That Training Run Called Life

I may start blogging again...

2008-11-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

So this blog may become active again.

It's been crossing my mind. Somewhat.

I also may triathlon again.

It's been crossing my mind. Somewhat.

If triathlon happens, I will blog again.

It's good for the accountability.

I just need to finalize my 2009 race schedule.

Stay tuned.

Todd and Margo

2007-11-07T16:50:00.002-08:00

So Emily and I met at her school around 5 yesterday for a run. We were both decked out in our cool/cold weather running gear. And of course, as we are leaving the parking lot, some of the kids parents were pulling in to pick up their kids. That is when it really hit us.

Oh my god, we are Todd and Margo.

We laughed. It's funny because, in some ways, it's true.

So we ran our 5 miles with that image etched in our heads.

Up next, matching running gear from LL Bean.

The Highlight Reel

2007-11-07T16:50:00.001-08:00

As of the last update, our superhero (that's me) was preparing for his second Iron-distance triathlon. Well on that particular day, the heat was my kryptonite. About 70 miles into the bikeride, my right leg stopped working. After some attempts to revive it, I decided spending the evening at my sisters house drinking beer and enjoying the time with my family. Or at least that is how I am remembering the event.

It really was miserable out there and ~20% of the field experienced the same heat-related issues that I did and if it were a matter of life or death, I would have pushed on. But it wasn't. And I wasn't in the mood for heat stroke or death on that particular Saturday in OKC

Which leads me never ending question of "What next?"

Surprisingly enough, it isn't a marathon nor a triathlon. Instead, I am running the Manchester Road Race, a 4.5 mile run in Manchester, CT on Thanksgiving morning with Emily and some of her siblings. Training for a hilly 4.5 mile run is so much different than training for marathons and triathlons.

Speed matters.

And so does hill training.

And I don't have 10 miles to get into my rythm.

It's not bad, really. And I am running sub 10 minute miles pretty much all the time. That feels good.

But I miss my longer runs. Every now and then, I crave a good 12-14 miles. And my next marathon is going to be flying pig in Cincinatti next April.

Followed by the Vineman 70.3 half-distance triathlon in Napa Valley in July. This was chosen after being told by several in my fan club that they needed an excuse to spend time in the wine country watching me sweat my ass off while they enjoy some of Napa Valleys finest selections of wine.

After that, who knows.

But after 8 marathons and 65% of an ironman (and all the training) in the past 12 months, I decided I needed some time to rest and focus on quality of training, not quantity.

So this blog may or may not see much action in the next couple months - unless I make it more about life and less about training.

Which, knowing what could be on the horizon in my life, could be more entertaining than anything training related.

And that starts this weekend, when my three male cousins are coming to KC for the Chiefs-Broncos game and a "guy's weekend".

And then the following weekend, my friends and I are turning a waterstop at the Gobbler Grind marathon into an old-fashion tailgate complete with fajitas and margaritas.

And then a trip to Connecticut with Emily to spend Thanksgiving with her family.

And then we are in December.

How the time flies...

I'm back

2007-09-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to be a once-a-month blogger. It's just this summer has been chaotic - a good chaotic, but insane, none-the-less.

So I guess I should start by letting everyone know I am still on track for Redman. It's 17 days away and I am about as ready for it as I can be. Maybe it's because of what I learned last year. Perhaps it is the advice I am getting from the new coach. Maybe, I have just trained better. But regardless, short of serious injury, I will be crossing the finish line this year.

Oh, and I had a great August. Trying to balance work, training, a girlfriend and sleep was tricky. But I think I got through it pretty well. Fortunately, Emily was training for the Chicago marathon and our peak training somewhat overlapped so instead of me being the dead-beat "no honey, it's ok that you go out without me. Have fun" type boyfriend, we had many nights where we both just stayed in. While it was nice, I am ready to be able to have some crazy nights on the town with this girl and all my other friends I hace all but neglected this summer.

Hotter-n-Hell, the 100 mile bike ride I did at the end of August down in Texas was an amazing experience. I will be going back. Only next time, I want to do this ride as "the event" and not as a training ride. There is nothing like riding with 10,000 other cyclists and winding up turning a corner in the middle of a pelaton at 25+ mph.

But for now, my focus is on Redman.

Ugh.

And in 2.5 weeks, I get my life back!

Really, no one has chopped my arms off making it impossilbe for me to type

2007-07-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

But I have been experiencing that "Crap, I forgot to update my blog again" syndrome.

I know.

I'm not the only one that is too busy for his own good.

Between work, training, firing my tri coach, changing training plans 11 weeks from the ironman, it's been pretty crazy.

Oh, did I mention I am dating someone?

I am like every other triathlete. I really need another day in my week. A day that no one else has. That mysterious 8th day. Otherwise, I will never get caught up. And unfortunately, blogging has taken a back seat to the rest of my life.

Oh well.

I can say I will do better. Or at least try. Still, I am having some difficulty finding words to describe training. Maybe it's because I feel like I am constantly repeating myself. Maybe it is because training is going well.

Anyway, I guess I can share this gem tonight. It's what I use for motiviation. I can't really pinpoint where it started. I mentioned previously that the 127.5 has become a motivator for me. Well, I have taken it one step further.

Any time I am struggling, like when I am running up hills on tired legs and I would give anything to start walking, I simply remind myself that "A 127.5 athlete would start walking now BUT that 140.6 athlete would bust his butt to make it to the top".

And it works.

So much of training for these endurance events is psycological. I have the physical base to successfully complete Redman this year. I now have to develop the mental toughness.

127.5

2007-05-30T16:49:00.003-07:00

I had one of those moments today during my 1.5 mile swim.

Of course, I have moments all the time when I swim. That is what happens when I am alone with my thoughts for 30 minutes or longer with no other real distractions. But most of those moments are of the "here one minute-gone the next" sorts. They never stick.

Today was different.

It has been just over 9 months since I finished my 3/4 ironman (and 3 months until the rematch).

I realize that there isn't such a race as 3/4 ironman. It's a distance that no one can relate to. You don't get anything for completing 3/4 of an ironman. A sprint distance - yep. You get something. An olympic distance. Something. A 1/2 ironman, there is recognition. And the ironman, there is definitely something waiting for you at the finish line.

But when you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 and run 13.1, all you get is the opportunity to explain, every time it comes up, that you are in some sort of purgatory between 1/2 and full ironman. And you have nothing else to show for it.

But at Redman last year, when I dropped out 13.1 miles into the run, I was emotionally and mentally done. My stomach wasn't cooperating. Up to that point, I had the time of my life. Calling it a day made sense.

I had no regrets then.

I still don't today.

It was my first triathlon of any distance and it was a great experience.

But something has been eating at me almost every day since Redman last year.

And it's a number.

127.5.

That is the distance I covered in OK last September.

It should have been 140.6. And no matter how much I know I made the right decision at the time, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about those last 13.1 miles.

And during my swim, it hit me today. It's not that I haven't been training. It's that I have been training without a real purpose. An inspiration. A motivation. Something that will push me when I am dragging. Something that will get me up the hill on the bike, knock out that last mile of the run, or battle through the aches and pains that come with the territory.

I now have my motivation, that something to push me when the going gets tough.

It's 127.5.

That may have been acceptable last year.

But this year, the only number that will matter is 140.6.

My name is Kevin and I am a Garmin-o-holic

2007-05-30T16:49:00.002-07:00

Well, maybe the correct term is a recovering Garmin-o-holic.

Oh yes, I used to have that Garmin addiction.

Every run.

Whether it was one of those doesn't-really-count-because-it-is-just-three-miles run or a marathon and everyone in between.

I had to have my Garmin.

I felt naked without it.

And believe me, naked isn't a good look for me.

But then, something somewhat magical happened. I went to Nashville to run a marathon. I went to turn my Garmin on. It didn't work.

I was lost. I spent almost the entire 26.2 miles cursing because I had no idea what my pace was. I was running the first of two marathons that weekend so my pace, on one hand, was critical. But on the other hand, it really didn't matter. I swore up and down that I would have a functioning Garmin at the OKC marathon the following day.

And my Garmin was working on Sunday. Only I left it at my sisters house.

So I ran my second marathon in a row having no idea how fast I was running. But unlike Country Music, not having the Garmin in OKC really didn't phase me. It was like everything became clear. The marathon became about having fun. Not about how fast I ran that last mile. Of course, in OKC, they have these great flip signs that tell you your expected finish time based on your pace at every mile. And that is awesome. It saves you from having to do "marathon math" - which for you non-marathon runners, is about as accurate as a 4 year old attempting calculus.

But it was during the OKC marathon that I realized that not knowing your exact pace, exact time, and every mile split wasn't the end of the world.

Was it possible?

Could I cut the satellite?

Could I run without knowing whether that last mile was run at 10:10 or 10:03. Because there was a time when those 7 seconds would make or break my run. I wasn't using it for distance because, in general, I know practically every 3, 4, 6, and 8-mile route in KC. I only used it for run comparison.

So I tried it. I left the Garmin in the car once. And then again. And again.

I have been running more or less Garmin-free for the past 6-weeks.

I used it in San Diego but that's about it.

Every now and then, when no one is looking, I will strap it on for a 3 or 4-mile run. I even use it to monitor my heart rate during those runs.

I use it for my bike rides because it has a fancy bike mode. And that is nice.

But for most runs. I don't use it.

What's really funny is that people notice and even comment on the nakedness.

So I won't be able to tell you time or pace of most of my runs this summer. Nor will I be able to compare one run to another based on time, heartbeat, or pace.

But I can tell how the run felt. And that is what matters.

At some point, I will fall off the Garmin-free wagon. Some day, when I go back to marathon training and I want to set a PR, the addiction will return.

But for now, it is nice.

Admitting I had a problem was the first step.

I know there are others out there that share this addiction.

The question will you have the courage to step up and admit that you, too, are an addict. That you can't run without Garmin?

We can even start a "Garmin Anonymous" club if enough of you step forward.

Anyone know a good bar with cold beer that would be willing to host our meetings?

First round's on me!

San Diego...Rock and Roll and more

2007-05-30T16:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, there was a marathon in San Diego last weekend.

Yes, I ran it.

And I ran slow.

And I didn't care?

It was my 5th marathon in 9 weeks and, lets face it, I am not Kenyan. My body isn't made to run forever. I finished in 5:34 or something like that. It was my second fastest marathon of the 5. That was good enough for me.

Because the real purpose of San Diego was to have fun. And it was a great weekend.

Friday was crazy. At times, I felt like a cross between a cruise director and the pied piper. Everyone, it seemed, was following me. Evidently, someone was spreading rumors that I actually knew what was going on. I didn't. But I sure faked it well.

From packet pick-up to a 3 mile run to dinner, dancing and drinks on Friday, there was never fewer than 15-20 people in my group. What I did, they did. And that included enjoying a few too many adult beverages. Did these people not realize they were supposed to be running a marathon in 30 hours and that you are not supposed to change anything about training before your big day (and that includes alcohol). Pictures of the night will be coming soon.

Saturday was devoted to re-hydration, rest and recovery.

The marathon itself was an incredible experience. I will have a complete race report, hopefully tomorrow.

But for now, I have little issue with sun-burn shoulders I need to attend to.

Life Lessons

2007-05-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

I leave Friday morning for San Diego to run the Rock-N-Roll Marathon as a part of Team in Training. This will be my third marathon run with TNT, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My friends, family, co-workers and strangers have donated over $10,000 in the past four years further the mission of the LLS. For this, I am grateful. I can't thank them enough for their support.

But as I head off to San Diego, I think it might be better that, instead of one of my ramblings about training or running in the rain or girls or the other thousands of topics I waste your time with throughout the year, I would share with you the words of Kimberly Costa who lost her battle with leukemia in 2000 at the age of 19.

During her battle with this dreaded disease, she sat down and composed what she called "10 Life Lessons." Not only are her words a microcosm of what TNT has meant to me, but if we all lived our lives by her words, the world would be a better place. Here is what she wrote.

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Life Lesson number 10 is "Deal with life one day at a time." Sometimes when life gets crazy we feel like we'll never sort everything out. But if we just deal with everything one day and instant at a time, life just has a way of working through things. It also makes life's circumstances a little less overwhelming.

Life Lesson number 9 is more a word of advice. "Turn every life experience into a learning experience." The best way I have found to cope with hard times more easily is to become knowledgeable about what is going on and try to find a meaning to everything that happens. Trust me, there is always one.

Life Lesson number 8 is "Always look for the positive." No matter how bad life can get, there is always a positive to be found. If you focus on the positive aspects of life, the hard times are easier to get through. The power of positive thinking is amazing, and it works.

Life Lesson number 7 is another piece of advice. "Try to do at least one new thing everyday." Much too often, people get into a routine of doing the same thing everyday and their lives become boring. The new thing doesn't have to be big. It can be something really small like taking a different route to work, or trying a new kind of food. Make a wish list for yourself of new stuff you want to try. Some things can be small and others, big. Plan on completing one of those things each day and by the end of everyday your life will be much more full.

Life Lesson number 6 is "Be true to yourself". No matter what happens in your life if you are true to yourself and confident about who you are, you can overcome anything. Always stick to who you are and don't worry if people are going to accept you or not. If you are confident with yourself, it will show and the people who really matter will accept you for who you are, not for who you are not.

Life Lesson number 5 is "Touch as many lives as you can." Every time you meet someone new, you leave a little bit of yourself with them. They are affected by you. The more people you meet, the more complete both their and your lives are because of how you have been affected by each other. Think of the possibilities.

Life Lesson number 4 is "Enjoy the little things." Although the big accomplishments in life are important, sometimes it's the little things in life that are more enjoyable. The conversations with your best friend in the middle of the night, or a quiet moment somewhere peaceful where you are just able to think, can add up to be much more important and memorable than any big thing.

Life Lesson number 3 is "Don't sweat the small stuff." Many times in life, people begin getting concerned with petty things. What people forget is that in the long run, it doesn't matter what "he said" or what "she did." It's not worth your time to get worked up about anything small or petty.

Life Lesson number 2 is "Hold on to your friends." No matter what happens in your life, good or bad, your friends will be there for you. Whether it is a pat on the back or shoulder to cry on that you need, your friends are there for you always.

And the number one Life Lesson is "Make everyday count." Life is short and we never know how long we are gong to have. We must live live life to the fullest EVERYDAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose. We should never throw any opportunities away.

Our lives will continue to be impacted by our friendships, generosity, compassion and spirit. As each of us works each day to be the person we want to be, remember my favorite quote from the Broadway play "Rent" - "No Day But Tomorrow."

This, that and other stuff

2007-05-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

So I have been a little slow in my posting these days.

It's not my fault. Really, its not.

It's just everything going on around me consuming my time.

It's because I am increasing my ironman training while at the same time trying to taper for a marathon a week from today. How that is possible is beyond me and please don't ask how that is going.

