Many Blessings

This was an interesting week in training to say the least.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Track

• Warm up run: 2.24 miles at 10:22 pace
  • hard start
• Speed Work: 8×800 at 10K pace (8:42)
  • ran the last mile without my knee brace. That went really well, I may try it some more cautiously.

Wednesday: Rest

• Knee felt a little weird. I am wondering if I should not have run without the brace at all!
• Cycled easy with Kristin, it was a beautiful night! 3.7 miles at 9.9 mph

Thursday: Taper Run for LBLO Half Marathon Fun Run on Saturday.

• Warm up run: 2.2 miles at 11:00 pace
• Baldwin Park Loop: 4.06 at 9:00 pace
  • This run went absolutely horribly! I have been feeling with some GI issues and had to go #2 the entire run! I know TMI.
    • And this was just after I read this post about the 7 things you never wanted to know about running!!!  LOL I can really relate to #4 before and after this particular run!

Friday: Rest

• Carb Loading like I did last Friday. Sushi with an extra bowl of white rice.
• Got some new balega socks and also I am trying out some Zenzah compression leg sleeves. Also bought some new Beasts!

Great pair of socks! I swear by these. Great cushion.

Saturday: LBLO Half Marathon Fun Run plus 9 miles to help Carrie get in her long run before her marathon

• 22.02 miles at 9:47 pace
• Started out very stressed about finishing with all the GI issues from earlier in the week.
• Ate an egg bagel with peanut butter and a banana for pre-race.
• Used my usual one GU chomp every two miles. At mile 13 I ate one stinger waffle.
• This run was difficult at the start but after about the first 2 miles things started to settle in and felt great!
• Sprinted to the end of the 13 to try to beat a pace group friend. It was fun!
• There was a lot of reflection on the last 9 miles of this run. I was questioned many times about how I do what I do. I feel like I am very blessed to be able to accomplish what I can accomplish. I pray a lot on runs. When I was injured back in November/December 2012 I prayed for healing and that I would use that healing for good. I also feel I can accomplish what I do out of sheer will. I just want to be able to do what I do. There was also a lot of just off topic talk to get our minds off the run and on to more “positive” things that would take the mind of any pain. Carrie was awesome and had an even stronger finish then on her 20 mile run.
• Recovery consisted of 4 muscle milks, a 4 bag of ice ice bath, and an egg bagel. I had to get going to work so the kids could play for relay for life.

4 bag of ice bath! This was the coldest bath yet! I stayed for 20 minutes. Felt great after!

Zensah leg compression sleeves. My new favorite thing!!!

 

 

Got to work around 11 am for the kids to perform for cancer survivors and cancer patients. They did a magnificent job! Very proud of them and their hard work. I think that they also got a lot out of entertaining the survivors and patients during their lunch.

Saturday evening a group of us went to Magic Kingdom for some fun! We arrived there sometime around 6pm and stayed until 11pm. Got home around 12 am. It was a great day!

Arriving at the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

Im a lucky guy!

All day, I just kept thinking back to how blessed I am and how blessed my family is. I am a very lucky person and I never want to take for granted all that God has blessed me and my family with.

Best part of going to Magic Kingdom! The Plaza Sunday!!! YUM!!!

Have a great week! Keep running!

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Eat A Sandwich?!

This week started out with a  bit of a scare. After last saturday’s run I was just a little scared that I had injured my IT band again. I went ahead and took Tuesday (track day – speed work) off. This was not an easy choice, but it was made easier as my alarm did not go off at all to wake me up! I woke with a start at 5 am on Tuesday (to get to track on time I have to get up at 4 am) and I thought…oh well, everything happens for a reason. So I went back to sleep for a half hour.

This whole week I took extra time stretching in the evenings and rolling my IT and legs hoping to prevent injury.

