it. But I am older now and so is it.

But I really needed that protein smoothie this morning. And that f’ing new blender just failed. Not sure why. The motor is still working. The blade still spins if I do it manually. But put the two together and well, nothing. And the worst part was that it broke in the middle of smoothie preparation.

Fortunately, I never discarded my Hamilton Beach 7-speed, old reliable as we called it in college - if it could talk, the stories it would tell. It made the drinks practically every weekend for 4+ years and never once failed. It made spring break trips with me. It went on road trips. It was roasted alongside me at my senior roast. But it has been sitting idle for three + years. The duct tape that is holding it together was starting to peel off. Spider webs and dust covered it. Would it still work?

I plug it in -

WHHHIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

She sounded just like the day we met.

The protein smoothie was made.

My diet saved.

My day would continue

2005 OKC marathon flashbacks

But first, it's time for a multiple choice question....

Today, I ran faster than usual because (select all that apply):

a) my off-day yesterday left me well rested
b) I am 2 days into the "Koach Karl" diet and am already seeing it pay off.
c) I was wearing my really cool, almost fluorescent, lime green sleeveless dry-fit shirt that I bought at the new Adidas store for just $8 and I there was no way a slow runner could pull off that look.
d) I was meeting this girl for dinner at 6:30 and didn't get out of work until 4:30. So the only way I could make it to the date on time AND get in a run was to run fast.
e) I am tapering so I only had to go three miles and runnning three miles is easy.

I really did run faster than usual for a Tuesday, averaging a 9:50 pace. Everything about it felt good. It was a confidence building run.

And I was reminded today about some of the really cool things that they do in OKC for the marathon. At every mile, under the running clock, they have an estimated finish time, based on your current pace - a giant help when you hit the "marathon math" stage of the run. They are also planning on having pace groups at 10 minute intervals from 3 to 5 hours. Much of the run travels along neighborhood roads and there are a lot of people that sit in their front lawn, drinking coffee, cheering you on.

But most of all, I was reminded about the emotional aspect of the run. Don't get me wrong, I love running with Team in Training and what it stands for, but there is something different about the Oklahoma Memorial Marathon.

The run starts at sunrise in front of the bombing memorial. There is 169 seconds of silence, one for each of the victims. There are banners along the route with the names of each of the victims constantly reminding you of the purpose of this run.

But what really got to me last year was seeing multiple people running in honor of those lost in the tragedy. Names of co-workers, friends, and family were written on shirts, arms and legs. Many of these people running their first, and probably only, marathon. Many struggling, but were determined to finish. You could tell by the looks in their eyes. Especially that pair of 20-something siblings I passed about mile 18 running "in memory of mom".

I really like this run.

Rest Days

Yes, I know they are important.

Yes, I feel much stronger following them.

Yes, those little aches and pains go away during them.

But I don't deal with days off from training very well. Even in taper mode, which I am now in, I don't like rest days well.

Heck, I won't even sit at my desk for longer than 45 minute without getting up and doing something. I am just not a sedentary person

So how do I deal with true "rest days". Not well. And I often cheat. Sundays, my currently scheduled rest day, are the day that my friends and I get together for friendly, ok, highly competitive 2 - 3 hour tennis matches (so much for "rest"). But because yesterday was Easter and tennis didn't happen, I battled the winds and went on the bike ride scheduled for today. And because I am tapering for OKC, I know I need the rest. It will make me stronger. I will perform better.

So tonight, I rest.

Which kills me. No biking. No Swimming. No running. No volleyball. No Tennis. Nothing.

sigh...

2 weeks to OKC

So here I am, two weeks from the Oklahoma Memorial Marathon and I finally have a race day game-plan.

You see, I need to treat this as a training run. I am running RNR-SD in June and really want to kick butt there. But I also want to beat last years time at OKC (5:23).

Are both possible?

You bet.

And here is here is how.

I am going to run the first 20 miles (my "scheduled" training distance for SD) with Gina, who is hoping to run the sub 5-hour marathon - my goal for SD. I will run with her at a 10:45 - 10:55 pace. At the 20 mile point, I will see how I am feeling. If I am still strong, I will keep the pace and finish with Gina. If I am struggling, I will run-walk the last 6 miles, maintaining about a 12:30 pace and will easily finish in under 5:20. And be ready for SD, just 5 weeks later.

Oh, and I just got my new "meal plan" from Koach Karl. Anyone want to take a stab at what a "naked burrito" is.

Spring in Kansas City

Picture that perfect Spring day. You know, that day where you could run for miles. The sun is out. It isn't too hot. It isn't too cold. Shorts and a t-shirt are all you need. You aren't dripping sweat 5 minutes into the run. A light breeze is blowing, if any at all. And you are running on flat surface. Ideal running conditions.

Well, today was not that day.

For whatever reason, I prefer to run afterwork. And today was one of the first "relatively warm" days in KC. The wind - well stiff breeze would have been an understatement. And I chose to run around Shawnee Mission Lake.

Big mistake!

The hills are bad enough when the wind isn't blowing, especially that 4200 foot climb coming off the Shawnee Mission Lake dam.

ok, 4200 feet is probably a slight exageration.

But you try running up that hill with a 30+ mph wind in your face blowing you back into the lake. Tell me it doesn't feel like you are climbing 4200 feet.

I was done, physically, by the time I reached the first summit.

And then the sun came out from behind the clouds. The temperature jumpd to 80+ and I was miserable...hot...jelly legs...drenched in sweat...with 4 more hills to go before I hit the flatlands.

I finished the 4 1/2 mile loop in 49:40, which was my worst time of the year for that route. But I finished. And did not turn around when the going went tough.

