tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983749398124414752024-02-21T05:55:55.282-08:00Running Geek 3.0I run to level up!
A blog on weight loss, exercise, and how I ended up this way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-28932227928783791622012-11-25T20:14:00.001-08:002012-11-25T20:14:31.665-08:00Deja vu<p dir=ltr>Again I find myself behind on my race reports and somewhat adrift with my fitness/running goals. I still owe 2 race reports, one of which was my first ultra. That being said, after putting together a marathon, a half, a 50k, and a 5k in the span of 6 weeks, I find myself pretty burnt out. Coming out of Thanksgiving, I did little in the way of diet management and fitness continuity, so to put it bluntly, I'm feeling fat. Tomorrow I'm hoping to hit the Y early and rekindle my workout spark. I'm afraid that if I don't I will backslide so far that I won't be able to see my current fitness level for a long time.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-45233158564461776752012-10-16T18:12:00.001-07:002012-10-16T18:12:18.939-07:00The Middle Half Half Marathon Race Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Saturday was the 2012 Middle Half Murfreesboro Half Marathon. This was the second year that I've run this race and if you've read last year's <a href="http://lawmonkey13.blogspot.com/2011/10/race-recap-trifecta.html" target="_blank">recap</a>, my assessment of the race holds true again for this year's race. It was a really great race on a fast, flat course with great support. The first half of the race is particularly great as you get to see lots of scenic Murfreesboro. The last half gets a little mind numbing as you're mostly out on the highway. Like the <a href="http://lawmonkey13.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-southern-plunge-marathon-race-recap.html" target="_blank">Southern Plunge Marathon</a>, I had backed off training to recover from said marathon that I had just run the week before. The day of the race, I felt pretty good. I wasn't feeling strong, but at least I wasn't still sore. Unlike last week's race, I did not have the same pee pee issues as before. I did have to make one pit stop at mile 3-ish, but that was the only one. After that I was able to maintain a pretty decent pace around 7:40 ish until mile 9. After that I got steadily slower as my legs started to hit their limit. Around mile 11, I lost my ability to do math, but I didn't stop running. Mentally it was important for me to keep pushing till I was done, which I did (Yay me!). I ended up finishing with a time of 1:43:40, 7:55/mile and 27th out of 142 in my age group and 137th overall. Not a PR, but I'm counting it as a Mental PR as I was able to gut out those last 4 boring miles. </div>
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Notable about this race was the performance of my boy, Albert Cartner. He rolled out a 1:39:35, 7:37/mile. I know that he was hoping for better, but that was fast! His buddy, Kyle Cook, managed a PR (without any tunes as his Ipod died on the starting line!) with a time of 2:00:49, 9:14/mile. Congrats Kyle! Congrats also to my fellow attorneys Bill Shick and Matt Bevins, who also ran that day. I also saw a friend from high school, Amy Meyers, who was cheering on another friend of hers. How random is that? Somehow I managed to say hi to her and keep moving on. She even managed to snag a picture of me at the end of the race waiting for my friends to cross. Thanks Amy!</div>
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<i>I look serious here, don't I? I must</i></div>
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<i>have been looking for Jim N Nick's cheese biscuits!</i></div>
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One final note...the Middle Half had great post-race grub! Jim N Nick's barbeque was a sponsor and they had my favorite, cheese biscuits on hand. I loaded up on them and headed home happy. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-25911441672676131592012-10-11T21:36:00.000-07:002012-10-11T22:10:58.308-07:00The Southern Plunge Marathon Race Recap<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last Saturday, I was in <strike>rainy and dreary</strike> lovely Winchester, TN running my 5th marathon. Since I grew up in Tullahoma, this was as close to a hometown marathon as I am probably going to get, so when I first planned to run this race, I was hoping to do well. With that kind of thought, you would assume that I had trained long and hard prior to the race, to which you would be WRONG! No, no. Being <strike>the cocky jackass</strike> busy man that I am, I was not able to get in as much training as I would normally do. Point of fact, my longest training run was 16 miles, and thanks to a will-sapping chest cold, I had not run at all the week before the race. Because of these factors, I did not have dreams of Boston qualifier come race day, much less a sub 4 hour marathon. <br />
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The weather was rainy and cool. Normally not a big deal, but it can be a bit depressing for such a long race. Fortunately, the rain did stop just as we got to the line. At the line, I saw/met Brent. He had run the same Kidney Foundation 5K that I had run weeks prior to the marathon. He had come in first, while I finished a distant second overall. We talked a bit as we started out. This was his first marathon and he was looking at doing around 9:40's. After mile 1, I picked up the pace I bit (I still had delusions of sub 9's). I talked with another older gentleman who was going to run the Nashville Ultra in November, but eventually I left him back also. This would have all been fine and good if I didn't have this nagging need to pee. Fortunately the race had port-a-potties at every water stop, which was every 2 miles. <br />
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A word about the course: On any other day, this is a great course. Lots of rolling hills to break up the run, but nothing terribly steep as to destroy you. There was a one hill near the end of the race that I could have lived without, but otherwise a decently well laid out course. On a sunny day, it would have been great to run by/over the lake, but on a cool, rainy day it was hard to enjoy the sight seeing. They had lots of aid stations, nearly every 2 miles, but the crowd support was a little sparse. They blocked off one lane of traffic for the runners, which was generally all we needed, but some cars did get a bit close for comfort.</div>
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Back to the race: I did my business, jumped back out to the course and sped up to reclaim my spot in the pack. Fine, good, great. I should be good for the rest of the race, right? Nope. My nagging pee issues harassed me all the way to mile 15, so every 2 miles or so, I was making a quick pit stop. My lovely wife has said that if I'm not willing to pee on myself to win a race, I must not be very dedicated and these words haunted me at every pit stop. Sadly this meant a lot of stopping and starting, which I was sure was going to shred my legs.</div>
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About mile 15, I had a wardrobe malfunction. I wear a race belt that holds my bib number and my phone for my tunes. After switching playlists, I was trying to stuff my phone back in my belt, when I ripped my bib number so that it was hanging by only one corner. I tried to ignore it and keep running, but my OCD wouldn't have it. So I jumped off to the side and tied my bib number up with my waistband and got back on the road. That was probably at least a good 3 to 5 minutes wasted. </div>
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With my past marathons, mile 18-20 is where everything starts to go into the crapper. I'm not sure if it was the cool weather, my slow pace, my over-hydration or a combination of all three, but it didn't happen this time. At mile 20, I saw my son with my friends, the Hamilton's (who were graciously housing me at their lakehouse for the weekend) and again at mile 21. They were cheering me on, and I think that helped pick up my spirits too. Sensing that I might not be able to survive the run, I started to run on the grassy shoulder instead of the road where I could. Under this strategy, I was able to make it to mile 24 before I started to feel the cramps edge into my calves.</div>
