For My Next Venture into Competition...

I am contemplating my next competition. In the most recent copy of "Runners World" magazine, I saw a half-marathon being held on August 11, 2007. It is a half-marathon being run from Georgetown to Idaho Springs, Colorado. The course is 13.1 miles and drops in elevation from 8,500 feet to 7,500 feet. It supports the Idaho Springs school district.

I like it for a couple of reasons.
1 - A good cause.
2 - An extablished race and course in a mountain environment. There is even a trail portion of the course.
3 - I have my training schedule and have not had time to get too far away from the regimens.
4 - I will be able to say that I have run from the continental divide all the way down to Idaho Springs (1/2 hour or so from Denver).
5 - I will be able to maintain my training better at least through the middle of August!
6 - I am working on my support crew to either run the race, or volunteer to assist at the finish line!
7 - It is lower in elevation and I think I'll be able to run it more efficiently.

Running the race? The latest copy of "Runners World" also has a training schedule for a 13.1 mile race!

Now...
I like the concept of "Running the World." Have you heard of it? You can hear about it on Fdip 103! With the miles I have run this year, along with the recorded miles on my treadmill, I figure I have run almost coast to coast of the United States.

Important...
I forgot to mention that I ran my first half-marathon with a "Pray For Elijah" band. This is a picture of my wrist with the band as I hold my very first competition chip. The bands are in and can be ordered (while they last) through PayPal or Elijah's website on Caring Bridge @ www.caringbridge.org/visit/elijahtalley. You can get details on ordering the bands from there or at www.prayforelijah.com.

I was given the opportunity of wearing this band through Susan (http://www.irunformylife.blogspot.com/). Susan has been a big inspiration to me and I cannot thank her enough for all of her support.

I have ordered additional bands for my entire support crew, including Molly, my Australian Shepard!


Finally...
Gatorade. I just discovered it. I always thought it was just for Jocks. Well, I guess that I am a Jock now. It sped my recovery along from my last half marathon. I also used it to run my 8 miles today. I have never felt so good during a run. I don't know what the rest of you do for training notes, but I note what I ate before the run including the evening before, what is drank/consumed during and how the run felt. I rate the run on how it felt to me. Today was a most excellent run in my opinion.

Oh yeah... Thanks to all of you for your support, as well. You've done wonders for me and I appreciate it!

What a way to spend the day!

So my Doctor office called me. Time to set another appointment. They asked me if I wanted to come in this week. I told them that I would prefer to wait a week due to the fact that I just ran a HALF-MARATHON!!!

They agreed. So, next week I will see my Family Doctor. This is the man that started me on the mad RUN to fitness. I feel that I owe him a lot!

One thing that I did not talk about was the fact that my half-marathon included the final few miles toward completing 1,000 miles run in 2007!!! YAY!!! I did it!

With today's run of 5.24 miles, I have 1,006.50 miles to my credit. I am pretty satisfied with that acheivement!

After a Race, One Should Rest...

It would have been wonderful to rest on Sunday. What you want and what you get may be two different things.

It was a quiet start to the day, then things got busy. We were set to experience a possible record setting hot day. It was determined to spend a great day with Tom's family at Elitches (a local amusement park).

We got to the park as soon as it opened. It was fun to pose for a picture just inside the gate to commemorate our day. The lines were short so we rode a lot of rides.

A picture of me with Tom's neice and nephew.

The kids were not afraid. First ride was "The Flying Coaster!" You lay down in it as it spins you round and round on its track. I went on it once as the kids wanted to ride with me. Then I stood in the hot sun and took pictures of them.
The Flying Car coming in for a landing!

We were able to spend 6 hours at the amusement park. I'm thinking that I drank enough water, but I suspect (now as I write this that I did not).

We went from the amusement park to a western style steak house for dinner. Tom's Brother grew up in Denver and has a large circle of friends here still. A lot of us met at the steak house to reacquaint old ties.

Dinner at the steak house. Is that me in a SpongeBob SquarePants T-shirt?

This steak house has a reputation for cutting off those citified ties (neck ties). So, we made sure that we had one for each of the kids. The waiter waited until our dinner was finished, then invited the kids over and amongst much pomp and circumstance the ties were cut off. Soon after, the house band started up and Tom's niece asked him to dance. Tom tried to fend her off, but he just can't say no to that girl.
Tom and Julia cutting a rug. Mitch and his Mom also danced.

