The other day I watched Bart vs. Comrades and couldn't wait to start training for my race.
Right at the end when Bart is talking about how he left everything on the course, that he had nothing left, that's how I want to feel at the end of the Pensacola Marathon in November. More than reaching my time goal, my ultimate goal is to know that I tried my absolute best, that I couldn't have done any better, or run any faster than I did. Like Lou Holtz says, "If you settle for second place, when first is available, you'll do it for the rest of your life."
I'm thinking I'm going to follow one of Hal Higdon's plans for this one, with adding some speed training somewhere in the week. I'm just pumped to begin, and I hope that I can carry that motivation into the rest of training.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle -"
"victorious"
~Vince Lombardi
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Time to Refocus Goals
Hey all,
About a week or so ago I found out that I might be moving a bit earlier than I had planned for the next job. We're talking January instead of July or August. As a result, I've pretty much scrapped the Florida Keys 100 plan.
Since I said MIGHT I'm not going to focus on any races in particular for next year. That leaves me the Pensacola Marathon in November. It's pretty close to home, cheap, and flat. Should be a good way to get back into the swing of things to kill this post-50 funk I'm in.
This race wasn't actually my idea, it was Emily's!
.... I was shocked too
She wanted to run the half-marathon race and said I should do the full. She twisted my arm, bent my fingers in the wrong direction, and pulled my hair until I relented and said I would run the race.
Just kidding, I was in right away.
This is my only race planned for this season, so I'm going to up the goals a little bit. By up the goals a little bit, I mean try for a PR. Not just a "back to racing" PR but lifetime PR for the marathon. My previous best was 3:45 at the Marshall University Marathon in Huntington, VA way back in 2005. That means I'm shooting for 3:30 here. I figure the weather and the flatness of Florida will be working in my favor here. For those of you who are embarrassed to try math in public, this equates to just slower than an 8 minute mile.
When was the last time I trained at 8 minute miles? I have 10 minute pace engrained into my head! That means speed training....
ugh...
I'm going to have to come up with a plan...
About a week or so ago I found out that I might be moving a bit earlier than I had planned for the next job. We're talking January instead of July or August. As a result, I've pretty much scrapped the Florida Keys 100 plan.
Since I said MIGHT I'm not going to focus on any races in particular for next year. That leaves me the Pensacola Marathon in November. It's pretty close to home, cheap, and flat. Should be a good way to get back into the swing of things to kill this post-50 funk I'm in.
This race wasn't actually my idea, it was Emily's!
.... I was shocked too
She wanted to run the half-marathon race and said I should do the full. She twisted my arm, bent my fingers in the wrong direction, and pulled my hair until I relented and said I would run the race.
Just kidding, I was in right away.
This is my only race planned for this season, so I'm going to up the goals a little bit. By up the goals a little bit, I mean try for a PR. Not just a "back to racing" PR but lifetime PR for the marathon. My previous best was 3:45 at the Marshall University Marathon in Huntington, VA way back in 2005. That means I'm shooting for 3:30 here. I figure the weather and the flatness of Florida will be working in my favor here. For those of you who are embarrassed to try math in public, this equates to just slower than an 8 minute mile.
When was the last time I trained at 8 minute miles? I have 10 minute pace engrained into my head! That means speed training....
ugh...
I'm going to have to come up with a plan...
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Purge Round 2
The Purge is on!
What the hell is the Purge?
The Purge is my colossal attempt to rid all things unhealthy from my diet and turn myself into someone who resembles a fit person.
The Purge Round 1 was to eliminate soda and all types of caffeine from my diet. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a caffeine and soda junkie. 6 to 10 sodas a day wouldn't phase me at all, along with coffee (if you were buying), chocolate, or energy drinks, all those too. I could tell that it was really contributing to my inability to lose weight. I would run and do P90X every day for a month and I maybe lost three pounds. On March 26, I drank my last Dr. Pepper (my personal favorite). 80 days ago, the cravings have mostly subsided, but I still get them maybe once or twice a day. Better than the splitting, day-ending headaches I got the first week. I spent probably 60% of a week TDY in my hotel bed due to withdrawals. Given where I came from, once a day is easy to deal with. For the past 80 days, its only water or milk that I drink, nothing else. I'm declaring round 1 complete.
Round 2: Work out every day. Now that I eliminated the majority of my junk calories, I can begin to cut down on the spare tire I've been lugging around. Right now, its P90X. I started Friday morning so that the easier days are on PT days so I won't be completely wasted. I'm also sticking to my running routine so that I won't lose any time on my training. Running comes first, but I'm going to try my hardest to stick with P90X as well. Almost done with the first week, just one more hard workout left and it's all downhill til Friday.
