tomorrow is the "Race for the New Year" 5K. I have been down with a stomach bug and a sinus infection which has kept me from running for about two weeks. Could be my body telling me that I needed the time off from running... regardless I am hoping for a good showing tomorrow. So why did I have pizza and beer for dinner? Not exactly the ideal pre-race carbo load. Who knows, maybe this unorthodox lead in to the race will spell out good things. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.
Until then....
Friday, December 29, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This blog has been a bit quiet lately. I was sick for most of the week leading up to Christmas, followed by Liz being sick, and then Anneliese had a stomach bug on Christmas Eve. It has been a busy an rough last ocuple of weeks. Everyone is starting to feel a little better. Each of us have had different illnesses. Hopefully we will have all of these germs out of the house soon.
RUNNING REPORT
I have nothing to report here. Since I was sick I was unable to get out and run. I am still hoping to run the "Race to the New Year" which takes place nearby on Dec. 30. I was hoping to shoot for a new PR in the 21:30 range. I have no idea what to expect at this point. I'll give you an update after the event.
That is it for now....
RUNNING REPORT
I have nothing to report here. Since I was sick I was unable to get out and run. I am still hoping to run the "Race to the New Year" which takes place nearby on Dec. 30. I was hoping to shoot for a new PR in the 21:30 range. I have no idea what to expect at this point. I'll give you an update after the event.
That is it for now....
Sunday, December 17, 2006
3 for 1 post night
Last few days have been kind of busy so this post might get a little long winded. I will start out with a quick running recap and then move on to some other stuff.
I was hoping to get in five days of running this week. I ended up running four times, not bad considering last week was hectic at work and finals for my MBA program. I did not run Friday but did get in runs on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was about perfect running wether with temps about 55 degrees when I left the house. I set out for 6 miles but I could tell right off that is was not a good day for my body. So I soldiered through 4.5 miles. Today I capped off the week with a 18:30 threshold run. It felt like May not December with the temp at 65. I ran in shorts and a short sleeve wicking shirt, again it is December. One week from Christmas. 65 degrees. The threshold run was great. I really feel like I am can reach my goals for next year. If I can get my half-mary time down to a 7:15 mile this year at the mini then I think I can BQ in 2008.
New Running Feature
I am a compulsive checker of marathonguide.com to see race results for the previous weekend and seek out future races that I may run. I check in about once or sometimes twice a week. They have a great race calendar that is searchable by map or date. This is truly a great resource. The link between marathonguide.com and my new feature will become clear in a minute. The new feature will be an interview with a runner, race director, and/or other race related person.
My inaugural question and answer session is with Chuck Engle. Chuck is a marathoner who has been dubbed the "Marathon Junkie." I became aware of Chuck earlier this year through marathonguide.com. It seemed like every time I went to the website there was a reference to Chuck winning a marathon. Turns out that was exactly what was going on. The Marathon Junkie was on a quest to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks. Over the course of the year the races went by and the wins rolled in. With a recent win in Kiawah Island the win total is up to 22 for the year. If you would like to follow his quest then check out his website.
Here is the interview:
What was your greatest race moment of 2006? I would tell you that as of right now….there was a little race in upstate New York where I completely broke down. I was mentality, physically and emotionally just shot. I was walking in pain and given the pounding rain and wind…I think I was about to just stop. I thought about so many things during that race. Suffice it to say…I finished. We all face different adversities in life and while my complete story may never be told…..this race gave me a new perspective on my running and pain. It was at that point that I recognized vulnerability and weakness. Not something that many men are willing to admit.
Which victory was the most gratifying? Tulsa Oklahoma. For personal reasons, this will stand out as a very emotional race for me.
How do you prepare mentally for a marathon? I could write a book about mentally preparing week in and week out for racing a marathon. I wish I could do it justice in a line or two…but I would insult your readers by telling them something contrite about what I have done to prepare for this year and each week.
What do you think about while you are on the course? In simple terms…I think about pain, heart ache, lap splits, God, relationships, and green grass.
What advice do you give to new marathoners? The first one hurts the worst….after that numbness sets in.
What are your goals for 2007? I thought I might run a little.