Wednesday I tried an after work run. I prepped for this run by devouring a whole package of trail mix and most of a package of pistachio nuts. I also downed about three cans of La Croix (I like the lemon flavor). I started out at 4:15 pm. Upon starting out I realized that it was REALLY HOT! My plan was to go about 6 miles. The first three miles were not too bad, but the way back was beastly miserable. At one point I even thought WHO can I call out here to come pick me up if I get into real trouble. I did not run any faster or harder than usual but my heart rate stated in zone 5 for the entire run! That is about 174 for me. I think that it had to do with how miserably hot it was. When I finally got back to work I checked the temperature and it was 91 degrees F! If only I were training for Badwater! haha. I don’t know if I will do that again anytime soon…but I do live in Florida and perhaps I should get out there in the heat a bit more and try to get my body used to it. All in all it was not a completely bad run…other than it being really hot I did run without any kind of glasses or contacts so there was a run in with a rose bush that did not fare so well for my legs.

I was also told today, for the second time this week, that I need to “eat a sandwich!” Apparently I look emaciated?! I don’t think so. I mean I have lost weight since I started running last August ( from 155 to 148ish). My weight has pretty much stabilized for the last few months at around 148 and I am fine with that. I would not want to be any less than that though. When I carb load I get up to about 152. I was even asked if I was sick with something! What folks don’t understand is all I do is eat. If it is in front of me I will devour it! I do eat healthy, don’t get me wrong, but I will eat anything and everything otherwise.

Thursday I went with the group on our “Winter Park Hill Run.” We did some hill repeats. It started out kind of tough but once I got good and warmed up things went better.

Friday was a rest day. I got sick! It started out as a sore throat and kind of in my ears…some coughing.

Saturday was to be a short run day of about 16 miles, some folks were going to go 22.

Carb Loading: Friday night I carb loaded at Nagoya Sushi in Winter Garden with two of my favorite rolls: Mango Tango, and corral reef. I also had two orders of octopus sashimi. Finally I asked for a big bowl of white rice! YUM! This was an experiment because I have not tried carb loading in this manner. I also confessed my secret goal to Kristin this night. I told her I wanted to run 35 miles on my 35th birthday. She just smiled (which was a positive response in my book!) and I asked if she would run in the last few miles with me. She said she would consider it. YAY!

Pre-run fuel: I also tried something different for pre-run, I had an egg bagel and a banana.

Run: I started out on our first loop, 6 miles, and the first three were crazy arduous. I kept telling myself I am just going to do the 6 and go home because I feel so bad and I am sick. Getting back to the start we added people to our group and I was feeling pretty good so I thought Ill go ahead with the 10 more. This felt great! Great conversations and friends. Getting back again to the start point and mile 16 I decided I would just go ahead out with the group of three others doing a full 22. This was the best part of the run! After mile 20 it just kept feeling better. Overall a very successful run and it made me ultimately feel better!

During run fuel: I have finally found my perfect nutrition for running long, at least for running a marathon length. I have been doing one GU chomp for every two miles (considering changing to 3….but why when this works so well) with a sip of water. I also eat at two points in the run a stinger waffle. This was the same thing I did last week and it again worked like a charm. I carried one bottle of water and one bottle of chia drink.

Post run: I stretched my legs a bit before jumping back in the car. Drank a muscle milk on the way home (I tried a new flavor, Malt, and it was OK….im going to stick with the chocolate). When I got home I filled the tub with cold water and this time bought 3 bags of ice for the ice bath. As the tub filled up I stretched a bit more and rolled my legs and IT band. Got some coffee, put on my sweater, got a good book, and soaked in the cold icy water for 20 minutes.

 

After the ice bath I made some breakfast. Two egg bagels with Polaner All Fruit Preserves. I found blubbery which made me VERY happy.  I had a second cup of coffee and also another muscle milk (this time chocolate!).

Now I am off to clean the house and do laundry! Happy Easter everyone! and keep running!

Saturday! WHEW!

I am certainly ending this week on a high note. It has been a great break from work and yesterday, Saturday, topped it off!