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It was about this time that I stopped being able to do math. Runners/racers do math all the time in competition. What pace do I need to maintain to make this time? How many people do I need to pass to get that spot? What tangent/angle optimizes distance and speed? These are the thoughts (when I'm lucid and actually thinking about the race) that run through my head at various points of the race. When I <strike>can't do</strike> stop doing math, that means I'm now on autopilot. On autopilot, I can keep putting one foot in front of the other for about a mile or two. After that desperation sets in. That's when I NEED to see the finish line soon, or I know, I just know, that I will either die or quit (and frankly to me quitting is about the same). That's when I start bargaining with myself. "Just hold on a little bit longer, and you won't ever have to do this again." Or "Finish this, and we can give up marathons. Marathons suck anyhow. It's unnatural to run that long and that far." After another mile, the cursing starts. "Hey Asshat! Are you gonna quit now and prove to everyone what a gigantic p**censored**y you are?!? Maybe they will give you a bag of s**censored**t to take home too! How about we find a 70 year old to push your sissy ass up this hill?" My head is a messed up and confusing place towards the end of a race. I admit it.</div>
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Thankfully, it didn't last much longer and I crossed the line. Of course I was shedding heat like crazy, so I grabbed a thermal blanket and waddled over to the pizza table. I asked the very nice volunteer to open my carton of chocolate milk as I wolfed down my slice of pizza to satiate my snarling gut. I guzzled down my milk and then waited for my time to be posted. I finished 4:06:30, 9:25/mile. That was good enough for 9th out of 18 in my age group and 40th out of 115 marathoners overall. Could I have done better? Probably with a bit more training, less potty breaks and no bib repairs, I might have gotten under 4 hours again. Still I was happy with the finish (any marathon finish is better than no finish) as I maintained a reasonable pace and held "it" together for most of the race.</div>
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Despite the weather, I would recommend this race to anyone interested in a marathon. It had lots of regular support, but not much of a crowd. The field was small so there wasn't a ton of pressure to blow it out and the course was fairly interesting. I probably could have used a few less hills, but in the end it all worked out.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-35332465873560560332012-06-30T21:15:00.001-07:002012-06-30T21:15:26.050-07:006.30.12 Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
Not much to report. After the KY Warrior Dash, I decided to go easy this week (actually work and the unbearable, blistering heat decided it for me), so I haven't gone crazy. I still have a long run that I need to bang out tomorrow, and then I can move all-in into my new training program for the next month or so. Basically I'm still building my base mileage and my endurance with running 4 days out of the week with a long run on the weekend. 2 days at the beginning and end of the week, I'm working on doing strength workouts at the gym. These will be full body workouts to maintain my strength as opposed to bulking up like I was before. I'm at a good place right now, and I just need to maintain my physique without hurting myself. I have noticed a slight pain in my left elbow, so cutting back now seems like a good time. Then 2 days in the middle of the week, I'm working on my core and flexibility with a mix of body weight exercises, stretching, plyometrics, and yoga. My flexibility is for crap, so I really need to focus on this. Other than that, I've signed up for the Firecracker 5k in Franklin, TN for the Fourth, which should be fun. This is the first time I've run this race, but I'm expecting plenty of competition since it's a Nashville Strider Race.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-50573239647239320552012-06-30T20:58:00.002-07:002012-06-30T21:01:34.146-07:00The Warrior Dash 2012 Lebanon, KY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I've been saying, I have loved racing obstacle races. I love the physicality of testing my strength (the guns need firing after all!) and fitness as well as my speed. My first Warrior Dash for the year was in Lebanon, KY. What was great about this race was that I was doing it with some friends. The obstacles were your normal fare of climbing walls (ho hum) and barbed wire-hard dirt-belly crawls (crawling sucks!) along with the WD signature fire jumps (Booyah!) and mud pit. The real challenge of this race was the course itself (Wicked hard, bro). The course directors made fine use of the rough and hilly terrain in KY as runners had to navigate several winding cut-backs and single lane trails. More than once, I was facing a morale-busting (like getting punched in the junk, chief) uphill climb after crossing an obstacle. When we did have a downhill avenue, it was either through a rocky dried gully bed or down a slick single lane trail congested with traffic. For instance (story time!), one time I had finished climbing a wall and crested a hill, when I caught up to a group of young ladies walking ahead of me trying to make it down a series of cut-backs. The trail was slick with mud from runners' shoes and there were large roots and stumps protruding up dangerously in the middle of the trail. I couldn't go around them even though they were moving single file or I would have likely caused an accident sending them or myself tumbling down the hill. Granted I needed the break, but I was irritated that I had to stop running. I realized that I was right though, when I had to gently catch (Watch the hands, chief!) the young lady in front of me when she slipped. If she had fallen, she would most likely be in the hospital today picking out the wood splinters from her back as there was jagged stump right underneath her (Ouch!). Still I had a good race and ended up finishing 34th out of 421 in my age group with a time of 33:39.05, 9:49/mi.</div>
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Now, I'm not sure what everyone was drinking that day, but there were a lot of wrecks around the race area and it made getting to and from the race more than difficult at times (read: backed up for hours). Since I was in hurry to get home (my lovely wife had a ladies night planned), I decided to hoof it back to the car (tack on another 4.5 miles) instead of waiting for the shuttle buses which were taking forever. Heading back to the parking area, I saw the reason why. Several ambulances were blocking the road to the race site because a tractor pulling a trailer had flipped leaving several people in need of emergency care. It was a nightmare. Lucky for me that after a mile, I was picked up by a nice gentleman that was taking other runners back to the parking area. It was a crazy day.</div>
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<i>Early on in the race, feeling good, running with my boy, Albert.</i></div>
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<i>Near the end, feeling spent, Albert ditched me about a mile and 1/2 ago. Bastard.</i></div>
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<i>Crawling out of the mud to the finish. I'm cooked and covered in mud. I may be too old for this stuff. Dumbass.</i></div>
