Personal Marks

We had a group training run this morning: a foggy morning at Victor Ashe Park. Today, I reached a couple of milestones. First off, I ran a personal best of 7 miles. Previously, the longest I had run was 6.2 miles at the Expo 10K back in May. More importantly, I've now passed the half way mark towards the half-marathon in March. Second, I ran for 1 hour and 16 minutes... longer than I've run at any point.
We ran cross country this morning which also presented challenges. Though easier on the joints, it requires a bit more effort to move.
All and all, I'm very happy with today's results.
And this is the week to get back on schedule with running!!

New Gear

Ah yes, I'm a running advertisement for Nike. Sarah and I went to Pigeon Forge before Christmas. For those that don't know, Pigeon Forge = outlet stores and tourist traps.
We had planned earlier in the month to get new running gear for the next year.
So I bought a new hat, 2 shirts (red and blue), long pants and running shorts. So here's the thing about the shirts... they both are XXL in size. (For the record, I generally wear a Large and sometimes an XL in size.) I guess they run a little small.
Next purchase in a couple of weeks, new shoes.

Afternoon run

The weather in Knoxville has been downright awful the past couple of weeks. Rain, rain and more rain. The good news for Knoxville is that after a couple of years, the town finally has a surplus in rain for the year. The bad news is that it hasn't been good running weather. That and the holidays, mean I haven't been out as much as I should. In fact, since my last update, I ran only once in the past 2 weeks.
This afternoon, a run of 5.14 miles in 49:01 at Victor Ashe Park. I wish I could say it wasn't that bad, but after not running, I was glad when it was finished. Still, I did finish.

Evening Run

First run in 12 days.
3 miles in 28:15. Not my best at all, but I got out there and hit the pavement.

Picture

A picture near the finish of the 2008 Race for the Cure back in October. It was a fun, but challenging 5K that wound through downtown Knoxville and finished at World's Fair Park. I finished with a time of 25:37.

It was also fun because the race was the same weekend as the 2008 Body-For-Life Tennessee Champions Weekend. My wife Sarah organized our group run and there were about 40 of us running in our orange t-shirts.

After running several races that were photographed at the end, I've learned to try to smile at the end, otherwise, even if it's sheer determination, you look like death warmed over crossing the finish line.

Hills and Valleys

It always seems to happen.
You make a major accomplishment, hoping to move higher and then instead of moving up, you move down. 11 days ago I ran 4.8 miles; I haven't run since. This morning I got on the scale and my weight was 202.5, the highest it's been since early 2004. I'm not going to say that I've put on a whole bunch of weight in the last 11 days. Truth be told, it's been steadily rising for the past 2 months. It's in the past and there's nothing I can do about that. I can only control the here and now and beyond.
As part of my training, I have to run 3 times this week. I'm going to have push myself out the door and hit the pavement.
This valley will fall as far as I will allow it, it's time for a turnaround.

Race Day

This morning was the Bluecross Autumnfest 8K. This marks my 6th race this year and the 2nd longest race I've run. (I ran a 10K back in May.) There is always a certain buzz on race day. Without knowing the exact number, I would guess there were a hundreds on people taking part in the race. There's that moment, before the gun, where its fun to look around at all the people participating. Every race, I try to size up the people me. Who do I think is faster, who is running their first race, who can I beat?? And I wonder what they might think of me.
I always try to line up about of a third of the way back in the pack. There are always those people who will try to line up at front. Some of the them obviously belong there, because shortly after the race starts... you never see them again til the finish line. Others might have visions of grandeur that quickly fall by the wayside as they are passed in the first mile or so.
It takes about a quarter of a mile for the pack to break apart as people find their pace, and then it you against the road.
So here's the biggest thing I'm going to have to work on... pacing. When I run during the week, I've been averaging around a 9 minute mile. Getting caught up in race day, my pace jumps up around 8:15 miles. Not bad for short distances, but today I started to run low of energy after the 3 mile mark. Between 3 and the 4.8 mile finish line, I had to slow down and walk 3 times. It's not the end of the world, but a little disappointed in myself. And something I have 5 months to work on. (That and being able to gulp down water while running and not spill most of it on my shirt.)
So in the end, I finished with an official time of 42:34, a pace of 8:34/mile.

Morning Run

So I've learned if you are running at 6AM in the cold, its a good idea to plan ahead the night before and make sure ALL your items are easily in reach. There nothing like fumbling around a dark house at 5:30 trying to find important items like gloves and a hat (toboggans as we call them in the South and subject of another post for another time).
This morning we ran 4.17 miles in just under 38 minutes, in a balmy 34 degrees and me without gloves. i think my hand just warmed up enough to type a couple of minutes ago.
Sarah begins her training today and will be running latter on this afternoon. I might get adventurous and attempt a shorter run later on this evening.

Countdown to Nashville

The Great American Smokeout

Today is the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. A day to encourage smokers to give up smoking for 24 hours.

Two reasons to bring this up: First, as a member of Team in Training, I am raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fight blood cancers (and hope that you'll consider a donation... shamless plug over). But more importantly, and more personal, as a former smoker, it was the Smokeout in 1999 that lead me towards quitting smoking permanently after 13 years.