It's because work is taking a lot out of me these days. Nothing too serious and for the first time in a long time, I finally feel somewhat caught up - so those extra hours paid off.

It's because I am spending a lot of time trying to get to know and figure out this yet-to-be-named-by-me new girl that has come into the picture. We spent a lot of time together this weekend meaning that either she really likes me, is completely sick of me right now, or, I'm guessing, a combination of both. All I will say for now is that we have only been going out for a couple of weeks and I have a good time when I am with her. We all know how much fun it is going into a relationship and yes, let's face it, this is distracting me from other, lesser obligations, like blogging about it. But that's how it has to be for now.

So let me get through a short work at week, knock out my 6th marathon in 9 weeks in San Diego and hopefully my life will return to a little normalcy.

I am gussing it won't.

Normalcy really doesn't exist in my life.

But we can hope.

Relentless for hill training

2007-05-06T14:10:00.005-07:00

So I volunteered to help my coach out with his "Relentless for a Cure" 26 marathons in 26 days drive by running a marathon with him last Friday.

It was an interesting run. When I foun out that Koach Karl was running again, I knew it would be. We always have interesting conversations because we are both known for having opinions, some similar and some miles apart.

My "marathon" was run in Independence, MO, and consisted of three 7.2 mile loops followed by a 4.6 mile out and back.

The loop.

Um.

Hills.

All hills.

Well, not all hills.

The first 1.4 miles was flat or downhill.

Then, the hills started.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

I haven't downloaded the total elevation change yet, but I figure I the "uphill" portion represented about 14,000 feet of vertical rise, give or take a couple feet.

So we ran and walked and talked. The last 2-3 miles were tough. My legs felt extremely heavy and I knew I hadn't taken enough calories or hydrated well. That's ok, though, because the goal was to finish, not set a PR. Eventually, 6 hours and 8 minute later, we fiished the 26.2 mile run.

It was my third marathon in 21 days and my legs were letting me know this.

Today, just two days later, I managed a good 2-hours of pretty competitive doubles tennis and a 3 mile walk with my dog, Shiner, pain free. So no injuries. Just a tired body.

Tonight, I rewarded myself with a 12 oz medium rare fillet. baked potato and most of a bottle of the 2004 "Miles of Magic" Syrah that was made especially for the 2006 Disney Marathon . Yes, I know that is red wine and I don't drink red wine often. But it sounded good and tasted good and I have been saving it for a special occasion. I figured that three marathons in 3 weeks justified celebrating.

It may just be a rough day at work tomorrow.

Another day, another ride

2007-05-06T14:10:00.004-07:00

Today I rode almost 20 miles.

It was a good ride.

Good weather.

Good route.

Good pace.

It will take me some time work my way back up to that 19-20 mph pace from last summers shorter rides. And I'm ok with that.

For now, I just want to get used to being in the saddle again. It's not so much how far or fast I go, but how long I keep my butt in the seat before it goes numb.

Today, I lasted just over an hour.

And yes, my last post was not to be taken literally. If there is any constant in life, it's that I'm not known for listening to the advice of anyone, from my parents to complete strangers.

I am stubborn.

I do things my way.

And my way is the right way.

Or at least I will challenge you to prove me wrong.

So there is no way I will be listening to some joker tell me about when I should and shouldn't ride my bike. If anything comes out of that conversation, it will be me setting out to prove him wrong.

Ride the wind

2007-05-06T14:10:00.003-07:00

I have this theory that riding my bike on windy days is a good idea and will help me prepare for Redman.

Well, not even taking into account my body's lack of aerodynamic design, I was informed today that riding my bike in the wind isn't a good idea.

Evidently, my bike has issues with cross-winds.

Or so I was informed as I climbing up a hill at Shawnee Mission Park today.

I was on my third lap around the lake climbing up the dam (or damn, as some call it) hill and another (know-it-all-son-of-a-bitch) cyclist riding a Trek 5500 rode up beside me.

We started talking about my bike. One of the first things he said was to be careful riding my bike in the wind because crosswinds can create havok. He said he has the same bike and while riding it in a race a couple weeks ago, a gust caught the bike and pushed him three feet off course. And because he had problems riding an Equinox 7, so would I.

Only I have never had a problem with crosswinds.

Even on the windiest days - and I have ridden in my share of wind.

But he talked to me like I was a fool for taking my bike out on such a windy day (the wind was gusting at 25 mph).

Crap.

I don't know what I can do.

Do I sell my bike?

Do I switch back to my hybrid.

Do I not sign up for Redman.

Because it will be windy in OKC.

Why?

Why me?

Why now?

I just got used to riding my bike again.

I guess I will just put it back in the garage and surrender my triathlon dreams.

Damn!

Decision Time

2007-05-06T14:10:00.002-07:00

"All my life, whenever it comes time to make a decision, I make it and forget about it" - Harry S Truman

I am always intrigued by what goes through peoples minds when making decisions. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been presented with intriguing descisions in the three main phases of my life: professional, personal and training.

Now, I am just waiting for the outcomes.

In my world, there are no bad decisions, just unanticipated events that provide new oppotunities. It's probably a result of how I look at life. Things are never as bad as they appear and everything just seems to work out.

So when I say that I have chosen to run a marathon this Friday in Independence, MO, as part of Relentless for a Cure, it should be no surpise that I am approaching this as an opportunity to help a great cause. It wasn't something I was planning on doing, but when the call came out for volunteers, I couldn't say no.

I had planned on limited running milage this month to give my body time to recover from CMM and OKC, focusing on swimming and biking. Still, I wanted to get one sort-of-long-run knocked out. This was going to be in the 14-16 mile range this weekend. So what is another 10 miles? I am going to treat this as a training run, so it is going to be slow and deliberate. If it takes me 5 1/2 hours, or even 6 hours, so what. It is for a great cause.

Even so, visions of injury are running through my head.

But why?

I feel better now than I have in a long time. I don't know what I am worried about. My calves haven't cramped in months. My Achilles is stronger than ever. My joints are pain free. I ran 7 miles Saturday at a steady 10:45 pace. There is nothing to worry about.

There is no looking back.

Only forward.

And this is how it should be once a decision is made.

It's not just all about the bike

2007-05-06T14:10:00.001-07:00

It was a long time coming, but I decided it was finally time I go for a ride with determination.

Spin class is fine, but it doesn't beat the real thing.

So I packed up the bike and headed to the downtown Kansas City Airport because in Oklahoma, it isn't just about the bike.

It's about the bike and a 25 mph headwind.

Of all my downfalls last year in training, I think failing to wind train was my biggest mistake. I did plenty of hill training. I would have been fine if I could pedal balls-out for 2 minutes and have a 30 second recovery as I coast down the backside.

But that isn't an option with wind. The wind at Redman was nothing more than 56 mile energy drain. I wasn't prepared for that.

This year will be different. I will be ready for the wind.

Thus, I head to the windiest place in Kansas City - the downtown airport. It is a 3 1/2 mile loop where, if there is wind, you will feel it.

I wanted to accomplish two things today.

First, I wanted to re-position the seat. Last year, I rode with my bike seat at about a 45 degree angle. That just seemed to work for me. That, and it kept the boys from getting beaten up as I rode.

So I adjusted the seat, tilting it to a more "normal" angle, jumped on the seat and immediately thought how lucky I was that I wasn't intending on donating sperm or trying to impregnate some lucky girl any time soon.

Because in tilting the seat, it raised the overall seat by about an inch and, instead of rocking back into a sitting position upon mounting the bike, I, well, lets say, jabbed myself with the pointy part of the bike seat.

Oops.

I rapidly dismounted the bike and lowered the seat about 1 1/2 inch.

Much better.

My second goal was to maintain a cadence of 65-75 rpm and never stop peddling. I wasn't cared about overall speed today. That will come with time. I just wanted to pedal at a constant rate and give my quads a good workout.

It worked.

I rode 5 loops around the airport

My quads are still burning.

Moving Right Along

2007-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,

With good friends you can't lose,

This could become a habit!

Opportunity knocks once let's reach out and grab it (yeah!),

Together we'll nab it,We'll hitchhike (SWIM), bus (BIKE) or yellow cab it!(Cab it?) (RUN)

Movin' right along.

Footloose and fancy-free.

Getting there is half the fun; come share it with me.

Moving 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.

I can't say that I have been struggling trying to decide what to do for my big fall event because, deep down, I have known for for a long time what it would be.

But lately, I have been putting a lot of thought into it.

Training for and running back-to-back marathons was a great overall experience. I can't say that the entire experience was great. There were times I was questioning both my sanity and reasoning for wanting to do this. However, I didn't mind running long distances alone and my body, in general (and amazingly enough), held up well to all the pounding that came from the training.

In fact, since finishing the OKC marathon, my left Achilles has felt better than it has in forever.

Going into last weekend, I was still border-line on whether I wanted to run the Tahoe Triple or do Redman again. I kept telling myself that I would see how I felt after the double and, if I felt good, I would proceed with triple training this summer.

But who was I kidding.

There was a reason I was swimming between 2 and 3 miles a week since January.

I knew I wanted another shot at Redman.

I was 3/4 of the way to completing the Ironman last fall.

I walked away from last years race with only 13.1 miles of the run knowing there would be another chance, sooner than later.

I knew I would be back because I love the triathlon. I loved the swimming. The bike and I got along pretty good. Running long distances is second nature.

But most of all I loved it because of the training. I loved the focus required to train for an Ironman. I loved training with a purpose. I looked forward to the Sunday morning training sessions.

T.S. Elliot once said that "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."

Last year, I could only go 127.5 miles.

This year, I will finish that last 13.1 miles.

Random thought of the day

2007-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

"Some people are like slinkies...not really good for anything but you still can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs."

I love coming back to work after being on vacation! It's just too much fun.

Shiner and the bunny rabbit

2007-05-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

I know, I promised a race report today, but something else happened while I was performing the bi-monthly mowing of my yard today.

But before I tell the story, I should explain a game I play with Shiner. We simply call it "Squirrel!". It's very simple. I look outside and see a squirrel. I say "Hey Shiner, there's a squirrel outside." Shiner looks at me, looks out the window and then clumsily runs throught the dog door. He attempts to catch the squirrel. He never succeeds. But he never quits trying.

So fast-forward to today. I was mowing along the side of my house and Shiner was in the back yard just watcing me. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a baby bunny rabbit scampering towards the front of the house.

"How cute," I thought to myself. I am sure the lawn mower scared the poor little critter. I then turn around to mow another strip of the yard and start walking towards the back yard where Shiner was staring at me through the fence.

All of the sudden, I see the bunny again. It was once again running away from the lawn mower. But instead of running to safety, the damn thing ran right to Shiner. I am not sure if it was blind, scared out of its wits or just stupid. So I just watch it run right into Shiner's grasp. There was nothing I could do.

Of course, Shiner did what any good carnivore would do. He pounced on it and then picked it up in his mouth and pranced around the back yard like a proud hunter, bunny in mouth (those are the hind hanging from Shiner's mouth in the picture). I yelled at him to drop it, and like the obedient dog that he is, he did drop it. But I figured the damage had been done. I walked around to the back yard, forced Shiner inside and went back to pick up the carcass so I wouldn't mow over it, making an even bigger mess.

Only I couldn't find it.

Maybe it wasn't really dead and hopped away.

Or maybe it was well hidden in the grass.

Either way, I didn't want to mow over it. I figured if it was there and anyone could find it, Shiner would. Therefore, I let him back out.

Sure enough, he located it. And it wasn't dead. But it was hop-hop-hopping away.

Or at least trying to.

Shiner then caught up to it and the bunny froze. That is the bunny by Shiner's right paw.

This is where things got interesting. Instead of picking it up and treating it like a living chew toy, he just laid down next to it. He almost appeared protective of it. He went as far as to chase what I presume to be the mother rabbit, who was watching this unfold from the neighboring yard, to the far corner of that yard.

He then went back to the baby bunny. He just sat there next to it. Watching it. Sniffing it. Taunting it.

I was torn. I didn't know what to do. On one hand, maybe Shiner just wanted another friend around the house.

Or maybe he was just waiting for me to go back to my mowing so he could continue to play with his new chew toy. Especially because it squeeks, too. (how many of you knew that rabbits squeek when carried in the mouth of a 90 lb dogs). Plus, he has a history of bringing those "living chew toys" into the house and i didn't want to deal with that mess again.

That is when the neighbor kids, age 5 and 7, appeared in their back yard and asked what I was doing. At that point, I knew I couldn't leave the bunny with Shiner out of fear seeing a dog playing with a bunny might freak them out.

Instead, I did the only decent thing a neighbor could do and transported the bunny to the kids backyard and made it their problem. Amazingly, like Shiner, they watched it. Sniffed it. Taunted it.

OK, maybe they didn't sniff it. But there was definitely watching and taunting.

Eventually they caught it and put it in a box.

They even went as far as to make a grass bed for it and left it lettuce for dinner.

They are even talking about turning it into a pet.

I give it two days.

And I am also wondering how many more brothers and sisters this little guy had because if they happen to appear in my back yard, this scene will be repeating itself.

deja vu all over again

2007-04-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Talk about history repeating itself.

Country Music Marathon: 5:47:30
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon: 5:47:15

I really don't know how that happened. Those times are way too close to one another.

And with the exception of a blister that has doubled the size of my left pinky toe, I pretty much survived this weekend.

A complete race summary will happen tomorrow, but because it is sweeps month in the television industry, I will throw out some obligatory teasers.

Shiner Bock
"for dad"
piggy back ride
this sucks
hills
sun
heat
running with my sister

That's all for now. I've got a couple cold Coronas waiting for me.

Weather

2007-04-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

I just looked at the weather forecast for both Nashville and OKC this weekend.

Now, I am trying to figure out why.

Is it going to make any difference knowing the weather versus just showing up.

If it is raining, will I just choose not to run? Probably not.

If it is too cold, do you think they are going to cancel the race? Nope.

Will the weather change how I pack. Absolutely not. I ran in a tank top and shorts in Phoenix earlier this year and it was 29 at the start of the race. There isn't any chance of it being below 40 in either Nashville or OKC next week so I wouldn't expect to run in anything but shorts and tank top. And I really can't dress any lighter without becoming "the marathon streaker".

But it is supposed to be sunny and in the upper 70s or lower 80s both places. That is perfect weather for a baseball game, sitting out on a patio drinking beer, or even a 5K. But it is a little warm for a marathon.

So all looking at the weather did was make me worry about dehydration, third-degree sunburns and death.

OK, death may be a little over-dramatic as I won't be pushing mysef to the point where that becomes an issue.

But as I said above, it won't change anything else I will be doing in preparation. So essentially, I just wasted 5 minutes checking out forecast.

Well, it did change one thing.

I will be packing sunscreen.

And not only will I be packing it, but I may even put some on.