Favorite destination race? After nearly 100 marathons….I have cemented this race into my favorite all time race and few have come close to knocking it out of the number one spot for variety of scenery, challenge of course, course support, finish line area and friendliness of race staff. John Kaiser and the Whidbey Island Marathon will remain number 1 on my list!!!! Whether your goal is to finish one marathon or 100….you are not done until you have run WHIDBEY!!!
I hope that you have enjoyed reading Chuck's responses. I'd recommend that you sign up for his newsletter also. You can do so on his website. The newsletters offer a great recap of his experiences.
Best of 2006
Best book: Good to Great, I find myself using the principles in this book all the time. If you are business minded then I highly recommend this book.
Worst of 2006
Fatal 4 Way tie: Fast food dishes that just shouldn't exist. Lobster poppers from Long John Silver's, McRib Sandwich, KFC Bowl's, and last and least the Dairy Queen Chili Cheeseburger. Not only would I not eat any of these ever but the commercials make me throw up in my mouth when I see them.
Race Recovery area Faux Pas; The guy smoking in the recovery tent at the USAF Marathon in September.
I was hoping to get in five days of running this week. I ended up running four times, not bad considering last week was hectic at work and finals for my MBA program. I did not run Friday but did get in runs on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was about perfect running wether with temps about 55 degrees when I left the house. I set out for 6 miles but I could tell right off that is was not a good day for my body. So I soldiered through 4.5 miles. Today I capped off the week with a 18:30 threshold run. It felt like May not December with the temp at 65. I ran in shorts and a short sleeve wicking shirt, again it is December. One week from Christmas. 65 degrees. The threshold run was great. I really feel like I am can reach my goals for next year. If I can get my half-mary time down to a 7:15 mile this year at the mini then I think I can BQ in 2008.
New Running Feature
I am a compulsive checker of marathonguide.com to see race results for the previous weekend and seek out future races that I may run. I check in about once or sometimes twice a week. They have a great race calendar that is searchable by map or date. This is truly a great resource. The link between marathonguide.com and my new feature will become clear in a minute. The new feature will be an interview with a runner, race director, and/or other race related person.
My inaugural question and answer session is with Chuck Engle. Chuck is a marathoner who has been dubbed the "Marathon Junkie." I became aware of Chuck earlier this year through marathonguide.com. It seemed like every time I went to the website there was a reference to Chuck winning a marathon. Turns out that was exactly what was going on. The Marathon Junkie was on a quest to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks. Over the course of the year the races went by and the wins rolled in. With a recent win in Kiawah Island the win total is up to 22 for the year. If you would like to follow his quest then check out his website.
Here is the interview:
What was your greatest race moment of 2006? I would tell you that as of right now….there was a little race in upstate New York where I completely broke down. I was mentality, physically and emotionally just shot. I was walking in pain and given the pounding rain and wind…I think I was about to just stop. I thought about so many things during that race. Suffice it to say…I finished. We all face different adversities in life and while my complete story may never be told…..this race gave me a new perspective on my running and pain. It was at that point that I recognized vulnerability and weakness. Not something that many men are willing to admit.
Which victory was the most gratifying? Tulsa Oklahoma. For personal reasons, this will stand out as a very emotional race for me.
How do you prepare mentally for a marathon? I could write a book about mentally preparing week in and week out for racing a marathon. I wish I could do it justice in a line or two…but I would insult your readers by telling them something contrite about what I have done to prepare for this year and each week.
What do you think about while you are on the course? In simple terms…I think about pain, heart ache, lap splits, God, relationships, and green grass.
What advice do you give to new marathoners? The first one hurts the worst….after that numbness sets in.
What are your goals for 2007? I thought I might run a little.
Favorite destination race? After nearly 100 marathons….I have cemented this race into my favorite all time race and few have come close to knocking it out of the number one spot for variety of scenery, challenge of course, course support, finish line area and friendliness of race staff. John Kaiser and the Whidbey Island Marathon will remain number 1 on my list!!!! Whether your goal is to finish one marathon or 100….you are not done until you have run WHIDBEY!!!
I hope that you have enjoyed reading Chuck's responses. I'd recommend that you sign up for his newsletter also. You can do so on his website. The newsletters offer a great recap of his experiences.
Best of 2006
Best book: Good to Great, I find myself using the principles in this book all the time. If you are business minded then I highly recommend this book.
