Done in Chicago

Well I ran Chicago and once again, I ran it badly. I had wanted to beat my time that I had run 20 years ago at the same race – 3:44. Normally, I should have been able to do it. But boy was it hot and boy was I tired.

I thought I trained well enough to run around 3:30 and I really did want to. But I wanted our family to have a good time in Chicago more. So we did the tourist stuff – we first visited the Lincoln Museum in Springfield (if you haven't been you need to – it's quit the production). Then we viewed the Sears tower, ate too much, didn't sleep enough, walked around the Museum of Science of Industry all day and then stuffed ourselves with pizza. It was a great time – until I woke up pretty much exhausted. Then it got worse as I walked out of the hotel the morning of the marathon and felt the heat. It was going to be a long day.

I shut it down pretty early and shuffled through my 26 miles. The crowds were great and although you can never run a marathon without feeling a decent amount of pain, the pain I experienced was relatively small.

In the end, it was a pretty uneventful run. My focus wasn't on the race but on the family. As a result, I was o.k. with running slower (by 15 minutes) than I did 20 years ago. But I got myself in decent shape – despite a job change and move- and now I'm ready for my next challenge – I'm going back to the Disney Marathon where I always seem to have a good race and a great time with the family.

That's the thing I love about marathons and distance events – there's always another race to run another goal to achieve another opportunity to succeed. There's always hope that the next run will be the best one. It might be the best time you've run but it may be the best you've felt or the best crowds you've experienced or the best you've done after you turned 42. There's always something that you can get out of a marathon. At Chicago – I got a great weekend with the wife and kids – and a t-shirt and a medal – oh and a real cool hoodie.

Back again

It's been a long time since the last posting…April in fact. One of the last things I wrote about was my desire to run the Chicago Marathon – 20 years after my first marathon – the Chicago Marathon.

Well, since then, I've relocated my job and my family to the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. The scenery and the trails are fantastic, but you better be half mountain goat. The hills are steep around these parts and the longest stretch of "flat" you can find anywhere is about half mile. That does not kill me…

It's been a struggle, but through the difficult decision to uproot the family and starting a new job, I'm proud to say that I've kept the running going. I'm probably not going to qualify for the Boston Marathon at Chicago. But I'm in decent shape considering the stress and strain one goes through during these times. In fact, I'd bet that the stress and strain would have been worse, if I didn't have a goal to keep my mind at ease and off other things.

My intent is to post more often now that things are becoming a little less hectic. But for those who did the Louisville Ironman this year – I want to say congratulations! It's quite an accomplishment and one I've gotten prouder of as time has gone on. I wish I could have been at the finish line this year, but work and life got in the way. Maybe next year! I had a few folks email me to tell me thanks for keeping last years journey up on this site – you're welcome. I'm pleasantly surprised that it helped. It made last year even more worthwhile.

I'll try not to wait another 5 months for the next post.

Boston

The Boston Marathon is next week and I will mournfully watch it on television this year. In my efforts to complete an Ironman, I didn't run a marathon last year – so there was no way I could qualify to run the Boston. Otherwise, I'd be there.

Boston, for me, was the rare instance in which the hype matched the experience. I spent nearly a couple decades hoping to run fast enough to qualify for it. It was a goal I used to motivate me to run many many miles. When I did finally qualify for it, I kinda figured the race itself would be anti-climatic. After all, I'd run plenty of road races and marathons – how different could Boston be? I thought running Boston was more about status, being able to wear the jacket around and announce to other runners that, "yeah, I ran Boston."

Certainly it is a little fun to brag about running Boston, but the event itself is so much better.

To begin with, you're treated as a rock star the whole weekend you're there. Bostonians constantly approach you and wish you luck or congratulate you or thank you for participating in the marathon. You never get the "you're crazy for running that long" comments in Boston. You really are welcomed by the city.

The atmosphere and buzz amongst the runners before, during and after the race is fantastic. Everyone is proud of being there, of being able to run a marathon. I suppose all marathons are like this – the participants celebrating life by trying to accomplish something most dream about – but, again for me, Boston was just better.

The crowd during the race is overwhelming. Because Patriot's Day, most of the town is off work. Tons of spectators line the course. It's kind of like a very long tailgate party. There are very few (if any) parts along the course that you aren't being cheered. You can hardly hear your own footsteps. Wellesley College, with the coeds screaming for the runners at the top of their lungs, can be heard about a half mile away.

Finishing the race is the best in the sport of the marathon – thousands upon thousands of people cheering from the streets and buildings as you run down the last couple hundred yards. The noise from the crowd almost hurts.

I thought after I'd completed Boston once, I'd be done. But I've done it three times now and I want to get back as much as ever I have. Hopefully, I wont be watching it next year.

Time to wake up

I hate getting up in the morning. Maybe "hate" is too strong of word…

No, to be honest, it isn't. I hate it. I'm a night person. I don't like going to bed at 10. I don't like having to talk myself into getting out of bed. It's a difficult argument to win. It's comfortable under the covers and running doesn't sound too appealing when the alarm goes off and it never gets any easier.