I also went swimming in the base pool yesterday morning. Emily would swim down the length of the pool, and somehow I would make it down there too. She would power her way down there, even with me saying I'd wait for her on this end while I'm pushing off the wall to swim. Somehow I talked myself into a half mile, after not swimming in years! The last time I swam more than a lap was freshman year of high school 8 years ago.
Half mile = stupid
I am so sore right now. There was a triathlon guy doing laps in the lane next to me, putting both Emily and I to shame, and I have no clue how he did it. I'm thinking it's going to become a weekly thing, me doing a half mile, until I can slowly start to increase it.
Anyways, that's the update for now. I'm sore as hell every day and it feels good, but it hurts so bad too. 11 months to the Keys 100 and I need to start taking this seriously. Time to respect the distance.
And so The Purge continues...
What the hell is the Purge?
The Purge is my colossal attempt to rid all things unhealthy from my diet and turn myself into someone who resembles a fit person.
The Purge Round 1 was to eliminate soda and all types of caffeine from my diet. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a caffeine and soda junkie. 6 to 10 sodas a day wouldn't phase me at all, along with coffee (if you were buying), chocolate, or energy drinks, all those too. I could tell that it was really contributing to my inability to lose weight. I would run and do P90X every day for a month and I maybe lost three pounds. On March 26, I drank my last Dr. Pepper (my personal favorite). 80 days ago, the cravings have mostly subsided, but I still get them maybe once or twice a day. Better than the splitting, day-ending headaches I got the first week. I spent probably 60% of a week TDY in my hotel bed due to withdrawals. Given where I came from, once a day is easy to deal with. For the past 80 days, its only water or milk that I drink, nothing else. I'm declaring round 1 complete.
Round 2: Work out every day. Now that I eliminated the majority of my junk calories, I can begin to cut down on the spare tire I've been lugging around. Right now, its P90X. I started Friday morning so that the easier days are on PT days so I won't be completely wasted. I'm also sticking to my running routine so that I won't lose any time on my training. Running comes first, but I'm going to try my hardest to stick with P90X as well. Almost done with the first week, just one more hard workout left and it's all downhill til Friday.
I also went swimming in the base pool yesterday morning. Emily would swim down the length of the pool, and somehow I would make it down there too. She would power her way down there, even with me saying I'd wait for her on this end while I'm pushing off the wall to swim. Somehow I talked myself into a half mile, after not swimming in years! The last time I swam more than a lap was freshman year of high school 8 years ago.
Half mile = stupid
I am so sore right now. There was a triathlon guy doing laps in the lane next to me, putting both Emily and I to shame, and I have no clue how he did it. I'm thinking it's going to become a weekly thing, me doing a half mile, until I can slowly start to increase it.
Anyways, that's the update for now. I'm sore as hell every day and it feels good, but it hurts so bad too. 11 months to the Keys 100 and I need to start taking this seriously. Time to respect the distance.
And so The Purge continues...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Getting My Mojo Back
51 weeks to go!
I've felt pretty good during these few shorter runs this past week. I'm starting to feel like I'm back in the groove of training, and all the side effects are starting to show up again, and I love it. I eat more but I'm still hungry. My legs feel like slabs of cement that I have to drag around all day. I feel a little more awake, and whenever I walk somewhere, I silently wish I were running there. I feel like I have my mojo back.
I first heard the phrase "mojo" related to running in a Runners World article about Scott Jurek and his current slump. I won't go into my opinions much on the article itself, lets just say that I don't agree with how the author put pressure on Scott to win the 24 hour championship. Anyways, the author kept referring to this "mojo". I really didn't fully understand what it was until I went TDY to China Lake, CA. Over a weekend, I went up to the Whitney Portal on Mount Whitney and I instantly understood what it was.
First, Mount Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48 states. Second, and most importantly to me, its where the finish line is to the Badwater Ultramarathon. I am a huge fan of that race and someday wish to participate in it, and maybe even finish it. The picture at the top of this site is taken at the starting line.
My friends were all fishing in the small streams around the portal. I didn't have a rod, so I just rammed around in the snow around the parking lot. I'd go up some hill, then run down the other side. Not just jogging around, but running. Really running. The kind of running you see on playgrounds and from kids chasing the ice cream truck. I was exhausted from the effort and the elevation, but I kept running around anyways. I had my mojo back. The whole ride back to Ridgecrest, that's all I could think about, was running around Mount Whitney, feeling the awesome energy that surrounds that place. I know that sounds a little hippie, but thats what I felt there, the energy of the finish line, and the portal to the top of the mountain. It's where I decided that I would give the Keys 100 a real shot. I can't wait to go back to Whitney.
Hopefully this "mojo" lasts me until I get to the finish in Key West, and hopefully I don't promptly lose it afterwards and take a year off. I'm gonna try my best to keep it going this time. Here goes nothing...