I continued to drink water. Lots of water. Eventually, everything caught up with me, though. Rich food, electrolyte levels down, too much sun, too much activity. Around midnight, I awoke with an urgent need to visit the porcelain pony. There were some stomach spasms and accompanying physical results. I was able to get back to sleep quickly. But repeated it again for two more times and again when I arose for the day.

With relaxation, more water, Gatorade, and some alka seltzer, my system has slowly returned to normal. After my next race, I am going to ensure more rest time. It has to help.

Sunday? Not so restful a rest day. Monday? A regular rest day. Tomorrow? I'll run again!

My First Half-Marathon

The day started early. Really early. I set my alarm for 4:30 AM. I woke at 4:20 and shut it off. I got ready for the day. Tom was ready to go about the same time. Jeff came by at 5:30 and we headed for the mountains. Georgetown is on I-70 West of Denver (about an hour away). We arrived at 6:30 and parked. I checked in and got my bib number 221. We got back into the car and headed further West to this great nation's continental divide.

On the way, both Tom & Jeff were commenting on how far it was from Georgetown and how far I would have to run to get back. It did seem like quite a way to go!

We got to the start line and I discovered that I was suppose to pick up my race chip at registration. I don't know these things. I'm a newbie. The lady I checked in with didn't mention anything about it. I guess that I assumed that they would be given out at the starting line. Race officials arranged to get the chip sent up through a family member.

I wasn't the only one that did not pick up their chip. Later on, an official brought two trays of chips up. It was funny.

This was the start line with 30 seconds to go. What a lot of people! Notice the snow on the continental divide.

When the race start count down started, I was at the back of the pack. Not knowing how this crowd would work out the order, I decided to stay back and see what happened. It was not long before I was able to start running at a pace that I could accept. The first 5 miles was a trail run. It was a doubletrack that was jam filled with people. I was able to keep my starting pace by keeping to the outside.
I am headed to the trail head after the start of the race.

I would see Tom & Jeff at different points during the race. It made it very interesting for me as I'd watch for them and enjoy their friendly chides. One lady running near me, asked if I knew "those two." I told her that they were my friends! She said, "Then the old adage is true! Kep your friends close and your enemies closer." I don't know how true that is, but it made for a fun moment or two! Especially when I told "those two" later on!

I have to admit that I was not prepared for the drop in elevation during the race. By the end of the trail portion, my legs were buring with the downhill running. I slowed my pace to compensate a little. As if the race knew, the first climb happened here. It seemed to go on forever. Everyone around me was slowing down or starting to walk. I tried to keep up the pace by shortening my stride, but it was tough!

The graph (from Sport Tracks software) showing the drop according to my Garnmin Forerunner 205.

Soon enough, I came to the halfway point of the race. I felt renewed vigor and looked forward to the finish line. There were quite a few views of the Colorado countryside. It was a great place to run.

We approached the town of Georgetown. Thinking it was close to done, we had some hairpin curves and steep inclines down into the town. Thinking of 1 1/2 miles to go, I looked forward to it. Unfortunately, the final mile to the finish line was seemingly all uphill. I was surprised when a friend from work, Carlos, showed up a few blocks short of the finish line to run with me to it. He had participated in the 4 mile mile run from earlier in the day. It was a lot of fun to run with someone for the last little bit!
Carlos and I just short of the finish line!

Crossing the Finish Line!

Carlos let me finish the finish line by myself. Then he showed me where to get my goodie bag! Georgetown had booths set up in the town center for additional runner goodies. There were hot dogs, sodas, beer (yep! I had one. Need to replace those carbs, you know!) and other booths!

We stayed for the awards and the drawings. We took off for town soon after. I slept on the way back. When we got to the house I fell asleep soon after.

Today, I am sore.

I had a great time and look forward to doing it again.
- - - - - - - - - -
PS - I love Body Glide now. No chafes anywhere. I did get a blister on my left foot but it is small and not painful. I was surprised when I saw it.
Tom did find a tick on his neck, but it did not get a chance to bite him.

The Slacker Half Marathon

A Quick Review...

This was the course as seen on Google Earth. East is to the left, so that the orientation is correct.


The finish line.


My run according to the iPod Nike+ chip (somehow I turned it off early).

More later on!

One Day to go!

Tomorrow is the big day!

I hope to do it in two hours. Tomorrow will tell.

I know that I am ready.

I don't know what else to say, so until tomorrow, goodbye for now!

Race Nutrition...

Two posts in one day? This guy must be nervous...