My day began at 3:00 am getting up for a 20 mile run in Apopka. Our group started out at 5 strong and after our first 7 mile-ish loop one of us decided that it would be best to stop there. It was Megan’s first time running the Apopka hills and she did a great job! Very strong finish! She said that next time she will be in for two. I think it was a good decision on her part and listening to her body. We then started out for the second loop. We did this loop in the oposit direction just to add some different scenery. Upon completion of this loop we lost two more! This was a little unexpected. The hills were rough so Ryan and Nicole decided to call it a day for them too. Again, great run and great conversations. For these first two loops we averaged about a 9:40 pace. Then it was two. Carrie and I started out on the loop and Carrie mentioned that she was getting a bit tight in the calves. We walked a little and stretched a little and kept plugging along. We had a great final lap and great conversations just about life in general. Funny how running conversations seem to all come back to philosophical discussions! I think it was all the great conversation that kept us going. She never sounded tired so that just kept inspiring me to keep going!

On this run I carb loaded the previous day, at Disney (both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT), by eating a burger and fries for lunch (at Pacos Bills), a frozen margarita (in Mexico), a large soft pretzel (in Germany), and a nice large club sandwich from Crispers near home for dinner. For breakfast I had a few sips of chia drink and four pancakes (leftover from last weekend’s breakfast). During the run for nutrition I did one GU chomps every two miles with a sip of water and at the start of each loop I ate a stinger waffle. The GUs I ate were peach tea, my favorite flavor, and Cranberry Apple (first time with this flavor and I liked it!). Both contained caffein. On the run I also carried 10 oz of water and 10 oz of chia drink. I normally carry 20 oz of water, but most of this run was supported already so I tried to go a bit lighter.

All said and done, we finished our 20.66 mile Apopka run at around a 10:00 pace. Beautiful day and awesome people to run with. That is what it is about for me! It is not about the time, but the experience. The more I get into the 20 mile range I have become to realize that the fun really starts when you hit that 20th mile! I am looking forward to increasing my mileage by 2 miles every other week and seeing what things are like after 20! I had the urge to go another two miles just to finish my quota for the week but sometimes I just go with when everyone else is doing with the thought that it will stave off any injuries.

I got in the car and drank a chocolate muscle milk to start my recovery process. I did find malt flavor in my Publix and am looking forward to trying that some time too.

When I arrived at home I prepped for an ice bath. I made coffee, put on a long-sleeved shirt and sweater and filled the tub with cold water. I also had two bags of ice to add. I need to remember for future reference I’ll need probably 4 bags of ice instead of just 2! I got in just the cold water, then once I got used to that (about 1 minute) I added both bags of ice. I iced for a total of 20 minutes. I spent the time sipping on coffee and reading a book and just every once in a while moved my legs to keep the cold on them rather than that warm area that forms around your legs if you just leave them sit there.

Then made breakfast which consisted of scrambled “all white” egg whites on toast (it was great) with coffee.

Then it was off to pick up my new glasses from Guber Optical! I am very happy with the way they turned out and the way the look. I went with a much different style than what I am used to, but hey, that is ok you only live once right?!

After I picked up my glasses it was off to pick up my bike from David’s Cycle World after they did their “tune-up.” I am very happy with the way things turned out for that. It rides like a dream!

Then it was off to church to play for Palm Sunday, which I also played this morning too. That went great and it was nice, as always, to perform with friends for God! I always feel so much better after going to church to worship.

To end the day I called up a friend of mine, Dan, and we went to see another friend of mine, Mike, perform down town with his band Of Valleys. They are based out of Gainesville, FL, so it was nice to get a chance to see and hear them down here in Orlando. If you get a chance to take a look at their music I don’t think you will be sorry. They are great! Mike is a great friend of mine who also was a fantastic intern when I taught band in Gainesville. He now is a band director by day and a rockstar by night! Very proud of him!

  

When all was said and done, I drove Dan home and finally arrived at my home around 12:15 am! It was a long day to say the least but it sure was fun!

This week was to be a 38 mile week. I am ending it two miles shy. I don’t feel to bad about that as for a few weeks I went way over my goal. I have a small feeling of getting out there and just running two to get it in….but my body is telling me something different and so I am going to listen. I am in this for the LONG haul and want to build instead of tear down and injure!

On a final note, and not such a happy note, we lost one of our own this weekend. A great inspiring Ultra Runner, Micah True AKA “Caballo Blanco,” passed away during a 12 mile run. If you read Born to Run you probably remember reading all about him.

Have a great week everyone and run more!