Worst of 2006
Fatal 4 Way tie: Fast food dishes that just shouldn't exist. Lobster poppers from Long John Silver's, McRib Sandwich, KFC Bowl's, and last and least the Dairy Queen Chili Cheeseburger. Not only would I not eat any of these ever but the commercials make me throw up in my mouth when I see them.
Race Recovery area Faux Pas; The guy smoking in the recovery tent at the USAF Marathon in September.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Person in the cross walk...
I ran after dark tonight. I run after dark regularly now that dark starts about 5:00 pm. People in cars aren't always very aware of me so I make sure that I am very aware of them. I bring this up because I was in the cross walk tonight when a car started through the intersection in front of me. I had on two flashing reflector lights so I know that had to have seen me. It wasn't close enough that I can say that I was almost hit but it was close enough that I can say that they should have been more considerate. Be careful out there.
Other than that brief encounter my run went well. I ran about 4 miles into the wind. No complaints about the wind though since it was accompanied by 50 degrees in December in Indiana. I found a nice stride for the last mile and brought it home nicely. I am glad to report that I have managed to get in two runs this week so far. I am on schedule to do five runs for the week. It will be nice to get my mileage back to 30 miles a week before I start training for the Mini.
Keeping it short tonight since it is getting late.
Best of 2006
Best Runners World Cover- The one with the lady doing the Yoga pose (it deviated from the standard runner in stride cover shot)
Best new vegetable- Spaghetti squash (there aren't many vegetables that I haven't tried by this point in my life)
Worst of 2006 ( a new category suggested by my wife)
Celebrity breakup- Brittany and K-fed, I don't usually pay attention to stuff like this but you couldn't really escape it.
Worst packaged food- The mesquite flavored albacore tuna steak in a pouch (will update brand later), what it lacked in taste it made up for in toughness.
Other than that brief encounter my run went well. I ran about 4 miles into the wind. No complaints about the wind though since it was accompanied by 50 degrees in December in Indiana. I found a nice stride for the last mile and brought it home nicely. I am glad to report that I have managed to get in two runs this week so far. I am on schedule to do five runs for the week. It will be nice to get my mileage back to 30 miles a week before I start training for the Mini.
Keeping it short tonight since it is getting late.
Best of 2006
Best Runners World Cover- The one with the lady doing the Yoga pose (it deviated from the standard runner in stride cover shot)
Best new vegetable- Spaghetti squash (there aren't many vegetables that I haven't tried by this point in my life)
Worst of 2006 ( a new category suggested by my wife)
Celebrity breakup- Brittany and K-fed, I don't usually pay attention to stuff like this but you couldn't really escape it.
Worst packaged food- The mesquite flavored albacore tuna steak in a pouch (will update brand later), what it lacked in taste it made up for in toughness.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Moose Tracks
As I get my mind ready for my 4-5 mile run tomorrow morning my stomache continues to digest moose tracks ice cream. I eat ice cream about once every two months. Liz on the other hand, had Ben & Jerry's Marsha, Marsha Marshmallow. It sounded good and we went for it. I'll pay the price tomorrow when I burn 600-700 calories on my run. You have to indulge once in a while. Liz is pregnant which pretty much gives her card blanche on what she wants to eat.
About that run tomorrow morning, it will be an early 6am wake up call. Luckily the temp will be around 40 or so and perfect for a run. I love December weather in the 40's and 50's when it happens. If I am so inclined and I got up on time, I may try to stretch it out to a 6 miler since today was a rest day.
Veggie Revisited
I wanted to swing back on the vegetarian topic. We uncovered a lot of great recipes over the course of the year. We learned to love "meatless meatballs," plain cheese pizza, black bean fajitas, and a lot of other substitutes for those meaty favorites. I think we will always maintain those eating habits to an extent but we are willing to eat those meat products that are not loaded with steroids and antibiotics.
Five things we ate the most:
1) Penne pasta in pesto with broccoli
2) Tostadas with pinto beans
3) Vegetable stir fry
4) Black blean fajitas
5) omelettes
Tonight we had pork chops and they were D-LICIOUS. I am happy to say that Anneliese has developed a taste for lots of fruits and vegetables. Not an easy task for many two year olds. She loves broccoli and asparagus. That is sort of a "postive externality" of our experience as the economist might say.