Tom and I are discussing race nutrition. Generally, my "First Breakfast" are my vitamins and prescriptions. I get dressed and run after that. The distance doesn't matter at home. I will eat my oatmeal and yogurt after the run.

I have trained for my half-marathon with a packet of goo at 45 minutes (or 4 miles because the water stations are every two miles) and again at 1 1/2 hours. That seemed to work great for me. Keep in mind that a normal day is me getting up by 7:00 AM and to start my daily running between 8:30 and 9 AM.

Saturday, I will have to get up @ 4:30 AM. Now, I am pretty much convinced that there is no such real time like 4:30 AM. I have to have my coffee, do my "First Breakfast," and pack the car to get out the door by 5:30 AM. It is an hour or so to Georgetown, Colorado. The last shuttles heads for the starting line @ 7:15 AM for the 8:00 AM start. Right now, the plan is to have my friends drive me up to the starting line.

Tom thinks that the gap of 3 1/2 hours is too much for a half-marathon event without some food. He suggests (minimally) that I should eat another goo packet 15 minutes before that start. He also thinks that I should have a small portion of oatmeal before we leave the house. That would give my system 2 1/2 hours to settle down before the race start.

Now, I ask for advice. I never thought about this situation during training. Oatmeal seems to set just fine with me. What would you do if it were you?

Its Always Something!

I didn’t sleep well last night. I got enough sleep, just not as much as I wanted. It was hot in Denver overnight and I suppose that I am getting nervous, but I would feel better with a bit more sleep.

Families don’t always get along. That is the case at my house. Things are happening that don’t involve me but do affect me. A certain situation became a focal point for this weekend. Specifically Saturday. Now those of you who read this blog know that Saturday morning holds an event that is special to me. But, sometimes, these events mean absolutely nothing to a non-runner.

So was the case this morning. I cannot get too specific, but there was friction this morning. A matter that was on the back burner for months came to be scheduled as a family event for Saturday. This happened last week and we were not involved in the planning. I offered to release my friend, Tom, from his support of my running this weekend, but he would have none of it. I did explain to him that runners drive themselves to their events all of the time. He still wouldn’t budge.

I sit here now worried for my friend and his relations with his family. Stomach upset, not feeling tops. I am sure that all of you have experienced similar feelings. Maybe I am just too sensitive for my friend or maybe due to some sleep deprivation. I should eat something, and I am sure that I will later.

Last night, at the office a fellow worker was sitting in our general manager office. I asked what was wrong. She looked miserable. I assumed it was a cold and started to back away. I didn’t want to get a cold at the most contagious of all moments!

Phew. Just a headache! Was I relieved! Of course, she wasn’t relieved and was somewhat aghast at my attitude. Then again, EVERYONE at the office knows what I am doing Saturday morning! So she wasn’t that offended…

Yep! Just 2 days to go! I used my runtime today to make some homemade pasta for tomorrow night. I also have my ditty back packed and my clothes prepared.

NERVOUS, NERvous, nervous… Hmmm… Just talking about it seems to help! I’m hungry!

3 Days To Go...

Wow. 3 days to go.

A half-marathon. I can and will do this thing!

I ran 3.26 miles today. Tomorrow and Friday are rest days and Saturday is the big event!

I have (so far) completed 988 miles run in 2007. That pretty much guarantees that when I finish the HALF, I will also have acheived a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2007. The question then might become - How far can I run in 2007?

More to ponder as I rest, nourish and hydrate...

4 Days Now...

There are 4 days to go to my first half-marathon!

I ran 5 miles today. Tomorrow I will run 3 miles.

Thursday and Friday will be rest days. I will prepare a bag to take with me on those days.

I've tried to form a habit of getting ready for the half-marathon. I always seem to forget something.

Hmmm... I am preparing mentally.

I am going to go drink some refreshing water now and TIVO last night's "Hell's Kitchen." (while resting).

5 Days To Go!!!

5 days to go. I am breathless in anticipation. I ran about a 10 K today in distance. I'll run 5 tomorrow and 3 on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are rest days. Saturday morning is the race!

Yesterday was an interesting day. Trail repair is a necessary part of my other sport. Our group worked with the National Forest Service, through a local branch. Instead of the Jeep, I took my 4X4 Ford Ranger. It is a full 4-wheel drive vehicle and suited to the task. We took rocks from one area of the forest and removed them to fill in low areas on other parts of the trail.
The foreground of the picture are the rocks placed into a low area that was eating up vehicles on this trail system. The guys are moving a deadfall log to block a go-around that was made to avoid the hole we filled. We filled two holes like this one on Sunday. We also picked up a lot of trash as we went about the forest.

