This is for me to track how much Weight I am loosing and how much more in shape I am getting. Feel free to read over it and suggest something I could be doing or not doing.
So I came home Friday to a huge surprise. I have been wanting a dog to run and hike with cause the vast majority of my workouts are just me out there and to be honest, I get bored with it. It's not that I don't want to do it, it's the scenery being the same all the time has gotten old. So I have been looking for a dog, and to my surprise my wife found one, picked her up and had her at the house when I got home. Her name is Lucy and she is a sweetheart. She loves everyone and other than some pulling issues on the leash, she is awesome.
Tonight, her and I are going to go out on a long walk, with a few little jogs mixed in to see how she does. I don't want to push it with her and she is too young yet to go very far running.
As for me, I am sure you all are wondering what is going on. Well, I am still nipping away at this running thing. the time I took off did wonders for my shins and they don't hurt at all anymore. Also I have been doing Pilates at work once a week and those sessions are really strengthing my Core and legs.
I have commited myself to do the Rachel Carson Hike next year. All 35 miles of it. So I have been training for that a lot as well. it's also helped my endurance out a ton. Pushing those hills even walking makes you get stronger I tell ya.
Speaking of hills, well it's getting colder, and I am itching to try the steps again. I set a goal pf 12 times up by the end of winter, that would be one vertical mile up. So keep checking in for my progess on that.
For all of you who's blogs I follow, I am in catch up mode. I am sorry I haven't been there. Life gets in the way of everything. But things are slowing down, it's that time of the year again.
My next 5K I believe will be a turkey trot of some kind. Just not sure which one I am going to do.
Also, I have been doing a lot of reading lately, my last book which I finished yesterday was Into Thin Air, by John Krakauer. Highly suggest reading it, and while you are at it try Into the Wild by John as well. Both are on the tops of my all time best reads.... but that is for another day...
Let me open this by saying that I know I haven’t been posting because life has been exceptionally busy these past few months. But I haven’t given up, haven’t quit, I am still going strong (well kinda).
About 8 weeks ago I noticed the pain in my shins was getting to be a bit well um painful so I decided that I would let them rest. Give them the time they needed to heal before I ended up in a cast or something. So I hiked a lot. But no running other than the occasional run to the car when it was raining. No pounding on my legs so to speak. I wasn’t sure I was going to do this Race. I wasn’t ready for it in my mind, I hadn’t been running. But a week before the race I snuck out while my daughter was on her horse at the barn and took a nice little run in the country. Just 2 miles total counting warm up and cool down, nothing all that long. I just wanted to see how my shins where, if there was any pain I committed myself to go see a doctor.
Well there was no pain, other than my lungs screaming I thought you quit doing this! It was wonderful; I was running on country roads through corn fields. So I decided that even though I wasn’t ready for the race I would do it and see what I had lost and start the rebuilding process from there.
I registered and the day after that I got an email that was sent to a running club I joined that they were looking for 15 people to run the race in all Adidas gear, with a foe blindfold on to advertise the Adidas tent at the end of the race. For this I got a shirt shorts and a pair of Adidas running shoes, to keep! Plus they are going to cover my race entry. So I emailed them back and was like HELL YES! Well I really didn’t do it that way, but that was my initial response.
Pittsburgh hosted the G-20 Summit 3 days before the race and on the last day of that I could pick up my race packet. I didn’t let the stinking protesters stop me from getting my race packet. I left work and drove right down on Friday to pick it up. Walked around, talked to a few people I know and then headed out to drive past soldiers and check points to get home. Went for a small run Friday night, to double check my legs and try for distance. I didn’t go to set any records on this run, just wanted to warm up some for the race on Sunday plus I wanted to see how I was going to fair on hills. Still no pain and the hills sucked like always but I got up them with a little walking. On Saturday I had to go get all my new FREE gear, I have to admit I was a little worried about running a race in brand new un tested shoes. But since it’s only 3 miles and I wasn’t going to push it to hard I figured I would be fine. When I got there the girl told me that she didn’t have the blindfolds yet but would send one up with someone else on Sunday morning to the starting point.
Race day:
I woke up at 5:45 am to it pouring down rain, it was cold and miserable. I had to repress the thoughts about backing out down, so I really wouldn’t do it. I had to show up at the starting line 45 mins early to meet the other Adidas runners and get my foe blind fold. When they were all there, none of them had a blind fold for me. So I went without it.
