Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Ugly Girlfriend Wanted, Inside and Out, Who Hates Me Too
I did it to myself today and I'll be feeling it tomorrow too. I was supposed to get up this morning and get my swim in and then just bike tonight. Well, somehow I didn't crawl out of bed this morning and managed to turn off all 3 alarms (yup, 3!) and slept in without fully realizing what I was doing. Thankfully I pulled myself out of my slumber and made it to work though. So, what that meant for tonight was that I had to do a back-to-back workout to get them both in and now I'm off to bed just so I can get up and get to the pool in the morning. Tomorrow I don't have a choice but to do it in the a.m. because Devon has scouts in the evening. Nothing like swimming tonight knowing I'll be right back in the pool in just 10 hours after getting out of it! The one sure-fire way to make sure this doesn't happen again is to somehow get into a relationship with someone who's mean enough to kick me out of bed in the morning and who I'd rather leave to go workout at 5:00 a.m. than stay in a warm cozy bed with. Know anyone?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
It's A Whole New Season!
I'm no longer being orientated, woo hoo! I'm out of the 2 week "Orientation" phase of training and have now started the "Preseason". The workouts will start to get a bit longer and I'm assuming a little more intense and precise. The first 2 weeks went great! It was nice to get started on an organized plan and I was able to keep up. The week with the boys went well too. I ended up switching my a.m. and p.m. workouts around so I was home riding in the morning and then swam/ran in the evening. I think I'm starting to notice some positive changes. I've been doing a lot more biking in just these first 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel (and see?) it in my legs. They feel firmer and I think my quads are bigger. That's a good thing, I've always kind of had chicken legs compared to my upper body so maybe I'll become a little more symmetrical.
The boys have been great and on-board with the training thus far. I'm trying to keep them posted on what I'm doing, how long until the race, what it's going to be like, etc. I recently bought a 2nd pair of running
shoes identical to the first pair I'm using and will rotate their use. In order to tell them apart and make sure I properly match pair 1 and pair 2 I put initials on each shoe. My first pair has Cs for Conner and the second pair has Ds for Devon. I told the boys it's like they're running with me now and I'll alternate wearing each pair for my run workouts. Devon got a kick out of it when I got home Sunday and said he had a good 6 mile workout. I think Conner was actually a little disappointed when I told him my next run workout was only going to be about 4ish miles. Nope, no competition syndrome going on between these brothers! I'll have to make sure the cumulative miles are somewhat close when it comes time to retire both these pairs. I'll need another pair by the time the race actually gets here so I'll just write everyones' name on that pair, you'll all get to come along on that day's run!
Another fun thing is my "training cookies". Capt Cartwheel gave me a huge baggie full of cookies for a Christmas present. As I was chowing down on them that December night during the car ride home I figured I could eat them all right then and there and really start off my
training absolutely needing to workout just to get back to square 1 or I could ration them. My training program is a 36 week program. At that point, I had 40 cookies left (we'll just disregard how many I ate prior to that to get down to that 40). I made a pact with myself, that I'll have just 4 more and from that point on I only get 1 cookie at the end of each week of training, kind of my "reward" for getting through the week. I told this to the boys too (and told them not to eat them if they see them in the freezer!) and Conner came up with a great idea that each week I should eat the smallest one in the bag so I'm left with the biggest one at the end! Thanks Conner, great thinking! So, I'm eating 1 cookie every Sunday night. 2 cookies down, 34 to go. I can hardly wait to eat that last one because it's going to be Sunday, Sept. 11th, right after I cross the finish line!!
Fortunately, the boys' scout schedule is helping us do fun things besides marking shoes and counting cookies. This weekend we get to go to Polar Camp, an all day outside activity day at scout camp in Cannon Falls. Conner and I went 2 years ago and had a great time. This will be Devon's first time and he's really looking forward to it (he was sick last year). I just need to make sure to get my 1:30 bike ride in nice and early that morning because I know I won't want to do it once we get home.