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This Saturday, I'm running my second Warrior Dash. This time I'm heading to Lebanon, KY. I can't wait to hit the course, though from what I've seen of the course map, it appears that I'll be getting bit wetter (and not in a good way) than when I did it last year in Manchester, TN. Still it should be a blast as I'm doing it with some friends this time. Nothing like a little smack talk to make a fun race even more fun. All-in-all my training has been progressing well, but the summer heat is always a bear. I'm keeping my mileage generally low during the week and hitting my long run on the weekend. Still I'm getting over 25 miles a week along with my trips to the gym, so I'm pretty happy (I damn well better be, or what the hell was all that work for?!?). FYI, for this Warrior Dash, I've decided to go all out. Warrior costume (of sorts), and even a minor faux-hawk, thanks to my barber. Now I just need to find some grease/body paint. Hmmm.....</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-52600538687456626522012-06-01T21:43:00.002-07:002012-06-01T21:43:48.494-07:00Current 2012 Race Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I've said before, I'm not running as many races this year, and it appears that I'm not running a few of my mainstay races either. This year's <a href="http://www.active.com/running/clarksville-tn/7th-annual-wilma-rudolph-5k-10k-road-race-2012" target="_blank">Wilma Rudolph 5K and 10K</a> is giving way to the Kentucky <a href="http://warriordash.com/register2012_kentucky.php" target="_blank">Warrior Dash</a> on June 23. Yesterday I signed up for my marathon for this year, the <a href="http://www.southerntennesseemarathon.com/" target="_blank">Southern Plunge Marathon</a> in Winchester, TN on October 6. Today I also managed to snag a spot in the Murfreesboro <a href="http://www.themiddlehalf.com/" target="_blank">Middle Half</a> half-marathon on October 13. That race sold out within hours of opening up. It is crazy that a Tennessee half-marathon sells out that fast, but it is a really good, flat, fast race. I'm also considering the Tennessee <a href="http://warriordash.com/register2012_tennessee.php#" target="_blank">Warrior Dash</a> on September 22 and the 50K (that's 31.1 miles for the metrically challenged) <a href="http://www.nashvilleultra.com/" target="_blank">Nashville Ultra Marathon</a> on November 3 for my birthday race. So while the number of races that I'm running has dropped, the one's that I've picked have a fairly high degree of difficulty attached to them.<br />
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On an endnote, I really am digging the obstacle course races. I just did the <a href="http://www.rocrace.com/" target="_blank">Ridiculous Obstacle Course Race</a> in San Diego, and I had a blast. I finished that in 29:08. Personally, I thought it was harder than the Warrior Dash that I did last year, but then again the difficulty may have been enhanced by my lack of sleep (only 2.5 hrs) and my slight hangover (which contributed to my lack of sleep). Still it was a fun race and I really enjoyed it. The fact that the volunteers got into it and tried to slow you down made it even more fun. It really added to the game show mentality of the race. Here are a few pics from the race:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc7UVksIXNAb6zb4Z3Kiz0b0KxSHMnTW5MAd374e-Q_E3VyGTLkJ2ILW93sDfSJmjLz-uSWN66bVj-r4AwzLTkFz1fMKCkVJy0ccFWcvgWdRiAJfQ0NnxAVma1g4qrH5vLJ9c7UaHVKb9/s1600/38208052-DSC_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc7UVksIXNAb6zb4Z3Kiz0b0KxSHMnTW5MAd374e-Q_E3VyGTLkJ2ILW93sDfSJmjLz-uSWN66bVj-r4AwzLTkFz1fMKCkVJy0ccFWcvgWdRiAJfQ0NnxAVma1g4qrH5vLJ9c7UaHVKb9/s320/38208052-DSC_0071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>After the foam bath, running towards the tube carry.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqPhFfGQtZGj5orE1Tqhax4TO6qxaWCJ0dque4c4DAFPCqWUtXe2exyXxcgvUG29ZbtuJamcJJI9iBe2bBAIGOhIvgQWjpP2rtnlFNgaqF-j1PA31IAb0QHoDZCgcTMRyNN9mCKMOs9Et/s1600/38208053-DSC_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqPhFfGQtZGj5orE1Tqhax4TO6qxaWCJ0dque4c4DAFPCqWUtXe2exyXxcgvUG29ZbtuJamcJJI9iBe2bBAIGOhIvgQWjpP2rtnlFNgaqF-j1PA31IAb0QHoDZCgcTMRyNN9mCKMOs9Et/s320/38208053-DSC_0114.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS79xNwkp2pBf7VW4uX6clo0C_2DNVf5HqE-vnIt2M5LYfXXLrfx3HP1o1CGe_gI4pQMR6DWuDHKczhOz8u8zn9rdMpHpmFVckx8iEKgBBM4hKjXnxEQlI2PTb9KqKDgFqyZ80-cA-cx0v/s1600/38208054-DSC_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<i>Riding the tube down the slide!</i></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-78776856390277499802012-04-16T21:35:00.003-07:002012-04-16T21:35:47.635-07:004.16.12 Daily UpdatesI've decided to do most of my micro-blogging/diaries on www.dailyrun.com. You can look up my profile there under lawmonkey13 or if you're on Twitter you can follow me there @lawmonkey13. Most of my posts will contain my daily workouts and some random thoughts. Over here, I'll try to keep it to some observations about my training, or training in general, and the occasional review. On that note, the Boston Marathon was today. Since I've started running, I've had a not-so-secret desire to earn my place into Boston. It is the holy grail of marathons. However, as I've gotten older, I'm not sure how attainable it is for me, even at my current running level. Honestly, I start to lose focus after more than 30 miles a week and to qualify for Boston, I figure I'll need at least 40-60 miles per week along with cross training. I still want to do it, but I may have to face the fact that it may be out of reach. So that's why I'm now starting to eye the world of obstacle races! Yeehaw!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-83565107464092771582012-04-15T20:19:00.001-07:002012-04-15T20:19:35.847-07:004.15.12 Training Sucks<div style="text-align: justify;">
Life is funny. I've been pretty bad (eating wise) this weekend, but I'm still probably lower in weight than I have been since high school (humblebrag). Still I feel bad for not sticking with my training and my diet plan (I bought half a mango key lime pie this weekend). Tomorrow, I get back on track, but I have to start my tapering for the <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/nashville">Country Music Half-Marathon</a> on 4.28.12. I'm still debating throwing out the pie, but honestly, it feels like a crime to do so. Sometimes being healthy/training sucks. <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/people/lawmonkey13/entries/14390520">Run of the Day</a>. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-22766384105046083292012-04-14T23:00:00.001-07:002012-04-15T20:20:26.403-07:004.14.12 Sarcasm<div>
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I've missed blogging...sort of. Oh, I don't miss the endless hours of coming up with the funny to make my hobby (lifestyle? Sounds a bit much, right?) (Sport!) seem fun and dare I say, interesting to anyone but me or the repetitive recollections of glorious (in my own mind) battles, and occasionally victories, on the race course (Seriously, how many different ways can I mess up a race? For me, I'm pretty much a specialist at going out to fast and collapsing near the end). If I miss anything, it's the self-indulgence in focusing on myself and everything that I do. Still my inherent has consistently won out lately and I have neglected this space of my life. </div>
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So again, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I'm returning to this space with a new agenda. Let's see if inspiration strikes again as I attempt to chronicle my daily workouts. </div>
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Let's summarize: I've been pretty lazy and I'm changing stuff. Sounds good. <br />
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I've been pushing my training up a bit this year, trying to get slimmer and stronger at the same time. Owing to my techno-geek roots, I've been road testing several apps on my phone to help me out with my exercise and dieting. For the record, I'm rocking the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, however the apps that I've used are also available for the IPhone. In a moment of weakness, I also picked up an IPad 2, because I really wanted a tablet. Sorry Blackberry users, I haven't missed my Blackberry ever since I moved over to Android.</div>