Weird Week!

This is spring break for me! YAY!

The plan for the week: Monday rest, Tuesday Marathonfest, Wednesday Clermont 10 mile dirt loop, Thursday Marathonfest, Friday rest, Saturday long run 20 miles, Sunday easy run with Krisitin and Kristi

Monday: Rest (went well!)

1. Deep water swimming at the Winter Park YMCA: 45 minutes of 1 minute intervals.

Tuesday: Track – Descending Ladder:

1. 2×1200, 1000, 2×800, 600, 2×400
   1. Kind of a grueling session and I don’t know why!

Wednesday: Clermont 10 mile dirt loop

1. Slept in, didn’t go….Slept 12 hours that night!
   1. This day was all about hibernation! I got up for lunch with a  friend and then came home and got back on the couch and slept the rest of the day! I then went to bed around 8:30 pm and got up feeling fresh for marathonfest the next day!

Thursday: Winter Park Tempo Run

1. We did a faster than marathon pace run to Fairbanks and back followed by 400 around the track at 5k pace.
   1. This felt great!~ I guess I just really needed the sleep from the previous day!

Thursday: Winter Park YMCA Strength Training (65 minutes)

1. Single leg Seated leg curl – 20 x 3/10
2. Single Leg Leg extension – 30 x 3/10
3. Hip abductor – 80 x 3/10
4. Hip adductor – 80 x 3/10
5. Back extension – 90 x 3/10
6. Dead lifts – 30 x 3/10 (use arm barbell)
7. Single leg Step-ups – 10 x 3/10 ???
8. Side step-up w/ kick – 10 x 3/10 ???
9. Push up/ balance ball thing 25
10. Balance board squats – 3/10
11. Planks – 3/1:10
12. Stretch REALLY WELL! (did about 60 minutes in addition to the hour of weights)
    1. Ham String
    2. Piriformus
    3. Back
    4. quads/achilies

The ?? marks indicate I will do that weight one more time and then possibly increase the weight for the next visit.

Friday I am sure my rest day will go well so long I can make it a rest day and not get the running bug!

Saturday was going to be a Cady Way long run but after talking with the group this morning I think a small contingent are going to break away from the pack and go to Apopka and do 3x a 7 mile loop of hills which will give us a 21 mile long run. Ill have to let you know how it goes.

In all this has been a great week. I have discovered that the fuel I use before my morning runs is beginning to get a bit boring and not enjoyable for me. So now I am on a quest to find something easy like bananas that is gentle on the stomach, quick on the go, and provides enough energy for my morning runs. Suggestions are welcome! I have already tried cliff bars and those just don’t sit well in my stomach before a run.

I am also participating in another blogger’s 7 day green smoothie challenge. I learned about the challenge from the blog “DrinkRunYoga” and then followed her link to the originator “Peanut Butter Runner” and read all about it! I was lucky to read this post in enough time and get the ingredients together and start on Monday with everyone else. It has been a lot of fun, but Kristin has since said that I am “completely gone” and thinks I have gone off the deep end of the nutrition train. I don’t think so, I think I am just working to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. Has a lot changed….perhaps…but in the long run (insert pun here) I think I will be better off for it.

Here are some pictures from my, day 3, 7 day green smoothie challenge:

I used the Peanut Butter Runner’s basic set up and have added the chia seeds, a table spoon of natural peanut butter, frozen raspberries and blueberries,  and greek yogurt. In the future I’d like to find a good protein powder supplement to add too.

Some other notes about this week. I took my bike into the shop to get it tuned up. I think I mentioned in a previous post that the gears were slipping and it was just running really rough. I am getting it back on Friday after $135 dollar tune up, cleaning, and new break pads. They also mentioned that the wheels needed to be trued up. I hope that it rides like a dream!

I am also experiencing a little hip issue. I have had this problem for a long time now, a few years…but when ever i get out of the car i feel this little pop, feels muscular in nature, and then I am fine.  It has not hurt on runs or anything…but the problem persists and I also think that it is getting worse. I have NO clue what the issue is…and don’t really know where to start to find out a solution. Guess it is time for a googling.