I felt a twinge in my back as I lifted one rock yesterday. I also dropped one fairly heavy rock on my hand. I cut the tip on one finger doing that, but overall it was a good day and we got a lot done.

Jeeping (or off-roading) can cause a lot of political discussion. There are 10% of the people that engage in our sport that cause problems (just like any other activity). We need to "Stay The Trail" and "Only leave tire tracks and only take photographs". Unfortunately, some people don't have any sense of value or heritage. They will ride anywhere, often tearing up wetlands and cutting unauthorized trails purely for their own enjoyment. Trail repair is important to counteract some of these "Bad Apples" and to influence those who are not aware to be aware.

6 Days To Go!!!

The clock is ticking down.

Although it is a day of rest from training, I will assist a local Jeep club by using my non-jeep Ranger pickup to help fill some trail hazards. Remember that if you want to play, you have to pay.

After my 10.31 mile run yesterday, I have to make up 1.5 miles to cross the 1,000 mile mark during the half. I was going to run 6 tomorrow (instead of 5), 5 on Tuesday (instead of 4), and the scheduled 3 on Wednesday, & rest on Thursday and Friday. That way I will cross the 2007 1,000 mile mark at or near the end of the half.

10.31 on Saturday? Why the odd number? I am still trying to calibrate the Nike+ iPod sport chip...

I think that would be exciting!

Maddy? Thanks for the most excellent assessment of the time that was left yesterday! I laughed and enjoyed that a lot!

7 Days

And still counting down. One week until the big event!

I run ten miles today. I start "The Grand Taper" tomorrow with a rest day.

It won't be long now!

Side note - When I calculated my 2007 hours I included 12/31/2006 - As the BuckeyeOutdoors.com training site has shown me. I am a better Excel programmer than that (I thought). So, I am 8 miles behind that which I previously claimed. I have run 961 miles in 2007. Bummer...

8 Days...

8 days to go!

Until Susan's Brickfest 5K!


Umm... Err... And my half-marathon!!!

For me, it will be a double event. During the half-marathon, I will have completed running 1,000 miles in 2007!!!

Phew! What a lot to happen in a single day.

And please don't worry! You know that my blog will have a countdown until I file the race report!

9 Days...

Well, 9 days to go.

964 miles run in 2007.

My training schedule for the rest of the 9 days -

I am trying for a 9:40 pace for the half-marathon.

Friday - Supposed to be a cross training day with 60 minutes of bicycle riding. I just found flat tires and one is a blow out. I won't get it fixed before tomorrow, so I'll run 5 miles instead.
Saturday - My schedule (based on a Higby) will be a 10 miles run (I'll attempt it at a 9:40 pace). Nothing fancy, just good and steady...
Sunday - Rest day - Working with the Jeep club and volunteering to repair trail damage in the Colorado back-country (I have the 4 wheel drive truck, so I get to drive and deliver rocks from another area).
Monday - 5 miles at a 9:40 pace.
Tuesday - 4 miles at a 9:40 pace.
Wednesday - 3 miles at a 9:40 pace.
Thursday - Rest day
Friday - Rest day

Saturday - Half-Marathon!!!

#Anticipation!#

Working with Limitations

I tried wearing the iPod Nano on my arm. It didn't work out for me. Some years ago I had Lasik surgery. I only had the Lasik in my left eye. The Doctor suggested it. My right eye is not too bad so I could use it to see close. With my left eye corrected, I can see far. The technique results in Monovision. Until I put the armband on my upper arm, I was very pleased (misnomer - I am still very pleased).

The armband was too close and I just could not get a focus on the screen. I lowered it to my forearm and it worked great. I may wear it there or get a wrist band for it. I like the apple earbuds but it seems to me that the line cord is shorter than other manufacturers. Are they long enough for any of you that use them?

Maddy - I think it will be a process to make sure the Nike+ iTunes system is calibrated. It is not reading like the forerunner 205 is. Oh well, I want accuracy so I will try to do it again!

Chafing - I have run half-marathon distances 4 times now. It doesn't seem to matter what pair of running shorts I use; my upper, inner thighs chafe. A day of rest does tend to take care of it and I am ready to go again. It is a frustrating thing to endure. I searched some running web forums and saw two solutions to the problem (a lot of people seem to get it). 1 - Get a pair of spandex short tights to reduce chafing through a protective layer of spandex, and 2 - Some sort of a balm to make the skin more slippery.