The boys have been great and on-board with the training thus far. I'm trying to keep them posted on what I'm doing, how long until the race, what it's going to be like, etc. I recently bought a 2nd pair of running
shoes identical to the first pair I'm using and will rotate their use. In order to tell them apart and make sure I properly match pair 1 and pair 2 I put initials on each shoe. My first pair has Cs for Conner and the second pair has Ds for Devon. I told the boys it's like they're running with me now and I'll alternate wearing each pair for my run workouts. Devon got a kick out of it when I got home Sunday and said he had a good 6 mile workout. I think Conner was actually a little disappointed when I told him my next run workout was only going to be about 4ish miles. Nope, no competition syndrome going on between these brothers! I'll have to make sure the cumulative miles are somewhat close when it comes time to retire both these pairs. I'll need another pair by the time the race actually gets here so I'll just write everyones' name on that pair, you'll all get to come along on that day's run!Another fun thing is my "training cookies". Capt Cartwheel gave me a huge baggie full of cookies for a Christmas present. As I was chowing down on them that December night during the car ride home I figured I could eat them all right then and there and really start off my
training absolutely needing to workout just to get back to square 1 or I could ration them. My training program is a 36 week program. At that point, I had 40 cookies left (we'll just disregard how many I ate prior to that to get down to that 40). I made a pact with myself, that I'll have just 4 more and from that point on I only get 1 cookie at the end of each week of training, kind of my "reward" for getting through the week. I told this to the boys too (and told them not to eat them if they see them in the freezer!) and Conner came up with a great idea that each week I should eat the smallest one in the bag so I'm left with the biggest one at the end! Thanks Conner, great thinking! So, I'm eating 1 cookie every Sunday night. 2 cookies down, 34 to go. I can hardly wait to eat that last one because it's going to be Sunday, Sept. 11th, right after I cross the finish line!!Fortunately, the boys' scout schedule is helping us do fun things besides marking shoes and counting cookies. This weekend we get to go to Polar Camp, an all day outside activity day at scout camp in Cannon Falls. Conner and I went 2 years ago and had a great time. This will be Devon's first time and he's really looking forward to it (he was sick last year). I just need to make sure to get my 1:30 bike ride in nice and early that morning because I know I won't want to do it once we get home.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I Haven't Quit Yet!
Day 3 of training is in the books and all is right with the world. Well, maybe not all, but in my little vacuum of existence things are copacetic I guess. The workouts have been manageable and not too strenuous - 2 swims, 2 bikes and 1 run. The hardest thing right now is getting to bed at a decent hour because the alarm clock is going off at an uncommon early hour! I need to get a little better about that so I'm not yawning in the pool when I need to be inhaling. That could make for an interesting workout.
This beginning stretch is considered "orientation" by the schedule's definition, but it's a little more involved than that. There are 18 straight days of workouts before the first rest day, another 20 straight after that and then 1 rest day per week from there on out. I haven't worked out like that since organized high school sports I think and even then those seasons weren't 36 weeks long! But, I guess, those games I was prepping for weren't 14-17 hours long either.
It actually feels good to be starting this. Leading up to Monday I was still working out semi-regularly, but I felt kind of lost, just going through the motions and going to the gym just to get my insurance discount. Starting an organized, detailed regiment is what I needed. Whether or not I still like it 20, 30 weeks from now might be a different story, but I'm going to do my damnedest to follow it. I figure the author of the plan knows a hell of a lot more about this Ironman thing than I do so I better not tweak things too much.
Getting a bike trainer and being able to do my bike workouts at home has been awesome! It was nice waking up yesterday morning and not having to worry about getting bundled up to head to the gym to do my ride. I just slapped on some shorts, walked downstairs and started riding. I didn't have to bother brushing my teeth until I was done. Tonight I was able to come home, prep dinner, get it in the oven for an hour (stuffed bell peppers, they were delish!) and by the time I was done riding, dinner was ready. Perfect!