Race Strategy

2007-04-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest. I am not known for my race strategy. I have issues with starting off slow, regularly scheduled walk breaks, and saving energy for the last 6 miles.

Everyone always says to save your energy for the back half. I am told it is more fun to pass runners at mile 23 then to be passed.

Whatever.

But this weekend, I have to conserve energy. I have to accept that to keep my normally chipper persona in check and my morale high, I have to have energy.

Thus, I present to you my new and improved race strategy.

Strategy 1: Walk for one minute at EVERY water stop. No more dive in, grab a water and start up again. I have to walk for one full minute. I then get to run to the next water stop.

Strategy 2: My average pace cannot be faster than 10:45/mile. I hve been known to knock off a few sub-10 minute miles in the early stages of recent marathons. In Phoenix, I was clipping along at a 9:20 pace for the first 8 miles. That was a major oops.

Strategy 3: Nutrition. I will be carrying with me a mixture of plain Perpetum mixed with Rasperry Hammergel. It will be super concentrated, containing approximately 1200 calories. I will also have 4-5 Hammergel packets in reserve. This will get me close to 15oo calories for the race or ~300 calories per hour. This is about 500 calories more than I have consumed in past races.

Strategy 4: I will be loading up on electrolytes by taking 2-3 e-caps an hour. By maintaining a steady intake of electrolytes, my calves will be much less likely to cramp. That can't be a bad thing.

Strategy 5: Have fun and be social. As a back of a pack runner, I will have plenty of time to make new friends and, knowing me, flirt a little.

That's it.

It is just that simple.

Can I do it?

We'll find out.

The emotions of it

2007-04-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

So am I starting to freak out a little?

Maybe.

Running two marathons in two days in two different cities 678 miles apart seemed like a good idea.

In December.

But now it is April. I am 10 days away from the Country Music Marathon in Nashville. That run doesn't scare me. It's a course I have never seen so it will be a new experience. My legs will be fresh. I will be in good spirits. I should be well rested. If I behave myself and do what I know I should do, I will be running with people from KC that will keep me from running out too fast, preserving my legs for Sunday. I have a nutrition plan in place. Really, I don't see many problems with the Nashville.

Then, after that race, I have to rush to the airport. Rush to get find the appropriate food to fuel me for Sunday. I may not have time to shower - which may be frowned upon by surrounding passengers. I have a layover in Dallas where I will rush to find another appropriate meal to continue refueling. I will also have to re-hydrate along the way, being careful not to over-hydrate because I will be on a plane. I get into OKC around 9:00 and should be in bed no later than 10.

Sunday morning will be the real test. I have to start out slow and NOT worry about my pace. Those first few miles I just have to keep my feet moving forward. I have to remember to walk a minute at every water stop. I have to continue to fuel properly. But I can't slow down too much. There is a "loose" 6-hour time limit. If it takes me longer, no sweat. The marathon won't shut down until the last man finishes. But I don't want to be out there longer than 6-hours. No way!

I have to stay focused and control those factors I can. Rest. Hydration. Nutrition. Pace.

But there are going to be so many other factors in play. Temperature. Wind. Sun. Emotion.

Can I stay focused. Can I stay out of the "bite me" zone?

That's going to be up to the volunteers in OKC. They have been great in the past. I am sure they will be that way again.

Nervous. Excited. Anxious.

Aren't emotions great!

Where do they all go???

2007-04-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

OK, I ran just three miles today. I am in taper mode and ran my last long run b/f the double, 16 miles, yesterday. But running 16 miles is just that. Nothing blogworthy.

What I really want to know is the answer to the above question.

Today, in just three miles, I passed 71 people.

Yes.

I counted.

And if I passed them going both out and back, I counted them twice.But I didn't count anyone participating the three soccer practices, one baseball practice and the illegal high school football practice I passed.

I counted because last Tuesday, I ran 6 miles along that exact same route at the exact same time and I passed ZERO people.

That's zero with a Z.

Is the rain really that much of a deterrent?

Am I the only one in Johnson County that isn't so sweet that I don't melt in the rain?

Does anyone else follow the philosophy that he who makes the biggest splash wins?

Can't running in the rain be fun too?

Just curious.

Corporate Challenge

2007-04-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

The kick-off to the 2007 Kansas City Corporate Challenge is rapidly approaching. Unfortunately, my company won't get to defend our championship from last year as we were moved up a division. This means more competition against bigger companies. But it's no worry. We have the leadership in place to tackle the challenge. Our CEO is the ultimate motivator. If you don't believe me, check out the e-mail he sent out encouraging his scientists-moonlighting-as-athletes to sign up for events. I mean, how can you not sign up for practically all of the events after reading this?

Subject: POAAPTLAAAAEWPIAE (otherwise known as Corporate Challenge)
From: The best CEO ever
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2007

Dear one and all:

Corporate Challenge has to be one of the worst-named things going. Anything with the word ‘corporate’ in the title is bad news. We are used to seeing headlines about ‘corporate greed’ and the like. And ‘challenge’ sounds too much like hard work. In essence, Corporate Challenge is what you do from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. It’s no wonder people don’t flock to sign up for Corporate Challenge.

Had they asked me (and they didn’t), I would have suggested they call it POAAPTLAAAAEWPIAE, which stands for: People of all ages pissing themselves laughing and applauding anyone and everyone who participates in any event.

To be honest, I didn’t really want to participate in last year’s Corporate Challenge. You may find this hard to believe, but I’m slightly past my prime, and I didn’t want to spoil the memory of my sporting youth with some cruel facts about my current athletic prowess. What was worse, Alex convinced me to participate in a swimming event, which was my worst sport in high school. I seem to recall that I didn’t really swim through the water as much as I drank my way from one end of the pool to the other. And I seem to recall it was a pool of Clorox bleach, not water. (You could tell when I had swum/drunk for my school because two days later my turds turned white.)

I was even less thrilled about participating in Corporate Challenge when I looked for something to wear. I found my old, high-school Speedo. Kay encouraged me to wear it, once she had turned it into a bikini top. She’s encouraging that way. I settled for an old pair of rugby shorts. They were black, which is supposed to be slimming. Kay has photographic evidence to the contrary.

I can’t imagine anyone participated in Corporate Challenge with less enthusiasm than I did. But that’s because, up until the point when I did actually participate, I didn’t really understand what Corporate Challenge was all about. I thought it was like high school sports, which is all about winners and losers. However, in Corporate Challenge, the loudest cheers, the longest applause and the greatest enthusiasm are not for the athletic jocks in the prime of their youth; they are for those who didn’t let age, ability, shape, talent or size prevent them from participating. The person who won my swimming event (some 50-year-old mutant whose ass was one fifth the size of mine) got lots of applause when he finished the race (smiling all the way). But when I finished (gasping for oxygen after about the third stroke), everyone – and I do mean everyone – was cheering and clapping wildly (with the exception of the paramedics, who were too busy disconnecting the defibrillator).

If bad memories of high school athletics are keeping you from signing up for this year’s event, let me assure you that you will have nothing but a positive experience by participating in Corporate Challenge. It’s a laugh a minute. It’s totally different from high school competitions. And you can legally drink beer afterwards.

All of this is to say: Go ahead, sign up for Corporate Challenge. I guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun (and you’ll get a cool T-shirt). In addition to having fun, you’ll help the team, because EVERYONE who participates earns points for the team, even if you finish dead last. The reward is as much for participation as it is for performance.

Personally, I don’t have an excuse for not participating in Corporate Challenge, which probably means you don’t either.

So get with the POAAPTLAAAAEWPIAE program and sign up...

All the best,
The best CEO ever

77 miles and still kicking

2007-04-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

So my longest week of running is over.
Training is past it's peak.
77 mile of running
All in one week.
There wasn't much to see
There not much to tell.
So I guess I'll make up some stuff.
What the hell.

I saw squirrels.
And a bird or two.
There were some deer by the creek.
But I didn't see anything new.

But what if the deer were zebras
and the birds were bald eagles.
Oh, I passed some midgets
Walking their beagles.
That's much more interesting.
It's much more fun.
Than seeing just squirrles and birds
As I run and run.

I also saw a bobcat chasing a rabbit
and was attacked by a copperhead.
I was luckier than the rabbit
I didn't wind up dead.

The Olathe marathon
Traveled on roads
That were covered with worms
And countless dead toads.
As I raced to the finish line,
an airplane appeared.
And dumped out confetti
while everyone cheered.

So that is my story
I'm sticking to it.
Some of it's true.
But some is just shit.

Opening Day. Running. Working

2007-04-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

I love my crazy, messed up, always life.

It's never slow. It's never boring.

Some times it's hard to fit everything into a day. A week. A month.

April appears to be one of those months. But I'm trying to get my training in. And work. And find some time to have some fun.

Monday was opening day at Kaufman Stadium. It was sunny and 80. KC was playing Boston. Courtney tracked us down club level seats b/t home plate and third base. The Royals won. It couldn't have been a better day and a great break from reality.

Tuesday, my 6 mile run was tough. I was up late celebrating the Royals victory and Courtney had the pleasure of trying on a Red Sox 2004 world championship ring (it was pretty impressive) when we met a couple of guys that work for the Red Sox television network at Kelley's after the game.

Wednesday, I finally felt like I was getting caught up with everything. I even thought about getting some yardwork in after my swim.

Unfortunately, the weathermen didn't cooperate and I refuse to do yardwork when it's colder than 40 outside. So I put it off until the weekend. If anyone needs a good place to hide Easter eggs, my backyard would be ideal. Of course, small children may also get lost during the hunt.

Speaking of which, I am excited about this weekend, if for no other reason than it is relatively wide open. With the exception of a couple of 10-mile sort-of-long runs and a couple hours devoted to taxes, there really isn't much set in stone.

It will be a much needed, but presumably short-lived, break. I may even find time to watch the Masters. Or I might sneak out to Kaufman to catch an afternoon game on Saturday. Maybe I will go to the theater and catch a movie.

Or maybe, and just maybe, I will knock a few inches off my yard.

38.9 miles and still kicking.

2007-04-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know and you know that number should be 41.2 miles. I shorted myself 2.3 miles today. I was supposed to run 15 miles today, but only made it to 12.7.

Why.

Because at 12.8 there was a big hill.

And I had no desire to run up a big hill.

Plus it was windy and I had been running up a gradual incline the entire time. My calf felt like it was going to cramp at any time and I was out of energy.

I should have been taking GU. I had it on me. I just didn't mess with it. By mile 10, I was out of energy. I ate some sports beans at that point which gave me a little boost, but I still decided to call it a day before the big hill.

My pace today was just under a 12-minute mile, which was kind of funny, because that was my average pace in the Olathe Marathon yesterday.

This marathon, for a lack of a better word, was boring. If not for the worms and dead frogs on the road, I may have lost my mind. Oh, and there was this little issue of the wind. It was howling out of the SW at 25+ MPH and it slowed me down. Other than that, it really was just a training run.

Tomorrow, I get to start running at 4:00 am to get my 10 miles in before work as I will be spending the afternoon at Royals Stadium welcoming in a new season of hope for my local baseball club. Good times!

I guess I'll stop my bitching

2007-03-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

OK, remeber a couple days ago, was complaining about how I was supposed to rest for a couple days.

Well....Um....Huh...

Someone just got their training schedule for next month.

I take back everything I said.

I love the idea of a couple of rest days.

Evidently, training for back to back marathons takes running a several consecutive days.

And not just a mile or two.

Go figure!

My schedule for the next 10 days...

Fri - rest
Sat - run 26.2 * Olathe marathon
Sun - run 15 * Brew to brew relay
Mon - run 10 *Royals home opener
Tues - run 6
Wed - swim 1 mile and lift weights
Thurs - run 6
Fri - run 6
Sat - run 10
Sun - rest *at least I get Easter off

I know people who don't drive that far in a week.

But searching for a bright side, I guess I won't have to worry much about consuming a few extra calories at Taco Bueno next week.

BUENO! (crap) BUENO! (crap) BUENO!

2007-03-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Is it a dream or a nightmare.

I just heard an unconfirmed web rumor that a Taco Bueno is opening at 135th and Blackbob in Olathe tomorrow - three miles from my lab.

Sweet!

No!

Crap!

My heart is torn.

Since Monday, I have been documenting everything I have consumed (all the way down to the blow-pop I had on Tuesday). It's funny how aware you are of what you consume when you write it down. I hope to do this for two weeks so I can get a full nutritional assessment aka criticism) and see where my diet can be improved.

Because I am writing stuff down, I am trying hard to eat the right foods.

But with a Taco Bueno 10 minutes from work, I might as well throw my food diary out the window.

Or at least start a new chapter.

Two days of nothingness

2007-03-26T16:37:00.001-07:00

I am about to tackle my longest training weekend in preparation for my back-to-back marathons in the end of April. I get to run a "training run" marathon in Olathe this Saturday and then will run approximately 15 miles of the brew-to-brew relay on Sunday.

Essentially, it is the inverse Goofy Challenge.

Amazingly, I think I am ready for it.

But, as Tom Petty once said, "the waiting is the hardest part".

As part of the waiting, I have had back-to-back rest days. Now anyone that knows anything about me knows the worst thing you can do to me is tell me not to do anything for 48 hours. I thrive on the endorphins that come from running, etc. When I rest, I get grouchy.

Still, I thought I did pretty good resting. Yesterday, the only I did that might be remotely considered "not resting" is play 2 hours of pretty intense tennis. Tonight, I trimmed all the shrubs in my yard and took down a 20 foot tall tree in my back yard (and fortunately, this time I took the tree out without the benefit of a chainsaw slicing my leg open resulting in some 20-odd stitches which did happen the last time I tackled a similar project).

So all in all, I think I have done a decent job resting AND avoiding injury.

Rocky Mountain High

2007-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted.

Sorry.

Life has been happening.

Between March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, TNT fundraisers and a little family ski vacation to Beaver Creek, I just haven't had the time.

But that all changes this weekend. I am in taper mode for the Olathe Marathon and all I really have to do is watch basketball, clean my house and do my taxes. So that should leave me plenty of time to write about an incredible long and fun St. Pats Day and skiing in 60 degree weather.

But before I get back to the game, I need to know the answer to the following question.

If I run 6.2 miles in the mountains at 9500 feet, how many miles is would that equal in Kansas City?

Isn't it ironic

2007-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

So we had our monthly TNT meeting at a local hostpital. There was another meeting going on in the room across the hall, also starting at 6. While putting up the Team in Training signs, the organizers of the other meeting commented that if they saw anyone looking lost, they would send them our way.

Naturally, we wondered how those nice ladies would be able to tell the TNT members from those going to attend their meeting.

And then we saw the purpose of their meeting.

Surgical Weight Loss.

Ironic. Just a bit?