There were over 5,000 people entered in the race and it looked like all of them showed up. I ended up in about the middle of the pack because there were walkers and I didn’t want to have to get around them at the beginning. It still was raining but it slowed to a drizzle and while I was wet, the excitement of the race start kept me warm. I talked to friends and waited for the gun to go off. Once it did, all bets were off, you ran or you got run over till it thinned out a little. When it did I set a nice comfortable pace and just ran. I had forgotten to bring my heart monitor, so I didn’t have a way to watch my HR, which should have bothered me, but I was enjoying the race too much to notice.
At the end of the first mile they had a water station for us. I grabbed a cup and kept going, by this point I was still in the pack but at the back of it, but I was still running, which was my goal. I didn’t care about the time, although I did think about it. The water at the first station almost made me throw up. It was warmish and tasted a like a swimming pool. Tons of chlorine, I tell you. But it did the trick to keep me going, we were about ½ ways up the first and only hill in the race, the rest was all down. Once we started down I had to walk for a min to stretch my leg muscles they weren’t hurting but I was really tight. I ran beside an older gentleman who told me that he runs this race every year for the view. He comes in from Boston to run it. The view of the river and the city is awesome on the roads we were on. Normally, I drive these roads at 50 mph. I suggest to anyone, even walk the 5k if you really want to see Pittsburgh’s beauty.
Coming into downtown was awesome too, to see the buildings and the noise of the crowd at the finish line was echoing up through the city. We ran down through town, turned to outskirt a little of it then right into Point State Park. Coming in with 10,000 or more people cheering you on was great, I sprinted the last 500 yards, I was tired, spent and I really could feel the effects of the weeks I didn’t run pulling on me, but with the crowd there, that many people, I wasn’t going to give up until I hit that damn line.
I crossed it, looked at the time and was like really? I knew I PR’d but I didn’t know by how much. I didn’t have my HR monitor so no timer there and my phones GPS system was too hard to run because I wasn’t allowed to show anything but Adidas stuff. So I went and ate a Banana (god they are still my favorite fruit) drank ice cold water and then had some pasta and ½ of an orange. I still wasn’t sure of my time though, but the rain started to really come down and I had to get a shuttle back to my car. I went home, knowing I did well but not how well.
Finally after I got home, I got my time (40:17) beat my PR by a full minute even with the weeks off. Today I am a little sore, but there is no shin pain to speak of. But it is a good sore, a well fought sore that I will remember for awhile.
Tonight, well I hear the road calling me, saying hey 17 seconds and you would have beat 40 mins. By spring my friend you are going to beat 30.
Life is really getting busy as of late. I tell ya it's hard enough to find time to do anything outside of work and exercise. I am sorry I haven't been here for so long.
I do have a ton of updates for you all though!
Let me start by saying other than running I have been hiking a lot and riding my bike as well. That being said 2 weeks ago I had a fight with some gravel on the road and well it won. My bike stopped and well to be honest I didn't :P I have a major rip out of my knee and it's all scabby and gross. But it's a battle wound!!!
So for the past 2 weeks I have been babying my knee, well except for last Saturday, I had a 5k planned. On the Thursday before I got out and tried to run but the pain that was shooting up through my leg didn't let me go far. I barley made it a 1/2 mile before I turned around and walked back. I had ice in the car so I iced my knee down and grumbled the whole time. I had this 5k that was planned and paid for, not by me by a friends company and I promised I would be there.
So I intended on running a little of it and walking the rest. But on Saturday morning when I woke up at um 4 am for a 8:30 start. BTW the race was 90 minutes away from my house. We packed up the car and headed out and my knee felt better, not 100% but better none the less. So I said well I won't try for a PR I will just try and see how I do. And if I have to walk most of it so be it.