Occasionally I find myself thinking about what Sept. 11th will be like. Having been there the past 3 years spectating, I'll picture the course, but this time I'll superimpose myself onto it rather than being on the sidewalk. I get goosebumps and nervous. What will the swim be like - as brutal as it looks? How long will it take before I'm not climbing over people, or more than likely, having people climb over me? I envision making that final turn, heading into shore and being ecstatic the swim portion is over. With all the other triathlons I've done I've always told myself that after the swim there's really no reason why I shouldn't finish. With swimming, if something goes wrong and you need assistance, your race is done. There's just something about being on terra firma that if something goes wrong during the race you at least have the option to keep moving forward somehow, especially during the run portion. I wonder what kind of run/marathon I'll have. I've done 12 marathons and I've never been able to run the entire distance without needing to walk. Can I realistically expect to run this next marathon after swimming and biking? Will this type of training be better for me so I can have a good marathon? Wouldn't it be something if I PRed the run? I don't think I'd sleep for days I'd be so happy!
But, I'm only in Day 3 and these are premature thoughts. There's a long road to hoe before I can consider any time goals. The alarm clock is still set for an early morning buzz so I'm going to heed my own advice and bid adieu.
This beginning stretch is considered "orientation" by the schedule's definition, but it's a little more involved than that. There are 18 straight days of workouts before the first rest day, another 20 straight after that and then 1 rest day per week from there on out. I haven't worked out like that since organized high school sports I think and even then those seasons weren't 36 weeks long! But, I guess, those games I was prepping for weren't 14-17 hours long either.
It actually feels good to be starting this. Leading up to Monday I was still working out semi-regularly, but I felt kind of lost, just going through the motions and going to the gym just to get my insurance discount. Starting an organized, detailed regiment is what I needed. Whether or not I still like it 20, 30 weeks from now might be a different story, but I'm going to do my damnedest to follow it. I figure the author of the plan knows a hell of a lot more about this Ironman thing than I do so I better not tweak things too much.
Getting a bike trainer and being able to do my bike workouts at home has been awesome! It was nice waking up yesterday morning and not having to worry about getting bundled up to head to the gym to do my ride. I just slapped on some shorts, walked downstairs and started riding. I didn't have to bother brushing my teeth until I was done. Tonight I was able to come home, prep dinner, get it in the oven for an hour (stuffed bell peppers, they were delish!) and by the time I was done riding, dinner was ready. Perfect!
Occasionally I find myself thinking about what Sept. 11th will be like. Having been there the past 3 years spectating, I'll picture the course, but this time I'll superimpose myself onto it rather than being on the sidewalk. I get goosebumps and nervous. What will the swim be like - as brutal as it looks? How long will it take before I'm not climbing over people, or more than likely, having people climb over me? I envision making that final turn, heading into shore and being ecstatic the swim portion is over. With all the other triathlons I've done I've always told myself that after the swim there's really no reason why I shouldn't finish. With swimming, if something goes wrong and you need assistance, your race is done. There's just something about being on terra firma that if something goes wrong during the race you at least have the option to keep moving forward somehow, especially during the run portion. I wonder what kind of run/marathon I'll have. I've done 12 marathons and I've never been able to run the entire distance without needing to walk. Can I realistically expect to run this next marathon after swimming and biking? Will this type of training be better for me so I can have a good marathon? Wouldn't it be something if I PRed the run? I don't think I'd sleep for days I'd be so happy!
But, I'm only in Day 3 and these are premature thoughts. There's a long road to hoe before I can consider any time goals. The alarm clock is still set for an early morning buzz so I'm going to heed my own advice and bid adieu.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Recap and Resolute
Where to begin? I do this to myself by not posting often enough. With that, I guess I'll begin with recapping last year's resolutions:
1. Blog more - failed this one. Just 3 posts in 2010, oops.
2. Lose weight - we'll call this one a semi-success. I dropped a few and transformed into a little bit of a healthier shape by starting to lift weights again near the end of the year (i.e. muscle weighs more than fat).