I beleive that for most people, spandex is not the answer. I read that you have to be careful with seams on the inner leg of the tights. I saw one pair of shorts that had a boxer (longer legged) spandex under garment in the running shorts as opposed to the usual brief. The seams were sewed flat and then sealed to reduce friction. The cost? $60. I have to think about that.

The forums I referenced mentioned vaseline. I don't think I'd use that. Most people that did referred to the minimal endurance (lasting about 20 minutes). Petroleum Jelly is made from petroleum and can stain clothing. The other solution was a product called, "Body Glide." This product is sold in a deodorant type of container for easy application. It is specifically used to reduce chafing where I need it to. Cost $9.

Can you guess which solution I am trying first? I'll leave a message if the Body Glide works for me or not.

FINALLY! My hands sweat as I run. I am again wearing gloves to assist me in controlling the sweat that forms in the webs between my fingers. Yep - The same cotton gardening gloves I use to keep them warm in Winter...

Gee... Looks I'm being needy again!

Thanks for everone's help, though...

I've Been Tagged!

Ok, Ok... I've been tagged. Now I have to come up with 6 weird things about me. Most of my friends think I'm near perfection. Maybe that's why they are my friends, though... Or they lie to me to keep me quiet...

1. I am a structured personality. To everything there is a purpose and a season. I have to put myself into a structured environment as soon as possible.
An example is camping - I have everything packed so camp can be set up in just a few minutes. Large storage containers, clearly marked, makes for an easy camp setup.

2. I love to read. I don't have a lot of time to read. My bathroom at my house is known as, "The Library." Go in the door and there are books, magazines and other printed material. Geez, does have anything to do with #1?

3. If I am tired, I can sleep anywhere.

4. I am not afraid to address a large group of people. I don't care what size the group is. If I know the subject, I can speak with compassion and motivation. If I do not know the subject, I will involve the audience to explore the subject. Never forget - Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them!

5. I read "Deals Of The Day" online most everyday. I hardly ever buy but I do monitor them every day. Some of the sites are http://www.woot.com/ http://www.tanga.com/, or compilation sites like http://www.dodtracker.com/ and http://www.slickdeals.net/. The exception? Last Christmas was a "Deal of the Day" Christmas. Several of my friends agreed to use Deals of the Day to get each other a gift. It kept costs down while getting people things that they would like. You had to be active and checking it all of the time.

6. I love to take polls online. Some get me compensation, others are just to get my opinion out there. My bathroom ion air cleaner came from Harris Polls for 6,000 poll points (30 to 100 points or so per poll).

As people are getting tagged are out there, I don't think that I will forward a tag request to anyone else as I am sure that everyone will write 6 weird things about themselves that I can share in.

Getting close now...

I ran 41 ½ miles last week. I ran an equivalent of a half-marathon yesterday in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 35 seconds. I have run 948 miles in 2007. It is twelve days to my first half-marathon race.

I am sore today. I've run several of the full length half-marathon distances, but I always seem to be so sore afterwards. I appreciate the rest day after.

My roommate and best friend, Tom, got me the Nike+ iTunes chip for my shoe this weekend. It is a chip/receiver combination that monitors and records your workouts and races. I calibrated it on Saturday and ran with it on Sunday. It gives you audible cues as you run.

The trouble with the chip was attaching it to the shoe. Nike makes a line of shoes that the chip fits into. Unfortunately, I am not wearing Nike shoes.
The shoe with the chip firmly esconced in velcro.

I checked out the laces on my shoes & the shape of the chip. I had some double-sided Velcro tape and it is now attached to the laces of my left shoe. I took two pieces of velcro and cut them almost in half length-wise, leaving the width or the length of the chip in the middle of the tape. The velcro tapes went under the laces and the chip went on top of the laces. I wrapped the velcro around the laces and over the chip. The velcro effectively locks the chip onto the shoe very firmly. It won’t come off.
The velcro tape installed under the laces and ready for the chip.

The other bad thing? It only works with an iPod Nano. He’d heard me talk about my iPod and assumed I had one. I do, but it is an iPod Shuffle. So, I’ll borrow his for training and the race. I’ll save up to get an iPod Nano.

