No more excuses

I ran 8 miles yesterday. Some say it was cold. I even wore running pants yesterday for only the second time this year. It wasn't that bad, though.

During the run, the knee hurt a little. Not a lot. But every now and then I knew it was there. It kept me from pushing past the 8 mile mark. But I was OK with that.

The good news of the day came after the run when I was able to move around pain-free. This is the first time I can say that in over a month. So that is good.

And bad.

The icy trais and those injuries were the only reason that I haven't been running outside in the cold.

But no more.

The trails are cleared,I feel good, and the cold and I are about to become real good friends.

Gambling

We've all been there. Something hurts. But is it injured or is that pain part of the ebb and flow of training. And if injured, how do you deal with it and how soon do you return to normal activity.

I have been teetering on injury since my left achilles flared up again over Christmas. To make things more interesting, I started playing indoor volleyball again the first week in January. My right knee didn't take well to the repeated jumping and side to side motion required during relatively competitive volleyball.

Still, while neither of these issues are serious, I have been taking it easy since Phoenix (notice that the marathon happened after both these "injuries" came before the marathon). Neither of these injuries were a direct result of running and the marathon didn't make either injuries worse (in my unofficial medical opinion).

However, like all wise athletes, I have been taking it relatively easy since the marathon. I have only run once (six miles) on Saturday. The rest of my time has been spent on either the elliptical or in the pool. Some of this is due to the weather. But some of it is me subconsiously trying to take it easy knowing that I want to accomplish a lot this spring and summer and that I can't do any of it sidelined with injuries.

So today, I hit the gym for a swim. I felt great in the pool and 2000 meters later, I got out feeling refreshed. I then hit a stationary bike (mainly to see how the knee would react to me sitting in on a spinning class). No problem. So after about 1o minutes on the cycle, a treadmill opened up. Without hesitation, I jumped on. 15 minutes and 1.5 miles later, I called it a day.

Pain free.

I hope the snow melts enough that I can go for an easy run tomorrow!

$10.01

"Holy crap!"

That was the first thing that went through my mind.

Actually, it was the second thing that went through my mind after I realized that she didn't screw up my order.

But evidently, $10.01 is now the cost of my steak burrito bowl, chips and salsa and drink at my local Chipotle. It used to cost $8.71.

Granted, that is just a $1.30 difference in price, but in the greater scheme of things, that $10.00 mark should only be eclipsed for nicer, sit-down restaurants. If I lost the chips, it would be cheaper. But what fun in that. The chips compliment my bowl. It would be like peanut butter without jelly. Cake without frosting. Beer without more beer. It just doesn't work.

Fortunately, for me, I had already decided to cut out most fast food from my diet in 2007 and as I type this, I am enjoying a tasty and healthy bowl of homemade vegitable beef stew and corn bread.

Not only am I saving about $9.00 today, I am taking in about 1/3 the calories.

The only set back...I will be hungry in 2 hours...sigh.

Country Music, OKC and my summer plans

Well, it's more or less official. I signed up for the Country Music Marathon while in Phoenix last weekend. I had already signed up for the OK Memorial Marathon. Now, I just have to find a flight to get me from Nashville to OKC some time between 3 and 9 PM on Saturday, April 28, because that is the only way I can pull this off. I am both excited and nervous about the back-to-back opportunity. In fact, there is a small part of me concerned about pulling it off, especially considering there is a 6-hout time limit in OKC.

But it is a new, fun and exciting challenge that will give me something to focus on this spring. Plus, once I get into May, I will start focusing more on triathon training, because, well, I have decided to take another stab at Redman. I am not sure whether it will be the 1/2 or full ironman (who am I kidding, we all know if I try it again, I will be going after the full distance, but I haven't 100% decided that, yet).

Why triathlon?

I have been debating about what sort of training I really wanted to do this summer. Honestly, the idea of all the running required to tackle the Tahoe Triple really didn't excite me. Additionally, I have really enjoyed my off-season swimming this year and cannot wait to take the bike out for a spin. So why not stick with what I enjoy? Therefore, the Tahoe Triple has been put on hold indefinitely.

Oh, and I can't forget about Rock and Roll San Diego in June with Team in Training.

But today, I just want to enjoy a relaxing Sunday. All I really have planned is a trip to the dog park so Shiner can run around in the snow and watching football later today. And I better enjoy it because there probobly won't be many other Sunday's like this for me over the next several months.

Freezing my butt off in Arizona

Freezing my butt off? Not really.

But there were a lot of people complaining about the cold (and it was cold in Phoenix, but not that cold). And even though the temperatures were hovering around 28 when the race started, I was still out there running in my tank top and shorts because, well, I didn't bring any long sleeved dry fit shirts with me. Why? Because I was freaking going out to the desert and wasn't prepared.

Oh well. It's not like I was going to freeze to death or anything.

As for the race, well, I flew for the first 8 miles. I felt great. I was running anywhere from a 9:20 to 9:40 minute/mile pace. I kept up with the 4:15 pace group. It was incredible. I set a PR for the 10 K.

Only I wasn't running a 10 K. I was running a marathon.

Oops.

So about the time I was finally realizing I was running way too fast and was destined to crash and crash hard, I heard the following lyrics from the band I was passing:

You are on the road & now you pray you will last
The road behind you was rocky
But now you are feeling cocky
You look at me & you will see your past
Is that the reason you are running so fast?