3. Attempt dating again - I gave it an honest effort I thought - asked someone out w/out knowing what was up, fired up an online dating profile again - so I'll put this in the success column. I went on a few dates, hoping to get something started before the new year rolled around, but nothing panned out. I'm not opposed to dating in 2011, but free time won't really be a comfort I'll have (more later on why) so I won't be actively pursuing any love interests. If something falls into my lap I'll act on it, but it'll more than likely be at someone else's doing.
4. Setting race results - call this one a wash. I didn't do enough races or have a great training year to get serious about setting a time result. I was able to cross 2 more states off my marathon list though and had an ABSOLUTE BLAST trying a new triathlon with CC - the Burrito Union 10 hour Tri. Team Cap'n and Mac was awesome!
5. Financial goal - slight failure in this one, but all things considered I won't beat myself up over it. It'll remain a resolution for 2011 as well.
6. Parental goal - success here I think. Had more fun with the boys this past year and I was able to "play" with them and "parent" them. They are great kids and I couldn't ask for anything better.
7. Family goal - I'm not sure what I had in mind when I set this one so we'll just disregard it for tally purposes.
So, in the end, 3 successful resolutions, 2 failures, 1 tie and 1 whatever. I guess that's why people set them. If you succeed at them all, then what fun is that? You may have set things too easy for yourself.
This brings me to what 2011 will be. My main focus, at least the first 9 months of the year, will be pretty tunnel-visioned and one of the main reasons why I want to fire up this blogging thing again. It stems from a decision I finally acted upon in 2010 that will come to fruition in 2011. I signed up for a little race called the Ironman Triathlon. On 9-11-11 in Madison, WI I'll hopefully swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles all in under 17 hours! When I first started doing this triathlon thing back in the '90s the seed was first planted about this IM thing. A couple of the friends I was doing local events with were IM caliber so it got me wondering if I could do one. A decade+ of years went by, but the thought never really left my mind. These past couple of years watching other friends go through the journey made me realize I should finally put up or shut up, even if it was only internally. Tomorrow, 1-3-11, starts the beginning of my Ironman journey and training - a 36 week program that will get me ready for my personal 140.6 mile quest. There are going to be many early mornings, long miles, and hours of contemplation. I'll use this blog as my release, escape and sanity check. If you notice the postings getting a little loopy don't be afraid to mention something. I just hope to document my feelings, revelations and findings about anything along the way, just something to look back on to relive the times so these next 9 months don't seem like a complete self-absorbed waste of time.
As I sit here today, beyond my immediate family there are only a handful of friends I've personally told that I'm attempting the IM. I know the word has gotten out to others, and I'm totally fine with that, but I don't want it to consume who I am this year. I've had many friends do this event the past couple of years and it seems every facebook post, every conversation, every "how are you doing?" begins with Ironman. I love my friends, but it seems like self-promotion and any bragging rights were the driving forces to why they did this event and not the personal gains, almost a martyr-type approach. To me anyway, this seems backwards and that's not me. Sure, I'll dress up in costume and run an event (thinking Ragnar), but I don't think I'm doing it to get noticed. It's fun and helps create the memories! 2 years from now I'm not going to remember how many people noticed me doing something, but I will remember we all dressed up like superheroes and had a hell of a good time! With the Ironman, the distance needs to be respected.
I think I have a healthy respect for what I'm getting myself into and to be honest, part of me is scared shitless! I don't know if I can do this, I've never tested by body with a 140.6 mile event before! When I look at my training schedule as a whole or think of it as a 12-17 hour event or think back to when I've hit the wall just running a marathon I wonder what the hell I'm doing even starting down this road. But on the flip side of that, the bigger part of me is excited and a "good" nervous to start the training and get this ball rolling! I've done plenty of triathlons, albeit shorter distances, so I've been prepping myself for this all those years!