The Thing About Christmas Lights
As I was driving to get gas in the car and pick up the ice cream I noticed many of the same decorations that I see everyday. Our house is somewhere between "are they just starting" and "why did they bother" on the outside decs so I am not passing judgement. But I do wonder to myself if there are people who feel like they really need to put one more inflatable snow man or Homer Claus in their front yard. How many strands of lights before you get to too many? Thank you to all who have decorated as Anneliese thinks they are all so pretty.
SOME MORE '06 Stuff
Best Bob & Tom Show Guest Song- Drew Hastings, 'I Guess I'm tired'--says many of the things that we are probably thinking. check out bobandtom.com for a link.
Best race- I have to say that Ken Long runs a great race here in the Indy area and I support his races regularly, however, my top race of the year goes to the Tuxedo Brothers for the On Your Mark for the Park 5 miler. I PR'ed and Anneliese had her first kiddie romp. Also, the Carmel High School XC team was out to help on the course and they did a great job.
RANT
More to come...
About that run tomorrow morning, it will be an early 6am wake up call. Luckily the temp will be around 40 or so and perfect for a run. I love December weather in the 40's and 50's when it happens. If I am so inclined and I got up on time, I may try to stretch it out to a 6 miler since today was a rest day.
Veggie Revisited
I wanted to swing back on the vegetarian topic. We uncovered a lot of great recipes over the course of the year. We learned to love "meatless meatballs," plain cheese pizza, black bean fajitas, and a lot of other substitutes for those meaty favorites. I think we will always maintain those eating habits to an extent but we are willing to eat those meat products that are not loaded with steroids and antibiotics.
Five things we ate the most:
1) Penne pasta in pesto with broccoli
2) Tostadas with pinto beans
3) Vegetable stir fry
4) Black blean fajitas
5) omelettes
Tonight we had pork chops and they were D-LICIOUS. I am happy to say that Anneliese has developed a taste for lots of fruits and vegetables. Not an easy task for many two year olds. She loves broccoli and asparagus. That is sort of a "postive externality" of our experience as the economist might say.
The Thing About Christmas Lights
As I was driving to get gas in the car and pick up the ice cream I noticed many of the same decorations that I see everyday. Our house is somewhere between "are they just starting" and "why did they bother" on the outside decs so I am not passing judgement. But I do wonder to myself if there are people who feel like they really need to put one more inflatable snow man or Homer Claus in their front yard. How many strands of lights before you get to too many? Thank you to all who have decorated as Anneliese thinks they are all so pretty.
SOME MORE '06 Stuff
Best Bob & Tom Show Guest Song- Drew Hastings, 'I Guess I'm tired'--says many of the things that we are probably thinking. check out bobandtom.com for a link.
Best race- I have to say that Ken Long runs a great race here in the Indy area and I support his races regularly, however, my top race of the year goes to the Tuxedo Brothers for the On Your Mark for the Park 5 miler. I PR'ed and Anneliese had her first kiddie romp. Also, the Carmel High School XC team was out to help on the course and they did a great job.
RANT
Definitely is definitely not spelled "definately."
More to come...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Where have I been?
BACK FROM VEGGIE LAND
Liz and I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle for over a year. According to www.veggie123.com there are three main types of vegetarians:
There are three main vegetarian diets, although variations abound in each category: Lacto Ovo vegetarian, Lacto vegetarian, and Vegan. Let’s take them one at a time and look at the differences:
A lacto ovo vegetarian eats mostly plant foods, but also eats eggs and dairy products including yogurt, milk, cheese and ice cream. This is the first step most people take when they switch to a vegetarian diet, because it’s easy to fulfill all your nutritional requirements and, well, everything tastes good when you cover it with cheese! It’s also an easy diet to maintain in the "real world," as there are always restaurant choices – including fast food options – so no matter where you are or who you’re with, you can always find something to eat.
Lacto vegetarians eat no meat or eggs, but do consume dairy products. While acceptable dairy substitutes have become much more palatable in recent years, it can still be difficult to avoid dairy entirely, and it makes cooking much more challenging. Many lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs because, as ovum, they’re potentially animals. Or they choose not to eat eggs because they’re uncomfortable with egg farming practices (more on that later). Conversely, there are ovo vegetarians, who eat eggs but don’t consume dairy products.