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My goto app for the last month has been Calorie Counter by fatsecret. It is available for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatsecret.android&feature=apps_topselling_free">Android</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-by-fatsecret/id347184248?mt=8">IOS</a>, and <a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1565/">Blackberry</a> (BB users don't say I never gave you anything). I LOVE this app. I use it to record what I eat every day. It has a large database with tons of brand name foods as well as foods from popular restaurants, making recording my meals simple. Throw in the bar code scanner, and it takes nearly no time to record each food. It also has an exercise diary, so that I can make sure that I'm burning more calories than I'm taking in. It also has a weight loss diary, journal and recipe ideas for some added functionality. Essentially I use the food and exercise diaries the most. What's nice is that the app syncs across all my devices, so I can review my progress on either my phone or my IPad. This app is perfect for me, because it helps me stay accountable to my weight loss goals.</div>
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As far as workout tracking goes, I've been using my Garmin 610. I've loved having a GPS watch to record my running, since I first learned about them. The 610 is great as a watch and as a touchscreen run recorder. It is pretty accurate, syncs quickly with satellites (usually), and can sync with multiple devices (like my heart monitor) and programs.</div>
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However, I have been trying to get to the gym more to build my upper body strength and work on my flexibility. Along those lines, I've tried a couple different apps: <a href="http://www.endomondo.com/login">Endomondo</a> and <a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/imapmy/">Mapmyfitness</a>. They both work on Android, IOS, and Blackberry. Both share many of the same features, such as GPS tracking, workout timers, site integration, and social networking. They also offer voice feedback and live tracking. Mapmyfitness has a basic food diary, but Endomondo makes use of fun statistics to compare your workouts. Of the two, Endomondo seemed to be a bit more touchy on my Nexus than Mapmyfitness, sometimes switching workouts from random swipes at the screen.</div>
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For those who have difficulty putting together a workout program, there is <a href="http://www.skimble.com/">Workout Trainer</a> by Skimble. This program offers GPS tracking along with specific programs designed for various training goals like weight loss or muscle building. What's nice is that they use pictures and videos to show you how do the exercises. Be warned that while the app is free, some of the workout programs do cost as much as $10. It does offer plenty of free workouts to help you design your own program. I use it mainly to add some new exercise to my routine and spice things up every so often, but even then I rarely use it.</div>
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For those of you needing a basic health/wellness/medical/fitness all-in-one app, you may want to try out <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-health-tablet/id464381425?mt=8">MyHealthTablet</a> by the Fenway Group offers you a one stop shop for recording your information. It is currently only on the IPad. As a journal, it does a pretty good, albeit very basic, job of things. This provides a lot of flexibility, but sometimes makes it seem a bit simplistic. For the less technically inclined, this is a good thing, but I consider myself a power user so I would welcome more options.</div>
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On the non-mobile side of things, I'm currently using <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/">Daily Mile</a> to record my running workouts. It has a clean looking interface, syncs with my Garmin and shares the results on my Twitter feed and with my Daily Mile friends. Before Daily Mile, I used the <a href="http://traininglog.runnersworld.com/landingpage.aspx?cm_mmc=Mag_URL-_-2007_Sept-_-Tool-_-Training%20Log">Runners World Training Log</a> to record my workout sessions. Both are pretty good, but I prefer the Daily Mile interface over the detail of the RW Log. <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/">Garmin Connect </a> offers lots of detail but is tailored to sync with your Garmin Watch, so it lacks some of the flexibility and detail for other workouts.</div>
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With the diet, health and fitness industry booming, there are a ton of apps, programs and devices out there to help you reach your fitness goals. These few that I use are pretty good, but I've barely scratched the surface of what's available. Everyone has an app or feature that they love, and if that's the case, stick with the app you're using. However, no app in the world will help you lose weight, tone up or stay fit, if you don't do the hard work of diet and exercise yourself. Remember these are only tools, not shortcuts to being a better, more fit you.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-69368427163887046532012-02-26T20:53:00.003-08:002012-02-26T20:53:45.868-08:00The Race Realization<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-JpLKEPF4ec3Yg1p68qrvjaOLMicYklr6DdBZtwB-uZJa_orKNTSHl7TJHCsF3LB5d2YmZiu9ZI2fKozPBzuX3VWjCxroFvrK7hINIK1Z0QM96VrDllcVxD82C7YJrhweIvlie0Dsk0b/s1600/TomKing2012(250x200).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-JpLKEPF4ec3Yg1p68qrvjaOLMicYklr6DdBZtwB-uZJa_orKNTSHl7TJHCsF3LB5d2YmZiu9ZI2fKozPBzuX3VWjCxroFvrK7hINIK1Z0QM96VrDllcVxD82C7YJrhweIvlie0Dsk0b/s200/TomKing2012(250x200).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Yeah...It occurred to me to me yesterday that I have signed up to run a 1/2 marathon <a href="http://www.nashvillesports.com.php5-17.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/site/content/18th-annual-gupton-jeep-tom-king-classic">(the Tom King Classic)</a> in 2 weeks. It also occurred to me that my longest run since the first has been 8 miles with the majority of my long runs being between 5 and 7 miles. My speed work has been practically non-existent. Yeah...I think I'm screwed.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-10683335424153742612012-02-20T20:18:00.000-08:002012-02-20T20:18:00.345-08:00The Negligence Reaction<div style="text-align: justify;">
To say that I've been negligent with my blog postings would be a....I don't know what it would be, but it wouldn't be nice. So from the first sentence, you can see why my blogging efforts have been less than stellar. On the plus side, basketball season (5th grade basketball season, that is) is over and now I have some free time to devote to my training, and presumably this blog. On the negative side, soccer season (5th and 6th grade soccer season, that is) starts up in about 2 weeks, so my rest will be short lived. I've got a general outline for my race year, and frankly it is looking pretty sparse. With all my anticipated coaching duties, it appears that I won't have that many free Saturdays to rip off a quick 5K, much less train for a long race. Still I should get in 2 or more half marathons and hopefully a full this October. The races that are on the short list so far are the Tom King Half, the Country Music Half, and the Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon in Winchester, TN. If my schedule works out, then I'll also try to slip in the Middle Half in Murfreesboro, but I'm not betting the farm on it. I'll probably pick up my usual round of 5K's and 10K's this summer, but as it stands, I'm not sure when I'm going to get in all those long runs. </div>
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In a bit of gluttony-for-punishment news, I've started doing long runs again at Percy Warner Park. I haven't gone over 8 miles there yet due to the weather (it isn't winter all week till Sunday when I have to do a long run in the morning. Damn global warming!), but I should be tackling the Main Drive soon. I'm sure that I'll cuss and whine about it too. I'm not sure when I became a gigantic sissy, but I sure do find plenty of reasons not to do those long runs.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-66807410095778608662012-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:002012-01-15T21:48:03.904-08:00The Pinewood Derby Obstrution<div style="text-align: justify;">