As I sit here today and ponder what 2011 will bring me I only hope to be able to meld my worlds together for the next 9 months. I will not slack on my training because you either pay for it now daily or you pay for it exponentially on race day. I hope to remain the good parent I think I am and not become too self-focused. I've warned the boys about my training schedule, but their needs, and wants, just can't be ignored. The melding will come in hopefully teaching my boys some life lessons - healthy lifestyles and nutrition, setting goals, planning, time management, thinking and doing beyond what is comfortable... And maybe give them something to brag about regarding their dad to their friends. ;)
Happy New Year everyone! Bring it on 2011!!!
1. Blog more - failed this one. Just 3 posts in 2010, oops.
2. Lose weight - we'll call this one a semi-success. I dropped a few and transformed into a little bit of a healthier shape by starting to lift weights again near the end of the year (i.e. muscle weighs more than fat).
3. Attempt dating again - I gave it an honest effort I thought - asked someone out w/out knowing what was up, fired up an online dating profile again - so I'll put this in the success column. I went on a few dates, hoping to get something started before the new year rolled around, but nothing panned out. I'm not opposed to dating in 2011, but free time won't really be a comfort I'll have (more later on why) so I won't be actively pursuing any love interests. If something falls into my lap I'll act on it, but it'll more than likely be at someone else's doing.
4. Setting race results - call this one a wash. I didn't do enough races or have a great training year to get serious about setting a time result. I was able to cross 2 more states off my marathon list though and had an ABSOLUTE BLAST trying a new triathlon with CC - the Burrito Union 10 hour Tri. Team Cap'n and Mac was awesome!
5. Financial goal - slight failure in this one, but all things considered I won't beat myself up over it. It'll remain a resolution for 2011 as well.
6. Parental goal - success here I think. Had more fun with the boys this past year and I was able to "play" with them and "parent" them. They are great kids and I couldn't ask for anything better.
7. Family goal - I'm not sure what I had in mind when I set this one so we'll just disregard it for tally purposes.
So, in the end, 3 successful resolutions, 2 failures, 1 tie and 1 whatever. I guess that's why people set them. If you succeed at them all, then what fun is that? You may have set things too easy for yourself.
This brings me to what 2011 will be. My main focus, at least the first 9 months of the year, will be pretty tunnel-visioned and one of the main reasons why I want to fire up this blogging thing again. It stems from a decision I finally acted upon in 2010 that will come to fruition in 2011. I signed up for a little race called the Ironman Triathlon. On 9-11-11 in Madison, WI I'll hopefully swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles all in under 17 hours! When I first started doing this triathlon thing back in the '90s the seed was first planted about this IM thing. A couple of the friends I was doing local events with were IM caliber so it got me wondering if I could do one. A decade+ of years went by, but the thought never really left my mind. These past couple of years watching other friends go through the journey made me realize I should finally put up or shut up, even if it was only internally. Tomorrow, 1-3-11, starts the beginning of my Ironman journey and training - a 36 week program that will get me ready for my personal 140.6 mile quest. There are going to be many early mornings, long miles, and hours of contemplation. I'll use this blog as my release, escape and sanity check. If you notice the postings getting a little loopy don't be afraid to mention something. I just hope to document my feelings, revelations and findings about anything along the way, just something to look back on to relive the times so these next 9 months don't seem like a complete self-absorbed waste of time.
As I sit here today, beyond my immediate family there are only a handful of friends I've personally told that I'm attempting the IM. I know the word has gotten out to others, and I'm totally fine with that, but I don't want it to consume who I am this year. I've had many friends do this event the past couple of years and it seems every facebook post, every conversation, every "how are you doing?" begins with Ironman. I love my friends, but it seems like self-promotion and any bragging rights were the driving forces to why they did this event and not the personal gains, almost a martyr-type approach. To me anyway, this seems backwards and that's not me. Sure, I'll dress up in costume and run an event (thinking Ragnar), but I don't think I'm doing it to get noticed. It's fun and helps create the memories! 2 years from now I'm not going to remember how many people noticed me doing something, but I will remember we all dressed up like superheroes and had a hell of a good time! With the Ironman, the distance needs to be respected.