I've felt pretty good during these few shorter runs this past week. I'm starting to feel like I'm back in the groove of training, and all the side effects are starting to show up again, and I love it. I eat more but I'm still hungry. My legs feel like slabs of cement that I have to drag around all day. I feel a little more awake, and whenever I walk somewhere, I silently wish I were running there. I feel like I have my mojo back.
I first heard the phrase "mojo" related to running in a Runners World article about Scott Jurek and his current slump. I won't go into my opinions much on the article itself, lets just say that I don't agree with how the author put pressure on Scott to win the 24 hour championship. Anyways, the author kept referring to this "mojo". I really didn't fully understand what it was until I went TDY to China Lake, CA. Over a weekend, I went up to the Whitney Portal on Mount Whitney and I instantly understood what it was.
First, Mount Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48 states. Second, and most importantly to me, its where the finish line is to the Badwater Ultramarathon. I am a huge fan of that race and someday wish to participate in it, and maybe even finish it. The picture at the top of this site is taken at the starting line.
My friends were all fishing in the small streams around the portal. I didn't have a rod, so I just rammed around in the snow around the parking lot. I'd go up some hill, then run down the other side. Not just jogging around, but running. Really running. The kind of running you see on playgrounds and from kids chasing the ice cream truck. I was exhausted from the effort and the elevation, but I kept running around anyways. I had my mojo back. The whole ride back to Ridgecrest, that's all I could think about, was running around Mount Whitney, feeling the awesome energy that surrounds that place. I know that sounds a little hippie, but thats what I felt there, the energy of the finish line, and the portal to the top of the mountain. It's where I decided that I would give the Keys 100 a real shot. I can't wait to go back to Whitney.
Hopefully this "mojo" lasts me until I get to the finish in Key West, and hopefully I don't promptly lose it afterwards and take a year off. I'm gonna try my best to keep it going this time. Here goes nothing...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Here I Go Again
Ok folks, I know it's been a long time coming, but I'm back in training starting this week!
Now, a little back story... I raced in and completed the Keys 50 almost a year ago today. I finished in just a little under 13 hours, which kinda sucks, but oh well, it was a good first try at getting back into this sport. I learned (and relearned) a lot on that trip, but that was a year ago, and this isn't a year delayed race report, so I'll leave it at that. It was a fun trip though. Throughout the race, I carried a ring in my pocket which I eventually gave to my soon-to-be wife the next evening (getting on one knee was embarrassing, but I did it anyway, for the sake of formality). Now Emily is here with me in Florida, and life is much, much better
Anyways, all that aside, it's been a year. I was plagued with IT band syndrome which caused me to all but give up on the ultra-running thing. But I'm pissed off with being lazy, so I made an outlandish goal. One year from this week, I will race in the Keys 100. In doing so, I'll be posting all my lessons-learned (and relearned) here. I made my training schedule today, and it seems challenging but reasonable at the same time. A few weeks stray into 70 miles, and I have a 50 mile training race a month or so before to begin my taper off of. This November (after the wedding in October :) ) I'll be doing the Pensacola Marathon while my wife will be doing her first official half marathon! These truly are exciting times.
Training starts tomorrow with three days of easy short distance runs, with two more this weekend. Mondays and Fridays will be permanent rest days. I'll be sure to update this later on with how these go.
Passion had fueled my progress, and I hungered for more ~ Dean Karnazes
Now, a little back story... I raced in and completed the Keys 50 almost a year ago today. I finished in just a little under 13 hours, which kinda sucks, but oh well, it was a good first try at getting back into this sport. I learned (and relearned) a lot on that trip, but that was a year ago, and this isn't a year delayed race report, so I'll leave it at that. It was a fun trip though. Throughout the race, I carried a ring in my pocket which I eventually gave to my soon-to-be wife the next evening (getting on one knee was embarrassing, but I did it anyway, for the sake of formality). Now Emily is here with me in Florida, and life is much, much better
Anyways, all that aside, it's been a year. I was plagued with IT band syndrome which caused me to all but give up on the ultra-running thing. But I'm pissed off with being lazy, so I made an outlandish goal. One year from this week, I will race in the Keys 100. In doing so, I'll be posting all my lessons-learned (and relearned) here. I made my training schedule today, and it seems challenging but reasonable at the same time. A few weeks stray into 70 miles, and I have a 50 mile training race a month or so before to begin my taper off of. This November (after the wedding in October :) ) I'll be doing the Pensacola Marathon while my wife will be doing her first official half marathon! These truly are exciting times.
Training starts tomorrow with three days of easy short distance runs, with two more this weekend. Mondays and Fridays will be permanent rest days. I'll be sure to update this later on with how these go.
Passion had fueled my progress, and I hungered for more ~ Dean Karnazes
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