Vegans eschew all animal proteins and animal by-products. This is the most extreme form of vegetarian diet, as vegans get all of their nutrition from grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. And vegans must avoid a large number of commercially produced foods that contain animal proteins – most breads are made with eggs, for example, and many non-dairy products are thickened with casein, a protein extracted from milk. Even vegetarian "burgers" often contain eggs! Despite the challenges, the vegan diet has steadily grown in popularity in recent years as more and more vegetarians have become savvy label-readers and vegan-friendly food companies have created more products for them to enjoy.
We fell in the lacto ovo camp for the most part although we did eat seafood occasionally as well. Recently we started eating meat again (about 3 weeks ago). We still eat a similar diet to our veggie period but we will eat meat a couple of times a weeks. I have to say that my energy levels have been higher and my running performances have improved. I am not trying to draw comparisons or make a claim that one lifestyle is better than the other. I just feel more balanced eating from all of the food groups.
RUNNING REPORT
My goals for 2007:
1 mile: 5:45
2 miles: 12:00
5K: under 20 minutes
Today I ran my 2 mile training route in 13:45 according to my new Timex IronMan watch. That is less than 7min/mile. It is also an improvement of about 1 minute since I first timed myself on the 2 mile route a couple of weeks ago. I am looking forward to hitting my target in April.
This week has been tough for getting miles in. I was able to run 3 days total at distances of 3 miles, 6, and 2 today. I am hoping to get back to running 5 days a week now that my schedule has slowed down a little.
Here is the 12 week schedule that I will be using to train for the 500 Festival Mini-marathon that will take place on May 5: http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm
That's all for now...
Liz and I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle for over a year. According to www.veggie123.com there are three main types of vegetarians:
There are three main vegetarian diets, although variations abound in each category: Lacto Ovo vegetarian, Lacto vegetarian, and Vegan. Let’s take them one at a time and look at the differences:
A lacto ovo vegetarian eats mostly plant foods, but also eats eggs and dairy products including yogurt, milk, cheese and ice cream. This is the first step most people take when they switch to a vegetarian diet, because it’s easy to fulfill all your nutritional requirements and, well, everything tastes good when you cover it with cheese! It’s also an easy diet to maintain in the "real world," as there are always restaurant choices – including fast food options – so no matter where you are or who you’re with, you can always find something to eat.
Lacto vegetarians eat no meat or eggs, but do consume dairy products. While acceptable dairy substitutes have become much more palatable in recent years, it can still be difficult to avoid dairy entirely, and it makes cooking much more challenging. Many lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs because, as ovum, they’re potentially animals. Or they choose not to eat eggs because they’re uncomfortable with egg farming practices (more on that later). Conversely, there are ovo vegetarians, who eat eggs but don’t consume dairy products.
Vegans eschew all animal proteins and animal by-products. This is the most extreme form of vegetarian diet, as vegans get all of their nutrition from grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. And vegans must avoid a large number of commercially produced foods that contain animal proteins – most breads are made with eggs, for example, and many non-dairy products are thickened with casein, a protein extracted from milk. Even vegetarian "burgers" often contain eggs! Despite the challenges, the vegan diet has steadily grown in popularity in recent years as more and more vegetarians have become savvy label-readers and vegan-friendly food companies have created more products for them to enjoy.
We fell in the lacto ovo camp for the most part although we did eat seafood occasionally as well. Recently we started eating meat again (about 3 weeks ago). We still eat a similar diet to our veggie period but we will eat meat a couple of times a weeks. I have to say that my energy levels have been higher and my running performances have improved. I am not trying to draw comparisons or make a claim that one lifestyle is better than the other. I just feel more balanced eating from all of the food groups.
RUNNING REPORT
My goals for 2007:
1 mile: 5:45
2 miles: 12:00
5K: under 20 minutes
Today I ran my 2 mile training route in 13:45 according to my new Timex IronMan watch. That is less than 7min/mile. It is also an improvement of about 1 minute since I first timed myself on the 2 mile route a couple of weeks ago. I am looking forward to hitting my target in April.
This week has been tough for getting miles in. I was able to run 3 days total at distances of 3 miles, 6, and 2 today. I am hoping to get back to running 5 days a week now that my schedule has slowed down a little.
Here is the 12 week schedule that I will be using to train for the 500 Festival Mini-marathon that will take place on May 5: http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm
That's all for now...
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