I think I have a healthy respect for what I'm getting myself into and to be honest, part of me is scared shitless! I don't know if I can do this, I've never tested by body with a 140.6 mile event before! When I look at my training schedule as a whole or think of it as a 12-17 hour event or think back to when I've hit the wall just running a marathon I wonder what the hell I'm doing even starting down this road. But on the flip side of that, the bigger part of me is excited and a "good" nervous to start the training and get this ball rolling! I've done plenty of triathlons, albeit shorter distances, so I've been prepping myself for this all those years!
As I sit here today and ponder what 2011 will bring me I only hope to be able to meld my worlds together for the next 9 months. I will not slack on my training because you either pay for it now daily or you pay for it exponentially on race day. I hope to remain the good parent I think I am and not become too self-focused. I've warned the boys about my training schedule, but their needs, and wants, just can't be ignored. The melding will come in hopefully teaching my boys some life lessons - healthy lifestyles and nutrition, setting goals, planning, time management, thinking and doing beyond what is comfortable... And maybe give them something to brag about regarding their dad to their friends. ;)
Happy New Year everyone! Bring it on 2011!!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
It Can Make A Grown Man Cry
So, it's time to get back to this thing called blogging. I've thought of it often, just haven't done it. I got yelled at the other day for not being on here so I guess I needed that verbal abuse to get my ass in gear. Thanks CC.
Last weekend (June 6th) was the San Diego Marathon that I participated in with TNT again. It was an awesome weekend and fun season as a whole. I'm currently going through my post-season depression with it all being over and I won't see everyone again so I'll write more about that when I have those feelings under control. The race itself, well, lets just say it's one to forget.
Everything started out smoothly and as expected. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but more of a hope that it would go smoothly. For a majority of the training season I was battling shin issues so I wasn't able to get the proper amount of miles in. I did a couple of long runs - 17 and one 20 miler - so I at least knew I was going to be able to finish. Just how long exactly and in what condition were very much in the gray area. I started with a teammate I was hoping to pace to a 4:30-4:40 finish time. It was her first marathon and she was hoping for anything under 5 hours, but more towards 4:40. If everything went well I thought she would have a 4:30 in her. As mentioned, everything started fine and we were holding pretty close to 10 minute miles through the first half.
Then came the 2nd half. Why couldn't we just stop halfway through and say "Okay, just double that time and we'll call it good"? About mile 17 my stomach thought it would be a good idea to start revolting. Who knew running a marathon was more about using just your legs and lungs?! The more I ran, the more I thought I was going to hurl so I thought, "hey, now might be a good time to walk for a bit and get my stomach to settle down" so I started walking. Immediately upon slowing, my head thought that since my stomach didn't want to play along then it didn't have to either and got light-headed. Well that's a fine how-do-you-do! I can't run because I'm going to throw up, I can't walk because I get light-headed and I can't stop moving forward because that doesn't get me any closer to the finish line! Needless to say, at some point I told my running partner that I was struggling and for her to take off and do it without me. Sorry Mandy. I chose the lesser of the two evils and ended up walking the majority of those last 9 miles and ran sporadically when I felt up to it (which wasn't much). Long story short, I did end up finishing, but it's been my slowest time out of the 11 marathons I've done and the first one that's been over 5 hours, 5:12 to be exact. Not too happy with that. Sitting in the tent at the Finish area I'll admit to succumbing to my emotions a little and there may have been a tear or two. I'll blame it on the whole body being tired and not knowing what to do. I'm a guy and we're not supposed to cry, right? It took me awhile to come to grips with the whole run and I've accepted it (still not happy with it though). I'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'll have at least 43 more attempts at this damn distance (42 more states and D.C.)!
To end on a positive note, Mandy did awesome and beat her 5 hour goal! And hers were tears of joy.