I like the Nike+iTunes system, but it has some drawbacks. I don't like to wear an armband. The system seems to be geared for that. I got both an armband and a waist clip, but the waist clip is a blind proposition. The next run that I use it, I'll try the armband. Using the waist clip, I turned it off a couple of times and also neglected to turn it back on. I'm sure I can get used to it, though. I really like the idea.

Oh, yeah... Why did Tom really give it to me? He said that I am so Einstein about running that he knew I should have it...

I'm reviewing my training schedule for the next two weeks. I have 2 long runs (8 & 10 miles) for this week. I have two days of bike riding, one day of intervals.

I have no idea as to how to approach the final five days prior to the race. Any advice would be appreciated. Both for training/exercise and for nutrition and hydration.

What is proper race ettiquette for things like wearing iPods or MP3 players? Is it OK to wear them?

Akshaye has tagged me, so my next blog will reflect those 6 weird things that affect me.

The iPod led me to review songs that I like to run to. I'll do a blog soon on songs that I appreciate.

Quandary – Health, Survival or... ?

Health?
Survival?
Do you read the “One More Mile” blog (http://anothermile.blogspot.com/) written by Akshaye? It’s a great blog. He has inspired me to write today’s blog. Read his current entry. It really got me to thinking. There are 2 shoe campaigns running currently that present two sides of our sport of running. One is a hard-core campaign explaining that running is just that. It has to be fast, solo and primitive. The other states that running can be a chat event. Running with a friend can catch you up and develop a new respect for them.

I listened to the 100th show of Phedippidations (www.steverunner.com). That was of a similar vein in part.

I started running at my Doctor’s insistence. I was fairly happy when I weighed 265 pounds and was not healthy. I knew that I shouldn’t be, but that is how the human psyche is.

I am happy now. I run a lot. I talk about my miles often and I won’t bore you with those today. I have realized many benefits to my running.

Before my first 5K race, I ran for my health! There is a lot of benefit to running. I have lost 60+ pounds, lowered my cholesterol, lowered my blood pressure, and generally feel great, both physically and mentally.

There has always been the debate of – Should I run competitively? Or just run for my health?

When I was asked by Coach Susan (http://www.irunformylife.blogspot.com/) to start this blog, I always thought that no one would be interested in my experiences. After all, I had followed Susan’s races and I was fascinated with what she was doing. I wanted to write about why I was running and where I should take it next.

My humble blog led to the blogs of others. There are a lot of blogs out there! I realized that there is a lot of experiences that I could draw from. People discuss their races, their training, their diet, when they practice, how they practice, and the list goes on and on!

Before I knew it, I had signed up for a 5K race. I enjoyed that race. I didn’t expect much from it, but I got a lot. One thing I learned was that there are a lot of people that do the very same thing that I do! It was a great, fun time and a wonderful social event!

The other thing was that I was told that I was not competitive enough. I have the ability, but chose not to use it. I should have left my friend behind, used more of my capacities and ran the best race of my life! I have been thinking about that ever since.

Since that race, I’ve signed up for a half-marathon. I have been training for that. I have found short hills, long hills; I’ve done intervals and I’ve started doing some long runs. Now that is a lot different than running for health.

This long-winded blog today basically asks the questions: Why do you run? What is your motivation to run? Do you feel that we need to allow our primitive selves out to conquer and run? Do you feel that running should be treated as a survival reaction or do you run for health?

I hope that this blog entry makes sense to all of you. If you hear a “Ow! Ow! Ow!” coming from my direction as I grip my forehead, you’ll know that I’m still thinking about it…

BTW… 16 days to my first half-marathon!

Not much for now

I ran 36.5 miles last week. I ran 10 miles Sunday, 3 1/2 miles on Monday, and 4 1/2 miles today. I ran the 10 miles in 95 minutes and 27 seconds, so I am improving my pace (just ever so slowly it seems).

I have run 910 miles in 2007 toward my participation in the Tinkoff 1,000. Phew!

I have 18 days until my first half-marathon. I am really looking forward to it.

I continue my quadricep strengthening exercises.

That's about it for now. I didn't really have anything to say, but it has been a while since I posted, so this is my post!

A co-worker told me today that he was sitting around discussing the day’s activities, when two others commented on how his belly is hanging over his belt now. He told me that it was to his shame and to my credit that they told him that Charlie at twenty years his senior had a far better looking body than he did. Then he asked for advice on how to lose a little weight. Talk about affirmations! That did a lot for my ego!

Have fun! Be sure to run!

Did you read in "Runner's World" abopuit the 73 year old man that has run 100 marathons? What Gumption!