So I still haven't figured out my race schedule for the year, and we're already into the middle of January. It's not for lack of looking however. I've gone through the regional marathons for the fall, but nothing is jumping out at me. I keep toying with the Tupelo Marathon in September, but damn, I'm betting it's gonna be hot. Throw in that it does not play to my strengths as it is not a big marathon, so I'm really iffy about this one. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pinewood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Official Pinewood Derby car kit." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="137" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Pinewood.jpg/300px-Pinewood.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pinewood.jpg">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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Meanwhile, I've been neck deep in activities with my kids, and I have not had much time to do anything else. For example, today I had 5th grade basketball practice (which I love (We're 3-2, so not too bad so far.)) and kids marathon training after practice (which helped with my weekly mileage, so that's all good). When I get home from work tomorrow, I promised the boy that we would start on his pinewood derby car (Ya know, there's a reason that I'm not a woodworker). Nevermind that he didn't want to use the skill saw of the nice man at the scout meeting because he wanted it to be handmade (Did I mention that nothing in my skill set includes woodworking? Just wanted to make sure we got that straight). If I haven't managed to saw off my thumb by the weekend, it will be a frakkin' miracle. On the totally random plus side, I've re-discovered Coolio thanks to <i>Rachel vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off</i>. 1-2-3-4...Get your woman on the floor!</div>
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<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=6c2cb9bc-82af-46c9-b864-0631f63a8e63" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-13274983197641440492012-01-03T18:19:00.000-08:002012-01-03T18:19:00.758-08:00The Cheddar Accompaniment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WZQqVi_kps/TwO2jish1CI/AAAAAAAAAnw/lXGX2bC8a68/s1600/wine-cheese-pairing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WZQqVi_kps/TwO2jish1CI/AAAAAAAAAnw/lXGX2bC8a68/s1600/wine-cheese-pairing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WZQqVi_kps/TwO2jish1CI/AAAAAAAAAnw/lXGX2bC8a68/s320/wine-cheese-pairing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Why can't I get motiviated to prep my race schedule for this year? The only race that I'm officially scheduled to run is the Country Music Half-Marathon this April. (There is also the Disney Goofy Race in a couple days, but due to RL, I've decided to drop out of that one. Lame, I know, but frankly, I'm not upset about it, because I just wasn't ready for it.) I have a vague idea that I will try the Tom King Half again in March and possibly the Middle Half in October. I need to pick a full marathon for the fall, but beyond that I can't muster the energy to do the leg work. I'm sure that it's just the winter/post-holiday blahs, but I really need to get my head out of my ass and get back to work. And yes, I do like cheese with my whine.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-30302284733836951812011-11-22T18:22:00.001-08:002011-11-22T18:32:51.899-08:00Irish Pride 5K Recap<div align="justify">
The Father Ryan Irish Pride 5K was November 13, 2011. As you can see, I'm a little late with this recap. This was a [post] Veteran's Day race that benefitted the Father Ryan scholarship fund. This was a small, local race that I learned about during my stint as my kids' cross country coach. I also learned that several kids and parents from other parochial schools would also be participating. When I found this out, I knew that I would be running this race. After all, I have to represent, right? Word. The weather was chilly, but sunny. Nearly ideal racing conditions. It was a quick little out and back. Although it wasn't a certified course, I whipped out a fast 5K, finishing in 20:37. This was a 6:39/mi pace that won me a 3rd place finish in my age group. It was also a PR! A nice finish to a fun little race.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-41069394388054069092011-11-05T21:40:00.000-07:002011-11-05T21:40:23.877-07:00The Breathe Deep Nashville 5K<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jmzXQCwTFzE/TrYIKsIp_7I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/_hVsMXQA9hU/s1600/Breathe%252520Deep%252520Nashville%252520LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jmzXQCwTFzE/TrYIKsIp_7I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/_hVsMXQA9hU/s200/Breathe%252520Deep%252520Nashville%252520LOGO.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Today was the Breathe Deep Nashville 5K. It was an event sponsored to fund lung cancer research. I formed an SBA team for this race as this was organized by one of the SBA parents who's on the steering committtee. The race took place around and in Centennial Park. Since much of the course was outside of the park, it was a bit hillier than I anticipated, but not significantly so. Despite a late 9:00 am start, it was pretty cold this morning; somewhere around the mid-40's.</div>
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I knew that there were a lot of races going on in Nashville today, so I figured that the field would be small. Even so, I hadn't run much since the Lincoln Y Half-Marathon and I wasn't sure how I would do. Turns out that I was right in that the field was pretty small. Probably under 500 participants. Despite the weather and the course, I managed a decent time and finish. I finished the race in 21:17, 6:51/mi with a 1st place finish in my age group and a 6th place finish overall.</div>
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Of note from this race, one of my 5th grade cross country runners ran the race today also. Today was her 2nd 5k, and she got 1st place in her age group with a sub 30 min finish! Makes an old coach proud. When did I get so old????</div>
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Finally, a shout out to my homies who finished the Savannah Rock and Roll Half and Full Marathon today and the Ragnar Relay. Great job everybody!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-29768917830292490712011-10-29T21:27:00.000-07:002011-10-29T21:36:44.069-07:00Race Recap Trifecta<div style="text-align: justify;">
Okay, so I've admitted that I've been on a blogging and training slump. However in my mind, I still feel guilty about both, so in an act of <strike>utter self-congratulatory preening</strike> redemption, I'm going to hit you with my last 3 race recaps cliff notes style!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yQjdxXgYyWGZhuv6qLiizrAw0lpPAGRiZdh7byvfaqNkjCR-4d6eYulHHB0lYHj5w5Vi2MM4n5j55IvvPzZhvsCXCozKa_g3L0B0ON8bt2oYoSwbvRixeFLhu088f0bA5INXB8V5-ZpT/s1600/WarriorDash_logo_backsplash_RGB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yQjdxXgYyWGZhuv6qLiizrAw0lpPAGRiZdh7byvfaqNkjCR-4d6eYulHHB0lYHj5w5Vi2MM4n5j55IvvPzZhvsCXCozKa_g3L0B0ON8bt2oYoSwbvRixeFLhu088f0bA5INXB8V5-ZpT/s200/WarriorDash_logo_backsplash_RGB1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<u>Warrior Dash</u> </div>
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Setting: 9/17/11, Manchester, TN. A beautiful day if not a bit warm. This was the site for Bonnaroo.</div>
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Summary: This was a 5K obstacle course with about 11 obstacles which included demolished cars, scaling walls, fire and a mud pit! It was as if Bonnaroo and Cross-fit had an unholy union and spawned a race. Most notable were the number of grossly obese and out-of-shape people who attended. Give a man a fuzzy viking hat (looks more like a water buffalo hat from the Flinstones) and he'll try anything. At one scaling wall, I had hooked my arm under a screaming woman and helped her over the wall. She was very thankful as I dropped off the wall and ran onto finish the race.</div>