We got there and I met my friend Betsy and her Hubby and got group photos done of our team. Then we stretched and got to the back of the pack for the start of the race. There was a 10k, 5k run and both in a walk program too. So the walkers waited until all us runners left. The race started out on a 1/4 mile track then we hit the roads of Somerset PA. For those of you who that don't remember this is where the plane went down on 9-11. After we hit the road the first mile and about a 1/4 was basically flat. It was humid and foggy and I was sweating like a pig but my knee wasn't hurting all that much. More of the scab crunching than anything else. Then I hit the HILL, it was a long one, not very steep but long and drawn out. On this hill I chose my target of who I had to beat. I didn't intend on running most of this so I hadn't picked anyone out. But there was this lady who was pretty far ahead of me and I choose her to pass. She was my target, but after another 1/4 mile I noticed she was pulling away, damn this hill is long. So I forgot about passing her and just ran with some walking of course up the hill. On the hill I heard a huffing and puffing and looked back to see a power walker coming to pass me. Man he was moving for walking. He ended up coming in with 10 min miles. Where was I... well read on :P
At the top of the hill it kinda leveled out and then we hit another little hill. My knee was holding up pretty well and I looked up and still didn't see my target. I kept thinking oh well, I picked someone that was to far ahead to catch. But I kept trucking on. I wasn't walking as much, I am slowly learning pacing. It's very hard to run slow :P
When I started to hear the announcer at the finish line I really felt like I should just keep running harder but I held back because I really wasn't sure how long I had left. I just held my pace and then I saw the fence and the grandstands of the track and knew I was close now. I was really tired and my knee was starting to ache a little and I really wanted water (they didn't have a good water stop on the course) I came through the fence and Betsy was already done and there cheering me on. Just 1/4 mile to go and I looked out and about 1/16 of a mile ahead was my target. I could catch her if I just pick it up a little. So I did, and she did too.... B***h :P I was spent to be honest, even the little I picked it up killed me but I really wanted to pass her. 1/2 way around the track now, she was just ahead but I wasn't gaining I was pacing her. What to do, Oh hell, I went all out at a sprint as fast as I could. I felt great the knee pain melted away, or was hidden by the pain of running this fast. I have been doing speed work but not after 3 miles of hills. She was right there, Right in front of me. I am not sure if she knew I was trying to pass her but I did, I flew by her and across the finish line. 42:31... slow, not a PR but my knee didn't kill me. Then I got my water and I was ready to run more. I was pumped that I passed her.
2 days later Betsy emailed me the link to our photos that we can purchase, and told me something interesting. The start was shotgun, so being at the back of the pack of about 600 people I lost a minute maybe more before I actually hit the starting line. So I more than likely did PR. Just not sure of the time.
This weekend coming up I have an 8 mile hike planned. It is a sweep hike of the Rachel Carson Trail challenge 34 miles. We are sweeping check points 3 -4 then on Sunday I have a 5k trail race. That should be interesting. I'll let you all know if I am still alive after that :)
This was the first annual running of the race that supports the Mars High School Band. I showed up early like I always do and picked up my packet. I was hydrating myself all morning because it was really hot/humid and to be honest sticky. I met up with some of the people I know from Meetup.com and we BS'd while we warmed up and stretched. I had no intention of pushing myself for this race, I wanted to work on pacing and just being able to run the race with as little walking as possible.
The band played the national anthem which was really cool because I have never seen this done at a race before and they had the honor guard from the Marines there as well. After that we started out. This was a nice rolling race through the country side on paved roads. We ran through a housing project and at about every mile there was a group from the band playing music for us.
Right as we started the rain let loose and it was really refreshing. It really cooled things off at least for a bit. I ran the first mile at about a 14 min pace. I kept up with a couple that was running and you could tell she was less experienced than I was and at about 3/4 of a mile she told the guy with her she needed to walk some. I ran right past them. Then came the first of the smaller hills.
I ran about 1/2 way up it and had to cut back to a walk, but as soon as I hit the crest I started running again. At the half way point they had a water station and now that it stopped raining it got even hotter and stickier. Then came the LONG hill that everyone was worried about. I walked it but after last weekends Murder mountain this seemed like a piece of cake. When I got to the top there was a volunteer there that said so soon as I hit that little bump ahead it's all flat to the finish. So off on a run again, I did have to walk a little of the last mile, the heat was really getting to me, but then I saw the school and could hear the band playing the pink panther song, so I kicked it back in gear and started to run again. When I came around the turn into the parking lot where the finish was I hit into a little sprint and ran through the finish for a 41:17. This wasn't a chip time, and by my timer I was at 40:50. So To be honest with myself I am calling it an even 41. Which beats my previous PR by 43 seconds. Not that great but still a new time to beat. My friends both got medals which was really cool and I won and ice cream cone as a door prize (just what I need huh?) but I am giving that to my daughter.
I paced myself pretty good and came away from the race pain free which is a win for me. Last night my shin did get a little achy, not painful just enough that I iced it but I ended up sitting a lot yesterday and I was getting stiff by the end of the night. Today I feel great and am ready to go do it all again. This race is definitely on my radar for next year as well.
I had originally signed up to do 4.5 miles but I wasn't feeling the 4.5 mile distance when I showed up for the race so I down graded myself to the 2 mile race, which in turn was the smartest thing I did all weekend.
The race was held by the Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners group, of which I am a member. This means it is a small race, about 40 people showed up for the race. Most of them were doing the 4.5 mile. We all started at the same time and ran the same course, but then the 2 milers turned back.