Understand, I am one of several TNT runners that could afford to lose a couple dozen pounds. I said that when I first started running marathons. I said that when I trained for ironman. I am saying that now. Koach Karl is still hoping one day I find my "potential"

And I do know what it takes to lose weight. My problem is and always has been I like tasty food and Dr Pepper and the occasional beer. That being said, I have dropped 8 pounds since giving up (most) fried food and (most) soda over the past 3 weeks. I have also increased my physical output. I have even had my second tossed salad w/ cajun chicken breast in as many.

It's amazing how easy weight loss can be.

Losing weight is a simple equation.

Calories burnt > Calories ingested

It does take dicipline and the willingness to make changes for more than a month here and there.

Surgery shouldn't factor into the equation.

But evidently, this is the only solution for some people. I think its great that these people are taking what, for them, could be the first step to a healthier life.

What I don't understand is why that first step has to be having someone drop them off at the door instead of parking their car and walking the extra 50 yards across the lot to the meeting.

The Gym

2007-03-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

OK, many of you know the part of training I like the least is working out at the gym.

Any time I am at the gym lifting, the only thing I can really think about is the scene in Fletch where Fletch F Fletch tells the two dectctives "Hey, why don't you guys go down to the gym and pump each other."

I laugh at the meatheads in the gym. And I mock them because I can. I just don't have any desire to do culs with 100 pound dumbells. Of course, they would probably say the same about marathons and triathons.

But at least I get to train outside.

Inside sucks. Give me sun and fresh air any day.

Face it. Lifting weights is boring. Running on a treadmill is boring. The eliptical is boring. Why anyone would want to spend 10 minutes, let alone an hour at the gym on a day like today blows my mind. Swimming is only fun because there is that built in danger of drowning .

Today was sunny and 70. It was a little breezy, but other than that, it was perfect. It was perfect for running, biking, taking Shiner to the dog park, spending a couple hours on a patio at the local bar and grill with friends, and, well, going to the gym.

I managed to squeeze in a 3 mile run and a 2 mile walk in the dogpark. I even let Shiner get in the lake. Then, after eating a big healthy chicken salad for dinner (which I am sure will be blogged about again tomorrow after my 4 miles of hills), I forced myself up to the gym for a 1/2 hour of fun and exciing lifting dumbbells over my head and crunching my abs together repeatedly.

And speaking of abs, this brings up my burning questions of the night. Do crunches make any one else out there in blogland fart?

4: Major League

2007-03-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

note: This was supposed to be the second of my 6 favorite baseball movies, but after serious consideration, I decided although The Naked Gun has more than 20 minutes of "baseball" time, it really can't be considered a "baseball movie", Major League thus gets bumped up to the number 4 slot.

At one time, Major League was my favorite baseball movie. But I think this is a movie you can watch too many times. Most comedies are like that.

And I think I saw this movie too many times growing up.

Still, it has some of the greatest one-liners of all time. We know them. We love them. We laugh when we hear them. We still quote them.

"How's your wife and my kids"
"You put snot on the ball?"
Let me get back to you, will ya, Charlie? I got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls."
"You may run like Mays but you hit like shit."
"Too high. It's too high."
and on and on and on.

Honestly though, what makes this movie is Harry Doyle, played by major league announcer and comedian Bob Uecker. The man was great. I still laugh at many of his on-field descriptions. He is as funny in person as he is on the big screen.

And even though I may have seen this movie too many times, I still find myself stopping on it as I flip through the channels.

Coming or going

2007-03-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

I try hard not to complain about work because I really do have a good job and not many people can sit around drinking beer at happy hour with co-workers talking about that "cirrhotic liver we rocked on the other day".

I was supposed to work with a liver tonight but it missed the plane.

So now I have to work tomorrow. This isn't a bad thing, but I was looking forward to a day off tomorrow. I kind of need it.

Lately at work I don't know if I am coming or going. I get to the lab and there is some new project or problem that is waiting on me. Some of these are my responsibility, others because I have the knowledge to solve the issue and the rest because no one else really knows what to do with them so they appear on my desk.

I then get to prioritize. And I suck at prioritizing because there isn't anything I can't do and I love the multi-tasking and having all sorts of deadlines and pressure building and nothing beats the "look at what all I accomplished" feeling during annual reviews.

Only what do I do when a particular project isn't going the way I anticipated?

I delegate (of course) and make it someone elses problem.

I only wish it were that easy.

Nope. I swim.

Why?

Because there is nothing else that I know of that isolates you like being in a pool swimming laps. There is no TV to watch. No i-pod. You can't really spend your time chatting with the girl in the lane next to you.

Nope.

It's just you and your thoughts.

Today, I spent 50 minutes in the pool thinking about this experiment that is making my life hell.

Did I come up with that brilliant solutions to solve the lab issue?

Nope!

But it sure made the 1.5 miles I swam tonight fly by.

The good, the bad and the ugly

2007-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, I admit I stole the theme of this post from Bold, but this is about the only way to describe my 1o miler today.

The Good: I ran 10 miles today (actually 10.6 miles, but that last 0.6 miles really isn't important and I don't know why I am even stressing that I ran 10.6 miles and not 10 miles).

It was good because the 10.6 mile run this afternoon came after a 10 mile run yesteday and 1.5 hours of racquetball this morning. So my legs were tired. I really didn't have a lot of energy going into it and I finished averaging an 11:47/mile pace. Considering the hills on the course, having to stop and wait at intersections and that I was slowed the last 2.5 miles by balancing out the need to poop with speed, I was pleased with the results.

The Bad: I chose a hilly course. Lamar seems much flatter when I am in my car driving to Chipotle. The run from house to Roe Park takes me into the Indian Creek watershed so, not only did I have to deal with the hills on Lamar when running towards the creek, the return run was mostly uphill.

The Ugly: And this is super-ugly. I have never had chafing issues with runs under 12 miles until today. And these are not your run of the mill, just a little inconvenient pain chafing I am talking about. It is the stinging to the point where running water over these areas hurts so much you choose not to wash the area with soap while in the shower sort of chafing. I won't go into detail about the exact area that chafed because I try to keep this blog PG-13, but let's just say I am currently sitting on the area that chafed. And it hurts.

Water, water, everywhere...

2007-03-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

OK, so during the first day of my soda-free in KC month of March, I did a little calculation.

In order for me to get the same fullness and satisfaction from water as I do from my beloved Dr. Pepper, I need to drink approximately four times as much water.

I really don't think I can afford to spend that much time going to the bathroom at work.

Does anyone know where I can pick up some of those extra-duty diapers that crazy NASA chick was wearing?

Crap! Crap! Craptastic!

2007-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

Someone just found out he gets to run a marathon March 31.

In Kansas.

As a training run.

It'll be worth it.

I think.

At least I will have another medal to show off.

That's what it's all about.

Right?

Of course, it's Olathe.

Maybe they will have a decent medal.

I am not holding my breath.

Not because I think it will be a bad medal.

But because I would eventually pass out.

And that would be bad.

Six slow miles today - running.

Then a little tennis.

Until the hail started falling.

I have a headache.

Because I got hit in the head with hail.

I am not drinking soda in KS or MO in the month of March.

Or at least I am going to try not.

I didn't feel like running today

2007-02-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

It was a long day at work. I didn't sleep well last night. I was tired. My legs were heavy.

But I had 6 miles on my schedule and Tuesdays are hill-days.

So there I was at Shawnee Mission Park deciding how far I was going to run and how long it was going to take. Neither outlook was promising.

But I had 6 miles on the schedule.

So I ran.

And starting out, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Granted, I dropped almost 100 feet in elevation that first mile.

And then something strange happened.

I started running uphill.

Between miles 2 and 3, I climbed almost 240 feet in elevation. And it was easier than I remembered.

Much easier.

I found my groove.

I added 0.8 miles to my route from last week for a total of 6.3 miles and still managed to knock my per mile pace from 11:10 to 10:42/mile.

Any psychologists out there?

Because I want to know why I have some of my best days on days I expect to be my crappiest.

6: The Sandlot

2007-02-26T14:51:00.001-08:00

Note: Spring training has started. Opening day is 5 weeks away. I am convinced that there isn't any better place to spend a warm sunny April afternoon or June evening than at the ballpark, drinking a beer, eating a dog, and taking in a baseball game. Some people say the game moves too slow, but that is part of the experince. Talk to your friends. People watch. Slow down. Life goes by so fast, sometimes it's nice to stop and relax.

For me, it's Kauffman Stadium and the Royals. You can insert your favorite team and the experience is the same (except that your team may win a couple games).

So in honor of the start of baseball, I am going to recap the 6 best baseball movies. Ever. And no, no matter how much some of you argue, Fever Pitch won't make this list.

So today, its The Sandlot. It's hard to really slot this movie as it is more about life than baseball. It ranks right up there with Stand By Me and The Goonies in it's portrayal of friendship, responsibility, and just boys being boys.

Oh, those days of summer as a kid where I spent most of my time at the pool, playing baseball, football, dodgeball, riding bikes, etc, with friends. I was the perfect age. Old enough to know better but too young to care.

Such is life on The Sandlot

Who can forget The Beast, the fearsome dog that lurks behind the left field fence, "night baseball" on the only day of the year it is possibly (the 4th of July), getting banned from the pool in "Squints" pursuit of Wendy Peffercorn, campouts, losing a ball signed by "some lady named Baby Ruth", and just doing stuff kids do.

Is it a baseball movie? More or less.

But it's enough of a baseball movie to make the list.

You gotta love the exchanges like this...

[the Sandlot Kids and their arch-rivals come face-to-face]
Phillips: It's easy when you play with rejects and a fat kid, Rodriguez.
Benny: Shut your mouth, Phillips!
Ham Porter: What'd you say, crap face?
Phillips: You shouldn't be allowed to touch a baseball. Except for Rodriguez, you're all an insult to the game.
Ham Porter: Come on! We'll take you on, right here! Right now! Come on!
Sandlot Kids: Yeah!
Phillips: We play on a real diamond, Porter. You ain't good enough to lick the dirt off our cleats.
Ham Porter: Watch it, jerk!
Phillips: Shut up, idiot!
Ham Porter: Moron!
Phillips: Scab eater!
Ham Porter:Butt sniffer!
Phillips: Pus licker!
Ham Porter: Fart smeller!
Bertram: [sniffs] Ahh.
Philips: You eat dog crap for breakfast, geek!
Ham Porter: You mix your Wheaties with your mama's toe jam!
Sandlot Kids: Yeah!
Phillips: You bob for apples in the toilet! And you like it!
Ham Porter: You play ball like a giiirrrrrrrrl!
[entire group stands in shocked silence]
Phillips: What did you say?
Ham Porter: You heard me.
Phillips: Tomorrow. Noon, at our field. Be there, buffalo-butt breath.
Ham Porter: Count on it, pee-drinking crap-face!

Up next: You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball.

I'm glad I passed on that 5th beer

2007-02-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

That is what I was thinking about 14 miles into my 16 mile run Saturday morning. I cut myself off at 4 during happy hour Friday night (beer water beer water beer beer water water water). We were haveing a blast and they were planning the rest of the night as I left at 8:00. I am sort of happy I had to run Saturday morning because I can only imagine what would have gone down had I stayed out.

Really, the run went well considering the cold rain left conditions less than desirable and, after a 2-mile warm-up, I ran miles 3 - 8 with Doug at a sub-10 minute mile clip and the next three I was still around a 10 min/mile pace.

But those last 3. They weren't fun at all. I stood around at the last waterstop too long and the muscles started to tighten up. It was more mental fatigue than physical. I finished those last three at an 11 min/mile pace and, while bored, I wasn't hurting all that much.

Several good things came from the run on Saturday. First, I did not hurt at all on Saturday. No ankle pain. No knee pain. Second, my calves didn't cramp. This is the first time since forever that the calves made 16 miles cramp free. Finally, I had some great splits in the run. I am sure if Doug hadn't bailed at the 8 mile point, those splits would have continued, but that's how it goes.

Today, in preparation for the back-to-back marathons, I jumped on the treadmill (yes, I said treadmill, but more because I didn't feel like dealing with the wind and I wasn't running that far) for a quick 45 minute run at a 10:30 pace. I covered 4.3 miles. I wanted to get in 6, but lets be honest. There was no way I was going to spend an hour on a treadmill.

And while at the gym, I ran into Josh. We got Chipotle after the workout.

I probably should have put in that last 1.7 miles.

"Dr. Druker and you didn't call me!"

2007-02-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

I drove to Lawrence, KS today to hear a scientific talk. Usually, I manage to get through about 10 slides before I start dozing off. Today's talk was titled "Imatinib as a Paradigm of Targeted Cancer Therapy" presented by Dr. Brian Druker. I was anticipating a lot of slides on gene translocation, protein binding, DNA sequences etc..

Yes, those slides were there.

But I got much more out of it.

Around 5:30 tonight, I got the following text message: "Dr. Druker and you didn't call me! That man is my hero. I would have been there in a heartbeat."

This message was from a friend, TNT running buddy and leukemia survivor, and by then, I knew exactly what she was talking about.

You see, Imatinib is the common name for the anti-leukemia drug Gleevec and Dr Druker is the person that saw that this drug made it to the market.

I was both fascinated and entertained by his words. He went into the history of CML. He touched briefly on the mechanisms of the drug (inhibition of tyrosine kinase, because I know you are dying to know).

But he then went on to talk about the issues of getting this drug to the market. It was actually shelved for three years at Novartis because they were concerned about three things. First, history has shown that kinase inhibitors never work. Second, they were sure it would be toxic. But third, because of the relatively small number of people in the country suffering from CML, they felt they would never make enough off of it to justify development.

Fortunately, Dr. Druker convinced them, in 1998, to let him run a limited clinical trial with this compound. The rest, as they say, is history. There was 98% success rate with Gleevec - meaning 98% of the patients in the early stages of CML treated with this drug survived. Results don't get much better.

But most of all, I realized today, more than ever, how the money we raise through Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are finding cures for these cancers. I really wish my friends with the LLS could have been there to hear his talk. I left the talk feeling quite comfortable knowing we are supporting people like Dr Druker.

And as for Novartis, none of their three concerns came to fruition. The drug worked, it wasn't toxic and worldwide sales of Gleevec are something like $2 billion annually. Not bad for a drug that was almost shelved 12 years ago.

Another day, another run

2007-02-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today it was just a three mile run. I probably should have cross-trained, but I left the bike at home and there was no way I was spending today indoors.

And what a good three miles it was.

I ran the flatlands and wanted to push the pace a little. I was thinking 10:00, 9:45, 9:30 for the three miles would be a good target to shoot for, especially considering I haven't pushed the pace since last year.

Actual splits were 9:55, 9:41 and 8:58.

And in other news, Generalísimo Francisco Franco is still dead.

Sun + shorts + t-shirt + hills = 5.5 miles of fun

2007-02-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a difference a couple days make. I have complained about treadmills and eliptical machines and weather and so on for the past month and a half. Sadly, I was gradually accepting the fact that I was never going to be able to run outside again. I was evolving into a gym rat. It was a horrific thought.