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Conclusion: 23rd out of 612 men, age 40-45. 525th out of 6209 overall. 32:48.00 finish time. 9:23/mi pace. This was a fun race and would have been even more fun had I run it with some of my friends. Next year, I may race it in the morning and come back wth my friends in the afternoon and run it again!<br />
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<u>The Middle Half</u></div>
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Setting: 10/15/11, Murfreesboro, TN. A perfect day for a race. Started off cool and stayed cool even after the sun came up. The course was relatively flat and fast with a ton of volunteers and crowd support.</div>
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Summary: This was the annual half-marathon in Murfreesboro. This was the race that I had circled on my calendar all year. Typically I run pretty fast in the 'Boro, so I was hoping that I could break my half-marathon record there. Despite a light summer training schedule, I went out pretty fast and was able to maintain my pace. My watch was showing me an average pace of 7:21-ish/mi, but at mile 9 and 10 I started to notice that my measured distance was off significantly from the course markers and my watch distance. I figured that my watch was off by about .4 of a mile. Doing even more math in my head, I figured that I would not get my goal time of a sub 1:39:00. When I hit the finish line, the clock read 1:40:00. I later learned that the police officers directing race traffic accidently sent the early runners the wrong way, and we ran an extra .4 mile, which explained the deviation between the mile markers and my watch. All times were declared unofficial as the race directors could not determine who ran farther and who did not (the officers realized their mistake later and directed the remaining racers correctly along the course).</div>
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Conclusion: 23rd out of 153 men, age 40-44. 94th out of 1776 overall. Clock time of 1:40:00 for 13.509 miles, 7:24/mi pace. Re-calculated time for 13.1 miles, 1:36:56, 7:24/mi pace. A new PR either way. If not for the hiccup with the distance, this was a near perfect race in regards to the conditions, course, support, and crowd. I really enjoyed it. Except for the distance screw-up. That really cheesed me off.<br />
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<u>The Lincoln Family Y Half-Marathon</u></div>
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Setting: 10/22/11, Phoenix, AZ. Phoenix in October starts off very cool in the morning and heats up quickly when the sun rises. By the middle of the race, the temps were between 80 and 90 but there was a breeze that helped alleviate the heat. The course ran through the South Mountain Regional Park and was lots of rolling hills. The scenary was beautiful, but it also had a stark, desolate edge to it. Not nearly enough crowd presence (practically none) for my tastes.</div>
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Summary: I had flown out to Scottsdale for a work conference and learned that this race would take place on the last day of my conference. Seizing the opportunity, I signed up for it earlier in the year and planned to use it as training run. This had not taken into account my experience at the Middle Half. Now with something to prove, I decided to turn this race into a full blown race, but realizing my limitations, I was hoping instead for a strong finish around a 7:30-ish/mi pace. However the combination of jet lag, a half week of gluttonous eating and drinking, and only 4 hours sleep, and I was lucky to make it off the starting line. My pace starting out was well below my goal pace and the rolling hills were quickly becoming a challenge. Like the landscape, the crowd support was bare, which was a big negative for me. I feed off crowd energy to help me push through some of the harder miles, so when there is no crowd <strike>for me to play up to</strike> to cheer me on, I start to drag. And drag, I did. By mile 7, I was spent and knew that I would be lucky to finish under 2 hours. By mile 10, I was pretty baked by exhaustion, the heat, muscle cramps, and a slight lingering hangover, and I thought I would be lucky to finish at all. Pride kept me moving and I did finish the race, albeit much the worse for wear. I gathered what was left of my sunken pride and my pounding headache and headed back to my hotel to pack up and catch my flight back home. On a side note, the starter for the race was Wyatt Earp's great-great grand nephew or some such. He carried on the family name of "Wyatt Earp" and even dressed the part, mustache and all. He started the race off with ridiculously loud shotgun. That was pretty cool.</div>
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Conclusion: 17th out of 49 men, ages 40-49. 66th out of 327 overall. 1:47:38, 8:13/mi pace. Not my best time in the world, but not my worst either. Had I used this race as a pure training long run, I would have been more than happy. However since the Middle Half, I'm still feeling "unofficial." I run races to prove myself, and the "official" stamp, as superficial as it may be, validates my hard work and displays for the world to see (at least the parts that decide to check) that I have accomplished something. So when I string together 2 less than ideal races, I tend to get a little pissy. Still I'm glad that I got to do the race. It was fun-ish but hard. </div>
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Next week, I'm going back to my regular training schedule just in time for the Lungevity 5K next Saturday. Let's hope I'm ready, because I don't know how much longer I can stand listening to my pissy, whiny ass!</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-15666562705473254822011-10-28T20:40:00.000-07:002011-10-28T20:40:08.690-07:00The Reality Check<div style="text-align: justify;">
The problem with blogging is that at some point you will hit a creative wall and fail in your bloggity updates. The problem with being a runner is that a some point you will hit a wall in your training and you will fail to keep up your training. I don't actually like to think of it as a failure but more of the body and mind working together to force you to rest and recover. After running two half-marathons on consecutive Saturdays, I can confess that I have hit that recovery wall. This week I have not had the will to muster the strength to go run much at all. This would be all and good if I didn't prop up the time off from running with a mango key lime pie from Publix nearly every night this week. A runner is intimately aware of what his or her body can handle. We know the sound of every creak and pop our joints make as we struggle out of bed. We search out the familiar tightness in our calves as we stretch before a hard run. We suffer every cramp and spasm to know when we start to break down. We know our limits so that we can routinely test them and push past them on occasion. My reality is that despite my best efforts, I'm getting older and it's getting harder to push my body to its limits. And this week I hit mine. Hard. I'm resting and trying not to feel guilty about it. But in reality I know that I needed the rest. So off to rest I go!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-63263783196303216342011-09-25T20:49:00.001-07:002011-09-25T20:49:24.297-07:00The Non-Competitive Learning CurveI realize that I'm not always the best judge of what passes for "normal" nowadays, but when people try to tell me that they don't like to compete (in a race, game, etc.) but just have fun, it takes everything I have to hide my look of befuddled incredulity (honestly, most times, I don't hide it all). Can you NOT compete and have fun? I find the idea shocking. What more fun is there than to see your enemies and rivals laid out at your feet awash in defeat? Is it not everyone's dream to stand over your fellow competitors in haughty derision at their loss? Is not victory most sweet stolen from those who are not awesome enough to take it away from you? Playing for fun...and not to win? Sounds like a commie plot to me.