At the time I quit, I was 6 months shy of my 30th birthday, and while I wasn't the poster child of health, at around 175lbs, I would have thought myself unhealthy. How wrong was I. At that moment in time, I was what could be considered as a "skinny, fat man." I didn't eat right, I didn't exercise, all I had was smoking that keep me from eating too much. Shortly after quitting, I gained a lot of weight and over the course of 3 years went from 175 to nearly 220lbs in weight. It was at this point that Sarah and I started our journey towards overall healthy living.

Next Saturday (November 29th) is my 9th year anniversary of being smoke free. Thinking back on the process, there is striking parallels in that journey and the one I am currently on. For years before I quit smoking, I told myself countless times that I needed to quit. Had you asked me, I could have rattled off any number of reasons to quit, but I wasn't in the right mindset to commit. Deciding to change a lifestyle to lose weight and be healthy is just the same. Before Sarah and I started, when I was 220 lbs, I could have told you any number of reason why I should lose weight. Same thing about running a marathon, finally I find myself in the right mindset to undertake this challenge and look forward to it.

Running update

You may not think that 5 degrees would make that much difference, but running in 32 degree weather is a lot better than running in 27 degrees. (Not like its Miami Beach or anything.)
This morning, ran 4.25 miles in 39:11.

27 degrees

One item I mentioned yesterday was the bi-weekly running I've taken up with my friend Brian. Like me, he is in training to run a marathon (and a lot further along than I am). He contacted me a few months ago via Facebook and wanted to meet during the week to go run. It's harder to back down when you have agreed to meet someone... especially if it is 6AM.
Like probably 99% of the population, had you told me 6 months ago that I was going to wake up twice a week at 5:15 in the morning to go running, I would have told you that you're insane. Like most people, I value the sleep that I get. Even though my wife would call me a "morning person" since I can get out of bed around 6AM with minimal effort, there is a huge difference between waking up at 6AM and waking up 45 minutes earlier with the intention of running 4 miles.
I'm sure there is a lot of scientific work that has been done on the benefits of exercising early in the morning. And I will admit, it is nice to start off the day with a nice run... once it is over. Before and during... that's another story. I've faced various "challenges" since taking up the morning run... the first was actually getting up and making it to the start point, then the days gre cooler and there was the occasional rain.
Today was probably one of the biggest challenges since taking up running in the morning... namely the fact that it was 27 degrees this morning in Knoxville. But I am proud to say that Brian and I completed our goal. We ran 4 miles in 35:11.

On your mark...

So this blog has set vacant for almost a year. See, I got this idea in January of last year (2007). I was having lunch with some co-workers when one of them mentioned that he was planning on running a marathon later that year. He was turning 40 within the next year and wanted to run the full 26.2 miles before that. I thought that was a great idea. At the time, I was a few months shy of my 37th birthday (to do the math, I turn 40 in 2010). My thinking was that, with nearly 3 years to go, surely I could do a marathon before them. I had run a little bit before that. I had completed a 5k and was running a little bit on a treadmill to lose some weight.
I got off to a decent start. I ran a couple of more 5ks, and got off the treadmill and started running outdoors. In May 2007, I had the idea to run in my first 10k when I had my first running "injury". I woke up one morning in May with both of my ankles swollen and I could hardly walk. After 3 doctor visits and numerous tests, no one was any closer to giving me a diagnosis as to what was happening. A couple of weeks later, my ankles were back to normal, but the damage had been done. Falling off the wagon, I ran one more 5K in 2007 and then hung up my shoes for the rest of the year.
Late in 2007, a friend suggested that maybe the $30 pair of running shoes (bought at a Nike outlet in Nashville) I had been using might have been to blame. I bought a nicer pair of Brooks running shoes, but they still sat in my closet for a couple of months.
January of this year came around and out came the new year's resolution of, once again, committing to getting in shape. This time, armed with new shoes, the running commenced. I ran in 3 5Ks in the first part of the year and ran my first 10K. Running soon took a smaller backseat and I didn't run in races for a while.
About 4 months ago, a former high school classmate contacted my through Facebook. He was into running and wanted to know if I wanted to start running with him. So almost every Tuesday and Thursday morning, we have been meeting at 6AM and running about 4 miles.
Last week, my wife and I attended an interest meeting for the group "Team in Training", a group that trains people to participate in endurance events, one of which is the Country Music Marathon in Nashville on April 25, 2009. While my wife, Sarah, wanted to sign up for the half-marathon, I wasn't going to sign up. But after thinking about it, it would be a shame for her to go through this by herself, so I signed up as well... to run the full marathon.
There it is, the date and event have been set for me... April 25, 2009 -- Nashville, TN... 26.2 miles.
Over the next 5 months, I'm going to journal my progress. I've never been good at doing this sort of thing, and I've never blogged before.

So hopefully, I'll keep this entertaining and hope that if you stop by you'll consider finding out more about Team in Training and consider helping me reach my fund raising goal by visiting My Team in Training Page to help against blood cancers.