But no more!

Today, I went out to Shawnee Mission Park and tackled the hills. Hills make you strong. Hills build character. Hills are fun.

I finished the run at an 11:10/mile pace, not too bad for my first hill training of the season. But I wasn't out to run fast.

I was out to run.

I was outside. Period.

There are things about running outside that you don't get in the gym. You don't get the fresh air. You don't get the scenery, the wildlife. You don't get to say "hi" to the old married couple, the mother pushing the stroller or the 20-something running with her chocolate lab. Nope. In the gym, you get a couple dozen other drones staring aimlessly at a tv or tuned mindlessly into their i-pods. There is nothing fun about the gym.

But winter is over.

And I am outside again.

Woo hoo!!!

Finally, someone listens

2007-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

As a Team in Training mentor, I am supposed to offer advice and assistance to a group of aspiring yong (and old) marathoners. Of course, I often wonder if my advice is in one ear, out the other.

But I now know the truth.

Like E.F. Hutton, when I talk, people listen.

I was sitting at Starbucks with most of my mentor group after the 10 mile run Saturday and one of them turns to me and says "Hey Kevin, I took your advice about Friday nights. Instead of staying out until midnight or so drinking with my friends before our Saturday morning runs, I get my drinking in at happy hour so I get to bed at a reasonable time - just like you told us to do."

Koach Karl heard that and rolled his eyes. Perfect.

10 miles. Up hill. In the snow.

2007-02-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

And I'm not talking figuratively. That is what we ran this morning. Oh, and let's not forget the 20 mph wind in our face.

It was cold. But it builds character.

But the best part is that, this week, it is supposed to be above 32 every day.

The sun will be out.

The snow will melt.

My trails will clear off.

I will once again get to run outside.

Bike outside.

I will get a started on my summer tan.

I will sleep better.

Laugh more.

Not be so grouchy.

It's Spring Fever. It doesn't get much better!

Get Ready! It's coming!

2007-02-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

The 12 days of St Patrick's Day starts in just 18 days!

WooHoo!

Have you started shopping yet?

Don't wait until the last minute!

It's the single best 12-to-15-day-long holiday of the year.

Green Beer.

Parades.

College Basketball.

Good Friends.

Good Times.

I can't wait!

It's a conspiracy

2007-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

"Lord! It's a miracle! Man up and vanished like a fart in the wind. Nothin' left but some damn rocks on the window sill and that cupcake on the wall. Let's ask her. Maybe she knows. What say there, fuzzy-britches. Feel like talkin'? Oh, guess not. Why should she be any different? This is a conspiracy. That's what this is. It's one big damn conspiracy. And everyone's in on it. Including her!" - Wadren Norton

Because Courtney banned me from bitching about the weather anymore, I will focus my frustration on this situation at work. Beacusethis morning, I felt a lot like Warden Norton from Shawshank Redemption.

You see, they have been out of hot chocolate at work for over a week now. And that's fine. I would mix in a cup of hot chocolate here and there in the morning to mix up my normal routine of hot tea in the morning. I don't drink coffee. I don't lke it. Others do and that's fine. But it's just not for me.

And with the ample supply of tea (and normally hot chocolate) I am never without a hot beverage on the typical cold, February morning.

Until today.

I get into work at 6:10 and head to the cafe, and guess what, no tea bags.

Crap.

I check for hot chocolate.

Nope. Still out.

So, because I needed a caffeine fix, I broke down and pulled $.60 out of my pocket and head to the soda machine for a Dr. Pepper. I put the money in the machine, push the button.

Nothing.

No Dr Pepper.

It's a conspiracy.

Against me.

And I don't think that's very nice.

More snow please!

2007-02-13T17:45:00.001-08:00

note the sarcasm.

It's just rain!

2007-02-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

OK, I ran to Sam's after a quick workout at the gym to pick up 2 oz plastic Jell-o shot containers for our findraiser-pub crawl Saturday night, a rotisserie chicken for dinner, a pineapple, a canteloupe and some salsa.

Well, they didn't have any chicken which irritated me, but I got the 2000 shot containiners (no, we are not having 2000 Jell-o shots, but it is so much cheaper getting them in bulk), the fruit and salsa.

But this isn't about my shopping expreince. It is about that annoying lady that blocked the exit for 5 minutes while I was trying to leave.

Really, I don't know what takes so long. The exit routine hasn't changed at Sam's for years. You head towards the door and some overpaid associate looks at your receipt and pretends to make sure that everything in your cart is on your receipt before marking your receipt with a highlighter. It takes all of 2 seconds and you are on your way.

Unless you are the anoying Johnson County lady in front of me tonight.

As I approched the door, the overpaid associate had already drawn the highlighter streak on her receipt giving the annoying Johnson County lady permission to leave. But she didn't. She continued to fiddle with her purse, trying to stuff some "stuff" into it and then, after filing it full of "stuff" started digging for something - probably her keys. Why she didn't get the keys out before she stuffed "stuff" was in there defies logic.

So anyway, she finally finds whatever it is that she was looking for and proceeds forward. I then move my cart in position so the overpaid associate can pretend to assess my purchase.

Two seconds later I push my cart forward.

And run right into annoying Johnson County lady who was once again stopped in front of me

Evidently, she decided she needed her umbrella, which was under her purse.

I politely apologized for running into her and then muttered under my breath about how it really wasn't raining that hard and she wasn't going to melt because it wasn't raining that hard and she was wearing a coat and how I was getting annoyed by her being in my way.

But finally, she got the umbrella up and headed out into the parking lot.

Within 10 feet of the door, the wind inverted her umbrella renedering it useless.

I laughted all the way home.

Is that so wrong?

14, 16, who's counting

2007-02-11T16:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to run 16 miles Saturday morning. I intended to run 16 miles Saturday morning. I woke up at 4:15 am and met a couple other running mates at 5:30 am so I could run 16 miles Saturday morning.

Well, I only ran 14.

But I have an excuse. And I also learned a lesson in the process.

With a slight case of tendonitis in my right knee, I slipped on a knee band which helps keep the kneecap from sliding around as much. It helped. My right knee feels great.

But what I didn't count on was that this strap may have slightly inhibited blood flow to the muscles in my right lower leg (aka - calf). So it cramped (big surprise here) about 11 miles into the run. I am sure this was caused by the band b/c my left calf was fine. Lesson learned - don't wear the band so tight.

Oh well. In the end, I stopped at 14, not because I didn't have 16 in me, but because those last 2 miles would have irritated me.

I tacked on 4 more outside miles today. And I am hoping the snow stays away tomorrow so I can continue running outside - my trails have finally melted! But I doubt I will be that lucky!

I hate that I was right

2007-02-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Last September, I made a prediction. My gut instinct was right.

Today, I ran three miles today. It was the first time I ventured on the trails since Phoenix. It was a staggered run-walk because I thought, just maybe, the ice on the trails would have melted with the warm weather the other day.

But I was wrong.

The shaded portions of the trails still had ice on them from the ice storm 4 weeks ago so I had to walk them. It killed my momentum.

Even worse is that Josh and I are meeting at 5:30 am on Saturday morning to knock out a quick 16 and we are going to get stuck running on the sidewalks and streets b/c the stupid ice isn't going anywhere between now and then.

I don't mind running in the cold. I have the clothes to stay warm. And I love the looks I get as I pass people running in shorts in 20-degree weather.

I just hate it that I can't run my favorite routes because of the iced-over trails.

The good, the better, and go figure

2007-02-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Some times, you just have those days...

The good is that they just opened a 24-hour fitness on 135th and Mur-len, 2 miles from work. This means I can once again workout over lunch. This served two purposes. One, I get to work out when the gym isn't crowded and two, if I work out over lunch, I won't have time to go out to lunch so I HAVE to bring my lunch to work or go hungry. And we all know I'm not willing to go hungry.

The bettter is that today was best day we have had in KC since before I went to Phoenix. It was sunny and in the low 50s. From the time I got back from lunch with Courtney (which also falls under "the better"), all I could think about was that I was going to run my 4 1/2 - 5 miles outside at Shawnee Mission Park. Driving over, I had the sun roof open and was soaking up the sun.

And now for the go figure. I get to the park and begin the process of changing into my running clothes in my car (I have gotten really good at this over the years). I proceed to put my running shirt on backwards (I didn't notice this until after I got gas later in the evening) and then, I get my running shoes out of the gym bag.

Not only did I have two right shoes in my bag, they were two different brands (one mizuno and one adidas). Now, I have from time to time grabbed two differently aged mizunos because these are the only shoe I have run in for the past 18 months and I have at least 4 pairs of the same shoe floating around the house. That is something I could understand.

But nope, not today. This morning, I grabbed two totally different brands of shoes.

All I could do is shake my head and laugh.

It was just one of those days.

A tale of two treadmills

2007-02-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

OK, it is well known that I don't like running on treadmills. No. I hate treadmills. There is nothing fun about running on treadmills. Running in place sucks.

But last Thursday, I didn't have much of a choice but to run on a treadmill b/c I didn't get out of work early enough to run outside. So, after a quick 1000 meter swim, I jumped on a treadmill for a quick 3 mile run.

Well, I wanted to run three miles.

The treadmill had a different opinion.

It died 15 seconds into the run.

So I switch treadmills. The new one didn't last much longer. I think it died after about a minute.

Instead of going for the treadmill trifecta, I called it a day.

And have been running outside since.

Why can't it warm up enough to, at least, clear the trails???

No more excuses

2007-01-28T16:42:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

"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

2007-01-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

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.

Christmas!

2006-12-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

I had a great Christmas. Everything was perfect.

Almost.

The EW got to make her first trip to Tulsa to spend Christmas with me and my family. From all accounts, everyone got along without incident (a good thing). We spent most of the weekend eating, entertaining my nieces and nephews, and eating some more. There is nothing like having the nephew run up stairs Christmas morning telling me and Courtney to "get up! Santa came and he can't open the presents until EVERYONE is down there". So we had to get up immediately. You can't beat Christmas with the kids.

On the gift front, my Garmin was upgraded to a 305 (my 201 got re-gifted to my sister contingent to me getting the 305). I can't wait to give the heart rate monitor a try and see how that modifies my training regiment.

Unfortunately, that may not be for a couple of days as Santa also brought me a bum Achilles. I am not sure how it happened. I ran 8 miles, averagiing 10:30 miles, Saturday morning and felt great. But somewhere between Kansas City and Coffeville, KS, my left Achilles started hurting. By the time Courtney and I stopped at the Braum's in Coffeville for lunch, I could barely put any weight on it.

This is the same injury that sort of sidelined me in the summer of 2005. I say "sort of" because while I took some planned time off from running, I still played softball, volleyball, tennis and everything else. So really, it didn't slow me down. I am hopeful that this will be the case, again.

That being said, I will be taking it easy this week. I may take a short run tomorrow and see how it does, but other than that, it is swimming, spinning and eliptical for me. I am supposed to run 14 on Saturday. We'll see how thing progress this week.

I hope everyone elses Christmas was a wonderful as mine was.

Vegas...the race recap

2006-12-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

OK, so the vegas race report is a few days delayed. My bad.

But damnit, I was in Vegas for four days and really, recovery time was needed. If nothing else, Vegas was non-stop.

Several things about running in Vegas surprised me. Naturally, the first place I went upon arriving to Vegas was the sports book to check out the college basketball lines. Well, looking at the boards, the first thing I saw was the line for the Vegas Marathon.

Sweet! I could bet on myself to win the marathon. Wait. My name wasn't listed. What the hell. Come on. I signed up. I have a chance. I could win it. Where are my odds?

Then I noticed the word "field".

What.

Are those oddsmakers lumping me in with every other non-Kenyan runner. That's just not right.

I would have laid down a $5 bet had they put my name on the wager.

Oh well, it isn't like I was really going to win.

The weather in Vegas was cool and windy marathon morning. I enjoyed the cool weather. The wind, not so much. Also, the start line was chaotic as non-participants were mingling with participants in the corrals.
Needless to say, the start was chaotic and unorganized. But it was Vegas. What was I supposed to expect..

But once we got started, running down Las Vegas Boulevard was fun. Some of those casinos are just amazing.

That, and the fact that several couples were getting married at the "run-thru" chappel on the strip.

And what would a Vegas wedding be without Elvis.

The first 6 miles were a good time. Had the organizers done anything at all with the last 20, I may have enjoyed this marathon.

But once we turned off of Freemont Street, my attitude changed from "Wow, look at me. I am really rocking" to "Look, I just ran another 1/10th of a mile. I only have 143 tenths left".

The course was boring.

I ran faster than I wanted to just to end the misery.

It worked, too.

Because at mile 23, I was still ahead of the 5-hour pace group. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't supposed to PR in Vegas. Not only that, but I didn't want to PR in Vegas. I wasn't ready for a PR. This was supposed to be a 5:30 struggle because I hadn't really run that much this fall.

But there I was. Sitting at 4:24 with 3.2 miles left.

And what did I do.

I started walking/running/walking/running.

My last 3.2 miles averaged a 14-15 minute pace. I finished in 5:09.

I then found Elvis.

And a beer.

And that was Vegas

It's not that I don't care...

2006-12-05T16:45:00.002-08:00

I don't think I have ever been more relaxed going into marathon week.

And to be honest, I can only blame the location. I'm going to Vegas to run a marathon.

Let me say that again.

I'm going to Vegas to run a marathon.

Does anyone else see a problem with that statement. There are a lot of places you go to run a marathon. Vegas is not one of them. You go to Vegas to gamble. You go to Vegas to party. You go to Vegas for the cheap buffet lines. You go to Vegas for the shows. You don't go to Vegas to run a marathon.

But I am.

Normally, I would interject that at least I am going to Vegas with others planning on running the marathon and they will keep me honest. This is partially true. But a group of my college friends will also be in Vegas this weekend celebrating a friends husbands' 50th birthday (to clarify, he is much older than she is). It is safe to say that this group will be a little wild.

And that group of runners I am going out there with? Well, when they went out to Vegas for the marathon last year, rumor has it that they were seen on the casino floors 4 hours before the marathon started.

Needless to say, there probably won't be a PR this weekend.

Why I hate treadmills

2006-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, so considering what happened at the gym today, I really had a pretty good workout.

It started in the pool where I swam ~1/2 mile. It was an uneventful 1/2 mile. I wish I could say that about what happened next.

After the swim, I went to the locker to change into runing gear as I had a 3-mile date with a treadmill due to the KC blizzard of 06. Shorts, shirt and shoes were accounted all accounted for. But what the hell happened to my socks. Seriously. I had them when I went into the gym I was wearing them on my feet. I swim, they disappear.

Crap.

Anyway, I put on my running shoes w/o socks. This isn't the first time I have run without socks, but it was just a little uncomfortable.