I started with my new friend Brad, he was doing the 4.5 and had just come from the race for the cure. We started doing a 1/2 mile loop on a gravel track, Brad and I went the opposite way from the rest of the pack so we could cheer them on. After the half mile loop we hit the trail, they call the first 1/2 mile of the trail murder hill. I am renaming it to murder mountain, That was not a hill, it's a 1/2 mile up of pure pain. We walked it and by the time we hit the turn around where I left Brad my legs felt like rubber sticks underneath me. But I pressed on and headed back down. I think I'd rather go back up it to be honest. Down was hard and i wanted to make up some time so I ran most of it back down. Some parts you didn't have a choice but to run. Once I hit the level part of the hill I did walk some, my legs were hurting a little and I was worried about pushing to hard. Then out of the woods all I had left to do was the 1/2 mile loop on the gravel track again. My legs were tired i walked the first 1/3 of the track but I knew by my time that some of the 4.5 mile runners would be headed out soon. I was determined to not get passed by anyone running a longer race than I did. So I pressed on and ran the last 1/4 mile. I finished at 33 and change. I can't remember my exact time, once it is posted I will post a comment.
I waited and watch everyone else come in. Rooted them on and even filled up some water glasses for people. Afterwards Brad and I hit up Panera bread and had a little lunch and BS'd about running, dieting and what races we are going to hit up this summer.
Today, I feel like I had a great workout yesterday. My legs are even a little sore, but it's a happy sore.
Saturday I am doing a 5k that I promised I'd do back in March. Really looking forward to it. I can feel myself getting stronger with each run. Racing is just a bonus!!
It has been 7 months since I started this journey. I'll admit 7 of the hardest months of my life. I have had more set backs and breakthroughs than I can mention. Some are small, some are major but in the end they all end up making me a better person physically and mentally.
When I was a kid at 16 I used to work in a chain donut shop. We used to get 50 lbs bags of sugar in and I hated unloading them. Now I look back at that and think that I have lost more than that bag in weight. I hardly have any clothes that really fit me anymore. I have gone to the closet and pulled out the pants that I should have gotten rid of years ago but I held on to for when I loose weight. Well now they are too big too. Even the belt I bought a few months ago I have had to put new holes in to make it so my pants aren't falling down. It's the greatest feeling you can ever have. I am very happy about where I am and I know I can get to where I want to be.
When I started this, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting a little tired. Cardiac hill near work would wind me so bad that i had to stop at the top. Now I walk that once a week just because I can. Soon I will run it. Very soon.
I have found new friends, reconnected with old ones, and have more self esteem that I ever have. Some of these friends I haven't met yet but I talk to a lot on line, but most I will meet someday. I have found new a new passion that I will never give up. It is leading me to newer passions. Newer things that I can do that I couldn't this time last year cause well i was just too fat, too out of shape.
I have broken goals, made new ones and broken them. Only to find newer ones after those. Dreams become reality leading to more dreams.
Life has changed for the better, and I am taking steps to make sure I am going to be here for a long time to enjoy it.
Since my last post I have run trails, roads and fields. I have found myself in those places. Especially the trails. If you haven't run one yet, go do it. leave the Ipods and mp3 players at home and just listen. Listen to what is around you. As you feet hit the ground they echo ever so slightly. Last Thursday, I ran a trail that was made in dedication of a 7 year old boy that passed away. On that trail, with the sun sqeaking through the trees, the birds chirping and the deer, yes the deer that decided I was ok to be there and stood there while I ran past. Not that I was close but wow, I was close enough.
On Sunday, before it got to hot. I went to North Park and ran walked the lake. 5 miles, I was a little slower than I wanted to be. But the heat was a little warmer and I didn't wanna pass out :)
On Monday, I had the day off from work because my wifes Aunt passed away. While everyone got ready for the funeral. I went for a little run the sun was just coming up. The birds sang to me as I ran.
Amby Burfoot suggested that you run without music. I don't do it all the time, but the past 2 weeks I have been on call so I have had to carry a blackberry with me and I need to hear it if it goes off. I will never feel it vibrating when I run. Like Amby, I suggest you try it, preferably in the early morning, right as the sun comes up. The world can be a beautiful place if you let it.
This weekend is the Pittsburgh Marathon. Over 10500 people will be running the streets of my city. I will meet some of them the days before the race at the expo and on race day I will hand some of them medals for finishing the race. (Better not be any biggest looser people there GRRRRR) I signed up for motivation, it is funny though, when all I think about is when I can run next how much more motivation do I need? Not much, but I will enjoy it and maybe next year I'll pick one of those packets up with my name on it. :)
What to say. Right now I am in a life changing mode from pure geek to some kind of athlete. I am working on running and plan to race a lot of races in the coming year. Maybe you will see me there :)