But I have to get up. There is no other time. Running (or working out), as important as it is to me, is lower in priority than my kids. And my kids need me to coach them in baseball or drive them to a swim practice. I want them to visit me in the rest home when I'm old, cranky and lonely. I figure if I'm around and supportive during they're formative years – maybe they'll feel obligated to do so.

However, I can't go without my daily workouts – otherwise I'll be prematurely old and cranky. So, in the spring, I start to get up in the mornings – dragging myself out of bed – absolutely hating the first thirty minutes of the day.

But a funny thing happens when I finally do start my run. I start to feel better – even better than when I run at nights. I begin to plan my day – what I'm going to accomplish and how I'm going to do it. I think about upcoming races and goals. I give myself some credit for winning my daily battle of getting up early and getting out the door. By the end of the workout, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

When it is finished, I relax on the steps of my porch for a bit and bask in the accomplishment of finishing the run. I've done something that day and I've done it before I've driven to work.

Mt. Leconte

I'd heard about Mt. Leconte from my dad. He and my brother had hiked up the mountain over a decade ago. Dad had enjoyed it so much that he'd been talking about it ever since. Mt. Leconte is like a primitive bed and breakfast located on top of the Smokey Mountains. Guests hike up the mountain (it takes approximately 5 hours – depending on how hard you go at it) and stay in small kerosene heated and lighted cabins. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. and is followed by a stunning sunset that is best viewed at a bare rock at the point of the mountain – about fifteen minutes from the cabins. After a hard sleep, if you are able to wake up, you can view the sunrise, have a hearty breakfast and head back down the mountain. The trails up and down are filled with postcard perfect views and your guaranteed to get a workout.

There is only one problem – the cabins usually fill up a year in advance. With an active family of four – planning that far out is difficult at best. But with the kids on spring break we were looking for something quick to do as a family - we called Mt. Leconte on a whim and asked if there happened to be any cancellations that week. It just so happened there was a guy who had just called in with a torn ACL. We took the reservation immediately and drove the 5 hours down to Tennessee two days later.

What a great time. There is nothing like the solitary act of hiking a mountain that strips the real world stress away. It's easy enough to enjoy the scenery and difficult enough that your brain can't wander back into work or personal problems. My wife is a photographer and we stopped often for her to snap off a shot of nature. She took over 300 pictures in 24 hours and would have probably taken more if she wasn't so tired by the end of the trek. We were proud of our 9 and 11 year olds. They had a blast and usually had to be told to get back on the trail or slow down (I have a healthy fear of heights and I have to admit to having some stress watching the kids on some of the more challenging paths). In these times of child obesity, as a parent, there is no small joy to watching your kids hike up and down a mountain.

We came back worn, sore and wanting to go back. There was some sacrifice for me – my calves were so sore from the down hill (I got to carry the family backpack) that I couldn't run for a number of days. This threw my training off and caused me to miss the last leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Racing. But there will be other races. The purpose of my running is to relieve stress and be healthy. I was doing that on Mt. Leconte and enjoying my family. It doesn't get much better than that.

Running in the rain

It's raining outside and I'm really looking forward to my run tonight. I love running in the rain. It's different. It's calm. It's peaceful. It's isolated.

Most folks who don't run (and some that do) are surprised when I say that I look forward to rainy days (they'd really be surprised to see me in blizzards). But there is something about a rainy day that really appeals to me. It's always quite outside except for the drops of water hitting the ground and the occasional splashing of my shoes as they hit a puddle. I like finishing my run and looking around and seeing no one else outside with me. And I love taking a long hot shower after peeling off my wet clothes.

When it's raining, I like to do a route that, on a nice day, has a number of walkers or runners – because usually, they aren't if it's raining.

It makes me feel stronger and more determined that I'm one of the few that braved the elements and did the workout despite the added challenge. I'll be that much better than those that chose not to run because of the weather. And that good feeling usually seeps into the rest of my life. Because I figure, if I'm strong enough to meet a self imposed recreational challenge, I'll be strong enough to handle the challenges in work and personal life.

Training for a marathon or a triathlon is a long journey. And if you can't take enjoyment in the training, the payoff in the end isn't nearly what it could be.

Reality

What an ugly run. I think I did everything I could to make today's 10k (Rode City Run in Louisville, KY) go badly – and I succeeded. To begin with, the kids were at sleepovers last night. My wife and I found ourselves alone – it happens about once a year. So, despite having to race the next morning, we went out for dinner at a nice restaurant, ate too much and stayed out too late. This morning I was barely able to get out of bed.

Combine this with my already sore body (too many hard training miles too soon) and a poor attitude and I was doomed before the gun went off.

I wanted to run a 42 minute 10k. I knew that was probably wishful thinking, but I wanted to get close. I ended up doing a 44:50 – a 7:15 pace. That's about what I'd like to do for 26.2 miles. I do indeed have a long way to go.