Next, I head upstairs to select a treadmill. Like everyone else, I select the treadmill based on what is showing on the TV in front of it. So there I am walking down treadmill row. I get to the end of the row seeing nothing that really excites me so I start to back in between two stationary bikes lined up behind the treadmills to re-evaluate the selections from afar (maybe I could position myslef between 2 average shows and switch back and forth).

When I say "backed up", I really mean "with my head looking up at the TVs to my right I gradually shuffled between these two bkes". All I want to know is whether or not it was necessary for 24-hour fitness to have a 4" high rectangular box-like thing connecting the row of bikes to one another because I had no idea it was there.

To say I tripped over that thing is putting it mildly. I went down in a blaze of glory. I don't know what I hit first. But it must have been entertaining. Thank god for a snowstorm that turned the gym into a ghost town. I don't think there were witnesses.

Of course, because I didn't see it coming, I did nothing to brace myself and by arm, myback, my leg were all throbbing in pain as I stood back up. I considered not running, but I ran anyway. The pain went away tmporarily just to return on my drive home. As I type this, the tylenol 8-hour just kicked in. But I have a bad feeling that there will be some awkward stiffness when I wake up in the morning.

And yes, I do blame the treadmill for this. If they weren't so freaking boring, I wouldn't care what was on TV. But they are, and I will be damned if I am going to sit through 30 minutes of Oprah when Jeopardy! is a viable alternative. So choosing the right treadmill is important.

And about the missing socks, I glanced into the pool area as I returned to the locker room after the run and, yep, they were sitting right there on the bench where I left them during my swim.

Me and my nutcrackers

2006-11-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about going home is that I always return with the unexpected. This time was no exception.

I helped gather pecans from one of the 20+ pecan trees at the grandparents place on Saturday morning. Usually, I just gather the nuts for the grandparents to give away. This year, was no exception. Well, except that I was the person that got them.

All of them.

So I drive home yesterday with a large, brown bag full of pecans.

On the surface, this would appear to be a good thing, with one small exception. The only way to enjoy the meat of the nut is by individually cracking them one at time.

Fortunately for me, I come to find out that both my girlfriend and roommate excel at nutcracking.

So for about an hour, me, the EW and the roomie sat around and cracked nuts.

Now, I just need to find out what to do with all those pecans (hint, if you want pecans, let me know. I can probably hook you up).

And even though I was traveling and eating most of the weekend, I did get squeeze in an 8-mle run on Saturday morninig. The first three miles sucked. So I stopped, had a little attitude adjustment bitch-out session with myself and reset the garmin. The last 5 miles went a lot better.

Two weeks to Vegas! I gotta try focusing on nutrition and find a way to get my taper-training in. But no matter how good or bad the marathon goes, it is still a weekend in Vegas with parts of both my KC and Tulsa crew, and that can never be bad.

I got lucky last night!

2006-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Last night, I got to go on a rare, mid-week date with the EW. We went to go see Happy Feet as part of a TNT fundraiser. Any time I get to see the EW, during the work-week, I consider myself lucky. But even better was that there was a raffle and among the prizes was a frozen turkey and night in a suite at the downtown KC Radisson.

And you know how I said I got lucky last night. Well I have never won anything in a raffle.

Until last night.

Do you want to guess what I won?

If you guessed the turkey, you would be wrong.

Only now, I need to figure out how best to utilize the suite (and yes, I do have ideas).

Really, I have been on a good roll for the past couple of months. It continued tonight with my 6 mile run. It wasn't that it was particularly fast, it was that I ran at all. I left work tired and not feeling 100%. But I knew I had to run. My goal was to get as much of the 6 miles in as I could without overdoing it. Well, I covered the entire distance. Even better was I did the last 1/2 mile at a 7:30/mile pace.

It felt good to open up and I had energy to spend at the finish.

Almost as good as it felt getting lucky.

College basketball

2006-11-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

So I got back from my first college basketball game of the year. It was KU v ORU. I saw the upset in person.

Wow.

That is all I can say.

Honestly, I was kind of torn going in because, attending an upper mid-major school, I love seeing the upsets. But also, being from Tulsa, I am not a big fan of ORU. That school is just, for a lack of a better word, odd.

So I wasn't really rooting for or against anyone.

But I was having fun watching the fans. I was sitting in the "dead faculty" section in the corner so I was next to the students. The students didn't know what hit them. Neither did the rest of the arena.

I had fun. I really wasn't too happy that ORU won. But seeing KU lose didn't break my heart. Not because I dislike KU, either. I will pull for them whenever they play the "major" schools, with the exception of a couple of schools I like better (I guess Uconn is now one of them).

I had fun because I got to see (please note my biblical reference) David vs Goliath. And David won.

Isn't that what makes college basketball great?

That, and the Sports Illustrated jinx - way to go, Josh!

A brick

2006-11-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

So I did a brick at the gym tonight. Actually, it was more like a mini-triathlon. But the original plan was a swim and spin brick.

I swam about a mile and then hit spin class for an hour.

Between the two, I jumped on the treadmill for a quick acceleration mile, where I start out at a brisk walk and gradually accelerate until I was at a sprint and completely anaerobic. This is about the only way I can handle the sheer boredom that comes with a treadmill run. Today, I covered the mile in 9:13.

In total , I spent nearly 2.5 hours at the gym.

Today's workout must have been the psycological beginning of training for marathon double I want to do next April. It had to have been. I have no other explanation. Unless it was punishment for eating like crap all weekend

All I know is that it felt good.

No.

It felt great.

Those stupid ideas keep coming

2006-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well kids, today some unnamed source (ok, it was Doug) put the following thought into my head.

And let me say up front....

DAMN HIM.

I know better than to take advice from him, but just like you can't dangle a carrot in front of a rabbit, you can't dangle some stupid challenge in front of me. I totally bit this morning.

During our 8 mile run today, we were comparing and contrasting our 2007 race schedule and, when finding out that I was doing both RNR-AZ and RNR-SD, he told me I should go ahead and run the Country Music Marathon in Nashville in April. This is for no other reason than you get another medal when you run three RNR-series marathons in the same year (and the only reason we do this is for the hardware, unless you are EW and run the KC marathon and they run out of medals - and people ask me why I don't run KC).

And that is a great idea.

Except...

The CMM is the same weekend as the OK Memorial Marathon and that is my annual run because it truly is a great run and I get in quality family face time. It is the proverbial two birds with one stone. Additionally, this year, my sister and cousin Carly are both tentatively planning on running the 1/2 in OKC.

But notice how I said "same weekend" and not "same day".

The CMM is Saturday and OKC is Sunday.

So here is what I am thinking...

Drive to OKC on Thursday. Friday, I catch a flight to Nashville. Saturday, I run the CMM and then fly back to OKC that afternoon. Sunday, I run OKC.

Crazy. I know. But others have pulled this off.

Plus, I am going to be doing the Tahoe Triple and that is three marathons in three days (assuming I don't follow Doug's other bad example and take on the Tahoe Quad), so wouldn't a double-header make sense.

Perhaps we could even name it. If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears. The only catch is the name can't include the words "stupid", "crazy" or "insane". "Idiotic" and "Nuts" will be allowed.

But I think this is going to happen.

And it will happen if for no other reason than because it's there to do.

A running date

2006-11-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Note: You probably have to be a runner to really appreciate this story, but here goes.

So EW have been officially dating for one month today.

How do we celebrate? There wasn't a romantic candle-lit dinner. That's what non-runners do.

Nope.

Runners are different.

EW and I did celebrate. But we celebrated with a running date. And really, it worked out well. It was a perfect November evening with temperatures in the 60s. We both had to run tonight. We are both busy. We run practically the same pace. We get face time together (so much better than phone time). Why not run together. So I met her at her place on the plaza and we ran south through the neighborhoods of brookside. We got to talk. We got to laugh. We pooped.

Well, I pooped.

That's right. We were about 1.5 miles into the run and I was in a poop or explode mode. So I was like "EW, I have stomach issues", and she asked "Are you going to throw up" and I said "no, I have to poop." Of course, we were in the middle of a neighborhood, a half mile from brookside and 1 mile from the plaza. Basically, I was up shit creek without a paddle.

And then, EW went "look, a port-a-potty."

And she was right. In the middle of this Brookside neighborhood, on the sidewalk, there was a port-a-potty. It was about as out-of-place as a mountain in Kansas. But it was clean. So I pooped and we finished the run.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But neither of us missed a beat during the whole episode. We are runners. These things happen. It is part of being a runner. It is part of dating a runner.

It is a good thing.

On the eve of election day

2006-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know which is worse, recorded messages on my phone or the all the annoying commercials. But at least it is almost over. Tomorrow night, I will be glued to the television set watching anything but network television. Don't get me wrong. I do vote and I am informed (for the most part), but I am so sick and tired of the campaigns, I figure I will just find out who won by opening a paper Wednesday morning or turn on the TV to my new favorite morning news program (more in the morning) to get the results.

Oh, and if you haven't seen Borak yet, and you like totally offensive movies that are so over the top that it is no longer offensive, you should go see it. I haven't laughed that hard in months.

And seriously, don't forget to vote.

Call me a slacker

2006-11-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Training has been somewhat hit and miss lately. This should be a concern because Vegas is coming up. But it really doesn't bug me that much.

It has nothing to do with burnout. It has nothing to do with injury. I am feeling better than ever.

It's just that I have been pre-occupied with other things and the workouts were taking a back seat. I think I needed that break in October.

But it is now November and time to focus once again on training. I started the month off with a brisk, 4-mile run. Tomorrow, I get re-acquainted with the pool. It's going to be a good month.

My nephew - he's a fighter

2006-10-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

I know I said everything was perfect in Kansas City this weekend. And really, in KC, it was.

But that isn't to say that everything was perfect elsewhere. My new nephew came into the world last Thursday. While there some minor complications, everything seemed to be clicking along just fine. Things appear to be getting better now. But starting Friday morning through the weekend, there were some tense moments.

Fortunately, I had multiple commitments that kept me busy all weekend. Even though I was out doing everything I did, I was always thinking of my new nephew, little sister and her husband. I was almost always close to my phone waiting on news, be it good or bad. I remember commenting to Courtney on the way home from the run Saturday morning that I was relieved that no voice mails or missed calls appeared on my phone. I was only away from the phone for ~2 hours, but those 2 hours would have been the time when my family would have tried to contact me with any bad news. But there were no voice mail or missed calls. This was a good thing. Later in the day, I talked to my mom and things were slowly getting better. And the news has, for the most part, always been good.

For now, my family it just thankful for those baby steps that my nephew is taking.

oh, and on a totally unrelated note (and probably slightly inappropriate in this post), I just gave some GU to some trick-or-treaters because I totally forgot to get candy and my porch light is always on and I wasn't planning on being home because I am off to do dinner with the emmy winner so I had no candy in the house. But really, GU is kind of like candy. Right?

And I ran 8 miles on Saturday, too

2006-10-30T19:01:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful weekend in KC.

In fact, it was almost too perfect. It seems almost surreal

But what the heck, I am going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

A lot of this is because I spent most of the weekend with the new girl. She was supposed to go to St Louis for the regional Emmy awards Saturday night - the news show she produces was nominated - but chose to stay in town. So we saw a lot of each other. From a nice, quiet night Friday to an 8-mile run on Saturday morning to hanging around the house Saturday after the run for Chipotle to open to a crazy Halloween pub craw Saturday night, we were together almost the entire weekend. Oh, and she did get a call around 11:15 from one of her co-workers letting her know that she won the emmy. So I am dating an Emmy winner. That is pretty sweet.

In fact, we are 3+ weeks into the relationship and the only obsticle we have had so far is that she doesn't like peperoni on her pizza and I do. While at one point in my life, this could have been a deal breaker, I have since learned that if you ask, they will only put peperoni on half the pizza.

What will they think of next?

The dog and I go for a run

2006-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week. I have had to drive to Lawrence the past three days (and tomorrow, too) for this GPEN (globalization of pharmaceutical education network) conference my company is co-sponsoring. If you need to know anything about ways to solubilize drugs to increase permeability through the luminal wall of the small intestine by adding a phosphate to the carboxyl group on the 4' terminous of the phenol ring, let me know.

In all seriousness, my role in the pharmacology word is super narrow. This conference is geared towards graduate students to give them a broad overview of the different aspects of the drug development world. It is amazing how much goes into getting a compound to the market. Even more amazing is hearing about new technology being developed in the academic labs around the world. I really have learned a lot at this conference.

But because I have been driving to Lawrence, I have been struggling to get my workouts in AND my poor dog is stuck at home all alone all day. So to kill two birds with one stone, I took my dog for a run today.

We ran three miles.

We had fun.

Shiner peeed on a couple of bushes.

I didn't.

Everything but running

2006-10-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have taken about a week off from running and 4 days away from the gym. I figured I would let everyone going to Chicago run for me. And from what I have heard and read, most everyone rocked. Way to go!

But just becasue I wasn't running doesn't mean that my life has stopped dead in its tracks.

Last Thursday, I drove down to Tulsa for the weekend. I did dinner with the parents on Thursday night, had breakfast with the grandparents on Friday morning, and then it was off to the west bank of the Arkansas river for a little Oktoberfest fun.

Oktoberfest in Tulsa is a long-time tradition for me and my college friends (and one of the 10 best places worldwide to toast Oktoberfest). We show up at 10:00 am and volunteer in the beer tent selling beer for about 4 hours. Volunteering is fun. We dance, we sing, we talk smack to the other beer vendors. Oh, and we drink free beer. Our crew this year has dwindled down to just me and Marty, but his boy will be picking up the slack soon enough.

So there I was, just before 11:00 Friday morning drinking my first beer of the day. We got off work, if you can call it that, around 3:30 and wandered around the festival ground for a little while before heading back to das bier garten (aka the big beer tent) for the evening. We ate, drank, danced on tables. It was a great time.

Until Saturday morning.

Saturday morning was rough.

And the worst part was on my way out of town. I made the mistake of driving down Riverside Drive. Riverside, as the name sounds, parallels the Arkansas River and the riverparks trail system. It was a beautiful morning and the trail was packed with runners. It killed me being physically unable to run because of my hangover. Argh!!! Stupid hangover!

I would have stayed in Tulsa Saturday night had it not been for the date I had with the yet to be nicknamed new girl in my life (according to alejandra's rules of blogging, I am not allowed to use her real name here and I am still working on the nickname). This was technically our fourth date, but the first "real, saturday night alone on the town with both of us on the same page that it was a date" date. We had a blast. In fact, we are clearly becoming that "in a new relationship where we laugh and joke and everything is funny and perfect" couple. I don't know how long that this stage is supposed to last or how long it will last, but I hope the feeling doesn't go away any time soon because I have a blast when I am with her.

Finally, on Sunday, I took my yet to be named girl along with Scott and Shannan, who trained for and ran the triathlon with me, to the KC-San Diego football game. By Sunday night, I was worn out.