<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-62174793519498733732011-09-16T20:50:00.000-07:002011-09-16T20:50:09.776-07:00Adrenaline Leakage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tomorrow is the <a href="http://www.warriordash.com/">Warrior Dash</a> in Manchester, TN. For those of you not in the know, it's a 5K obstacle course that includes mud pits, slides, pipe crawls and fire jumping. Oh...and horned warrior hats. You read that right. Horned. Warrior. Hats. You had me at "horned." To prepare myself for this race, I've considered wrestling alligators, swinging with gorillas and chasing my dog through the doggy park. This all seemed too 'soft' to me, so instead I decided to cut back on my mileage and weightlifting to run a couple miles with grade schoolers. I kid. Coaching the SBA cross country team has been surprisingly invigorating despite the logistics of managing a 100 + strong member team. Couple the nervous energy of herding small children about, my own over-flowing Joel-ness, and various hardcore rap tunes, and you get one super-pumped warrior-to-be. The trick of course will be to not do something incredibly stupid tomorrow to try to win. I promise you this is no easy feat for me. I can be INSANELY stupid when it comes to competition. Did I mention that winners get a horned warrior hat upgrade? Oh, yeah. IT. IS. SO. ON.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-65005039444568059612011-09-06T20:59:00.000-07:002011-09-06T20:59:12.185-07:00The Franklin Classic 5K Race Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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Yesterday, I celebrated Labor Day by running in the Franklin Classic 5K Run/Walk. If you look closely at the image to the left, you will notice that there was also a 10K. Anyone who knows me would then be asking yourself, "I wonder why this Dingus didn't run the 10K also? Or even both races?" (In my self-absorbed head, everyone is always wondering why I do the things that I do.) This is becoming a very tired song, but again my training has dropped off lately. Not entirely my fault this time (I'm not just watching TV and shoveling pie into my face) as I have been trying to run/organize/coach/herd my son's school's cross country team through this season. So for the last several weeks, I haven't done much over 20 miles with my longest run being no more than 8 miles. Ug-ly.</div>
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So in a move uncharacteristic of myself, I used some good sense and logic to realize that I couldn't race the 10K effectively, much less both races, and signed up for the 5K. Even if I totally sucked, I could at least make a good show of a 5K, right? Seemed right to me.</div>
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So race day is a dreary kind of cool and rainy day. Most of the rain had let up by the time the 5K rolled around, but it was still "spitting" a bit. I lined up in the 6-8 min/mile corral. <strong>RANT:</strong> I realize that everyone likes to be up front and everyone believes that they can be run a 4 minute mile. If you're one of these people and you can even come close to a 4 minute mile, I salute you. I can't do that, but I know that I can do 6:50/mi. However if you're one of those people that insist on lining up front and so that you can mark out your walking trail first, I just want to shake you. You people always seem to be right in front of me, slowing me down and breathing my oxygen. It just ain't right. I don't have anything against walkers. I love 'em. I love 'em lined up in the back, out of my way. So do us all a favor and line up where you actually think you will finish. Rant done.</div>
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The race went pretty well. I managed negative splits turning in a 6:54, 6:49 and 6:29 (and a 6:16/mi pace for the last .1 mile). I finished 53rd overall (out of 1t 006) with a time of 21:08, 6:49/mi. This earned me 3rd place in my age group and a new PR! Compared to the <a href="http://lawmonkey13.blogspot.com/2011/08/goodlettsville-classic-4-mile-run-race.html">Goodlettsville 4 Miler</a> that I had run over a month ago, this race was much better. I had really pushed myself and left almost nothing on the course. The field was pretty big, so placing meant a lot to me. Beyond that, the course was challenging but not overly difficult, and as usual the Striders put on a well-organized event. The race benefitted a great cause, and there was plenty of community support. I would definitely consider doing this race again.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-5201547278911733592011-09-01T19:57:00.000-07:002011-09-01T20:59:02.103-07:00The Cross Country Dilemma<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeCWIuYfoYvKKSG9V-bZHIjXPLaTx6lY5AD0bMPvVLEHQT-AxooD-q2rZRGDedfq-7VB2uoS5J_2sMpbvCfj40-4ekGkRNkI8e5uIOrdhWqmDbePdATFUcwvEBOoo5fJ73dZ171zyWu2m/s1600/bears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeCWIuYfoYvKKSG9V-bZHIjXPLaTx6lY5AD0bMPvVLEHQT-AxooD-q2rZRGDedfq-7VB2uoS5J_2sMpbvCfj40-4ekGkRNkI8e5uIOrdhWqmDbePdATFUcwvEBOoo5fJ73dZ171zyWu2m/s200/bears.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Before we get started, I could have sworn that "dilemma" was actually spelled "dilemNa" but if Google says I'm wrong, I must be wrong (and the longer I look at it, I know that I was wrong). On to my self-indulgent ranting! At some point after my kids' school started, I stopped being a runner and became an administrative coordinator. Thanks to the political shenanigans of my <a href="http://adayinthelife-julie.blogspot.com/">lovely wife</a>, I am now the cross country coach at my kids' school. I'm in charge of around 113 kids (the number changes depending on the whimsical nature of kids who want to play with their friends after school and the other kids who want to quit because the coach is a psycho meanie-face) from grades K-8. Thankfully I have a cadre of awesome volunteer assistant coaches to help me <strike>herd cats</strike> keep up with the kiddos. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I81J8Y09pkY3Y0xD4-iaFIFP7YpgQ3DM7_LjboqUMuG0NzD4ehz55TId65QHDvqetHySsmG0i0QCiWj4EpgwKUr2DsdBmWSaHZ7ExKjFLfKxLz9Qz5hVeMe5A2jbwlIPSVru8pYgy7F_/s1600/wingedfoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I81J8Y09pkY3Y0xD4-iaFIFP7YpgQ3DM7_LjboqUMuG0NzD4ehz55TId65QHDvqetHySsmG0i0QCiWj4EpgwKUr2DsdBmWSaHZ7ExKjFLfKxLz9Qz5hVeMe5A2jbwlIPSVru8pYgy7F_/s200/wingedfoot.jpg" width="200" /></a>And while I love running with the kids, I have to admit I don't get to do enough of that. Most of my time before and after practice is spent making sure that I have plenty of volunteers, that I know which kids have joined or quit, that I have emailed every parent with practice updates, and that I'm sufficiently stocked in forms, first aid kits, water, and cups. The list of things that needs to get done between practices seems pretty endless and seriously cuts into my running/workout time.<br />