I started the race out thinking I was going pretty fast. But I wasn't. I did a 7:05 first mile but felt like I had just run a 6:05. I then did another 7:05, then slipped to 7:23 and then did an ugly 7:45. People started passing me who normally wouldn't. I was getting pretty down but I kept pushing. The next mile was slightly downhill and I did around 7:30 and I didn't feel too bad. My legs felt stiff as a board, but I wasn't too winded – I put it into my highest gear and ended my last two miles at around a 7 minute pace. I had managed to salvage some dignity.

The problem is obvious – I've built up a great aerobic base from Ironman. I can go slow forever. But I've lost my high gear. I've got to incorporate speed in my training and I've got to do it more intelligently than what I did this past week – my 42 year old body can't handle the stress like it used to.

On the upside, whenever I've had a bad race, it usually gives me motivation to try that much harder. The final leg of the Louisville Triple Crown is in two weeks – The Papa John's 10 miler. I've got some work to do.

Leg 2

Tomorrow is the second leg of the Louisville Triple Crown. Two weeks ago I ran in the first leg – a 5K. The results were a mixed bag. I didn't run all that fast but I started so far back in the pack that my time was, for me, acceptable. Saturday's run will be a 10k. It will be in downtown Louisville. The temperature should be tolerable but it may be raining.

I've been running pretty hard for the last week or so. I'm doing at least 35 miles a week and I'm starting to drop my pace to around 8:00. At the end of my two last workouts I ran a sub 7 minute pace for the last mile. That's the good news. I guess the bad news would be that I used to run a 7 minute per mile pace for 13 miles straight. Even worse news is that my body has felt like it was hit by a Mack truck for the last few days. I was barely able to run yesterday. I've got a long way to go to get to my goal of qualifying for Boston. Fortunately, I have a long time to get there.

Of all the races, I don't like the 10k. 5K's are short and painful. Marathons are long and uncomfortable. The race is the worst of both – it's long and painful. You really have to go hard the entire time, it hurts and it's a pretty long distance. My goals are simple for this race – get to the bathroom early, don't start too far back and don't hurt myself. If I can finish under 42 minutes, I'll call it a success.

On the road again

As planned, I ran a 5k road race in Louisville yesterday. It was my first time running a 5k in about 4 years. Running long is slow and fairly painful. I've become pretty accustomed to it. I don't get nervous about taking on long distances. But a 5k is fast. It's violent, hard and very painful. It's something that I used to be good at when I was young. My best 5k was in high school – I ran a few sub 17's.

But now I'm older and larger and I try not to remember how fast I used to be. It can be depressing. However, if I'm going to try to qualify for Boston again, I'm going to have to have to get faster. One of the best ways I know how to do that is by running short road races. Thus I raced yesterday.

Boy did I get nervous about a simple 3.1 mile race. My stomach churned and I secretly hoped I'd oversleep. I worried about the pain. I worried about keeping the right pace. I worried that I couldn't run fast anymore. I was really dreading the whole thing.

Thanks to my wife I got up in time. But my stomach was a mess and I had to use the facilities at the last minute – so I found myself behind over 5000 runners at the starting line. It took my 5 minutes to begin. It was chip timed, but because I started behind so many runners, I knew that it was going to be impossible to get off a good time. I spent the entire race dodging curbs, benches and slower runners and walkers as I zigzagged through the course trying to go as fast as I could. I ended up with a time of 21:10 – a little under seven minutes a mile. My wife and kids waited for me and thought I'd be disappointed because I was so far back in the pack. They didn't know that I stared behind everyone. In truth, I was pretty happy. While it did hurt and I didn't go that fast, I found that my speed hadn't entirely left. My endurance also seems strong- my last mile was the fastest.

Seven months to go to Chicago, I'm running smoothly, spring looks like it's finally coming- Challenges will surely come but things are looking good right now.

Taking off

Runners and endurance athletes are generally obsessive compulsives. If we take off a day, we feel like we've lost 30 days of training. Even though we know that, in actuality, we're probably improving our fitness level by taking a day off – our gut is screaming that we need to go for a run or bike ride. When I'm focused on a goal (like training for a marathon or triathlon) and I can't workout, I can get down right gloomy. Just ask my wife.

So yesterday I had to take a day off (work got in the way) and it about drove me up the wall. I've been on a roll for the past few weeks but I am just certain that my day off will completely derail my momentum. We'll see tonight if I can get back out there and go for a run.

Chicago or Bust

I plunked down my $110 dollars last Friday for my entry into the Chicago Marathon. My goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2009 at Chicago. Considering that the longest run I've had in about 4 months is a little over seven miles – I've got a lot of work to do. Fortunately, I've also got a lot of time. Chicago is around eight months away.

It was around this time last year when I decided to enter Ironman Louisville. At that point, I barely knew how to ride a bike. This, for me is a lot less daunting. I've qualified for Boston before (at the Disney Marathon). However, I'm 5 years older, almost 20 pounds heavier and about a minute a mile slower.

I've been posting how tough it's been to get back into shape and regain my interest in running. It has been tough – but this new goal seems achievable and, for a change, I'm excited to get out the door everyday.