I did get in a 45 minute swim today and my hiatus from running ends tomorrow when I knock out a quick 6 miles. I think the time off from running was needed. My body feels as good as it has felt in a long time. I am rested and ready to go.

And this is good because Vegas is just 6 weeks away!

Running As Therapy

2006-10-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

My run today was nothing more than 6 miles of therapy.

You see, my day went from great at noon to o.k. by 1:00 and then to absolutely frustrating and irritating by 4:00. Then, just before I leave for my 6-mile run, I get the following e-mail from one of the senior execs who sat through the same 3:00 meeting. It simply said:

"It is really too bad we can't be candid, isn't it."

Talk about giving me something to think about on the run.

You see, I do research and development for a living. I play all day in the lab. I have cloned things. I have mutated things. I have killed things. I have even made life. Basically, if God ever had a sick day, I could fill in. And in my current position, I get to develop and apply new technologies to improve drug safety. It really is an awesome job.

But every now and then we have problems in that what happens in the development phase doesn't always translate well into the production phase.

And then we have meetings about it.

That happened at 3:00 today.

By 3:45, I was ready to scream.

So for 6 miles today, I thought about everything I should have said in the meeting, but didn't. I talked out loud while I ran. I cursed a little. I made myself laugh several times with funny thoughts. I got struck on the head by a walnut falling from a tree (that made me curse some more, then laugh some more). But by mile 5, I was feeling a lot better about everything.

I even determined the best way to solve our little work problem.

My day is once again great.

Sometimes, I just love running!

Parting with memories

2006-10-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was supposed to finish cleaning out the spare bedroom so my new, super cool roommate can move in at the end of the month. Instead, after finally getting out of bed around 11:30, I spent it laying on the couch recovering from Saturday nights festivities.

Because Saturday night, I got the hook-up. I went up to Weston, MO for the Irish fetival with a group of friends and, well, Courtney (who rocks on all levels) was able to get what we thought were simply tickets to the festival. Well, it turned out they were much better than just tickets.

They were VIP passes!

What do VIP passes get you?

Apparently, in Weston, they get you anything you want, including a key to the city.

Well, we really didn't need a key to the city. So we settled for all the free beer and food we handle. And that was more than enough.

That is why I was pretty much worthless once I finally got out of bed.

So instead of cleaning out the bedroom yesterday, I did it tonight after a quick gym workout.

Part of the process is going through all the old clothes and sorting out and determining what I don't wear anymore - which is about 80% of my wardrobe - to donate to Goodwill. I wound up with three trashbags worth of clothing. I am in desparate need of a fashion upgrade.

The hardest part, though, came as I emptied the bottom drawer of the dresser. You know, the drawer with all those t-shirts from yesteryear that you never wear anymore, but don't want to throw away because of the memories. But I parted with all but three of them tonight.

Of those shirts I discarded was one that simply said "I make stuff up". Another had written on the back the Hemmingway quote "An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with fools" (This is the one I wore for so many years on float trips). I threw away my favorite Adidas t-shirt because the collar was frayed and stretched. I threw away four of my remaining seven t-shirts (and sweatshirts) from my college days (I graduated in '94). And I threw away my Wrigley Field "Shut up and drink your beer" t-shirt.

The saddest part of it is that I parted with at least 30 t-shirts that I received from races, volunteering, vollyball, softball, and soccer events. Yet, I still have at least that many I didn't part with. Where do they all come from and what am I supposed to do with them?

I'm due

2006-10-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

I really get annoyed when all someone talks about are the good runs. We know everyone has bad runs. But some people pretend they don't exist.

Well, I do have bad runs.

Just not lately.

And it is starting to drive me crazy.

I don't want to be that guy that writes the daily "I had the best run ever" blog.

So I haven't blogged lately.

Beacuse, seriously, I have been on fire lately.

I am not yet up to Kenyan speed. But I'm not waddling around in the back of the pack, either.

Saturday was no exception. I kept passing people that normally finish way in front of me. I was pushing a 9:15-9:45 pace for most of the run. I felt great.

I don't know how much longer this will last.

I know I am due for a bad run. It will probably happen in the next couple of weeks. And when it does, you will read about it here.

I GOT to run today

2006-10-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

For so much of the summer, my training schedule defined my life. I didn't work out because I wanted to. If there was a bike ride on the schedule, I rode. If it said swim, I swam. And yep, the only time I ran was when the schedule said "run".

Well, things are different, now. Thirty mile bike rides and 1.5 mile swims are not dictating my training. Don't get me wrong. I didn't mind the structure that was summer. At some point, I will be returning to that insane training schedule. For a while, however, I am going to mix things up a little. And that starts with running.

I am going to mix speed workouts with distance. Hills with flats. But most importantly, I am going to run to have fun.

I did this on Saturday.

And I did this today.

The weather turned today. The first true cold front of the fall blew through and the temperatures plummeted. There was a light rain/drizzle falling.

This can only mean one thing. It's shorts and long-sleeve shrt weather. And I love running in shorts and a long-sleeve shirt. Drop the temps a few more degrees and I will trade my Adidas visor in for a dry-fit stocking cap.

Today I ran just 3 miles. But it was three hard, fast miles. There were hills and speed intervals mixed in. I ran hard when I felt good. I backed off when I needed to recover.

Today was perfect.

I have a good feeling that tomorrow will be even better.

And this weekend, off the charts.

KC 1/2 Marathon - If you look this good...

2006-10-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

All summer long, I had taken my training serious. Even going into the ironman, I thought I should do my best to play the role of the serious athlete. Therefore, I didn't write my name or anything else of my shirt.

Seriousness got kicked out the door for the KC 1/2 marathon Saturday morning. Friday, I ate pizza for both lunch and dinner (hey, it was free both times), and had 5 or 6 beers throughout the evening (it was free for packet pick-up volunteers - and I was a volunteer).

So when I finally got home Friday night and started gathering my gear for Saturday morning, the sharpie came out. And on the back of the shirt wrote:

"If you looked this good, you wouldn't run fast, either."

So how was the run? The race itself was perfect in almost every sense. The weather was perfect. It was in the 60's at the start of the race and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I ran the first 6 miles of the run with my friend Abbie, who was running her first marathon. We ran the first 6 miles at just under a 10 minute mile pace. We had some good laughs along the way. The marathon-1/2 marathon split was tough because I felt I was helping Abbie and I knew Abbie was pushing my pace. I seriously considered making the turn and running the entire marathon. I was feeling good. I was feeling strong. But I didn't have the e-caps and GU to get me through 26 miles. So we split.

After the split, I pushed the pace and passed several people looking for someone to run with for the remainder of the way. I caught up with another TNTer, Rick, who was waiting for his daughter who was having some trouble with the longer hills. I then caught site someone who I thought was a new TNTer raining for RNR-AZ, her first marathon. I had never talked to her on the trails more than the occasional "Hi".

Still, I was really wanting someone to finish the run with, so I ran up beside this unknown person and did the whole "Hi, are you training for Disney or Arizona." Fortunately, it was who I thought it was and ended up running the remainder of the race with her.

I finished the race in 2:12:23, which beat my previous best 1/2 time by 11 minutes and my time in the 2005 KC 1/2 (which was 0.4 miles short) by 15 minutes. My average pace on Saturday was 10:07/mile.

And all this raises the question about when you stop being a slow runner and start getting classified as "fast". After all, I did claim that I didn't have to run fast because, well, I am good looking.

And I think I deserve to know when I officially become "Fast".

The best sign along the way: "China has a wall, you don't."

Next up, Vegas!

I should have done it

2006-10-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

No, I did not sign up for the full marathon. I am running the 1/2, which is what I need to do.

But that is not what I am talking about.

I almost picked up an addition to the family today.

At the packet pick-up, the local pet adoption agency had animals there for adoption. And one was the most adorable lab puppy. I have been thinking for a while that Shiner needs a playmate and holy crap if this puppy wasn't the cutest thing in the world.

I managed to walk away. But it was hard. Really hard.

This is the second time in the past month I have managed to walk away from adopting a puppy. I don't know how many more times I can say no.

He no nuts, he crazy

2006-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Remember that scene in Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom where Indy is getting ready to cut the rope bridge. Willie cried out "Is he nuts" and Shorty responded with his classic line "He no nuts, He crazy".

Well, I have to admit that I had one of those moments today.

It only lasted a couple of minutes, but this thought did cross my mind and I seriously considered going for it.

You see, I have 2 friends running their first marathon in KC this weekend. I, all along, have been planning on running the 1/2 as a training run for Vegas. Today, I had conversations with both of my friends. They were both going through the emotional roller coaster that we all went through prior to our first marathon. Part of me really wants to be there with them.

So today, I thought about blowing off the 1/2 marathon and just run the whole thing. Some how, I was convinced that there really isn't much difference between a 1/2 and full marathon.

OK, let's all say it together.

"He no nuts, he crazy!!!!"

Luckily, the insanity was short-lived and I am back on track for just the 1/2.

But understand, I am not registering until tomorrow, so there is still a possibility that I may venture back into that wonderful world called crazy.

And I may end up running 26.2 miles on Saturday.

Probably not.

But crazier things have happened.

I refuse to do the what if's

2006-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

So why have't I posted anything else on the triathlon experiences?

Two reasons, really.

First, for such a long day, I really don't remember a lot of the details. Sure, I remember thinking along the way "wow, I have to tell this story when I blog. I just have to remember that at mile 22 on the bike, this happened". Well, the same thing happened at mile 30, 31, 34 , 40 and so on. So instead of trying to remember the really important things, I don't remember anything.

I was in sensory overload.

But I do remember things like almost getting run over by an ice cream truck. That's right, on my second bike loop, I heard the ice cream truck. I assumed it would stop for me (hoping the driver might offer me a bomb pop), but no, the s.o.b. pulled right out in front of me.

And I do remember how much I loved everything about the swim. Everyone swears the water was choppy. I must have been having too much fun to notice. It was like bumper cars in the water. You look, see a open space, head there, and then get kicked in the face because someone else saw the space first. Or even better was not being able to sight going down the back-stretch because the sun was directly in line with the markers. I was just hopng that everyone in front of me was swimming in the right direction (they were). In fact, I even asked my coach at the end of the day if there were any 5K or even 10K swims out there.

I remember seeing my family getting out of the water. I got a high-five from my niece and nephew.

I remember the awesome water stops throughout the day. The volunteers were the best I have ever seen.

But it was such a blur. It was such an incredible day.

The second reason I haven't posted any more on the day was that I don't want to start doing the "What if's." I have sat down on more than one occasion to write on the experience, but every time, it turns into a "if I had only done this" or "what if I didn't do that". And I don't want spend all my time second guessing what I did. That is not what this experience was about.

This experience was about taking on the seemingly impossible. I hadn't been swimming where a beer wasn't within arm length since high school. The longest I have ever ridden a bike was 25 miles before April. Running the 26.2 was the least of my worries,.

But now, I have a new love for swimming. I am looking forward to improving my swimming throughout the winter, working both on speed and endurance. I have put up the bike for the winter (although if it doesn't get cold soon, I am going to have to pull it off the ceiling for a couple more rides next week). But I will not give up riding. I have targeted three spin classes a week with the intention of returning to the bike in the spring stronger than ever.

I will worry about those what if's and discuss them as I begin training for my next Ironman.

Until then, I need to start focusing on my upcoming races.

That starts with the KC 1/2 marathon Saturday morning.

And Vegas is just 10 weeks away!

I'm not really MIA

2006-09-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have suceeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work." - Thomas Edison

It's been a couple of days since I have posted. It wasn't by design. It's not because I am devistated and hiding from everyone. It is because I have been swamped. I got back into KC at 3:00 Monday afternoon and was at work from 5 to 10 Monday night. Tuesday, after working 8 hours, I went for a swim and then took Shiner out to the dogpark before going back to work from 9 pm to 5 am. Yesterday, I slept, did some much needed housework, went to the gym and then off to play volleyball.

So yes, it has been a crazy week. And tomorrow, it doesn't get any better as my boss has been out of town this week and I am doing his job and my job and playing catch-up from being gone and will probably be staying late (again).

Even with all the chaos, I have been getting in some workouts. I swam 20 minutes and then ran trails for about a mile with Shiner at the dogpark. Yesterday, I ran a warm-up mile on the treadmill and did some weight training. Today, I did 4 miles of hill training. If things go well, I will hit the spinning class at the gym before work tomorrow.

I am absolutely amazed at how fast my body has bounced back.

It feels great!

Redman, Part 1

2006-09-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where to begin. There are so many stories to tell. So many great experiences. This was one hell of a journey. A journey which ended 13.1 miles short of the goal.

It had nothing to do with the swim. I loved it! I absolutely had a blast in the water.

It ended not because I lacked the legs. My legs were doing great.

It wasn't because I lacked the heart. Just finishing the bike ride in that f'ing wind proved that.

It was because I didn't have the stomach.

More specifically, I didn't have the contents in my stomach. These were deposited about 2.5 miles into the run. And then again about 8 miles later. I was 10 miles into the run at this point. I had no idea what was going on. But I knew my energy, my nutrition, was now deposited along the trails at Lake Hefner, left to be picked through by the birds and small mammals that call the lake home. I was feeling a little wobbly and fatigued. I knew I needed energy, fast. The next water stop, I grabbed a banana and some gatorade. No luck. The stomach was still churning.I walked the final three miles.

A million thoughts going through my head, but only one that really made sense.

"What an incredible experience."

There was no doubt that I could have found it in me to walk the final 13.1 miles. It would have been a long, miserable walk in the dark. But at what expense?

I don't know what would have happened had I walked those 13.1 miles. What I did know is that I had an incredible journey. I had an incredible day. I wasn't about going to ruin it with 13.1 miles of misery, walking around cold, tired, hungry and miserable in the dark.

There will be other iron-distance races. There will be other chances to finish. I will be at that starting line again, remembering my experiences, learning from my mistakes.

So, for now, I am stuck somewhere in the wonderful world of iron-purgatory-somewhere between 1/2 ironman and ironman.

I can live with that.

oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains..

2006-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

so I made it safely to OKC last night.

it was a fun drive.

if you have ever driven directly into a 35 mph wind for 5 hours, you know what I mean.

I arrived and spent last night w/ my sister and her family. my nephew kicked my butt in NCAA2007.

I got up this morning at 5 am and ran almost 3 miles with my sister. we clipped along at a 9:30/mile pace. it was a little rainy and (surprise) windy. we ran faster than I normally run, but I managed to keep up.

then it started really raining. and the wind blew more.

there was open water swim in Lake Hefner (the lake we are swimming in saturday) scheduled from 7 until 9 am. so, ignoring the rain and wind, I headed up to the lake.

the rain let up (some), but not the wind.