And she said
Aint nothing going to break my stride
Nobody´s going to slow me down
Oh no, I have got to keep on moving
Aint nothing going to break my stride
I am running & I would not touch ground
Oh no, I have got to keep on moving...

Damn the irony.

Nothing like being taunted by Men at Work.

Still, I did keep on moving. However, my pace rapidly dropped from a 9:20 mile to a 11:00 mile and then even further to 12...13...14. I think I even had a 15 minute mile at some point around mile 21. I did pick it up towards the end and managed to cross in 5:14:59.

While this wasn't what I had hoped for, it'll work. Sure, I was 1o minutes off my best time. I really wanted to break 5 hours. But you know what, I did set a 1o K PR and I now know I can run a 9:30 pace for a long way - just not 26.2 miles worth of long.

But one day I will.

Say it ain't Bueno

This morning, when I woke up, there were three primary things that keep me returning to my homestate of Oklahoma; my family and friends, Braum's milkshakes and Taco Bueno. My friends and family continue to disperse across the country, but Oklahoma is still our most common rendezvous point. Braums, well, they have a stupid company policy that they will not establish stores more than 300 miles from their dairy located just outside OKC - something about freshness. This is to ensure that their products are always fresh. KC is 355 miles away. Oh, the humanity.

But I am ecstatic that as of this morning at 10:00, the number of reasons for me to go to Oklahoma has been reduced to 2. The discovery was made while taking Courtney to the airport. I saw it. There, just off I-29, next to McDonalds. Could it really be true?

A Taco Bueno!?!

I was in shock (so was Courtney as she had no idea what to think of my excessive display of emotion). I never thought I would see anything so joyous north of the Missouri River. But there it was. And even more amazing was that today was the grand opening. You have no idea how awesome this is.

But wait, it gets even better.

Apparently, there are more locations opening in town, including one up by the KS speedway - just 12 minutes from work.

Of course, for those of you from the midwest, east coast or west coast, you are probably thinking, what is the big deal about a Taco Bueno? Isn't it just another fast food Mexican restaurant?

Hell no.

Those with roots in the Oklahoma and Texas understand. I know you do. Taco Bueno and I go back a long way. My junior year in high school, I went there for lunch practically every day. A Buenochilada got me through many of my Friday hangovers during my college years. Even post-graduation, I ate there every Friday, just because I could.

But then I moved to KC and had to find a new favorite Mexican joint. And that began my lovefest with Chipotle. But look out, Chipotle, you have competition!

That being said, I am three days into my new years resolution. Still committed. $19 saved to date.

And no mom, just because they now have Taco Buenos in KC, it doesn't mean I will come home less often.

New Year's Day + 1

Today was the first real day of the new year. Sure, I could count yesterday, but, really, it wasn't a real day. I caught a double-header at the local AMC (saw The Pursuit of Happyness and Night at the Museum) with Courtney and AJ. Pursuit was a good movie. I fell asleep during Night, but don't take that as meaning it was't a good movie.

It was a fun movie (I think - AJ liked it). I just enjoy sleeping through movies as much as I like seeing them. It's a genetic thing. My Grandpa falls asleep during movies (and anything else that doesn't involve Ok State athletics), my mom falls asleep during movies, my sisters sleep through movies and I sleep during movies.

After the movie marathon, I came home, grilled some chicken and then wathed the OU-BSU game. What a hell of a game.

So anyway, today was my official start to 2007. So far, the resolution of bringing lunch at least three times a week is stil going strong. I brought a chicken sandwich and orange for lunch. I also brought some fresh pineapple. That is about a $6.00 savings. This is going to be interesting to track.

After work, I hit the gym. Still slightly hobbled by the Achilles, I swam 34 laps which is 0.97 miles. I was thinking I eclipsed the 1 mile mark, but I was 120 feet short. Damn the pool being 25 yards, not 25 meters. I followed that by 3 miles on the eliptical. It was a good kick off for 2007.

Tomorrow, I plan on enjoying a 6 mile run in this unseasonably warm weather.

Happy New Year!

2006 was a great year for me. 2007 has the potential to be even better (and busier - if that's possible).

Already on the schede is a trip to Phoenix for the RNR-AZ marathon in less than 2 weeks, a ski trip to Beaver Creek, CO the first weekend of March, a tentative trip to Nashville for the Country Music Marathon followed the next day by the OKC Memorial Marathon, a trip to San Diego in June for RNR-SD, and a trip to New England in July with Courtney to see her old stomping grounds.

It's going to be a busy first half of the year. Fun. But busy.

And expensive, to0.

But that's where my New Year's resolution comes into play. I usually avoid these because, well, I just do. But this year, my resolution makes too much sense. I have decided to bring my lunch to work at least three times a week. This will be a huge change for me who, last year, may have brought my lunch to work a total of three times the entire year.

Not that I ate out every day. I would occasionally go home.

And it's not that I don't feel like I have to eat out because I don't like to cook. I am an excellent cook.

It's more that I need a break from the lab during the day. And leaving for lunch was an easy way to make that happen. But not spending money on lunch means an extra $15-20 a week. So I think I can justify the extra time with co-workers.

Plus, there will be an added bonus of eating healthier.

I think I can make this work.

Oh, and I did run 8 miles on Saturday. The Achilles is, for a lack of a better word, still working. It isn't totally pain free. But really, when was the last time any of us were totally pain free? So, at this point, I am just going to go with it.