Last weekend (June 6th) was the San Diego Marathon that I participated in with TNT again. It was an awesome weekend and fun season as a whole. I'm currently going through my post-season depression with it all being over and I won't see everyone again so I'll write more about that when I have those feelings under control. The race itself, well, lets just say it's one to forget.
Everything started out smoothly and as expected. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but more of a hope that it would go smoothly. For a majority of the training season I was battling shin issues so I wasn't able to get the proper amount of miles in. I did a couple of long runs - 17 and one 20 miler - so I at least knew I was going to be able to finish. Just how long exactly and in what condition were very much in the gray area. I started with a teammate I was hoping to pace to a 4:30-4:40 finish time. It was her first marathon and she was hoping for anything under 5 hours, but more towards 4:40. If everything went well I thought she would have a 4:30 in her. As mentioned, everything started fine and we were holding pretty close to 10 minute miles through the first half.
Then came the 2nd half. Why couldn't we just stop halfway through and say "Okay, just double that time and we'll call it good"? About mile 17 my stomach thought it would be a good idea to start revolting. Who knew running a marathon was more about using just your legs and lungs?! The more I ran, the more I thought I was going to hurl so I thought, "hey, now might be a good time to walk for a bit and get my stomach to settle down" so I started walking. Immediately upon slowing, my head thought that since my stomach didn't want to play along then it didn't have to either and got light-headed. Well that's a fine how-do-you-do! I can't run because I'm going to throw up, I can't walk because I get light-headed and I can't stop moving forward because that doesn't get me any closer to the finish line! Needless to say, at some point I told my running partner that I was struggling and for her to take off and do it without me. Sorry Mandy. I chose the lesser of the two evils and ended up walking the majority of those last 9 miles and ran sporadically when I felt up to it (which wasn't much). Long story short, I did end up finishing, but it's been my slowest time out of the 11 marathons I've done and the first one that's been over 5 hours, 5:12 to be exact. Not too happy with that. Sitting in the tent at the Finish area I'll admit to succumbing to my emotions a little and there may have been a tear or two. I'll blame it on the whole body being tired and not knowing what to do. I'm a guy and we're not supposed to cry, right? It took me awhile to come to grips with the whole run and I've accepted it (still not happy with it though). I'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'll have at least 43 more attempts at this damn distance (42 more states and D.C.)!
To end on a positive note, Mandy did awesome and beat her 5 hour goal! And hers were tears of joy.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
So Long, Farewell...
This is it. My last post from Lonsdale. I'm sitting in my empty house with only my computer and some miscellaneous boxes of toys and crap for a garage sale. I moved out last weekend and am just finishing up cleaning and hauling out the last few remainders. Tomorrow I'm having the phones turned off so no sense in keeping the laptop here (yup, I was on dial-up while living down here in BFE!).
Moving has proved to be more emotional than I thought it would be. While packing a couple of weeks ago and looking at the bare walls it hit me that I was moving out of my "home" and into another "house". There is a difference. I got sad. I'm getting sad again now just typing it.
On the other hand though, this past week has been nice being in the cities (I moved to Richfield) and only 5 miles from work with an 11 minute commute. This past week I've already done a couple of things I haven't been able to do for the past 10 years down here in Lonsdale; small, insignificant things you don't normally think of if you get to do them all the time - I got to go home for lunch and I got to go home in-between leaving work in the evenings and my group training runs with TNT. I smiled when I did those things.
The boys don't know we've moved yet. They knew it was happening soon, but didn't know when. They've been on vacation with their mom the past 10 days so I took advantage of that time and got it done. I'm anticipating them not liking this fact, but I think they'll come around after a couple of days. We'll find out tomorrow anyway. That'll give them the weekend to adjust. Could be interesting so stay tuned.
There might be something in the works for #3, stay tuned for that as well. ;)
Adios from Lonsdale. It's been what it's been.