I got to meet the race director and a few other participants while we stood next to the lake, watching someone walk out into the lake around 200 yards (it has been very dry in okc). everyone was super-friendly - typical of oklahomans.

eventually, several other competitors and I decided to give the swim a try, in spite of the wind-blown white caps. I had trouble swimming in a straight line. I wasn't alone. I ended up swimming about 1/3 mile.

all that is left to do is wait. rest. and wait some more.

My bike has a name!!!!!!

2006-09-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

It took 5 months and I was getting worried that my bike would never have a name. I would simply be referring to her as "Really Fast Bike" for the rest of her useful life.

But this moring, going through the process of waking up, my mind just spinning thinking of all the things I had to get done before I head to OKC tomorrow morning, it hit me.

And I now know why I struggled with naming it. All along, I was looking for that right "human" name. Nothing seemed right. No single name captured the true spririt of the bike. No single name captured my feelings as I was riding her.

This morning, while lying in bed, I knew the what her name would be. None to soon as she makes her ironman triathlon debut Saturday. And it isn't a name, but an emotion.

The name captures the sum of all the experiences from the past 5 months of training.

From now on, my bike will no longer be referred to as "Really Fast Bike"

Today, she has a new name.

Determination

Four days of waiting, anticipating

2006-09-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

Really, this is kind of strange.

I really don't have much to say.

Saturday is Redman.

It is my first triathlon and I'm going for it all.

Why mess around with the Sprint, Olympic, or 1/2 iron distance.

When I signed onto this crazy idea, my coach told me more than once that there is no shame in a 1/2 ironman. I am pretty sure he was trying to convince me to start simple. Build up my distances. Shoot for the full iron-distance once I get a race or two under my belt.

Sure. Most people work that way.

Only, I am not "most people".

I don't dangle my toe in the water to check the temperature before jumping in.

Nope.

I just jump in.

Once I make up my mind, there is no looking back.

There's no looking back!!!

A little burst of energy

2006-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

OK, so I only had to run 6 miles today. Just six miles. And I had several routes to choose from.

From where the run started, I could have run east onto some rolling hills. I could have run west over some rolling hills. I could have run north up a steep, but relatively short incline. I could have run south up Mt Quivera into a 15-20 mph head-wind.

Of course, I chose to run up Mt. Quivera three times. Why wouldn't I? Really, isn't the purpose of training to train. Although one could also argue that the purpose of the Taper is to train easier...

But before I could run, I had make it to the 6AM run.

And to make it to the 6AM run, I had to wake up at 4:55.

And to wake up at 4:55, I had to set my alarm at 4:55.

Only I set my alarm for 5:55.

OOPS!!!!!! In 2 years of running, I have never been late to a team run, until this morning. I was just 15 minutes late, but snuck in the back side of the parking lot to avoid getting busted by Koach - not that it mattered because he noticed I was missing.

It wasn't the best way to kick off that last long run before Ironman.

But that extra sleep must have really helped. That, or the Thai food I had last night at 8:30.

I felt good.

No, I felt great.

Mile 1 (up the hill): 10:44
Mile 2 (down the hill): 9:21
Mile 3 (up the hill): 10:26
Mile 4 (down the hill): 9:53
Mile 5 (up the hill): 10:41
Mile 6 (down the hill): 8:11

Total time: 0:59:21.

And no, 8:11 on mile 6 isn't a misprint. I just took off down that hill and it felt great. It was the fastest mile I have run since, well, possibly, ever.

Really, I haven't really worried about speed this summer. Building endurance was my one and only objective. Plus, I was typically only running twice a week (one long run and one shorter run). It would have been hard to fit a good "speed work-out" routine into the schedule.

Not anymore. Speed workouts are coming - soon.

But honestly, an extra hour sleep didn't make me run faster.

I ran faster because I can run faster.

All that time on the bike and in the pool has made a difference.

So kids, my advice to you is this. Take that cross training seriously. Hit the gym. Lif those weights. Swim those laps. Ride that bike. That which does not kill you will make you a stronger, faster runner.

It might even make you an Ironman.

"Can't" is a 4-letter word

2006-09-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

With a little effort, dedication, hard work, ingenuity, and a "can-do" attitude, anything is possible.

Years ago, my grandfather taught me one of life's most valuable lessons.

Growing up, Grandpa Charlie would challenge me with some seemingly impossible task. I would tell him "I can't".

That was the wrong thing to say.

He would always respond something like "Oh baloney, how do you know you can't do it if you aren't even willing to try!" Well, being the stubborn person I was (and still am), I would try whatever impossible task it was just to prove to him I couldn't do it. And low and behold, I was usually successful.

This episode repeated more times throughout my early years than a Seinfeld episode episode on TBS, with the same result practically every time. He was always right.

And even when I failed and tried the "see, I told you I couldn't do it" retort, He was already with his comeback. He challenged me to figure out what I did that kept me from success and make the changes. He would work through the problem with me, but would never just give me the answer or the solution. He taught me how to think for myself. He taught me how to turn my failures into successes. For this, I am eternally greatful.

I gradually learned never to say "I can't". With every problem, there lies a solution.

With a little effort, dedication, hard work, ingenuity, and, most importantly, a "can-do" attitude, anything is possible.

There is no doubt that at some point next Saturday I am going to go through numerous highs and lows. I have read that Ironman has numerous faces including pretty, ugly and downright evil. I am sure I will rotate through all three faces as the day goes on. I know I will spend more than a little time dealing with the ugly and evil sides.

While fighting past ugly and evil, I may mutter some things under my breath. You may hear an "f" bomb or two. There will be multiple "This sucks". I may even openly ask myself "What the hell was I thinking?"

But you won't hear the phrase "I can't".

I can do this.

I can, and will, conquer ugly and evil.

At the end of the day, I plan on dancing with pretty.

Much of this is directly because of the valuable lessons my grandfather taught me many years ago.

Can't is a 4-letter word.

My grandfather, the same man who, when I was 5, used Black Jack as a tool for teaching me addition and subtraction.

Seriously. Black Jack. And it worked too. If I had, say, a 5 and a 9, he would make me add them up and tell him what I had. He would then make me subtract what I had from 21 and tell him what card I needed before I could "hit" or "stay". For those of you with young kids, try it. It is so much more fun than flash cards. They get to play a game while studying. Better yet, give the kids some poker chips and when they lose all their chips, make them do some chore.

groundhogs day vs the cold belly

2006-09-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

When the groundhog evolved from some primordial ooze, do you think that their furry little ancestors thought that in the future, milions of stupid Americans would hold their collective breath waiting for one particular groundhog to pop its head out of its hole and determine the fate of an entire country's weather based solely on whether or not it sees a shadow.

Newsflash to millions of stupid Americans.

Groundhogs are skittish animals. I imagine that scores of television cameras, dozens of wacky morning show DJs and hundreds of hyperactive school children will scare the bejesus out of the innocent fuzzball. Hell, I know that would scare the bejesus out of me

Ten to one odds say he scampers back into his hole, shadow or no shadow. Really, it is a poor prognasticator of the weather.

But do you want a real predictor of weather.

Are you sure.

Because I have one for you.

It has never failed.

What is it, you ask?

Well, simply put, it's my belly.

Many of you know that I will wear shorts while training practically all year. I am always one of the last two people out there wearing shorts as we head into the frigid winter months. Why? Because I absolutely hate wearing sweats, etc when I run. My legs just function better when bare. Plus, the legs generate enough heat once I get going. Oh, and when you have legs that look this good, they really shouldn't be covered any more than absolutely necessary.

Now my belly is a different story. When it does get cold, I always layer my shirts. The problem is that, while the long-sleeve shirts cover the belly, they are never long enough to stay tucked in while I run. So when it is cold, a draft always blows up the shirt, pelting the bottom half of the belly with cold air. When training in the cold, the region of the belly from my belly button to my shorts is always cool to the touch, but the rest of my core is always warm and cozy.

It must be a unique phenomenon. In fact, I may be the only one that experiences this. At least I have never heard any one else openly discuss it.

Regardless, this cold belly syndrome, or CBS for short, rarely happens before September 15. But when it does, the winters always seem longer and colder.

Well kids, this evening, after my 20 mile bike ride and 2 mile run, the belly was cold to the touch. This really surprised me because it wasn't all that cold out and the sun was shining.

But I can't ignore the signs. It is going to be a long cold winter.

Or at least that's what my gut is telling us!

keeping it in perspective

2006-09-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing. - Thomas Huxley

I found myself listening to a sports psycologist the other morning on the radio. He was talking about how he was once worked with the US Olympic bicycle team, talking to them about the nerves that come along with competition. What he said went something like this.

You are going to find yourself out there, competing against the best of the best, in front of tens of thousands of people along the route and millions of people watching on TV. It's a huge stage. But you're simply riding your bike...just like you did when you were 10. Just go out and have fun. Everything else will fall into place.

Simply riding a bike. Something I have done for years. Just like swimming. Just like running. Practically everything I did when I was a kid involved one of those three things (and a ball, frisbee or racket). It was fun then.

And still is today.

tailgating sans the beer (not really)

2006-09-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Even in tailgating, I find myself on the healthy side of life. And it doesn't even suck that bad.

Todays' Chief tailgate menu included shrimp gumbo and cajun chicken sandwiches. Not the normal high-fat, high calorie selection normally found across the Arrowhead parking lot, but, damnit, I really do make the best cajun sandwiches this side of what's left of New Orleans.

I like it spicy. And I forget that some people can't handle the spice. Oops. But no one complained.

The gumbo was a new adventure which turned out tasty as well.

It is almost sad. I love the tailgate. Almost more than the game itself. And it kills me that I am finding joy in the healthy side of tailgating.

Sure, the sixer of Corona I put away in the 2.5 hours of tailgating b/f the Chief's game probably wasn't ideal 2 weeks before Ironman, but, hey, considering that this is the first time I have put away a six-pack in the past 4 months, well, it was inevitable. I have plenty of time to sober up.

sigh.

I miss beer.

Oh, and if anyone out there is interested in going to a Chief's game, let me know. It is going to be a long season.

Tired and Hungry

2006-09-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I konw, I haven't posted much this week.

Why?

Well, if I wasn't at work, I was working out.

If I wasn't at work or working out, I was eating.

If I wasn't at work, working out, or eating, I was sleeping.

And really, if I may have spent more time eating than working, working out, or sleeping.

So, as you can see, with such a hectic schedule, when was I supposed to find time to blog.

Seriously, I think I have eaten more this past week than any other week in my life.

And I still dropped 2 lbs.

My metabolism is definitely in high gear.

I think I have slept more than I have in any one week over the past several years as well. More than once, I planned on waking up early to get a swim in or simply head into work a little early. Never happened.

Evidently, that 100 mile bike ride on Monday really knocked me out. My legs, surprisingly weren't sore. They were definitely tired, though. It really felt like I have been walking around on marble pillars last week.

Today, it was supposed to be a 18 mile run, but it got knocked down to a 14 miler simply because my legs had not fully recovered. Hopefully the ice bath I took today and a day of rest tomorrow will finally get the legs back to normal.

It is a light week this week as taper is in full swing. This may be the first time I enjoy taper. I really think, physically, I will be as ready as I will ever be for Ironman.

But only if I give my body its much-deserved rest.

With that said, I am hitting the couch for a nap.

labor day...laboring!!!

2006-09-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Evidently, it is also a great day for a century ride.

I rolled out of bed at 4am to take another shot at the Liberty Delight bike ride (mapped out here as the KK hellride). Remember that. The 100 miles that took me from Liberty, Mo, to St Joseph to the Iowa border. The one that kicked my butt in 110+ degee weather. Yep, I got another shot at it today.

And this time, I did the butt kicking.

Well, saying I kicked its butt may be a bit of an exageration. But unlike last time, the weather was perfect. We rode 106 miles and I finished in around 6 hours 50 minutes. The course was still hilly. Yes, it still sucked. And if I ever ride that ride again, it will be too soon. On the positive side though, the ironman route is not very hilly and if I can knock out105 miles on that route, the 112 miles in 19 days should be a breeze!!!

But the 6-mile optional run after the ride.

Did you hear me, it was optional. And all hills.

Koach Karl should know better than give me options.

Had I not done the 50 mi bike, 10 mile run on Tuesday, swam thursday, biked friday, ran 16 on Saturdy and played 2.5 hours of tennis yesterday, my legs may have felt a little better. But they were totally shot.

So I optioned out.

Those 2.5 hours of tennis yesterday were probably to main culprit. It shouldn't have happened. It was a rest day. I knew I needed the rest. But it was an awesome day. And I never turn down a good tennis match.

Now when it came time to mow the yard yesterday... well, it was a rest day.

It's the life you live

2006-08-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's not what you got, It's what you give
It ain't the life you choose, it's the life you live
It's only what you give.
It's not what you got
But the life you live
It's the life you live
- Tesla

I spent a good amount of time today (swimming and) thinking about my my pending collision with Ironman.

At one point, these lyrics popped into my head.

"It's not what you got, It's what you give"

When committing to Ironman, I knew it was possible if I would just put in the work. The bigger questions was would I. Was I willing to make the sacrifices necessary. There were days I didn't give it m all. But these days were few and far between. I knew I had to give it my best shot every time out, every day. I had to push myself each time out. That is why I trained on hills in unbearable heat. That is why I woke up for those 4am swims.

"It ain't the life you choose, it's the life you live"

Talk is easy. Just because you choose something, it won't necessarily happen. You have to follow through.

I have lost count of the number of things I have not done this summer because of training. Trips to the lake, happy hours, nights out, baseball games, potential dates, friends birthdays (hell, I still haven't gone out for my birthday yet) have all been passed on because of Ironman.

But don't feel sorry for me. Life is all about balance. I have done plenty of fun stuff this summe not related to training..

And while missing out on those things "old Kevin" would have never missed, this summer has been an incredible journey. I have no regrets. I would make the all of the same decision again.

Triathlon has changed me. I am more focused than ever. I have to know that I have given it my all. I have a strange determination inside of me. I have taken my training serious (although I am still not serious when I train - if that makes any sense).

I like what I have become. I like focused Kevin.

But at the same time, I haven't forgotten how to have a good time.

Only this side of me is on hold for another 22 days.

The calm before the storm before the taper

2006-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."Juma Ikangaa, Tanzanian marathoner

Today, it was the calm before the storm before the taper

So I rested.

And played 2 hours of the best sand volleyball better this summer.

I really hustled after the ball. I was diving. I was jumping. I hit the ball hard. My serves were solid. I was sweating. My heartrate was up.

It is funny how much better I can be on the beach if I DON'T run 3-6 miles in 100 degree weather prior to voleyball.

And speaking of the weather. I think the heat has finally left us for the summer.

Damn, there goes that excuse for running slow.

Anyway, the next 5 days are going to really push me, capped off by a 16-18 mile run on Saturday and a 100 mile ride and 6 mile run on Monday. That and 3-4 ice baths.

And then the 23 days of taper start.

23 days of taper.

Taper drives me crazy!!!!!