 

 

More Learning

This week, as stated in the previous post, was to be a 38 mile week. I have completed that goal, as arduous as it was (this morning’s seven mile run was not easy). Now I am getting ready to go out for another slow 5 with a friend of mine who is getting back into the running swing.

Last night we went to see the Hunger Games. Great movie! Very well done and not your typical thrown together book movie. I have not read the book but Kristin has and said that the movie was very true to the book. This outting placed us back at home at around 12 am! So getting up at 4 am and hitting the Clermont 10 mile dirt loop was not really something I was looking forward to and therefore was easily swayed.

Florida is getting hot and humid! When we started out this morning for our 7 mile run it was already 74 degrees! OUCH! I had word a shirt that I was used to wearing and thought nothing more than that.  At around mile 4 I was getting a lot of pain from my right chest…my nipple was chaffing! Something that I had read about and seen on others before…but had been lucky not to have. Well I ran for another mile like this, until I got back into our subdivion, and then off came the shirt for the last two miles.

Another reason this run was a bit difficult for me was due to the fact that I did not have my usualy banana before the run. I just drank 8 oz of chia drink. I thought that would be enough. When we got home I downed a bottle of Muscle Milk, had two pancakes from yesterday, and drank some rasberry lemonaid.

For this last 5 miles today I have a bandaid on my nipple and have changed my shirt hoping to stave off any further chaffing.  I considered posting a pic of the bandaided area…but um…yeah. We live and we learn!

Off for another 5, with perferrably sans chaffing!  Have a great week everyone!

Training Update 3/24/12

Recently I have created some weekly mileage goals. I worked on 35 total miles for 2 weeks and am planning on amping that up every two weeks by 10%. These next two weeks I am working toward 38 miles.

The first two weeks, which the goal was 35 miles, turned out to being 41 and 45! I did not expect that to happen nor try but it just happened. I am making sure to stick to the plan this week so I don’t overdue.

Last weekend was my first long run by myself. 20 miles! It started out rough as I had a lot of pain in my knees. I think the pain was due to all of the speed work for the 5k the day before. I always find that speed work tends to make my body hurt. The 20 miles, after the initial 3, went great though. I was working toward a 9:45 pace and it turned into a 9:30 pace! I was very proud of my last few miles. I was actually running in the 8:50 range!

Something that I learned on this long run was NOT to run long in a shirt that I had not tried before. I have never done this for a race, run in a new shirt, but thought I would try out this new shirt for this run just because it was a training run. The material on the shirt combined with the pressure of my hydration belt chaffed my back in grand style! A week later I am still feeling the pain.

Today was a 16 mile long run. It felt great! Tomorrow I have convinced Kristin, hopefully the weather will be ok, to run with me in Clermont on a 10 mile dirt loop. I have never run this rout before but have heard that it is a really nice run. I am also excited that it will be dirt and perhaps easier on the body. I have yet to really run any distance off pavement.

Finally on another note, I think I have mastered the tongue in my sneakers. I have had a lot of issues with the tongue slipping off the side and then my laces rubbing the top of my foot and bruising it! Well, my beasts have this little tab and today I noticed that if I take and off center the very top lacing it will “lock” the little tab to the side of the shoe and keep the tongue more to the center! WOOOOHOOO!  So far today things have been feeling pretty good!

While the tongue is still off center….it is WAY better than what it was before this little trick!

Get Lloyd Stone Brooks to the LA Marathon!

Who is Lloyd Stone Brooks?

Well, I don’t really know to be honest with you. But I was first introduced to this man via this video post by Runner’s Voice. Since then I have been following him on twitter @LStoneBrooks and have continued to enjoy his posts about his progress for a race he has no way of getting to?! LStoneBrooks is broke! and has been training for a race that he has in his heart and gut that he must find a way to get to and to run! This will be his first marathon. Watch the video from Runner’s Voice, watch the rest of his crazy and inspirational videos on YouTube.

DONATE to his cause.

I don’t have any idea why I feel so motivated to help him, I don’t know him, but I understand for some reason where this is coming from and that this is a life changing experience for him that is going to be great!

Here is the link to help him out.apps.facebook.com/fundrazr/activ…