And on a day like today, that was good enough for me.

Biking "Koach Karl" Miles

So I got my first official triathlon training schedule over the weekend. I was amazed that I was only supposed to bike 10 miles when I bike this week.

10 miles?!?

Back when I was a kid, I used to bike down the Arkansas River trails in Tulsa with my grandpa and all my cousins. The shortest ride we ever did was 12 miles. And I was 10 years old.

Come on.

I AM AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE.

I run a long ways.

For fun!

I play marathon matches of tennis with friends

And I enjoy it!

I spend hours in the summer playing volleyball in the sand multiple nights a week.

You have to drag me away at the end of the night.

And all I am supposed to bike is 10 miles!?!

So then I started thinking. How can I sneak in 12, 14 or even 16 miles. And then it hit me. With Koach Karl as my trainer, I think I am supposed to do everything in "Koach Karl" miles.

SWEET!

So how far did I go. 10 miles, of course.

My average pace for those 10 miles - 16.8 miles per hour

My time for those 10 miles - 56:20

Nothing like biking 10 miles...hehe (seriously, that's funny if you take the time to actually calculate how far I really biked and still called it 10 miles). Of course, the first 1/2 of the ride was straight into a 25 mile an hour wind and kicked my butt!!!

And on a somewhat related note. This morning, I sent Karl the list of everything I ate and drank since last Wednesday so he could do an analysis of my diet. His only response "I will get back to you on your nutrition"

Yikes!

Perhaps I should post it here as well and let you all help me with the pending changes!

And I probably should have picked a week where I didn't have social obligations on Thursday (Barley's until 1:30 am), Friday (First Friday's until 12:30 am) and Saturday (wine tasting party until 12:00 am). Oh well. At least now Karl knows what he is getting into with me.

A "Blistering" Pace

I am not sure if it was because I had just replaced my shoe insoles OR the fact that I ran the first 4 miles of the 8 mile run Saturday morning at a sub 9:30 pace, but by the turn-around point, the bottom of my right heel was on fire. Every step became more painful until I had to stop and walk. After a brief (less than a minute) walk, the pain subsided. So I ran again until the pain became untolerable. I could almost feel the fluid-filled space grow under the well-callused sole of my right foot. It was probably the worst pain I have expereinced from running to date. I even considered running the rest of the route bare foot. But I did manage a run-walk pace of ~11 minute mile on the back half. Still not bad - but not good because I was running strong.

Of course, I get to the end of the run, make a huge scene taking my shoe off, expecting to see a blood and pus-stained sock resulting from a popped blister. What did I see. Nothing. Not even the early signs of blister formation. I have no idea what happened. Was I imagining the pain????

No!

Here is my theory. I changed the insoles of my shoes with the insoles that were in my Disney shoes. The new insoles have a different surface than those provided by Mizuno. I had to loosen my laces to do this. When putting my shoes on, I didn't tighten the laces. The result - my foot slid around in the shoes which equals BLISTER CITY! But, because my feet are callused from years of refusal to wear shoes except where required by law or for service, the blister formed deep under the soles of my feet and wasn't visible. But it was there.

And it couldn't have been that bad because I played 2 1/2 hours of tennis on Saturday afternoon pain-free. But I was wearing different shoes.

Hopefully, it will heal by my 14 or 20 mile run Saturday (Karl and I diagree on how far I shuld run Saturday). Otherwise, it could be a miserable run.

Oh, and Tri-training starts this week - Gym workouts and bike rides. I am only supposed to ride 10 miles. 1o miles? Gee, how about a little challenge, Karl?

And my new bike should be ready to pick up!

Just 3 weeks until the OK Memorial Marathon! Can't wait!

"I can't wait to get my hands on you"

If this came from one of about a half dozen of the girls I run with semi-regularly, I would be thrilled. But it didn't. It came from Koach Karl, my running coach, when I told him I wanted him to get me ready for my tri - to become my personal trainer. And because he followed it up with "Paula (his wife) is going to die when I tell her about this", I knew he had been waiting a long time for this moment, and I am just a little nervous.

And just exactly how did I feel at that moment?

It was kind of like when you have this crush on the pretty girl in class, but aren't quite ready to ask her out. You are scared of rejection. Or that she will be more than you can handle. Or that it may not work out. But finally, you ask her out and she says yes. And you are thrilled.

And then she gradually takes control of your life. You stop thinking for yourself. You do whatevery she want you to whenever she wants you to do it. You go whereever she tells you. You eat when (and what) she tells you to. You drink what (and when) she tells you. Everything you do, you do for her.

It's a hopeless cause only because you are thrilled to be dating the pretty girl in class. And all of your friends are jealous. But you are, in a nutshell, her "bitch".

While talking to Karl this morning about this "opportunity", he mentioned that many of his clients are "a challenge". He has the emotionally unstable clients, the underachieving clients, the ones that have problems getting to the point with questions, and ones that lack motivation. Fortunately, these are not where his challenge lies with me.

But he knows where it will be.

And he said so quite definitively - "Diet and alcohol".

So not only will Karl be telling me the workouts I need to do to get ready for the tri and let me know the best way to stay energized throughout the 14+ hours of fun that the ironman will be, he will also tell me, daily, what to eat and when and what I can drink and when. He may even make my grocery lists for me. Who knows, if I ask nicely enough, he may even cook it for me (jut kidding). He is about ready to take control of my entire non-working/non-sleeping life.

Basically (and by choice), I am about to become Koach Karl's bitch!

And as long we see results and all my friends become jealous because of it, it will be worth it.

I hope.