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Don't get me wrong...I actually am having a good time. Since XC (that's how all the cool kids abbreviate it (my lovely wife thinks these are the same kids that spell dilemma with 2 m's)), my mileage has dropped significantly. Between work, school and having a semi-normal life, I have not had a chance to get in all my training runs. Worse for me is that I'm having such a good time running with the kids that I want to run all the time. They're really inspiring when they push themselves hard and suck it up so it doesn't look like they want to quit, even though they're pretty wiped. Even better is that some of them seem to actually enjoy it! I miss that feeling sometimes when I'm trying to slog through the hard miles, but when I run with my kids, sometimes I touch that feeling of joy and fun again for the briefest of moments. And you know what...that is pretty cool.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-5176337672682394582011-08-01T23:20:00.000-07:002011-08-01T23:20:21.168-07:00The Goodlettsville Classic 4 Mile Run Race Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWPUIEm4h1ydRmxQjjoJJAuuGQayNasT5d0pZN2s8c3unaLwhUDnC1StJljayWqryi3tJj33yRaj02aHovDXRqHVrQA3W6tfCcIEKpKWNSHIeAy4bMKMYxABNIXp80CoXo3BvklQDA6ql/s1600/goodlettsville-4-mile_0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWPUIEm4h1ydRmxQjjoJJAuuGQayNasT5d0pZN2s8c3unaLwhUDnC1StJljayWqryi3tJj33yRaj02aHovDXRqHVrQA3W6tfCcIEKpKWNSHIeAy4bMKMYxABNIXp80CoXo3BvklQDA6ql/s200/goodlettsville-4-mile_0051.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another race, another race recap. This year was another first for me, The Goodlettsville Classic 4 Mile Run. Even though I used to work in the Goodlettsville area for a year, I had never been to Moss Wright Park. Of course in those days, I was about 50 lbs. heavier and the only place I ran was to the Krispy Kreme when the hot, fresh doughnuts sign turned on. In any case, I was back in Goodlettsville for this odd distance race. By now, you all know the story. My training to-date has been less than stellar. My mileage has been short, but I thought the combination of speed work, hill work and weights would help carry me through. Since this was a Nashville Strider race, I assumed that the field would be large and competitive. Although it was competitive, it was a pretty small field. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL7Akspyw5rLfvx4i2SllVgRXKuOx53ON-GDD1dsJqiEmjZ8iFMPqCGM8tWiQa4kjZ51FkYEGqgkWMNAep-BWYAdaYfKHfKVLUqWWnhCngN9szACLl5A26YIb_xodTWJvubUDYKsJHliB/s1600/goodlettsville-4-mile_0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL7Akspyw5rLfvx4i2SllVgRXKuOx53ON-GDD1dsJqiEmjZ8iFMPqCGM8tWiQa4kjZ51FkYEGqgkWMNAep-BWYAdaYfKHfKVLUqWWnhCngN9szACLl5A26YIb_xodTWJvubUDYKsJHliB/s200/goodlettsville-4-mile_0175.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The race course itself was relatively flat and beautiful. It was a mix of paved and tight gravel paths. Fortunately my trail running made those transitions from gravel to pavement easy to manage. Ultimately, I finished 27th overall out of 169. This won me a 2nd place award in my age group with a time of 28:48, 7:12/mi. Was this worthy of a top 3 finish? Apparently, but in hindsight, I probably could have tried harder. In hindsight, I probably should have tried harder, and it makes me mad at myself that I did not. Yes, it's nice to win awards and accolades, but if I get them for putting out a second best effort, is it worth as much? Maybe, but I still won't feel good about it. It was a good race with a nice course that deserved more effort from me, whether or not my level of training was up to snuff. Next year, I might race it again, but if I do, I will do it right.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-398374939812441475.post-58360119571288165872011-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:002011-07-23T20:18:48.828-07:00The Captain America Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kc9GvB7lUUEx_AsZh7lT7naVsYiarsWY6m7BXYyq2mCCJkuY3kQ1F_Y5jxPeusig8OieiL1BUw_HoBSqCPeF6Hp95mk4XkukgpgFIqiNrt_P7JDGgkemHPRzR1Dt5PIrWKwltUJkAmhE/s1600/captain-america-movie-poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kc9GvB7lUUEx_AsZh7lT7naVsYiarsWY6m7BXYyq2mCCJkuY3kQ1F_Y5jxPeusig8OieiL1BUw_HoBSqCPeF6Hp95mk4XkukgpgFIqiNrt_P7JDGgkemHPRzR1Dt5PIrWKwltUJkAmhE/s320/captain-america-movie-poster.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So the boy and I saw <i>Captain America: The First Avenger </i>today. As you can imagine it was a good father and son bonding opportunity. We shared popcorn, discussed what we thought was cool about the movie and even went to Rick's Comic City after the movie to cap off the day (fyi, Dad's this is a great way to spend the day with your kids. Movies and cool swag at Rick's. I highly recommend it. And not just because I hope to get another 5% discount on my comics. Wink. Wink). With a movie like <i>Captain America</i>, you will get any number of mixed reviews from the rotten tomato to upbeat praise of a new action hero. As comic movies go, this is one of the best that I have seen to date. I was somewhat skeptical of Chris Evans from his Human Torch days in <i>Fantastic Four</i>, but he beefed up both his physical and acting skills for the role. The story was a good mix of the classic Cap origin with some modern twists to make the story work and keep the action moving. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What puts this movie above other summer comic movies this year is that it is not only a comic movie but also a running movie! True believers, I am here to testify that this is one of the best running movies that I've ever seen. After Cap gets his amazing powers, the scientist that gave him his powers is killed. Cap leaps into action, running down the street after the Nazi murderer. What the sharp-eyed runner will note is that Cap is doing so....wait for it....'cause it's really good...barefoot!!! Now I understand Evans may actually have worn flesh colored foot boots a la Vibrams, but the message is clear, America's favorite son supports barefoot running!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCTv6i3589A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now for the rest of the movie, we see Cap running in his trademark army regulation boots, but for a good 10 minutes we were treated to barefoot running Cap. Even without additional barefoot running scenes, the movie is chock full of running. When Cap isn't marching or riding his Harley, he is running and jumping full tilt into battle. The movie trailer alone would be a great advertisement for the <a href="http://warriordash.com/">Warrior Dash 5K</a> (which yours truly is signed up for in September). </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IOHMGlD9hKSlz7wvdhHZmQrYz8ASTkO2ZbZ5WkiotjcDonTMDhtw0Xa6-VxZvTXh-oNlRCvm4tVRkaJltDIprN0Khh-ZzVN8FIUEl_eVdBXowwhMLq761Wpz7uoLMlD1lP_HjNZJr756/s1600/Captain-America-Movie-Image-CE-HR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IOHMGlD9hKSlz7wvdhHZmQrYz8ASTkO2ZbZ5WkiotjcDonTMDhtw0Xa6-VxZvTXh-oNlRCvm4tVRkaJltDIprN0Khh-ZzVN8FIUEl_eVdBXowwhMLq761Wpz7uoLMlD1lP_HjNZJr756/s200/Captain-America-Movie-Image-CE-HR.jpg" width="200" /></a>Now I don't think that the boy noticed the running as much as I did (10 year old boys tend to focus on the derring-do, the heroic stances, and the really cool gadgets), but I think that he got the message. Listen to the trailer. A wimpy Steve Rogers explains that once you start running, you can't stop. Truer words, if I ever heard any. But what I liked even more was that it was running movie about heart. Wimpy Steve Rogers didn't become Cap overnight. He had to train. Train hard. He was not the strongest, but he was smart and brave. He had guts and a never-say-quit spirit that naturally appeals to all runners, even the non-super soldier variety. It was reminiscent of a less cocky, less hirsute Steve Prefontaine. Hard work and guts can win the race, kids. And against Nazis no less! Hoorah!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sSsOdUDTJaZTtt9MmgWmlzJJIeNMR3Nsn4fokNgxi4bQ9i55rbBwtZ0450o1-qkuE7HTOK5lPalA7ibZHJz1NR1ztKKafIg_CbLlzoPbPxKKc5hKakG1evTvbxfQiSInpm1pwxnuSTr_/s1600/wpid-ChrisEvans00321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sSsOdUDTJaZTtt9MmgWmlzJJIeNMR3Nsn4fokNgxi4bQ9i55rbBwtZ0450o1-qkuE7HTOK5lPalA7ibZHJz1NR1ztKKafIg_CbLlzoPbPxKKc5hKakG1evTvbxfQiSInpm1pwxnuSTr_/s320/wpid-ChrisEvans00321.jpg" width="213" /></a>With my final words, I say this is a must-see movie for both comic lovers and runners alike. I dare any runner out there to watch this movie and not appreciate the speed and strength of a barefoot Cap running through the streets of Brooklyn or be thrilled by a suited up Cap tearing into Nazis or even get choked up by a desperate running Steve Rogers running through modern day New York realizing all that he's lost. If you aren't moved, you must be dead inside. Sniff. Truly this is movie for everyone. Would I pay full price to see this movie? Absolutely. I would do it twice and then buy the blu-ray combo pack when it comes out (I don't even own a blu-ray player!). So there you go. <i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i>, the best running superhero movie of the summer. Excelsior!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04719255131328993925noreply@blogger.com0