Moving has proved to be more emotional than I thought it would be. While packing a couple of weeks ago and looking at the bare walls it hit me that I was moving out of my "home" and into another "house". There is a difference. I got sad. I'm getting sad again now just typing it.
On the other hand though, this past week has been nice being in the cities (I moved to Richfield) and only 5 miles from work with an 11 minute commute. This past week I've already done a couple of things I haven't been able to do for the past 10 years down here in Lonsdale; small, insignificant things you don't normally think of if you get to do them all the time - I got to go home for lunch and I got to go home in-between leaving work in the evenings and my group training runs with TNT. I smiled when I did those things.
The boys don't know we've moved yet. They knew it was happening soon, but didn't know when. They've been on vacation with their mom the past 10 days so I took advantage of that time and got it done. I'm anticipating them not liking this fact, but I think they'll come around after a couple of days. We'll find out tomorrow anyway. That'll give them the weekend to adjust. Could be interesting so stay tuned.
There might be something in the works for #3, stay tuned for that as well. ;)
Adios from Lonsdale. It's been what it's been.
Monday, January 4, 2010
How Prophetic
The day after I post my resolutions I get hit square in the face with needing to make sure I follow through on one, #2. I had a doctor's appointment and in their routine they make each patient jump on the scale on the way to the private room. I knew I wasn't going to like this number, but I wasn't ready for what it read. I can now officially say I weigh more than I ever have in my lifetime. Not a proud moment. I knew I was slacking off these past 4 months, but I guess I didn't realize to what extent until the last day of the year. These next couple of weeks are going to be crucial in getting back down to where I want and need to be. Want, because I feel like a slug right now and it's not a good feeling. Need, because I know it can't be healthy for me to be up this high. If I can get past the disappoint of where I've let myself get to and into the positive realm and start to see some result, it would make things easier from there on out! There are some family genetics working against me so I can't help the bad guys out by letting my shape get away from me. The more in shape I can maintain, the more at bay I can keep those genes.
It's all good though, this negative realization has helped me focus on another resolution as well, #4. I got a little more serious about picking out my spring marathon and now have it narrowed down to 2 options - Lawrence, KS and Lincoln, NE. They are 2 weeks apart so depending on how my training goes these first 2 months will probably determine which one I'll do. Hopefully it'll be KS though. That's the earlier one so it'll give me more time in-between events so I don't suffer from burn-out like I did last season by scheduling things too close together. I'm not going to worry about my results during this spring marathon though. I know I won't be at my peak physical best so I can't expect to set a PR or anything. I'll just go out there to enjoy it and cross another state off the list. Hopefully, if I can find my working out mojo again, my fall marathon (IA) will test that PR.
I was talking today with someone about another resolution. Mainly hers, but it got me thinking about mine too, #3, and what I want out of it. There are definitely some different views out there about dating and what it's all about. I think I need to do some inner searching on who I'm looking for and how to go about finding her. It's not too hard to draw the conclusion that I haven't done it right yet considering I'm 41 and single.
It's all good though, this negative realization has helped me focus on another resolution as well, #4. I got a little more serious about picking out my spring marathon and now have it narrowed down to 2 options - Lawrence, KS and Lincoln, NE. They are 2 weeks apart so depending on how my training goes these first 2 months will probably determine which one I'll do. Hopefully it'll be KS though. That's the earlier one so it'll give me more time in-between events so I don't suffer from burn-out like I did last season by scheduling things too close together. I'm not going to worry about my results during this spring marathon though. I know I won't be at my peak physical best so I can't expect to set a PR or anything. I'll just go out there to enjoy it and cross another state off the list. Hopefully, if I can find my working out mojo again, my fall marathon (IA) will test that PR.
I was talking today with someone about another resolution. Mainly hers, but it got me thinking about mine too, #3, and what I want out of it. There are definitely some different views out there about dating and what it's all about. I think I need to do some inner searching on who I'm looking for and how to go about finding her. It's not too hard to draw the conclusion that I haven't done it right yet considering I'm 41 and single.
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